While Obito was recovering, a figure was fleeing for his life outside.
A ninja from the Iwagakure Explosion Corps.
He had originally come with Obito, but he never expected that Obito would be ambushed by Kyohiko, have his leg crippled, and flee.
Leaving him to escape in a panic, a complete mess.
If he could get away, he wouldn't complain, but the current situation—
Behind him, sheets of paper flew rapidly, magnificent like a flock of birds.
Further back.
The one from Konoha who had teleported via the Flying Thunder God had already forced Obito back, and until now, that person had no intention of coming to save him.
Hold on!
He gritted his teeth, throwing out clay bombs as if they were free.
But.
This kind of clay explosion was harmless to Konan, who had transformed into origami.
She continuously disassembled and reassembled, the origami occasionally turning into shields to block the explosions.
After the paper sheets flew out and scattered, they quickly converged ahead.
"Tch!"
Paper shuriken cut through the air, leaving wounds on his body.
At this moment.
The space opened, and a figure emerged from the alternate dimension.
Uchiha Obito.
However.
The figure in the distance was like a flash of lightning, a shooting star, instantly streaking across the sky and catching up to them in the blink of an eye.
Bang!
Obito and the Iwa-nin, who were in the middle of a spatial transfer, were directly killed by a single punch.
However.
He had only hit a shadow clone. Obito was no fool; he wouldn't come out in person to rescue someone under these circumstances.
Sending a shadow clone was already Obito being conscientious.
After confirming that a rescue was impossible, he immediately gave up and quickly opened a portal to run far away.
Flee!
Knowing that his rescue was hopeless, the Iwa-nin directly swallowed a piece of clay.
Kyohiko instantly grabbed Konan and quickly used the Flying Thunder God to jump to Yahiko's side.
Then, he unleashed his chakra and speed to the maximum!
Swoosh!
After he left with the others, a terrifying explosion erupted there. At the same time, the wood clone he had left by Yahiko's side formed hand seals.
Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashomon!
Boom.
The astonishing explosion swept through the surroundings, and the entire forest was covered in explosions and flames.
Behind, the three, protected by the Wood Locking Wall, gradually released their guard.
"These lunatics from Iwagakure who love explosions!"
Konan couldn't help but curse.
They had dealt with Iwagakure ninja before, and many of them had decent personalities.
However, the ninja from the Explosion Corps were rarely good people; even the best of them would cause frantic destruction.
Yahiko, at the side, had already passed out, his body covered in wounds from explosions, wood spikes, and sword cuts.
These injuries were all thanks to Obito.
When facing Obito, unless one could unleash a powerful and wide-ranging lethal ninjutsu in an instant like Kyohiko, it was difficult for an ordinary person to counter the effects of Kamui.
Moreover.
The current Obito possessed both eyes, and the effect of Kamui was even stronger than Kyohiko had anticipated—
Just now, he had actually wanted to use the moment Obito opened his portal to try to reverse-enter the Kamui dimension through Obito's spatial passage.
Unfortunately,
This attempt quickly failed.
Because Obito noticed the change in the spatial passage and instantly cut off the connection.
That guy's control over this jutsu is getting stronger and stronger!
Kyohiko took a deep breath, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.
Although he had previously placed a Flying Thunder God seal on Obito and could instantly attack him, this opportunity could only be used once.
With Obito's agility and the Mangekyo Sharingan's insight, he could capture movements in an instant in a one-on-one situation.
Unless it was like this time, launching a surprise deadly attack from an unknown position.
So.
It wasn't a complete loss.
Kyohiko thought to himself.
"Kyohiko-kun, thank you so much this time."
Konan looked at Yahiko, and then at the scene of the explosion in the distance.
If it weren't for Kyohiko's support, just relying on her and Yahiko...
She could still protect herself, but Yahiko definitely couldn't have survived against the bizarre Obito.
Kyohiko nodded lightly.
"I know some medical ninjutsu, let me handle it."
After pulling out the wood spikes and removing the debris, he formed hand seals.
Mystical Palm Technique!
Most of Yahiko's injuries were external. Soon, the wounds began to heal rapidly, and his flesh and blood wriggled back to normal.
After a few minutes, Yahiko gradually recovered and opened his eyes.
"I..."
"I'm not dead?"
He looked around in a daze, and then his gaze gradually cleared.
Kyohiko?
Yahiko understood.
He had been saved once again.
He sat up, coughing repeatedly.
"Thank you!"
"It's nothing, I just wanted to kill a Konoha traitor."
Kyohiko replied.
Yahiko was silent for a few seconds, then couldn't help but say, "Obito's ability is just too strange. It's impossible to defend against him."
"Therefore, you need to train a ninjutsu with stronger destructive power. Also, he has transplanted special flesh and blood, so his body can recover slowly."
Kyohiko advised.
Yahiko sighed.
"No wonder you told me and Konan to find Hanzo immediately and not to linger outside. Such an opponent is indeed difficult to deal with!"
Hearing is not as good as seeing.
Previously, no matter how much Kyohiko said, he and Konan didn't have a deep impression of Obito's strength.
But now.
After fighting him once, he knew—
With his abilities, he couldn't inflict a fatal blow on Obito. He either had to continue training and improving, or he had to hide.
Compared to him and Konan, Hanzo's poison was enough to pose a threat to Obito.
Therefore.
Staying in the Village Hidden in the Rain was safe!
"Thank you. After we go back, Konan and I will stay in the Village Hidden in the Rain. We won't go out again until we've mastered a technique that can threaten Obito."
Yahiko's face was serious.
"This is the safer approach, but you and Konan both have things to do. How can you not leave the village?"
Kyohiko said, then smiled lightly and threw out a scroll.
"Learn this technique, perhaps you will gain something."
"This is..."
Yahiko caught it, opened it, and a look of astonishment immediately appeared on his face.
A water-style ninjutsu derived from the Water Release: Wild Water Wave.
"Its destructive power is very strong, you can refer to it."
"No!"
Yahiko was first surprised, then ashamed. "Kyohiko-kun, I have already taken too many things from your Konoha. I will forget it!"
"Aren't we allies and partners?"
Kyohiko asked in return.
Yahiko was stunned, deeply moved.
He specialized in Water Style, so he naturally understood the value of this jutsu.
It might seem like just a direction, but many powerful ninjutsu were actually just missing a direction and some not-so-difficult techniques.
The idea is more important than the jutsu itself!
What Kyohiko taught him was such an idea.
Through it, many powerful water-style ninjutsu could be derived, some of which would definitely be effective and practical.
Yahiko was no longer being coy. He nodded heavily and extended a hand.
"Of course, we are partners!"
Slap!
The two hands met.
Yahiko's face was sincere.
Konan, at the side, also had shimmering eyes, deeply moved—
She had always felt that although Kyohiko had a connection to them through Jiraiya, they were from two different villages.
After Kyohiko became the ANBU captain, his attitude and position would definitely change somewhat, and he wouldn't be the same as before.
Even.
They understood this change very well.
Every ninja, from the moment they become a ninja, has such an awareness.
However.
Kyohiko didn't change.
Even though they were from another village, Kyohiko would still support and protect them as always, and even took out a precious ninjutsu scroll.
"I wanted to ambush Obito, but unfortunately, I failed. I'll escort you the rest of the way."
"Thank you!"
Yahiko did not refuse.
In this situation, refusing would make him a fool, wouldn't it?
...
With the Village Hidden in the Rain in sight, Yahiko finally bid farewell to Kyohiko.
Returning to the village, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, Yahiko's face turned serious, and he said in a low voice, "Madara and his subordinate's target is definitely not us, but Nagato!"
"The Rinnegan?"
"Yes."
Yahiko nodded, his expression grave.
If they died on the way, wouldn't Nagato go crazy?
Konan sighed.
"It seems Kyohiko was right, their target is these eyes..."
Previously, Kyohiko had mentioned it.
It was precisely for this reason that they left the Land of Birds and accepted Hanzo's invitation to serve in the Village Hidden in the Rain.
Konan was silent for a few seconds.
"Then, what do we do now?"
"Train! Get stronger!"
Yahiko clutched the scroll in his sleeve. "We can't let Kyohiko-kun's kindness go to waste, and we can't let Nagato worry."
"Yes."
Konan nodded heavily.
As she walked towards the village, she remarked, "Yahiko, do you still remember sensei's philosophy?"
"Sensei?"
Yahiko was taken aback for a moment.
Love, communication, peace.
This was the core of Jiraiya's philosophy on peace.
At first, they also followed this path, until later Kyohiko said this path was not feasible, and Jiraiya also rejected his own ideas.
Therefore.
Later, he, Konan, and Nagato gradually changed their way of thinking, becoming the current "small peace" idea.
That is—
Peace is too difficult and needs to be achieved step by step.
First, achieve a stable life within a certain range and limit, so that everyone's life gets better and better.
He was puzzled.
"Why do you bring this up?"
"Because, I feel that although Kyohiko-kun always says that peace is very difficult and can't be achieved just as sensei said, he has been practicing and trying."
Konan remarked.
Yahiko was stunned upon hearing this.
Kyohiko has always been practicing it?
He first found it absurd because Kyohiko was the one who was most disdainful of their teacher's way of thinking. But upon careful thought, he felt it was very true.
Kyohiko gave him the scroll without hesitation. Wasn't this a manifestation of trust and love?
The three-village cooperation this time, where each took what they needed, was also a manifestation of communication.
Achieving peace through communication and love...
Does it seem really feasible?
Yahiko stood stunned for a long time, not moving an inch.
Konan wanted to call out to him, but after watching for a while, she walked to Yahiko's side and accompanied him quietly.
Yahiko was often like this.
Sometimes, he would sit and think for a long time, or do some simple exercises.
A situation like this was not surprising.
After a long time, Yahiko finally let out a long sigh.
"Perhaps, the peace Kyohiko-kun talks about is really right."
"You know?"
"I vaguely thought of something, but I don't know if it's right."
Yahiko said in a low voice.
Konan couldn't help but be curious, "Can you tell me?"
She had no clue, but Yahiko had already thought of it.
This was also why she and Nagato trusted Yahiko.
Yahiko shared his thoughts.
"Ideology, from communication to understanding, and then to mutual intersection and bonds, the bridge needed in between is thought and ideals."
"This kind of thing is hard to describe, but it really exists. For example, Konoha has the Will of Fire, and Iwagakure also has the Will of Stone."
"What about the Village Hidden in the Rain?"
Yahiko asked Konan in return.
Konan was stunned for a long time, and finally shook her head.
It doesn't have one!
The Village Hidden in the Rain has always been fighting to survive, with no room to think about "ideology."
"We have one!"
Yahiko said resolutely, "We want to change the Land of Rain, to let everyone in the Land of Rain and the small ninja villages live a better life, free from bullying."
"This kind of thought brought us all together and formed the current Village of Birds. It is also a kind of ideological bridge."
Seeing the big picture from a small detail.
If one extends from individuals to the ninja world, then the small ninja villages can definitely be connected by such an ideology.
But.
It is very narrow and limited.
The major countries and powerful ninja villages will never understand the pain and situation of the small ninja villages, so it is difficult to achieve peace between them.
However.
There are always some things that everyone needs!
Yahiko felt that he had vaguely grasped the core of Kyohiko's thinking; this was the secret to Kyohiko's success in uniting the three villages.
He danced with his hands and feet, looking somewhat frantic.
Konan could understand parts of it, but what made her happiest was not what Yahiko had understood, but that Yahiko was very happy now.
When Yahiko was happy, she was happy.
A familial bond linked them together.
This is also a kind of "bridge," right?
Konan thought to herself.
Thinking of this, she understood a little.
"Unfortunately, although I understand, the Village Hidden in the Rain does not have such an ability."
Yahiko sighed.
He completely understood.
Why could Konoha unite the Village Hidden in the Rain and the Village Hidden in the Sand?
It was certainly driven by ideology and interests, but the foundation was "strength." Konoha was strong enough, so both Suna and Ame had to cater to it.
Ideology was just an auxiliary weapon.
The key was strength, which the Village Hidden in the Rain did not possess.
However.
Yahiko said resolutely, "Konan, we must help Kyohiko!"
"Help him? It's more like he's helping us. Let's go."
Konan retorted mercilessly.
Yahiko smiled, then ran towards the Ame tower, "You're right. Right now, we can barely protect ourselves. Staying alive is the biggest help to him!"
The two arrived at the Ame tower.
Hanzo had seen them long ago but didn't have anyone disturb them.
It was only when Yahiko entered that he inquired about the situation.
Yahiko explained the whole process.
Hanzo was somewhat surprised.
In this cooperation, the Village Hidden in the Rain had actually gained considerable benefits.
It could be said that in terms of explicit benefits, the Village Hidden in the Rain got the most, while Konoha and Suna received more intangible benefits.
He was very surprised.
Yahiko and Kyohiko had a good relationship. Hanzo's initial request was only for Yahiko to maintain as good a relationship with Konoha as possible.
But.
From the current looks of it, it seemed Konoha really intended to continue this three-village alliance, making concessions in many areas.
He pondered for a moment and said, "Allowing our students to go to Konoha, what do you think of this matter?"
"A good thing, and also a bad thing."
Yahiko did not hide anything and stated some of his thoughts, "By going to Konoha, we can learn a more advanced education system and knowledge, but theirs may not be suitable for us."
Hanzo was lost in thought.
A moment later, he motioned for Yahiko to continue.
So, Yahiko patiently analyzed his thoughts about the ninja academy with Hanzo in detail.
Hanzo could also perform these basic analyses, it would just take some time and intelligence gathering.
It would be a poor move for Yahiko to hide things, but he didn't mention a single word about his conjecture on the "ideological bridge."
Hanzo was lost in thought.
"In other words, if we were to establish such a school system ourselves, it might also cost this much money?"
"Yes, in addition, Konoha should also have arrangements for the subsequent training of Chunin and Jonin, which we have no way of knowing."
"We can do as the Village Hidden in the Sand did, send a few people to take a look, and if the results are good, we'll see."
Hanzo made up his mind.
"Yes!"