nyslfriends Chapter 180 Kakashi had met Pain before.
Chapter 180 Kakashi had met Pain before.
Chapter 180 Kakashi had met Pain before.
However, despite the unexpected developments in the dream, Obito did not feel tense or uneasy at all. After all, it was just a dream and wouldn't really affect his Rin!
Compared to all that, what Obito is actually more curious about now is: how will Kakashi react when he sees what just happened?
After all, Kakashi had personally witnessed Pain's Deva Path!
Just imagining the scene of his father, Sakumo Hatake, returning to Konoha with Pain, made Obito's lips curl into a smirk, revealing a mixture of schadenfreude and anticipation.
For a moment, Obito actually started to look forward to what would happen next.
time flies.
As dawn approached, the dream quietly ended, and everyone who had been drawn into it awoke from their slumber.
An inn in Amegakure Village.
Jiraiya slowly opened his eyes, his expression indescribably solemn and complex.
Jiraiya still vividly remembers the hint of resentment that Konan showed him in his dream.
The fact that Xiao Nan made that expression means that something serious must have happened to one of the three of them.
It's not hard to guess who it is that got into trouble while Konan was sitting in the audience, since Nagato appeared in the dream.
"Something's happened to Yahiko!"
With this information...
Jiraiya quickly deduced the truth: the guy who called himself Pain was probably someone Nagato had created as a puppet after Yahiko's accident using the power of the Rinnegan.
Despite having deduced the truth in his heart, the weight of the truth still made Jiraiya feel suffocated.
He lowered his head in despair. In his dream last night, he knew to entrust others to take care of his three children. But in reality, he had simply walked away and ignored them. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but laugh bitterly, his deep regret turning into a long sigh: "I'm such a failure as a teacher."
Meanwhile, far away in the Land of Rain, inside a tower, Nagato slowly opened his eyes and awoke from his slumber.
"Hoo-hoo!" Nagato Seijin stared at the ceiling, his chest heaving rapidly.
It took him several seconds to come to his senses. Recalling the bizarre experience in his dream last night, he still felt as if he had been in another world.
"Yesterday's dream was incredibly vivid—but also far too bizarre—"
Nagato muttered to himself, his pale face filled with confusion.
The events in his dream still leave him somewhat bewildered.
Just as he was completely bewildered, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside with a creak.
A wisp of dampness, accompanied by the sound of rain clouds, seeped into the dimly lit room, along with a slender, graceful figure.
Konan, as usual, carried in a basin of water and skillfully placed it on the low table beside the bed. Then, she bent down slightly, preparing to help Nagato sit up: "Nagato, are you awake?"
She asked in a low voice.
At this moment, Xiao Nan's pretty face had a strange expression, and her hesitant manner clearly indicated that she was still struggling with the various things in last night's dream.
However, Nagato was lost in his own thoughts and didn't notice the strange expression on her face.
Nagato pursed his slightly chapped lips, his voice low and hoarse: "Konan, I had a strange dream yesterday—"
Before he could finish speaking, he felt Xiao Nan's delicate body tremble slightly beside him.
Konan's eyes widened suddenly, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Is it about Yahiko and Konoha's White Fang?"
"How did you know?!" Nagato's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and her previously calm face suddenly changed color. "Konan, did you have the same dream yesterday too?"
His Rinnegan pupils contracted slightly, a surge of intense shock and confusion welling up within him.
Upon hearing this question, Xiao Nan's expression became even more complicated, and for a moment she didn't know how to explain.
She paused for two seconds, then finally shook her head with a wry smile: "I—saw your dream."
At this point, Xiao Nan herself felt that what she said was really absurd, and it became somewhat difficult to explain.
"Look—you're seeing my dream?!"
Nagato was stunned, his exhausted face filled with question marks—what kind of explanation is this?
What does it mean to "see" his dream? He was so confused that he almost doubted he was still asleep.
Seeing Nagato's bewildered expression, Konan quickly recounted the bizarre experience that had happened to her the previous night in a few words.
From being sound asleep at home to suddenly finding herself in a mysterious audience seat, to witnessing the scenes in Nagato's dream and the people she met who appeared in the dream—Konan's narration is brief, but packed with information.
After listening, Nagato remained silent for a long time, trying to process what she had heard.
After a long pause, he finally frowned and said, "So, the masked man and Jiraiya—they both showed up last night?"
"Yes," Xiao Nan nodded slightly and added, "and—they seem to be very familiar with that place."
Upon hearing this, Nagato's expression became increasingly uncertain, and doubts began to grow in his mind.
He pondered for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something and asked in a low voice, "Is that guy still in Amegakure?"
Xiao Nan shook her head and replied, "I went to look for him as soon as I woke up, but someone reported that he quietly left as soon as the dream ended yesterday, and no one knows where he went."
As she spoke, Konan's brows furrowed, clearly showing her concern for Obito's whereabouts.
However, after listening, Nagato merely narrowed his eyes slightly and did not pursue the matter further.
At this moment, Obito is in a deep underground cave somewhere in the Land of Rock.
A large army of white Zetsu, all looking exactly alike, stood neatly in the center of the cave, each face facing the same direction.
Before them, Obito Uchiha stood with his hands behind his back, slowly surveying the scene, his entire body radiating a terrifying, chilling killing intent.
"Hmph!" Obito stopped in front of the line, his sharp single eye scanning the hundreds of White Zetsu clones. His brows furrowed more and more, and his face was darker than the shadows deep in the cave.
He suddenly spoke in a deep voice, questioning the trembling figure beside him: "Didn't you say all the White Zetsu were here? Where are the Uzumaki White Zetsu?"
The dark figure was half-integrated into the wall, with only one face visible – it was Yin Jue.
Hearing Obito's chilling question, Zetsu was quite embarrassed and helplessly shrugged, "Uh... how would I know? That guy's pretty independent, you know that—"
"Is that so?" Obito narrowed his eyes, staring at Zetsu, his voice growing colder, his words carrying a deeper meaning: "Didn't you send it out on some mission?"
"I—" Jue's half of his body trembled involuntarily, and he didn't know how to answer for a moment.
He secretly groaned to himself: Obito has become increasingly difficult to please lately. He suspects him of being behind things if anything goes wrong, which is really exhausting.
He was about to say something in his defense when he met Obito's dangerous gaze from his crimson Sharingan. He immediately shuddered and swallowed back all the words he wanted to say.
Obito stared at Zetsu for a few seconds, seeing that the guy's expression was blank and didn't seem to be faking it, before letting out a cold snort and waving his hand to interrupt: "Enough! No matter what, bring him back to me immediately. I have important things to ask him!"
Zetsu glanced furtively at Obito's dark, brooding face, and dared not utter another word. "Yes, I understand!"
He readily agreed, only thinking about getting away as soon as possible to find that troublesome idiot, so as not to incur Obito's wrath again for no reason.
With a flash of black shadow, Jue had already swiftly slipped into the depths of the cave.
Obito stood with his hands behind his back, watching Zetsu leave, his eyes gradually darkening: "That Zetsu guy is definitely hiding some secret."
To the east of Iwagakure Village.
In the Hidden Sound Village.
Inside the underground experimental base, the dim yellow oil lamps embedded in the walls made the narrow space appear somewhat gloomy.
Kabuto knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully, saying, "Lord Orochimaru, welcome back!"
As they spoke, Kabuto respectfully raised his head, glanced at Orochimaru's blood-soaked bandages, and asked with some concern, "Is your body—alright?"
Orochimaru, who had recently been replaced in a new body, was wrapped in layers of bandages and was resting against the back of a chair.
His face was pale, his eyes were gloomy and dissatisfied, and his right hand was clenched into a fist, trembling slightly, as if he was trying his best to endure something.
"This body is in terrible condition!"
Orochimaru gave him a cold, wary look, then stuck out his scarlet tongue and licked his dry lips. A flicker of excitement and fervor flashed in his dark golden snake eyes.
"However," he suddenly said, a smug and arrogant smile spreading across his face, "it won't be long before I get Uchiha Itachi!"
He spoke softly, but his voice trembled with barely suppressed elation, as if he were certain of victory.
Upon hearing this, Kabuto was taken aback for a moment, then pushed up his round-framed glasses and respectfully smiled, "Congratulations, Lord Orochimaru, your wish is about to come true."
He knew that his lord, Guy, had been suffering from Itachi Uchiha's body for a long time, and now he had finally gotten his chance.
Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction, then lowered his eyelids and hoarsely ordered, "Kabuto, pack your things and go back to the Akatsuki." "Yes!" Kabuto immediately obeyed.
Orochimaru let out another eerie laugh and added, "By the way—you could contact your old boss. See if you can find out Uchiha Itachi's whereabouts!"
"My old boss?" Kabuto naturally understood who Orochimaru was referring to: Sasori of the Red Sand.
That guy still believes he's an undercover agent planted by Orochimaru.
"Understood." He nodded readily, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "I'll take care of it right away."
"Oh, right!"
Kabuto pulled a small scroll from his robes and presented it to Orochimaru with both hands: "Lord Orochimaru. This is a scroll from your body-changing period..."
A secret letter sent by Danzo Shimura.
"Oh? Danzo?"
Upon hearing this name, even the usually composed Orochimaru couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.
His cold eyes narrowed slightly, then he grinned: "Interesting, he's come to me again—"
Orochimaru took the scroll, his long fingernails scraping across the familiar sealing wax mark on it, and memories of the past flashed through his mind.
Indeed, the two had a few unknown collaborations in their early years, but later Orochimaru found Danzo too stingy and miserly, and the two gradually lost contact.
After all, that old guy wanted everything but didn't want to give any reward, and his demands were troublesome, which made people very unhappy.
It's been ages since we last met. Now, this secret letter has suddenly arrived. I'm curious to see what they're up to.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru curled his lip slightly in disdain, but his hands moved without hesitation.
With a gentle twist, he broke the sealing wax seal and quickly unrolled the scroll to examine it.
As the contents of the secret letter came into view, Orochimaru's lazy expression gradually disappeared, replaced by an undisguised look of surprise.
"Oh ho—" he let out a soft, ambiguous exclamation, raising his slender eyebrows.
Orochimaru read the few lines quickly, but the moment he finished, he couldn't help but curl his lips into a playful smile.
"Heh, Danzo actually offered his Sharingan as payment just to get me to take action this time?"
Orochimaru chuckled and tossed the scroll aside, his eyes gleaming. "That's quite a grand gesture!"
Danzo, that stingy miser, has never been willing to spend this much money before when asked to do something. What desperate situation must he have been pushed into to be willing to take out his precious Sharingan and "spend money" like this?
Kabuto was also taken aback upon hearing this: "Sharingan?!"
"It seems that old ghost has been pushed to the limit this time," Orochimaru thought, narrowing his eyes.
He knew a little about the tragedy from back then and was well aware that Danzo had stockpiled a lot of Sharingan.
When they first started working together, he had hinted that he wanted to exchange a few Sharingan with Danzo for research, but the old fox sternly refused—Danzo valued the Sharingan so much that no one was allowed to touch it.
Unexpectedly, this time, they actually offered their Sharingan as payment.
After a brief moment of surprise, Orochimaru licked his lips and quickly resumed his sinister smile.
He stretched out his bandaged hand, rolled up the reel again, and put it back in his pocket: "But, don't worry about it."
It's a rare opportunity to deal with Uchiha Itachi, so how could a mere ordinary three-tomoe jade possibly pique Orochimaru's interest again?
The Land of Fire, Konoha Village.
The residence of Danzo Shimura.
Inside the living room, Hokage advisor Danzo Shimura sat motionless behind a low table with a gloomy face, like a statue hidden in the darkness.
The Root ninja in front of him was kneeling on one knee, reporting in a low voice: "—Sir, as per your orders, after our Root ninjas were incorporated into the Anbu, we have found out which squad each of us has been assigned to."
"Hmm." Danzo listened with his eyes half-closed. In the dim light, only the shadows on his face could be seen, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
He listened to his subordinates' reports point by point, nodding slowly.
After his subordinate finished speaking, he slightly raised his hand and said in a hoarse voice, "Very good. Continue to hold back and let them lie low, making sure they don't reveal anything unusual."
"Yes!" The Root ninja respectfully accepted the order, and his figure flickered and disappeared into the darkness of the room.
The room fell silent again, with only Danzo remaining seated in the same spot.
After a long silence, in the dim moonlight streaming through the window, a cold, ugly smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! Is he going to discard me after I've served my purpose?"
Danzo slammed his fist on the table, his anger barely contained.
He painstakingly and risked his life to help the Third Hokage through the Chunin Exams, only to have that old man turn around and attack him!
"Hmph, you think you can erase my years of hard work just because you're the Hokage?"
Recalling the events of the past few days, Danzo's eyes twitched violently, and his chest heaved.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! You probably don't know this yet—"
He spoke slowly and deliberately, muttering to himself with a cold laugh, "Only I, Shimura Danzo, am worthy to command the Root ninjas! You think you can control them by letting them join the Anbu? Ridiculous!"
The mark of "Root" is deeply engraved in the souls of those ninjas, and they will return to my great tree sooner or later!
Dark area?
Ah, given time, the Dark Side will become the new root!
time flies.
Before long, the sun set in the west, and the day quickly came to an end.
As night fell again, Shimura Danzo had returned to his bedroom and bed, where he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
After an unknown amount of time in the darkness, Danzo suddenly opened his one eye.
When the situation became clear again, he found himself inside the Root organization's base!
The dim lights illuminated the surroundings, and many familiar figures could be vaguely seen standing in twos and threes nearby, creating a lively scene.
"W-what?"
Danzo's usually calm mind was suddenly jolted.
He instinctively raised his cane to brace himself, his one eye scanning his surroundings, his face filled with barely concealed astonishment: "I...I'm back in?!"
Danzo slowly turned around, squinting as he surveyed the surrounding terrain. Kiri Shiki realized, "This is not the underground base from the last dream."
It seems this could very well be another entirely new timeline within the dream world!
Thinking of this, Danzo felt his blood flow slightly faster.
When and where will it be this time?
He suppressed the faint excitement and nervousness in his heart.
Just then, a ninja dressed in a Root uniform strode into the hall, went straight to Danzo, and respectfully said, "Lord Danzo! The plan has succeeded—Sakumo Hatake has been successfully deployed to the vicinity of Tenchi Bridge! Please give instructions for the next step."
"What?" Danzo was slightly taken aback. "Sakumo Hatake? So, the current time is before the Third Shinobi World War?"
He repeated his subordinate's words in a low voice, rapidly filtering information in his mind.
While Danzo was pondering, the Root ninja remained kneeling on one knee, awaiting orders.
Danzo snapped out of his daze, quickly composed himself, and gave a curt "Mmm" without revealing his true feelings. He waved his hand to dismiss his subordinate: "I understand. You may leave now and proceed according to the original plan. Await my orders!"
"Yes!" The ninja responded and disappeared in an instant, his movements clean and swift.
As the footsteps of his subordinates faded into the distance, Danzo could no longer suppress his calm, and his face gradually broke into an expression of undisguised ecstasy.
"Before World War III begins—haha, what a perfect timing!"
After confirming that no one was nearby, he couldn't help but chuckle softly, his beard and hair trembling slightly.
If he remembered correctly, that old guy Hiruzen Sarutobi would resign after the Third Shinobi World War ended!
That was a genuine abdication!
Danzo beamed with delight, a burning ambition igniting within him: "What a wonderful opportunity!"
He would never miss the chance to get the spot he missed in front of Tobirama-sensei last time!
However, the excitement only lasted for a moment. Danzo suddenly seemed to remember something, his expression changed drastically, and his previously beaming smile quickly faded.
He took a deep breath, trying to restore his usual cold and indifferent expression.
We must not be careless and must never repeat the same mistakes!
He silently warned himself.
He wasn't stupid. He knew perfectly well why Hiruzen Sarutobi had suddenly attacked him last night and merged Root into the Anbu.
Given this, why would he stumble in the same place twice in this dream?!
A cold glint flashed in Danzo's eyes, and he snorted disdainfully in his heart.
"Hmph, at this point in time, I'm not only going to become Hokage, but I'm also going to find something on Hiruzen Sarutobi and report him to the Daimyo!"
If he can gather conclusive evidence of Hiruzen Sarutobi's crimes or dereliction of duty in his dream, he can return to reality and achieve his goal.
Isn't it just gathering information in dreams?
If even that brat Kakashi can do it, Danzo will only do it better!
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Shimura Danzo have been detected! Emotional value +500!]