"Teacher, Yahiko didn't mean it. He's just worried about Nagato..."
Konan hastily defended her companion, fearing Takuya might take offense at Yahiko's outburst.
"It's fine. Don't worry."
A broken coffee table and a few cracked floorboards were hardly worth getting upset about.
Anyone facing this kind of situation might lose their composure, and Takuya was no exception. If it were him, he'd probably react even more dramatically.
"What should I do to cooperate, Teacher? Should I remove these eyes?"
Compared to Yahiko and Konan, Nagato remained much calmer, his tone steady.
"They need to be removed, but not yet," Takuya said as he carefully observed Nagato's body with his heightened senses.
"I suspect the person behind all this may have left something in your body—maybe a way to control you in critical moments."
"So, I need your cooperation. Konan and Yahiko will stay here in the village. They won't leave until everything is resolved."
"Teacher, you do have a way to save me, don't you?"
Nagato smiled faintly, though it was a sad, resigned expression.
"Not necessarily," Takuya admitted, "but there's a chance.
The real target is these eyes, not you. You're just the vessel—a tool. Tools can be replaced, but the eyes cannot."
Nagato's forced smile made Konan and Yahiko's hearts ache.
"So I just need to cooperate with you, Teacher—help you lure the person out and then remove these eyes at the right moment to protect myself, right?"
"Something like that," Takuya said. "But to be clear, it's not you protecting yourself. It's me protecting you."
"What do you need me to do?"
Nagato didn't hesitate. He even raised a hand to stop Yahiko and Konan from interrupting.
He knew staying in the village was the safest option for them. Nagato didn't want his companions to risk their lives alongside him.
Konan and Yahiko, however, were visibly unwilling to let Nagato take on such a dangerous task alone.
To reassure them, Takuya gave them a promise.
"Give me at most three months, maybe as little as one month. I'll have the means to eliminate the threat to Nagato.
If you two insist on following him, you'll only be a distraction, making it harder for him to act freely.
Stay here in Konoha. I'll make sure to bring him back safely."
Once he calmed Yahiko and Konan down, Takuya took Nagato into another room to explain the full plan.
He didn't tell Konan and Yahiko the details, fearing they might act recklessly out of emotion.
After briefing Nagato, Takuya asked Minato to escort him discreetly out of the village and back to Amegakure.
Takuya planned to follow shortly after, ensuring he could control the situation on his terms.
"I know you both care about Nagato like family and don't want him to face danger alone. But if you go to Amegakure, what can you actually do?
Aside from holding him back, there's nothing you can contribute."
Pausing for a moment, Takuya's tone softened.
"Though you're not technically my students, and I haven't taught you much, you've been calling me 'Teacher.' I feel I owe you something in return.
Your fundamentals are lacking. During this time in Konoha, I'll have someone help you catch up, build a solid foundation."
In the original timeline, Jiraiya had trained the three of them, providing them with a strong base.
But because of Takuya's influence, Jiraiya never had the chance to mentor them. The three had climbed up on their own, learning through trial and error.
Even though they had grown strong, their weaknesses remained.
These gaps in their training needed to be filled. Otherwise, they would be prone to mistakes in battle—mistakes that could cost them their lives.
While Nagato carried out the plan with Takuya, Yahiko and Konan would stay in Konoha. Takuya intended to ask Tsunade to assign a skilled instructor to train them.
"Phew..."
Takuya leaned back on the couch, exhaustion washing over him.
"This kind of thing really isn't my specialty. It's more draining than fighting an army of enemies back in Amegakure."
Standing behind him, Pakura placed her calloused hands on his head, skillfully massaging his pressure points to help him relax.
"Sakumo-senpai came by earlier," Pakura said softly. "When he heard you were busy, he said he'd come back later.
Oh, and Konan will stay with Kushina for now, while Yahiko has already been taken away by Nawaki."
Kushina and Konan were both women and would likely find common ground quickly, so Takuya had entrusted Kushina to look after her.
As for Yahiko, Takuya handed him off to Nawaki, whose carefree and bold personality was sure to mesh well with Yahiko.
He just hoped Nawaki wouldn't drag Yahiko into any mischief—like sneaking into a bookstore to check out those "18+" books.
"Do you need me to notify Sakumo-senpai?" Pakura asked.
"No need. He's already here."
"I should've known you'd sense him."
Hatake Sakumo stepped into the living room, his gaze flicking between Takuya and Pakura with an odd expression.
Pakura had practically turned into Takuya's personal maid.
"You really know how to enjoy life, don't you?" Sakumo teased with a sly smile.
"..."
You shameless old man!
"I seem to recall Kakashi mentioning he didn't want you to grow old alone..."
"Cough, cough! Let's stick to business!"
Sakumo was quick to change the subject, not wanting to delve into his personal life. After losing his wife, he had never considered remarrying, choosing instead to dedicate himself to raising his son.
Dropping his playful tone, Sakumo's face turned serious.
"The Anbu has found Danzo's whereabouts."
"Where?"
Takuya immediately perked up.
"Amegakure..."
No one had expected Danzo to appear there, not even Sakumo.
Takuya had been planning to make his way to Amegakure soon, but it seemed Danzo had beaten him to it.
"Well, isn't that convenient?"
Takuya couldn't help but laugh.
He had been thinking about hunting down Danzo, but the man had delivered himself straight to the lion's den.
Was he seeking an alliance with Hanzo? Or setting up a secret base?
Whatever the reason, Takuya decided it didn't matter. If Danzo was in Amegakure, he would take the opportunity to deal with him once and for all.
"This old bastard has lived long enough. I think it's time I send him to meet the Sage of Six Paths."
"Anything else?"
"There's one more thing," Sakumo said grimly. "Orochimaru has been missing from the village for too long. He's exceeded his leave time."
The Sannin were notoriously independent, coming and going as they pleased. Under Hiruzen, they'd been allowed to do so without consequences.
But Tsunade wasn't as lenient. She wouldn't tolerate Orochimaru wandering off without a valid mission.
"Orochimaru left the village?"
Takuya was surprised. No one had informed him of this.
"He left secretly," Sakumo explained. "If the Anbu hadn't gone to deliver a message, we wouldn't have discovered the note he left behind.
It's clear he didn't want anyone to know he was leaving—probably to avoid Tsunade stopping him."
During this period of transition for Konoha, Tsunade wouldn't allow Orochimaru to roam freely without a clear purpose.
Orochimaru, aware of this, had chosen to leave in secret, likely planning to explain himself after the fact.
"Well, this just got interesting," Takuya mused.
Where would Orochimaru go?
Could it be... he was seeking out Black Zetsu?
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to 50+ Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING