The instant Yakumo met Kabuto Yakushi's gaze, he jolted in alarm.
It didn't feel like being stared at by an eight- or nine-year-old girl. It was more like being watched by a ferocious beast—no, by a natural enemy!
"Those eyes..."
Almost instinctively, Kabuto took half a step back.
Yakumo's expression didn't change.
All the signs pointed to her parents' accident being a trap. The target was none other than her.
And before they set out, Tsunade had assigned Kabuto to the team because of his record. That only made Yakumo more certain, because the leader had told her that Kabuto Yakushi in the Medical Team was suspicious.
And she never questioned the leader!
That was also why she had obediently followed orders and retreated. Only by getting separated from the others could she draw out the mastermind and rescue her parents.
Jingle, jingle.
As Yakumo hesitated over whether to attack Kabuto outright, a clear ringing suddenly came from the mist not far away.
She looked toward the sound and saw two figures, one tall and one short, walking slowly through the mist in her direction.
Through her Red Dragon Eye, she could see that both had an astonishing amount of Chakra, far beyond the level of an ordinary Jonin. What surprised her even more was that they were both Akatsuki Organization members, wearing Red Cloud outfits and conical hats.
The clear ringing echoing through the mist came from the bells hanging from their hats.
"The mastermind is an Akatsuki Organization member!?" Yakumo first looked incredulous. But when she noticed the style of their Red Cloud outfits and the hats on their heads, she quickly understood.
No doubt about it.
Under Shinji's influence, she had accepted that the Akatsuki Organization had split into two factions. She had joined the righteous faction,