Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 182 Death and I, to you, mean the same thing.

"how is this possible?"

Am I under an illusion?

"What are they doing?"

Several more groups of Konoha ninja arrived, but upon seeing the scene before them, they all froze in place, their expressions blank.

Screams, wails, the clang of metal on metal, the explosions of ninjutsu... all intertwined to create a desperate and chaotic symphony of death.

However, what terrified them most was that the voices did not come from the enemy, but from their former comrades.

Watching his comrades tearfully fight each other, and the Konoha ninjas who came to reinforce them, it was as if he were witnessing the most absurd drama he had ever seen in his life.

However, seeing that the number of Konoha ninjas had exceeded the limit that the 'Puppet Master' could currently control, the 'Kage' sighed and said, "It seems it's time to end this."

Upon hearing these words, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a chill run down his spine.

"Who exactly are you?" he asked, his face ashen.

“I have no name. If you insist on a title, I don’t mind if you call me ‘Shadow,’ or you can consider me ‘Death.’”

The black robes around 'Shadow' billowed without wind, and his figure gradually rose into the air. The red sun above shone on him, casting a deep shadow on the ground.

"After all, death and I mean the same thing to you."

He looked down at Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others, and said softly, "Perhaps, death is more merciful."

After saying that, he raised his hand, and in that hand, he had somehow already lifted something up.

It was a strangely shaped box that exuded an ominous aura. Its surface was covered with twisted and intricate dark red patterns, and each of its six sides—top, bottom, left, right, front, and back—had a distorted face.

Joy, sadness, anger, fear, hatred, and pain.

Indeed, the completely renovated 'Box of Elysium' is now known as 'Lexusiai'!
【Ding! 】

[Your lie [In the Virtual Realm] has been judged as [Entering the Game Personally], [Making a Fake Become Real], [Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun], and [Deceiving the Heavens and Crossing the Sea]. Hiruzen Sarutobi and others experienced strong emotional fluctuations, reaching the level of [Deep Belief], and you have gained 20000 Truth Points.]

[Commentary: Using lies to gild the barren and uninteresting reality, allowing kneeling believers to enter heaven in the afterlife.]

[Remaining realization points: 62627]

"The day the virtual world returns to the world..."

"I have waited too long for this day."

A deep, husky voice rang out. It wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through all the noise, reaching into everyone's ears and straight to the depths of their souls.

“From this day forward,” he said, “all things that have passed away will return to their rightful place.”

As soon as he finished speaking, 'Shadow' raised the hand holding the Box of Bliss upwards.

Manifestation transforms the alternate dimension connected by the 'Space-Time Cave' into a 'Virtual Realm'!
Manifestation connects the 'Box of Bliss' to the 'Virtual Realm' and uses it as the core!

Manifestation, implanting all the rules of the 'Virtual World' into the 'Ninja World'!
[Will the 50000 Realization Points spent materialize?]

Gazing upon the power capable of distorting the rules of the world, the face shrouded in shadow remained calm as he thought, "Manifestation!"

[Deduct 50000 Realization Points]

[Remaining realization points: 12627]

hum! !

In an instant, a grand hum that seemed to come from the entire world resounded.

The 'Box of Elysium' held in 'Shadow''s' hand opened, and a jet-black beam of light shot into the sky from the box!

boom! !

The black beam of light, with an immeasurable diameter, was like a waterfall flowing backwards, instantly tearing through the smoke and dark clouds in the air and piercing straight into the sky!
The sky above Konoha, which had been bathed in the red glow of dawn, was instantly engulfed by darkness.

The darkness did not stop; it spread in all directions from Konoha as its center!
Wherever the darkness passed, the sky was dyed into a pure, deathly, and bottomless black. The newly risen dawn was gradually eroded in the face of this seemingly boundless darkness!

Darkness spread across the entire Land of Fire at an unimaginable speed!

It spread wildly across the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Water, and the entire sky of the ninja world!

One second ago, people all over the ninja world were watching the dawn and the sunset on the horizon.

Farmers on the border of the Land of Fire opened their windows to greet the sunrise.

Fishermen from the Water Kingdom are untying their mooring lines, preparing to set sail in the morning light.

The traveler in the desert of the Land of Wind looked up at the sunset rising on the horizon.

The warriors of the Land of Lightning were yawning as they watched the sun rise and pierce through the sea of ​​clouds.

Different places, different times.

But in the next second, profound darkness descended without warning, the sky like a curtain soaked in ink, and "night" covered mountains, rivers, forests, deserts, oceans, and villages!
The rising sun, the setting sun, the moon, and the stars were all instantly obscured by the darkness.

"Oh my god, why is it dark?!"

"Where is the sun? The sun has disappeared?"

"What's going on? What happened?"

"Mom! The stars and the moon have disappeared!"

The entire ninja world was plunged into a brief period of darkness, which was quickly replaced by the return of the sky.

However, everyone in the ninja world could sense it...

The world is different now.

An indescribable aura spread out, and all living beings who clearly sensed that aura felt an instinctive tremor rising from the depths of their souls!

Meanwhile, various anomalies, both large and small, are also appearing throughout the ninja world!
At this moment, in Konoha, the territory of the Uchiha clan.

The moment the black light shot into the sky, obscuring the heavens.

The anger on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face froze, replaced by an indescribable horror.

What's this?
The other Konoha ninjas also looked up at the seemingly boundless darkness that had swallowed the entire sky, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

"This is the beginning of our return to the ninja world."

Looking down at the speechless crowd below, 'Shadow' said softly, "When my lord returns to the world, all those who overstep their bounds and defy him will die."

"Until then, please struggle as much as you like, and hopefully the world won't be too boring when my Lord comes."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his finger, and 'Vortex', 'White Fang', 'Puppet Master' and 'Fierce Eye' also raised their fingers and gently tapped in front of them.

Bah! Bah!
With a sharp sound of cloth being torn, the black cavity opened, and five rifts appeared in the space in front of the five people.

The five figures stepped into the area and vanished completely from everyone's sight, leaving behind only devastation and death.

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stiffly withdrew his gaze, looking at the blood-soaked Uchiha clan compound, and at the countless dead and wounded Konoha ninja...

Thinking about how all of this has happened, it's all because of my excessive indulgence, my indecisiveness, and my hesitation...

His face went from ashen to deathly pale, then a sickly red flush appeared.

He clenched his teeth tightly, and crimson blood spilled from the corner of his mouth as his body swayed.

"Sandaime-sama!"

Hinata Kumokawa came up behind him, his body also covered in various wounds. Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen sway, he quickly reached out to support him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned against him, his breathing heavy, and slowly closed his eyes.

After a moment, he lifted his eyelids, but his breath was even weaker, his eyes were even more cloudy, his straight back was even more bent, and a look of fatigue appeared on his already aged face.

He looked more than ten years older.

He didn't seem like the Third Hokage, who was known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," but rather like a frail old man nearing the end of his life.

"Yun Chuan".

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was hoarse and weak, as if to stop his body from trembling. He pressed hard on Hyuga Kumokawa's hand and said, "The ninja world is about to undergo a great change..."

"Konoha, we can't stop yet, you have to..."

Before he could finish speaking, everything went black before his eyes. His already taut nerves, already under immense pressure, completely snapped at that moment.

In the moments before he lost consciousness, he saw Hinata Kumokawa's anxious face.

"Teacher, perhaps, choosing me to become Hokage was a mistake..."

"I'm really, really tired."

The thought involuntarily popped into his mind, and then his consciousness plunged into darkness.

------

The only major powers in the ninja world are the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, the Land of Water, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Lightning. However, not all smaller countries are classified as neutral.

For example, the Land of Rain, the Land of Rivers, the Land of Grass... these countries are small, but they are still in danger of being destroyed by larger countries.

Only small, remote countries with special significance, such as the Land of Snow, the Land of Iron, and the Land of Hot Springs, can become neutral countries.

The Land of Demons is also a neutral country far removed from the conflicts of the five great nations, shrouded in mystery and ancient legends.

There is no daimyo here; the highest ruler is a being called a shrine maiden, who is said to possess the mysterious power to see into the future. Each shrine maiden has been responsible for suppressing the demon "Mouryou".

The highest mountain in the Land of Demons is shrouded in mist, and the air is filled with the faint scent of sandalwood and fresh herbs. The shrine dedicated to the priestesses of past generations is located here.

Inside the shrine, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and candlelight flickered in the tranquil atmosphere, casting a warm and peaceful glow. The enormous female statue was faceless, and on the prayer mat before it sat a woman dressed in a pure white shrine maiden's robe, her demeanor ethereal and serene.

She is Miroku, the priestess of the Land of Demons in this generation.

Maitreya's breathing was long and steady, as if he were one with the pulse of the world. His face was so exquisite that it seemed otherworldly, and he also had a kind of serene tranquility that transcended the mundane world.

However, at this moment when dawn was approaching and all was quiet, Maitreya, who was sitting in meditation, suddenly opened his eyes.

Those eyes, which were originally as calm as spring water, were now filled with horror and fear.

"puff!"

A large mouthful of bright red blood suddenly gushed from her mouth.

Warm blood splattered onto the white shrine maiden's robes, like dazzling red plum blossoms blooming on the snow!
Her slender body swayed violently, and she almost fell off the prayer mat.

"Lord Maitreya!"

The servants who were serving in the corner of the shrine were instantly awakened. Seeing this scene, their faces showed disbelief, fear, and worry. They hurriedly tried to go forward to help.

But Maitreya suddenly raised his hand to stop them, the bell on his wrist making a clear sound, and said, "I'm fine."

After saying that, she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. Her face was ashen, and her eyes were fixed on the distance, in the direction of Konoha!

Her body trembled slightly uncontrollably with fear, and cold sweat had just soaked through her hair and back.

That usually serene and tolerant face now showed only an undisguised solemnity.

The demon "Warrior" sealed and suppressed by successive priestesses is actually the evil thought that the first priestess separated from herself because her own power was too great, in order to prevent herself from being lost because of that great power.

Therefore, "Wangliang" is a being without a physical body, and it is a demon that can absorb human evil thoughts to become stronger. It has committed evil deeds many times in history, and it can only be suppressed by a priestess sealing it in her body before her death.

Over time, priestesses of all generations have taken on the responsibility of sealing away "demons" from birth.

The strength of both sides is in a state of ebb and flow.

According to Maitreya's previous prediction, the demons should have to wait at least a few years before they have the power to break free.

but……

"The rules of death have been changed?" Maitreya's voice was low and murmured. "Even predetermined fate has been changed?"

The demons sealed in the Netherworld will likely break free several years ahead of schedule, leading to further devastation.

The source of all this now points to Konoha.

Based on her precognitive abilities, she could sense that the opportunity to seal the demon would occur in Konoha.

------

On the border battlefield of the Land of Hot Springs.

The deafening explosions, the roar of ninjutsu, the crisp sound of metal clashing, and the shrill, desperate screams intertwined to form an unending symphony that echoed wildly in the fading light of dawn.

This place has become a meat grinder, with Konoha ninjas and Kumogakure ninjas mixed together, rolling, fighting, and falling in the mud.

Every inch of the land was soaked in blood, corpses piled up in layers, their postures contorted, their eyes wide open, staring blankly at the gray sky.

Nuru moved across the chaotic battlefield like a walking corpse, his face covered in dried blood, rain streaming down his cheeks.

Those once young and passionate eyes are now filled with a lifeless numbness and a deep-seated fear.

The kunai in his hand was already dulled, and each swing was a kind of instinctive struggle for survival. He no longer thought about the glory of the Hidden Cloud Village, nor about killing enemies and making meritorious contributions.

He had only one thought in his mind, an extremely humble thought.

——Survive.

puff!

A kunai pierced the chest of a man dressed as a Konoha ninja. He had a young face, and his eyes were filled with the same fear and resentment as the man's.

Nuru didn't even see what the other person looked like; he just instinctively killed them and pulled out his kunai.

Warm blood splattered on his face, but he couldn't feel any warmth, only a numb, icy chill.

Watching my familiar companions fall beside me, turning into cold corpses, hearing their screams before they died, and feeling their lives slip away.

He didn't know how many people he had killed, nor how much longer he had to live.

Fear gnawed at his nerves like a leech, wearing away all his courage.

Whoosh!
A shuriken hurtled through the air, and Nuruyi's pupils contracted, his body almost instinctively veering to the left.

puff!

With a soft sound like cloth being torn, Nuruyi's body stiffened abruptly, and he slowly lowered his head, looking at his chest with extreme stiffness.

The tip of the kunai, gleaming with a cold light, pierced through his left chest, near his heart, and blood stained the front of his Cloud Hidden Armor.

If I hadn't dodged, it might not have been fatal...

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Nuruyi felt no intense pain, only a deep, bone-chilling cold that gradually spread from his chest throughout his body.

His strength receded like the tide, and his body swayed uncontrollably. The world before his eyes began to blur.

The shouts of battle and the sounds of explosions seemed distant and unreal, as if separated by a thick layer of glass.

He slowly turned around and saw the person who had delivered the blow.

It was a Konoha ninja whose face was covered in mud and whose features were obscured, his eyes filled with the same fear of death and the madness of survival as his own.

"Ah……"

Nuruyi wanted to show the enemy who would kill him with a mocking smile, just like he had imagined on his first day on the battlefield.

However, the one who killed him was not a hero like Jiraiya from his imagination, but just a pitiful wretch like him, struggling to survive on the battlefield.

His death was so hasty and ridiculous, completely lacking the fervor one might have imagined.

And then, he will die just like he has died countless times in his nightmares.

But this time, I won't be awakened.

This time, it's true.

The cold rain lashed against my face, mingling with the blood gushing from my mouth. I could clearly feel life slipping away, like sand slipping through my fingers, impossible to grasp.

Nuruli couldn't smile.

He could only feel fear engulfing him!
It was a hundred or a thousand times more intense than any nightmare I'd ever had before!
That is the most primal and instinctive fear of living beings towards death and nothingness!
"No, I don't want to die..."

A hoarse, gurgling sound came from his throat, like a broken bellows, and each indistinct word was accompanied by blood and froth: "I... just want to live, why, what did I do wrong..."

why?
why me?
Why should I die at the hands of a stranger who also just wants to live?

"what!!"

The Konoha ninja lunged forward with a terrified roar, repeatedly stabbing Nuruyi's heart with the kunai in his hand.

Fear, despair, pain, resentment...

Finally, the light in Nuruyi's eyes dimmed, and his body slumped backward.

Pfft!
He fell heavily into the cold mud, splashing up a cloud of murky blood. The rain washed over his gradually cooling body and the wound on his chest.

Nuru looked at the sky being eroded by darkness, her consciousness dying out like a candle in the wind, leaving only resentment.

Resentment towards this pointless war, resentment towards this cruel and cold world!

And so, on the edge of death, on this battlefield soaked in blood, a strange change occurred!

A chilling, biting wind suddenly swept across the battlefield without warning!

With hatred, pain, and resentment that ran deep in their bones, it was as if countless dead souls were roaring and wailing in silence!
On the battlefield, there were corpses that had not been dead long enough to be completely cold, whether they were Konoha ninja or Kumogakure ninja.

Their souls, drawn by some force, slowly rose from all directions from among countless corpses, surging wildly toward Nuruyi's lifeless body!

hum! !

Under the horrified gaze of the Konoha ninja, a chilling aura suddenly surged from the corpse.

A black, twisted figure gradually materialized, its face replaced by a pale, bone mask, the eye sockets of which glowed with a blood-red light.

A void was born.

"Uh... ah..."

It emitted a low, hoarse sound that was completely unlike a human voice, and then suddenly raised its head and roared at the sky.

"Roar!!"

A deafening, venomous roar exploded across the battlefield like a thunderclap, instantly drowning out all the fighting and explosions!

Sensing the chilling and terrifying aura emanating from afar, Jiraiya, sitting in his Konoha tent, abruptly raised his head.

The next moment, his figure disappeared from the tent, and he stood on a high place looking at the battlefield in the distance.

"That is……"

Looking at the tall and eerie black shadow on the battlefield, Jiraiya couldn't help but show a look of surprise and doubt: "What is that?"

Above the battlefield, a rift was torn in space, and a figure emerged from the black cavity, looking down at the 'Great Hollow'.

(The plot can finally unfold)
(By the way, it's almost the end of the month, so please vote for me! I'm still 500 short of 4,000 votes. I'll add more chapters next month QAQ)

(End of this chapter)