radicalducati Chapter 305 This time, she stood in the sunlight.
Chapter 305 This time, she stood in the sunlight.
Chapter 305 This time, she stood in the sunlight.
on the screen.
Rope Tree walked ahead, carrying a supply box on his shoulder.
He walked briskly, greeting people on the roadside every few steps.
"Auntie! Today's harvest is pretty good!"
The vegetable vendor looked up and immediately smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescents. "Oh my, isn't this Young Master Sheng Shu? Going to the orphanage again? Grab a couple of cucumbers to munch on the way, don't go hungry!"
"I'm not taking it! Last time I took it, you said you wouldn't charge me, and my older sister will scold me again if she finds out." Rope Tree grinned and waved his hand. "I'll buy it when I get back, I'll buy it when I get back!"
Having just dealt with the older woman, the patrolling Chunin nodded to him familiarly and said, "Nawaki, be careful on the road, there are a lot of people at the village entrance today."
"Understood!" Rope Tree saluted, not forgetting to shout to the group of children chasing after the paper windmills, "Be careful!"
Hearing his voice, the children all turned around and called out in unison, "Brother Rope Tree!"
A scene of peaceful hustle and bustle.
However, he followed his pocket, seemingly oblivious to all of this.
He too was carrying a box, his gaze lowered. The further he walked, the more familiar the street scenes around him made him tremble—
He's been here before.
He belongs here.
Dou kept repeating to himself: This is just a dream.
However, as they went further, they found it increasingly difficult to convince themselves of such a thought.
He tried to keep his breathing steady.
Don't think about anything else.
Don't pay attention to things that are no longer there.
Just as he turned a familiar street corner, Dou's view suddenly opened up.
A relatively open space appeared in front of us, and at the end of the space, a building stood quietly.
It was significantly larger than Dou remembered, and also newer and more organized.
The exterior walls are clean, the window glass is sparkling clean, and there is a small flower bed surrounded by a low fence at the entrance, planted with some common flowers and plants, not brightly colored, but full of life.
It was completely different from the simple orphanage in Konoha that he remembered, which looked like a few planks pieced together.
No matter how the appearance changes, the simple wooden sign hanging under the porch is still there.
Konoha Orphanage.
Dou's steps suddenly stopped, and he froze on the spot.
A strong urge to escape surged within me, and I turned and left, the farther the better.
He could even imagine that he could leave everything behind with just one step.
Just like before, let go completely, pretending you never had it and never lost it.
But his feet felt like they were nailed to the ground.
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +1000!]
"Huh? Kabuto, why are you stopping?"
Rope Tree took two steps and then realized something was wrong. He immediately stopped and turned around.
He saw that Dou's face had turned pale, as if his soul had been taken away, and his eyes were fixed on the gate of the orphanage.
Rope Tree frowned, confusion piling up on his face. He leaned closer to the pocket and waved his hand in front of it.
"Dou? Are you alright?"
"You look terrible—are you still suffering from the aftereffects of the experiment?"
Rope Tree recalled the scene of Kabuto's right arm going berserk, and his heart tightened. He immediately tilted the box on his shoulder higher, as if he was ready to take it over at any moment.
"Why don't you rest here for a bit? I can take the things in myself."
The concerned voices seemed to come from across the sea.
Dou felt as if he had sunk to the bottom of the sea, his ears ringing, and he opened his mouth but could not utter a complete syllable.
Dou could only shake his head very slightly, as if to say that he was fine.
But the movements were too stiff, and instead looked like an unconscious tremor.
Rope Tree grew even more anxious: "You don't look like you're alright at all—"
Squeak.
A soft sound came from inside the door.
Someone heard the commotion outside through the half-open wooden door of the orphanage and slowly walked out, standing in the light and shadow under the porch.
She was holding a clean rag in her hand, seemingly cleaning up, and only came out to check after hearing the noise.
The woman was tall and slender, dressed in a clean and elegant light-colored dress, with a faded apron tied around her neck.
Her dark brown hair was simply tied back, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears. She wore round-framed glasses on the bridge of her nose, behind which were gentle and clear eyes. When she smiled, the corners of her eyes would curve slightly, like the first pool of water to thaw in spring after winter.
She looked up and saw who was outside the door. Her face immediately lit up with a delighted smile. She said gently, "It's Nawaki and Kabuto. You've arrived! I was just thinking you should be here soon. Come in quickly."
Yakushi Nono.
She stood there in the sunlight, under the sign of Konoha Kokiin.
Dou felt as if he had been punched in the chest, and his breath stopped for a moment.
Dean, she's alive.
She was wearing clean clothes and familiar glasses.
Dou's throat became even drier. He subconsciously tried to adjust his glasses, but found that his arm was so stiff it didn't feel like his own; he couldn't even lift it.
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +800!]
Nawaki looked at the gentle-smiling Nono, then at the swaying Kabuto beside her, her face filled with confusion.
"Kabuto—what's wrong with you today?"
Rope Tree's mind raced, and the more he thought about it, the less he understood. Kabuto had been acting strangely ever since he left the lab, and now that he had met the dean, his expression was even more peculiar.
Nono also noticed Kabuto's unusual behavior.
The smile on her face faded, and worry quickly appeared between her brows. She put down the rag, took two steps forward, and stopped in front of the pocket.
"Dou, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Her gaze fell on Dou's pale face. "You look so pale—come on, come in and sit down, have some water."
At that moment, the boundary between dreams and reality seemed to be erased, collapsing without warning.
Kabuto stood at the entrance of the Konoha Orphanage, in front of the director, in this world that was both dazzlingly beautiful and cruelly real.
He didn't know what to do.
Dou's gaze moved from her face to the building behind her, then laboriously returned to her face.
Her smile, her eyes, all overlapped perfectly with the dean who had given him his name deep in his memory.
But they are not exactly the same.
The dean in my memory always had an indescribable weariness in her eyes. That weariness was not due to the trivialities of management, but rather as if she was carrying some inescapable shadow, walking between two paths, neither of which belonged to her.
The person in front of me, Nono, has clear and peaceful eyes, a smile that reaches deep into her eyes, and she looks as if she has been bathed in sunlight, clean and calm.
Most importantly, she was looking at him.
He wasn't looking at a child, nor at a strange ninja, but at Kabuto Yakushi.
His gaze was familiar, as if he were looking at a child who had been away from home for a long time and had finally returned.
Dou's heart suddenly raced because of that gaze.
In this world, there is no conspiracy by Shimura Danzo.
A dark pact without roots.
There was no ending where they turned against each other amidst orders and lies.
She is the dean.
He was her adopted child.
She recognized him.
This realization shocked him more than the orphanage's brand-new exterior walls, and was even more difficult to process than any experimental data.
What he desperately wanted to obtain but lost forever has been remembered and recognized.
It was now laid out before him in such an obvious way, as if the world were mocking all his struggles in that world.
Kabuto avoided Nono's gaze and said stiffly, "I—I'm fine, it's just that I haven't been here in a long time—"
'
Seeing that he had recovered somewhat, Nonou's smile returned.
"That's understandable, it was quite small here when you came last time."
As she spoke, she looked into the courtyard and said gratefully, "It's all thanks to that boy, Nawaki. He's so kind and often brings the Senju clan members over to help."
"They helped me apply for the reconstruction of this new building, and they also cultivated the small vegetable garden in the back. They also donated many of the toys and furniture."
At this point, Nono couldn't help but laugh and said, "Nawaki is very popular here."
Rope Tree was a little embarrassed by the praise, scratched the back of his head and said, "Oh, no, no—Dean, please stop praising me."
As soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to suddenly remember why he had come, and quickly steered the conversation back to business.
"Oh right, I'll move my things inside first!"
Rope Tree turned around and decisively took the box from his shoulder as well.
Dou instinctively wanted to say that he would do it himself, but before he could finish speaking, Sheng Shu had already hoisted the two boxes of supplies onto his shoulders and stepped into the orphanage.
He naturally left the space by the entrance to the dean and Dou.
Rope Tree's figure had just disappeared inside the door.
A burst of cheerful children's noise rang out.
"Rope Tree Brother is here!"
"Brother Rope Tree! What good stuff did you bring this time?!"
"I want candy! Like the fruit candy from last time!"
"Me too! Me too!"
Dou stood outside the door, looking inside from a few steps away.
The front hall was much brighter than he remembered, the floor was spotless, and the walls were covered with children's crooked drawings. As soon as Rope Tree entered, he was surrounded by children, three or four layers deep, as if he had suddenly been surrounded by small animals.
He squatted down, a smile on his face, and frantically dealt with the children's "attack".
"Slow down, slow down! Everyone has one!"
Rope Tree opened the box with a smile. Inside, besides rice, flour, and cooking oil, there were several small cloth bags and wooden boxes stuffed full.
He pulled out handfuls of colorful fruit candies, laid out small wooden toys on the ground, and stuffed bundles of colored crayons into the children's arms.
To Kabuto's surprise, Nawaki was able to call out quite a few of the children's names.
"Ah Chun, you said you didn't have enough crayons last time, so I'll get you two extra this time. Don't always take other people's."
"Little Ji, don't push! Don't you like the wooden pony? Here, take this."
"Ashin, you can take the candy, but don't take the ball. We'll all kick it together later."
The children cheered with joy as they received their gifts.
The bolder ones pounced on Rope Tree and hugged his legs, giggling uncontrollably.
Rope Tree didn't mind at all, laughing heartily and casually touching his head, the movement perfectly natural.
The entire lobby was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Dou stood outside the door, his face still expressionless.
However, the gaze behind the glasses involuntarily followed Rope Tree's movements.
That kind of genuine closeness and joy cannot be faked.
Here, Nawaki is neither the high and mighty young master of the Senju clan nor a disciple of Lord Orochimaru.
He is a big brother who is loved and trusted by children.
Kabuto had to admit that Orochimaru's disciple did indeed have his unique strengths.
This infectious power, at times, may be more difficult to deal with and more valuable than overwhelming force.
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +90!]
"What a kind and gentle child, isn't he?"
Nono's voice rang out beside Kabuto.
Coming to her senses, she realized that Nono had also turned her gaze back at her at some point. She had a relieved smile on her face and looked at Nawaki as if he were her own child.
Then, she turned her attention back to the pocket.
She seemed to realize that Dou was still standing outside the door and had no intention of going in.
Nonou leaned forward slightly, raised her hand, and gently touched Kabuto's lowered head.
The gesture carried the comforting feeling of an elder towards a younger person; the warmth of the palm sent a shiver down Dou's spine.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly. "Aren't you going in? They'll be so happy to see you back. You haven't been back in so long, have you?"
Kabuto's body tensed up in that instant.
Many fragments suddenly flashed through his mind: the subtle changes in Lord Orochimaru after returning from the dream, and the occasional interest he showed in another possibility.
Those unsettling details seemed to be strung together by a thread at this moment.
It turned out to be the case.
This dream is so deceptive.
It's not a simple illusion, but a straightforward presentation of your inner desires, another kind of reality.
Kabuto suddenly understood Orochimaru's change.
This understanding brought not relief, but a chilling cold.
Even a scientist as rational as Orochimaru, who is almost cold-blooded and regards eternity and truth as his faith, might waver after personally experiencing such a dream.
What about him?
Can he hold on?
Kabuto looked up and saw Nono's gaze fixed on his face. There was no pressure, no questioning, only patient waiting.
Dou's throat moved.
He finally nodded slowly.
"it is good."
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
The dream has ended.
Shi Yu leaned against the headboard, staring at the settlement notification that popped up on the system panel, and muttered, "Today's wave—"
—That's good.
The system panel vibrated slightly, and a familiar notification sound rang out.
[The Dream Master System has been successfully upgraded!]
[Congratulations, host, you have reached level 22]
Please select one of the following enhancement effects:
[1. Dream Goal +1]
[2. Audience size +2]
[3. Upgraded Seating in the Dream Screening Room (Note: Improved comfort for standard seats)]
Shi Yu glanced at it, her expression calm.
There aren't any fancy new features.
He raised his hand and tapped the first item to confirm, without even hesitating.
You can never have too many dreams to achieve.
"Kabuto's reaction was good."
"The world where Nawaki didn't die is surprisingly nice."
pity.
Unstable secondary dungeons, no matter how appealing they may seem, are only temporary.
As Shi Yu was pondering this, a sudden idea struck her.
correct.
Dream Editor.
He hadn't used the thing he got from the upgrade, but today was the perfect day to use it.
Shi Yu pulled the system panel back to the dungeon interface, his gaze sweeping over several dungeon icons before finally settling on one of them.
"Let's use the Kakashi dungeon."
He had just finished working on that instance, and the timeline was aligned. Changing this point would most likely not affect Kakashi's side.
He dragged out the Dream Editor, and a confirmation box popped up on the panel.
[Use the dream editor?]
[Note: You can modify a specific node in the Dream Realm instance once more.]
"use."
The moment it was confirmed, a dense array of nodes appeared.
Without hesitation, Shi Yu clicked on a certain node.
[Node modification: Confirmed.]
He felt even better when he saw the system notification indicating that the process had ended.
As for the newly added dream-realization goals.
Without much thought, he directly selected the name from the list.
Orochimaru.
Shigure stared at Orochimaru's portrait and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"This world still holds many surprises for Orochimaru."
time flies.
the next day.
early morning.
The underground laboratory in Otogaku Village.
Kabuto slowly opened his eyes from the bed.
It's still the same familiar ceiling.
But the scenes in my dream last night were so vivid they were almost unbelievable.
Sunlight at the entrance of the orphanage.
The dean's glasses.
The laughter of children.
The image shows Rope Tree squatting on the ground, distributing candy.
Dou stared at the ceiling for two seconds, his lips involuntarily curving upwards, and he even let out a very short, silly grin, something that was unusual for him.
That smile lasted only a very short time.
As if he had suddenly realized something, the slight curve on his face froze the next second.
Dou suddenly sat up in bed, raised his hand, and vigorously rubbed his cheeks, as if he wanted to crush that ridiculous thing that shouldn't have happened.
"Yakushi Kabuto, oh Yakushi Kabuto!"
He cursed himself in his heart.
"How could you be so depraved!"
The eyes behind the lenses quickly regained their usual sharpness and coldness.
He recalled his original intention in entering the dream.
observe.
analysis.
Gather intelligence.
Assess the impact of this anomalous space on reality.
Especially its potential impact on Lord Orochimaru.
But what did he do?
From the moment she met Nawaki, to her loss of composure at the orphanage gate, and then to her passivity and breakdown when facing the living Director Nonou.
He was almost led by the nose by his dream.
Forgot to observe.
I forgot to analyze it.
I forgot the mission.
We didn't get any valuable intelligence.
Dou shook his head vigorously, threw off the covers, got up briskly, made the bed, and got dressed.
No, I can't be fooled.
Dreams are false projections.
It is an elaborately woven trap.
It's a trick used to undermine willpower and exploit weaknesses.
He kept repeating it to himself.
As Orochimaru's right-hand man, the real battlefield is here, in reality, right beside Orochimaru.
Dou took a deep breath, pushed open the door to the lounge, and walked towards the familiar laboratory.
Everything felt so familiar and reassuring.
However, the moment he grasped the lab doorknob, a strange feeling crept up his spine.
Dou felt a sudden chill.
He stopped what he was doing and listened intently.
There was no sound inside.
Dou concealed his aura, pushed the door open wider, and cautiously scanned the room with his eyes.
Under the operating light, in front of the lab bench, a figure stood quietly with his back to the door.
It's Lord Orochimaru.
He arrived much earlier than usual, and unusually, he wasn't wearing his signature kimono. Instead, he casually wore a researcher's robe, his long hair loose and slightly disheveled over his shoulders.
Orochimaru lowered his head, staring intently at a file with yellowed pages.