At this moment, Chinatsu, her arm firmly gripped by Yugito, was screaming internally.
Why? Why? Why?!
The Land of Lightning was enormous. How could they run into each other here of all places? And even if they did meet, most of my face is hidden under this cloak. How did she recognize me at a glance? Is this some kind of sensory-nin cheat?
Chinatsu was panicking, and so was Yugito. Deep down, Yugito feared she was mistaking someone else for the girl she had never forgotten. As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. If she was wrong, the emptiness afterward would be even worse.
"Miss, you must have mistaken me for someone else."
Chinatsu deliberately raised her voice into an exaggerated, strange falsetto. The tone was so unnatural that even Naruto and Sasuke probably wouldn't recognize it.
The familiar gentle voice instantly became bizarre and awkward. Yugito froze for a moment, and the hope in her eyes visibly dropped.
Yugito thought silently: This voice is so strange... it doesn't sound anything like her.
Chinatsu inwardly sighed.
Speaking like this is exhausting. Still, my talent for disguise isn't bad. Even I'm getting goosebumps listening to myself.
She could clearly feel Yugito's grip loosening.
Just as Chinatsu thought she had successfully escaped the crisis, Yugito launched another attack.
"I'm sorry if this sounds strange, but I have a feeling that I may know one of your relatives or friends. Could we sit down and talk? There's a restaurant nearby. My treat."
Yugito pursed her lips as she spoke.
She knew she was being shameless, but this obsession buried in her heart could not be ignored. If there was no hope, then fine. But if there was even the slightest possibility, she had to see it for herself.
Chinatsu, oh Chinatsu, you really are a woman burdened by fate.
Beneath the cloak, Chinatsu's lips twitched slightly.
Being recognized by Yugito wasn't actually dangerous. After all, she looked completely different now compared to four years ago, and she wasn't worried about Yugito exposing her.
The real problem was the trouble.
Explaining everything would be incredibly complicated.
And honestly... a little embarrassing.
Just as Chinatsu's brain was working at full speed, trying to figure out how to deal with the situation, a figure suddenly burst out from the nearby restaurant.
"Let go of her!"
Chinatsu's arm was being held by Yugito.
And Yugito's arm was instantly grabbed by the newcomer.
Yugito frowned and turned her head.
The man gripping her arm stared at her with an aggressive expression.
"Do I have to say it twice?!"
"...You are an Akatsuki member!"
Yugito immediately recognized the black cloak decorated with red clouds.
As a senior Kumogakure jonin and the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, she had seen intelligence reports regarding Akatsuki many times.
The mysterious criminal organization that had gathered S-rank missing-nin from various villages.
Every member was extremely dangerous.
Yugito instantly activated her Lightning Release-enhanced body and threw a powerful punch toward Hidan.
But Hidan wasn't afraid at all.
Instead of retreating, he stepped forward.
Boom!
The punch slammed directly into his face.
An ordinary shinobi would have been sent flying or coughed up blood, but Hidan simply grinned and continued charging.
His hands shot forward like claws, attempting to scratch Yugito's skin.
Danger!
A powerful warning erupted in Yugito's instincts.
As a veteran shinobi, she immediately realized something was wrong.
Blue chakra instantly erupted around her body.
The chakra of the Two-Tails formed a protective cloak around her.
Nii Yugito knew that allowing Hidan to obtain even a single drop of her blood could be disastrous.
After blocking Hidan's attack, she rapidly retreated and widened the distance.
Nearby civilians immediately entered the classic sequence of shock, screaming, and fleeing.
Within moments, the entire street was empty.
Yugito stared at Hidan and then glanced toward the cloaked girl beside him.
Her thoughts raced.
This man called her "Young Lady."
So she was definitely a woman.
But Hidan was clearly associated with Akatsuki.
Could she also be a member of Akatsuki?
That strange voice from earlier suddenly made much more sense.
At this point, Yugito had completely ruled out the possibility that the girl was Chinatsu.
The Chinatsu she remembered wasn't someone who would associate with S-rank missing-nin.
She wasn't someone who would join an organization like Akatsuki.
Yugito took a deep breath.
After confirming that civilians had evacuated the area, she finally released more chakra.
Boom!
An enormous wave of blue chakra erupted.
The chakra cloak rapidly expanded and transformed.
Two blazing tails appeared behind her.
Azure flames covered her body.
The chakra avatar of the Two-Tails emerged.
Matatabi let out a sharp roar that echoed across the street.
"Tch. So she's the Two-Tails Jinchūriki."
Hidan clicked his tongue while staring at the gigantic blue cat.
At that moment, Kakuzu finally emerged from the restaurant.
He calmly walked over while adjusting his cloak.
Then he exchanged glances with Chinatsu.
Chinatsu: Why didn't you stop him?!
Kakuzu: I was paying the bill.
The situation had happened far too quickly.
While Kakuzu was taking out money to pay for the meal, Hidan had glanced through the restaurant window.
Then he immediately spotted Yugito grabbing Chinatsu.
Without even thinking, he rushed outside.
His loyalty after joining Chinatsu's side had reached an absurd level.
Seeing someone grabbing the Young Lady's arm was enough for him to charge forward.
Fortunately, he hadn't brought out his triple-bladed scythe.
Otherwise, things might have become much worse.
Hidan's reaction speed had been ridiculous.
By the time Kakuzu realized what happened, Hidan was already fighting in the street.
At least there was one benefit.
The restaurant owner was too busy fleeing to collect payment.
Kakuzu had successfully saved money.
But...
How exactly were they supposed to resolve this situation?
Beneath her cloak, Chinatsu sighed helplessly while looking at the towering Matatabi.
Defeating Yugito wasn't difficult.
Defeating Matatabi wasn't difficult either.
The difficult part was ending the battle without revealing her identity, exposing too many abilities, or accidentally hurting Yugito.
While Chinatsu was still thinking, the gigantic blue fire cat raised one claw.
Then Matatabi swung it directly toward Chinatsu and the others.
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