Late August.
Konoha, Gekko Mansion.
Hayate lay lazily on the Wooden Corridor, watching the clouds drift by and sighing at the peacefulness of it all.
But there was no such thing as peaceful years. It was only because someone else was carrying the burden for you!
Like NPC Namikaze Minato!
After returning from the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire, the Anbu members had gone home and enjoyed two days of paid leave. Namikaze Minato, on the other hand, had gone straight back to work that same day, staying in the Hokage Office without fail to handle official business!
Whenever Hayate thought of Namikaze Minato still reading documents in his office, he felt a pang of guilt!
I'm being so irresponsible!
Ashamed, Hayate climbed off the Wooden Corridor and sat up. Only then did he feel a little better.
Oh, right. There was also the matter of Killer B.
Hayate leaned against a wooden pillar, formed Hand Seals, and made a Shadow Clone. He gave it a meaningful look. "I'm entrusting you with the important task of finding Killer B!"
"Hmph." The Shadow Clone glanced disdainfully at its original, who couldn't even sit properly, then flew off with a look of disgust.
Once it had left Konoha, the Shadow Clone detonated on the spot, and its memories immediately flooded into Yuki Kanpyo's and Hayate's minds.
Hayate waited quietly. After a while, the Power of the Ryūmyaku in his mind was stirred by Yuki Kanpyo—once, twice, then a third time.
One pulse of the Power of the Ryūmyaku meant "yes," two meant "no," and three meant "I don't know."
Hayate frowned and shook his head. Now that the two-man teams in Akatsuki had lost their information broker, the White Zetsu Clone, their ability to communicate