novel bin Chapter 176 Going to the Land of Grass to find Uchiha Madara? Isn't that just courting death!
Chapter 176 Going to the Land of Grass to find Uchiha Madara? Isn't that just courting death!
Chapter 176 Going to the Land of Grass to find Uchiha Madara? Isn't that just courting death!
Dark clouds covered the sky above Rain Village, making it gloomy, and cold raindrops fell incessantly.
At the top of the towering tower, the Heavenly Dao stood silently, gazing up at the sky filled with rolling dark clouds.
"Konan," Pain turned his head slightly and said to the blue-haired woman beside him, "After I stop the rain, use your jutsu to find the intruder."
Upon hearing this, Konan, draped in a paper-thin feather robe, nodded slightly: "No problem."
Having received the reply, the Heavenly Dao slowly raised its hand and formed a hand seal.
The torrential rain suddenly stopped as if wiped away by an invisible hand.
The raindrops hung in mid-air, then vanished without a trace.
Xiao Nan closed her eyes and quickly formed hand seals.
During the fog, she suddenly dispersed, turning into countless white pieces of paper.
The pieces of paper fluttered to the ground and instantly transformed into a swarm of light paper butterflies.
The paper butterflies circled the tower for a moment, then with a "whoosh," they scattered in all directions, searching every street and alley in Rain Village.
Tiandao stood atop the tower with his hands behind his back, his eyes slowly closing.
He quietly sensed the movement in the village after the rain stopped, his face expressionless.
The wind blew the hem of Tiandao's black robe with red clouds, making it flutter.
Before long, the paper butterflies that had been fluttering in the sky gathered again and landed beside Tiandao.
The paper glued itself back together, and in a few breaths, Xiao Nan's figure reappeared.
She frowned slightly, her expression somewhat grave.
Heaven noticed her unusual expression and slightly opened its eyes, asking, "How are you?"
Xiao Nan was silent for a moment, then gave him a complicated look.
In that instant, a suppressed emotion seemed to flash deep within her eyes: "It's Jiraiya."
Upon hearing this name, Pain's usually calm face twitched slightly.
He paused for two seconds, then calmly repeated, "It's Jiraiya-sensei! How nostalgic—"
Xiao Nan glanced at Tian Dao's profile, only to see that he remained expressionless.
Xiao Nan clenched her fists and asked in a low voice, "Payne, what should we do next?"
There was a barely perceptible tension in her voice.
Upon hearing this, Heaven fell into a brief silence.
His eyes were fixed on the distant horizon of Amegakure, and he did not answer immediately.
After a moment, Konan couldn't help but ask again, "Why did he suddenly come to Amegakure? Is Konoha going to do something to Amegakure again?"
She was clearly wary and hostile towards Miyazaki Village.
For the Akatsuki organization back then, the war wounds inflicted by the Konoha ninja were unforgettable.
If it weren't for Konoha's alliance with Hanzo setting a trap, Yahiko wouldn't still be unable to let go of this matter even after so many years.
Tiandao shook his head slightly: "Has any recent mission within the organization caught Konoha's attention?"
His voice was low and calm as he pondered whether Akatsuki's actions had been leaked, attracting Konoha's attention.
Xiao Nan frowned and thought for a moment, then said definitively, "There shouldn't be."
The Akatsuki's activities have been very secretive recently, and there is no reason for them to directly clash with Konoha.
"In that case—" Tiandao pondered for a few seconds, then a decisive look flashed in his eyes, "Ignore him! As long as he wasn't sent by Konoha, I don't need to worry about him."
Xiao Nan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, a look of worry flashing in her eyes: "Shouldn't we take him down? What if he finds out something—"
She knew Jiraiya very well, and letting him roam freely in the village was always a potential problem.
"No need to worry." Tiandao raised his hand and formed a hand seal. "It's alright, I will continue to keep an eye on him using the Rain Tiger Freedom Technique!"
As soon as he finished speaking, dark clouds rolled in again in the sky, and large drops of rain fell from the sky once more.
Large raindrops pounded on the roof tiles and the ground, weaving a new, invisible web of perception that enveloped the entire Rain Village.
Amidst the sudden rain, Xiao Nan pursed her lips.
Still somewhat unwilling, she suggested in a low voice, "I'll go and test the waters—"
However, upon hearing this, Tiandao abruptly turned to the side, waving his hand and sternly interrupting her: "No! The Akatsuki is not ready yet!"
He was unusually stern and firm in front of Xiao Nan, clearly disagreeing with her acting on her own.
Then, his tone softened, and he slowly said, "Xiao Nan, you're no match for him either!"
Startled by the rebuke, Xiao Nan paused, biting her lower lip lightly with a hint of defiance on her face.
But in the end, she slowly lowered her head, suppressing her impulse: "—? I understand."
Upon seeing this, the Heavenly Dao regained its composure.
As he spoke, he turned and walked into the tower, waving his hand behind his back: "Don't worry, Xiao Nan!"
"I'll keep an eye on him, and if he discovers anything—"
"I will personally kill him!"
"I have no lingering feelings for him now, and I won't show any mercy!"
The last, low, cold words echoed at the top of the tower.
Konoha Village.
Time passed, and night fell.
When Kakashi opened his eyes, the ceiling in his vision was both strange and familiar.
Then, he looked down and saw that his once slender body had reverted to that of a teenager!
He raised his hands, revealing delicate and slender palms.
"It's happening again!" Kakashi was overjoyed and couldn't help but feel secretly excited. He had really entered his childhood dream again, and it was exactly the time before Obito's incident!
This realization suddenly invigorated Kakashi.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging joy and nervousness in his chest, quickly changed his clothes, jumped off the bed, and ran downstairs.
Kakashi moved quickly, his heart filled with a silent prayer: "I hope Father is home—please, he must be home—"
In the previous times he entered this dream, he was never able to see his father.
Thinking of this, Kakashi's breathing quickened.
He rushed down the stairs, and as his gaze passed over the living room entrance, he immediately saw a very familiar figure: short silver-white hair, wearing a standard Konoha Jonin uniform, and carrying a long white short sword on his back.
It was Hatake Sakumo who was busily making arrangements on the first floor!
"That's great—" Kakashi felt a lump in his throat for a moment, and even slowed his pace, as if afraid that this was just a fleeting illusion.
He stood quietly at the top of the stairs, gazing silently at his father's busy figure.
Sakumo noticed someone behind him, turned around, and immediately gave him a gentle smile: "Oh, Kakashi, you're awake."
He took off his apron; he had just been preparing breakfast in the kitchen. As he unbuttoned his sleeves, he smiled and greeted his son.
Kakashi, the "father," opened his mouth, overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
His long-lost relatives were right in front of him. Even though he had seen a lot, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, including a bittersweet feeling and excitement.
But considering the time constraints, he ultimately just nodded emphatically and replied, "Good morning."
Sakumo watched his son come downstairs. Seeing Kakashi's complicated expression, he assumed he wasn't fully awake and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Kakashi? You don't look well. Did you have a nightmare?"
"No, it's nothing." Kakashi took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his tone steady.
We can't waste any more time!
Although I really wanted to chat with my father more, I had more important things to do right now.
After a slight hesitation, he spoke directly: "Father, I would like to ask you to take me to the Land of Grass."
Upon hearing this, Sakumo's apron, which he had just hung up, almost fell off again.
He smiled slightly: "The Land of Grass?"
He looked at his son with a strange expression, not understanding for a moment why Kakashi had made such a request.
Kakashi nodded, his expression extremely serious: "I have very important business to attend to in the Land of Grass!"
He stared intently at his father, his gaze earnest and urgent.
Seeing that his son wasn't joking, Sakumo's smile gradually faded, replaced by a serious, stern fatherly expression: "The Land of Grass has been rather unstable lately."
He warned in a deep voice, "The Hidden Stone Village, the Hidden Mist Village, and the Hidden Leaf Village all have a large number of ninja stationed there, and there's constant friction. The Land of Grass is no place for leisurely travel right now!"
"What?" Kakashi frowned upon hearing this, exclaiming in surprise, "How is this possible?"
He stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Are the ninja from Iwa, Kirigakure, and Konoha stationed at the border of the Land of Grass?
A series of questions flashed through Kakashi's mind:
That's not right!
It's still a long way from the start of the war!
The Second Shinobi World War ended not long ago, and countries should be recuperating. Why are there already frictions on the borders?
He muttered to himself, sensing something amiss.
Could it be that my actions in my last dream have altered some of the course of history?
Or is it that this dream world is inherently different from reality?
He quickly considered all the possibilities, his expression grave.
Seeing Kakashi standing there lost in thought with his brows furrowed, Sakumo assumed the child was frightened after hearing about the danger.
He softened his tone, stepped forward, and gently ruffled Kakashi's messy hair, a kind smile spreading across his face. "Besides, today is the Ninja Academy's graduation ceremony. How could you possibly miss it?"
Shuo Mao looked at his son with amusement and patted him on the shoulder encouragingly, "Don't overthink it. Go eat, you still have to go to school after you eat."
"Graduation ceremony?!" Kakashi exclaimed in surprise, "How is this possible?!"
[Ding! Kakashi Hatake's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
wrong!
Kakashi suddenly realized: the timeline of this dream had advanced significantly compared to the last one!
Several years have obviously passed in between!
Thinking of this, Kakashi didn't bother to explain further. He turned around and rushed into the restroom next to the corridor, eagerly standing in front of the mirror.
The boy in the mirror came into view, and he had grown significantly since the last time he entered the dream.
Kakashi stared contentedly at his youthful yet slightly unfamiliar face in the mirror, a mixture of surprise and doubt creeping into his mind: "This dream—it's been so long already?"
Inside the VIP box.
Obito Uchiha returned to this familiar VIP box.
His gaze, however, remained fixed on the screen in front of him.
Obito couldn't help but curl his lip: "Lucky guy!"
Obito plopped down on the sofa and yelled at the screen, "Kakashi, you idiot, get to school already!"
"Stop dawdling! Who wants to see you!"
"I want to see Lin!"
However, the next second, the conversation on the screen made Obito's eyes widen.
He clearly heard Kakashi tell Sakumo Hatake that he wanted to go to the Land of Grass!
Obito's expression changed drastically: "The Land of Grass? What is Kakashi trying to do?"
He sat up abruptly from the sofa, his face full of disapproval.
A chilling thought quickly flashed through Obito's mind: Could it be that Kakashi wanted to go find Madara Uchiha?
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Obito have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
"Is this guy insane?!" Obito couldn't help but exclaim in shock. "Isn't he just asking for death?!"
He suddenly jumped up from the sofa, staring at the screen in disbelief.
On the screen.
The streets within Konoha Village.
Kakashi had finished breakfast and was walking towards school.
Border clashes again, graduation ceremony again.
Kakashi understood that his plan to take his father to the Land of Grass to investigate was doomed to fail.
Today is the day I officially graduate.
Since he didn't graduate early at the age of five as he originally remembered, but instead studied at school with his peers until graduation, then it's only natural that Obito, Rin, and the others will graduate today!
Kakashi's expression hardened at the thought of Obito.
If he remembers correctly.
It seems Obito was late today because he helped an old lady.
I remembered those two old ladies from last time who not only looked exactly alike but also wore the same clothes.
Kakashi's expression turned serious as he ran towards Obito's house.
As dawn broke, a ray of golden sunlight shone on the eaves of the houses lining both sides of the road.
Groups of students ran past the alleyway, heading towards the Ninja Academy, their faces filled with excitement and nervousness—today was their long-awaited graduation ceremony, and if they passed, they would officially become Konoha genin!
A morning breeze swept through the street, swirling up a few fallen leaves.
Kakashi ran quickly against the flow of people all by himself.
Sure enough, in less than a few minutes, he spotted Obito's familiar figure in the distance at the entrance of a small alley.
In the dream, Obito was seen bending over, supporting an elderly woman as they slowly walked forward.
The old woman leaned on her cane, one hand linked with Obito's arm, her wrinkled face reflecting a kind smile in the morning light.
She walked very slowly, taking each step carefully.
Obito patiently matched her pace, barely moving faster than a snail.
Seeing this, Kakashi was both annoyed and amused: Obito was still the same as ever, always doing good deeds. But despite his amusement, he knew that the scene before him was not so simple.
Kakashi's gaze narrowed slightly as the scene from his previous dream flashed through his mind: two old women who looked exactly alike and even dressed identically!
Kakashi became wary and quickly approached Obito and the old woman.
He composed himself, replacing his expression with a relaxed smile, and raised his hand to greet, "Obito!"
"Who is it?" The old woman heard the call, looked up blankly, and stared around.
Obito also stopped and turned around upon hearing the sound.
When he saw who it was, he was taken aback: "Kakashi? What are you doing here?"
Obito looked surprised. He knew very well that Kakashi's house and his own house were in completely opposite directions from each other in the village.
Logically speaking, Kakashi shouldn't be passing through here to go to school, so how did he suddenly appear here?
Kakashi ran forward quickly, slightly out of breath, and before he could answer, he had already begun to subtly observe the old woman next to Obito out of the corner of his eye.
The old woman looked to be at least seventy years old. She was thin and hunched over, wearing an ordinary gray kimono jacket. Her silver hair was tied in a traditional bun with a wooden hairpin in the center, and her face was covered with age spots and wrinkles.
She leaned on an ebony cane and carried a small bamboo basket full of vegetables, looking like an ordinary old woman you could see anywhere in the village.
Kakashi carefully examined her from head to toe, even secretly noticing the old woman's breathing and gait.
However you look at it, she is just an ordinary old lady.
Not only was his face and expression flawless, but the feeling he exuded was no different from that of an ordinary septuagenarian. Could this be just an ordinary coincidence?
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but wonder if he was just imagining things.
"Hey, Kakashi!" Obito, seeing Kakashi staring intently at the old lady he was helping as she received her certificate, was a little confused. He frowned and asked, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be going straight to school?"
Kakashi snapped out of his daze upon hearing this, turning his gaze away from the old man and instead looking Obito up and down.
Obito's forehead was beaded with sweat and his cheeks were slightly flushed; he had clearly been running to catch his breath, but now he had to slow down to help the old lady.
I was very anxious.
His expression betrayed a hint of grievance, yet he stubbornly maintained a helpful demeanor, which made Kakashi unable to suppress a smile.
However, he quickly remembered another crucial question: Was the Obito in front of him an NPC Obito from his dream, or the real Uchiha Obito?
After all, in the last dream, the real Obito had entered with him.
Kakashi's mind raced, but he remained outwardly calm.
He deliberately gave a teasing smile: "I'm just worried you'll be late and miss the graduation ceremony!"
"W-what?!" Obito jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "You stinky Kakashi! Who do you think you are!"
I won't be late!
He protested loudly, his face flushed, glaring angrily at Kakashi.
Upon seeing this, Kakashi's tense expression relaxed slightly: it seems this isn't the real Obito.
Having confirmed this, Kakashi was relieved.
It's actually easier to act when you're the only one awake in the dream.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at the old man beside Obito, and once again became more vigilant.
"Is he your friend?" the old woman asked tremulously, giving Kakashi a kind smile. "What a polite child."
Kakashi nodded politely to the old man, then said to Obito, "Let's go, I'll help you take Grandma home. The sooner you get her home, the better you can get to your graduation ceremony!"
"Mind your own business! Who needs your help? I can handle this myself!"
His face flushed red as he shouted, "And I'll be at school on time!"
Kakashi shrugged: "Obito, you don't want to miss the chance to attend the graduation ceremony with Rin, do you?"
Obito was speechless: "This—"
Kakashi stepped forward to the other side of the old woman, reached out and took her other arm, and said respectfully, "Grandma, let me help you walk!"
"Oh, good, good boy." The old lady paused for a moment, then nodded with a kind smile, giving Kakashi a wrinkled smile. "Thank you, young man."
"You're welcome," Kakashi said politely, helping the old man steady on the arm.
Seeing this, Obito turned his head away and muttered under his breath, "Hmph, you stinky Kakashi, I won't thank you!"
Kakashi didn't bother with Obito's stubbornness at all.
He was now preoccupied with the strange thing about the old lady next to him.
The two men, one on each side, helped the old man walk slowly forward, seemingly doing a good deed. In reality, Kakashi had secretly mobilized all his senses to "investigate" the old man.
Kakashi decided to just test the waters directly!
He slowed his pace, pretending to match the old lady's rhythm, but actually subtly adjusted the position of his right hand that was supporting her.
Place your palm on the old lady's forearm.
In this way, he can clearly perceive the hardness and strength of the old man's arm muscles.
"Young people, I'm a slow walker, I'm making you late for school, aren't I?" The old lady seemed a little apologetic as she moved along.
"No problem, don't worry, we'll make it in time," Kakashi quickly replied politely, maintaining a friendly smile on his face.
But at the same time, he had secretly applied a little force to the old man's arm.
He tightened his grip slightly, carefully feeling the sensation in his palm.
What he touched should have been the loose, thin muscles of a seventy or eighty-year-old, but what made Kakashi's pupils shrink was—
The arm he touched was surprisingly muscular, with strong bones and great elasticity!
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately increased his strength, his fingertips digging slightly into the old man's sleeve.
Even so, the old lady in front of him remained calm and her breathing was steady, as if she had not felt his exertion at all!
Kakashi remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was experiencing a storm of emotions.
No one over seventy years old could possibly have such physical strength!
As people age, muscles inevitably become loose and atrophy, bones become porous and fragile, and strength declines significantly.
The arm he was touching at that moment clearly contained the same muscle tension and bone hardness as a young man!
A chilling glint flashed deep within Kakashi's eyes: The answer is already obvious!
[Ding! Kakashi Hatake's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Kakashi paused abruptly, stopping in his tracks.
At the same time, he released the old man's arm with his right hand, leaned back slightly, and quickly reached into his ninja tool bag with his left hand to grasp the kunai.
"Huh? Kakashi, what's wrong with you—"
Obito noticed that he had suddenly stopped while supporting Kakashi, and looked puzzled. He turned his head as if to say something.
However, before he could finish speaking, he saw a cold light flash like lightning as it struck the old lady beside him!
Stab it--!