Naruto: From Fake to Real, Deceiving the Ninja World.

Three figures rushed out from the entrance to the second floor; they were Nagato, Hanzo, and Konan.

After the three appeared, they didn't linger at all, and didn't even glance at the others, such as Kakuzu, Shennong, and others, who were trying to stay awake in the corner.

Their figures transformed into three streaks of light, rushing straight towards the exit of the underground palace.

Kakuzu, Shennong, and Wuwei, who were originally sitting on the ground resisting sleep with their strong willpower, all had their expressions change drastically when they saw the three of them in this state.

what happened?

Did they succeed?

The thought flashed through their minds in an instant, and the three of them, no longer caring about anything else, leaped up from the ground almost simultaneously.

Kakuzu reacted extremely quickly, grabbing the collar of Hiruko, who was unconscious due to serious injury or some other reason, and lifting him up like a piece of cargo.

Shennong and Wuwei did not hesitate either. The three of them simultaneously used the Instantaneous Movement Technique, turning into blurry afterimages, and chased after Changmen and the others, fearing that if they were a step too slow, they would be completely left behind.

As for the puppets left behind by Scorpion, their connection and control with the caster had already been severed after the appearance of the "Healer" and his domain.

Now they lie scattered on the ground like real dead objects, helplessly abandoned here.

In an instant, the first floor of the underground palace became much emptier, leaving only the people from the five great ninja villages looking at each other, their faces mostly showing astonishment and lingering weariness.

Just then, light flickered at the entrance to the second floor, and Kakashi, Huang Tu, and some survivors supporting each other walked out with somewhat hurried steps.

They quickly scanned the first floor and saw that the Akatsuki members had already left. They were initially relieved, but then a greater sense of unease settled in their hearts.

They weren't stupid; they naturally guessed that the Akatsuki had only temporarily left the underground palace area.

Because the "Healer" was here, the Akatsuki organization could not take action to seize it. They must have retreated to the outside of the underground palace and set a trap outside, waiting for them to walk out and walk into the trap.

However, this did indeed buy valuable time for the five great ninja villages.

At least, Jiraiya had relatively ample time to enter Sage Mode, and Kisame was able to complete the transfer of the Three-Tails with Jiraiya's assistance, becoming the new Jinchūriki.

"What happened?" Rasa, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground and barely kept conscious, opened his eyes and asked Kakashi and the others.

But Kakashi did not answer his question immediately. His gaze swept across the entire room and landed on the corner where Obito Uchiha had been, which was now empty. His brows furrowed.

"Where's Obito?" Kakashi asked in a deep voice, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

“I intended to keep him here,” Rasa replied, “but just as the Healer expanded the domain, he took the opportunity to break free and escape using space-time ninjutsu.”

Rasa was, of course, still Orochimaru in disguise.

Orochimaru naturally did not leave with Obito.

He painstakingly disguised himself as the Fourth Kazekage and has been lying in wait ever since, so how could he possibly return empty-handed?

Staying in the camp of the five great nations and taking a share of the second layer of the secret treasure openly and honestly under the identity of "Luo Sha" is certainly a more secure choice.

"..."

Kakashi, of course, had no idea of ​​the venomous snake hidden beneath the skin of the "Kazekage" before him. Upon hearing the news that Obito had already escaped, his heart sank completely.

He had thought that the appearance of "Rin" and the desire to "stop the war" represented by her strange ability would touch Obito and perhaps even make him see the light.

However, it is clear that it did not.

This means that Obito still shows no remorse.

It even signifies that he has abandoned everything from the past, including his memories of Rin and his bond with Kakashi.

He will become more extreme and ruthless, using any means necessary to achieve his goals.

why?

What exactly made Obito disregard even Rin's wishes?

"Obito..."

Kakashi couldn't help but raise his hand to rub his throbbing temples, feeling a deep sense of weakness and headache.

He raised his head, his gaze complex as he looked at the "Healer" suspended in the air, at her closed eyes and her face, which was calm to the point of being almost ethereal.

Lin......

What should I do? How can I get him back on the right track...?

No one could answer this weighty question for him.

Unlike the other Espada members, 'Healer' lives by absorbing malice and desire, rather than by absorbing souls, as a price for not killing.

In order to suppress those malicious and murderous desires, before becoming an "Arrancar," she did not have the strong sense of self that the other Espada had, and acted entirely according to her instincts.

Such a 'healer' is a special existence even among the Ten Espada.

------

While life-or-death struggles and intrigues were unfolding within the local palace, a completely different scene was taking place in the capital of the Land of Fire.

As the sun sets, it paints the sky a warm orange-red. The hustle and bustle of the capital city does not cease with the passing of the day; instead, it exudes a languid air before the end of its splendor.

At the gate of the noble academy established by the Land of Fire, it was time for school to end, and boys and girls of different clothes and backgrounds filed out one after another.

Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Karin, and Ryosuke Chiba walked out of the academy's imposing gates side by side.

Many noblemen dressed in fine clothes cast curious, mocking, or disdainful glances at him.

But the four were already used to it and didn't pay any attention, waving goodbye to their other Konoha companions.

"call!"

As Sasuke walked, he let out a breath and sighed, "What did they talk about in economics class today? The trade balance between countries... it's really giving me a headache..."

"Why can't we just let strength speak for itself, and let the stronger person decide?" he said in a low voice.

"Governing a country is different from a ninja carrying out a mission."

Naruto, walking beside him, spoke up: "However, the root of many conflicts among the Five Great Nations is indeed directly related to resource allocation and economic interests..."

Naruto stopped there, but Sasuke beside him had a flicker in his eyes.

Karin followed quietly a little behind, adjusted her glasses, and wore her usual smile, as if she was enjoying the relaxed atmosphere among her friends after school.

Chiba Ryosuke appeared carefree, turning his head left and right like a rattle-drum, curiously observing the dazzling array of shops and bustling crowds lining the streets of the capital, filled with a sense of novelty towards everything around him.

They have been receiving their education at the academy in the capital of the Fire Kingdom for some time now.

This place is completely different from the Ninja Academy in Konoha. There are no shooting ranges where the sound of kunai clashing echoes all day long, and no dusty training grounds...

Instead, there are well-equipped gymnasiums, huge libraries filled with all kinds of books, and classrooms that teach a wide variety of courses such as history, economics, and etiquette.

This novel environment was very attractive to the children from Konoha, including the naturally lively and active Chiba Ryosuke, and they quickly fell in love with it.

The only minor incident was that the classmates from noble or official families always maintained a vague sense of distance from them, the "ninja trainees," and their attitude was not exactly friendly.

However, under the supervision of other adults and parents, no fool dared to do anything outrageous or provocative towards the children from Konoha.

"Oh right! Sasuke, Naruto..."

Seemingly remembering something, Chiba Ryosuke abruptly turned his head to look at Naruto and Sasuke, his face filled with undisguised curiosity, and asked, "I heard..."

"You two have been helping His Highness deal with those monsters called 'Void' lately? Is that true?"

It wasn't a mission that required strict secrecy, and Naruto and Sasuke nodded readily.

"Wow! I'm so envious of you guys!" Chiba Ryosuke exclaimed dramatically. "You haven't even officially graduated from the Ninja Academy yet, and you already have this kind of strength."

"My mother was already very happy that I was chosen to study in the capital. I can't imagine how happy she would be if I could also help His Highness."

Seeing Chiba Ryosuke talking to himself, Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance and shook their heads helplessly.

Dealing with those 'empty' things is not as simple and easy as Chiba Ryosuke imagined.

I updated a little more, so it's a little late QAQ

Chapter 369 The Soul is Put on a Price Tag

The night falls and the lanterns come on.

The FUNFUN district in the Land of Fire welcomes its most "bustling" moment of the day.

Unlike Tanabata Street, which is filled with the sounds of dice clashing and frenzied shouts.

The air on FUNFUN Street is filled with a cloyingly sweet scent of face powder and the pungent smell of cheap alcohol, as if a different kind of desire is intertwined here.

In the Land of Fire, prostitution is legal; this is known as the "public prostitution system," which is disguised under a veneer of civilized practices that include standardized management, tax revenue protection, and maintaining public order.

The brothels operating on Funun Street must hold a special business license issued by Daimyofu, and the women working there must also register and be included in the roster.

On both sides of the street, two- or three-story wooden buildings stand side by side, brightly lit. Behind each window or paper door, one can vaguely see figures wearing light gauze clothes and in various poses.

On the street, many men were already drunk, staggering and scanning both sides with aggressive eyes.

A series of cloyingly sweet calls came from all directions, and the prostitutes actively greeted every passing man.

The cacophony of voices, deliberately coquettish laughter, and the languid sounds of the shamisen... all these sounds mingled together, making one dizzy.

"My lord~ come and have a drink~" A heavily made-up, scantily clad prostitute wrapped her arm around the man's arm like a water snake, supporting the drunken, unsteady man.

"Hahaha! Besides alcohol, what else do you have?"

The drunkard grinned and slapped her buttocks with his large hand without any restraint, making a crisp "smack" that made him burst into laughter.

The courtesan stiffened abruptly, her smile froze slightly, then she forced a sweet smile back and said coquettishly, "Oh dear, be gentle~"

She stroked the drunkard's clothes with her bright red nail polished fingers, smiling charmingly, and said, "There's good wine inside, and even more to relieve your boredom~ guaranteed to make you forget all your troubles~"

As she spoke, she used her ample breasts to subtly rub against him, trying to drag the drunkard into the dimly lit shop.

But the drunkard, his desires aroused, couldn't wait any longer. He pressed the prostitute against the doorpost, his breath reeking of alcohol as he brought his mouth close to her neck and cheeks, his hands roughly kneading her waist and buttocks.

"Sir..." The courtesan twisted her body to avoid him, but dared not push him away forcefully. She could only plead in a weak voice, "Not here...please..."

"Sir, please come again next time!"

At the entrance of another brightly lit shop, a woman had just seen off a difficult customer. The smile on her face vanished the moment he left, and a look of weariness appeared in her eyes.

His gaze swept blankly over the scuffle in the distance, a cold, almost self-mocking smile curving his lips. Passersby either ignored it or made ambiguous jeers, but no one stopped him.

She certainly didn't intend to stop it.

There are not many truths in this world. A woman's blush is worth more than a long dialogue.

But here, with so much rouge and powder, who can tell whether the blush on her cheeks is shyness or a clever way to attract customers?

Who knows whether that push and shove, which seems to be both welcoming and rejecting, is genuine disgust or just a pretentious gesture?

The woman simply rubbed her lips, which were covered in the smell of alcohol, with the back of her hand, as if trying to wipe away the nauseating sensation and stench of alcohol.

The rouge on her lips was smudged, revealing the originally pale and bloodless lips beneath, and exposing a corner of the empty shell beneath the makeup and gorgeous clothes.

She felt a slight loathing for herself, and this loathing turned into a degree of self-destruction.

Like many prostitutes, she was forced into this profession because she inexplicably incurred huge debts, but she was at least much better off than those girls who were sold into this place from a young age.

No, I should say they are the same.

What binds her is the "debt" that, with its compounding interest, can never be repaid.

What imprisons those girls is an astronomical sum of "ransom money".

Essentially, there is no difference.

The vast majority of their income was deducted by the owners of the prostitutes under the guise of "paying off debts," "food and lodging expenses," and "management fees," leaving them with very little.

They are trapped in a cycle of never being able to pay off their debts or save enough money to "buy themselves off." The more they struggle, the deeper they sink, and they never see the day when they can gain their freedom.

Personal freedom is firmly bound to this brightly lit cage by seemingly legal and compliant contracts.

Here, smiles are commodities, bodies are tools, and souls are pawned with prices clearly marked.

Legalization has not brought dignity; it has merely draped a seemingly civilized halo over bloody transactions.

However, for those whose husbands have died, who have no family to rely on, who have been abandoned by their parents, or who have been driven to desperation by fate.

This is not a choice, but the only way to survive.

However, in recent years, some strange and ironic situations have emerged.

Ever since those terrifying monsters called 'Void', which feed on human negative emotions and souls, began to appear in and around the capital.

Those customers who were previously the most violent, had a particular sadistic fetish, and liked to vent their emotions at will, have actually decreased significantly.

It is said that extreme negative emotions are more likely to give rise to 'emptiness' and also more likely to attract 'emptiness'.