Kakashi's face flushed visibly, even through his mask.
"Obito."
Mei Terumi was startled when she realized Nagare was calling her name.
"Come to me quickly. Let me take you home."
Kakashi seemed to hear Obito calling him.
"It's you who should come back home. Konoha is your home."
Instantly, Mei got angry.
"When did Konoha become your home? Kiri is your home. Come back to Kiri with me now."
Kakashi noticed his vision growing increasingly blurry.
"Obito, all these years, what have you been doing hiding in Kiri? Everyone has been waiting for you in Konoha. Why haven't you returned?"
To Mei's ears, the words sounded completely different.
"Mei, all these years, what have you been doing in Kiri? Why didn't you find me sooner? Why are you only coming now?"
...
Itachi observed from nearby, hidden from view.
The conversation between Kakashi and Mei sounded utterly bizarre. To outsiders, it would sound like complete nonsense, but the two of them understood each other perfectly—an inexplicable phenomenon.
Itachi asked quietly, "Torune Aburame, what exactly are your beetle insects doing to make them act this way?"
Didn't Naruto explain, sir? My beetles release a mild aphrodisiac.
Itachi couldn't hide his shock.
"No wonder Kakashi perceives everything as though trapped in an illusion."
...
Suddenly, Kakashi shouted out loud, "Stop joking around, Obito! How can you face me after everything? Do you have any idea how hard my life has been?"
In Mei's ears, the message transformed completely.
"What kind of joke is this, Mei? You never came looking for me. Do you know how painful my life has been all these years?"
Mei felt a sharp pain in her chest. The people of Kiri had wandered far from home, enduring harsh winds and bitter hardship—how pitiful.
"I'm coming right over now. Kiri let you suffer unjustly."
Mei took slow steps toward Kakashi.
She reached out with slender fingers, lightly brushing Kakashi's face mask.
"Obito."
"Nagare."
Kakashi mistook Mei for Obito.
Mei mistook Kakashi for Nagare.
They clung to each other desperately.
Kakashi said, "Obito, you're so thin. Haven't you gotten any stronger or healthier these past years?"
Of course, to Mei's ears, this carried a completely different meaning.
Mei responded, "You like my shape? Let me show you what a perfect body really looks like."
...
Itachi couldn't bear watching much longer. A cold shiver crawled down his spine.
Is this Naruto's strategy? What exactly is he trying to achieve? What's the point of doing something like this?
Itachi just couldn't understand. In the ninja world, conflicts have always been settled through battle—overpowering opponents through brute strength.
But what Naruto pulled off looked more like childish mischief, not particularly useful.
Itachi thought to himself: I need to watch out for Naruto from now on.
He cast a wary glance at Torune Aburame. That man's abilities were dangerously unique—he'd need to watch him closely.
Elsewhere,
Kimimaro, frail and emaciated, walked unsteadily.
His muscles had atrophied from over three years without use. Still, with gradual training, he would soon regain his former strength.
[Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Seedling Fern!]
Kimimaro had been inactive for three years, but now he immediately unleashed his most powerful technique.
Kimimaro thrust his hand into the ground, channeling a surge of chakra beneath it.
Suddenly, giant bone spurs erupted from beneath the earth.
Nagare quickly jumped aside in shock, staring at the enormous bone spike before him.
The bone spike gleamed pure white—clearly deadly and razor-sharp—emerging at an incredible speed from underground, making it nearly impossible to guard against.
Throughout the chase, Nagare had been hunted by Orochimaru, who had not launched a direct attack and merely trailed behind.
Nagare kept blowing bubbles, attempting to obstruct Orochimaru's relentless pursuit.
Seeing the bone spurs erupting from underground, Orochimaru's expression turned sinister.
His sinister expression was tinged with excitement.
"It's starting—Kimimaro's attack."
Hardly had Orochimaru finished speaking when more bone spurs erupted like mushrooms sprouting after the rain.
"Hahahaha!" Orochimaru became extremely excited, his lower body transforming into a serpent's form as he slithered skillfully through the dense forest of bone spurs.
Orochimaru moved just like a nimble snake—darting fast, weaving unpredictably, and gliding past each bone spike with effortless grace.
Attacks launched from underground were unpredictable by nature, yet Orochimaru handled them smoothly, appearing completely relaxed.
Nagare, however, found himself struggling desperately.
He was stunned—who wielded such large-scale ninjutsu techniques?
As more bone spurs erupted around them, the once-dense forest began transforming into what could only be called the Bone-Chilling Forest.
Nagare had nowhere left to escape.
Pushed to the edge of life and death, Nagare unleashed the Six-Tails' chakra in one overwhelming burst.
A thunderous explosion rippled outward.
Through the thick mist, a shadowy figure bearing the unmistakable shape of the Six-Tailed flickered into view.
Instinctively, Orochimaru darted his tongue out and gave it a slow lick.
"Ohh, you actually have that much ability—you managed to escape after all."
"You escaped Kimimaro's attack, but don't delude yourself—you won't escape my grasp."
...
At a distance, Kimimaro pulled his hand out from the earth.
"This feeling… this powerful chakra broke through my bone spines with sudden force, forcibly creating an escape path."
Kimimaro closed his eyes slightly, seeming somewhat remorseful.
"I've failed again… I couldn't fulfill Lord Orochimaru's mission once more."
Kimimaro blamed himself—he had previously failed when tasked with capturing Sasuke.
Now, capturing the Six-Tailed Jinchuriki also ended in failure.
"Do you truly still believe Orochimaru is 'Lord Orochimaru'?" A voice suddenly cut in.
Kimimaro opened his eyes and glanced sideways.
Kabuto emerged from the shadows.
Kimimaro recognized Kabuto.
He didn't speak.
Adjusting his glasses, Kabuto wore an expression of feigned delight at their reunion.
"Long time no see, Kimimaro."
Kimimaro turned his face away without looking directly at Kabuto.
"When I woke up, I didn't see you beside Orochimaru. So tell me—are you friend or foe now?"
Kabuto countered coolly, "I'd like to ask you first—now that Naruto saved you, are you still loyal to Lord Orochimaru?"
"I will always belong to Lord Orochimaru."
"But Orochimaru is already under Naruto's control."
Kimimaro was stunned.
"It's all my fault," Kabuto murmured, guilt heavy in his voice.
"It was I who personally implanted Shisui's Sharingan into Naruto."
"I never imagined Naruto would go this far—using that cursed Sharingan to manipulate Orochimaru-sama."
"It was my betrayal that hurt Orochimaru-sama."
Kimimaro recalled Orochimaru's demeanor, but noticed nothing out of the ordinary.
"Orochimaru-sama didn't appear to be under any genjutsu."
"Kotoamatsukami is the ultimate illusionary technique—it functions as both a genjutsu and an undetectable mental manipulation," Kabuto explained.
"Once I learned Orochimaru-sama had been ensnared by Kotoamatsukami, I stayed undercover near Naruto."
"Seeking a way to break the hold of Kotoamatsukami."
"In the end, Zetsu of the Akatsuki revealed that there's only one way to break Kotoamatsukami—kill Naruto, the one who now has Shisui's eyes."
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