Chapter 52: The Misunderstood Yakumo
After returning to Konoha, Takahashi went to the Hokage's office the next day. He didn't expect to find both Tsunade and Kurenai Yuhi there. Takahashi looked at the two of them, unsure what was happening.
The Third Hokage gave the two women a look, and they tactfully left the room. He then looked at Takahashi with a serious expression.
"How did it go?"
Takahashi scratched his head. "The target is dead. About a hundred people came to rescue him, including more than a dozen Jonin. I took out most of them. A few managed to escape, but not many."
A flicker of surprise showed in the Third Hokage's eyes. He hadn't expected the number of rescuers to exceed his estimate. What was even more surprising was Takahashi's rapid growth. To fight his way through such a large force and come out unscathed...
Most importantly, he could see that Takahashi didn't have a single scratch on him. He nodded calmly.
"You did well this time. Go and collect your reward."
Takahashi turned to leave. The pay for this mission was very generous. But the Third Hokage stopped him. "Did you hear them say anything... unusual?"
Takahashi shook his head. The Third Hokage pressed further, "Aren't you curious about who could muster such a force?"
But Takahashi's answer left him speechless. "Not my problem. Just pay me."
He then opened the door and left, only to immediately run into Yakumo outside. It seemed she was also a frequent visitor here, often wandering around.
Takahashi figured the Third Hokage probably knew how dangerous this little girl was but didn't dare to restrict her freedom, mainly because she was just a child.
When Yakumo saw Takahashi, her expression instantly changed from that of a sickly child to a lively, energetic girl. Takahashi felt a wave of helplessness. Why do I keep running into her?
The key was, he could do nothing about it. He couldn't fight her, couldn't scold her. He could only go along with it.
"What brings you here, Miss Yakumo?" he asked.
But Yakumo simply gestured for Takahashi to crouch down, then very skillfully climbed onto his shoulders and declared confidently, "I'm tired. Carry me."
With no other choice, he carried Yakumo on his back. The little girl was light, with hardly any flesh on her, so it wasn't uncomfortable to carry her.
As they walked near the steps, Yakumo's expression shifted again when she heard Tsunade talking with Kurenai Yuhi. She gestured frantically to Takahashi, telling him to hide quickly.
Normally, she never got to hear what Kurenai Yuhi really thought about her. This time, she finally had a chance to listen in, and she didn't want to ruin it.
So, Takahashi reluctantly hid to the side with her. Passersby gave them strange looks. He was now a well-known figure here, famous as the "Mission King," but he didn't dare to say a word with the girl on his back.
They quietly eavesdropped and heard Kurenai Yuhi complaining, "Lately, Yakumo's moods have become more and more unstable. I'm almost afraid of how much damage she might cause to Konoha if she loses control. What should I do? I don't want to fail the Hokage's trust, but I also don't want to hurt the child."
Tsunade, on the other hand, wasn't so sentimental about children. Having seen too much life and death, she made a light wiping motion across her neck with her hand. Anyone seeing this would misunderstand, and Kurenai Yuhi didn't deny it. She just sighed silently, as if accepting the implication.
Then she said slowly, "How could I do that? That child is like a sister to me."
Takahashi glanced back at Yakumo on his back. He saw the little girl's eyes and pupils vibrating violently. He didn't know exactly which part she had heard, but if she lost control at a critical moment, they would be in deep trouble.
However, judging by Yakumo's state, an accident was almost guaranteed. She had probably seen that Kurenai Yuhi didn't give a direct denial and hadn't listened to the words that followed. This was a massive blow to her mentally.
Takahashi cursed inwardly. His normal footsteps were very quiet; unless someone was listening very carefully, it was impossible to notice them. If it weren't for this little girl's willfulness, Tsunade and the others, with their skills, would have definitely noticed them. There was no need for this big mess.
He quickly whispered, "Yakumo? Little beauty? Beautiful Yakumo? Kurama Yakumo? Wake up, don't scare me." But then he saw the light in the little girl's eyes gradually fade, replaced by a dull hum. Then, a strange space began to envelop the entire Hokage building.
Takahashi was so frightened he almost dropped the little girl, but he resisted the urge.
This phenomenon was similar to a genjutsu, but not quite. To be precise, it was more like a powerful, self-created illusion—a barrier.
By the time Tsunade and the others noticed, it was already too late. Kurenai Yuhi, especially, let out a shocked cry when she saw Yakumo. "Yakumo! Why are you here? What are you doing, Takahashi?"
Takahashi could only offer a bitter smile. "As you can see, I'm carrying Yakumo. But now, what I'm carrying is just an empty shell. The real Yakumo seems to have... lost control."
He looked at the surrounding environment. This illusion was like an onion, divided into several layers. If they couldn't reach the deepest part and rescue her, everyone in this building would likely be trapped or worse.
Gradually, the Yakumo on his back began to slowly fade and disintegrate piece by piece. Seeing this, his heart sank. What's happening now?
Afterwards, the entire illusionary space began to vibrate continuously, filling him with deep unease.
He didn't dare delay any longer. Without explaining to the others, he transformed into particles of light energy and began flashing through the entire building, not missing a single corner. But he found nothing.
Confident in his search abilities, he checked two more times to be sure. Then, his eyes locked onto the roof—the only place he hadn't checked.
He directly summoned a spear of light, shattered a section of the roof, and jumped up. Once on top, he found a constantly swirling vortex there.
Without a second thought, Takahashi leaped into it. He refused to believe Yakumo could truly harm him, and more importantly, he had confidence in his own abilities—the so-called courage of the capable.
When he entered the vortex, he found himself in a room encased in crystal. Inside, Yakumo was holding a paintbrush, drawing continuously. Several portraits lay beside her, including ones of Takahashi, Kurenai Yuhi, the Third Hokage, and other Konoha higher-ups.
(End of this chapter)
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