Witty Naruto Life

Chapter 274 Nagato's Resolve

The two sides reached a stalemate, at which point the masked man spoke.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said slowly. “You want to watch us fight Konoha to the death, and then you can profit from the situation when we’re both exhausted.”

Obito looked over, a look of great interest on his face.

He had a lingering question in his mind: why hadn't he activated Kotoamatsukami yet?
Is this masked man lying, or does he have no plans to act for the time being, or perhaps...?

Has he already launched it?

Orochimaru laughed, his laughter filled with disdain:
"So what if that's the case? It's not my responsibility that Naruto saw through your actions, so why should I help you?"

He believed that Xiao had only sought him out because he was truly desperate.

This precisely demonstrates that it is no longer worth paying any price for.

The masked man laughed along, a hint of mockery in his laughter, then shook his head.
"It seems you still harbor wishful thinking about the situation, believing you have the ability to evade Konoha's purge,"

"You think you still have a chance to fight Naruto alone? Do you have the ability and the resources to do so?!"

"joke!"

He emphasized the last two words, causing Kabuto, who was standing to the side, to frown and say, "Lord Orochimaru, should we just take action?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the mysterious man in front of him.

The candlelight flickered in the empty, enclosed room, causing the shadows of those around them to sway.

Then, Orochimaru's cold voice echoed from the spacious room.

"continue."

Obito couldn't help but glance at the masked man, who seemed completely unsurprised and continued:

"I usually describe our current situation with one phrase: 'If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.'"

“Once Akatsuki is finished, Konoha will definitely turn its attention to any forces that could threaten them, in order to consolidate its own authority.”

"And Orochimaru, you will definitely be their primary target!"

The masked man suddenly raised his voice, making Orochimaru's eyelids twitch.

"What happens to Lord Orochimaru is none of your business," Kabuto said coldly, but the masked man simply shook his head and casually remarked, "Utterly foolish."

Dou's face immediately darkened and turned ashen.

Regardless of Orochimaru's attitude, he will find a chance to teach this guy a lesson sooner or later.

But Orochimaru fell silent; he began to seriously consider the masked man's analysis.

Although he didn't know what Naruto was thinking, he did know what Sasuke was thinking.

Two and a half years of training may not seem like a long time, but he understood Sasuke's temperament and likes and dislikes very well.

He was certain that Sasuke had no affection for him whatsoever, and even felt some disgust towards him.

As is well known, Naruto Uzumaki takes Sasuke's request very seriously.

"...What do you want me to do?" Orochimaru relented, allowing Obito to look into the masked man's eyes again.

His eyes seemed to have dimmed a little... Has Kotoamatsukami really started to work?

"Simple, I just want to strengthen Xiao's forces," the masked man said with a sinister smile.

"All we need is for you to use the Impure World Reincarnation technique to summon the powerful enemy we need at a specific time."

The masked man had already reached an agreement with Obito on his way here.

They need to use a more powerful force to help them seize the Rinnegan; Kamui or Kotoamatsukami alone won't be very effective.

At this moment, Obito spoke up as well: "All we need is for you to resurrect the dead Akatsuki members, and for you to put shackles on them so they won't harm you."

"As for the reward... we'll help you capture Uchiha Sasuke, how about that?"

That statement is false; Obito would never do that for Orochimaru.

He was determined to get Sasuke. As a member of the Uchiha clan, possessing the Mangekyou Sharingan and having a similar background to his own, Obito believed that Sasuke was very valuable to turn against him.

He also said something similar in the original work: "The Uchiha bloodline is the key to the plan."

So, Obito's initial idea was to immediately turn against her once he retrieved the Rinnegan and lifted the Impure World Reincarnation.

Of course, he didn't tell the masked man about this idea.

Orochimaru then asked several more detailed questions, including who to summon, when to make your move, and how he should cooperate with you afterwards.

Then, he fell into contemplation again.

The Impure World Reincarnation technique was not difficult for Orochimaru, and with Akatsuki promising to provide him with the materials, they simply wanted to acquire this technology.

"However, your idea is quite dangerous. You plan to summon all the famous ninja figures in the future? Heh, that's no simple matter."

Orochimaru licked his lips, looked at the masked man, and revealed a meaningful smile.

This person's thoughts and actions are more dangerous than he imagined.

He called a halt to the conversation. After a brief discussion with Kabuto and some long-term consideration, Orochimaru concluded that the option of cooperating with Akatsuki seemed to have more advantages than disadvantages at present.

“No problem. I will wait for you here until you bring me the materials for the Impure World Reincarnation.”

He agreed and walked over to shake hands with Obito. This unprecedented collaboration was thus concluded, marking a turning point in the story that would increasingly deviate from the original narrative, heading towards an unknown future.

After the meeting, Obito looked at the masked man with a suspicious expression: "You just used Kotoamatsukami?"

The masked man chuckled, "Otherwise what? Do you think Orochimaru's mind will change so easily? If his feud with Akatsuki can be resolved so simply, then the ninja world will eventually enter a period of complete peace."

After a long silence, Obito said coldly, "There is no true peace in this world anymore."

Having said that, he stepped into the darkness outside with the masked man.

……

the other side.

A secret underground room somewhere in the Hokage Building.

The light here was dim, and only one or two medical staff came and went, leaving behind intermittent footsteps.

Nagato and Konan rested here, looking extremely exhausted. Looking at Nagato, he was covered in tubes and barely breathing.

A moment later, a blond figure appeared beside them. As soon as he appeared, Xiao Nan blocked his way, her expression showing a hint of anger.

“You promised to provide us with protection,” Xiao Nan said in a deep voice, “but what you did tonight was just a bait-and-switch tactic, wasn’t it?”

Xiao Nan wasn't stupid; after a moment's thought, she understood the situation.

Naruto didn't beat around the bush and nodded directly: "That's right, I hope to end this endless conflict as soon as possible, but I haven't broken my promise."

"He can't break through my defenses now, unless he has the ability to step over my corpse."

Konan remained silent. She admitted that Naruto was very strong, but tonight's encounter was too dangerous and didn't feel like an act.

"Then what if there's a second or third time, and they drag Nagato down with them?" Konan's voice trembled slightly.

"He can no longer fight."

The explosion of the celestial star had exhausted his life force, and with the knowledge of the truth, the will that kept him going had dissipated.

Naruto paused, about to explain that such a situation would never happen again, when he suddenly heard Nagato speak:
"Cough cough cough... I, I know what to do."

He opened his eyes, and Naruto knelt down beside him, gently taking his hand.

The ceiling light shone on their faces, obscuring the last vestiges of color in Nagato's eyes. He continued, "Take my Rinnegan... Naruto."

Naruto fell silent.

Konan seemed to have anticipated Nagato's response, her emotions remaining relatively calm, but her voice trembled slightly: "Nagato..."

She didn't know what to say. The Rinnegan had become a burden for Nagato, and neither he nor she could continue to keep this hot potato.

Every husband is not guilty, and he is guilty of his crime.

She just felt sorry for Nagato's plight; she didn't even know how to make it up to him or make him feel better.

After pondering for a long time, Naruto said, "I understand. I will ask the Fifth Hokage to perform the surgery for you personally."

After saying that, he stood up and patted Nagato's hand.

"Konan, please take care of Nagato after the surgery. As for the Rinnegan, leave it to Konoha."

Having said that, he strode out the door, but just as he reached the doorway, an idea suddenly popped into his head:
If the Infinite Tsukuyomi is not a lie, then would letting Nagato enter the genjutsu world be a relief for him?

Do not……

Infinite Tsukuyomi is not the solution I'm looking for.

Naruto turned around and walked back, looking at Nagato, his tone becoming firmer:
"One day, I will find interstitial cells that are compatible with the human body, and then you will be able to walk again."

Without looking at their reactions, he strode out of the room, his powerful footsteps echoing throughout the room.

Walk out the door.

Sasuke and Sakura waited at the door, looking at Naruto.

"What are your plans next?" Sasuke leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and asked casually.

He and Sakura were specifically summoned here by Naruto, who reportedly had a completely new perspective on the situation that followed.

Naruto looked at them and said, "I've been thinking about things from the masked man's perspective lately. If I were him, what would I do? How would I break this deadlock?"

"I was racking my brains when another idea suddenly came to me: Is there anyone or anything that could change the masked man's usual way of thinking?"

Sakura and Sasuke's expressions darkened, and the latter gave the answer almost instantly: "The mastermind behind it all."

“Good, you’ve got my train of thought,” Naruto said, crossing his arms.

“We’ve been fighting enemies created by the mastermind behind everything, but we overlooked one problem: the mastermind himself could also come out and fight us,”

"Given our current overwhelming advantage, the only time he can make a move is now. As for using what Sasuke mentioned... Kotoamatsukami, right?"

Naruto looked to Sasuke for his opinion, and Sasuke nodded silently.

"This method obviously won't work, so he must have opened up another avenue,"

"But no matter how he plans, he can never get around those Rinnegan; the Rinnegan is the key to everything."

Naruto's gaze deepened: "As for the Rinnegan, I have a preliminary idea of ​​my own."

(End of this chapter)