"Can't you tell us?"
Seeing Chiba remain silent for so long, seemingly lost in memories, Yukina—who had been adamant about getting to the bottom of things—showed a trace of concern. She pursed her lips, but in the end, softened.
"If you can't say it, then don't. You just need to promise us that you're absolutely certain about what you're doing."
At the same time, Hirohiko beside her softened his tone as well.
"No! It's not that I can't tell you. It's just that I can't tell you yet. Give me a little time."
Chiba did not simply go along with their softened stance and brush it off with a casual excuse. He merely sighed softly and spoke.
To be honest, there was nothing about his trip to the Land of Rain that he absolutely could not tell them. Since he had accepted Kakashi's summoning contract, he had never intended to hide much from them. At first, he had even planned to keep them informed of his movements through his summoned beast the entire time.
However, because he had been unable to locate the low-profile, deeply hidden Akatsuki in a short time, and because he did not have much time to spare, he could only choose to infiltrate the Land of Rain and investigate information regarding Obito. That was why contact had been cut off.
After all, the present Land of Rain was under Nagato's control. Under the coverage of the Rain Tiger at Will Technique, everything was within Nagato's perception. If he infiltrated the place while still staying in contact with this side, Nagato would attack without hesitation and would not even give him a chance to test the waters.
But if he merely infiltrated and did nothing too outrageous, then for the sake of having fought together in the