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"You're saying… he told you, 'You're not Brother Minato'?"

Akio's expression turned grave as he spoke each word slowly and deliberately.

Minato froze for a moment before nodding.

Akio closed his eyes halfway and let out a sigh.

"What a mess… The longer you live, the more bizarre things you see." He shook his head, a hint of bitterness on his face.

That single phrase, "Brother Minato," drew his thoughts back thirty years. Back then, there had also been a young man who called him that. If not for an accident, that boy might have become his fourth disciple.

"What's wrong, Great-Grandpa?" Kushina asked.

Akio exhaled, then shook his head. "It's nothing. Take good care of Minato. I need to step out for a bit."

Part of him hoped that man was indeed the intermediary. Another part of him hoped he wasn't.

"Fate really has a twisted sense of humor… terrifyingly so."

Even now, Akio still had the mood to poke fun at himself.

Leaving his "daughter" for now, he flew straight to Yugakure. The Land of Hot Water had once been wiped out under the rule of the Gold and Silver Brothers during the invasion by the Land of Rivers. Akio had thought such a peaceful nation of hot springs would never exist again. Unexpectedly, so many years after their deaths, Yugakure had once again become a "village that had forgotten war."

Traces of ninjutsu left behind by Minato's team were still present. Yet even though there had been a shinobi battle inside the village, the villagers showed no signs of panic—only casually cleaning up afterward.

"Interesting… The most peace-loving people in the shinobi world might just be the former Land of Hot Water—now Yugakure."

Aside from a probing attack against Konoha during the First Great Ninja War under the Gold and Silver Brothers' orders, they had never participated in any other war.

A light sweep of his senses revealed there weren't even many shinobi in the village—a strange country and an even stranger hidden village.

"Kagura Mind's Eye." Akio closed his eyes, focusing his chakra perception.

He didn't detect any chakra matching members of the Akatsuki, but he did sense Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

Not far away, in a small inn, Akio spotted the two of them.

"Orochimaru, can you be reliable for once? We've already wasted an entire day," Jiraiya was complaining when Akio arrived.

"Long time no see, senpai," Orochimaru greeted first.

"It hasn't been that—" Akio began, then stopped short as he remembered: every time he'd met them lately, it had been under the identity of Hagoromo. Of course, to them, it had been a long time.

"How's Minato?" Jiraiya asked after a brief pause.

"He's fine. Already awake. Two more days and he'll be fully recovered," Akio assured him.

Jiraiya let out a breath of relief, muttering, "Tsunade's medical ninjutsu has improved again."

Akio didn't explain further—best to leave his own involvement in Minato's recovery unmentioned.

"You've been here the past two days?" Akio asked, then, for reasons even he wasn't sure of, added, "Staying in the same room?"

Jiraiya's face darkened. "Senpai, I'm not you."

Akio choked on his reply. "I meant—have you found anything? Any sign of the Akatsuki?"

Jiraiya tilted his head toward Orochimaru, clearly indicating Akio should ask him.

Orochimaru spoke slowly, "I've found something. Follow me." With that, he walked out.

Akio followed closely. Behind them, Jiraiya looked baffled—he and Orochimaru had spent a whole day here with nothing to show for it, yet the moment Akio arrived… they suddenly had a lead.

"Wait up!" Jiraiya called, hurrying after them.

Outside Yugakure, about two kilometers away, they stopped before… a well?

"Under the water, there's a passage leading underground," Orochimaru explained.

Akio nodded without asking how Orochimaru knew—he could guess the man had sent countless snakes to scout.

Releasing a wave of repulsive force, Akio made the water surge upward and spill several dozen meters away.

When the well was completely dry, he jumped down, Orochimaru right behind him.

Sure enough, the well concealed a hidden space. After moving forward a dozen meters, Akio saw a large, somewhat familiar-looking door.

"This material… it's identical to the one used in Tobirama's old research facility. No wonder it blocked my sensory abilities." Akio frowned, already guessing what kind of place this was. It reminded him that sensory perception had its limits—he needed other scouting methods as well.

"Orochimaru uses snakes. Should I use Katsuyu?" Akio gave a wry smile. Slugs weren't exactly suited for reconnaissance.

While he was thinking, there was a thump behind him—Jiraiya had jumped down too.

"What is this place?"

Akio waved a hand. "I'm opening the door. Be ready for a fight." The place could very well be a Hidan-worshipping cult base. Unlikely as it was that a horde of immortal ninja would rush out, there would still be defenses.

"No need, senpai." Orochimaru pushed open the door. "There's no one alive inside."

Akio froze. The wave of blood stench that hit him when the door opened explained what Orochimaru meant.

Jiraiya's playful demeanor vanished. Before them lay nearly a hundred corpses—men, women, even children.

He examined a few, then shook his head. "Dead for about three to five days."

Akio didn't wonder why Jiraiya could tell—when you'd seen enough death, you just knew.

Sighing, Akio scanned their clothing. They wore different styles, but every one of them had a familiar-looking pendant around their necks—the symbol of the Hidan cult.

"One of the most mysterious organizations in the shinobi world… and the first time I see them, they're all corpses?" Akio muttered bitterly.

He slammed his foot down, flipping the earth to bury the bodies—there were too many, and the stench in the sealed underground chamber was unbearable.

"Senpai, you—" Jiraiya began. He'd wanted to examine the corpses for clues.

"It's fine. The wounds are the same as the one on Minato's abdomen—it's the work of that Akatsuki member. No need to check further."

"There's more inside," Orochimaru rasped, heading deeper.

Beyond lay no more bodies—only rows of grotesque statues.

"So that's supposed to be the evil god? Kind of creepy…" Akio thought to himself. He didn't believe in gods or demons, especially after dealing with that ridiculous Shinigami.

Behind the statues were small rooms—likely the living quarters of the cultists.

The three didn't bother searching them, pressing on until they reached the deepest chamber.

There, they stopped before an altar drenched in blood.

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