Chapter 290 Naruto in a Dream: Actually, I envy you too.
Chapter 290 Naruto in a Dream: Actually, I envy you too.
Chapter 290 Naruto in a Dream: Actually, I envy you too.
Unlike before.
In Nagato's heart, the impulse to "let the world feel a bag of rice" and "suppress all wars with absolute violence" is no longer as intense as before.
In another world, the companions reunite, and the war-torn country is redeemed in a sense.
Even if the future remains uncertain, at least the path is no longer simply about relieving pain with pain.
Moreover, a few days ago, he personally witnessed another possibility in Kakashi's dream.
Nagato suddenly realized that her past choices, which she had taken for granted, might not have been the right ones.
If you rush to push everyone into your own imagined peace before you've even seen the truth, how are you any different from the Konoha high-ranking officials who once forced them to their doom?
At this moment, what he wants to do more is to buy time and see the truth behind the fog, rather than blindly embarking on a path that seems to lead to his ideals but is actually full of pitfalls.
The hall fell silent again, with only the sound of continuous rain outside the window.
Payne's voice broke the silence.
"Even if you find new members, the Ring of the Sky has already been lost with Orochimaru's defection. Without the Ten Commandments, the ritual of the Nine Seals of the Illusionary Dragon will still be affected."
Before he could finish speaking, a look of "I knew it" flashed across Obito's eyes.
He seemed to have been waiting for these words, and chuckled softly.
"Oh."
The next moment, he raised his right hand, a ring held firmly between his index finger and thumb, dangling lazily.
The ring reflected a cold light in the dim light, and its material was exactly the same as the Zero Ring on Payne's finger.
However, the word engraved on the front of this ring is different.
--null.
It is precisely the precept of emptiness.
Payne's usually calm face froze almost imperceptibly.
"He even knows this—" Xiao Nan exclaimed inwardly.
Inside the tower, the three stood in silent confrontation, each lost in their own thoughts.
Obito casually tossed the ring up and caught it accurately.
"You don't need to worry about the ring."
He raised his head, and through the only hole in the mask, the Sharingan stared silently at Pain.
The Rinnegan and Sharingan collided silently in the air.
Nagato's sense of unease grew stronger; the other party knew far too much.
Everything about dreams, about Konoha, and even about Madara Uchiha himself.
"I see."
Payne spoke calmly, without saying anything more.
Outside the tower, the rain fell like a curtain.
The land of grass, underground caves.
boom!
The dull thud of a fist colliding with the rock wall echoed within the cave.
Sasuke was panting heavily, his whole body was soaked in sweat and mud, his short black hair was messily stuck to his forehead, and sweat dripped down his chin in a line.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
He was panting heavily, but he didn't stop.
boom!boom!
He repeatedly pounded the rock wall with his scarred fists, tearing his skin and flesh.
With a sudden sweep of his other leg, he whipped across the massive stalactite, shattering the hard rock and sending fragments flying.
not enough.
Far from enough!
There was a voice roaring inside my body.
We need strength.
We need absolute power to tear apart all conspiracies and crush all enemies underfoot!
The truth about Itachi, the truth about the Uchiha clan, the truth about Konoha —
All of this weighed heavily on Sasuke's mind, almost crushing him.
Sasuke's eyes were bloodshot, and the tomoe of his Sharingan spun wildly in his pupils.
He almost forgot where he was, only his fists and feet kept swinging, and the pain from his bones hitting the rocks.
"Ugh————"
My vision started to darken.
After managing to raise his arm one last time to throw a punch, he could no longer lift it, and his knee buckled.
He fell forward like a puppet with its strings cut, crashing heavily onto the cold, muddy ground, splashing up a large amount of dirty water.
Consciousness was completely plunged into darkness.
In the shadows deep within the cave.
A tall, thin figure stood with his arms crossed, silently looking down at the boy's body lying in the mud.
The patterns on the Rinnegan shimmered faintly in the dim light.
Madara Uchiha coldly scrutinized the unconscious Sasuke.
Not bad!
Hatred and obsession have been sharpened to the point that they can cut through any unnecessary hesitation.
Only such a vessel is worthy to hold the future of the Uchiha clan.
He stood there, seemingly blending into his surroundings, his presence almost imperceptible, yet giving one the illusion that if you looked up, you would be rooted to the spot by those eyes.
Just then.
The sound of light footsteps came from the entrance of the cave.
Along with each footstep, there was an indescribable, slippery smell, like a snake rubbing against the rock face.
Madara Uchiha slowly turned his head.
From the shadows of the narrow passage, a figure slowly emerged.
She wore a loose white kimono with a striking purple sash around her waist. Her skin was so pale it was almost sickly, and her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall.
What is most striking are his long, narrow, golden vertical pupils.
Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin.
Madara Uchiha frowned slightly.
Clearly, Orochimaru's sudden visit was not part of his plan.
"What are you doing here, you brat?" His voice was clearly displeased.
Orochimaru, however, seemed not to have heard him at all. He merely glanced at him and said in a sinister tone, "Hehehe—such a familiar aura, Lord Madara."
His gaze swept over Madara Uchiha, and when it landed on Sasuke on the ground, his snake-like eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
Orochimaru licked his lips.
"This is truly a rare find; I'm just here to reclaim what's rightfully mine."
"I made considerable preparations to resurrect you. Now that you stand in this world again in such a state, you must be well aware of the value of this forbidden technique."
"However, the reward that Jue promised me seems to be far from what I expected."
Madara Uchiha did not respond immediately, but simply looked down at him quietly.
"White Zetsu," Orochimaru continued, speaking slowly, "Zetsu said he would give me a few of those creatures with special constitutions as research material."
"And the result? The sample I received had a pitifully small amount of basic chakra, but its vitality was vigorous—interesting as it may be, it was far from satisfactory to me."
The previous test report of the pharmacist was still vividly etched in his memory.
Even if we follow the old path and focus our research on the Uchiha clan, introducing White Zetsu could indeed alleviate the strain on the Sharingan.
But that size of sample was not enough to truly surprise him.
"It's one thing if this is how you treat me," Orochimaru suddenly changed the subject, "If Madara, the legendary warlord who was on par with the First Hokage, also intends to view our cooperation in this way, then I'm rather disheartened."
Madara Uchiha looked down at him coldly, his expression so indifferent it could be described as contemptuous.
Do you think you have the right to bargain with me?
Orochimaru didn't seem surprised by Madara Uchiha's reaction.
He licked his lips.
His gaze once again drifted almost imperceptibly towards the unconscious Sasuke.
He said in a nonchalant tone, "If you don't have that kind of white experimental material."
Naked greed gleamed in the snake's eyes.
"Then exchanging him for that brat behind you is also acceptable."
"presumptuous!"
Orochimaru's words hadn't even finished.
A terrifying killing intent suddenly flashed in Madara Uchiha's eyes: "You, a mere vermin, dare to covet my things?!"
A chilling, terrifying killing intent instantly enveloped the entire cavern. The next instant, the tall figure had already moved like a ghost to Orochimaru's front.
A side kick imbued with terrifying power suddenly magnified from the edge of the field of vision!
The whistling sound almost tore the air apart.
boom!!!
Orochimaru's head exploded instantly.
However, there was no bloodshed.
From the shattered neck, long, thin, venomous snakes surged forth in a frenzy.
Green, black, red — patterns of various colors, densely packed.
The headless body collapsed limply to the ground, then transformed into a swarm of wriggling snakes, as if what had just stood there was merely a humanoid husk pieced together from countless snakes.
"Tsk."
Madara Uchiha withdrew his leg, raised an eyebrow, and his face was full of annoyance.
It seemed as if the kick had landed not on an enemy, but on something dirty.
On the cave floor, the center of the writhing swarm of snakes slowly bulged.
A small purple snake, about the thickness of a finger, slowly poked its head out, raised its upper body, and hissed with its tongue.
"Hehehe——————" A familiar hoarse voice spilled from the snake's mouth, "Why is Lord Madara so angry?"
""
The golden vertical pupils in the little purple snake's eyes narrowed, appearing both cunning and pleased.
"I will no longer use my true form to meet you dangerous Uchiha."
Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan stared coldly at the small snake.
"A boring trick."
His tone was filled with genuine contempt.
The little purple snake wasn't hurt by those words; instead, its smile deepened.
"It seems Lord Madara hasn't completely forgotten our agreement." It stuck out its tongue slightly, its voice suddenly turning cold. "I never imagined that the mighty Uchiha Madara would actually renege on his promise."
"You don't actually think that I, Orochimaru, would come to you unprepared and demand payment, do you?"
Madara Uchiha's pupils contracted slightly, and he let out a low sneer: "Prepare? You think you can restrain me, Madara Uchiha, with the Impure World Reincarnation?"
Even so, his thoughts flashed back to the scene of his battle with Hokage Madara not long ago.
That man was far more troublesome than he had anticipated.
This brat's achievements in forbidden arts research are far from being something that can be discarded at will.
Moreover, the Impure World Reincarnation technique—
Madara Uchiha was silent for half a second.
The killing intent surged in Samsara's Eyes, then gradually receded.
"snort."
He waved his hand gently.
The ground beneath my feet made a soft, churning sound, as if the soil was churning.
Not far in front of the purple snake, the hard stone ground rippled like water, with one ridge after another rising up.
Immediately afterwards, ten tall, white figures slowly rose from the ground.
Their skin was deathly pale, their features stiff and lifeless, their eyes vacant, yet they wore an almost wooden smile.
However, unlike ordinary White Zetsu.
Their physiques were noticeably more robust, with muscle lines subtly undulating beneath their clothing, and an unusual chakra fluctuation emanating from their bodies, far exceeding the concentration of the previous semi-finished products.
Ten enhanced White Zetsu stood silently in two rows, like statues without souls but possessing immense potential. "Heh."
Madara Uchiha said indifferently, "They're just a few pieces of trash, slightly stronger than garbage. Take them if you want."
His tone was full of condescension.
The little purple snake's eyes lit up noticeably the moment it saw the White Zetsu.
One chakra fluctuation is stronger.
A single-piece grid is also more suitable as a container.
Zetsu had only vaguely mentioned that he would be given some experimental subjects, but what he actually received was only a basic White Zetsu, which greatly disappointed him.
Who would have thought that when it came to Ban personally taking action, the other party would be so generous, casually giving away ten high-quality individuals.
This has far exceeded his expectations.
However, Orochimaru is still Orochimaru.
The surprise was fleeting, passing through my mind only briefly.
In an instant, he calmed down and sensed something else in this generosity.
Alternatively, Madara Uchiha's control over White Zetsu resources was far greater than he had imagined, to the point that ten enhanced White Zetsu were nothing to him.
Alternatively, in Madara Uchiha's eyes, these enhanced White Zetsu were nothing more than low-level defective products, while the real gems were elsewhere.
In the blink of an eye, Orochimaru was almost certain.
There is a high probability that both are true.
The small purple snake coiled its tail to support its tiny body, tilted its head slightly, and emitted a drawn-out sound that seemed to be both a smile and a laugh.
"Oh~?"
"The meaning behind Mr. Ban's words is..."
"Does that mean you have better experimental materials than these pieces of junk?"
dusk.
Naruto, Dream Naruto, and Kaori walked side by side on their way home.
The setting sun cast long shadows of the three people.
They've practically explored the entire Hidden Leaf Village today.
From the Hokage Building to the Ninja Academy, and then to the hospital and training grounds, Ichiraku Ramen...
Naruto enthusiastically introduced his dream version of Naruto to almost everyone he knew.
Naruto was incredibly mischievous throughout the journey.
But the closer it got to evening, the more his shoulders slumped, and he seemed like a deflated balloon slowly going down.
"Why—"
Naruto's voice was muffled, with a slight hint of sourness.
Why does everyone seem to like you more?
Xiang couldn't help but turn her head and glance at him.
Naruto in the dream also stopped and turned his head slightly.
Naruto, however, started talking non-stop, not giving them a chance to interrupt, and began counting on his fingers one by one.
"Look, Granny Tsunade is so kind to you!"
"That lecherous immortal's eyes are practically glowing when he looks at you! I'm clearly his disciple!"
"And Kakashi-sensei, he's always so lazy around me, but when he saw you today, he actually said something like, 'As expected of Naruto from another possibility.'"
"And Sakura, Shikamaru, and the others! Even Uncle Ichiraku!" Naruto gritted his teeth. "He just gave you an extra serving of char siu! He's never been this generous when I eat there!"
"I'm so envious!"
The last sentence sounded like a truth that slipped out accidentally.
Xiang listened from the side, raised her hand to cover her mouth to suppress her laughter, but her shoulders trembled slightly.
But there was a hint of understanding in her eyes.
Naruto wasn't really jealous of Dream Naruto.
He was just envious of the feeling of being recognized so easily and naturally.
In this world, Naruto has grown up to this point, and only now is he gradually being accepted by the village and people starting to believe in him.
The dream version of Naruto, from the moment it appeared, seemed to be stamped with the seal of the perfect version of Naruto.
Anyone who looks at it will instinctively think, "Ah, this one looks more reliable."
Naruto listened quietly in his dream, his gaze softening slightly.
He chuckled softly, but did not immediately refute or rush to offer words of comfort.
Naruto in the dream suddenly stopped, turned around and stood in front of Naruto, looking him straight in the eye.
The shadow of a tall tree on the street divided the road in two, and the two stood at the boundary between the light and shadow.
Naruto's gaze in the dream was serious and focused, without a trace of boastfulness or pride in his eyes.
Instead, a complex mix of emotions was quietly churning within it.
An indescribable heaviness, and a longing.
"Actually," Naruto in his dream suddenly spoke up, "I'm also very envious of you."
"?"
Naruto was completely stunned.
"Envious of me?"
He subconsciously reached out to touch Naruto's forehead in his dream: "Are you alright? You're starting to talk nonsense?"
'
The dream version of Naruto was amused by his action and gently slapped his hand away.
"Haha." He shook his head. "I'm serious."
Naruto blinked, unsure of what expression to make for a moment.
"What's there to envy about me?" he couldn't help but mutter. "I'm not like you, who had everything go smoothly from a young age."
He stopped himself from saying the words "having parents around".
Naruto in his dream didn't miss this subtle pause.
He paused for a moment, his gaze lowered slightly, then rose again.
"In my world, there are many adults who care about me. Jiraiya-sensei, Tsunade-sama, Kakashi-sensei, they are all here."
"As I've come this far, some people have pulled me forward, while others have stood in front of me to protect me."
"The difficulties I've encountered are actually far fewer than yours."
He looked at Naruto and smiled with a complicated expression.
"But you're different."
"From the very beginning, you only had yourself."
"No one tells you you can do it, no one curses and applies medicine to you when you're injured, and no one calls you an idiot while carrying you home when you practice until you faint."
"But you've persevered all this way."
Naruto's voice in the dream was very calm.
"You've carried far more burdens than I have."
"And you're already slowly changing the world."
"You brought Xiang back to Konoha, giving her a new home. In dreams and in reality, you gradually made those who initially looked down on you start to take you seriously."
"I can't do any of these things."
Naruto in his dream tilted his head slightly and looked at Xiang.
Xiang blushed slightly under his gaze, but still nodded vigorously.
"And—" the dream Naruto looked at Naruto again, "the bonds you have are ones I don't have."
"In my world, people tend to view me through the lens of being the son of the Fourth Hokage."
He chuckled softly as he said this.
"But here, they're watching Naruto Uzumaki."
"We're looking at you as a person, not the aura you have."
Naruto listened in a daze, his clenched fist slowly loosening.
He opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if something was stuck in his throat.
"But—but—" he said softly, "doesn't everyone still think you're the better one today?"
Naruto in his dream thought for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Being good isn't just about combat strength."
The evening breeze blew by, ruffling their hair.
At the end of the street, a lamp was lit, its warm yellow light spilling out from the crack in the paper door.
Xiang stood to the side, watching the two boys who looked exactly alike but were completely different in personality and experience gaze at each other, and a strange warmth welled up in her chest.
She suddenly realized.
The Naruto Uzumaki that Naruto in her dream admired was perhaps the clumsy but always desperately striving boy she had always been used to.
So that's why.
In his dream, Naruto grinned mischievously and patted Naruto on the shoulder: "There's no use in envying others."
Instead of thinking about who everyone likes more, think about what kind of Naruto you want to be.
Naruto stood there, stunned.
After a moment, he took a deep breath, his nose felt a little sore, but he couldn't help but grin.
"I will definitely train hard and become Hokage. I won't lose to your other self!"
"That's right." Dream Naruto nodded with a smile.
Xiang watched them from the side and let out a soft sigh.
time flies.
Night quietly fell.
Starlight gradually peeked out, and the distant Fire Shadow Rock silently overlooked the village. Lights lit up one by one in the courtyards, and then went out one by one.
[The Dream Master System has been successfully upgraded!]
[Congratulations, host, you have reached level 21]
Please select one of the following enhancement effects:
[1. Simultaneous Login to Gain an Upgrade: The cooldown time is reduced to 10 days, and when selecting a secondary objective for simultaneous login, you can choose a character from the Dream Dungeon and add their projection to the Dream Fulfillment objective's dream.]
[2. One VIP box seat in the Dream Screening Room.]
3. Additional dream camera.
'
Shi Yu stared at the first line for a full two seconds, then froze on the spot.
Not only did it involve logging in and upgrading, but it was also followed by a string of rather witty comments.
Despite his initial complaints, he quickly shifted his focus to the second half of the sentence.
"When selecting a secondary objective to log in simultaneously, you can choose a character from the Dream instance and add their projection into the Dream Fulfillment objective's dream —"
A string of names and scenes flashed through Shi Yu's mind in a flash.
With just a little imagination, the playability of this feature is incredibly high.
"Ten days to cool down?" Shi Yu rubbed her hands together. "Even three days would be too much!"
He didn't even bother to look at options two and three.
"Do we even need to choose?"
Shiyu clicked "confirm" on the first option without hesitation.
After the system upgrade is complete, the panel will shrink back to the Dream Dungeon selection screen.
Just when Shigure thought she could finally go to sleep, she suddenly heard an exaggerated and somewhat mesmerizing background music.
As the music played, the system panel shuddered, and the previously neatly arranged Dream Dungeon icons were enveloped in dazzling halos, as if a grand awards ceremony was being held.
"?"
Shi Yu was stunned: "What trick are you up to now?"
next moment.
Below the original dream instance icons, a surge of black light and shadow suddenly appeared in the previously empty area.
Those light images spread rapidly like ink drops into clear water, then instantly converged and solidified at a certain critical point.
A new instance icon was forcibly squeezed out of the void.
The icon's surface flashes with a chaotic image.
There are burning villages —
There are collapsed statues —
Some laughing people turn into cold corpses in the next second —
【Ding! 】
The Chaos Mode instance has been generated.
>
NIP