An Arranged Encounter

"What! Konan, you found them!?" Yahiko asked urgently.

He could hardly believe his ears, unable to process Konan's words for a moment. They had been searching for those three Konoha ninja for three months, enduring countless hardships without any progress. Just as everyone had begun to despair, they had unexpectedly received such news.

"I saw them clearly; it's them!" Konan nodded firmly. While patrolling the surrounding outposts today, she had accidentally discovered the target they had been chasing for so long.

"Where are they?"

Even Yuehua Ai could no longer remain calm. The Sannin were their only opportunity to change their current situation; if they missed them, no one could say what the future held for the group.

"In the caves by the riverbank. I saw them resting there."

"Good, everyone, come quickly!" Hearing Konan's words, Yahiko nodded and signaled to the group: "We're going now. Konan, you lead the way. Be careful they don't move; we must move as fast as possible!"

Konan, Yahiko, and Yuehua Ai nodded without further ado. Konan took the lead to guide them, with the other youths following closely behind.

After the initial excitement of the news, the youths felt more anxious than anything else. If the Sannin hadn't left yet, their three-month search would finally have a result, but facing an unknown future, they couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

The youths ran at full speed and arrived at the location Konan described in less than five minutes.

The area was near the riverbank, characterized by a massive cliff face. It wasn't very tall, but it stretched far along the river. The continuous cliff was riddled with numerous caves and hollows formed by water washing away the soil. As long as the river flow remained low, these cavities would not be flooded.

Many of the caves were connected, with stone pillars linking the upper and lower levels. In a way, it was quite similar to the limestone caves Yuehua Ai had seen in his past life, though here there were only damp, gloomy walls, lacking the magnificence of those he remembered.

Although the caves were dark, the space was quite vast, making them a rare natural shelter from the rain. In fact, it wasn't just the Sannin; many ninja chose to rest here, and during times of peace, it often served as a gathering place for traveling merchants.

The youths were panting by the time they arrived; sprinting at full speed for five minutes was no easy feat for them. Much like athletes in a hundred-meter dash, they felt exhausted after pushing themselves to the limit.

Upon reaching their destination, everyone felt a surge of tension. Konan held her breath and peeked inside, confirming that the three Konoha ninja were still there. She turned back to inform her companions, and while the youths felt a sense of relief, they were at a loss for what to do next.

Although they had been searching for the Sannin with the goal of learning ninjutsu, now that the moment was upon them, they couldn't decide how to proceed. They couldn't just appear out of nowhere and bluntly ask to be taught; aside from how the others might react, they couldn't bring themselves to do it—it would be too pathetic!

After resting briefly and catching their breath, they huddled to the side to whisper.

They tossed ideas back and forth for a long time, but most were rejected. Not knowing the temperaments of the Sannin or how they viewed orphans from an enemy nation, Yuehua Ai and the others didn't know how to take the first step.

Compared to a chance encounter or a spur-of-the-moment impulse to apprentice, their purposeful search made the psychological and strategic aspects feel much more complicated.

"How about... I go ask them?" Seeing the group arguing for so long, Nagato couldn't help but speak up. In truth, he didn't want to face Konoha ninja at all, but he had made a great resolution to offer this. He felt that since he possessed the Rinnegan, he could likely protect himself even if they were hostile. Although he couldn't control the eye's power, his reflexive reactions gave him a certain level of security compared to his companions.

Regarding Nagato's mindset, it must be said that he had changed significantly. Ever since Yuehua Ai told him his eyes were the same Rinnegan as the Sage of Six Paths, he had not only resolved some inner conflicts but also gained more confidence.

"That won't do. If anyone goes, it should be me!" Yahiko retorted immediately. As the oldest in the group, how could he watch others take such risks?

"But..."

Before Nagato could say more, Yahiko waved his hand to cut him off.

"Even if you have that special power, Nagato, I won't allow you to take risks alone."

Regarding the encounter with the rogue ninja, although Yahiko had lost consciousness and didn't know what happened, he had learned the situation from Konan over time. While he knew Nagato possessed power far beyond his own, Nagato couldn't control it, and Yahiko couldn't let a companion face danger alone while he was still alive.

"Yahiko..." Seeing Yahiko's firm, unyielding expression, Nagato could only bite his lip.

"Alright, stop arguing. We need to decide quickly; those three ninja might be leaving soon!"

Ninja generally didn't stay in one place for long. From the time Konan found them to the time they arrived, quite a bit of time had already passed. Seeing the group unable to make a decision, Yuehua Ai couldn't help but interject.

"What!" Hearing Yuehua Ai's reminder, the youths' expressions changed, and their anxiety spiked.

Watching their reactions, Yuehua Ai found it secretly amusing, though his own composure was only slightly better due to his mature mindset. At such a critical turning point in their fate, how could he not be worried?

"Stop overthinking it. I have an idea," Yuehua Ai said.

"What is it?"

"Yahiko and I will go over. Nagato and Konan will wait here."

"No way, we go together!" Now, not only Nagato but even Konan couldn't accept this. Two go and two stay? What kind of plan was that? If there was danger, could they really just abandon Yuehua Ai and Yahiko and run?

Yuehua Ai smiled at Konan's dissatisfaction and took her hand.

"Relax. Yahiko and I are just going to pretend it's a chance encounter to test the waters. Nagato and Konan aren't very good at acting. Remember, we've been tracking them for months; ninja don't like premeditated meetings!"

"Acting? Is that really okay?" Konan and Nagato remained worried.

"Premeditated things always breed suspicion. We can't let our guard down, or things will go south. Besides, Yahiko and I won't directly ask to learn ninjutsu. We need to test their temperaments first. And regardless, Nagato must not reveal his eyes. Those aren't just some small-time thugs; who knows how one of them might react if they see your eyes."

When mentioning "one of them," Yuehua Ai couldn't help but think of the figure he had glimpsed earlier. He held a sense of awe for Orochimaru's vast knowledge and madness.

The thought that one of those three might understand his eyes made Nagato's heart tighten. After Yuehua Ai's explanation, he had a clearer understanding of what his eyes were.

"Let's do as Ai says. Just wait for our signal!" Yahiko agreed with Yuehua Ai's proposal; this kind of probing was exactly what he wanted.

After some final persuasion from Yahiko, Nagato and Konan, though still worried, had no choice but to agree.