radicalducati Chapter 148: Died on the road to pursuing dreams.
Chapter 148: Died on the road to pursuing dreams.
Chapter 148: Died on the road to pursuing dreams.
"Yahiko!!"
Nagato's roar echoed through the valley, rain and tears mingling together, blurring his vision.
Yahiko, whom he held in his arms, had a kunai piercing his chest, and blood kept gushing out, staining Nagato's robes and the ground beneath his feet.
Yahiko's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but only blood foam came out.
"Nagato, Nagato—"
"Yahiko!!"
"Let's do it!"
With minimal effort, Hanzo had eliminated Akatsuki's most powerful leader, and the smile in his eyes could no longer be concealed.
He even winked at Shisui.
The next moment, the Rain Ninja, who had been ready all along, suddenly erupted and rushed towards Nagato below. Countless shuriken and kunai rained down on Nagato like a storm.
However, before those ninja tools could touch Nagato's body, they were all blocked by an invisible barrier.
"Very good, very good!"
In the distance, Obito couldn't hide his excitement: "This is the feeling, this is the emotion! Feel the pain and calamity of reality, feel this suffocating hell, Nagato!"
"Everything will begin at this moment!"
"Obito, don't get too excited yet." Black Zetsu suddenly spoke, and Obito was taken aback, looking at Black Zetsu's gaze. His eyes immediately fell on Makoto Karatachi, who had brought Pakura to the battlefield.
Makoto Karatachi, who had arrived with Yekura, seemed to have sensed something and slowly raised his head.
Their gazes met in mid-air, and a strange smile suddenly appeared on Makoto Karimoto's lips.
"We've been spotted."
Black Zetsu's deep voice rang in Obito's ears, tinged with a rare solemnity: "He knows our location."
Obito did not respond; his single eye beneath the mask was fixed on the figure in the black cloak below the valley.
This guy—
"Don't rush," Black Zetsu's voice rang out again. "Nagato is about to awaken. If we act now, it will only expose our presence and create unnecessary complications."
Obito took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the indescribable unease in his heart.
Black Zetsu is right.
The most urgent task is to awaken Nagato and fully activate the Rinnegan.
As for Makoto Karatachi, no matter what he wanted to do, he couldn't stop this moment from arriving.
Wait, where are they?!
Makoto Koji's figure vanished from his spot in an instant and reappeared beside Konan.
However, Hanzo's reaction was incredibly fast. In that instant, he retreated several steps and formed a hand seal. Suddenly, countless densely packed explosive tags appeared on the ground beneath Konan and Makoto.
boom!!!
The violent explosion instantly engulfed the area, sending debris and dust billowing into the sky, and the terrifying shockwave knocked the surrounding Rain Ninjas to the ground.
Hanzo stood at a distance, his eyes coldly fixed on the lingering cloud of smoke.
Although he didn't know who this guy was, whether he was a remnant of Akatsuki or someone else, it didn't matter. Now that he had already made his move, he might as well just blow them all up.
However, the next second, Hanzo's brows suddenly furrowed.
The smoke and dust slowly dissipated.
Makoto Kujira remained standing in the same spot, holding Konan in his arms, completely unharmed.
"What?!"
Hanzo's pupils constricted sharply, somewhat incredulous.
What shocked Hanzo even more was Makoto Karatachi's eyes.
What kind of eyes were those? Pale purple sclera, with ripples like tree rings, deep and mysterious, as if they could see through the essence of all things in the world.
"You bastard—"
As the leader of Amegakure, a man hailed as a demigod, he has witnessed countless powerful ninjutsu and bloodline limits.
But he had never seen those eyes before.
No, he had seen it.
In mythical legends!
The eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, the Rinnegan!
"Kuonan!!"
"Um?!"
Hanzo's attention was slightly drawn to the shouts below, but in an instant, his pupils contracted again.
The boy's eyes were exactly the same as the guy's in front of him!
Two pairs of Rinnegan, two pairs of legendary sage eyes.
How is that possible!
Equally shocked were Obito and Zetsu, who were hiding in the shadows of the cliff.
"He... he really did copy the Rinnegan!"
Obito's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger and fear as his one-eyed man stared intently at Makoto's pale purple, rippled eyes.
Although he was mentally prepared, seeing this scene in person still made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Those eyes, those eyes that were the absolute core of their future plans, were so easily stolen by an outsider!
"What should we do then?"
Bai Jue asked.
Obito remained silent.
What can he do?
Should we go out and confront Gouju Cheng head-on?
Although he now considers himself Madara Uchiha's successor, how can he possibly fight a monster with two Mangekyou Sharingan and Rinnegan?
Do you really think he's Madara Uchiha?
"wait."
Black Zetsu finally spoke: "Nagato has been activated. Since Makoto saved Konan, he shouldn't be an enemy of Nagato."
Obito took a deep breath, suppressing the anxiety and unease in his heart.
That's all we can do.
At the same time, the Konoha ninjas in the crowd, including Uchiha Shisui, also noticed the sudden appearance of Makoto Karatachi and his Rinnegan.
"Those eyes—"
Uchiha Shisui's pupils contracted sharply, and a chill ran down his spine and straight to the top of his head.
As a genius of the Uchiha clan, one in a century, he knew better than anyone what those eyes meant.
Rinnegan.
The eyes of the legendary Sage of Six Paths, a supreme eye technique surpassing the Sharingan and Byakugan.
I never imagined that these eyes actually existed, and that Makoto Kuraki had even copied them!
"Retreat! Immediately! Right now!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Uchiha Shisui immediately issued the order to retreat.
"What?"
"Captain, this—"
"We are no match for Makoto Karatachi, and the mission is already accomplished."
Uchiha Shisui spoke in a deep voice: "Secondly, Konoha and Kirigakure have already signed a ceasefire agreement."
Uchiha Shisui's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over everyone's hearts.
The Root elites present were naturally aware of the ceasefire agreement signed between Konoha and Kirigakure. Konoha had paid a considerable price to appease Kirigakure, essentially ceding territory and paying reparations!
At this critical juncture, any act that undermines the ceasefire could have disastrous consequences.
They can't afford it!
"withdraw!"
Without further hesitation, the Root ninjas quickly concealed their presence and silently retreated.
Uchiha Shisui took one last look back at the scene in the valley.
Makoto held Konan in his arms, his Rinnegan eyes silently watching Hanzo on the cliff; below, Nagato held Yahiko's corpse, trembling all over, the power of his Rinnegan eyes surging at an astonishing speed.
Two pairs of Rinnegan!
But there was no time to think about it. Shisui took a deep breath, turned around, and caught up with the retreating Root squad.
He must bring the information from here back to Konoha immediately.
The appearance of the Rinnegan and Makoto Karatachi's mysterious movements are crucial pieces of information for Konoha right now!
The rain was still falling in the valley.
-
Hanzo's expression shifted between light and dark as his gaze swept back and forth between the two pairs of Rinnegan.
He had lived for decades and considered himself to be very knowledgeable, but what he was seeing was still beyond his comprehension.
Two pairs of Rinnegan?
How could the eyes of a mythical being like the Sage of Six Paths possibly appear on two people at the same time?
How is that possible!
But now is not the time to think about these things.
Hanzo took a deep breath, suppressing the shock and unease in his heart.
He has lived for so many years, crawling out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and step by step reached the position of demigod. He relied on more than just the poison of the salamander and his ninjutsu.
More importantly, he remained calm and decisive no matter what dire situation he faced.
So what if you have two pairs of Rinnegan?
Even the most powerful eyes are useless if they are controlled by someone else!
"you----"
"Hey buddy, it's only been a month or two since we last met, and you've already forgotten me?"
Makoto Koji gently placed the unconscious Konan next to Yekura, glanced at the trembling red-haired boy, then at the gradually cooling corpse on the ground, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
"I died on the road to my dream."
Makoto Goji's voice was very soft, so soft that it was almost drowned out by the sound of the rain.
But Nagato heard it.
Those Rinnegan eyes, hidden by his bangs, were now fixed intently on Makoto Karatachi.
To be precise, it was staring at the pair of pale purple, wavy eyes in Makoto's eye sockets, which were exactly the same as his own.
Rinnegan.
The exact same Rinnegan.
"You, your eyes—"
Nagato's voice was hoarse and trembling, filled with disbelief.
"It's just my ability. I just didn't expect that your Akatsuki organization would actually have a power of your caliber hidden within it." Makoto Karatachi clicked his tongue in amazement: "I never thought that something like the Sage's Eye actually existed in this world."
"The Eye of the Immortal —"
Nagato murmured the word repeatedly, rain streaming down his red hair, blurring his vision but unable to obscure the surging pain and confusion in his heart.
Yahiko is dead.
She died under his kunai, she died in his arms.
And now, Makoto Karatachi stands before him, uttering such nonchalant words as "dying on the road to your dreams."
"What do you know?!"
Nagato suddenly erupted, and terrifying chakra surged out of his body like a volcanic eruption, causing the surrounding rain to scatter and splash in all directions!
He raised his head, his bangs were lifted by the gust of air, revealing his Rinnegan, those eyes of a sage that had been fully awakened and were filled with anger and sorrow!
"Yahikota, Yahikota——"
Nagato's voice choked with emotion, his body trembled violently from the surge of emotion, and the chakra surging around him became increasingly violent, causing the ground to crack and rubble to float up.
Gouju Cheng, however, did not move.
He simply watched Nagato quietly, letting the violent chakra blow through his robes and long hair, his expression as calm as a still, ancient well.
"Of course I understand."
"We met back in the Land of Waterfalls, didn't we? When he gave his speech, there was a light in his eyes, something I rarely see in this ninja world."
"He believed that people could understand each other and that peace could be created through dialogue and cooperation. Naïve, but pure."
"I admire such a person."
Nagato was stunned.
"you----"
"That's enough small talk."
The abrupt sound interrupted Nagato's words. Hanzo removed his mask, gripped his hook-scythe, and pointed it at the two of them.
"Although I don't know who you are or why you suddenly appeared here, since you've shown up, you should have been prepared to be killed by me!"
"You don't recognize me?"
Makoto Karimoto did not respond to Hanzo's imposing statement, but instead frowned, looking displeased.
The guy poked his headband: "Demigod, as the leader of the Rain Kingdom, you really don't recognize me?"
"The headband of Amegakure."
Hanzo sneered, "So what if you're one of the Five Great Nations? Since you dare to come today, then you'll stay here forever!"
Not a buddy!
I've caused such a huge commotion in the ninja world, even defeating Konoha, and you, the leader of Amegakure, hailed as a demigod, still don't recognize me.
So you really are just living in your own little corner of the world!
Looking at Hanzo in front of him, Makoto Karatachi realized that he truly didn't recognize Hanzo. Not only that, but he probably only had a vague understanding of what was happening in the ninja world right now, let alone himself.
Before coming here, Makoto Karatachi had already made many guesses and imagined things about Hanzo. After all, as a hero who once single-handedly supported an entire country and a legendary ninja hailed as a demigod, Makoto Karatachi still held Hanzo in high esteem.
Even if he was killed by Pain later on, at this point in time, Hanzo should at least still retain some of the spirit he had when he shouldered the burden of Amegakure and fought against the three great nations alone.
But now it seems—
This guy had long since abandoned everything he had back then—his ninja way, his beliefs, and so on—and fallen into the abyss of power and profit, becoming lost and corrupt!
"Hanzo".
Makoto Karatachi suddenly spoke up: "You know, before coming to the Land of Rain, I actually had some respect for you."
"What?"
"Single-handedly supporting a nation, fighting for the independence and dignity of the Rain Kingdom amidst the clash of three great powers—the Rain Hero, a demigod—"
Hanzo frowned slightly, wondering what Makoto Koji wanted to say.
"But now—"
Makoto looked at Hanzo with a hint of disappointment and irony in his eyes.
"What I see is just a corrupt corpse-keeper who clings to past glories, bullies his own people, and oppresses the younger generation."
"What did you say?!"
A cold glint flashed in Hanzo's eyes, and his killing intent spread out as if it were a tangible substance.
The surrounding Rain Ninjas exchanged bewildered glances; they had never seen anyone dare to speak to Lord Hanzo in such a tone.
Did I say something wrong?
Makoto pointed to Yahiko's body on the ground, then to Nagato who was holding Yahiko and trembling all over, and finally looked at Konan who was being helped up by Yekura on the cliff.
"These three children, with their ideals of peace, wanted to change this country in their own way. They were naive, but they were really doing something."
"And what about you?"
"What did you do?"
"You saw them as a threat, resorting to the most despicable means to set a trap, taking hostages, and driving people to suicide—"
Gouju Cheng shook his head, his voice filled with undisguised contempt.
"The heroes of yesteryear have become like this; truly, seeing them in person is far less impressive than hearing about them!"
"Arrogant!"
Hanzo, enraged, laughed coldly: "Where did this brat from Kirigakure come from, daring to judge me like this? No, why should I need to explain my actions to others throughout my life!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Hanzo unleashed a furious attack, and a water dragon roared forth.
Gouju Cheng didn't even lift his eyelids.
Shinra Tensei!
hum.
An invisible repulsive force erupted, shattering the roaring water dragon into countless water droplets. In an instant, those droplets condensed back into a water dragon, which then blasted back towards Hanzo!
Hanzo frowned slightly, snorted coldly, and suddenly his hand hit the ground, blasting the incoming water dragon to pieces with a water gun.
In the instant the water splashed, his figure transformed into a blur, and his hook-scythe slashed straight at Makoto Gojiba with a whooshing sound!
As Makoto Kujira slightly turned his body, Hanzo's hooked sickle grazed past his clothes, the resulting gust of wind tearing a hole in the rain curtain.
"The technique of teleportation is good, but that's all."
Hanzo snorted coldly, his wrist flicked, and the hook sickle spun in the air like a living thing, once again slashing towards Makoto's neck.
At the same time, he formed a hand seal with one hand and exhaled.
"Water Release: Water Candy Barrier!"
A viscous liquid gushed out from Hanzo's mouth, instantly covering the ground beneath Makoto's feet.
This technique can stick the enemy to the spot, making them unable to move.
However, there was absolutely no need for Gouju Cheng to avoid it.
Kamui becomes ethereal!
The hook pierced his body, and the slime of the water syrup could not touch him at all.
He stood there quietly, letting Hanzo's attacks pass through his body, his eyes as calm as if he were looking at a clown jumping around. But the next moment, Makoto's expression suddenly changed, and his figure suddenly disappeared from the spot.
Shinra Tensei!
Within the Kamui dimension, the repulsive force surrounding Makoto Karuta remained, and the ripples of his Rinnegan slowly rotated as he coldly watched the figure that had been blasted away.
A swirling face mask, a Sharingan visible in one eye, and a black cloak fluttering in the repulsive force.
Obito steadied himself, his single eye beneath the mask fixed intently on Makoto Karatachi.
He never expected that Makoto Kojima would react so quickly.
In that instant, he did indeed have the intention to kill. Taking advantage of the gap between Makoto and Hanzo's entanglement, he used the connection between Kamui and the space to deliver a fatal blow the moment Makoto used Hollowfication!
However, Makoto Kuraki sensed the danger almost the instant he made his move and immediately activated Shinra Tensei to deflect his attack!
"interesting."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Gouju Makoto's lips as his Rinnegan slowly rotated, taking in the surrounding spatial structure.
"I never imagined that our divine power spaces were actually connected."
"You got away last time, but this time you've delivered yourself right to my doorstep. Are you ready to die?"