Mountain Prison.
After Madara rejected him, Naraku's expression showed only a hint of surprise and disappointment, which quickly faded.
He had been like this ever since he woke up; all his emotions were very faint.
He felt no fear, no sadness, and no anger.
The only thing that remained in his heart was an endless pain.
He stood up, took a few steps back, and softly repeated, "Thank you for saving me, but no matter what, I must return to the village."
"What's so good about that rotten place?"
Madara sneered, "You can't possibly think I wouldn't see how you got injured, can you? How does it feel to be betrayed by your companions?"
At these words, Naraku's face paled a few shades, and he pressed his lips together, no longer speaking.
The subtle changes in his expression and his unconscious small movements made him look even more like Izuna.
Madara used immense willpower to tear his gaze away from Naraku, lest he soften towards this stubborn brat.
After a few seconds, Naraku stubbornly shook his head, refusing to stay again.
"Please forgive me."
"Foolish."
An unprovoked anger flared in Madara's heart.
He had spoken so earnestly, yet this brat was still so unappreciative.
Why did he insist on returning to Konoha?
Who was even left in Konoha?
So he said coldly, "You can leave whenever you want, but with this dilapidated body, you won't be able to get out."
Following Madara's gaze, Naraku saw the giant boulder blocking the exit.
It was so massive it was almost a small mountain.
Even if Naraku wasn't severely injured now, he probably wouldn't be able to shatter it.
"Even if you could get out, you wouldn't live for two more years before dying again, so why go through all this trouble?"
"Moreover, this world is so false, dark, and corrupt; everything you do is utterly meaningless."
Madara suppressed the anger he had just felt.
Like a true elder considering his junior, he coaxed, "Stay here, and I will impart all my knowledge and abilities to you, giving you the chance to enter the true world."
Naraku murmured the part he "couldn't understand": "You said 'the true world'?"
"A world with only victors, only peace, only love... a world where only these exist."
Madara slightly raised his eyes to look into the void, as if he was already gazing at such a future.
Then he stared at Naraku, his pair of crimson eyes seeming to pierce through him.
"No conspiracies or betrayals, no inability to save, no gaining and losing again."
"Everyone can live safely and soundly..."
Seeing Naraku's eyes tremble and his expression show a hint of wavering, Madara added fuel to the fire.
"For your eyes to reach such a level, you must have experienced a lot, haven't you?"
"Things in this world often don't go as one wishes."
"But in that world, everyone you've lost will return to your side, and all the wishes you want to fulfill will be granted."
"Don't you want it? A world where your important people still exist."
"Think it over carefully."
With that, Madara closed his eyes, giving Naraku no chance to ask any questions.
Naraku stood dazed in place for a long time until he shivered from the cold.
Then, as if waking from a dream, he returned to bed.
Curled up under the covers, Naraku tossed and turned, unable to calm his mind.
In the eyes of Black Zetsu, who was monitoring nearby, Naraku was already close to being captivated by Madara's plan.
Just a little more leverage would make him completely side with them.
Perhaps, he could let him see his own Infinite Tsukuyomi world in advance.
That way, when he woke from the dream, he surely wouldn't be able to accept reality, right?
Black Zetsu was very pleased with this plan.
He patiently waited for Naraku to fall asleep so he could cast his genjutsu into his dream...
Naraku pretended to toss and turn, lying in bed, staring blankly.
However, he was actually contemplating when would be the best time to leave.
The reason he wasn't leaving now was, firstly, that he was severely injured and needed time to recover.
Secondly, he wanted to gather more 'screen time' from Madara when the future truth was revealed.
However, he had no intention of staying permanently.
After all, joining the Eye of the Moon Plan now and not leaving might lead to him being directly hidden by the production team.
It would take many years before he re-entered the audience's view, which was too unprofitable.
So, for now, it was best to return to Konoha and ride the main storyline of the Third Great Ninja War.
Then, he would find a suitable time later to break away and return to Black Zetsu.
If promising to join the Eye of the Moon could grant him temporary freedom of action, he naturally wouldn't mind playing along.
He could act as a double agent in Konoha.
But if even that wasn't possible, then he would just have to use Susanoo to fight his way out.
He couldn't sacrifice the greater gain for a small benefit, after all.
Speaking of the main storyline, the anime should have updated, right?
Naraku had the system open the website, and "Naruto" finally had several new episodes.
—
Starting from the last progress point, it immediately showed Uzumaki Mito's funeral.
It took an entire episode to depict the various reactions of people.
The audience grieved the passing of the last member of the original protagonist group.
[The era has completely turned a new page; even Mito is gone.]
[Sigh, us old fans can't bear to watch this.]
[I really miss Konoha when Hashirama was around.]
[Although it wasn't as developed as it is now, everyone seemed very happy.]
[That damn Old Thief! Even at a time like this, he's stabbing our Kakashi in the heart!]
In the next episode, the first half showed Kakashi performing various missions.
He was trying to numb himself through busyness.
However, Minato often took him along.
He even invited him to Kushina's house when they returned to the village, with the three of them celebrating dinner together.
Kakashi ate curry heartily at the dinner table.
His inner thoughts slowly revealed to the audience that he knew the two seniors were taking such good care of him out of respect for his father.
Every time he thought of his father's current state, he would feel even sadder.
[No medicine, he can't become a mission machine, boo hoo hoo.]
[Minato and Kushina are so good.]
[Without their care, who knows what Kakashi would be like.]
[Kakashi is really trying hard to live.]
[It's really too heartbreaking; I can't bear to watch.]
After another mission, Kakashi returned to Konoha.
He walked alone with his head down on the street, and the boys passing by stirred countless memories.
Kakashi stared blankly at the retreating figures of the two children.
In his eyes, they had transformed into him and Naraku.
Has it really been so long?
As this inner thought sounded, the screen quickly flashed through several past scenes.
All of them depicted the choice he made on that rainy night.
The flashback ended, and Kakashi stood with his hands in his pockets, looking up at the sky.
Why did I... ever do that?
White clouds and the sun were clearly reflected in his eyes.
The warm light shone on his face, like a divine comfort.
A gentle breeze brushed through his light blonde hair.
All the viewers heard a faint, crisp sound, as if glass was cracking.
The production team also cooperated with the sound effect.
They showed a completely black screen, and a tiny golden crack flashed before everyone's eyes.
Then, Kakashi also heard a voice from the depths of his soul.
It was familiar and ethereal, as if it were right beside him.
[Kakashi...]
"Naraku?"
He turned his head in surprise.
But behind him, it was empty.
Only withered leaves swirled in the autumn wind, drawing an arc in the air and gently landing on the ground.
[They used to be Kakashi and Naraku; it really seems like a long time ago.]
[At that time, we just thought it was ordinary.]
[Kakashi must regret it, right?]
[Definite regrets, my friend.]
[What the heck? What's going on?]
[Something shattered??]
[I knew Kakashi had a problem!]
[He didn't intentionally hurt Naraku, boo hoo hoo hoo hoo.]
[Who is it? Who laid hands on our Kakashi!]
[Blind guess: Danzo! It's definitely him!]
—