Chapter 170 - 171
·
24 mars
·
Köpt
Chapter 170 The Backbone of the Uchiha
Originally, the unscrupulous actions of these two had already made the audience grit their teeth in irritation. After Danzo walked out of the office, he had an internal monologue, which made everyone explode with anger.
This old thief not only wanted to make underhanded moves to force the Uchiha to rebel, taking the opportunity to strike and kill people to dig out their eyes, but he also didn't plan to spare Sakumo Hatake, who was already unconscious.
The screen was filled with bullet comments, everyone as anxious as ants on a hot pan, wishing they could dive into the screen and eliminate Danzo.
[Danzo Shimura, I'm going to kill you!!!]
[Having ever been a fan of Danzo Shimura will be my only cyber criminal record.]
[Why can't I enter the Ninja world! I don't want to watch the Uchiha be harmed! Ahhhhhh!]
[Help! Who will save the Uchiha!!!]
[The Old Thief, quickly arrange for a villain to eliminate Danzo!! I absolutely won't criticize you for being abrupt!!!]
[The one in front, how can you say that? Can someone who takes down Danzo be called a villain? You should call them a hero!]
[Is this the time to argue about titles!!!]
[If Danzo Shimura succeeds, that will be the darkest moment for Konoha since its establishment.]
It was late at night again. Uchiha Fugaku returned home. This time, he didn't hesitate, striding through the door with Naraku's intelligence.
Since he wanted revenge, these messages could absolutely not be hidden from Mikoto.
Rather than letting her hear them unexpectedly somewhere, it was better to prepare her mentally now.
Fugaku helped his wife sit on the soft couch, while he sat opposite her, prim and proper.
Her husband's serious expression had already given Mikoto a premonition. Combined with Naraku having been out for more than ten days with no news, she gripped the hem of her clothes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
Even with mental preparation, the moment she heard the confirmed news, Mikoto still burst into tears, covering her face and sobbing softly.
Moonlight streamed through the window into Naraku's room. On the tidy single bed lay a new set of clothes Mikoto had just bought for Naraku.
The Uchiha Clan emblem embroidered on the fabric was small and exquisite, the layers of silk threads shimmering with fine light under the moonlight.
"Naraku did not die on a mission."
Hearing her husband's voice, tinged with hatred, Mikoto bit her lip, wiped away her tears, and placed her hands on Fugaku's shoulders, telling him resolutely.
"You must avenge Naraku."
"Avenge the innocent Clan Members who died."
"Avenge everything the Uchiha Clan has endured."
Fugaku looked directly into Mikoto's eyes, seeing deep into the tears, where an unyielding determination to achieve their goal resided.
—Before the perpetrators pay the price they deserve, you, I, all of us, cannot stop.
[Fugaku and Mikoto lost their first child before their eldest son was even born.]
[Will Mikoto regret not stopping him more times back then?]
[When their child is born later and grows to be the same age as Naraku, will these clothes ever see the light of day again?]
[No, bro! Why are you so addicted to hurting yourself?]
[Mikoto is much stronger than we imagined.]
[Using the strength of the entire clan to avenge just Naraku, will the other Uchiha agree?]
[If even such a murder is chosen to be ignored, the backbone of the Uchiha Clan will be gone! That's when it's truly over!]
[Peace is preserved through struggle for peace; peace is lost through compromise for peace.]
In the next episode, the opening scene is again late at night. A grayish-white shadow enters the Hospital, slipping into the heavily locked archives.
A faint firelight glows, and Kakashi's face appears on the screen, busy rummaging for something.
He finds a relatively new medical record book from a corner. The rustling sound of pages flipping quickly passes, and the camera follows his gaze to a specific page.
Several records are quickly displayed by the animator in close-up, with keywords highlighted by white light, allowing the audience to quickly understand what is written on this file.
[Stab wounds], [approximately 6 open wounds], [shoulder], [chest], [severe blood loss]... no matter how you look at it, these are injuries sustained during combat.
Kakashi's hand trembles.
He feels an incredibly intense pain emanating from his heart, as if despair and regret have transformed into a small knife, slicing off pieces of his heart.
—Why did he believe such ridiculous rumors?
Even knowing that there was genjutsu at play at the time, he couldn't forgive himself for that night.
[Shocking.]
[The two people he cared about most were both harmed by schemes. Kakashi will probably live on hatred from now on.]
[This genjutsu is really strong. Kakashi, who was affected, felt no abnormality at all and only realized something was wrong after waking up.]
[Was it really Jin who did it?]
[According to current intelligence, Jin is the most likely person. His genjutsu level is too high; manipulating Kakashi is no difficulty at all.]
[I'm so angry. If Naraku were still alive, perhaps one day he could compete with Jin.]
[Unfortunately, Naraku is gone… Wuwuwuwu.]
Days passed, and Kakashi suffered excruciating pain daily, uncontrollably replaying the events of that night, punishing himself as if by mental torture.
Whenever he felt he couldn't bear it anymore, the fire of hatred would burn in his chest, questioning him: would escaping like this be fair to his father and Naraku?
Who exactly caused his father to remain unconscious to this day?
And who altered his thoughts, making him do things that harmed Naraku?
Until he found the culprit and got his revenge, no matter how much pain he endured, he had to keep living.
[How can thoughts be controlled?]
[Wuwuwu… Our Kakashi is really miserable…]
[Kakashi is about to become an empty shell; hatred is the fuel for his life.]
[At least there's hope as long as he lives. Kakashi, you must strive to live and grow up!]
[I'm a little scared. If Kakashi continues to investigate, it's hard to guarantee he won't trace it back to Danzo.]
[Will he be silenced?]
—
Naraku looked at Kakashi's distraught appearance on the screen, pursing his lips.
Compared to the information White Zetsu relayed, the visuals and sounds had a greater impact, making him feel a bit restless.
—Just wait, Kakashi, I'll probably be back soon.
He mumbled, rubbed his aching conscience, and continued playing the animation.
----------------------------------
Chapter 171: The Strange Story of Konoha's Rules
Judging by the lighting in the scene, it was around three or four in the afternoon. Kakashi, exhausted from training, lay on the ground covered in dust, panting.
He waved to Might Guy and his father, who still had energy, indicating he was fine, and then watched the two continue to run laps around the training ground, shouting about youth and passion.
The two 'oddballs,' one big and one small, ran incredibly fast, kicking up thick clouds of dust.
A random thought popped into Kakashi's head.
He wondered when the simple Might Guy had become a fan of green jumpsuits, just like Senior Dai—perhaps after the Chunin Exams?
Perhaps because Might Duy was connected to Naraku, he couldn't help but fall into a flashback.
The scene flashed back to a few days earlier when Kakashi encountered Might Duy at the training ground. Might Duy's eyes always held guilt when he looked at Kakashi, and the tough man choked up after only a few words.
A gentle breeze rustled Kakashi's hair, pulling him back to reality.
Kakashi raised his hand to cover his eyes with the back of it, as if he disliked the overly bright sun.
A tall, blond young man walked over, his shadow falling across Kakashi's body and face.
He lowered his hand and looked up, and the gentle smile of Minato appeared in the scene, along with two complimentary tickets in his hand.
"How about we go for ramen, Kakashi?"
[Uncle Dai's psychological trauma from this life all stemmed from that day]
[The river water ebbs and flows, every wave is him; I see wild mountain flowers, the mountains are full of him; I have traveled Manri of rivers and mountains, Manri of rivers and mountains are all him...]
[The sun is too dazzling, not that I miss you]
[It's a good thing Kakashi still has so many people who care about him; things will definitely get better in the future]
Minato led Kakashi to a corner table in the ramen shop.
While waiting for their noodles, he asked Kakashi how he had been doing and told him not to hesitate if he needed help from him and Kushina.
Faced with this concern, Kakashi just shook his head and said he was fine, then heard Minato apologize on Kana's behalf.
"Kana must have said something inappropriate that day; please don't take it to heart."
Kakashi gripped the water glass tightly, and the small surface of the water rippled, disturbing the slightly sad reflection of his expression.
"It's nothing, Senior."
His eyes were dull, and he lowered his head, hiding his emotions in the shadows, his voice muffled: "It's all my fault. I said so many harsh things to Naraku... otherwise, he wouldn't have..."
His shoulders trembled slightly, and several cracks appeared on the cup in his hand, as if he was muttering with anger or hatred.
"One day...!"
[My heart aches for Kakashi; he inexplicably lost everything.]
[He must have blamed himself countless times.]
[I'm afraid that on the day Kakashi takes his revenge, he will end his own life to be with Naraku.]
[Oh no, I feel like he's capable of doing that.]
[No, he won't. Sakumo still needs him to take care of him, boo hoo hoo.]
Minato instinctively felt that something was wrong.
His previous suspicions about Kakashi's abnormal state resurfaced, prompting him to want to find out whether the other party had truly awakened or had shed that layer of 'demonic influence.'
"What exactly happened a while ago? You were in a very strange state then."
Perhaps it had been too long since he had confided in anyone, Kakashi hesitated for a while but still decided to reveal his bizarre experience to Minato.
If he couldn't even trust Senior Minato, then there was no one else in the entire Ninja World he could trust.
"I was controlled by a genjutsu."
The moment he heard these words, Minato felt a chill rush to his mind. The scene also zoomed and blurred in response to his reaction, accompanied by a terrifying, thunderous sound effect.
--Even Kushina's repeated checks failed to detect it. How powerful was the caster?
--Who did it? What was their purpose?
Next, the animator stopped filming their faces, focusing the camera on parts of their bodies that could show tension and unease, such as their hands, water glasses, and hair tips... In between these close-ups, many empty shots of a busy kitchen were interspersed.
A sharp kitchen knife sliced through vegetable stems and leaves, along with the rolling water droplets on the leaves;
Steaks sizzled as they touched the hot pan, releasing a bit of grease;
Noodles, once cooked, were neatly arranged in the hot broth, blending with the clear white soup amidst the steam... These seemingly meaningless flashbacks were interspersed very quickly, alternating with the scene of the two sitting face to face, making Minato and Kakashi's side even more silent and oppressive.
Minato looked down at his right hand, illuminated by a small patch of sunlight. After a long time, he finally felt a trace of warmth again, and his tense brows gradually relaxed.
He regained his composure, secretly wary of the mastermind lurking somewhere.
The opponent would not be limited to plotting against Kakashi; they definitely had other evil plans.
The ramen arrived, fragrant and steaming, greatly easing the stiff atmosphere.
"Anyway," Minato broke apart his disposable chopsticks and smiled slightly, "let's eat first."
[It has to be Minato; he's incredibly smart.]
[Holy crap! My hair is standing on end!]
[A chill down my spine in the middle of summer; it's a bit terrifying.]
[The tension is practically spilling out of the screen.]
[A completely unknown enemy, and one of a certain strength; who wouldn't be scared?]
In the next episode, the struggle between the Uchiha and Konoha's highest echelons officially began.
The animator spent the entire episode depicting this high-level meeting.
Uchiha Fugaku raised doubts about Naraku's cause of death at the meeting and provided relevant evidence, demanding that Shimura Rō be recalled for investigation.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura's coordinated act was not easy to deal with. With one move, asking Fugaku to submit the evidence, they put the Uchiha at a disadvantage.
At first, others thought the Uchiha, having lost a genius, wanted to seize the opportunity to cause trouble, but as they watched, they began to feel that things were not that simple.
The Hokage showed no inclination to uphold justice; instead, he seemed more intent on letting the matter stall midway.
The current head of the Nara Clan's eyes darted around, and he knew there was something fishy going on.
Elder Danzo's targeting of the Uchiha was not new; it was highly likely he was behind this.
The Nara Clan head subtly observed the expressions of everyone around him. Either they were indifferent, or they were gloating with mocking smiles. Sympathy and support for the Uchiha were scarce, making it clear that Fugaku would not get his wish this time.
He understood the principles of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' and 'when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hounds are cooked,' but he was powerless and could not change the foolishness and shortsightedness of the majority.
Before the knife struck their own heads, no one would believe they would be the next victim.
Even their Nara Clan had only temporarily secured safety by choosing the right side.
[The Ninja World's largest Ninja Clan, isolated and friendless in Konoha—can you believe it?]
[If you put yourself in the Uchiha's shoes, Konoha is truly terrifying. The attitude of these top officials towards them is surprisingly consistent: they all wish they could just choke them to death.]
[The only one with a good relationship, Sakumo, who had a chance to become Hokage, was assassinated. The future seems almost hopeless.]
[These top officials, including the Third Hokage, are untrustworthy for the Uchiha. Any evidence submitted will only be destroyed.]
[Without evidence, it's even more like crying out to heaven and earth with no one to answer.]
[If the Uchiha fall, there will be another! It will be your turn eventually!]
[The Nara can only choose silence to survive, but he also knows what the ultimate price of silence is.]
[It's like a frog in warm water knowing it will die, but if it tries to jump out, it will be crushed immediately.]
[I have a feeling this meeting... is a Konoha 'rule-bending' horror story. If you don't follow the rules, you're dead.]
[Indeed, Konoha now feels like a horror dungeon.]Chapter 172
·
25 mars
·
Köpt
Chapter 172: The blood of the young man is still hot; when will the old friend appear in my dream?
Several consecutive, contentious scenes showed that in every meeting since then, the Uchiha returned empty-handed, and those in the know each had their own thoughts, not daring to stick their necks out.
The overall atmosphere of Konoha was rapidly dragged down, and villagers would show expressions of impatience or resentment whenever they saw The Uchiha Police Force.
[This is how the world is: when the oppressed demand their rightful benefits, they are met with hostility from others.]
[If the Uchiha want to stand up, they will overturn those who originally stood on their backs.]
[Constant compromise is not an option, but only engaging in verbal disputes will not achieve fairness.]
[Fortunately, what the Uchiha lack least is the power to fight to the death, and the fighting spirit that is about to be fully revived.]
[This is their last possibility to continue to survive.]
The screen went dark and then bright again.
On a cloudy morning, Kushina brought Kana to visit Mikoto.
Mikoto's belly was already very large, and she had been resting at home recently, not going out much, so the delivery time was probably not far off.
Kushina gently pressed her ear against it, her eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.
"No matter how many times I see it, it's still hard to believe that Mikoto has a baby in her belly~"
She suddenly sat up straight, blinking her large eyes: "Hey, Mikoto, when he grows up, can I take him to play with me?"
"Of course," Mikoto touched her belly, "I'd be delighted."
The screen flickered, showing the memories that surged in her mind.
That memory was covered with a warm, hazy filter. In the scene, Naraku, the day before his departure, was just like Kushina, carefully pressing against her, softly saying it must be a younger brother.
[When my younger brother is born, I will protect him.]
Naraku slightly curved his lips, his expression gentle and joyful, and he uncharacteristically spoke many words to her.
[In spring, I'll take him kite-flying; in summer, we'll go fishing by the river; in autumn, we'll climb mountains to pick wild fruits; in winter, I'll accompany him to build snowmen...]
[No matter what he wants to do, I'll be with him.]
Mikoto said cheerfully, "If you spoil him like that, it'll be a lot of trouble later."
[It's okay, just leave the hard work to me. My younger brother just needs to be happy.]
Naraku just smiled, looking very much like an older brother.
She never thought this would be the last time she saw Naraku's smile.
The screen returned to clear and stark. Mikoto wiped her face, leaving a streak of water on the back of her hand.
[So Naraku once truly looked forward to the future]
[He never even got to see his younger brother]
[Will Mikoto's child ever know he had an older brother he never met?]
[Yes, he will grow up listening to Naraku's stories]
[Naraku was so sensible, how could Mikoto and Fugaku ever let go?]
"Don't be too sad, Mikoto."
Kushina hugged her friend's shoulders, knowing she was still grieving for Naraku.
"Cheer up. Naraku wouldn't want to see you like this from above. You still have a baby, so you must take care of yourself."
Kana also forced a smile and said, "Yes, that silly boy, he must be pacing anxiously in heaven right now."
Slowly exhaling, Mikoto hesitated several times, as if wanting to tell them the truth about Naraku's death.
But in the end, she said nothing.
Even what the Uchiha couldn't achieve with the strength of their entire clan, telling Kushina and Kana would only drag them into danger for nothing.
[The girls are all so kind.]
[Now that the Uchiha and Konoha are at loggerheads, it makes me a bit scared... According to the plot, next...]Chapter 173
·
26 mars
·
Köpt
Chapter 173 The camera shifted to Minato's side
[Mother Mikoto, please take good care of yourself and live safely.]
The camera shifted to Minato's side. He was having dinner with two companions at a barbecue restaurant, celebrating their promotions to elite Jonin.
Their table was in a secluded corner of the main hall, so no one else could overhear their conversation.
Shibi Aburame was a man of few words, mostly eating in silence and listening to the other two chat.
Akimichi Choza, on the other hand, was outgoing and talkative. As the Young Clan Head of the Akimichi Clan, he had always heard many secret messages from his father, which he would then share with friends at the dinner table.
Especially with the Uchiha causing such a stir recently, he couldn't help but be aware of it.
Akimichi Choza wasn't stupid; how could he not understand the underlying meaning of his father's words?
The Uchiha matter was real.
One of the highest-ranking individuals had killed the most talented child of their clan.
After all, he was still young, his blood not yet cooled. Akimichi Choza gritted his teeth, seemingly having made a decision.
"Minato, I remember you and Uchiha Fugaku have a good relationship?"
"Yes," Minato admitted frankly, nodding, "We worked together for a while and became friends. But Fugaku got too busy after becoming clan head and couldn't go on missions, so we see each other less now."
"You might not be aware yet, Minato, but recently—"
"Choza." Shibi Aburame interjected.
"I know what I'm doing, Shibi."
Akimichi Choza gave him a calm and resolute look, then turned to Minato, his expression unusually serious.
"Things aren't right lately. If you get a chance, warn Uchiha Fugaku to be careful and stay vigilant."
Minato realized something he didn't know was happening: "What's wrong with the Uchiha?"
All surrounding noise was erased, including the words Akimichi Choza spoke next. The audience could only see his mouth moving, and a steadily growing heartbeat sound gradually filled their ears.
[The information gap between civilian Ninja and Ninja Clan members cannot be bridged, even at the elite Jonin level.]
[Akimichi Choza is a true man.]
[The Uchiha aren't completely unpopular either.]
[It has nothing to do with whether they are Uchiha; anyone with a conscience would find Danzo's dirty deeds intolerable.]
[Minato, hurry up and grow stronger! Unite with others and kick Hiruzen Sarutobi out!]
Listening to Akimichi Choza recount the intelligence, Minato listened with a pounding heart and growing anger.
Amidst his shock and fury, he recalled the genjutsu Kakashi had mentioned that afternoon, and a sense of anxiety and unease resurfaced.
Sakumo-senpai has been unconscious and hasn't woken up, Kakashi was put under genjutsu by an unknown enemy, Naraku was killed by a Ninja from the same village, the Uchiha are in precarious straits... It seems there's an invisible hand stirring up trouble in Konoha, causing widespread panic, but he has no clues at all.
And if this continues, it's hard to guarantee that Kakashi won't be in danger.
Whether he found out something he shouldn't know, or learned the truth from somewhere and thus resented Konoha...—he couldn't let Kakashi fall too deep.
Minato made up his mind.
[That big hand... could it be Jin?]
[It seems Minato finally has a formidable rival? Jin's age is also similar to Minato's.]
[Woohoo! The Hokage is about to enter intellectual battle mode!]
[Good heavens, if Jin did all these things, wouldn't the fans of these families eat him alive?]
[Jin's fans are already trembling with fear.]Chapter 174
·
6 d
·
Köpt
Chapter 174 He saw a tall, middle-aged man standing outside
In the next episode, early in the morning, Kakashi heard a knock on the door and groggily climbed out of bed to open it.
He saw a tall, middle-aged man standing outside, dressed in a short, casual outfit, with two red marks on his face, and a full head of white hair like a lion's mane, tied back with a rope.
"Yo, Kakashi!"
Jiraiya smiled like a suspicious uncle trying to abduct a child.
The scene flashed, going back to last night when Minato went to find Jiraiya. The master and disciple discussed for a long time, and finally, Jiraiya nodded in agreement to take Kakashi out of the village for training.
He agreed for two reasons: one, to let Kakashi avoid the spotlight, and two, to use this opportunity to track down Shimura Rō.
[Hooray! Jiraiya plus Kakashi, a wonderful combination.]
[Professional childcare expert — Frog Sage Jiraiya — makes a grand appearance!]
[Touching, finally seeing them together.]
[Back to his old job, Jiraiya-chan~]
The animator did not show their conversation, directly cutting to Kakashi shouldering his pack and following Jiraiya out of the Konoha gate.
Relaxed and humorous music began to play, and many short clips of Kakashi on his journey were interwoven, much like a bright and vibrant travel Vlog.
When they got hungry on the road, just as Kakashi was about to eat a soldier pill, he saw Jiraiya had already set up a pot and was pouring ingredients into it, calling him to quickly start a fire;
In the dark, the two sat around a bonfire, warming themselves and chatting, or roasting some wild fish and rabbits, occasionally adding wood to the fire;
If they encountered rare medicinal herbs along the way, Jiraiya would collect them and introduce them to Kakashi, then have him carefully press the specimens into book pages;
When they had nothing else to do, Jiraiya, as an elder, would diligently give Kakashi pointers on his taijutsu and Ninjutsu, then mess up the latter's hair into a bird's nest at the end;
Occasionally, when they encountered a town, Kakashi would stand aside with a speechless expression, arms crossed, watching Jiraiya shed his sage persona and sneakily peek into the public bathhouse entrance... The audience hadn't seen such a lighthearted segment in a long time, and they were all laughing uncontrollably.
[I just love this fresh road trip vibe.]
[It feels like traveling with Jiraiya would be especially fun.]
[Of course, look at those pots and cooking utensils, all complete.]
[Kakashi finally has some lively spirit.]
[He's actually quite lucky; there's always a sun constantly revolving around him.]
[So Kakashi and Minato are master and disciple brothers again?]
[Hahahahahaha Kakashi's filter for Jiraiya as a strong person shattered into pieces.]
[Kakashi: Compared to Jiraiya, my dad was so normal... I misjudged him.]
The music gradually stopped, and the lively snippets ended.
Late at night, Kakashi was sitting by the bonfire, taking off his weights and neatly stacking them one by one.
Jiraiya saw the external injuries accumulated on his body during this period. The firelight reflected in his eyes, revealing a hint of unbearable pain and conflicted emotions.
"I'll be right back."
After saying that, Jiraiya formed a few hand seals and used Reverse Summoning to Mount Myōboku to find Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima for some good medicine.
Just as he received several bottles of medicinal oil, a toad came to deliver a message, saying that the Great Sage Toad had just woken from his slumber and wanted to meet Jiraiya.
"Little Jiraiya," the Great Sage Toad spoke with his usual heavy and slow cadence, "the future has undergone some changes."
Jiraiya's heart tightened: "What kind of changes?"
A thoughtful expression appeared in the Great Sage Toad's eyes, then he shook his head and said.
"It's hard to say."
"The child who caused these changes will stir up a'storm' in the Ninja World."
"But the ultimate outcome, whether good or bad, is not clear in the dream."Chapter 175
·
5 d
·
Köpt
Chapter 175 These words were truly ambiguous
These words were truly ambiguous, causing Jiraiya to frown deeply, and a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart.
Despite his heavy heart, when he returned to Kakashi, he still appeared cheerful, handing him several small jars.
"Kakashi, apply these before you sleep; your body will recover faster."
"These are...?"
"Mount Myōboku's toad oil. Don't let its plain appearance fool you; it's especially good at relieving fatigue and healing injuries."
"Thank you, Lord Jiraiya."
[Oh my goodness, Kakashi is pushing himself too hard. Can he handle it?]
[I doubt it. Look at those injuries on his body; how can he keep going if they accumulate over time?]
[It has to be Jiraiya, rough on the outside but detailed on the inside.]
[Another new Child of Prophecy?]
[Jiraiya: Why does he have so many of these Children of Prophecy?]
[Who could it be? The new character who appeared recently... Jin? No way, right?]
[Stirring up a "storm" sounds like something a BOSS would do.]
Another episode began, with the camera focusing on a vast jungle.
The sky wasn't fully bright yet when Kakashi woke up, covering his face and sighing deeply.
Several scenes flashed quickly across the screen: some were of warm family moments, some were terrifying fantasies he had experienced, and some fragments were distorted and blurry, their details unclear... These were likely Kakashi's chaotic and strange dreams from the previous night.
And his calm, almost despondent monologue made the audience wail.
[When will old friends enter my dreams?]
[Good sword technique, it makes my head spin.]
[How could Naraku blame you, you silly Kakashi!]
[That's right, he would only wish you well.]
After a day of travel, the two arrived at Kusagakure City at dusk to rest.
In a blink of an eye, night fell, leaving only Kakashi to himself in the hot spring bath.
As he soaked, he relaxed his body and sank to the bottom of the water, watching the shimmering light scales on the surface and the bubbles slowly rising.
—Speaking of which, I've never been to a hot spring with Naraku.
A phantom seemed to appear before Kakashi's eyes. He reached out to grasp it, his fingertips breaking the water's surface, creating ripples, but only touching the cool air.
—Even in a dream, let me see you.
[Pass it on, Jiraiya bullies children!]
[Received! Jiraiya's heart is very, very bad!]
[Huh? KaNaru (Kakashi x Naraku) candy? Take a bite... Pfft! (Spits blood) TAT There's a knife in the candy!!]
[These lines, and you're telling me there's nothing between them?]
[The Old Thief, you've done too many bad things! You ruthlessly tore apart our naka (naraku/kakashi cp)! Wuwuwuwu ┭┮﹏┭┮]
[Standing for naka (naraku/kakashi cp) for a second, who asked Kakashi to be so boring at such a young age?]
[You guys are unbelievable...]
On the other side, Jiraiya, familiar with the ropes, found the Underground Bounty Exchange, but learned that information about Shimura Rō had already been purchased by someone before him.
After he came out and found a place to read the intelligence, he learned that Shimura Rō was in Kusagakure City. Immediately after, he heard an explosion and saw the roof of a certain tavern blast open from the inside out.
The camera rapidly approached the explosion site. The scene slowed down: flying dust, a man being sent flying, and the golden-haired figure closely following him, all reflected in Jiraiya's eyes.
He almost swore.
"My bleep, Tsunade!?"
The next second, the scene switched to Tsunade punching and kicking someone hard into the ground, the impact of her monstrous strength causing the ground to rumble.
Tsunade's sudden appearance and immediate engagement in a fight, along with the highly dynamic slow-motion shots, left the audience both surprised and thrilled.
However, the progress bar couldn't hold out any longer. The screen went black, and the comments erupted in curses again.
[Hmph, so skilled, Jiraiya must have spent a lot of time in the underworld, huh?]
[Jiraiya wants to capture Shimura Rō, probably also intending to keep the situation under control.]
[Oh my, I searched high and low for it, and it appeared right before my eyes.]
[Great, it's Tsunade, we're saved!]
[Shimura Rō: Damn it, it's Tsunade, I'm done for.]
[Teacher Tsunade is here to avenge Naraku, wuwuwu.]
[Is that all?]
[Are you trying to kill me by stopping here?]
—