The intelligence Akira had shared about the Akatsuki hunting jinchuriki was like a lifeline to Yugito. She had already been hearing whispers lately.
Akira looked at the wariness written all over her face and gave a helpless smile.
"Why are you so determined to think I must have some hidden motive?"
"Just assume I'm bored. Keep what I said in your head, and make sure you don't end up dying without even understanding why."
"Besides, if I'm being honest, I'm not exactly thrilled by the thought of those lunatics ripping the Two-Tails out of you either."
After saying that, Akira offered no further explanation and simply turned back toward his room.
That left Yugito alone on the balcony, stunned and unable to make sense of him.
Looking up at the cold crescent moon, she frowned tightly.
"What exactly is this guy after? Why help me at all?"
Inside her, Matatabi's low, heavy voice answered in her mind.
"I think maybe the boy really does just admire you. Or maybe he simply doesn't want the Akatsuki's plan to succeed."
"After all, no one knows what the Akatsuki truly want. If their goal threatens the world, then Konoha won't escape it either."
Yugito shook her head. Even with that, she still couldn't unravel the mystery.
The next morning, Akira led Neji Hyuga and Rock Lee into the ancient palace of the priestess.
Yugito and Omoi, who somehow always seemed to have a lollipop in his mouth, were already waiting.
Shion had still looked tense a moment earlier, but the instant she saw Akira arrive, the tightness in her face melted away. She hurried forward.
"Akira-san."
The night before, Yūgao Uzuki, Samui, and Karui had rotated shifts in guarding the delicate priestess at close range.
Now, seeing Akira appear, Yūgao silently moved back into place behind him.
Akira smiled gently.
"Yūgao-onee-san, thanks for the hard work last night."
Yūgao only gave the faintest nod. Ever since Hayate Gekko's death, she had become more withdrawn with every passing year.
Akira understood that.
Yugito's gaze toward him still held a trace of scrutiny. She still hadn't worked out what the Konoha ninja's real intentions were.
Beside her, Samui maintained her usual cool composure, quietly observing every movement Akira made.
Turning to Shion, Akira said, "Lady Priestess, we shouldn't waste time. We'll escort you to the Land of Swamps at once."
Shion obediently stepped closer and nodded. By now, she seemed to have developed almost blind faith in him.
But just as the escort squad was about to step out through the palace gates—
Something changed.
The soldiers guarding the outer perimeter of the palace collapsed without warning, dropping to the ground one after another, dead or unconscious.
The killing intent in the air hit everyone at once, and the group instinctively closed ranks around Shion.
Yugito and Akira reacted the fastest, stepping to the very front of the formation and staring coldly at the five mysterious ninja in white standing ahead.
Akira tilted his head slightly toward Yugito.
At the same time, Yugito glanced at him.
Akira narrowed his eyes and warned in a low voice, "The chakra on these people is strange. Don't take them lightly."
Yugito gave a sharp nod, then shot forward like a hunting leopard.
Akira, meanwhile, remained planted firmly in front of Shion, acting as the final wall between her and everything else.
As Yugito charged, a layer of blue chakra flared over both hands, shaping itself into sharp catlike claws.
She struck one of the white-clad ninja with a vicious downward swipe.
"Boom!"
The blow landed with crushing force, and the enemy flew backward like a rag doll before smashing hard into the palace wall.
But that turned out to be nothing more than bait.
The other four ninja abandoned Yugito without hesitation and flashed ghostlike into position in front of Akira.
Strangely, they didn't try to engage in close combat. Instead, they spread out and formed hand signs all at once.
"Fire Style: Earthfire!"
"Wind Style: Tornado!"
"Earth Style: Flying Sand!"
"Lightning Style: Lightning Flash!"
Four ninja, four different elemental jutsus, all blending together in perfect synchronization.
In the next instant, a savage fire dragon roared into existence, fused with lightning, slicing wind, and airborne sand, surrounding Akira's group from every side.
With a deafening crash, the monstrous dragon—stretching dozens of meters long—blew the roof clean off the palace.
"ROAR—!"
The fire dragon opened a maw wide enough to swallow everything in front of it and lunged straight for Shion.
Shion's face went deathly pale. She clutched at Akira's sleeve with trembling hands.
Lee and Neji both shifted into fighting stances, ready to intercept, but faced with a composite jutsu that covered such a wide area, neither of them had a clear opening.
Inside that thing wasn't just flame. It was packed with nerve-numbing lightning, cutting wind blades, and sand blasting through the air at lethal speed.
Charging in recklessly would get them torn apart in seconds.
Even Samui, watching that terrifying display, couldn't help narrowing her eyes.
"A jutsu on that level can't be put out by ordinary means."
Before the words had fully left her lips, she looked instinctively toward Akira.
"If it's him... he should be able to do something impossible again, right?"