Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 515 The Beginning and End of a Twist of Fate

Time returns to the starting point of the turning point, back to the depths of that forest.

Kabuto himself didn't understand why he insisted on seeing Naruto. He attributed it to that one of the few crushing defeats he had ever suffered. Having witnessed overwhelming power, he saw Naruto and many other ninjas who were powerful because of their bloodline as his role models. Even though his fusion with Orochimaru's cells wasn't perfect and his body was still in an unstable period, he was determined to see that person with his own eyes.

However, the commotion in the woods was quite significant, and the appearance of "Xiao" made him stop in his tracks.

According to Orochimaru's intelligence, there is a special member of Akatsuki named "Zetsu." He doesn't seem like a normal person; he can create physical clones with the ability to disguise themselves, and they are suspected to be man-made. Orochimaru has wanted to study him for a long time, but unfortunately, Zetsu is an intelligence agent whose whereabouts are difficult to track, and Orochimaru has never found an opportunity to capture him.

Ever since a snake's head grew from Dou's abdomen, his sense of smell had become incredibly sharp, and his perception had increased daily. He knew the forest was in a state of chaos, and he might be able to find an opportunity to take advantage of the confusion. So he quietly released many snakes, using their noses and eyes to search the area. Sure enough, he caught one of the clones near the ruins of a village. This thing was actually a living, independent being with incredibly strong vitality; ordinary venom had no effect. He patiently increased the dosage little by little, finally calming the abnormally white creature down.

Dou was very satisfied with his gains and turned to leave, but was startled by the enormous energy that suddenly erupted in the distance.

There wasn't much noise over there, but Kabuto's intuition told him that something big was definitely happening. Why not watch the spectacle? Who knows, maybe he'd get some unexpected surprises?

Therefore, unnoticed by either side, Kabuto was the first to reach the location of the brief chakra outburst, smelling blood in the abnormally fresh soil. He used a snake to probe the ground and discovered a large area of ​​land stained with blood. If that amount of blood loss had come from only one person, they would most likely have died.

The techniques Orochimaru researched most were all related to life and death. The technique called Impure World Reincarnation, which summons the dead, was only recently perfected to a degree that satisfied Orochimaru.

This forest is surrounded by top-tier forces; those who could die here are certainly not ordinary people. He already had plans to create an army of reanimated corpses, so why not give it a try? Doesn't he happen to have some material that can be used as a sacrifice? Even if he fails, it won't have much of an impact; researching materials only requires some cells and bones.

This was Kabuto's first time using the Impure World Reincarnation technique, and it was like opening a blind box. He was a little excited, but he knew he had to get out of the area quickly and go to a safe place before using it.

The process of obtaining the research samples was quick. Kabuto was an experienced hand at it. With some anticipation, he placed the blood clots he had painstakingly collected into the drawn array and cast the Impure World Reincarnation Technique.

However, the result shocked him greatly, and even the smile that had been on his lips turned into astonishment.

Before me stood a bright, blond boy. Just an hour ago, they had met and exchanged greetings, but now they were face to face in such a dramatic way.

Fortunately, this was the first experiment, and he did not choose to directly awaken the consciousness of the impure world. Instead, he planned to awaken it after adding control runes, which would be more reliable.

After a long while, Dou laughed out loud. Whether it was mockery or a sigh, only he knew.

"You even advised me to go back to where I started, but you went ahead and did it yourself? It's alright, Naruto-kun, your mission is far from over."

With Jinchuriki from various countries disappearing one after another, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki dead, this massive upheaval is bound to trigger a chain reaction throughout the ninja world. And he, holding this trump card, is sure to become the center of the storm!

As the flashback ended, Kabuto released the two chess pieces, placing them in the most empty spot on the board. Strangely, both had suffered remarkably similar fates: both died and were then impersonated, their identities stolen—most likely by someone they knew.

Since learning of Naruto's death and observing the commotion in the ninja world, Kabuto has become increasingly certain that Naruto's cunning was far more profound than he appeared to be.

Judging from the fact that Naruto's identity was perfectly replaced, and that it wasn't exposed even when Konoha was attacked by Akatsuki, the forces behind Naruto are definitely not limited to Konoha. That inexplicably appearing "East Wind" is very likely Naruto's own faction; otherwise, why would anyone push Naruto to the Hokage position after his death for simple interests? Once exposed, even if the person impersonating him is one of their own, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But "Dongfeng" not only did it, but did it with all their might. Why would they go through all this trouble for nothing? Either Naruto has absolute influence over "Dongfeng", or they believe that Naruto can come back alive.

The latter might be too abstract, so it can only be the former.

The time he demanded to buy time was far from over, and Kabuto didn't have many pieces left. He wasn't very confident in controlling that piece, but Naruto could still give it a try. Even if both of them went out of control, at most they would just start fighting.

Moreover, he has great faith in Naruto's strength, and it would probably be very interesting to put the two of them together.

The moment the pieces were placed, Wu, a hundred miles away, under the most hated manipulation, used a spirit summoning technique against his will, and two wooden coffins rose vertically from the ground.

One coffin lid opened normally under the force of gravity, while the other seemed impatient; the moment it appeared, its lid cracked open. Wu immediately dodged to the side, thus avoiding being hit head-on by the impact.

"The day has finally come." The soft scraping of armor echoed as the person in the coffin stepped out. There was no trace of confusion in his voice, which was suddenly awakened. Instead, it was filled with a kind of joy. "Nagato has finally grown up."

This earth-shattering entrance, this nonchalant voice—even Wu, who had faced the legends firsthand, recognized this person instantly. To be mocked like this even in death, a fellow dead man, seemed rather amusing. The one who summoned them behind the scenes certainly had guts; wasn't he afraid of the backlash?

"I never expected that this time it would be... heh."

"You are..." The man hesitated slightly, because the image of the bandaged man was truly unforgettable.

"This user of the Impure World Reincarnation technique has a deep understanding of war, and even used you as a tool."

"Reincarnation? Isn't that just the cycle of birth and death?"

"Of course not. Illusory dreams must eventually end, and Senior Brother Nagato will only sacrifice himself for his own justice." A third voice interrupted the conversation between the other two elders. The person in the second coffin waited patiently for the coffin lid to fall before emerging; he looked incredibly young, probably not even an adult yet.

Facing the two figures, the boy's smile was completely untroubled. He waved his hand naturally and said, "Good afternoon, gentlemen."