Chapter 274 : Do you two have a little secret? *
Rin closed her eyes, her wish fulfilled, her expression serene and peaceful as if she were asleep.
The night wind bid her farewell, and the moonlight outlined everything into an unreal dream, but everyone knew that what had just happened was incredibly real, undeniable.
Kakashi opened his mouth in vain, his heart aching too much to make a sound. Anyone who saw his heartbroken expression couldn't help but empathize with him.
Naraku only glanced at Kakashi from afar and could no longer meet his gaze.
-- Will Kakashi… hate me?
-- Rin… is much more important to Kakashi than I am… -- Much, much more important than I am… He bit his jaw tightly, not letting out a single sob.
The audience was still weeping over the tragic fate of the young Ninja, completely forgetting that there were still dozens of Kirigakure Ninja on the mountain, lying in wait.
The enemies surrounded the scene, and they fell into even deeper despair.
[Did he really… kill her? Although I knew the chances of all three surviving were slim, this is too much…]
[Otherwise? Wait for kakanaru to die, Rin to be taken to destroy Konoha, and finally die as a criminal? Would that be better?]
[Kakashi would rather die together than watch Rin perish with the enemy, yet she met an even more tragic death.]
[I actually think this ending isn't bad for Rin; at least she's a hero.]
[Why would Naraku think Rin is much more important to Kakashi than he is? Is that reasonable?]
[Because he feels guilty and doesn't deserve a place in Kakashi's heart (╥╯﹏╰╥)]
[Where are the Kirigakure Ninja? At this point, only Minato can save them; there's no other way.]
[Minato, come on! How long has it been?!]
[Alas, Rin's sacrifice protected Konoha, but couldn't protect kakanaru.]
Unexpectedly, the one who came to rescue Naraku and Kakashi was not Minato Namikaze, but a young man wearing a spiral-patterned mask, his face unseen.
The bullet comments surged due to this suddenly appearing new character.
From the results, the animator cut the berserk scenes where Obito had violent emotional fluctuations, leaving only his ruthless "cleansing" of the Kirigakure Ninja.
The audience could only see this strange person appearing abruptly, rushing from a distance into the mass of Kirigakure Ninja at an extremely fast speed, unleashing a brutal and violent Wood Release to wreak havoc.
All counterattacks passed through this person as if they didn't exist; the only thing the Kirigakure Ninja could do now was to embrace death.
When Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence turned the entire battlefield into a pool of blood, the audience was momentarily stunned into silence, the bullet comments paused for a moment, then layered and filled the screen.
[Where did this guy come from?]
[Holy crap, what did I see!! Wood Release!? Hashirama's illegitimate child? Ah no, should be illegitimate grandchild?]
[It could also be a Human Experimentation subject, or some kind of biological weapon.]
[What's that thing that lets objects pass through his body? Is it a Secret Technique?]
[It's a bit like turning himself into a spirit form, but much more flexible than Kato Dan's Spirit Transformation Technique.]
[Oh no, he's here for the Three-Tails!]
[Stealing the Three-Tails? Then he's a little late.]
[Ho… ly… crap…! (Stunned.jpg)]
[Too brutal!]
[J-juicing? This is terrifying… So Wood Release can be this terrifying…]
Kakashi and Naraku had no power or means to stop this person from approaching Rin.
The moment he confirmed the Three-Tails was gone, he seemed extremely disappointed and angry, further convincing the audience that this person's goal was a living Jinchuriki.
With his objective unachieved, his interest in Rin plummeted. He indifferently moved aside, allowing kakanaru and Naraku to return to the corpse.
"Dong—"
A low string note played, and a character the audience had not anticipated appeared.
His flamboyant, heavy Chakra, his bizarre white mask, his exaggerated and theatrical demeanor… Most importantly, his unique "intimacy" that deliberately violated others' personal space was one of a kind, his whole body practically overflowing with a crazy, flirtatious aura.
— Jhin!
With just one encounter, he took down the Wood Release user, then used a snap of his fingers to deal with Kakashi.
[He wants them alive?]
[No, it should be only the Three-Tails he wants. If the Tailed Beast dies, the Jinchuriki's corpse is naturally useless.]
[Did he dodge? Was he too lazy to use his phasing ability, or was the cooldown not over yet?]
[Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! Jhin!!]
[So they're both working together!? Isn't this over?!]
["Running away from home"… Using such an ambiguous phrase, is there something on his mind?]
[Kakashi, look! This is the culprit who tormented you for years!]
[The big BOSS finally appears before the male lead!! (ง •̀ _ •́ )ง]
[Now is not the time for a clash between good and evil, hey!]
[I bet a pack of spicy strips that Minato will arrive soon!]
[No, why are you two fighting your own people?]
[Jhin is too gentle and doting towards the Wood Release user… Let me ship them a bit… (Gobbling.jpg)]
[Exactly, to avoid hurting the other person's face, he even held their clothes and slowly lowered them. Who else could receive such care from the BOSS?]
[I think Ayan and Nagato are quite favored too… On the surface, Jhin seems pretty good to everyone he values…]
[This showy Genjutsu ability! As expected of Lord Jhin!]
[Can Jhin use sound waves to cast Genjutsu? Or other mediums should also be possible.]
[A long road of revenge, Kakashi.]
[Given the current situation, does Kakashi even have a chance for revenge?]
[We can only count on Minato…]
Minato Namikaze did not arrive in time as the audience expected.
The camera followed Jhin's slender right hand to his mask, then, with a "click," the sound of the mask loosening was heard.
The bullet comments immediately erupted in excitement, thinking they were about to see Jhin's true face.
But how could the animator let them have their way? When the mask was taken off, the camera followed it, failing to reveal any part of his face.
Even in every subsequent scene, the animator used various specific angles to film, resulting in his appearance remaining unexposed.
Audience: What the heck &@*?
[Hmm? The BOSS is going to show his face!?]
[Finally, I get to see my favorite's face! Yay!]
[I want to see how handsome this pretentious guy is! Whether he lives up to his physique and voice.]
[Don't worry, it's covered.]
[You old thief, you're messing with me, aren't you!?]
[You old thief, you've eaten too much Anko!]
Only Jhin and Naraku remained conscious on the field. Their question-and-answer exchange made the audience realize that Naraku's act of killing Rin earlier seemed to have another hidden meaning.
That phrase "a bet's a bet" was even more peculiar. The suspicious audience members began to brainstorm, and all sorts of conjectures flew around.
However, when Jhin released Black Flames to clear the traces, he deliberately bypassed Kakashi and Naraku, as if he had no intention of wiping them out.
This meant that the two beleaguered young Ninja had finally survived.
Although he chose not to kill them, Jhin still dealt a heavy blow to Naraku's heart before leaving. Only after seeing Naraku's fingertips tremble slightly and his heart in extreme pain did he let out a few low laughs, then turned and left with the "Wood Release user."
The night deepened, and a golden figure appeared on the battlefield.
[Something's wrong! One hundred percent something's wrong!]
[Don't bully our Naraku, boo hoo hoo… He looks like he's about to shatter…]
[What does "a bet's a bet" mean? Do you two have little secrets you're not telling us?]
[What are you doing, what are you doing, what are you doing! What can't you say in front of me! Are you treating me like an outsider?]
[No, does Jhin mean that Rin isn't dead yet?]
["It has nothing to do with whether the sacrificed person is dead or not." With these words, Rin is one hundred percent not dead!]
[Great! Rin isn't dead! Naraku, you are my god!]
[How miraculous… Ama no Kaguhiko, truly the power of a god.]
[Jhin, you really know how to twist the knife, only saying things that will make Naraku suffer more.]
[He really understands Naraku.]
[Are you only arriving now, Minato? You're not just a little bit late (wry smile, facepalm.jpg)]
[Thankfully, the "Wood Release user" accidentally killed all the Hidden Mist Ninja, otherwise kakanaru and Naraku would have been completely dead by the time he arrived.]
[Minato, you almost ran head-on into the biggest BOSS right now.]
Soon, the story reached its final episode.
Bright sunlight streamed into the room, waking Kakashi from his nightmare.
After covering his face and composing himself for a while, Kakashi finally accepted reality—the reality that his comrade, with whom he had shared life and death on the front lines, had been "killed" by Naraku.
He tried to recall the two mysterious Ninja he had seen before he passed out, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember the specific details.
This advanced Genjutsu ability reminded him of the "source of Genjutsu" that could distort perception and for which no clues had been found to this day.
Kakashi was anxious to find Naraku to confirm his safety, yet also feared that he might have fallen into the opponent's trap again.
But as he hesitated, Naraku's shadow had already reached the door.
[If Rin really died, could Kakashi truly be with Naraku without any resentment?]
[Even if he knew it was all the Hidden Mist's fault, it would be difficult…]
[Both of them are blaming themselves, forgiving each other, all stubborn people who can't speak their minds.]
[Friends, you can't blame me for suspecting Jhin is the mastermind, can you? Even Kakashi suspects it, so how can he escape?]
[It shouldn't be that simple.]
[Don't be stubborn, Jhin fans in front, all the clues match up, what's there to argue about?]
[What has this scumbag Jhin turned our Kakashi into, Genjutsu PTSD?]
[It has a bit of that dark humor vibe.]
[Even if it happened again, Naraku probably wouldn't believe that those were Kakashi's true feelings, given the previous experience.]
[Rationally, he might not believe it, but emotionally, he would still be sad, right?]
Naraku, who was about to enter, was so firmly rejected by Kakashi that he stumbled back two steps, standing outside the door, at a loss for words and not daring to speak.
"Kakashi… does he hate me?"
The audience saw his trembling fingers forcibly clench into fists, blood slowly seeping from the lines in his palms.
"He must hate me… Kakashi cared so much about Rin…" The camera focused again on Naraku's numb and pale face, a few broken tears welling up in his dim eyes, flowing down his cheeks to his chin, and finally dripping into the cracks in the mud.
"I always do things that hurt Kakashi… Even if I apologize, I don't deserve forgiveness…" His breathing became rapid, mixed with faint and muffled sobs.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" He only barely awoke from his emotional breakdown when he noticed someone approaching, hastily wiping his face with his sleeve to conceal it.
The audience, who had been tormented throughout, completely erupted.
[Stupid Kakashi! Don't you know that this refusal itself is an attitude! (Angrily disappointed)]
[It's over… Naraku will never recover….]
[My poor baby, why does he always feel like he's not as important in Kakashi's heart as others, ahhhhhhh (T ^ T)]
[Please stop tormenting yourself, please, wuwuwuwu T^T]
[Naraku, wake up! Kakashi wouldn't hate you even if he were ground to dust! Let alone despise you!]
[Naraku's mental state was already bad enough, Kakashi, what can I say about you?]
[But I think Kakashi's concerns are very reasonable. What if his Genjutsu acted up again and he blamed him to his face? Naraku wouldn't be able to handle it, would he?]
[All the fault lies with The Old Thief! He's really too vicious, this situation is clearly a deliberate coincidence!]
The perspective switched to Kakashi. When he saw the person who pushed aside the door curtain and stormed in, his mind went blank with a 'buzz'.
"Did I fall under a Genjutsu after all!? Otherwise, how could I see Rin!?"
Kakashi was completely unable to react. Even when Rin was about to punch him in the face, he didn't move. It was Naraku who stopped her just in time.
Rin was so angry her hair nearly floated, while Naraku still stubbornly insisted he hadn't cried.
The two were at a standoff for more than ten seconds from beginning to end before Kakashi finally came back to his senses. He pinched his arm and tried to dispel the jutsu, eventually confirming he wasn't under one.
Just as he was about to cheer, he noticed his teammate's grim expression.
Rin still couldn't bear to destroy Naraku's last bit of dignity, so she chose to make up an excuse to gloss over it.
"If I expose this lie, he'll feel very humiliated, won't he…" A faint stinging sensation arose in her heart, and she gritted her teeth, lowering her fist.
Kakashi was completely out of the loop, thinking Rin was so agitated because Naraku was injured, while Naraku bowed his head, lost in thought.
Only the audience could see his tightly pressed lips and the almost invisible traces of blood remaining in his nail beds.
[Yay! Rin really isn't dead! I knew my favorite would be fine!!]
[Rin: I'm not dead! But you, Kakashi, are doomed! We'll settle all the old and new scores together!]
[Kakashi's going to get a beating! Good! Let that dull brain of his clear up!]
[Which means Naraku knew Rin was alive, but still thought he was guilty, wuwuwuwu ┭ ┮ ﹏ ┭ ┮]
[Good! Punch him awake!]
[Naraku, you— (Faints from love-struck idiocy.jpg)]
[Rin: Naraku, wake up! He's bullying you like this, and you're still protecting him!]
[This level of love-struck idiocy is truly beyond saving, give up]
[It's like I'm about to be pissed off to death by my best friend, I'm broken….]
[Do you know how many times my best friend and her boyfriend got back together? Eight times! Eight times! And they even got married in the end! Now they're divorcing again! (Despair)]
[If Rin had insisted on saying what she saw just now, Kakashi would have definitely explained his previous considerations and comforted Naraku properly.]
[Unfortunately, there are no ifs. Rin is a kind child who is easily soft-hearted.]
[This thorn will probably never be removed.]
[Putting myself in Naraku's shoes, this scene is really heartbreaking… The Kakashi he cares about most is comforting another friend right in front of him….]
[Sister Kanai's fate is so bitter! Such a perfectly aligned coincidence, it's impossible to resolve unless someone actively points it out!]
[This love triangle is so complicated my brain is going to explode.]
[If you add Obito, who's already gone, this would be a love square….]
After a chaotic commotion, the group went to Tsunade's office to report.
Tsunade was about to scare Kakashi and Naraku a bit, so they would cause less heart-wrenching trouble in the future, when she suddenly heard her little apprentice take all the responsibility upon himself.
That was Space-Time Ninjutsu! Not some common roadside vegetable!
For Kakashi, Naraku actually developed it!? Of course!
Tsunade was very upset that her child's mind was completely filled with Kakashi, and she didn't even bother to break legs, like a helpless old mother whose cabbage had been stolen.
The audience, however, was completely engrossed in this part, unable to extricate themselves.
Nothing else, Naraku's actions here were simply too "heavy," completely embodying the traditional Uchiha heavy male vibe.
[Tsunade: I meant what I said! Kakashi must have both his legs broken today, I said so!]
[Oh oh oh oh, is it finally coming!? I'm so excited!]
[Who still remembers Kakashi is the male lead? Why do I feel like everyone now is Naraku's spiritual family? Hahahahaha]
[Heh, the male lead, if he doesn't suffer a bit, how can he be worthy of being the protagonist? (Amused)]
[Tsunade's smile is so terrifying hahahahaha, that facial expression could be a meme.]
[This excessive protectiveness, and the completely unaware marking of the person involved… My Uchiha male ghost….]
[Is this what happens when an honest child does something big? I'm scared, I'm scared.]
[The Uchiha Clan doesn't speak, they just hate the white-haired one.]
Kakashi suddenly understood, pulling out the thin string with the amulet hanging on it, and carefully examining the pottery shard.
Seeing him discover the "anchor point," Naraku's eyes revealed obvious tension and fear, and he hastily explained that the mark was already ineffective.
"Are you afraid I'll throw this away too?"
Kakashi suppressed the surging pain and questions in his heart, and with all his gentleness, he smiled and said to Naraku.
"It's not just an ordinary amulet."
"This is the most important thing Naraku gave me."
[Two super big idiots! I'm really fed up! Can you two just use your mouths to talk? Can you!?]
[No er… You're still stabbing me with memories at a time like this?]
[Great swordsmanship! It hurts so much!]
[Kakashi, if you dare to throw this away, I'll dare to drop dead in front of my computer!]
[Yes… What exactly did Naraku say that night….]
[What day is it today? Did the sun rise from the south? Kakashi actually spoke!?]
[This one sentence is enough for Naraku to live on.]
[The sincere feelings expressed by the two little brothers, stumbling and fumbling, are both bitter and sweet, wuwuwuwu.]
[Kakashi, Sister Kanai is very happy that you took the initiative to say something like that… But she still reminds you to be a bit more discreet, there are others around (smirking.jpg)]
After the ending song finished playing, the animator even left two minutes of easter eggs.
After hearing Kakashi's "heartfelt confession," Tsunade suddenly felt very bright, Minato also very bright, and Rin was even brighter beyond measure.
[Hahahahaha Tsunade is dumbfounded hahahahahahaha]
[A whole room full of high-wattage light bulbs.]
[Rin's auntie smile is practically me.]
[Minato: Hmm? Isn't this just good friends?]
[I think Minato, that black sesame tangyuan, sees through it but doesn't say anything.]
[See through what! Let me reiterate, this is a shonen adventure hot-blooded anime, not BL! Kakanaru are just good buddies!]
[Get that atmosphere killer out of here.]
The animator used two brief shots to convey that Tsunade already knew the full story of the "Three-Tails Attack Incident."
Immediately after, Tsunade announced that Rin had long since sacrificed herself, and from then on, she must live as her twin sister.
Tsunade was already tired of all the strange and powerful beings popping up in the Ninja World, and in the last half-minute, Naraku dropped another bombshell.
This kid actually directly refused Nara Shikaku's orders to go save Kakashi!?
"U-chi-ha Na-ra-ku!"
Bang—!
[Relieved, Rin is completely safe now~]
[I'm dying of laughter, Tsunade is exactly like Fugaku now, looking at Kakashi with the same father-in-law/mother-in-law looking at a blond boy vibe.]
[Hahahahahahaha Tsunade took another critical hit.]
[Tsunade: My dear child! Can you just say it all at once?]
[Good news: He didn't run off halfway through a mission; Bad news: He rejected the advisor's mission to his face….]
[If he didn't accept the mission, then there was no mission! Reasonable!]
[Fugaku: More than that! He disappeared right before my eyes! Do you know what I went through for those two days and nights, wuwuwuwuwuwu]
[Naraku got punished, hahahahahahaha]
——
After watching the last part of the easter egg, Naraku felt that what he did was indeed a bit improper.
But if he hadn't gone then, Rin would have been 99% dead, Kakashi would have had nightmares for half his life, and Obito would have used it as a catalyst to gradually fall irrevocably into the Eye of the Moon Plan… Naraku: Anyway, I think it was still a great deal! (Righteously)
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