186-190

Chapter 186: True Several Thousand Hands... 

"What are you talking about, Konan?" 

Konan mumbled to herself as she watched Itachi's figure fade into nothingness. 

She twisted her body restlessly. 

No one could witness the blood-pumping scene that was unfolding. 

"Itachi, you're not doing so well... It took you quite a while to teleport back and forth with Flying Thunder God this time." Nagato said calmly as Itachi's figure reappeared. 

"I..." Itachi wanted to retort after hearing Nagato's words and feeling his hand on the wheelchair's wheel. 

But before he could speak, he felt as if he'd stepped into thin air, followed by a rapid plummet downwards. 

He had returned high in the sky... 

The wind howled around him, and Itachi found it hard to breathe. He quickly channeled chakra to shield his body from air friction. 

As Itachi fell, everything around him seemed to slow down. 

Strange thoughts even popped into his mind. 

Why am I falling down instead of up...? Cough, wrong scene. 

The ground began to crumble and crack open... 

It was as if some primal beast was about to break free. 

"This trick again?" Nagato's eyes widened, and he inwardly complained, "This guy's a cheat..." 

Itachi didn't know what Nagato was thinking, and even if he did, it wouldn't matter... 

His body was rapidly ascending... 

Soon, he reached Nagato's position, and then, in an instant, he surpassed Nagato... 

Nagato once again looked up at Itachi's impressive figure... 

After a moment of stunned silence, Nagato suddenly remembered that he should be rising quickly too. If he ended up like before, that would be ridiculous. 

However, compared to the speed at which Itachi's Wood Style was rising, his own ascent speed was a bit lacking. 

"Nagato, I won't bully you. I'll even let you use two hands..." 

The enormous entity beneath Itachi finally took shape, standing nearly five hundred meters tall. 

It had many thick arms on its back... 

Even the Thousand-Hand Guanyin would exclaim, "Now that's what I call an expert!" upon seeing this. 

Its facial features were resolute, with a benevolent Buddha statue at the front. 

From the side, it looked like a wrathful Vajra, fierce and malevolent. 

Another head was hidden in the shadows, faintly exuding a sense of oppression from a dark power... 

Nagato's mouth was slightly agape, his eyes somewhat glazed over. 

He watched small, meter-wide stones and crumbling earth falling from the giant Buddha statue. 

"Letting me use two hands, is he serious...?" Nagato inwardly grumbled. How could Itachi say something so shameless without batting an eye...? 

Nagato looked at the dense array of arms behind the Buddha and thought, "That makes my arms go numb..." 

"How about it? Feeling homesick? Tell me your choice out loud, go back, or let me convince you with virtue?" Itachi's voice, amplified by chakra, was incredibly loud, like a giant loudspeaker. 

Virtue... 

Nagato looked at Itachi's arrogant demeanor, feeling utterly annoyed. Where's the virtue in that...? 

Nagato thought for a moment but decided not to ask, not wanting to encourage Itachi's arrogance. 

This wasn't Nagato's imagination. 

Itachi, standing on top of this colossal being and feeling the Buddha's energy, was indeed getting a bit carried away. 

This was, after all, a world-destroying power. It would be a lie to say he felt calm. 

Playing with this Great Buddha was more exhilarating than even Susanoo... 

After all, with this thing, when its fists swung, anything sturdy was like a floating cloud before it. 

"Take this, True Several Thousand Punches!" Seeing Nagato remain silent, Itachi, wary of the Almighty Push's power, made his move. 

Itachi's body trembled slightly with the Great Buddha, and the ground beneath them continuously creaked, like a small boat on a vast ocean. 

Seeing this, Nagato fell silent... 

Almighty Push was ready... 

But... Itachi's other giant was ready too, right...? 

So Itachi wasn't slow because he was in a bad state after all. 

He was actually waiting for the cooldown on his ninjutsu... 

And he had been standing there, dazed, like he was waiting to die... 

"Super Almighty Pull..." 

Nagato looked at the fists, already poised to strike. His Rinnegan, glowing purple, stared deeply at Itachi. 

Then, his face lost all color. 

It was incredibly pale. 

Every time he unleashed such powerful abilities, exceeding a certain limit, it always required life force to compensate. 

He had more than once doubted if he was truly the master of the Rinnegan, the Eye of the Sage. 

Constantly draining its owner's life force—it was absolutely ludicrous. 

This didn't seem like the Eye of the Sage; it was more like an evil eye... 

The sphere, seven thousand meters in radius, trembled in the sky, then was pulled down by Nagato's unprecedented gravitational force. 

Coupled with the core's vibrations, it was pulled down in an instant. 

Falling at a speed of five hundred meters per second. 

Far exceeding the speed of sound. 

A colossal sonic boom roared through the air, like angry thunder, like mournful wails... 

The re-formed white clouds were instantly shattered. 

Forming a massive circular void. 

This enormous sphere, like a celestial body, burst through the firmament and slammed into the ground... 

"It's dark?" 

Itachi saw Nagato raise his hand and thought Nagato was using his old trick to pull him in. He had even considered making it harder for Nagato by activating Susanoo on top of the Great Buddha and blocking with the Yata Mirror. 

But nothing happened, and then he felt something obscure the light above his head. 

However, an immense pressure followed, and the piercing sonic boom left him bewildered. What the heck is this now? 

Itachi slowly looked up, feeling a bit confused. 

But then he shuddered. 

"What the heck?! You can do that?!" Itachi complained, looking at the giant celestial body wrapped in fire and lightning. 

What do you call this? This is a dimension-shattering attack... 

His Great Buddha's flat attacks maximized its offense and power. 

But facing an attack from above, it was somewhat powerless. 

After all, a giant object falling from above, with its sheer size and the force of gravity, has an instantaneous burst of power that's too strong. The Great Buddha's power is continuous; it couldn't sustain its defense against such an instant, full-damage hit. 

After all, a small meteor falling from high altitude is enough to destroy the world. 

However, compared to a meteor, this small sphere wasn't quite there yet; it wasn't high enough, and its speed wasn't quite right. 

But it was still really powerful! 

Is this really something a human can contend with? 

Itachi wondered if he should just use Flying Thunder God and escape first... 

After all, meteors are usually world-ending things, and he was genuinely scared and cowardly. 

Although this hadn't reached that scale, this giant sphere was even bigger than his Great Buddha. Just looking at the size, he knew he probably wasn't a match... 

Plus, the other guy had all sorts of buffs... 

One plus one does not equal two. 

"Are you still spacing out? Planetary Devastation is about to crash down." 

Seeing Itachi's slightly dazed expression, Nagato felt a burst of satisfaction. He loved seeing Itachi's "lame" expressions. So you can be afraid too, huh...? 

But then Nagato regretted it. This guy seems to have Flying Thunder God, so aren't I just asking for trouble...? 

Nagato's figure flew outwards, afraid of accidentally taking himself out too. 

Itachi had no idea what Nagato was thinking. 

At this moment, he felt fear in his heart and a sense of helplessness. 

But then he remembered how Madara always had "enhanced versions" of everything... 

If he couldn't overcome this, how was he going to fight later...? 

Chapter 187: Battle's End 

Seeing Nagato fly off, apparently with no intention of further fighting, Itachi paused for a moment. He aimed the Great Buddha at the sky, preparing for a peak strike. He wanted to see what would happen. Even though he had a hunch, this was his first time using the Great Buddha, and to have it retreat before even firing felt incredibly frustrating. 

The Great Buddha rumbled, its numerous giant arms warming up like a Gatling gun. Normally, the Great Buddha would unleash continuous bombardments mixed with immense power and Sage Mode chakra. But now, Itachi was preparing to use all its arms simultaneously, aiming at the same area. In an instant, a significant portion of the vast chakra within Itachi's body was depleted. 

The seemingly far distance was actually quickly covered, and the attack reached Itachi's head. The Great Buddha was directly forced hundreds of meters deep into the ground by this pressure. Even with his chakra resisting, Itachi found it somewhat futile. Humans are just too fragile in the face of such natural disasters. Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan intensely focused on the Chibaku Tensei, calculating the distance and the timing for his attack... 

"Bang! Bang-bang!" 

A massive sonic boom and collision drowned out all other sounds. The extraordinary flames and lightning that enveloped the outer shell of the Chibaku Tensei also dissipated. 

The Great Buddha crumbled, scorched and broken. The Chibaku Tensei shattered into pieces, smashing into the ground around the Great Buddha, creating craters thousands of meters deep. The Great Buddha, which bore the brunt of almost all the gravity, naturally disintegrated. Even though the wood, infused with Sage Mode, was incredibly sturdy, it was still fragile under such immense gravity. However, the Great Buddha's explosive power was truly formidable... 

At the moment of impact, Itachi almost fell to the ground, crushed by the Chibaku Tensei above him, due to the shockwave from the Great Buddha's attack. So, the next second, Itachi slipped away. He just wanted to test the Great Buddha's power... When his chakra reserves were more abundant in the future... he'd unleash a Flying Thunder God: Great Buddha - True Several Thousand Hands. Just thinking about that image was incredibly exciting, even more intense than a Susano'o Flying Thunder God Slash. 

The earth trembled and shook. Horizontal and longitudinal waves spread in all directions, reaching far into the distance, like a great dragon turning over in the earth... That's right... an earthquake. The gravity that shattered the Great Buddha transferred through its body to the earth, and the shattered Chibaku Tensei also contained a lot of energy. 

Trees toppled, cracks spread, animals fled in a frenzy, mountains crumbled, and rocks rolled, as if the apocalypse had arrived. This was the scene witnessed by Itachi, who had used all his might with the Flying Thunder God to avoid the impact, now standing on a lower peak several kilometers away. And the peak beneath him could no longer be called a peak, as a landslide was occurring... The earthquake came suddenly, and countless small animals were killed or injured. The instinct of wild beasts was useless against such a massive impact near the epicenter; it wasn't a natural disaster in the usual sense. 

This was still with Itachi engaging in one exchange; if he had simply fled without counterattacking, nothing alive would likely remain for several thousand kilometers around, except for shinobi... The shinobi's ability to destroy the world was perfectly demonstrated at that moment. And now, although it still affected thousands of kilometers, the impact was considerably smaller. Because the impact was reduced, it didn't cause any major crustal movement or earth's retaliation. Otherwise, if one plus one equaled a fifteen or twenty-level earthquake, how could anyone survive? 

"Did he run? Ah, I was affected... Why did I even bother showing off?" Nagato said, speechless, as the thin barrier in front of him blocked the dust, impact, and fragmented debris. He landed on the ground, pushing the wheels of his chair across the cracked earth, with the Deva Path walking beside him like a puppet. It felt odd that it wasn't pushing itself. He missed Konan a bit... Pushing his own wheelchair was really... This also indicated that he had no chakra left. After several large attacks, his body and life force were almost completely drained. His already emaciated body was even worse for wear. 

The feeling of exhilarating relief after battle didn't come; instead, there was only the emptiness of exhaustion... This was a true reflection of Nagato's inner state. 

"Yo, still alive, huh?" Just as Nagato slowly prepared to leave, a whooshing sound approached... Sand and rocks on the ground rolled, and cracks continued to expand. This was the result of Itachi running violently using his chakra. 

Hearing Itachi's energetic voice, Nagato fell silent... At this moment, he inexplicably felt a sense of weariness, and a strong aura of a hero past his prime emanated from him. Perhaps he was truly old now, and his strength was failing him. Seeing the aura emanating from Nagato, Itachi also fell silent. He seemed to sense Nagato's thoughts. The long sword in his hand glinted, reflecting Itachi's inner conflict. Nagato was too dangerous; he didn't want to leave him alive... But if this sole opponent was gone, the world might lose some of its fun... Of course, there was also Konan's voice echoing in his mind... Itachi wavered, unable to muster any killing intent... 

More importantly, Nagato was still a part of the plan, capable of moving the story forward. If Nagato were gone, would Obito, standing alone, be able to achieve the same plot progression? If not, would he have to become the one to push the plot? That would be too much trouble... 

"Come back with me, to the world that truly belongs to us..." Itachi said with some complexity, his long sword still not lowered. If Nagato remained stubbornly misguided, then he would die... The world would continue to turn without him. It would just be more troublesome. After all, even though Nagato possessed the Rinnegan, he didn't have any particularly underhanded tricks. If Obito had the Rinnegan and Kamui, how much more difficult would he be to deal with? After all, Itachi himself was difficult to deal with, so he understood Obito... 

"Alright... You win this time... But next time, I won't lose..." After a moment of silence, Nagato stopped the Shinra Tensei he was preparing to unleash through the Pain body, and quietly spoke. 

"Enemies I've surpassed will only ever see my back. Or perhaps, not even my back..." Hearing Nagato's words, Itachi shook his head, speaking softly, overflowing with cool confidence. 

Nagato was silent upon hearing Itachi's words. Can't you live without showing off? However, Nagato actually envied Itachi... Itachi not only possessed great strength but also lived true to himself... Unaffected by external influences, returning to his true nature, and acting on impulse. This was a dream many longed for but could never achieve. 

"Looks like the battle's over, huh?" A vortex appeared in the air, and a blurred figure shot towards Itachi... Itachi instinctively prepared to kick... Then, his Sharingan allowed him to see clearly that it was Kakashi. And it wasn't that he was charging; he was literally thrown over like a dead dog... Kakashi had gained power... but it seemed he had lost his "five-five" characteristic [meaning: his tendency to always draw or be evenly matched in fights]... 

Itachi caught Kakashi's body, then his expression changed. Kakashi's Mangekyo was gone, his eye sockets empty, leaving a trail of dried blood. 

"Obito! You're asking for death!" Itachi was furious. Although he often teased Kakashi, he had long considered Kakashi a comrade. And now that Kakashi was harmed, how could Itachi stand by and do nothing?! 

"Itachi, he dug it out and gave it to me himself; I didn't force him. Besides, in your current state, do you still want to fight me? I want to go back with you. Are you sure you want to make an enemy of me and cause more trouble?" Obito said calmly, arms crossed, his gaze placid. He had gained a lot more than before... like composure, and an undisturbed peace. 

Chapter 188: Going Home... Team Seven 

"You guess if I believe you..." Itachi stared at Obito with icy eyes, his expression serious and earnest. It was rare to see such a serious look on his face. Seeing Itachi's demeanor, Obito secretly swallowed. Although he now had Double Mangekyo Sharingan, he hadn't practiced with it yet, and his fighting strength wasn't polished. Of course, more than that, Itachi was just too abnormal. He even gave Obito a bit of a complex, which was quite frustrating. 

"Let's go back... Those were his eyes, I dug them out myself..." Just as Itachi was assessing his own condition, ready for another big fight, pressure came from his arm. It was a weakened Kakashi grabbing his arm, speaking softly. Kakashi's single eye looked a bit vacant. He remembered every moment of walking into the Kamui dimension. Seeing Obito's half-scarred face, he fell silent... Obito's words still faintly echoed in his ears... 

"Kakashi, I should have killed you... But if I killed you, I'd be the only one left in this world... I want you to live in pain... until..." 

"Idiot..." Seeing Kakashi's state, Itachi was speechless. As for why Kakashi would return the Kamui to Obito, given Kakashi's character, if Obito asked, he would almost certainly dig out the eye without hesitation... Even if their positions were different... Perhaps this was the path Kakashi had always clung to... 

Of course, Itachi was also to blame for not revealing what good deeds Obito had truly done. Kakashi didn't know that the current Obito was not just physically disfigured. But some things would eventually surface; now truly wasn't the time. 

"Let's go, back to the world that belongs to us..." Itachi thought for a moment and said. The fact that the plan's potentially decades-long struggle hadn't happened made Itachi feel quite a bit better. He had been preparing for so long, even planning to let Madara and the others grow stronger and bring them into the fight. And maybe find an opponent to play with. This was also the fundamental reason Itachi guided Madara. Every step Itachi took wasn't without purpose; there was a hidden design within. 

Half a day later, the group arrived at the energy gathering point that Orochimaru had found. Orochimaru's body had recovered, and although he was still a bit weak, he didn't let Itachi's shadow clone carry him. Instead, he chose to lean on a wooden stick and walk himself. Nagato was deep in thought, while Obito remained calm, simply looking around. Kakashi was being carried on a stretcher by two of Itachi's shadow clones... Although his injuries had healed, he showed no signs of waking up. Perhaps he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a very long time... 

After Itachi's mysterious manipulations, a circular barrier expanded, enveloping them. Even Nagato and Obito couldn't understand the underlying principle. Of course, Itachi was just putting on a show; after all, their destructive power was considerable, and if things went wrong, it would be a huge mess. Nagato and Obito felt no pressure. Itachi and Orochimaru, however, were silently praying. Please let us be sent back to the correct time period... Don't go further back, or to another time period! If it doesn't work, organizing another return trip will be difficult... 

"Sakura, get out of the way! Don't be a nuisance here!" On a half-built bridge, a Jonin squad leader was being pinned down and beaten by Zabuza. Looking at Sakura, who was too scared to move and didn't know to protect the mission target, Naruto didn't have a good expression. What a useless person, where did that strange confidence she usually has go? Sakura stood with her legs in a shaky horse stance, behind her was a drunk old man, and on the other side, Sasuke was curiously watching the fight. Naruto felt a gust of wind, prepared to block, knocked into Sakura, and said with annoyance. If the three of them weren't officially teammates, he would have kicked Sakura into the river. 

After casually deflecting a large sword's attack, Naruto realized it was only a clone, which annoyed him slightly. However, remembering his promise to the "white-haired big brother" to keep a low profile, he didn't reveal his true abilities. Although Sasuke was somewhat excited, his muscles trembling as if injected with adrenaline, as a genius, the mission he had just received was to protect the target and not mess around. As an excellent ninja, he had to complete his missions meticulously. He was still young now and couldn't bear to leave even a speck of blemish on his ninja path. Hearing Naruto's words, Sasuke frowned slightly. This Sakura was indeed a drag. But Naruto talking like that also seemed a bit off; after all, they were teammates, and they should take care of each other when necessary. 

The sound of rushing wind came, and Sasuke's two-tomoe Sharingan spun. He didn't counterattack, but secretly protected the target. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura still stunned and about to be hit by the large sword. The kind Sasuke remembered the books teaching them to take good care of their comrades and to complete missions excellently, never giving up or abandoning... A few tenths of a second later, Sasuke kicked Sakura with his foot... Sakura had no reaction and was kicked to the ground, her eyes a bit dazed... But the large sword flying overhead made her realize she had just been saved. Sasuke was protecting the mission target and naturally had no other way, and even if he yelled, she might not have reacted in time. Naruto, meanwhile, seemed to be struggling to defend against another clone... 

Compared to the original story, where Sakura had a theoretical advantage and Naruto's favoritism in the early stages, things were completely different here. Although her theoretical knowledge was good, and her chakra control was decent... in front of Naruto and Sasuke, who were basically cheating... there was nothing particularly remarkable about her. However, for some unknown reason, the team assignments hadn't changed much. Perhaps it was a corrective force, or perhaps there were other reasons. Like, boys and girls working together makes the work easier, or perhaps, for civilians, Sakura was still considered outstanding... 

"Sasuke, Naruto, take Sakura and go! We're abandoning this mission!" Just as the two were lazily fending off their enemies, the squad leader was trapped in a water prison, looking disheveled and bruised. A few ANBU ninjas in the shadows exchanged glances. He's a squad leader, yet he's so useless... I wonder what the Hokage was thinking, giving such a cushy leading Jonin assignment to someone so unreliable... Hearing the squad leader's words, Naruto didn't hesitate for a second. He turned around and started running... No one understood how to preserve himself better than he did... I have the power, but I just won't fight, won't put in the effort, isn't that annoying? Naruto thought to himself, sensing the hidden gazes. 

Naruto's actions made Sasuke's scalp tingle. When they fought in private, Naruto was incredibly fierce. But now... 

Chapter 189: Naruto Makes His Move 

"As a ninja, which is more important: completing the mission or protecting your comrades?" 

That question echoed in Sasuke's mind... 

Naruto had moved on, but he couldn't. 

As the grandson of the Hokage, hailed as the strongest, he couldn't hold back anymore. 

He tossed Sarutobi Hiruzen's advice to stay low-key out of his head. 

His body blurred into a shadow, charging towards Zabuza, one of the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Naruto was gone, so Sasuke had no more worries and was ready to fight, even if his opponent was a Jonin. 

Zabuza, who had been sizing up the group, saw someone actually dare to charge at him. His eyes turned cruel, and he tightened his grip on the Kubikiribocho. 

"Sasuke, that idiot..." Naruto, halfway to his destination, noticed Sasuke hadn't followed and stopped, cursing inwardly. 

This guy was a veteran Jonin. If he fought him, he'd have to reveal a lot of his tricks, which went against his principle of staying low-key. But what if Sasuke was in danger...? Naruto's legs couldn't move another step forward. And instinctively, he turned back... 

"Damn it, who can stop me?!" Naruto sped up, his expression determined. 

So what if he was a veteran Jonin? Even though he was just a Genin, still... Naruto's figure vanished from his spot. 

Body Flicker...? No, it was a sprint that could rival the Body Flicker Technique! 

In that moment, the beast slumbering within him awakened... 

"Brat, you've got guts charging at me! But what about your little girl? Aren't you going to protect her?" Zabuza saw the kid's serious expression and the spinning Sharingan in his eyes, and a bad feeling settled in his gut. 

Didn't the Uchiha clan get wiped out? Why is there still a Sharingan? Could it be that sole survivor? Does he really have such talent? 

Zabuza didn't get cocky; he dared not look into Sasuke's eyes anymore. While it probably wouldn't affect him much, he didn't want to take any chances. He definitely didn't want to stumble in front of these small fries. 

And so, the following scene unfolded. 

A Shadow Clone heard the original's words and seized the "weakling" Sakura. 

Sasuke turned and saw it, his expression slightly changing. 

It really is a weakness...! Now what do I do...? 

As the Hokage's grandson, he couldn't abandon his comrades; he couldn't just stand by and let them die. Otherwise, it would severely affect Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation. In that instant, Sasuke was distracted. 

Zabuza's eyes lit up. This is it! He'd take care of the "crippled" Jonin in his hands first, then have a good time with this kid. Hunting down talented youngsters was simply too much fun... Excitement and a thirst for blood filled Zabuza's eyes. 

"Sasuke, run!" The controlled Jonin was somewhat annoyed and ashamed. He hadn't expected to mess up like this. But it was understandable. After all, he was an Anbu, and most of his techniques were for assassination. Being forced into open combat naturally reduced his effectiveness. And there were other reasons; even though he wasn't particularly strong, he was qualified to be a team leader. That was because his heart hadn't sunk into darkness yet. He wouldn't have too much of a negative influence on his students and could teach them a lot. It was just bad luck to run into a veteran Jonin like Zabuza, who was quite formidable. 

"As a ninja, which is more important: completing the mission or protecting your comrades...?" 

The question echoed in Sasuke's mind again. Sarutobi Hiruzen had asked him this when he was slightly tipsy one time. 

He had no answer. As someone from such a reputable lineage, any choice he made seemed wrong. Just as he was caught in this dilemma and the Jonin was about to be killed, a figure, like lightning, appeared on the battlefield. 

With one kick, he struck Sakura-chan in the stomach. The Shadow Clone holding Sakura hadn't even reacted before the force made it explode. 

Everyone on the field was stunned. 

"What?! You can do that?!" 

As if sensing everyone's confusion, Naruto felt a little shy. 

"No one understands Shadow Clones better than me..." 

He seemed to explain, yet he didn't. 

Only Sakura stared blankly, her eyes unfocused, at the hazy, gray sky. 

Why is it always me who gets hurt...? Mama, I want to go home... I don't want to be a ninja anymore... These teammates are ganging up on me... 

Sakura admitted she was happy when she was put in the same team as Sasuke. But she was happy a little too soon. Sasuke's eyes were only on Naruto... He barely looked at her, as if she were air. All that talk about "the early bird gets the worm" was complete nonsense. 

"Nice job!" Sasuke couldn't help but cheer loudly when he saw Naruto's flying kick. 

Indeed, compared to the "useless" Sakura, Naruto was the awesome teammate! Especially now that Naruto seemed ready to stop holding back and make his move, it made Sasuke's blood boil. After all, he had only ever sparred with Naruto; they had never truly fought together. Fighting side-by-side... just thinking about it was an incredibly wonderful thing. 

Sasuke's praise brought two streams of silent tears to Sakura's eyes as she lay on the ground. 

I'm a girl, you know! Why don't they understand how to be gentle, how to take care of me? Wouldn't it be nice to have a pretty female teammate cheering you on? Why are they like this...? When did deep affection turn into desperate fawning...? 

Thinking about her pursuit of Sasuke, Sakura had trouble speaking her mind. But then, the melancholy in her eyes vanished in a flash. She decided. She decided she would definitely marry Sasuke. And then, she'd "discipline" Sasuke daily, drain him dry, make him pay for ignoring her! Sakura's face turned red, and she grinned foolishly, lost in her daydreams. 

Of course, these things were only for thinking; you couldn't say them out loud. 

As Sakura thought of her wonderful future, the pain in her stomach seemed to dissipate. She sat up with a determined look, then stood, clutching her kunai, guarding the mission objective. As a ninja, what was a little pain? Compared to the wonderful life ahead, this was just life's training for her. Only a stronger Sakura-chan could have such a cool, gentle, calm, and charming Sasuke-kun... 

Seeing Sakura stand up, Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He muttered to himself, "Ugh, I kicked her too lightly..." 

He had originally intended to knock Sakura out with that kick. Even if someone was secretly watching, the fewer people who knew his true strength, the safer he would be. Especially since Sakura was a gossip-monger. If he exposed his power, Sakura could spread the news throughout Konoha in a few days. This left him conflicted. Women were simply too annoying! Indeed, as a certain swordsman once said, "A heart free of women, a sword drawn with divine power"—it's the best explanation for both the way of the sword and the way of the ninja. 

Compared to the original Naruto, who was optimistic and unaware of the darkness he carried, this Naruto, who understood the darkness within him and wasn't as optimistic, had a different understanding and view of this world. 

Chapter 190: Return... 

Zabuza's mind replayed the memories from his water clone. That speed... even he, the real Zabuza, would have a hard time dodging it. Right now, he had to maintain the water prison and couldn't be distracted. He pondered his chances of success this time. In the end, he reached a surprising conclusion: only ten percent... How unbelievable was that? Since his debut, even when assassinating the Mizukage, he hadn't faced such low odds, had he? Zabuza thought to himself, a silent complaint rising in his mind... It was simply absurd. 

"Hey, you there, the shadowy guy..." 

"..." 

"Yeah, I'm talking to you, don't look around." Naruto said, looking at the bandaged Zabuza. He couldn't remember the name of this eccentric person anymore... 

Zabuza was surprised to hear Naruto, but when Naruto confirmed he was talking to him, he became furious. How dare this brat?! After a slight fluctuation in his emotions, he quickly calmed down. His fighting power wasn't top-tier, but he had survived this long for a reason. For example, he could always calm himself down and remain composed... unaffected by emotions, always rational... 

Seeing Zabuza momentarily stunned, Sasuke was about to launch a sneak attack, but then he saw the man quickly regain his composure. Sasuke felt a pang of regret. Like Sasuke, Naruto also felt a bit disappointed. He had hoped to provoke Zabuza first, then facing an irrational Zabuza would surely be much easier, and he'd have to reveal fewer of his techniques. Now, it seemed he would have to go head-on, but with Zabuza missing an arm, it should be a lot easier to fight. Naruto thought to himself and didn't hesitate. His feet shifted slightly, and his body turned into an arrow released from a bowstring, rushing towards Zabuza. His speed was like a blur, especially in the mist, where light was obscured, making him only heard but not seen. 

Zabuza saw that Naruto's speed was still so incredible, and his lingering hope gradually vanished. He was already thinking about his escape route... However... Fleeing in a pathetic manner wasn't Zabuza's style... He had to at least get some interest back... Thinking this, his mind cleared, and he didn't hesitate for a moment... His large sword slashed, leaving a trail like a phantom... Just when everyone thought Zabuza was aiming for Naruto, his sword was already nearing the water prison... ready to cut down the Jonin inside first... 

The Jonin's eyes were fixed on Naruto and Sasuke, completely unconcerned about his own safety... The moment the water prison broke, his expression was startled... He made no reaction... 

Blood flashed, mixing with the clear water and spreading a crimson hue. The unnamed squad leader's eyes were wide with fury, his hands instinctively clutched his neck tightly, but his pupils rapidly dilated, a look of shock and terror on his face... The Jonin's body collapsed, creating a ripple on the water... Deprived of chakra's protection, his body sank to the riverbed... Deeper and deeper... 

Naruto saw this scene, his expression briefly tinged with sadness, but it quickly vanished. He was sad because they had been together for a while. The reason for his release was that he had no emotional connection or bond with this squad leader... 

Compared to Naruto, a ripple appeared in Sasuke's eyes, then he charged towards Zabuza... turning grief into anger. Seeing this, Naruto, whose speed had momentarily dropped, accelerated again. This guy, he doesn't know how he's going to die... daring to touch someone belonging to Naruto the Great... Compared to the two preparing for revenge, Sakura was terrified and scared, her eyes wide, her hand clamped over her mouth to keep herself from screaming... Although she knew that people died on missions, knowing it was one thing; when death truly appeared before her, how could she remain calm? 

Boom! A massive thunderclap suddenly echoed through the air. Unbeknownst to them, the sky was filled with rolling thunder, lightning crackling and flashing. The sky, especially, seemed to have been torn open, extremely terrifying. It was as if the end of the world had arrived. Everyone present was drawn to this sudden, massive sound... even a little frightened. It felt as if it had sounded right next to their ears... Instinctively, they even thought they'd been struck by lightning... 

However, it wasn't just Naruto and Sasuke who saw this sight; the entire ninja world was covered. The furious thunder in the sky grew more violent, thick, serpent-like bolts of electricity constantly shifting, rolling within the black clouds... As if in the next second, countless lightning bolts would strike the ground, unleashing a world-ending attack... 

"Ah..." In the Pure Land, in a simple room. An old man wearing a white, tomoe-patterned robe sat cross-legged at a table. Behind him were two giant statues... The statues had a special divine aura, making it difficult to look directly at them. 

Suddenly, the old man opened his eyes, and the Third Eye on his forehead also opened... A sigh, faint and low, came from the old man's mouth... echoing throughout the room... 

"An anomaly... The future of the ninja world, I can no longer see through it..." The old man's three eyes looked at the wall, yet it was as if he saw through thousands of mountains and rivers, witnessing the scene he perceived... And the person he saw was the instigator of this event... 

The Truth-Seeking Orbs behind the old man floated, eager to move, but after a moment's thought, the orbs began to dissipate. 

"I am already a dead man, so I should no longer worry about these trivial matters..." The Sage of Six Paths murmured, but his purple-glowing Rinnegan showed some concern. The ninja world was like his child, and now that his child had problems, how could he not be worried? But he was dead now, and what he could do had become limited. And the reincarnations of his two sons were still... Just as Otsutsuki Hagoromo thought this, he suddenly froze... Then, he looked utterly incredulous... 

"Ninja world, I'm back..." A group of people appeared in a desert. The air was filled with yellow sand, but no one felt the environment was harsh; instead, everything felt especially wonderful... 

Obito murmured softly, then transformed into a vortex and disappeared from the spot... Nagato sat in his wheelchair, silent, as if deep in thought... Kakashi was being carried by two of Itachi's shadow clones. Orochimaru looked around, his brow slightly furrowed, deep in thought. 

"Itachi, it's safe now. Release Konan..." Finally, just as Itachi was about to leave, Nagato couldn't sit still anymore... Did this guy forget something...? Konan still hasn't been returned to me! Damn it! 

"Uh..." Hearing Nagato's words, Itachi's expression froze... But after a moment, he recovered and said softly, "Wait a moment. I'll see if I can do it..." "This is a long story; I'll try my best..." Itachi was rarely this embarrassed... After all, it was quite absurd that he couldn't fully control his own techniques... Just as Itachi thought this, his left eye felt a slight warmth... Then... Konan's figure appeared in the outside world... 

And at that very moment... The sky was filled with rolling thunder, and black clouds rapidly piled up, incredibly fast. If Itachi hadn't known he was in the ninja world, he would have suspected he was about to undergo a tribulation.