Chapter 130 - 131
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6 d
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Köpt
Chapter 130 The truth is never important
This b-rank mission is quite special. It requires us to hunt down a Ninja who committed a crime and fled, and it was issued by a small Ninja Clan scattered outside the major Ninja Villages.
Though called a Ninja Clan, their total members only number a few dozen, and less than half of their family members can even cultivate Chakra.
For many years, they have relied on doing business to develop and establish themselves in the cutthroat Ninja World.
As for why they came to Konoha to hire Ninja to pursue their target, it all goes back to their clan's heritage.
Hundreds of years ago, during the Sengoku period, the Yumoku Clan produced a formidable ancestor. This ancestor's mastery of Ninjutsu was profound, and he created several powerful Secret Techniques.
According to clan records, he even used these Secret Techniques to defeat many powerful Ninja of his generation.
However, it is a pity that since then, the entire clan has never again produced a Ninja with talent comparable to his.
All subsequent generations were basically mediocre, completely unable to learn the Secret Techniques left by their ancestor, and could only learn common Ninjutsu for combat.
Originally, there was nothing unusual about this; the Ninja World was full of small Ninja Clans that declined due to uninspired descendants.
But then, a variable appeared more than twenty years ago.
Back then, Kurolo, the current patriarch of this generation, was still a young man. He found a dying infant by the roadside, brought him home, meticulously cared for him, and named him Kurokō.
After he grew up, it was discovered that this child had the talent to become a Ninja, so Kurolo impart ed various Ninjutsu to him without discrimination, hoping he could become a fighting force.
And it was precisely this action that sowed the seeds of today's trouble.
Kurokō was extremely talented; no matter what Ninjutsu was taught to him, he would quickly learn it. By the time he was thirteen, even the adult Ninja in the clan couldn't defeat him.
Perhaps feeling that there was nothing more to learn from the clan's teachings, he began to want to practice the Secret Techniques left by his ancestor to improve his strength.
Those Secret Techniques had never been successfully learned by anyone, and Kurolo was worried that he would waste his youth on them at such a young age, so he told him to wait a few more years.
A frustrated Kurokō inadvertently overheard others talking and only then realized that he was not of the Yumoku Clan's bloodline at all.
His radical personality immediately led him to believe that Kurolo had always treated him as an outsider, and that was why he was unwilling to teach him the Secret Techniques.
So he began to look for opportunities, desperately training himself, wanting to secretly use some means to get his hands on the Secret Techniques.
Several more years passed, and finally, one day, he incapacitated most of the clan members, broke into the secret chamber, and swept away all the scrolls that recorded the Secret Techniques and various clan inheritances.
After that, he disappeared without a trace.
Recently, the Yumoku Clan spent a great deal of manpower and resources and finally received news of Kurokō.
Thus, this mission came to be.
But is this really the truth?
Was Kurolo truly considering Kurokō's growth by not allowing him to learn the Secret Techniques?
And did Kurokō, who betrayed the clan, commit an irreversible wrong just because of his radical personality?
Everything is just the Yun Mu patriarch's one-sided story.
But the truth of the matter has never been important to Ninja who work for money...
The group arrived near the small town mentioned in the intelligence, holding the tracking tool provided by the Yumoku Clan, and dispersed to search for Kurokō's whereabouts.
Before this, everyone had already disguised themselves, even the always unconventional Might Duy put on other clothes to avoid attracting attention and exposing his identity.
Naraku arrived at his assigned area and quietly activated his Perception Ninjutsu.
This area was a mixed bag; there were about ten Chakra signatures within his sensing range alone, with slight differences in strength, but none reached the Jonin level.
He continued to search forward until the edge of his Ninjutsu touched a peculiar Chakra signature.
The strange and Weird energy was like burning blood; even without meeting, Naraku still felt a hint of a sweet, metallic scent.
The target was sitting in a small tavern near the center of another street, likely having a meal.
Naraku did not activate his Sharingan at the moment. To avoid revealing the flaw of his excessively large sensing range, he continued walking in his original direction, and after reaching a considerable distance, he turned back along the street where the tavern was located.
This time, as he passed the tavern entrance, the tracking tool he carried close to his body reacted.
He found a hidden corner to perform a Shadow Clone, sending the clone to contact his teammates, while his main body pretended to want to eat, entered, found a table, and ordered.
His teammates' Chakra signatures entered his sensing range one after another, approaching the small tavern.
Just as they were mostly on this street, about a few meters to Naraku's left-rear, that special Chakra suddenly flared up.
He immediately turned to look. Amidst the clatter of falling dishes, a young man in gray short clothes almost instantly rushed to the tavern entrance.
Naraku immediately used a Body Flicker Jutsu to pursue him, leaping onto a rooftop and flashing several times. He managed to block his path just before the target left the street.
Blades clashed with Kunai, sparks flying before the two stalemated individuals.
According to the intelligence provided by the Yumoku Clan, Kurokō likely possesses strength close to that of a Konoha Jonin, and being young and strong, he probably won't be easy to deal with.
He cannot be allowed to escape from me.
In a flash, Naraku had already exchanged blows with Kurokō more than a dozen times, firmly suppressing the latter's attempts to escape.
"Tch, a troublesome brat!"
Kurokō cursed under his breath, decisively abandoning the taijutsu duel with Naraku. He retreated two steps, raised his Kunai, and sliced his palm.
Dark red blood gushed from the wound but magically floated in the air, quickly dispersing into countless tiny, dense red dots, which shot out rapidly the moment he waved his hand.
Is this the Yun Mu Secret Technique?
Naraku's intuition told him that these hair-thin blood needles must not be touched, but if he used a Substitution Jutsu to dodge, the target would likely escape.
His dark eyes were instantly dyed crimson, and the world seemed to be put into slow motion.
Before the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, the speed of the blood needles was not impressive enough.
Naraku deftly drew a full circle in front of him with his blade; the sword surface perfectly blocked all attacks, but it was also corroded beyond recognition, its entire body covered in tiny charred pits. It would probably break with another strike.
He decisively discarded the ruined weapon and threw out more than ten shuriken to completely blockade the target.
Kurokō could only stop and change direction, avoiding the shuriken's flight path.
Unexpectedly, those spinning projectiles continuously collided with each other, and a considerable portion continued to spin towards him. Caught off guard, his steps were delayed.
"Hah!"
Might Duy, having activated the Eight Gates, arrived the fastest. He leaped vigorously from the ground in a handstand, kicking Kurokō solidly from below, sending him flying off the rooftop into a free fall.
Might Duy landed on the rooftop, pushed off again, and jumped behind Kurokō, who hadn't had time to adjust his posture. He secured Kurokō's body with both arms, and the two plummeted rapidly towards the ground with immense force.
Boom—
Kurokō, caught in a Front Lotus, slammed headfirst into the ground, and with a "thump" amidst a cloud of smoke, he turned into a log.
Naraku, relying on his excellent dynamic vision, caught sight of a jumping figure not far away.
"Over there!"
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Chapter 131 A Good Place
The residents skillfully found cover at the start of the battle, hiding until the Ninja Lords had left before rushing out to check the situation.
In such residential areas, Ninja skirmishes were always ill-timed and disregarded location.
Even if they consciously avoided civilians, the aftershocks of battle would still affect various buildings or roads.
Although the Ninja Village would provide some compensation if there was conclusive evidence, it was often difficult to implement in practice.
Fortunately, the houses didn't suffer much damage this time; only a few tiles were broken, and the ground merely had a large pit, which could be restored to its original state with a little repair... Meanwhile, the battle in the jungle continued.
Kurokō's Secret Technique was extremely bizarre, powerful, quick to control, and had a large attack range, treating ordinary Water Release and Fire Release as nothing.
A small amount of blood, transformed into a thin blood film, could block the Great Fireball released by Naraku. Then, changing its shape into sharp blood spikes, it could even pierce through a Water Formation Wall, directly targeting the caster behind it.
According to the intelligence gathered from the battle so far, only the massive and heavy high-level Earth Release performed by the Jonin leader, Shimura Rō, seemed to have some elemental advantage against him, preventing it from being easily broken.
But the situation remained grim.
Chunin Yagyu, who had just released the Water Formation Wall, was too close and reacted too slowly, getting pierced in several places by the blood. The skin around his wounds began to blacken, and his limbs uncontrollably attacked his companions, severely injuring another Chunin, Zuotang, who was next to him.
If Yagyu hadn't issued a warning at the last moment, and if Naraku hadn't provided timely treatment, Zuotang's life would likely have been lost. However, he also lost his combat ability as a result.
After that, the poisoned and out-of-control Yagyu twitched a few times, quickly losing his last bit of ability to speak. The strange blood that entered his body spread throughout him like a virus within a few breaths, turning him into a puppet completely controlled by the enemy.
Moreover, this puppet seemed to be overdrawing all of its life force, with its Chakra level skyrocketing, allowing it to contend with Might Duy, who had opened the Third Gate.
Might Duy was already hesitant to strike hard and didn't know what to do, thus being temporarily held back.
Naraku could sense that if this continued, Yagyu would likely die in less than ten minutes.
If the Cellular Extraction Technique were used, he Might still be saved, but that would require controlling him and being in a quiet, safe environment; under the current circumstances, treatment was impossible.
This was equivalent to losing three Chunin combatants in a row.
Now, the only ones capable of effective output were Naraku and Shimura Rō.
From a purely rational perspective, Shimura Rō should order Might Duy to quickly eliminate the irredeemable Yagyu, and then the three of them could gang up on the target, which would increase the success rate of the mission.
But he had no such intention, relentlessly attacking the target without even glancing back.
Rather, it could be said that it was his deliberate indulgence that led to this situation.
From the moment he received Danzo's order, he had been thinking about how to carry it out.
The success or failure of the mission, which was merely a diversion, was irrelevant to him, and his own life was also unimportant.
The most crucial thing was to follow the Ninja Lord's will and successfully eliminate this Uchiha who threatened Konoha.
So he wanted the Uchiha to die at the hands of the enemy—at least on the surface, to appear to have died at the hands of the enemy.
This way, he could eliminate Konoha's greatest threat and also cleanly distance himself to avoid implicating the Ninja Lord, achieving both goals.
To accomplish this, he first needed to shake off those extra Chunin and let him and the Uchiha pursue the target alone, making it easier to act.
The time had come. Shimura Rō's hand sign speed slowed slightly, giving the target an opening to escape.
But in Naraku's perception, his Chakra had not diminished to the point of being unable to sustain Ninjutsu, so he must have deliberately intended to let the target escape.
Seeing the person about to flee in the chaos, he immediately raised his hand to form a hand sign.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!
Flames roared up, blocking the gap. The compressed attack range made its temperature even higher, and the rolling heat quickly scorched the surrounding trees.
Facing the fierce flames, Kurokō gritted his teeth and chose to retreat.
Naraku raised an eyebrow.
Every Ninjutsu has its limits, and Kurokō's Secret Technique was no exception.
His blood reserves must be limited, and he wasn't truly impervious to water and fire. As long as the energy was sufficiently concentrated, powerful Fire Release and Lightning Release could also counter him.
Naraku again pulled out shuriken, attacking Kurokō from all directions. While he was controlling several blood blades to defend, a thin, white flame exhaled from his mouth.
Fire Release: Wire Slice Technique!
The thin white flame, containing super-high energy, directly pierced the edges of two blood blades, grazing past the side of the opponent's face, scorching his hair tips black and curled.
Indeed!
Naraku confirmed what he had thought.
Kurokō's face instantly turned ugly.
He knew that his Secret Technique would eventually show weaknesses if the battle dragged on, but he didn't expect someone to discover them so quickly.
Can't drag this out any longer!
With a ruthless resolve, he again cut his arm to draw a large amount of fresh blood, quickly scattering it in mid-air, and formed several complex hand signs.
Blood Release: Violent Blood Rain Technique!
Blood condensed into an overwhelming torrent of blood spikes, tearing through the air as they fell at high speed, like the sound of a torrential downpour, echoing across the sky.
Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!
To ensure his intention of temporarily letting the target escape, Shimura Rō only erected several solid earth walls for himself and Naraku at the last moment, protecting his side while also completely blocking their vision, preventing any interception or counterattack against the target.
Kurokō took the opportunity to escape into the vast primeval forest.
Shimura Rō seized the moment to quickly assign tasks: "Uchiha and I will pursue the target!"
As he spoke, he had already chased far ahead, turning to issue a second command.
"Might, control Yagyu. If you can't, eliminate him! Then, you and Zuotang wait here!"
Naraku subtly shifted his gaze.
So, Zuotang letting the target escape was to deliberately create a situation where he and Naraku would pursue the enemy alone.
Killing with a borrowed knife? Or doing it himself?
It could only be one of these two.
"Yes!"
Might Duy selectively ignored the words "eliminate him." In his view, a controlled comrade was still a comrade; how could he so heartlessly abandon, or even... kill him.
But even if he hardened his heart and broke Yagyu's legs, the opponent would recover quickly, either chasing him or attacking the severely injured Zuotang.
--Do I really have to kill Yagyu?
Might Duy thought painfully, finding it truly difficult to make a decision... Naraku followed behind Shimura Rō, pursuing the target, his expression hesitant again and again. Still, he formed a hand sign and created a Shadow Clone to return.
Firstly, to see if Yagyu was truly beyond saving, and secondly, his Shadow Clone Jutsu had been improved by the system using popularity points, allowing it to expand its perception range a second time, making it convenient to sense Black Zetsu's location at any time.
Black Zetsu had watched this play long enough.
All its small actions were merely to find an opportunity to rescue him and take him to Madara. Once Zuotang made his move, it certainly wouldn't miss such a heaven-sent opportunity.
Shimura Rō saw the Shadow Clone rushing back, his eyes flickered, but he didn't intervene.
Since the Uchiha wanted to waste Chakra to save the dying Yagyu, then so be it; it would also weaken his strength.
The two split up, and relying on tracking tools and summoning beasts, they quickly pinpointed Kurokō's location again.
He seemed very familiar with the nearby terrain, heading straight for a cliff. Below the cliff was a turbulent, rushing river. If one was good at swimming, escaping this way would not be difficult.
--It's a good place to destroy evidence.
Zuotang and Naraku thought in unison.Chapter 132 - 137
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Köpt
Chapter 132 Go to Hell and Ask the God of Death
"Uchiha, you find a way to hold him off, I'll provide cover."
"Understood."
Naraku responded, activating his Three-Tomoe Sharingan again, swiftly Shunshining to catch up to the target, and forming hand signs to attack.
Lightning Release: Lightning Net!
The giant net made of electrical arcs was incredibly fast, instantly enveloping Kurokō's head. The blood in his hand transformed into a long blade, which he used to cut an opening and leap out.
The next instant, he was heavily surrounded by shuriken burning with flames, coming from all directions.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Secret Technique: Crimson Claws!
Kurokō didn't have the dynamic vision of the Sharingan, so he couldn't deflect them one by one. His range of movement was also restricted, leaving him no choice but to control more blood to leave his body for defense to protect himself.
The moment metal and black-red blood collided, there were no sparks, no grating friction, only the faint, viscous sound of corroding blades, drowned out by the sigh of extinguishing flames.
A moment later, the now disfigured throwing weapons were all bounced away, embedding themselves into the ground like falling petals.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
While the target was stationary, Shimura Rō created an endless series of towering earth walls, enclosing a large area and isolating the three of them within it.
Seeing his hope of escape cut off, Kurokō's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Since so much blood had already been wasted, he Might as well fight with all his Might.
Blood Release: Dark Blood Manipulation Technique!
Blood needles, even larger and thicker than before, gathered around Kurokō like a flock of birds, swirling around him with a rustling sound, then shot towards Naraku and Shimura Rō.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Shimura Rō's defense was timely enough, but its solidity was far inferior to before, and several blood needles broke through.
Naraku casually deflected the stragglers with a Kunai, but then saw him clutch his arm and stumble back two steps, looking as if he had been hit.
— He's starting to act already, isn't he? Does it have to be so obvious?
Just as he was grumbling to himself, Naraku saw countless blood needles bypass the earth wall from above and the sides, then converge into a magnificent crimson giant python that lunged at him.
He dodged the "blood python's" charge, while behind him, Shimura Rō, using his "injury" as an excuse, became increasingly uncooperative, his Earth Release attacks against Kurokō growing weaker and slower each time, putting Naraku in an increasingly perilous situation.
Kurokō also seemed to notice some clues, and driven by his will to survive, he relentlessly pursued Naraku alone.
— Trying to let the enemy slowly wear me down? That's a pretty good plan.
Naraku deliberately showed a determined look, while drawing out a spare short blade, sliding his finger across it, filling the blade with dense Sealing Jutsu runes.
Immediately after, he held the blade in a reverse grip, formed hand signs, and cast a Ninjutsu.
Lightning Release: Myriad Lightning Kill Formation!
Dozens of thick, long lightning bolts erupted from beneath his feet, piercing into the clouds, spanning nearly a hundred meters, and dancing wildly around Naraku, completely indiscriminate. Any blood needles that touched the lightning snakes were instantly reduced to ashes.
Seeing this, Kurokō immediately retracted his blood needles, but Naraku had already completed the hand signs for his next Ninjutsu.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation Arrow!
Blazing flames condensed into nearly ten giant arrows, breaking through all obstacles and rapidly shooting towards Kurokō.
He dodged the first and second, but the third grazed his arm, the fourth sliced across his thigh, and the several huge arrows that followed immediately after completely engulfed him in flames.
By the time Naraku dispersed the smoke and closed in, Kurokō was no longer able to activate large Secret Techniques. Only a few small blood blades floated around his body, which Naraku easily swept aside, plunging a blade into his abdomen and pinning him to the ground.
Runes began to unfold and spread on the ground from where the blade pierced, firmly locking his limbs.
— This is Konoha's Uchiha…?
Kurokō's vision gradually darkened. With his last bit of sight, he looked at the young Ninja, who seemed to be less than ten years old, and realized that his previous twenty-odd years of life had truly been like looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.
This was true innate talent.
— But even if he's a genius, what then? His companion still wants to use my hands to kill him.
— Indeed, the whole world is just like Yun Mu… filthy… Kurokō closed his eyes, completely losing consciousness.
Naraku panted heavily and released his grip.
Black Zetsu was very close, almost right under that tree not far away.
But someone was even closer than it.
The enemy no longer had the ability to resist, so Shimura Rō would have to do it himself, right?
As soon as Naraku stood firm, numerous Earth Spears suddenly shot out from the nearby ground. He cooperatively retreated two steps quickly, and at the last moment, slightly twisted his body, allowing the sharp blade stabbing from behind to graze his lung and heart as it passed through his chest.
"Cough… cough…" He spat out two mouthfuls of blood, turned to see the face of his attacker, and asked with an expression of disbelief, "W-why… Captain…?"
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun in his blood-red eyes, and cursed seals shot out from beneath his forehead protector, wrapping around his entire body, suppressing his rampaging Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power).
"Go to hell and ask the Shinigami, Uchiha!"
Just as Shimura Rō roared his malicious curse and tried to twist the blade, Naraku's Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) completely ran wild, forcefully operating despite the Healing Seal.
Against the backdrop of his eyes filled with blood and tears, the tomoe instantly transformed into a beautiful black pattern of intertwined crescent moons.
A giant pure white skeletal frame emerged around his body, and the boiling, violent Chakra stirred up a sandstorm, fiercely sending Shimura Rō flying, obscuring the sky and destroying everything in its path.
The fierce airflow also carried lightning and fire, pulverizing all the Earth-Style Walls, thick as city walls, that had previously surrounded the three of them in the distance.
"Why… why…!!!"
Huge bony arms swept wildly around, pounding the ground. The violent tremors caused the entire cliff to crack and collapse, rocks and earth shattering, falling piece by piece into the turbulent current below the abyss.
The bloodline limit sickness struck fiercely and quickly. He coughed up large mouthfuls of blood, and his vision repeatedly darkened.
It was time, he should let Black Zetsu come and pick up the corpse.
Naraku staggered a few steps towards the cliff, then controlled Susanoo's arms to slam heavily into the ground, directly smashing off the entire steep cliff, and he himself fell along with it… On the other side, Yagyu had already been restrained by Might Duy, his limbs broken.
But unfortunately, even though Naraku used the Cellular Extraction Jutsu to remove the poison for him, it was ultimately to no avail.
Zuotang had barely regained consciousness from his coma and was grieving Yagyu's departure.
The moment the ground tremors arrived, the Shadow Clone seemed to sense something and looked up, gazing at Might Duy as if asking for help.
"Senior Dai… my main body seems to be…"
Only managing to utter half a sentence, the Shadow Clone disappeared with a "pop."
"Naraku!" Might Duy immediately jumped up.
"Something must have happened over there!" Zuotang struggled to sit up, urging repeatedly, "Might, go quickly! Captain and the others need your help!"
"Alright!" Might Duy quickly helped Zuotang up and hid him in a concealed spot, leaving all his exploding tags. "Be careful on your own!"
With that, he immediately opened the Fourth Gate and rushed towards the source of the tremors.
When he reached the edge of the cliff, he just happened to witness the scene of the terrain collapsing and the cliff face crumbling.
He only managed to catch a glimpse of Naraku's clothing, which was then swallowed by the falling rocks and earth, disappearing from sight…
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Chapter 133: You still care a lot, don't you?
Black Zetsu, dragging his long-desired PLAN B, moved swiftly underground, his mood exceptionally gleeful.
After so much bad luck, at least one thing had gone smoothly, and he even saved the Sharingan he had prepared just in case.
Originally, he was ready for Uchiha Naraku to die, and then revive him with Izanagi, but this kid actually managed to evade the final fatal blow and even used Susanoo, which was a pleasant surprise.
He was already impatient to bring him back to discuss the grand plan.
After painstakingly and diligently bringing Naraku back to the underground cavern of Mountain Prison, when he pretended to be loyal and presented Uchiha Naraku to Madara like a treasure, the latter's aged eyes widened instantly.
"Izuna... Izuna...?"
Black Zetsu:???
Uchiha Madara almost stood up from his seat.
He would never be mistaken; even after several decades, he wouldn't forget what Izuna looked like in his youth.
This young man named Uchiha Naraku resembled Izuna by at least fifty to sixty percent, and if he grew a few more years older, he would probably look even more alike.
His breathing gradually became heavy as he stared intently at the unconscious Naraku.
The young man's face, so similar to Izuna's, was pale and gaunt, devoid of any vitality, and his chest showed only a faint rise and fall, as if he would stop breathing the next second.
It was just like when Izuna was about to die in front of him, and he had been powerless.
Old memories, carrying the heartbreak of that time, surged and broke through decades of confinement, once again appearing in his mind.
Anger and grief almost drove him mad.
"What have you done!?"
His aged body erupted with intense killing intent, startling Black Zetsu into an involuntary shiver.
"Lord Madara, isn't this our plan?"
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Madara's feverish mind was doused with cold water, chilling him from head to toe, and his consciousness returned to reality.
That's right, he had agreed to Black Zetsu's plan to bring the successor here.
Yes... this is Uchiha Naraku... not Izuna... but deep down, he still couldn't help but associate Naraku with his younger brother.
What was the relationship between Uchiha Naraku and Izuna?
Could Izuna have left behind offspring before he died?
Twenty-four years old, it was entirely possible.
Or had his brother been reincarnated into the Uchiha clan after so many years?
Black Zetsu had previously mentioned that this child was gentle, exceptionally talented, skilled with swords, Fire Release, and genjutsu... He hadn't paid much attention when he first heard it, but now, these traits were exactly the same as Izuna's!
Could it really be reincarnation...!
Madara's emotions began to fluctuate violently again, but this time, the coldness and loneliness he had endured for years suppressed them, and reason once again took the high ground.
He lowered his head and silently sat back in his seat, his breathing becoming slow and steady.
Impossible, Izuna had long since died, died in this hopeless and false Ninja World, and would not return.
This brat was just a lucky fellow who happened to resemble him a bit.
Even if he might be Izuna's descendant, so what? He would never be Izuna himself.
Only by realizing the Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan and creating that dreamlike and perfect world could war be completely eliminated, allowing Izuna and everyone else to find happiness.
Madara forcefully suppressed the stirring in his heart, motioning to Black Zetsu with his eyes, and said, "Put him over there."
Seeing Uchiha Madara return to his cold and rational demeanor, Black Zetsu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Who would have thought that even at such an old age, Madara still remembered what his brother, who had died decades ago, looked like.
For a moment, he even thought the other party would soften, and had already prepared three drafts of his persuasion.
Fortunately, Madara's mind was clear; he knew this brat was just an ordinary Uchiha, nothing to pity.
Uchiha, humph, he hated Uchiha the most.
Almost every generation of Indra was an Uchiha, stubborn as a mule, and always disregarding his advice and acting on their own; such difficult personalities were truly troublesome.
After all these years, only Madara, this Indra, had been easy to deceive and obedient, and also highly capable; he had reached this point with little effort, and with the addition of PLAN B, the liberation of his mother was just around the corner.
Looking at it this way, Uchiha didn't seem so annoying after all.
Black Zetsu thought, casually placing Naraku on the spacious bed nearby, revealing his blood-stained and torn clothes.
A sudden question came from behind.
"What exactly did you do?"
"Lord Madara?"
Black Zetsu turned around with a puzzled look, though his color didn't show much expression.
Madara frowned, staring at Naraku's chest, never having found a wound so unsightly and unpleasant.
He had to vent his anger, so Madara grumbled in a deep voice, "He has bloodline limit sickness, why did you let him get such a severe injury?"
Black Zetsu:???
You really do care about this brat, don't you!
Damn brother complex!
He hated Uchiha the most!
...Naraku, who had watched this whole scene in his mental space, was almost sore from laughing; if he couldn't reveal himself, he would have woken up to mock Black Zetsu.
Oh, oh, oh, isn't this Ōtsutsuki Black Zetsu?
Haven't seen you in a thousand years, so weak?
After laughing at Black Zetsu, Naraku asked the system to pull up the scenes related to Uchiha Izuna from the first season of naruto.
He wanted to observe them carefully twice more, aiming to make Uchiha Madara hallucinate Izuna the moment he saw him.
No other reason, it was purely too much fun to play like this.
Maybe if his favorability rating was a bit higher, he could even get more benefits from old Madara.
Having made up his mind, Naraku immersed himself in the great task of catching up on the anime and studying.
His body was fully entrusted to the system, which occasionally dropped hints to Madara... Two days passed, but Uchiha Naraku showed no sign of waking up.
If it weren't for his injuries gradually healing, his Chakra slowly recovering, and an occasional vague sound from his throat, Madara would have thought he was dead.
Troublesome brat.
Madara muttered words like 'disappointing' in his heart, his fingertips gently tapping the armrest of his seat, closing his eyes with a hint of annoyance.
Only then could he resist looking at the other person.
Ever since he saw that face, he always couldn't suppress the impulse in his heart to reminisce about Izuna by gazing at Naraku.
Each time he realized what he was doing, he had already been staring at the other person for a long time.
He, Uchiha Madara, the Shura of the Ninja World, when had he become so... weak.
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Madara, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and turned to look at the other side of the room.
He sensed that the young man's Chakra on the bed had become slightly active, as if he was about to wake up...
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Chapter 134 He Could Have
Naraku returned to his physical body from his spiritual world, gently moved his eyelids, and slowly opened his eyes.
It was pitch black all around, with only a candle lit by the bedside.
It's possible to light a candle underground, so is the oxygen supply that abundant?
On the other side of the room, Madara took in Naraku's perplexed expression.
From Madara's preconceived notion, this was the confusion of someone who had suffered a series of major blows, unsure of where he was now or where he was headed in the future.
That face, so similar to Izuna's, showing such an expression, made him swallow the harsh words he often had on his lips.
By the time the words came out, they had turned into a greeting.
"How do you feel?"
"?"
Pretending to have just noticed someone else was there, Naraku slowly turned his head to look.
At the other end of the room sat a white-haired old man on the verge of death, the candlelight illuminating his profile, allowing Naraku to see his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"Who are you?"
"I…" The old man paused, "am just an ordinary Uchiha."
"Ah, is that so?"
"You're quite good at acting, Uchiha Madara."
Naraku, barefoot, got out of bed and walked towards him, step by step, gradually adjusting his posture and the way he gazed at his target.
From Madara's perspective, the approaching youth looked more and more like Izuna, making even Madara himself a little confused in a daze.
His rationality repeatedly told him that this kid merely bore a striking resemblance, but his emotions stirred the few remaining feelings, churning like a stormy sea, difficult to calm.
It wasn't until the youth came close that he saw those dark and lifeless eyes, numb, indifferent, and pained, like a broken porcelain reassembled.
The shape remained, but the cracks were unerasable.
The youth no longer resembled Izuna, who was always lively and cheerful in front of him.
"Fortunately, he finally doesn't look like Izuna anymore."
Madara thought with relief, his turbulent emotions beginning to subside.
Then, he heard the youth, in a clear voice, ask a question, flat and stiff, that he had never expected to hear from him.
"Grandpa, you look… not very happy?"
Madara's breathing stopped for a moment.
"Brother… you look… cough cough… not very happy…?"
Back then, when Izuna was gravely wounded and dying, and decided to give his eyes to Madara, he had also looked at his solemn brother and said the same joking remark.
He froze in place, all his prepared words stuck in his throat, solidifying into an unexpected dry cough.
The youth walked up to him and crouched down; even without light in his eyes, his handsome features could still convey that he was concerned or worried about the old man in front of him.
But when the youth tried to control his expression, wanting to show the smile he had already mastered to comfort the other, he only managed to pull at the corners of his mouth, creating a slightly strange arc.
He no longer knew how to smile.
Even a feigned smile eventually vanished from his face.
The youth realized his abnormality and, after several attempts, silently gave up.
Uchiha Madara, the Shura of the Ninja World, who had been proud his entire life, twice suddenly wanted to flee in dismay.
The first time was when Izuna died; he had an incredibly strong desire to escape this false world full of lies.
And the second time was now.
In the youth's hazy, dim eyes, Madara could clearly see his own reflection.
That reflection gazed at him, revealing a fact that had just been deliberately ignored… You personally destroyed this "Izuna"… You made Uchiha Naraku no longer like Izuna.
Upon being exposed, a sudden anger surged in Madara's heart, and he retorted sharply.
"But this was never Izuna!"
…Right.
The reflection nodded, then shook its head… But he could have been more similar… Whether as a descendant or a reincarnation, no matter what identity he stayed by your side, he could have been exactly like Izuna.
"Shut up!"
Madara, exasperated, wanted to avert his gaze, no longer wanting to see that reflection, but his body was controlled by a strange emotion, frozen rigidly in place, staring at the reflection, unable to even move his eyeballs.
He could only bluster and scold with false bravado.
"These are all necessary sacrifices for the Eye of the Moon Plan… Uchiha Naraku is the best pawn!"
"If he's not similar, then he's not similar; what use are these things for the plan?!"
The reflection, however, said… There's no such thing as best or not best; how can you guarantee that a better pawn won't appear later?
…Admit it, Uchiha Madara.
It smiled silently, saying word by word… You regret it.
The fog in his mind dispersed along with the illusion, and when Madara came to his senses, he found himself gasping for breath, clutching fragments of a stone armrest tightly in his hand.
The sharp edges of the fragments cut his palm, soaking in the bright red blood gushing from the wound.
The youth was silently squatting beside him, trying to pry open his hand.
He unconsciously loosened his grip a little, and the other took the opportunity to gently pry open his withered fingers one by one, picking out the stone fragments from the bloody mess and discarding them on the ground.
A faint green glow flickered in the dark underground space, becoming the only trace of life in the desolate world.
Madara's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and it took him a long time to ask the first question: "Aren't you afraid?"
The youth continued to treat his withered hand, not looking up, his voice almost devoid of emotion: "If Grandpa wanted to harm me, he wouldn't have saved me."
The dull, indifferent tone caused a few traces of irritation to crawl into Madara's heart. He looked down at every detail of Naraku's body, trying to extract the truth from his reaction.
"Perhaps, I want to do something to you while you're alive? Like making you stay here and serve me until I die of old age."
He paused, pointing to several dark figures hanging at the very edge of the room: "Or perhaps, I'll use you as fertilizer."
No matter how he threatened, the other still showed no fear, only softly replying: "Repaying a life-saving kindness is only right."
At this point, all his wounds had just been treated. The youth looked up, his face serene.
"But I'm sorry, I still have many things to do and cannot stay here. If all my tasks are completed and I am still alive, then I will certainly return."
"What did you say?" Madara's already restless mood instantly became even more displeased, and he retorted: "What could be more important than me?"
The youth looked at him, responding with his empty gaze: "Those things are more meaningful than my life."
Madara sneered: "So my 'life-saving kindness' isn't a high enough priority, is that right?"
Only silence answered him, and silence was a tacit acknowledgment.
Madara withdrew his hand, leaned back against the cold stone chair, his voice colder than ever before.
"Hmph, do you really think you can leave here?"
"This is the seam between the underworld and reality, and you are already a living dead person, wandering between the human world and hell."
Crimson blood-light ignited in his eyes.
"Don't even think about leaving."
…
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Chapter 135 It Can't Just Be a Passing By
Ever since Kakashi was dragged out of his house by Minato Namikaze that afternoon, transforming from a walking corpse back into a living person, he was frequently invited by Minato to team up for missions.
Whether it was work or life, Minato and Kushina took great care of him, sometimes even inviting him to dinner.
His seniors probably treated him with such care out of respect for his father's friendship.
He thought that, a hint of bitterness rising in his heart.
Since he was a child, he had wanted to surpass his father, but now, having lost his protection, he still received preferential treatment because of his father's halo.
Whenever he thought of this, Kakashi couldn't help but recall those past times, realizing that ever since he became a Chunin, he hadn't had a heart-to-heart talk with his father in a long time.
The most recent time was when he lost his way in the dark tide, asking his father which was more important: comrades or missions.
Why didn't he talk to his father more in the past?
Why was he always rushing to catch up instead of spending time with him?
Why was it only now that he knew to cherish everything he once took for granted?
Alas, no matter how much he chastised himself, time would not grant a repentant person a second chance, allowing him to return to his father's arms as the child who could coyly act spoiled and receive his loving smile.
Kakashi had also considered learning Medical Ninjutsu, but the reality after his efforts showed that he had little talent in that field.
All he could do was wait.
Waiting for a miracle... Another mission ended, and Kakashi returned to the Village to rest.
In truth, he disliked going home now; the empty room was filled with a chill, and the single set of chopsticks and bowl on the table also dampened his spirits.
A home without his father and Naraku was just a house.
But there was no other way; he always had to return.
It was late autumn, and upon entering the main gate, one could see that the entire Konoha, like him, was tinged with a grayish, desolate color from inside out.
It was even more desolate after the cold rain; withered yellow leaves were heavily beaten down by the thick curtain of rain, covering both sides of the street, leaving only dry, gnarled branches reaching fruitlessly skyward, trying to catch the sun's last bit of warmth in the cold wind.
He walked with his head down, two younger boys running past him, laughing and playing, discussing how many dango skewers their combined pocket money could still buy.
The innocent, joyful laughter reached his ears, but it became silver needles piercing his heart.
Each heartbeat, each breath brought pain, reminding him of how precious a thing he had lost.
Those things he should have had were now long since extinguished in the biting cold wind, existing only as ethereal illusions in his memory.
Unbeknownst to him, he had already drifted so far from his original life.
So far that he even somewhat forgot how he had once agonizingly and bewilderedly made his choice, and how he had been so heartless as to abandon even the mementos of the two of them.
Recalling it again and again had transformed that past "Kakashi" into a stranger; he stood downstream in the river of time, gazing at his "self" upstream, increasingly frequently falling into confusion and bewilderment.
What was that "Kakashi" thinking back then?
Kakashi looked up at the sky; beneath the gray-blue firmament, a pale white sun slowly peeked a sliver of its edge from behind the clouds, bestowing a little mercy upon the soul wandering in memories.
"Kakashi...?"
A genuine and familiar call came from behind him, seemingly very close; Kakashi suddenly turned his head, but there was no one behind him.
"Kakashi...?"
The voice seemed to rise from his heart, echoing in his mind.
It was as if the sealed part of his soul had loosened with the passage of time, blooming a tiny, mysterious crack, from which a glimmer of light leaked out, transforming into calls to him.
"Naraku?"
He saw the cold wind carrying fallen leaves, swirling into a small vortex by the roadside, as if in response to him... Hokage Building, Hokage Office.
Minato stood in front of the desk, receiving a mission from Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen; behind him were Akimichi Choza and Shibi Aburame, both old acquaintances of his.
After reading the mission intel, he requested Hiruzen Sarutobi to allow Kakashi to join the team for this mission.
"Hokage-sama, Kakashi is an exceptionally outstanding and dedicated Ninja, fully capable of undertaking this mission."
Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"Alright, you handle it as you see fit."
He knew that Minato had been frequently taking Kakashi Hatake with him recently, clearly intending to look after him.
If it were anyone else forming such a faction, it would certainly be unacceptable, but Minato was, after all, his grand-disciple, having grown up under Jiraiya's watchful eye during his youth; he naturally trusted his character and loyalty.
Moreover, he was also somewhat concerned about the current state of the son of the white fang; such a fine genius should be fully utilized, allowing him to become a Ninja who embodies the Will of Fire, not simply wasted away.
Having Minato watch over him was also good; perhaps it could save him some trouble... After his comrades dispersed first, Minato walked out of the Hokage Building alone and glanced at the white-haired man waiting not far away, seeing that he still looked utterly defeated, as if he had suffered a fatal blow, and smiled helplessly.
"Jiraiya-sensei, haven't you recovered yet?"
"How do you expect me to recover?"
Jiraiya suddenly appeared in front of Minato, gripping his shoulders with both hands, complaining in a low, mournful voice.
"Why didn't you tell me Lady Tsunade was in the Village a while ago? I was so, so close."
"This..." Minato was full of questions: "You and Lady Tsunade don't go a whole year without seeing each other, why are you so distraught this time?"
Jiraiya put his arm around his disciple and walked back, taking the opportunity to impart life philosophy with earnest words.
"Minato, you don't understand; a person can lose opportunities again and again, but it cannot be a near miss, nor can it be a missed chance."
"You haven't experienced this feeling; you're still too young..."
"Oh, right, what mission did you take on, you rascal? I just got back, and I was going to give you some guidance."
"Didn't you say that Ninjutsu you're researching is almost complete?"
--As usual, the conversation went off-topic, Jiraiya-sensei.
Minato was confused, Minato didn't understand, but Minato still maintained a dignified smile.
"I'm truly sorry, sensei, Hokage-sama assigned me to the Land of Rōran; it will probably take one or two weeks before I can return."
"That's fine, it's not a long time. I'll wait for you in the Village until your mission ends, then we can talk."
After Jiraiya finished clowning around in front of his disciple, his worries were cast aside, and his mind began to liven up.
Although it was a pity not to see Tsunade, the weather was getting colder now, and there would surely be plenty of material to gather in the hot springs, hehe~
Minato saw Jiraiya's expression and knew what his sensei was thinking; to minimize his moral debt, he quickly grabbed Jiraiya, suggesting that since they hadn't seen each other in a long time, the two of them should go to a tavern for a good drink first.
Anyway, the mission was departing tomorrow, so it wouldn't delay anything.