Chapter 105 - 106
·
26 feb.
·
Köpt
Chapter 105: In time
The underground cavern of Mountain Prison.
Black Zetsu emerged from the ground and reported to Lord Madara, "Lord Madara, the plan has succeeded."
Uchiha Naraku successfully awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan under the stimulation of his close friend's betrayal.
This was all within Madara's expectations; the Uchiha Clan is rich in emotion, and no one could withstand such an intense emotional blow.
However, Naraku's bloodline limit sickness also worsened, so he needed to be brought over quickly, otherwise, it would be a waste if he died from the illness.
With Madara's research on the Sharingan and Hashirama cells, curing Naraku's bloodline limit sickness in time would not be difficult.
"Very good, Black Zetsu, keep a close eye on him, and bring him over when you have a chance."
Black Zetsu nodded in agreement… Konoha Hospital.
The heavy rain continued, intensely and powerfully pouring onto the glass window, gathering into streams that snaked downwards, the ripples of water blurring the world into a misty haze.
Tsunade was in her office drinking tea, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility, while Shizune was busy helping her organize documents when suddenly, she heard a knock at the door.
She ran to open the door and saw a soaking wet young man standing outside, his clothes still dripping water, and a large puddle had already accumulated at his feet.
"Naraku! What happened to you?"
Shizune quickly let the drenched Naraku into the room and ran to the cabinet to find a dry towel for him to dry his hair.
Naraku's face was terribly pale, and his entire body trembled slightly from hypothermia.
Tsunade clicked her tongue in annoyance and slammed her hand on the table: "Stupid brat! Do you have a death wish?!"
Quietly thanking Shizune, who was busy drying him off, Naraku reached out and took the towel, indicating he could manage, and walked past her to stand before Tsunade, his tone respectful yet numb.
"Lady Tsunade, please tell me, is Master… not going to wake up?"
Tsunade frowned: "You ran out into the rain because of this? How, does it make you feel any better?"
She was genuinely a bit angry now; as Sakumo's disciple, saved by his life, this brat was so impulsive, not cherishing his own body in the slightest.
Naraku shook his head, managing a bitter smile that was uglier than crying.
"Actually, I always knew Master might never wake up again."
His hands, hanging at his sides, were tightly clenched, and raindrops dripped from his hair and chin, splashing into tiny flowers of water.
"It's just that I didn't dare to confirm it with you… But now, there's no time for confusion…"
Naraku blinked, revealing a pair of scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan in his eye sockets.
"I… won't live much longer…"
For a moment, only the dull sound of rain echoed in the entire room.
Tsunade stood up and walked over, cupping his face, looking at these eyes that symbolized death for Naraku, a look of unbearable sorrow on her face.
Just before the second Sealing Jutsu was applied, he had a few short days to recover his body, yet he still awakened his Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) for some reason.
Did the heavens really want this child to die so badly?
"What exactly happened?"
"It doesn't matter anymore, Lady Tsunade."
Naraku's voice was ethereal, the red in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by black, his gaze still dim even under the incandescent light.
"Can you teach me Medical Ninjutsu and Sealing Jutsu?"
"You want to learn? That's not something that can be done in a short time—"
Tsunade swallowed the latter half of her sentence, realizing she had just implicitly acknowledged that this child would die very soon.
To refuse his request for that reason would be too cruel.
"I want to save Master, even if the hope is faint, I want to do everything I can to save him…"
"Perhaps I'll die before I even learn anything…"
"But I still don't want to waste the time I have left."
Naraku slowly bowed deeply: "Please, teach me."
Tsunade felt as if she was back on that night, when this young man had also knelt before her, begging her to save Sakumo.
If she had asked him to commit suicide then, he would have done it.
That blood-soaked figure gradually merged with the young man before her; even though they were the same person, Tsunade couldn't help but be filled with mixed emotions.
"Let me make this clear, I don't have time to always guide you hand-in-hand, you have to rely on yourself, understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
...The next day, Tsunade still added another seal to Naraku, but this time, the seal's only purpose was to stabilize his Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power); there was no longer any need to cut off its evolution.
He was forcibly required to stay in the Hospital for several more days, so Naraku spent his time, aside from visiting Sakumo in the mornings to talk to him, diligently studying the basic Medical Ninjutsu book Tsunade had given him.
Tsunade, fearing he might learn too quickly and only grasp things superficially, even came to test his understanding, finding that he indeed comprehended it thoroughly, and his Chakra control was astonishingly precise.
She could foresee that, given time, Naraku would surely become one of the top Medical Ninja in the Ninja World.
But unfortunately, what he lacked most was time… The day before his discharge, Naraku was sitting on his bed reading, unconsciously rubbing the corner of a page between his fingertips, contemplating Tsunade's notes on it.
"Naraku, I'm here."
Sister Kana, carrying a bento box, opened the Hospital room door and walked in, then frowned slightly after looking around.
"Is Kakashi not coming today either?"
"Mm."
Naraku softly replied, folding the corner of the latest page he had read, closing the book and placing it beside his pillow, then took the bento box Sister Kana offered him.
Opening it, he saw it was all fresh fruit slices.
"Thank you, Sister Kana."
Naraku smiled as usual.
"Don't thank me, actually, Sister Kushina prepared it all for you."
Seeing no particular reaction from him, Sister Kana hesitated, weighing her thoughts for a long time before finally asking hesitantly, "Did you two have a fight?"
A few days ago, she had tried to get Kakashi to come to the Hospital with her to visit Naraku, but he refused.
At the time, Sister Kana didn't think much of it.
But after so many days, even the Uchiha Clan Head and his wife had visited twice, yet Kakashi hadn't come once, and Naraku, who usually couldn't go three sentences without mentioning Kakashi, now rarely brought him up, his eyes only on that book, which he was seen reading every time she visited.
"No," Naraku smiled, denying it naturally, "Kakashi is probably just too busy, I'm already very happy that Sister Kana came."
He tried very hard to maintain his expression, but all the smiles were superficial, unable to reach his eyes anymore.
Sister Kana lowered her head and pursed her lips, not pressing further, quietly peeling roasted chestnuts for him.
After Sister Kana left, Naraku, holding the box with a few pieces of fruit left, zoned out for a long time.
Then he quietly got off the bed, walked out of the Hospital, and came to the river.
Disregarding his still unrecovered body, he took off his shoes and socks and stepped barefoot into the water.
The river water at night was bone-chilling, and soon his hands and feet lost sensation, but he tirelessly pushed aside the broken stones at the riverbed, searching for the lost pottery shard.
He had been searching for several nights, starting from where it fell, gradually moving downstream, examining almost every stone, afraid of accidentally missing it.
Today, he still hadn't found it.
Naraku sighed, his movements slightly stiff as he walked out of the small river, squatting by the bank, staring blankly at the endlessly flowing water.
About twenty to thirty meters behind him, a very familiar Chakra lingered, still showing no intention of approaching.
----------------------------------
Chapter 106 Naraku: It's all Black Zetsu's fault!
Kakashi stood in the shadows of the bushes, suppressing the urge to appear and stop Naraku.
If he showed himself to Naraku, everything he had done would be in vain.
But Naraku looks so cold... Can someone come and take him back?
He'll get sick if he stays out too long.
Kakashi tried hard to think, and suddenly realized, who else could Naraku rely on besides him and his father?
He tightly gripped the rough trunk of the large tree beside him, his heart a battlefield, his very soul split in two.
One half screamed for him to go over, take his heartbroken friend home, and cook him a warm bowl of soup to ward off the cold;
The other half coldly warned him not to forget his father's current state, and not to let Naraku meet the same end.
Just as he struggled without a resolution, the young man squatting on the riverbank had already stood up, put on his shoes and socks, and walked towards the Hospital.
The night was deep, and Naraku walked along the road, passing one dim street lamp after another, his figure flickering between light and shadow, thin and lonely.
Kakashi watched him disappear step by step into the end of the road, his heart empty, as if a large hole had been torn in it.
A cold wind whistled through the broken void, tearing away much flesh and blood... Naraku could be discharged tomorrow. He lay in his Hospital bed, opened his system, and logged onto the website.
The anime updated two episodes at once.
As soon as he clicked it open, the screen was already covered with bullet comments.
— —
[High sweetness warning]
[This episode is definitely sweet, friends]
[I'll tell you after watching it, just go for it boldly]
This unusual behavior made many viewers hesitate, but in the end, they still chose to bite the bullet and watch, silently praying that no unacceptable plot would appear.
The story continued from the previous episode, with Kakashi returning from Tanzaku Town and entering Konoha under a sky full of dark clouds.
[It's over, the atmosphere is off]
[What good plot could there be with this terrible weather? (kneels)]
[The standard answer for reading comprehension tells me this episode is doomed]
Perhaps it was about to rain, the entire Konoha was cold and quiet, and Kakashi didn't encounter many pedestrians on the road. Even if he did, they were all in a hurry, quickly passing him by.
He returned to the empty Hatake Household, found no one home, and saw the unmade bedding in the bedroom, but still didn't think much of it.
-- Perhaps his father went to the Hospital to look after Naraku.
Kakashi thought this, tidied himself up, grabbed his gift, and headed straight for the Hospital.
[This episode has been exuding a strange aura from the very beginning]
[It's like this on rainy days]
[Alas, this day has still come]
[Friends, I'm so scared]
There was still a dumpling shop open on the way, and Kakashi's attention was drawn by the steaming heat of freshly made dumplings. He stood at the shop entrance, considering whether to bring Naraku a portion.
After all, he was quite fond of sweets.
The camera cut to behind Kakashi, as two passersby, whose faces were obscured, walked past him carrying things, casually mentioning White Fang's matter.
Kakashi's attention was partially drawn, and he inadvertently glimpsed a mirror at the dumpling shop entrance reflecting their figures.
The camera focused on the reflection in the mirror, and one of them casually mentioned the rumors currently circulating among Konoha civilians.
Accompanied by a slightly eerie sound effect, Kakashi froze in place. The camera rotated and zoomed in, showing his trembling pupils.
-- What are they saying?Chapter 107 - 108
·
27 feb.
·
Köpt
Chapter 107 What exactly are they talking about?
The two seemed oblivious and continued chatting, the screen slowly twisting and distorting, becoming exaggerated and bizarre.
-- What exactly are they talking about?
Everything around him gradually faded, turning into a deep black, leaving Kakashi standing alone in the center of the screen, his increasingly loud heartbeat faintly audible in the void.
-- What suicide? What Uchiha?
It wasn't until he heard a very faint'snap' in his ear that he awoke as if from a dream.
Kakashi looked left and right; the two pedestrians were long gone, so he silently bent down and picked up the item that had fallen to the ground.
[What the hell? How did it get spread like this??]
[How could Sakumo commit suicide? How can such absurd rumors be believed?]
[I suspect this is another one of Danzo's schemes! He must hate Sakumo to death and wants to slander him!]
[Very possible! After all, neither Danzo nor Hiruzen Sarutobi dared to speak of the true situation that night, and suicide is a pretty good excuse!]
[It's over, it's over, the kid can't hold it together anymore]
[With this visual representation, has Kakashi gone dark?]
[Before leaving the village, his own father said he did nothing wrong, and when he returned, he had already committed suicide. Who could withstand such a shock?]
[Even adults might not be able to bear it, no matter how much of a genius Kakashi is, he's still a child]
Kakashi ran into the Hospital, and after asking which room his father was in, he disregarded everything and directly opened the door and entered.
The person lying in bed, covered in monitoring equipment, who else could it be but Sakumo Hatake?
His father's image calling him "Kakashi" was vivid in his mind: loving, strict, lively... that father who always unconditionally tolerated and cared for him, Konoha's never-to-be-defeated hero, the goal he both admired and wanted to surpass... Kakashi took two steps forward then immediately stopped, wanting to see Sakumo's condition clearly, but also afraid to see it clearly.
All his attention was on Sakumo, and he didn't even notice that Naraku had several new bandages on his body, and his complexion was far worse than when he had left a few days ago.
[I'm so deeply immersed T-T... Who could bear to see their own father like this]
[Kakashi's world has collapsed]
[No one will shelter the two little ones from the wind and rain anymore, boo hoo hoo]
[Danzo, you really deserve to die]
Naraku walked over and tried to grab him, but his hand was shaken off. When he looked at Kakashi again, he found him in tears.
"Why is it like this... Why?"
Clearly, before he left Konoha, his father still believed that the lives of his comrades were more precious, but now, how could it have become like this?
-- So was his father wrong?
-- Was his belief that comrades were more important than missions wrong?
Kakashi desperately wanted to refute the thoughts that popped into his mind, but with his father lying in the Hospital bed before him, he couldn't convince himself no matter what.
[Kakashi cried... for the first time since his appearance]
[No, no, no, no, Sakumo didn't commit suicide!!]
[Damn Danzo, he's definitely behind this!!]
[Look at what this has driven Kakashi to]
[Danzo, you dog villain! I will surely take your dog's life!]
As night fell, the pre-rain wind grew stronger, blowing up many shop signs and flags, carrying much dirt and gravel, haphazardly hitting the last batch of villagers rushing home.
The camera followed behind Kakashi, running stumbling through the streets with him, the screen shaking violently, sweeping across everyone's faces, yet blurring their features.
----------------------------------
Chapter 108 Even if he closed his eyes and covered his ears
Gradually, the passersby in Kakashi's eyes became silhouettes, their slightly curved eyes revealing malice, and it seemed as if someone was whispering.
Even if he closed his eyes and covered his ears, those strange expressions and ill-intentioned voices could still penetrate the barrier, reaching his mind.
In the confusion, Kakashi fell down the riverside path, tumbling onto the rocky beach.
[How tragic, Kakashi is about to develop inner demons]
[How many people in the world can completely disregard the opinions of others? Especially when he's so young]
[Wuwuwuwu... Don't torment our Kakashi anymore! Old Thief, I'll fight you!]
The last ray of sunlight disappeared from the horizon, and Kakashi stared blankly at the world plunged into darkness, his heart utterly lost.
He wondered if his father had truly succumbed and admitted his mistake to everyone, and then remembered what Naraku had said, repeatedly questioning himself on how to protect Naraku from meeting the same fate.
Then he thought of it.
-- Since missions are more important than friends.
-- Then I won't be Naraku's friend.
-- That way, he won't make mistakes because of me, right...?
[The sun has set, and the light in Kakashi's heart has gone out]
[No, Kakashi! This really won't do!]
[Naraku really can't handle any more stimulation!]
[Kakashi, I don't care what you're thinking! Throw it all away immediately!]
[Aish! Danzo, you old geezer, deserve ten thousand deaths!!!]
By the time Naraku finally caught up after much difficulty, all he received was Kakashi's avoidance and coldness.
He thought Kakashi was just having trouble accepting Sakumo's situation for the moment, and forced a small smile, saying it was alright.
He wasn't sure if he was comforting Kakashi, or himself.
Then, he heard an accusation never before uttered by Kakashi.
"Uchiha Naraku..."
"Everything..."
"Is your fault."
As the last note fell, Naraku's eyes in the camera suddenly lost their luster, turning into a blurry black mass.
What followed were the shrill screams of the audience.
[Ahhhhhhhhhh Kakashi what are you doing!!!]
[Please don't do this to him]
[You really know how to hurt him the most, wuwuwuwu]
[Kakashi, I hate you T-T... How could you say that, what's the difference from gouging out Naraku's heart?!]
[Actually, Kakashi is also super sad, okay? His own father is in the Hospital, and now he has to break ties with his friend to protect him]
[He wants Naraku to live according to the values of an ordinary Ninja, so he won't be persecuted]
[But Naraku is already prone to self-blame and internal conflict, he will truly believe this is Kakashi's intention]
[I'm dying first, sisters, when I shipped this CP, I never thought it would end this way]
— —
Naraku looked at the screen and still felt a bit sad.
Even if Kakashi was so heartless because his will was distorted by Black Zetsu, it was still very hurtful.
Naraku gnashed his teeth: It's all Black Zetsu's fault!
— —
In the picture, distant streetlights cast dim, yellow light.
Naraku seemed to return to the time before he came to the Hatake Household, lowering his head and clutching the corner of his clothes, desperately suppressing the tears that were about to well up in his eyes.
Kakashi's breath hitched, as if he suddenly had a moment of clarity, questioning himself in disbelief.
-- What am I doing?
He saw Naraku instinctively apologizing as he had back then, taking all the blame upon himself.
"I... I'm sorry... Kakashi... It's all... my fault..."
Hearing these words, a brief flicker of heartache and reluctance appeared in Kakashi's eyes, but it was quickly re-covered by coldness.
[Wake up, Kakashi!]
[If you keep this up, you'll really lose Naraku!Chapter 109 - 110
·
28 feb.
·
Köpt
Chapter 109 Friends, Kakashi's behavior isn't right
[Friends, Kakashi's behavior isn't right]
[There's a problem, a big problem!]
The camera followed his raised hand upwards, to his collar, clearly showing how he picked out the necklace and then forcibly broke the woven cord.
That pendant, which the audience had been curious about for a long time, hung from Kakashi's hand, swaying and spinning in the wind.
It was just a very ordinary light gray clay shard, meticulously polished into a teardrop shape.
It was evident that the owner cherished it, as its polished surface remained intact even after so long.
The scene suddenly switched; the clay shard was still in the center of the screen, but this time there were two, both ropes held in Naraku's hand.
The camera zoomed out, showing bright sunshine and lush trees. Naraku, who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy, held two necklaces and smiled somewhat shyly at Kakashi.
"Happy graduation, Kakashi."
"I hope it can protect us like a charm."
Immediately, the scene changed again. The clay shard gently swayed in the center of the screen, and the blurred Kakashi behind it gradually became clear.
He sat by the bed, his expression filled with worry and a hint of vexation.
Naraku's voice came from off-screen.
"It's okay, you see, it will protect me."
"Mm."
Kakashi responded helplessly, the gloom between his brows dissipating considerably.
Back to the present, the clay shard in Kakashi's hand still swayed in the wind.
Naraku stared blankly, instinctively reaching out to catch it, and in his movement, the identical woven cord inside his collar became visible.
But then, Kakashi lightly flicked it away, and the pale speck of light arced across the night sky, falling into the river, never to be seen again.
[So it really was a charm... and Naraku's graduation gift]
[Kakashi, you are so heartless, you don't even want your token of love]
[Bro?? What are you doing—!!!]
[Why did you throw it away ahhhhhhh!]
[Ah—!!! (Marmot scream)]
[Can't you just give it back to Naraku, don't throw it away wuwuwuwu]
[Sisters, truly, my heart is dead]
[You're quite strong, only dying now, I've already died several times]
The pale light of lightning illuminated them both.
Naraku saw Kakashi's empty hand, while Kakashi saw Naraku's completely dimmed eyes.
Boom—
Thunder reverberated through heaven and earth, and in that immense sound, Naraku's dreamlike voice was completely drowned out.
[Old Thief, look at what you're doing! (Frantic)]
[What did Naraku say?]
[Can't see clearly, the Old Thief didn't show the full lip movement]
Kakashi didn't even look at the pendant, turned and left, leaving Naraku standing there, watching his figure gradually disappear.
The moment he vanished into the darkness, the rain poured down.
The rain curtain was thick and dense, making Naraku gasp for breath.
Large raindrops violently smashed onto the ground, stirring up countless splashes, quickly gathering at Naraku's feet, flowing into the small river through the cracks in the scattered stones.
Suddenly, a drop of black-red liquid fell into the puddle at Naraku's feet.
Then several more drops fell, spreading and lingering for a long time.
The camera cut to Naraku's full face.
His expression was blank, and blood tears flowed from his eyes.
And in those blood-red irises, revolved the beautiful and dreamlike black moon pattern.
[I'm so shocked by this knife]
[Such heavy rain hitting you hurts a lot, and it's hard to breathe]
[Holy crap]
[Mangekyo—???!!!]
[Mangekyo at less than ten years old!]
[It's over... Naraku can't live anymore...!]
[Why are you doing this to my Baby Naraku wah wah wah wah (crying loudly)]
[Naraku finally found love, only to have it cruelly snatched away by fate, leaving him with so little life left]
[The Sharingan activated by love, ultimately evolves due to the loss of love, such a strong sense of destiny]
[Hahahahaha everyone misunderstood, Naraku didn't activate the Mangekyo, I did, I did it all]
[Drag him away, another one gone mad]
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Chapter 110: Black Zetsu's Death Sin Added
This episode ended, and Naraku didn't continue to the next one; instead, he browsed the comment section.
As expected, there were many arguments in the comments. Coupled with the plot genuinely hurting many people, a significant portion of viewers who usually didn't comment emerged from their lurking, leaving messages cursing The Old Thief for being inhumane, which led to the comment count being half again as much as previous episodes.
Naraku: You should save that energy for cursing Black Zetsu; I estimate you'll have plenty to curse him for later.
— —
The final episode.
Kakashi walked very slowly. When he arrived home, drenched in rain, the entire residence was dark, without lights or anyone to greet him.
He walked into the entrance, turned on the lights, completely disregarding the rainwater on him wetting the floor, and made his way to the living room.
His once warm and lively home was now desolate, with only him remaining.
[Close friend and him are in perfect sync, getting drenched in the rain together.]
[Kakashi is truly quite miserable. He went on a long trip, and when he came home, suddenly everything was gone.]
[Counting from Hashirama's generation, Kakashi's current misery is among the worst.]
[Clearly, Naraku is more miserable. From nothing to everything, then losing it all, and he's about to die himself.]
[Stop arguing! One is a fellow sufferer, the other a fellow sufferer. Is there still a need to argue who is the most miserable?]
A sharp pain shot through his mind. Kakashi grunted, his body swayed a few times, and he knelt on the ground, clutching his forehead, in such pain that even his breathing trembled.
The animator seemed unwilling for Kakashi to be too misunderstood by the audience, so in the previous episode and now, he released some clues about his abnormal behavior.
As for whether it would expose the mastermind?
As long as the animator didn't show Madara and Black Zetsu, no matter how much these viewers racked their brains, it would be impossible to guess.
At most, they could know there was an existence hidden even deeper than Danzo.
[What's wrong with him?]
[I suspect Kakashi is possessed. Otherwise, how could he have acted like that in the last episode?]
[The one before, you... you have a point.]
[Yeah, it really feels like he's possessed. Could Kakashi have been ambushed?]
[Hiss — let me think this through carefully.]
[Don't argue! I'm grilling!]
— —
Naraku: Alright, alright, so there are side effects, huh? System, add another death penalty for Black Zetsu.
The System was as professional as ever: [Okay, it has been noted in your memo.]
Fortunately, he was already learning Medical Ninjutsu. He would have to find an opportunity to check on Kakashi later, to make sure he didn't develop any lingering issues.
— —
It took Kakashi a while to feel the pain slowly recede. He simply didn't get up, sitting on the floor, looking out the window at the rain, still worrying if Naraku had returned in time, afraid he might get sick from the rain before his injuries had healed.
He didn't know how long passed until the wind died down, the rain stopped, and the dark clouds dispersed. The full moon shone brightly in the night sky. Kakashi sat there, watching the moon all night.
On the other side, Naraku found Tsunade and asked her to teach him Medical Ninjutsu and Sealing Jutsu, finally receiving her permission after much effort.
He emerged from Tsunade's office, stopped by the window at the end of the corridor, and also gazed at the round moon in the sky, lingering for a long time before leaving.
[Kakashi, you big idiot, if you're worried about Naraku, then go find him!]
[I'm crying so hard my stomach hurts. Kakashi, you better really be possessed.]
[Naraku hasn't even turned dark after all this. He really, I'm crying my eyes out.]
[May we all live long, and share the beauty of the moon, though a thousand miles apart.]
[Many important scenes with Kakashi and Naraku are on moonlit nights. It feels like a tragedy was predestined for the two of them from the start.]
[No, it's not! If you ask me, this full moon is an omen that the two of them will have a perfect ending!]]