Witty Naruto Life

Chapter 297 Madara Uchiha's Suspicion (4K)

In the cold cave.

Sakura and Neji noticed that Naruto's mind seemed to be detached from reality.

His eyes were fixed on the distance, his lips moved slightly from time to time, and he occasionally uttered a word or two in a low voice.

Neji frowned: "Did he just say the word 'marriage'?" He then looked at Sakura with a strange expression.

Sakura blushed slightly and shook her head: "No way... he must be talking to the Nine-Tails inside him."

At the same time, she thought to herself: This jerk wouldn't be talking about me with Nine-Tailed Fox, would he... What's going on?
Neji remained noncommittal.

……

within the spiritual space.

"...Even ninjas can't be obsessed with missions; they also think about love and marriage."

Naruto calmly looked at the Nine-Tails in front of him and continued:
“Instead of treating them as tools, we should face their demands squarely. I believe that such a stance will allow ninjas to better fulfill their role, and the same applies to you.”

"Compared to making you fearful, making you agree, and prompting you to fight alongside the Jinchuriki to maximize your combat power, this is a superior way of thinking."

Kurama remained silent, squinting at Naruto.

It had never heard anyone compare it to a ninja, but to be fair, this comparison made it seem as if the Nine-Tails was a sentient being, at least not something that would cause it to harbor resentment.

But then, Nine-Tails asked doubtfully, "If that's really what you think, why not break the seal immediately?"

Naruto smiled: "I do want to break the seal, but you haven't heard me say these things yet, and I'm a little worried about it, and besides..."

"If we break the seal now, I'm afraid the one who cast it won't agree to it, right?"

Kurama was horrified, his face darkening: "The Fourth Hokage... but he's already dead, isn't he?"

Naruto shook his head slightly: "He is indeed dead, but he left a mechanism in my seal before he died. Once I try to open the seal, he will definitely appear, although only once."

Not only that, Naruto was also somewhat wary of meeting the Fourth Hokage.

It would be embarrassing if the fourth generation could see through his soul and discover that he was a time traveler, so he had to be careful to avoid such a slip-up.

"So what exactly do you plan to do?" Nine-Tails asked.

Naruto thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we make a deal..."

"I'll find a way to bypass the Fourth Generation's arrangements, but if I succeed, you'll need to fully cooperate with my actions after the seal is broken. How about that? Simple, right?"

Nine-Tails was naturally happy to agree, as it saw no cost in doing so.

But then Naruto laughed: "Don't rush to play tricks. If you dare to betray me, I'll have no choice but to call my mom."

The nine-tailed fox trembled, and a name surfaced in its mind: "You mean Xin Jiunai?"

“That’s right.” Naruto revealed a sinister smile.

In the original story, Naruto's tug-of-war with Kurama brought out the arrangements made by Kushina inside him.

Although he wasn't an expert in the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, it wouldn't be impossible to uncover the secrets left behind by Shinjuna and utilize the Adamantine Sealing Technique.

Nine-Tailed Fox snorted coldly, which was taken as an admission.

Naruto nodded, then his mind returned to reality.

Sakura and Neji's faces appeared before his eyes. Seeing Naruto regain his senses, Sakura immediately asked, "Did you make a deal with Kurama?"

Sakura, who had also read the original work, easily thought of this.

Naruto nodded: "I guess so... Anyway, we need to get back as soon as possible. I still have some questions to ask the Perverted Sage."

With little hope of finding Killer Bee, he decided to return to Konoha first and unlock Kurama Mode as soon as possible.

But then Neji stammered, "I'm sorry, Naruto... before we go back, can we go and rescue Hinata first?"

On one hand, he cared deeply about Hinata; on the other hand, Neji desperately wanted to have a proper talk with this daughter of the main branch of the family.

The matter of the main family splitting up had been a thorn in his side for years. With his inner demons erupting and the old matter being brought up again, he decided that he had to settle things with the main family no matter what.

Naruto and Sakura exchanged a glance. Naruto patted Neji on the shoulder and said, "I'll go ask Tsunade first. If she agrees, we'll set off immediately and rescue the three of them."

……

the other side.

The border of the Fire Nation.

This place is far enough from Konoha and close enough to Orochimaru's lair. If we travel a little further, we can meet up with the Akatsuki.

Madara Uchiha was moving through the dense forest when he suddenly glanced at a tree trunk beside him and saw Zetsu, who looked like a pitcher plant, emerge from an inconspicuous spot.

Madara looked at Zetsu and said calmly, "The Eight-Tails has been successfully sealed, hasn't it?"

Bai Jue and Hei Jue exchanged a glance, and the former cautiously said, "There was a slight accident..."

He immediately gave Ban a brief account of the situation.

Madara's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened, and he frowned deeply upon hearing Obito's decision to wage war against the ninja world.

This wasn't because Madara disliked Obito's decision. In fact, Akatsuki didn't have many options left in this matter, and dragging things out without fighting wasn't necessarily a good thing.

He was displeased by Obito's act of striking the board without informing him.

The child is no longer a child; he is no longer the innocent and naive boy he once was. Instead, he has gained experience and ambition, and his shrewdness is constantly growing.

"He's probably almost completely out of my control..." Madara murmured softly, then paid attention to Zetsu's reaction.

The White Zetsu reacted dramatically, clearly having overheard Madara's muttering: "No way, Obito is such a good person, he would never betray us!"

Black Zetsu's voice was as hoarse as ever: "We can't rule out that possibility. It would be better if we kept a close watch on him."

Ban rested his chin on his hand, gazing thoughtfully at the black and white duo before him.

Black Zetsu and White Zetsu always speak in opposite ways, much like two sides of the same coin.

It was precisely this speaking style that led Ban to subconsciously believe that they were both positive and negative projections of his inner will, and he failed to pay attention to their autonomy.

Madara recalled Naruto's astonishing words.

"White Zetsu is someone who was trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi in ancient times, while Black Zetsu is a product of Kaguya Otsutsuki's will."

"You are just a pawn in Black Zetsu's game."

Madara snapped back to reality and found White Zetsu staring at him blankly, his eyes clear like a college student's: "Is there a problem, Lord Madara?"

Madara remained silent, his mind racing with questions like "Who is Kaguya Otsutsuki?" and "Why is Black Zetsu able to manipulate everything from behind the scenes?" One question after another sprouted, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

He decided to verify Naruto's guess, but not as directly as Naruto said; instead, he would probe indirectly.

Madara stared at Black Zetsu: "We must make sure Obito eventually uses the Rinne Rebirth Technique on me, and the Rinnegan must also be on watch for me at all times."

Black Zetsu and White Zetsu nodded slightly: "Yes."

But then, Ban's words startled Erjue: "While we are monitoring him, let's put the Eye of the Moon plan on hold and not carry it out."

He deliberately offered no explanation, wanting to see how Black Zetsu would react.

To everyone's surprise, Black Zetsu didn't react strongly; he simply replied, "I understand," and said no more.

After all, it's an old coin that's been around for thousands of years, so it's impossible for Blackie to show any obvious emotions beforehand.

Madara kept staring at Black Zetsu, when White Zetsu spoke up instead: "Should we suspend the plan for Obito's sake? Wouldn't that be inappropriate..." Madara coldly interrupted, "Enough. Just do as we say, and don't ask any more questions."

"I have my own considerations."

White Zetsu gave a low "hmm," feeling somewhat frustrated by Madara's solitary behavior without explanation, and also frustrated by Obito's possible fate.

Black Zetsu remained unresponsive, repeating "Yes" like a broken record.

Could it really be that Naruto is talking nonsense...? Madara remained noncommittal, paused, and then suddenly increased the intensity:
"After thinking about it, the current Eye of the Moon project has too many flaws, the timing isn't right, and too many uncertainties are causing trouble,"

"The plan is suspended, and we will wait for a better opportunity to restart it."

A gentle breeze begins to stir, and the fallen leaves scattered on the ground start to swirl around.

Hearing this news, White Zetsu was even more puzzled and hurriedly asked, "Is it because of Obito? He did mess up the Eight-Tails thing, but he had been doing quite well before. Or are you recruiting new members?"

Madara continued to shake his head and remain silent, noticing that Black Zetsu still hadn't offered any dissenting opinion.

This time, he simply asked Black Zetsu, "What do you think about this?"

Black Zetsu raised its small eyes to look at Madara, and after a moment of silence, it uttered a single word: "...as you see fit."

It seems that Black Zetsu is planning to follow Madara's orders.

Madara withdrew his gaze, then inquired about the status of the tailed beast retrieval over the years. He then instructed the two to continue searching for clues about the Eight-Tails, while he himself began his journey towards Orochimaru's lair.

Saying goodbye to the dead, we continued our journey.

beep, beep...

Madara Uchiha twisted and turned on the tree trunk, then suddenly stopped, his face gradually turning ashen.

Black Zetsu's reaction is strange.

If it represents two sides of its own will, then when White Zetsu is doubtful and opposes it, it should stand on the opposite side of White Zetsu and explain the rationality of Madara's actions.

The key point is that it did not speak or express its opinion, but remained silent.

Although it may seem like default and compliance, Ban is well aware that obedience and silence are two distinct concepts.

Silence is often a form of expression, as it can be translated as: I don't want to express my thoughts on this matter, therefore I choose to remain silent.

Upon closer reflection, it becomes clear that all the information Madara obtained regarding Infinite Tsukuyomi did indeed come from the stone tablet.

Stone tablet...

Madara Uchiha changed direction and ran in the other direction.

……

later.

Konoha Hospital.

Inside the closed operating room, a special transplant surgery has just concluded.

This surgery was not documented and was kept highly confidential, and the recipient was none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

At this moment, with his eyes wrapped in bandages, he sat up and quietly felt the terrifying pupil power flowing between his eyes.

The nurse, who was helping to tidy up, noticed Sasuke's slightly exposed muscular chest and then looked at his handsome and profound face, her cheeks flushing slightly.

After learning the Immortal Mode, his physical strength increased, and his temperament gained a touch of evil charm. To ordinary women, he was a living Tang Monk's flesh.

"How are you feeling right now?" the nurse asked softly.

“Very good,” Sasuke said, stretching his shoulders slightly. “I can feel Itachi’s eye power merging with my body.”

"Really? Then..."

"I hope to be discharged today," Sasuke interrupted, catching the nurse off guard.

Logically, Sasuke should have stayed in the hospital for observation for a while longer, but looking at his great face, she inexplicably agreed.

"Okay, I'll help you get discharged as soon as possible!" She left the room, her steps light and cheerful.

A few hours later, Sasuke was successfully discharged from the hospital. The person who came to pick him up was Mitarashi Anko, who had temporarily taken over important work in the Anbu.

She looked tired, but when she saw Sasuke stunned by his handsome face, she cheered up and took Sasuke back to his home.

"Although I don't want to bother you, Naruto-kun instructed me to tell you this information after you are discharged from the hospital."

Anko immediately shared various new information with Sasuke, such as Hinata and the others being captured and Orochimaru joining Akatsuki.

Sasuke frowned: "It seems I was too lenient with Orochimaru. I should have just killed him back then."

“Naruto-kun would be pleased if you thought that way,” Anko said politely, then probed, “So you’re planning to go find Orochimaru after the bandages are removed?”

She knew Sasuke's preferences very well; he usually positioned himself as 'Konoha's avenger' and chased down various rogue ninjas.

Sasuke remained silent, neither confirming nor denying, and changed the subject: "I should be able to remove the bandages tonight."

"Really? Doesn't it take some time to get used to it?" Hongdou asked in surprise.

Sasuke said calmly, "There's nothing strange about it. It should be related to my Sage Body. Absorbing Sage Chakra can accelerate the recovery of my injuries, including surgical wounds."

Hongdou exclaimed in surprise, "Really? That's wonderful!"

As silence fell, Anko felt a little awkward. Not having much to say, and with her eyes darting around Sasuke's physique every now and then, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

And for some reason, she felt a pang of guilt whenever she looked at Sasuke, and suddenly thought of Naruto, feeling that she had betrayed her feelings for him.

Although it was a one-sided emotion.

"Then, I'll leave first."

Hongdou said no more and left the house.

"Click."

The door is closed.

For some reason, although Sasuke couldn't see, he could clearly picture the outline of the room in his mind, just as he had when he took off his bandages.

"Could it be that the overflowing power of my eyes automatically filled in my vision?" Sasuke murmured softly.

If that's the case, then this phenomenon shouldn't last too long. After all, the essence of this is that one hasn't controlled their own pupil power, and they'll get used to it after a while.

As he pondered, a slight smile curved Sasuke's lips, a confidence born from his undeniable strength.

"No wonder that guy was so strong. If I had his eye power back then, the outcome would probably have been completely different..."

He wanted to find a place to test his pupil strength as soon as the bandages were removed later.

Suddenly, Sasuke thought of a special place.

He also remembered that he had been to a basement of the Naga Shrine in the Uchiha clan territory.

This basement was not only the Uchiha clan chief's privileged reading space, but it also contained a large number of secrets of the Uchiha clan.

One of the stone tablets left a deep impression on Sasuke. He had seen it when he escaped from Orochimaru's lair and returned to Konoha, but found that he was unable to decipher all of its contents.

He later discovered that the stronger his pupils were, the more he could decipher.

Okay, let's go to Nanga Shrine after I take off the bandages.

(End of this chapter)