Naruto: We Agreed on a Simulation, But They Actually Came to Life?

The rain fell incessantly, showing no sign of stopping.

At the village entrance, the roads had become a series of connected puddles. Pakura stood inside the guard post, letting the wind sweep the fine drizzle inside, dampening one side of her sleeve.

The Rain ninja on guard had urged her several times to go back and wait, but she simply waved him off, her gaze fixed on the distant edge of the grey curtain of rain.

Not long ago, Yahiko had received an urgent secret letter from Konoha. The letter stated that reinforcements were already on the way.

Pakura had been in the office organizing intelligence at the time. The moment she heard the news, she hadn’t even paused to roll up the scrolls spread across her desk before rushing out.

Kitahara Kaede.

The one coming was Kitahara Kaede.

He had been in Kirigakure for so long, only sending a single message through Might Guy in the interim. The warnings she had later sent to Konoha had vanished without a trace.

It didn’t take a genius to realize that Terumi Mei was behind this.

That woman... if she also possessed her memories, she would never have let Kaede return so easily.

The more Pakura thought about it, the more suffocated she felt. When she saw him, she had to get some clear answers.

What exactly had happened in Kirigakure? Why had he been delayed for so long?

And... had Terumi Mei done something to him?

At the thought of that last question, Pakura’s breathing grew heavier. She irritably shook the rainwater from her sleeve and looked toward the distance once more.

Suddenly, through the hazy grey rain, a black speck appeared. It surged toward them at an incredible speed, each leap and land so fast it looked like a blur.

He was wearing a Konoha ninja uniform!

Pakura’s heart leaped, and she instinctively stepped forward.

’It’s him!’

***

Kitahara Kaede had rushed from Konoha without almost any rest. Rainwater slid down his hair and across his cheeks, and his clothes were long since soaked through.

However, the physical fatigue was nothing compared to the turmoil in his heart. The image of Tsunade sitting behind her desk with reddened eyes haunted him.

’I should have let her punch me.’

If she had acted, perhaps he would feel better. Instead, she had done nothing, stating only that she needed time to think.

This gave him a sliver of hope, but it also meant she was processing the truth and the pain all on her own.

Kaede exhaled a cloud of white mist, forcing his chaotic thoughts aside.

’No, now is not the time for this.’

The priority was to uncover the identity of "Fu." As for Tsunade... he would have to figure out how to handle that once he returned.

The silhouette of Amegakure grew clearer. He crossed the final stretch of muddy road and landed steadily at the village entrance. Looking up, he saw a familiar figure hurrying toward him from the guard post.

"Kaede!"

Pakura was practically jogging toward him, completely indifferent to the puddles she stepped in. The surprise and urgency on her face were impossible to hide.

"You’re finally back! I thought—"

Her voice trailed off as she saw the expression on Kaede’s face.

There wasn’t a shred of joy for a long-awaited reunion. Instead, his brow was etched with a deep, unshakable exhaustion.

Kaede hadn’t expected to find Pakura here. From the looks of it, she had been waiting for quite some time.

Normally, he would have at least asked how long she’d been there or expressed concern about her being caught in the rain. But after the raw confrontation with Tsunade—one that had nearly burned every bridge between them—he found himself resisting any interaction involving emotions.

Sensing his unusual silence, Pakura assumed he was simply exhausted from the journey and softened her tone.

"You..."

"Why are you at the entrance?" Kaede interrupted her, his gaze already shifting past her toward the village. "How is Nagato? After the attack, are there any other missing persons?"

Pakura’s smile froze. A faint wave of disappointment washed over her. She had come specifically to wait for him, wanting to ask and say so much more than just business.

But then she remembered Nagato’s stolen eyes, and she forced her emotions back down.

Never mind. The fact that he had arrived so quickly was largely thanks to the intelligence she had sent.

"Let’s talk as we walk," Pakura said, regaining her composure and turning to lead the way. "Yahiko is in the office. There are some details you’ll need to ask him personally."

Kaede followed immediately. The two of them moved quickly along the slippery streets. The number of patrols on the street had doubled, and they all stopped to make way for Pakura.

"Regarding ’Fu,’ the person you asked me to keep an eye on—your instincts were right. He definitely has problems," Pakura explained. "Before I sent you the letter, he would frequently disappear without reason. Sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for an entire day. He never explained where he went upon his return."

Hearing this, Kaede turned his head toward her. "Did you track his movements?"

"I tried twice, but the trail vanished every time at the outskirts of the village." A hint of frustration crept into Pakura’s voice. "Later, I noticed that he was observing Nagato far too often—it was abnormal. I warned Nagato to avoid acting alone with Fu."

Kaede didn’t stop walking, but he had already guessed the outcome. Given Nagato’s personality at that time, it would have been nearly impossible for him to suspect a comrade who had survived life-and-death struggles with him.

Sure enough.

"Nagato thought I was being too sensitive. He even defended Fu, saying that they were all family who had survived Hanzo’s purge together and shouldn’t distrust one another." Pakura’s voice turned cold. "I should have just acted then and forcibly detained him!"

"Without evidence, Yahiko wouldn’t have agreed to you move against a comrade," Kaede replied, shaking his head. He then asked, "What exactly happened the day Nagato was attacked?"

Pakura organized her thoughts. "A few days ago, a merchant caravan in a border village was hijacked by rogue ninja. Nagato led the team to handle it, and Fu was one of the members. Halfway there, Fu claimed he spotted enemy reinforcements nearby and suggested they split up to investigate."

Kaede’s brow furrowed. "How long was the other team member away from him?"

"Fifteen minutes. He didn’t find any reinforcements, felt something was wrong, and immediately returned to the original spot." Pakura’s pace slowed. "By the time he got back, Fu was gone, and Nagato was lying in a pool of blood by the roadside. His eyes... they had been completely gouged out. Fortunately, the other team member had hemostatic medicine and sent a distress signal immediately."

Kaede frowned. "How is he?"

"The injuries weren’t fatal, but he’s still in the recovery phase." Pakura turned to look at him. "Nagato said that Fu had suddenly attacked him from behind. He didn’t have time to react and remembers nothing after that."

Since Nagato had not yet experienced Yahiko’s death, he had not fully mastered the power of the Rinnegan. Combined with the betrayal of a trusted comrade, he had been completely unguarded.

The image of Black Zetsu flashed through Kaede’s mind, but he didn’t jump to conclusions. He needed more details before making a judgment.

"What about Lord Jiraiya?" Kaede asked, shifting his thoughts to the reinforcements who had arrived first.

"He arrived a few days ago and personally examined Nagato’s injuries." Pakura pointed toward the tallest office building ahead. "But afterward, he went out to investigate something on his own and left Amegakure that same night."

Kaede stopped abruptly. "Where did he go?"

Pakura stopped as well. "He didn’t say. He only left a message saying he had found a very dangerous lead that he had to confirm personally."

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