Ch 163

I hunched over the wooden counter of the food stall, chewing without tasting. 

The broth was too salty, the noodles overcooked, but it was warm, and it would keep me moving for the next few hours. 

That was all I needed. 

The vendor was chatting with someone behind me, laughing too loud, but his voice blurred into the rest of the village noise. 

My mind was elsewhere, needing to plan out my next moves carefully. 

Kabuto. 

I had to find him before Obito did. 

If Obito reached him first... then everything would unfold exactly as it had before, and I would be left trying to keep Itachi from sacrificing himself all over again. 

I felt my lips twitch into a sneer, I didn't know if I could watch that happen twice. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to completely keep my calm. 

Someone would get hurt, and it wouldn't be me. 

I lowered my head, pretending to focus on the bowl, letting the steam hide my face while my thoughts spiraled. 

How far ahead was Kabuto now? 

How long before he caught wind of the same trail? 

When would he show himself? 

How long did Itachi need to be dead until he was brought back? 

And where would I be when the inevitable collision happened between all of us, between past mistakes and future disasters? 

A ripple of chakra brushed against me, faint but unmistakable. 

My spine went stiff. I knew that signature. Familiar, rooted deep in old memory. 

I was moving before I fully processed it, dropping coins onto the counter and slipping into the crowd. 

I smothered my own chakra, tucking every trace of myself inward until I was nothing more than another hooded stranger. 

He was close—three hundred feet, maybe less. 

Moving. 

If I didn't reach him now, he'd be gone. 

I wove through the street, scanning every face, every stall, every doorway. Then I saw it, a flash of white hair above the crowd. 

Jiraiya. 

My hand tightened around the kunai hidden in my sleeve. Charging him would be stupid; he'd sense it instantly. 

But a trap, a quiet, clean maneuver was my best chance. 

He wouldn't want a scene, not here, not in a village packed with civilians. That was my advantage. 

I slipped behind him, steps feather‑light, reaching out to grab his shoulder. But something in my gut twisted, warning me. 

I pivoted. Instead of touching him, I moved to his front in a single fluid step, pressing the cold point of the kunai to his throat. 

Jiraiya's arm was already raised—he'd felt me coming and tried to intercept the grab I never made. 

So now he stood frozen in an almost comical pose, hand lifted, body still, eyes sharp. I didn't bother hiding my face. I let the hood fall back. 

"Hey," I greeted. 

I stayed close to the edges of the Rain village's outer roads, moving with care. 

I didn't want to be noticed. Not that I was hiding exactly, I wasn't that afraid of being seen. I just didn't want anyone I knew turning up. 

That could ruin everything. 

I could handle strangers and anyone with a hidden agenda. But familiar faces? They carried history, expectations, questions I didn't want to answer. 

Unless, of course, they were on their way to the village itself, just passing through. Like Jiraiya. 

His chakra caught my eye first, before anything else. Then the white hair. Nostalgia would've hit me if the injuries weren't so fresh. 

Jiraiya looked at me like he had just spotted a ghost. Or something close to one. 

"Ishi," his voice was almost in disbelief. 

"Jiraiya," I acknowledged, my voice even. "Did you hear what happened back in the village with me... and the others? Tsunade?" 

He stiffened slightly, and his eyes darkened. "...I did." 

I nodded, keeping my tone flat, neutral. "Good. Then you can explain what happened afterward." 

His mouth twitched. Not a smile, not quite, but a reaction. He frowned instead, looking over me with concern—or maybe annoyance. 

"You're... even more tired than before," he commented on my appearance, just like the others. 

I wasn't amused. 

I tilted my head, observing him just as carefully. But I knew he wasn't a threat. Not anymore. 

Slowly, I withdrew the kunai, letting it slide back into the folds of my clothing. My body relaxed slightly, but I didn't soften completely. 

Jiraiya exhaled, letting out a long breath. 

"They're looking for you," he said finally. 

I scoffed, incredulous. "They really think I attacked Danzō?" 

He shook his head, eyebrows knitting together. "No. I was talking with Tsunade and Kakashi. They don't think you would do that." 

I didn't believe him. 

Not fully. 

I narrowed my eyes. "Then you should've seen how they acted. Like I was some criminal. Like they didn't even see me grow up. Like I wasn't the same person they knew." 

His gaze was steady, yet there was still hesitation in his movements. "It's obvious there's a lack of trust. But even so, I don't think what they did was wrong. Imagine it wasn't you. Would you expect them to be so lenient?" 

I paused. That was... something to consider. But it didn't change everything. 

"I can see your point," I answered slowly, choosing my words. "But it was me. Not someone else. It's not the lack of trust, it's that I knew there was a lack of trust from the start. It's that they ignored the rules I had already stated for coming back. And that I almost died because of it." 

He let that sink in, and I could see the way his jaw tightened. It wasn't sympathy, more like understanding the weight of it. 

I could have died, I almost did. I needed to be saved by Itachi. 

I miss him... 

I adjusted my cloak, letting the wind sweep through the sleeves. The kunai was back where it belonged, but my body remained taut. I wasn't smiling. I wasn't relaxed. 

But, I can't just stay where I am. I need to make a change. 

And I will start with him. 

A/n I am pushing myself people, I know you'll love next chapter. Count on it! Enjoy