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

Chapter 382 Otsutsuki Isshiki's Loss of Composure

Hongdou listened expressionlessly; of course she knew that most of what the boy said was true.

The reason why the Land of Rain has become what it is today is not only due to environmental reasons, but also because the infighting among the major powers has brought about endless war, destruction, plunder, and suffering...

These great ninja villages have indeed made invaluable contributions.

The blockade established here by the five great nations not only stops the Akatsuki organization but also cuts off the only path to survival for these refugees from the Land of Rain.

Although the five great powers had no intention of doing so, their actions did indeed cause the Rain Kingdom to lose its sovereignty in a true sense, leading to various chaotic situations within its borders.

Therefore, for the people of the Land of Rain, that ray of light above Amegakure was like a warm fire, enough to make these moths rush towards it without hesitation.

But unfortunately, that's war.

In war, ninjas are nothing more than "tools" that obey orders.

They were already used to it.

No one felt that they were on the evil side in the war; in their eyes, they were all fighting for their families, ninja villages, and countries.

"Take it down."

Mitarashi Anko waved her hand, her expression returning to its usual calm: "Handle it according to the rules. After finding out where you came from, send you back to the rear settlement."

"Yes!" Two Konoha ninjas responded, escorting the still-shouting and struggling boy towards the temporary detention center in the camp.

The boy's shouts and curses were gradually drowned out by the sound of rain. Mitarashi Anko watched them leave, then turned back to her tent and lifted the tent flap.

"Lord Red Bean".

She had just taken off her soaking wet raincoat when a Konoha ninja in charge of intelligence liaison strode in and brought her a sealed scroll: "This is a confidential document sent by the village at an urgent request."

Mitarashi Anko took the scroll, checked the integrity of the seal, then broke the seal, revealing its contents.

At first, her gaze swept across the text quickly, but soon her reading speed slowed down.

As the information came into view line by line, her gaze shifted from initial calm to shock, and a gloomy expression appeared on her face.

"So that's how it is..." she murmured to herself, her fingers gripping the edge of the scroll turning slightly white from the force.

No wonder Amegakure was able to maintain such a tight blockade for so long, with almost no signs of shortages of supplies or unrest inside.

No wonder the Akatsuki organization could remain so calm and collected inside, completely unconcerned about the encirclement by the five great nations.

It turns out that Hanzo had inexplicably mastered some kind of space-time ninjutsu that allowed him to teleport over long distances!

With his space-time ninjutsu, the Akatsuki organization was able to completely bypass all the physical blockades and surveillance set up by the five great nations and deliver necessary supplies to Amegakure without anyone noticing!

Furthermore, the Akatsuki organization had secretly relocated its personnel to the underground palace in the Land of Hot Springs, where they encountered Jiraiya and his group.

Not only Hanzo, but the abilities of other Akatsuki members have also been enhanced to varying degrees.

The lower and middle-ranking ninjas sent by the five great ninja villages suffered heavy casualties. The Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure was killed by the Akatsuki, and Jiraiya and others also suffered injuries of varying degrees.

Fortunately, the surviving allied forces had broken free from the Akatsuki's clutches and returned to Konoha, and they did not leave empty-handed.

This may be the only good news.

But at this moment, Hongdou was more concerned about another issue.

She frowned and looked outside the tent, her gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the rain and look directly at the Rain Village under the clear sky in the distance.

"Those Akatsuki guys must have already returned to Amegakure using space-time ninjutsu..."

This thought made her feel powerless and irritable.

It has been proven that the current strategy of simply relying on physical isolation has become completely meaningless given that the other side possesses spacetime capabilities.

What they called an impregnable fortress was, in the eyes of the other side, just a fence that could be entered and exited at will and was full of loopholes!

So the only question now is when the higher-ups will make up their minds to unite the forces of the five great nations and have the five Kage personally lead the Allied Shinobi Forces to directly attack Amegakure.

This war cannot be delayed any longer.

It's important to know that the scroll wasn't only obtained by the five great ninja villages, but also by the Akatsuki organization.

With each passing day, the Akatsuki's strength may increase, while the morale of the Five Great Nations' ninjas will also be further eroded.

Unless someone steps forward and does something to boost the morale of the ninjas...

Thinking of this, the image of Hyuga Kumokawa subconsciously appeared in Mitarashi Anko's mind.

If it was that person...

At the same time, it is in stark contrast to the cold and dampness of the outside world.

Amegakure is currently immersed in a bright, warm, and even "frenzied" atmosphere.

The high, clear blue sky replaced the perpetual dark clouds, and bright sunshine bathed the entire village.

The once rusty pipes and buildings have been renovated, and the towering, cold steel surfaces reflect a dazzling light.

The streets were bustling with people, yet orderly, and everyone's face radiated an almost religious piety and excitement.

No longer hunched over and rushing about like before, they now stand tall with hope shining in their eyes.

clang! clang!
Inside the village's factory, the assembly line ran day and night, continuously producing standardized kunai and shuriken, their blades gleaming with the cold light of newly sharpened blades.

The technology of the Sky Ninja Village was also replicated and mass-produced.

These include ninja tools capable of continuously firing kunai, new types of explosive bombs with immense power, single-person flying wings powered by chakra, and large flying ninja tools specifically designed for bombing...

Using the newly arrived metals and chakra-conducting materials, countless intricately designed puppet components, such as arm blades, joints, and poisons, were produced.

They were sorted and stacked, awaiting final assembly.

In addition to these cold weapons, there are also areas where "living weapons" are manufactured.

Those were the various forms and strange abilities of the "Chimeras" created by Hiruko's "Oni-Garara Technique," also known as the Stitched Beasts.

It's important to know that Nagato's Animal Path ability with his Rinnegan allows him to summon many monsters with special abilities.

Examples include the Split-dog that splits when attacked, the Hellcrab that can spit out foam guns, and the Yatagarasu that can drop explosive eggs from the air to the ground...

There are also chameleons that can turn invisible, rhinoceroses and bulls with immense strength, pandas that are tough enough to withstand Jiraiya's Sage Art: Thousand Needles, centipedes that can burrow into the ground...

Now, through Hiruko's "Oni-Garara Technique," their abilities have been further integrated and enhanced, creating more, stronger, and more difficult-to-deal-with Stitched Beasts.

For example, there is a creature that combines the burrowing ability of a centipede with the regenerative and splitting properties of a splitting dog, and a stealthy bombing monster bird that combines the flight ability of the Yatagarasu with the cloaking and cloaking ability of a chameleon...

There are also tank-type monsters that combine the defensive capabilities of a panda with the terrifying power of a rhinoceros...

The most astonishing transformation was underground.

The intricate drainage system, which should have been abandoned in Amegakure under the clear skies of the present day, was originally intended to be a system that was difficult to maintain.

But now, completely transformed, it's like the roots of a giant tree, sprawling beneath the entire Rain Village. It continuously transmits streams of purple energy to every factory, providing a constant source of power!
Without a doubt, this energy is Zero-Tails' chakra.

Its fully militarized production and deep underground energy network bear a striking resemblance in design concept and form to the aerial fortress destroyed by Hyuga Kumokawa.

The entire Amegakure village has been transformed into a giant arms factory built for war, operating at full capacity and efficiency.

Besides Amegakure, known for its metalworking expertise, and Sky Village, renowned for its scientific ninja tool manufacturing, the remnants of Kagero Village, best known for their explosive tags and traps, were also recruited by Akatsuki...

Kagero Village, originally a ninja village in the Land of Mountains, is highly skilled at creating traps and explosive tags. During the Second Shinobi World War, it formed an alliance with Amegakure.

During the Second Shinobi World War, they fought against Konoha. Initially, they were able to contend with the Konoha ninjas, but their strength was greatly reduced after being successfully ambushed by the Konoha forces led by Jiraiya.

Later in the original story, Kagerou Village also sent a trap expert named "Gen-on" to infiltrate Konoha and set up explosive tags, which once plunged Konoha into crisis.

Now, Yangyan Village has also joined Amegakure Village, becoming one of the Akatsuki's allies.

It can be said that the people of Amegakure, Kagero, and Sora all have irreconcilable hatred for the five great nations.

If the five great ninja villages could see Amegakure's current production capacity, they would be horrified, as it has even surpassed the combined production of the five great nations.

"For a new world! For everlasting clear skies!"

"Speed ​​up the pace! Let those major powers see our strength!"

Everyone here is driven by a shared belief and hatred, spontaneously devoting their utmost enthusiasm and energy, and all are fighting for the same noble goal.

At this moment, atop the highest point of the village, atop the tower shaped like a demon.

A figure sat leisurely on something that extended out of the tower and resembled the long tongue of a demon, looking down at the frenzied and efficient scene below.

"hehe."

Otsutsuki Isshiki held a cup of blood-red sake in his hand, gently swirling it, and chuckled, "Human beings..."

"When they are given even the faintest glimmer of light in the endless darkness, they always manage to unleash a fighting spirit that is truly remarkable."

"Right, everyone?"

As he spoke, he slowly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the several figures standing silently behind him, the Akatsuki members led by Nagato.

"I hope that what you bring me is good news that will be enough to repay my expectations." Ichishi's tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable sense of pressure.

Nagato didn't speak, but took out three scrolls from his robes and tossed them to Isshiki.

He raised his hand, caught the scroll, and looked at Nagato.

"The two black scrolls are spoils obtained from the second level of the underground palace; we haven't had time to open them yet."

Nagato said coldly, "That red scroll is what you wanted. It's a copy of all the text on the stone tablet in the underground palace."

"Just photocopying?"

Yishi didn't rush to open it, but said in a slightly cold tone, "I remember, my order to you was to bring it back, wasn't it?"

He had already learned bits and pieces about the stone tablet from Kakuzu.

Although Kakuzu didn't pay much attention to the underground palace at the time, which led to him not remembering the specific contents of the stone tablet, even those fragments of information were enough to send chills down Isshiki's spine.

At least let him know that a thousand years ago, besides him and Kaguya, there was a third member of the Otsutsuki clan who set foot on this planet.

He had absolutely no memory of this fellow clansman, as if the other party had never existed in the first place.

This "unknown" made him very uneasy.

Therefore, his order to Nagato was to bring back the original stone tablet and collect as many items from the palace as possible.

“I’ve tried.” Nagato’s tone remained completely emotionless. “Even using the full power of the Rinnegan, I couldn’t budge that stone tablet in the slightest.”

"It's just a stone tablet, but it feels to me like it's resisting the weight of the entire earth, profound and unshakable."

Upon hearing this, Otsutsuki Isshiki remained silent for a moment, without pressing further or blaming him.

If that underground palace was indeed built by one of my kinsmen, and possesses methods that even the Rinnegan cannot shake, then it wouldn't be surprising...

As he pondered this, a sense of apprehension quietly arose within him.

If I weren't worried about exposing my current predicament of not having regained my strength to any potential kin, I would have gone there myself long ago...

Thinking this, he looked at the dark red scroll in his hand and slowly unrolled it.

Some of the text on that stone tablet, especially the parts that resembled names, was something that the Fourth Raikage was never able to decipher.

It's not because they lack knowledge, but because...

Those names were not written in the ancient script of the ninja world, but in the script of the Otsutsuki clan.

Therefore, the moment Isshiki saw the contents of the scroll, his pupils contracted sharply.

He saw his own name!

[I have been in this world for a thousand years, and I have developed compassion for the beings here. I am unwilling to sacrifice the branch family's Kawashiki, so I have not planted the "Ten-Tails," but instead used the natural energy of this world to establish another method. However, my long absence has aroused suspicion from the main family...]

[Isshiki, acting on orders from the main family, joined forces with Kaguya from the branch family to pursue me. Both Isshiki and I were severely injured in the battle, but Kaguya, fearing death, betrayed the family and secretly poisoned both of us, seizing the "Divine Tree" for herself...]

Although I have survived, I am hanging by a thread, fearing I may not be reborn. Therefore, I have erected this tomb for myself and imprisoned myself here. When this tomb sees the light of day again, the world will know my name...

Hiss!

In the dead silence, the sound of cloth being torn was extremely jarring.

The sound came from the hand of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki that was holding the scroll.

Suddenly, the sturdy, specially made scroll was torn open by his unconsciously forceful fingers.

Nagato, standing to the side, subconsciously narrowed her eyes and clearly saw the fleeting twisted expression on Isshiki's face.

This is the first time.

This was the first time Nagato had seen Isshiki Otsutsuki, who always maintained a detached and seemingly in complete control attitude, show such obvious loss of composure.

They couldn't even control their own power.

On Isshiki's face, Nagato saw anger and shock, disbelief, and...

fear?

Even Isshiki Otsutsuki, this extraterrestrial being as powerful as a "god," felt fear?
What could possibly frighten him?
A few seconds later, Yi Shi suddenly realized what had happened. He glanced at the scroll he had accidentally torn, and the look of discomposure on his face vanished instantly, replaced by his usual indifferent expression.

"Tell me." He raised his head, looked at Nagato, and said coldly, "Tell me everything about that underground palace, down to the last detail."

(After getting back to a regular schedule, things are definitely much more convenient. I finished writing 7,000 words by 11 p.m., but it's a bit late to update at midnight. I'll see if I can update at 10 a.m. tomorrow.)

(Seeking monthly votes as an incentive QAQ)

(End of this chapter)