radicalducati Chapter 259 Haki panics, Kakashi's cleverness backfires and he's outsmarted.
Chapter 259 Haki panics, Kakashi's cleverness backfires and he's outsmarted.
Chapter 259 Haki is in a panic, Kakashi's cleverness backfires and he's completely outmaneuvered.
As soon as Madara Uchiha finished speaking, light and shadow flickered on the huge screen in the center of the Dream Theater.
The screen's eerie blue glow illuminated the surrounding darkness, revealing the silhouettes of a few figures in the audience.
Immediately afterwards, light and shadow converged on the screen behind the Uchiha Madara section, revealing a chibi-style Uchiha Madara with his arms crossed and a cold expression.
Jiraiya's gaze swept quickly across the figures in the dimly lit stands as he rapidly calculated in his mind.
There are three of us on our side, and three Uchiha on the other side, so our numbers are equal—but Itachi is one of us!
He took a deep breath and immediately turned his gaze to Uchiha Itachi, who was sitting at the edge of the Uchiha camp, trying to convey some message with his eyes.
Just then, Itachi Uchiha also calmly looked over.
Jiraiya shook his head slightly, without making a sound.
A hint of doubt flashed in Itachi's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and subtly indicated that he understood.
Seeing that Itachi understood, Jiraiya smiled confidently, thinking to himself.
Very good, this time Itachi doesn't need to reveal his identity.
He then exchanged a glance with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kakashi beside him.
As seasoned veterans of the Dream Theater, the three were very familiar with these voting rules.
If the final vote count is tied, the side that reaches three votes first will be declared the winner.
If used properly, this rule might be the key to their comeback.
Without any hesitation, the three members of Konoha announced their choices almost simultaneously.
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately said, "I choose Hashirama Senju."
Jiraiya followed suit: "I also choose Hashirama Senju."
Kakashi's final words were: "I surrender to Hashirama Senju."
As the three finished speaking, three dots of light immediately lit up behind the Senju Hashirama option on the screen, and three chibi-style portraits appeared one after another.
These are miniature versions of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and Kakashi.
In a very short time, Hashirama jumped to three votes.
This sudden reversal caused Madara Uchiha's face to darken abruptly.
A cold, sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he coldly turned his gaze to Obito, who had remained silent.
"Obito!" Madara Uchiha's voice was icy and chilling. "What are you waiting for?!"
Startled by Madara Uchiha's low shout, Obito's body trembled violently, as if he had been forcibly awakened from some deep thoughts.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Obito have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Beneath the mask, his face was filled with struggle.
Obito certainly didn't want to see the First Hokage, Madara Uchiha, actually come to life.
In a sense, he was even more afraid of the spot.
But now that Edo Tensei Madara is right beside him, how could he dare to make any rash moves?
Kakashi took in Obito's subtle changes in expression. Seeing that Obito was in a dilemma, he narrowed his eyes, and a thought suddenly came to mind.
"!"
He slowly stood up, his gaze passing over the screen in the center of the theater and landing on Uchiha Madara, and said firmly, "You don't need to waste your energy."
Inside the theater, everyone's attention was drawn to Kakashi's unexpected move.
"The rule is that the first side to get three votes wins. Now that Lord Hashirama has three votes, it will be in vain even if you cast your remaining two votes for Madara Uchiha."
"Tomorrow, it will only be Lord Hashirama who arrives!"
Upon hearing this, Madara Uchiha frowned sharply!
However, he quickly suppressed the surprise and doubt on his face and regained his usual calm and arrogance.
Madara Uchiha crossed his arms dismissively and scoffed, "Hmph—a childish trick! You think such a clumsy lie can fool me?!"
Jiraiya didn't understand why Kakashi suddenly made that statement, but he still cooperated tacitly.
He shrugged, adopting a nonchalant attitude, and lazily echoed, "Believe it or not, it's up to you. The outcome is already decided, so it doesn't matter whether you vote or not."
As Kakashi and Jiraiya finished speaking, Obito felt a sudden sense of relief.
Is that how it is?
Since the outcome is already predetermined, I don't need to make things difficult for myself anymore.
Obito's inner struggle seemed to have found a way out at this moment.
Yes, if Hashirama has already won, then it doesn't matter how I throw the ball. This way, I can avoid disobeying Madara Uchiha's orders and prevent Madara Uchiha from actually appearing in reality.
Thinking about it this way, he immediately felt much more relaxed.
Obito slowly raised his head and cast a grateful glance in Kakashi's direction.
He then turned to the screen, appearing much calmer and regaining his usual low and composed demeanor.
"I choose—Uchiha Madara."
Madara Uchiha narrowed his eyes and stared at Obito, but seeing that the latter's voice was steady, the coldness on his face softened slightly.
on the screen.
After Madara Uchiha made his choice, another light appeared, and a chibi-style figure wearing a tiger-skin mask appeared next to Madara Uchiha's portrait.
Obito's vote has been counted.
Sitting to the side, Itachi Uchiha quietly watched this scene, a look of realization suddenly appearing in his eyes.
"I see—Jiraiya's earlier hint was because he already knew the rules and was confident of victory."
He understood why Kakashi and Jiraiya were so calm.
Since Hashirama's side secured three votes first, even if the votes are tied in the end, the system will still determine Hashirama as the winner.
Thinking of this, a hint of admiration flashed in Itachi's eyes, admiring the two's quick thinking on the spot.
At the same time, he no longer hesitated and said calmly, "I also choose Uchiha Madara."
As Itachi spoke, a faint light appeared on the screen, and a chibi-style black-haired boy with a cold expression appeared next to Obito's image. It was Itachi Uchiha's symbolic figure.
At this point, Madara Uchiha's vote count has reached three!
"It's now a tie, three votes to three!"
in the audience.
Someone whispered the result before them.
On the Konoha side, the three who had been slightly relaxed suddenly froze.
Jiraiya's relaxed smile froze instantly. He stared at the screen that was still flashing numbers, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
—What happened?
He lowered his voice and asked Kakashi beside him in confusion, "Kakashi? Shouldn't this be over?"
Kakashi's brows furrowed, his eyes filled with vigilance.
"Something's wrong—something's not right!"
Logically, the voting should have ended by now, but the screen hasn't announced the results yet. Could it be that...?
"Ha ha ha ha----"
A low laugh suddenly broke the silence in the theater, interrupting their thoughts!
Madara Uchiha slowly stood up, tilted his head back, and let out a series of hearty laughs.
"Hahaha!"
Laughter echoed through the empty theater, sounding particularly eerie.
After laughing, Madara Uchiha glanced contemptuously at the three Konoha members whose expressions had suddenly changed, his voice extremely mocking.
"madness!"
His eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he shouted sternly, "Of course it's because there are still people who haven't voted!"
Before Madara Uchiha could finish speaking, a sudden and unexpected change occurred on the screen!
Below the Uchiha Madara option, where there was originally only room for three chibi avatars, a small, twisted, writhing black shadow appeared without warning.
The shadowy figure was as blurry as ink, its outline constantly expanding and shrinking, making it impossible to discern its exact human form.
But then, as a dark figure appeared, Madara Uchiha's votes jumped from "3" to "4".
I
boom!
A dazzling display of fireworks suddenly burst forth, filling the entire screen!
Multicolored light illuminated the theater, and accompanied by rousing background music, countless golden fireworks exploded and danced in the air.
Amidst the dazzling light and shadow, a line of striking large characters appeared in the center of the screen.
Today's vote results: Uchiha Madara! Stay tuned!
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Obito have been detected! Emotional value +600!]
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Itachi Uchiha have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
[Ding! Jiraiya's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
[Ding! An emotional fluctuation from Hiruzen Sarutobi has been detected! Emotional value +600!]
[Ding! Kakashi Hatake's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
"Wh-what?!"
Jiraiya suddenly jumped up from his seat and screamed.
Four votes?!
"How is this possible?!"
Jiraiya felt a buzzing in his head and for a moment almost doubted that he was seeing the wrong screen.
There were clearly only six people in the audience, so where did the seventh vote come from?!
"No—that can't be possible—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was also horrified, his eyes fixed on the screen, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.
"Oh no—!"
Kakashi's face turned deathly pale.
The composure she had shown earlier was completely gone.
broken!
Madara Uchiha received four votes.
This result means...
At this moment, Obito was completely stunned, his mind blank.
In the end, he was caught up in the worst possible outcome!
Uchiha Itachi remained seated in a corner of the audience, outwardly calm, but his hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched quietly.
Just when everyone was stunned speechless by this amazing reversal.
Madara Uchiha's sleeves fell down, and a sinister chuckle quietly escaped his lips: "Heh heh—My lord, wasn't my vote timely enough?"
The dazzling light on the screen quickly dimmed in the astonished gazes of the three Konoha members, and the celebratory music also dissipated.
Finally, with a whoosh, the giant screen returned to a deathly darkness.
The dream has ended.
Konoha Village.
-
The entire village was still shrouded in the morning mist.
Only a few breakfast shops had their dim lights on.
The outline of Fire Shadow Rock is faintly visible in the distance, silently overlooking the sleeping village.
The wide streets were deserted, without a single person in sight.
Only the occasional clear bird song broke the tranquility.
A cool morning breeze swept by as Sasuke wandered aimlessly through the empty street.
Sasuke lowered his head, his dark, tousled hair casting shadows on his forehead, obscuring his expression.
"I'm awake again—"
He sighed silently to himself.
Since the last incident, Sasuke hasn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.
Unless he re-enters that bizarre dream, he always wakes up suddenly before dawn and is unable to fall back asleep.
In his dream, Nii-san was indeed still alive, but—thinking of this, Sasuke's eyes dimmed.
However, the brother who was resurrected in the dream could no longer recognize his real self.
The way he looked at me was no different from how he looked at Sasuke in my dream.
Sasuke let out a long sigh, his breath, like a white mist, flashing and disappearing in the cool air.
After all, in reality not long ago, Nissan in his dream had truly accepted him.
The older brother who emerged from the dream finally acknowledged his younger brother's existence and became Sasuke's real-life brother, not just another Sasuke's older brother in the dream.
Because I had received such warmth, I felt even emptier after waking up.
At this moment, an indescribable sense of loss, along with the biting chill of the early morning, seeped into every cell of Sasuke's body.
He wandered aimlessly, his mind a jumble of thoughts.
The sky gradually turned a pale white.
When Sasuke came to his senses, he found himself at the end of a familiar yet unfamiliar path.
At the end of the path ahead stood a dilapidated Uchiha gate, with remnants of the Uchiha clan's fan-shaped crest still faintly visible on the door.
Sasuke paused, then looked up and around.
He had unknowingly wandered here.
Standing in front of his long-abandoned mansion, Sasuke was momentarily stunned.
The dilapidated wooden door was tightly shut, and the mottled scratches and peeling paint on the door panel testified to the erosion of time.
Sasuke stood quietly outside the door for a very long time, his chest churning with complex emotions.
In my dream, this house was a warm and well-maintained home that my mother took care of meticulously, but in reality, it had long been completely abandoned and dilapidated.
Finally, as if he had made up his mind, Sasuke slowly reached out and pushed towards the creaking, dilapidated old door.
The door hinges, having been unused for a long time, emitted a harsh creaking sound.
With a slight push, Sasuke opened the door a crack wide enough for one person to pass through.
The scene inside the gate was even more desolate than it appeared from the outside.
The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, which grew so wildly that they almost reached the boy's knees.
The once exquisite and elegant corridor is now dilapidated, with dense gray-white spider webs hanging from the pillars and beams, swaying gently in the wind.
Sasuke stood at the threshold, quietly surveying the desolate and bleak landscape before him.
His dark eyes were complex and unfathomable.
Strangely, however, he did not feel the expected grief or anger; instead, he felt an unusual calm.
Anyway—I can't sleep.
Sasuke lowered his head, thinking to himself, and pulled a sharp kunai from his ninja tool pouch at his waist.
He walked into the abandoned courtyard, stopped at the most overgrown spot of weeds, took a deep breath, and then slowly squatted down. He aimed the kunai at the roots of the stubbornly growing weeds at his feet and began to carefully clean them.
The sharp kunai cut through the tangled roots of the grass with a soft swishing sound. With each clump of weeds cut, glistening sap splattered out, and a faint, fresh scent mixed with the smell of earth permeated the air.
Sasuke's movements were meticulous and composed.
He remembered Kakashi telling him that the Uchiha ancestral home had now been transferred to his name.
This news brought Sasuke a strange sense of peace.
At least, he now has a place in Konoha that truly belongs to him.
So, it's always good to take care of your home, right?
As Sasuke cleaned, he thought to himself, a faint sense of relief appearing on his lips.
For him, this was not just a simple matter of cleaning the yard, but more like a ritual.
Focusing on the simple, repetitive work at hand gradually calmed his chaotic mind, and the heavy weight pressing on his chest lightened as the weeds were cut down one by one.
After a period of hard work, his originally depressed mood seemed to be relieved little by little with the dripping sweat.
Sasuke's eyes were much brighter than before, and the lingering sense of loss seemed to fade away with each swing of his kunai.
When the weeds piled up into a small hill, and a small, open flat area was finally cleared in front of him, Sasuke straightened up and let out a long breath.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked down at the old stone slabs covered in moss at his feet, and a rare sense of peace welled up in his heart.
However, at that very moment!
A faint sound suddenly came from deep within the old house behind us!
"who!"
Sasuke suddenly turned around, his dark eyes narrowed sharply, his pupils instantly turning crimson, and his Sharingan glowed almost like his hair standing on end.
He held his breath and stared intently at the dimly lit interior of the house.
How come there are people here?
Sasuke felt a chill run down his spine, almost wondering if his tense nerves were making a mistake.
He suppressed his surprise and doubt, secretly mobilized his chakra, and slowly approached the corridor.
Just now, that sound clearly came from inside the house!
Could it be—?
Sasuke gritted his teeth, gripped his kunai tightly, and ran quickly into the house, carefully but unable to contain his excitement!