Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 305 Such is Human Nature

Naruto hadn't used his super senses from a great distance for quite some time, but since it involved a Jinchuriki, and currently the youngest one at that, he felt it was essential to find out what had happened. When he spotted the girl bound hand and foot on the large ship, he immediately understood what was going on.

"The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki has been taken hostage; it's obvious she didn't board the ship willingly."

"Why would they kidnap a Jinchūriki on purpose?" The second Kurama who knew the news was puzzled.

Naruto racked his brains, but realized he couldn't recall any details of his past life, so he could only start with the information he had. Sasuke's mission included the strange term "Box of Elysium," which, according to Orochimaru's intelligence, was a box that could grant any wish, as long as the user could afford the price. So, their urgent need to find a Jinchuriki at this crucial juncture—did it mean that opening the box required an enormous amount of chakra?

But why at this particular moment? If this scenario existed in a past life, then... what special circumstances led them to act rashly at this time?

It can't be because he happens to be in a nearby country, can it?

I've successfully entered the city, where I discovered they've been posing as "good Samaritans" who intervened to help others, deceiving a group of children aged twelve to eighteen, and trapping them in an inn under the guise of repaying a debt of gratitude.

The only clue we have so far is that they will hold a Buddhist ceremony the following day. Only after participating in the ceremony will the children have repaid their debt to the "Buddha Mother" and be allowed to return home. The ceremony will take place at dawn tomorrow.

...Why now of all times? If the large ship carrying Fu travels through the night, it is expected to arrive at Hozuki Castle at dawn. He wasn't sure if the other party would wait for him.

But no matter which side is in trouble, Naruto has to take care of it. This is when the problem of the clones not being able to use their super senses becomes apparent.

...Jinchūriki are tough and resilient; as long as they don't encounter Akatsuki, they shouldn't be in mortal danger...right? Sasuke's still there; his ship is about to land at Hozuki Castle, which should be of some use. It seems a bunch of kids who can't run away on their own are the ones who need more attention. He must first go to that city where stolen goods are sold, eliminate all potential threats, and then determine whether to let Hui handle this big problem, or to notify the Konoha team and the Lord of the Land to investigate together.

So, after weighing the options, Naruto chose the target within the Land of Frost, which involved more lives and seemed to be more urgent. He once again crouched on the highest rooftop in the city, carefully searching the magnificent temple below. He knew that the roots spreading from the statues extended to the deepest part of the city's underground, connecting to an extremely large number of "cocoons" that were constantly "cleaning up" the "waste" spewed out by this cannibalistic city.

Although he knew that White Zetsu was once a human who was dragged into the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he was too prejudiced and thought that Akatsuki's method of cultivating White Zetsu was similar to that of Hikaru, both of which used planting trees and supplying chakra to ripen the "fruit". Who would have thought that this thing would actually follow the old path and directly create White Zetsu by modifying human bodies!

Could it be that the 100,000 White Zetsu who caused the Allied Shinobi Forces so much trouble back then all came from this?! Then he really needs to consider destroying their hideout first, even if doing so would drastically change the future course of events, perhaps even causing the Fourth Shinobi World War to happen earlier or not at all, he wouldn't hesitate. And then there's the future handling of war criminals... He should also set aside personal feelings and, based on established facts, deliver a fair and just verdict.

So why is Obito still holed up in Amegakure? Is he just going to ignore the fact that his hometown is about to be taken over? He needs to get to the bottom of this!

To avoid delaying either side's progress, Naruto immediately conducted an intensive investigation of the temple upon receiving the news, and actually found a suspicious person. Perhaps because he had previously used his senses to detect Black Zetsu, he was able to detect even a tiny portion of Black Zetsu within the person's body.

Within the abbot's mind lingered a tiny, dark entity, perfectly integrated with his physical form, yet utterly incompatible from a spiritual perspective. This black shadow was more powerful than the man's own soul, making him appear almost like a puppet manipulated by it.

It seems this is the biggest problem: he kept saying that the image of the Buddha Mother looked increasingly familiar. Even with all the artistic embellishments, didn't that thing still have a face that resembled Kaguya's by about six-tenths? They even included those very uncommon round eyebrows!

No, he had to thoroughly investigate this country's history, especially its worship of the Buddha Mother! He was certain this matter was inextricably linked to that dark creature! This added another reason to kill Black Zetsu, and he was now certain that it could split into small pieces. While it wasn't certain whether this small piece could continue to exist and grow after the main body was sealed, it meant that capturing the complete Black Zetsu would become incredibly difficult, requiring serious consideration.

If this hidden danger is not eliminated, the ninja world will never have peace.

"My clone has stopped in Jinan City. How much do you know about that place?" For Naruto, understanding every inch of his territory is a leader's responsibility. If someone were to ask him what's special about Hui's various territories, he could certainly talk at length about it.

But he may have overestimated the reliability of world leadership teams. A leader as responsible and capable as him is unique in the world.

Whenever the king discussed these kinds of issues with Naruto, he would be drenched in sweat. Sometimes, he even absurdly thought that Naruto was the one more suited to be king, and that governing only a village was beneath him... But this dangerous thought would quickly transform into a deeper vigilance. A powerful ninja wasn't scary; what was scary was a ninja who was both powerful and adept at winning people's hearts. By "people's hearts," he meant not just the ninja group, but everyone, whether commoner or noble.

Yes, even a wary king could not help but be attracted by the boy's personal charm. Who could resist such a beautiful and noble soul?

But admiration and vigilance are not mutually exclusive. The king was already thinking that once everything had settled down, he would write down this extraordinary adventure in its entirety in the letter he sent to the daimyo of the Land of Fire.