Once the dust around them settled, only one person remained in the courtyard.
"Sigh..." Shobue shook her head as she watched the direction Yui had left in.
Then she walked toward Mito Uzumaki.
"Hello, Lady Mito. I'm a guest elder of Shikkotsu Forest. Please just call me Shobue," she said respectfully.
"So you're a guest from Shikkotsu Forest visiting Konoha!" Mito Uzumaki said with a smile. "In that case, we ought to give you a proper welcome."
"I'll go find Monkey right now... no, that's not right."
"I'll go find the Third Hokage and have him come welcome our guest from afar."
With that, Mito Uzumaki turned and headed out of the courtyard.
Taken aback by Mito Uzumaki's words, Shobue hurriedly declined. "There's no need. It's so late; let's not disturb Lord Hokage."
"We can wait until tomorrow!"
But Mito Uzumaki walked straight outside as though she hadn't heard her.
Seeing this, Shobue stepped forward to catch her hand.
But she grasped nothing but air.
In an instant, Mito Uzumaki vanished from her sight.
She stood there blankly with her hand raised, then turned to look at Little Slug beside her.
"Are you sure she no longer suspects my identity?" Shobue complained.
At that, all four of Katsuyu's feelers drooped.
"I think... so!"
Seeing her like this, Katsuyu could only rub her forehead helplessly.
"Talking to myself always feels a little strange." She shook her head.
After so many years, she had gotten used to it anyway.
"..." While her main body stood there in a daze, Little Slug darted forward when she wasn't looking and merged into her.
Coming back to her senses, Shobue looked down at her chilly heel.
But all she saw was a fleeting white blur.
"Sigh..."
On Konoha's main street.
Using her flying ninjutsu, Yui