Konoha: This Uchiha is going a bit too far.

Chapter 222 Hunting the Otsutsuki? The Returning Villager

As time went by, Konoha gradually became more lively without anyone noticing.

Although there were suddenly more outsiders in the village, this was not a strange thing for Konoha.

Over the years, bombarded by movies and with the introduction of "exchange students," Konoha has long been accustomed to having a large number of outsiders in its village.

As long as these people don't cause trouble, no one bothers with them.

After all, we are all the same kind of people, just from different villages. Sooner or later, we will all live together again.

Of course, there is another reason why we are not worried, which is that Konoha has a complete defense system!

No matter how powerful you are, or how strong you are, there are plenty of powerful ninjas in Konoha.

No matter how strong you are, can you be stronger than our Hokage?

Even if the Hokage doesn't intervene, Konoha still has the Hokage to assist him, the previous Hokage, as well as powerful organizations such as the head of the police department and the Anbu.

If you dare to cause trouble, you'll be summoned for questioning by various departments in no time, and these departments always take a 'heavy-handed' approach to outsiders causing trouble!

"But this Chunin Exams is really something to look forward to. With such a large scale, it's bound to be very exciting."

Many Konoha ninjas couldn't help but think to themselves, while the residents of Konoha were watching the excitement, the ninjas responsible for checking things at the gates of Konoha were in a bit of a fluster.

At this very moment, a group of about thirty people were standing at the village entrance, quietly waiting for the ninjas at the village entrance to check them out.

"Hmph, Konoha Village is so arrogant. It's a shame that Maki-sensei personally brought us here and spent so much time investigating us. They clearly don't trust us."

In the crowd, a ninja dressed in black whispered. His face was heavily painted with greasepaint, and he carried something wrapped in white cloth on his back, making him look particularly mysterious.

As one of Rasa's most trusted ninjas, Maki appears to be just an ordinary elite Jonin to the outside world, but he enjoys a high reputation within the village.

Everyone knows that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will likely be the next Kazekage's assistant.

"Alright, Kankuro, behave yourself during this special time."

Beside him, a girl in white with blond hair whispered. She carried a large folding fan on her back and looked full of youthful energy.

"If outsiders come to our Sunagakure village, especially in large numbers, they will undergo strict screening, so there's nothing to complain about."

"snort!"

Kankuro snorted coldly upon hearing these words; he was clearly very unhappy that this had happened.

Actually, what bothered him wasn't just the queueing issue, but also the prosperity of Konoha.

Since entering the Land of Fire, he has clearly felt a vitality that is completely different from that of his village!

Even the villages and towns in the Land of Fire that are far from Konoha are far more prosperous than their Sand Village.

This huge difference made Kankuro feel extremely uncomfortable.

In fact, not only him, but all the visitors were also very unhappy. They were all thinking, "Why can Konoha occupy such fertile land, while they can't even touch the Land of Rivers?"

The River Country is a small country located between the Fire Country and the Wind Country, serving as a natural buffer zone between the two sides. Most wars have broken out in this area.

The River Country has a pleasant climate and fertile land. Although its mineral resources may not be abundant, this land can fulfill something that the Wind Country has always longed for—agriculture.

They could overlook other things, but the inability to even provide for their own food was something they absolutely could not tolerate, and Konoha was the one who shattered that dream of theirs!

"Alright, let's go in."

Just as Kankuro was feeling resentful, Maki returned with the documents.

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped talking and filed into Konoha. They all seemed somewhat silent, but their eyes couldn't help but take in everything in Konoha.

That curiosity seemed unstoppable, especially for Kankuro and Temari. This was their first time leaving the Land of Wind, and they were filled with curiosity about everything in the Land of Fire.

Maki frowned upon seeing this, but after pondering for a moment, he also sighed slightly. The prosperity of Konoha was truly unimaginable to ordinary people.

Regardless of their rank, all these ninjas are curious and can't help but explore; it's purely instinctive.

"Kankuro, Temari, you're free to do as you please."

Thinking of this, Maki simply spoke up.

"Although you need to prepare for the exams after arriving in Konoha, you will still have free time, which is a good opportunity for you to investigate Konoha's information."

"this"

Temari and Kankuro were stunned by what Maki said, but soon a look of surprise appeared on their faces, and Temari couldn't help but ask.

"Mr. Maki, is this appropriate?"

"There's nothing inappropriate about it. You're my subordinates now, so just listen to me."

Machi waved his hand dismissively, stating his opinion frankly.

"It's good to understand our opponents; the whole party should gather intelligence."

Upon hearing Maki's words, Temari and Kankuro became excited. They bowed slightly to Maki and then turned and headed away.

They were genuinely curious about Konoha and genuinely wanted to learn more about the herb.

"Lord Maki, is this really alright? They are the Kazekage's children."

A ninja standing next to Maki couldn't help but ask a question upon seeing this, but Maki gently shook his head.

"There's nothing wrong with it. It's good to let them have some time to move around. Besides, we have other things to do, and we won't be able to control them anyway."

Instead of keeping them cooped up in the hotel, wouldn't it be better to let them move around a bit?

As envoys, Maki and his group had a lot to deal with, not only meeting with the people of Konoha but also with people from other villages.

With such a busy work schedule, it's impossible to take care of both little ones in every way.

In that case, it would be better to let these two little guys relax.

He could never have imagined that Kankuro and Temari had only just left.

boom!

At a corner of the intersection, a kid bumped headfirst into Kankuro, almost causing Kankuro to lose his balance.

The kid was knocked off balance and stumbled backward, eventually losing his balance and falling heavily to the ground.

"Damn it"

Kankuro rubbed his lower abdomen, then glared at the person who had bumped into him.

"You brat, do you want to die?!"

-

"Their troops have arrived already?"

"Yes, but their shadow will probably not arrive until the final match, although there are already signs of their troops being mobilized."

Inside the Hokage's office, Yuri sat at the Hokage's desk listening to Minato's report, and he couldn't help but nod slightly.

Although they weren't worried that these guys would cause any trouble, they still needed to be serious about things that required seriousness.

After all, these guys have all come to the village, and it wouldn't be a good thing if they weren't handled properly.

As for their troop movements, these people thought their troops were well hidden, and in fact they were pretty much so, but the personnel configuration on Konoha's side was beyond their imagination!

After the first generation was resurrected, Hagoromo promptly gave him a task: to find and monitor the main forces of other villages.

Despite his desire to stay in Konoha, the First Hokage knew that Madara was also there.

However, after weighing his options, he ultimately agreed to Yuzhi's task.

He and Madara's problem would be resolved sooner or later, so there was no rush. Besides, he sensed that Madara seemed to be out of Konoha.

This discovery left him with some regret, but it wasn't surprising, given that Madara's situation was far too unique.

Therefore, temporarily leaving Konoha to gather intelligence outside was not necessarily a bad thing for Hashirama.

He now has enough information, which gives Konoha a better chance to prepare.

"Then let the police department be on high alert. Tell Shisui that he'll probably be quite busy during this period."

After thinking for a moment, he smiled and spoke.

"As for the hardworking police officers, Konoha can cover part of their subsidies, and I think they would be happy to do so."

"Actually, Konoha could easily take on all of this."

Minato smiled and shook his head, then checked the time before speaking.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go check out the exam hall. The third generation is also making moves this time, and everyone is trying to keep things stable."

There is another difference between this Chunin Exam and the original story: Minato Namikaze will serve as the chief examiner for the entire exam.

Given his position, he had no need to do this, but considering the seriousness of the matter, he decided to personally handle these issues.

Therefore, he had a lot to prepare, while the third generation was in charge of the reception. It could be said that everyone was busy.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

Yuri smiled and nodded, while Minato's chakra stirred slightly, and in the next instant he disappeared from the office.

As she watched the water gate disappear, Haori stretched slightly.

However, after feeling the immense life force within his body, a smile couldn't help but bloom on his face again.

"Such vitality is truly beyond imagination."

Yuzhi himself wasn't quite sure how strong his life force was, considering he was a life form that had just crossed the 'human' level and reached the 'Otsutsuki' level.

Even though he has a completely new understanding of life and things at this moment, his human consciousness still influences some of his own judgments.

In particular, his situation is even more special because he is a "hanger"!

After being forcibly "upgraded" by Kaguya Otsutsuki, the haori's condition can be considered to have completed the final "fusion", and it was a "flawless" fusion!

This fusion not only brought him the benefits of being an "Otsutsuki," but also allowed his cheat codes to finally come into play.

His "Ascension to Godhood" was still one level short, and this forced upgrade unsurprisingly activated the final stage of his "Ascension to Godhood"!

"As expected, the final stage of the 'Ascension to Godhood' is the breakthrough of the Bloodline Limit."

Yuzhi murmured to herself. The breakthrough of Bloodline Limit brought about a qualitative leap, while the Ascension to Godhood allowed Yuzhi to truly leap to an unimaginable level.

Perhaps to compensate for the loss caused by Yuzhi's life-changing transformation, the final advancement on the Divine Ascension Staircase is not actually focused on 'power', but on 'quality of life'!

This improvement also helped Haori understand more about the meaning of 'life'.

In the previous life of the haori, there were actually two legendary ways to complete the span of life.

One is the cyberpunk style of "flesh and blood are weak, and machinery ascends," and the other is the "genetic ascension" with the style of cultivating immortality.

The reason why cultivating immortality is called "genetic ascension" is because the traditional thinking of cultivating immortality is to use the power of nature to complete one's own complete transformation.

This transformation involves changes in one's own cells and genes, so it wouldn't be wrong to call it a "genetic ascension."

"For a transmigrator like me, what I can truly accept is cultivating immortality, not 'cyberpunk' or anything like that."

As the saying goes, one should not only enjoy delicious food and drinks, but also have essential oil spa treatments; one should not only eat, drink, and have fun, but also appreciate the beauty of nature.

If your entire body turns into metal and you lose all desire, what's the point of this kind of mechanical ascension?

Therefore, in the traditional mindset of the haori, the way to ascend to immortality is not to replace the physical body, but to make the physical body never die.

"But for ordinary people, achieving physical immortality is simply impossible."

Yuzhi smiled wryly. The difference in the level of life was truly too great, and the great power of nature also played a huge role in it.

There are only so many resources in nature, so it's impossible for a group of living organisms to run rampant.

Since reaching this level, Haori has also realized that many natural crises are actually a kind of natural "self-cleaning".

Whether it's common natural disasters or extreme weather events, they are all essentially the same thing: balancing the number of lives.

Under such circumstances, human life genes have also undergone some "minor changes," such as the "main quest" being engraved within the genes.

The task is to gradually kill off individuals that have completed their reproductive mission, so as to prevent them from taking away the survival resources of their offspring.

Because the death of an individual is beneficial to the reproduction of the group.

If the older generation never dies, the next generation will be unable to dominate, and the evolution of life will be locked in the previous generation.

"This is a bit like when I was a lowly employee in my past life. If you wanted a promotion, you had to wait for your boss to get promoted first. If he didn't get promoted, you could only wait for him to die."

Yuzhi couldn't help but shake her head at this thought. Under the suppression of nature, genes naturally don't care about the life or death of an individual.

Its starting point has always been the ethnic group, and the underlying logic of its evolution has never been the individual, but rather to ensure the continuation of the ethnic group.

With such double suppression, achieving immortality is almost impossible, and completing a transformation of life under such suppression is even more unimaginable!

He himself didn't know how much chakra his upgrade had consumed, nor could he calculate how many lives he had lost.

Normally, it would take him a very long time to fully recover from such an improvement.

Even if it doesn't affect his combat power, it will definitely affect his potential, since he's not a 'Celestial Dragon'.

He wasn't born a "Ōtsutsuki"; he achieved it step by step!

"Furthermore, even the Otsutsuki probably needs to sacrifice their lives to improve themselves and replenish their own strength."

Only after becoming an Otsutsuki did he truly understand the ways of those Otsutsuki, and the more he understood, the more a chill ran down his spine.

Before he transmigrated, he knew of a so-called "Otsutsuki God" who could push the level of life to that point.

"Just how many lives has this guy absorbed?"

Yuzhi couldn't believe it or imagine it, but at that moment, a crazy idea came to his mind.

He is a tireless person, and he also needs to consider the light, as well as Shisui, Sasuke, and others.

How can such a vast amount of chakra and life force be absorbed and replenished? Where can this power be obtained from?

Should we learn from the Otsutsuki clan?

Or, if they find a suitable planet, they could go there and say, "I suspect your planet has weapons of mass destruction, which seriously endanger the safety of the universe."

Then just force login, plant trees in peace, let them be dignified if they want to be, and help them be dignified if they don't want to be.

Perhaps, given abundant resources, they could employ a strategy of "using force to capture and subjugate" to seize a group of people to help them mine resources?

"Isn't this a bit too much?"

This was enough to make Auschwitz weep, and Siberia fell silent upon seeing it. If he couldn't fly there, he would have named his spaceship "Mayflower."

While plundering resources can't be called robbery—it's more like assisting aliens in developing their planet—if that were to happen, a wave of haori (female warriors) would be no different from an Otsutsuki (a powerful and influential figure in Chinese mythology).

"Besides, they've been meticulously cultivating this tiny patch of land in the universe for so long, how much of it is left for me?"

Yuzhi's gaze was deep and unfathomable; though she was tempted, he forcibly suppressed it.

"The reason why humans were able to rule the earth and become terrifying upright apes is because humans are good at thinking."

When winter comes, herbivores migrate to survive, small animals burrow to survive, and carnivores rely on thick layers of fat to survive.

Humans rely on plucking the fur of other animals to cover themselves for winter, and humans have never evolved any strange abilities such as toxins.

"Just because you extract the toxins from poisonous creatures and apply them to weapons, does that mean what's yours is mine?"

What's yours is mine, that's the key point!

Since Kaguya Otsutsuki has offended those Otsutsuki, and since those Otsutsuki will continue to march towards the ninja world.

Since the Hagoromo also requires a large amount of life force and a huge amount of chakra, then who is more worthy of being absorbed than the Otsutsuki?

They can absorb billions of lives to improve themselves, but they can't let Yuzhi absorb them to improve herself?

"Besides, there are only so many resources in the universe, and they have an absolute advantage. Taking action against them would actually be a good thing for the universe, wouldn't it?"

Haori subconsciously ignored the fact that these Otsutsuki were actually the most likely 'cosmic cleaners'.

After all, when life proliferates excessively, someone does need to clean it up; otherwise, there wouldn't be a purple sweet potato that wants to snap its fingers no matter which world it's in.

But Yuzhi didn't care about all that, even though her cultural system often advocated following the natural way.

But at the core of his spirit, he always had the idea that "fighting against heaven, fighting against earth, and fighting against man is endlessly enjoyable," so how could he not give it a try?

"Otsutsuki."

Thinking of this, Yuzhi's gaze became deep and unfathomable.

"Now, I welcome you all here!"

-

Just as Yuri was experiencing a mental storm and was even going crazy, she was about to attack the Otsutsuki.

On the side of Konoha, Kankuro said with an unfriendly gaze.

"You brat, do you want to die?!"

"Ouch, that hurts!"

Konohamaru also looked aggrieved; he was also a bit dazed from the impact.

He couldn't hold back any longer when he heard someone say that!

"You bastard, who do you think you are to talk to me like that? Do you know who my big brothers are?"

"I don't care who your 'big brothers' are!"

Kankuro's eyes flashed with danger as he sneered.

"You dare to spout nonsense after provoking me? You're asking for it!"

"Oh?"

Seeing Kankuro walking towards him with a clenched fist, Konohamaru didn't panic as expected, but looked at him with a strange expression.

However, when Konohamaru saw Kankuro's headband, he seemed to suddenly understand.

"No wonder, so you're not from Konoha. But even if you're not from Konoha, you're still the first person in Konoha to be so arrogant."

Are you sure you want to attack me, especially inside Konoha?

Although the Third Hokage was unable to "restore" the dynasty because of the haori, "every cloud has a silver lining".

His eldest son is not only alive, but he also has a good relationship with his youngest son, Asma. Moreover, his wife has also been resurrected.

Although he was initially forced to compromise due to the threat of three pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan, he now genuinely acknowledges Konoha.

The difference between him and Danzo is that he is more reasonable and more pragmatic, and believes that "a wise person knows when to yield."

Konohamaru, because he is not the Hokage, probably doesn't have the same status as in the original story, but he had a better life growing up.

Under the guidance of Shinnosuke and his wife, he behaved very well, and he had known Sasuke and Naruto since he was very young.

Therefore, Sasuke and Naruto each gained a new subordinate.

Although he never dared to be arrogant towards the people of his own village, after all, his father kept him in check, and Yuzhi also disliked the big families causing trouble.

The Uchiha clan set a good example, so other clans followed suit, and Konohamaru was no exception.

He's fine with people from his own village, but he tends to be a bit arrogant towards outsiders. And when it comes to particularly arrogant outsiders, he doesn't have much of a temper.

"Tch, I don't care who you are, I'm going to beat you up today!"

Unfortunately, Konohamaru was unlucky enough to run into Kankuro this time. It wasn't that Kankuro was a fool, but because he was also a Kage!

He doesn't really need to be so careful about what he does. As long as there's no war and both sides maintain a facade of peace, his identity can indeed bring him some convenience.

Before he could do anything, a figure appeared behind him, and the chilling feeling made his hair stand on end.

"Oh, really?"

A cold voice suddenly rang out, and he could even feel a chill on his neck.

As expected, a ninja sword was already at his neck!

"So fast!"

Temari saw the person appear behind Kankuro and immediately wanted to do something, but she suddenly realized that the fan behind her had been held down!

"Hey, you outsiders, you better behave yourselves in Konoha and don't cause any trouble, or Sasuke will kill you."

Behind her, another voice rang out, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blond-haired boy.

The two were moving so fast it was breathtaking. Kankuro and Temari didn't even see how they moved. They only knew that they were subdued in an instant!

Such speed truly instilled fear in them, but when they heard the name "Sasuke," they seemed to understand something in an instant.

"Are you Sasuke Uchiha, the adopted son of the Fifth Hokage, and Naruto Uzumaki, the son of the Fourth Hokage?"

Temari asked with a dark expression. She really didn't expect that she would offend these two people on her very first day in Konoha.

Perhaps these two individuals are not as strong as one might imagine, but what they fear most is the people behind them and what they represent!

"Oh, you know us?"

Naruto blinked, then smiled and looked at Sasuke.

"See? I told you we're quite famous!"

"Shut up, you idiot."

Sasuke didn't bother with Naruto at all. As Naruto's best friend, he knew very well that Naruto was very prone to taking advantage of others.

He glanced around in confusion, for he saw no sign of Gaara.

But he was too lazy to think about it now, and he looked indifferently at Kankuro and Temari and said.

"I don't care who you are, but it looks like you're here to take the exam, so you'd better abide by Konoha's rules."

You were lucky to run into us this time. If it were the Dark Division, you would have been very likely to be killed just by attacking this guy.

You should know that although he looks silly, his grandfather was the Third Hokage.

So, for your own lives, and for the sake of your participation in the Chunin Exams, I hope you'll behave yourselves.

Sasuke spoke in a very high-sounding way, but in his heart he was thinking: In fact, participating in the Chunin Exams and being targeted by the Anbu now are no different, either way, it's death.

However, he was too lazy to say these words; there was no need to.

If someone is asking for death, should he have a sudden burst of saintly compassion and save that person?

It's a miracle I didn't kick him!

"snort."

Kankuro snorted coldly, clearly annoyed, but this time his voice was much softer, indicating that he was somewhat guilty.

Temari gave a slight bow to express her gratitude and understanding. She never expected to encounter three "princelings" in Konoha at once.

Such bad luck is truly unbelievable!

"We understand. We will abide by the rules of Konoha. Please rest assured."

"That's good, Konohamaru, let's go."

Sasuke glanced at the two men, clearly uninterested in wasting any more time talking to them, and pulled Konohamaru away.

This made Naruto purse his lips in annoyance, but he didn't do anything to "disrupt harmony" in front of the "outsiders," so he simply followed them away.

"These guys are awful!"

After they left, Kankuro angrily cursed, while Temari sighed.

"Alright, we're on someone else's turf, so let's be careful."

"Tch, I got it."

Although Kankuro was feeling unwell, he nodded to indicate that he understood, but soon he frowned and asked.

"But where are those two guys' teammates? Are they not on good terms?"

"Who knows?"

Temari shook her head, explaining in their handbook that the two had a teammate.

However, this person is extremely low-key, and very few people can figure out who he is.

"Never mind, maybe we'll find out later."

Temari replied casually, but at that moment she suddenly froze, because a red-haired figure suddenly appeared in the distance beside Naruto and Sasuke.

This person appeared extremely quickly, but disappeared just as quickly, giving Temari no chance to react at all.

But for some reason, seeing this figure stirred up vague memories in Temari's mind.

"Hey, where did you go just now, Gaara?"

Just after turning the corner, Naruto saw that he was about to part ways with the Sand Village guys and was about to start his "verbal battle" with Sasuke.

He hadn't forgotten when this guy called him an idiot, but he hadn't retaliated for the sake of "unity." Now, things were different!

Just then, Gaara suddenly appeared, abruptly interrupting Naruto and piquing his curiosity.

"Yeah, I didn't see you earlier. Is there something you need?"

Sasuke asked with some concern, after all, they were teammates and got along very well, and he didn't want his teammate to have any problems.

"It's nothing, just ran into a few acquaintances."

Aiwo Luo shook his head, his eyes still scanning behind him; he naturally recognized the two people from earlier.

Moreover, based on the information Yahiko gave him, he knew that some major events were likely to occur in Konoha in the future, even...

"You've come too, my father!"

A fierce glint appeared in Gaara's eyes as memories of what happened in Sunagakure slowly surfaced in his mind.

He took a deep breath, shook his head, and stopped thinking about it. He was no longer the Gaara he used to be, and he no longer belonged to Sunagakure.

This time, perhaps we can finally put an end to this once and for all!

"Brother and sister, right? I hope you can do well in the exam, at least so I won't be bored!"

-

"This is your pass. Please keep it safe. While in Konoha, please abide by all Konoha laws. If you need anything, please contact the Konoha ninjas. Thank you!"

At the gates of Konoha Village, the ninjas on duty were still busy.

Standing in front of a Chunin was a ninja with a pale face, wearing a black standard combat uniform and an Otogakure headband.

Beside him was a ninja with red hair who looked exceptionally young.

These two are the "snake and scorpion duo" of the Akatsuki organization: Orochimaru and Sasori!

The Akatsuki organization will be involved in this operation, and it would be somewhat unreasonable for Orochimaru, a Konoha traitor, not to come back and see the "cherry blossoms in his hometown".

Whether to fill a quota or to utilize his own value, Orochimaru naturally had to come to Konoha.

He wouldn't refuse such a thing, and besides, he also wanted to see just how far Yuzhi was going to take things this time!

"It's really nostalgic. So many years have passed, Konoha has changed so much, and it's become more and more prosperous."

Walking down the streets of Konoha, Orochimaru looked around and said with a smile in a low voice.

"It is indeed very different from the Land of Rain, the Village of Sound, and the Village of Sand. The ordinary people and ninjas here seem to get along very well."

Sasori, who was standing nearby, was also observing Konoha, and what he said was all true.

Even in the Land of Rain, ninjas hold a slightly higher status than ordinary ninjas, since ninjas are the ones who wield power.

However, in Konoha, the feeling is one of harmony. Everyone seems to be the same kind of person. Even if a ninja does something wrong, ordinary people can still angrily criticize the ninja.

Such a thing is unimaginable in other places.

"This can also be attributed to Uchiha Haori, the Fifth Hokage."

Orochimaru looked at the Hokage Rock directly in front of him, and especially at the image of the haori, he suddenly laughed.

"According to his propaganda, ordinary people also create social wealth. If it weren't for them digging pits, farming, and forging, ninjas wouldn't have had so many conveniences."

Everyone complemented each other. Although the status of ninjas was still considerably higher, equality was achieved to some extent. It must be said that this Hokage was truly a pioneer.

"Yes, even some equality is good enough."

Scorpion nodded in agreement. Such a place was indeed easy to like, and Scorpion really liked it.

"Speaking of which, aren't you planning to resurrect your parents?"

Orochimaru, seeing Sasori looking around, suddenly asked with amusement.

"Wouldn't it be nice to let your parents see the beauty of Konoha and experience the spirit of the times?"

"I worry that they will find it hard to accept, after all, they were also limited by the times."

Sasori paused for a moment after hearing Orochimaru's words, then shook his head.

"But this will happen soon. I should be able to see my grandmother this time. Of course, she may not come back, but I will meet her sooner or later."

There are some things I need to discuss with her face-to-face; only then will I feel at ease.

"You want her to help you persuade your parents, right?"

Orochimaru chuckled; he could guess what Sasori was thinking.

"At the same time, if she doesn't cooperate, you can deal with her beforehand and release her from the Pure Land later?"

"Who knows?"

Scorpion smiled slightly, looked up at the sky, then at the Hokage Rock, and after a moment he asked with a smile.

"I will solve my problem. If all else fails, I will ask you for help. I don't think you will refuse."

But before that, I have a question for you. Your profile picture used to be there. Do you regret it?

Do you regret it?

Orochimaru tilted his head, looking at the Hokage Rock in the sunlight in the distance, and after a moment he smiled smugly.

He might have a moment of regret, but in pursuit of the 'meaning of life,' he didn't think he could have any regrets, especially since he had already achieved it.

-

Not long after Orochimaru and Sasori entered Konoha, the faint sound of bells could be heard at the village gate.

As the sound of bells rang out, two blurry figures appeared in the distance.

As the figure approached, a black robe appeared before them, and a tall hat and two white cloths concealed the face.

"Hey, take off your straw hats. This is Konoha. We need to verify your identity to enter."

Although there were many people present, the Konoha ninjas remained dedicated to their duties.

As the two figures drew closer, the clear sound of the bells created an unusual sense of pressure in the ninja's ears, causing him to momentarily lose his senses.

The two men didn't even glance at the ninja, and without causing any commotion, they headed into the village without hesitation.

"Hey, you guys."

Another Konoha ninja frowned slightly, then stood up and shouted.

As he shouted, the two figures stopped. One of the ninjas looked at him, and just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw a blood-red scene in front of him.

The ghostly and eerie three-tomoe jade appeared and rotated slightly, causing the Konoha ninja to freeze for a moment before smiling and speaking.

"So you are Lord Uchiha, my apologies for not recognizing you. Please come in."

Let's go!

As Itachi pulled his hat down again, his calm voice rang out, though it was tinged with coldness.

"You could have just used your spatial magic to get in, but you had to pull this stunt. Aren't you afraid of being discovered?"

"You're wrong. Using spatial magic to get in would be the easiest way to be discovered."

Obito gave a nonchalant snort, his voice sounding somewhat cold.

"Besides, I also need to assess your abilities. If you're too weak, you're not qualified to team up with me for missions."

Upon hearing these words, Itachi Uchiha merely glanced at Obito before looking away and ignoring him.

Itachi Uchiha knew exactly how badly Obito had lost, and it was truly astonishing that this guy could say such things with such audacity.

Although he himself was also losing badly, Uchiha Hagoromo had a much faster start than him, while Obito?

He lost at school, he lost after graduation, he even lost after becoming a rogue ninja, he even lost the Land of Water and all his self-confidence. Uchiha Itachi couldn't be bothered to waste words on such a person.

If he didn't still need this guy's power, if he didn't still need the Akatsuki to "cleanse the court of corrupt officials" for Konoha, he would have really wanted to shout, "I'm ashamed to be associated with you!"

"Fine, this is the best opportunity."

Uchiha Itachi raised his head and looked ahead, at the Hokage Rock that gleamed in the sunlight, and at the unique and lifelike portrait of Yuri.

His fists clenched involuntarily; this was definitely the last thing he wanted to see.

But this time, his chance has come!

"I must rid Konoha of this villain!"

As Itachi roared inwardly, Obito also looked at the statue that belonged to the haori, and coincidentally, his fist hardened as well.

"Shameless thief, all of this should have belonged to me!"

Obito roared hysterically in his heart, but he quickly suppressed his emotions and took a deep breath.

"It'll be soon, everything will be soon, as long as we can get the Rinnegan."

"Then I will end everything for you!"

(End of this chapter)