Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 448 Ghost Knocking on the Door

What happened? The Kotoamatsukami didn't work? Could it be because of the Aburame clan's eye patch?

A shadow crossed Danzo's eyes. He hadn't expected that his most trusted subordinates would betray him without his knowledge! When exactly did this happen? Was it just because they had done a few missions with Kurama? No, weren't these people supposed to have a cursed seal placed on them, preventing them from revealing anything about him? How could that cursed seal be broken so quietly?

Trouble never comes one after another. Danzo hadn't expected to encounter this situation and couldn't think of a suitable rebuttal for a moment. After that brief pause, another person stood up from the crowd.

"So that's why you placed the curse mark on us? As long as you seal our mouths, prevent us from communicating with each other, and stop us from telling anyone, you can brainwash us one-on-one, turning those abnormal behaviors into acts for Konoha, okay?" This person was surprisingly good at grasping the key points. With just a few words, he connected everyone's suspicions with the curse mark. He appealed to the crowd, "Everyone, have you also carried out missions that felt off? Although I can't speak directly about him, I can share my feelings! I've done many missions that caused me immense inner torment, and I've questioned the legitimacy of these missions from the bottom of my heart. But this person demanded that I obey orders, treating me like an emotionless tool."

"But I am a human being. I cannot betray my conscience and hide behind my compatriots, or even stab them in the back!"

The first person to step forward presented absurd facts, leaving some skeptical. But the second person to step forward appealed to both emotion and reason, instantly touching the hearts of the vast majority.

The problem lies in the fact that Danzo's rhetoric constantly incorporates the term "Konoha," beautifying his actions and tightly linking them to the safety of Konoha. If someone lacks basic empathy and is solely focused on pursuing power, then siding with a self-serving individual like Danzo who abuses public power for private gain is understandable. However, anyone with a conscience couldn't possibly remain completely skeptical of that seemingly reasonable but ultimately flawed explanation.

How many of them have become numb after countless orders and countless tests of obedience? Once they recall the initial turmoil, the seeds of doubt will explode and grow wildly.

"Silence! Have I been too lenient with you all? You're actually questioning the legitimacy of the mission? Ninjas are here to carry out missions. Have you forgotten the lessons learned from abandoning missions?!"

Danzo slammed his cane twice, his authority not entirely gone; the sound could indeed intimidate some ninjas accustomed to obeying orders. But the ANBU members present were all elite ninjas; how could such outstanding individuals willingly be completely controlled? There were always defiant souls who voiced their doubts.

"Are those missions really good for the village?"

"If they survive..."

"She's still on the ground..."

More people stood up, and when they were no longer willing to grovel before Danzo, the course of fate quietly changed.

"I don't want to know what you're talking about. All I know is that if I don't go up now, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

Seeing that he wasn't the only one questioning him, the knot in his heart finally loosened. He knew Danzo's choice, so he didn't plan to stay any longer. Wouldn't it be better to use that time to save a few more people? He turned to leave, but his wrist was grabbed. Kaze, who hadn't stood up, looked at him with the eyes of someone seeing him for the first time. He had indeed kept this secret from even his best friend.

"Take root, do you know what you're doing?" The wind was strong, and his eyes flickered, clearly indicating that he had been greatly impacted.

"I know." Torune found it somewhat amusing and grabbed his best friend's arm. He had kept it from his friend because if his leak were discovered, he would most likely be secretly killed by Danzo, but now that everyone knew, there was no point in hiding it anymore.

"Don't just squat there, come with me. Didn't you say you wanted me to take care of your cousin's business? If the flower shop is gone, how will you take care of it?"

The force with which Tokine pulled the man wasn't strong; if the wind wanted to break free, it certainly could have, but it didn't. Instead, it stood up with the force. They were still the same tacit partners, their steps, whether walking or running, were in sync, and they ran towards the exit without hesitation. Then, more people followed. For the first time, they so blatantly defied Danzo's orders, looking both tense and exhilarated, as if long-held shackles had finally been broken.

The large group of people who had knelt down suddenly dwindled to only four. Three of them remained kneeling, while one stood. He was the second and most crucial instigator, who had just been urging people to hurry up, but now he slowly turned back to face Danzo.

Seeing this, Danzo understood perfectly well. He hadn't expected that a spy had been planted among his own men without his knowledge. These two individuals likely didn't know each other, yet they delivered a fatal blow at a crucial moment. His remaining fighting strength had been reduced by more than half, and he now had to figure out how to deal with the person who had escaped earlier!

"Heh, Hokage-sama, you've been scheming for a long time, haven't you?"

Danzo tossed aside his cane, his left hand already reaching into the clothes he used to cover his right. The two remaining loyal ninjas understood perfectly and stood in front of Danzo, saying considerately, "Don't worry, Lord Danzo, we'll take care of him."

They became ninjas not for ideals or ambitions, but for greater power and higher authority. As long as they could perform well in such a moment, Lord Danzo would surely give them an important position.

The only ninja who hadn't moved had been keeping his head down, but now he slowly stood up, still showing no sign of raising his head. However, his hand was already gripping the hilt of his sword, clearly ready to pounce.

"You're overthinking it, Danzo. Your lies are too easily exposed. With just a hint or a little bit of external light, they'll leave you."

The person who led everyone to escape also adopted a fighting stance, indicating that he intended to kill the leader of the Roots right here in their stronghold.

"Was this also at the Hokage's behest? The princess has finally become a bit more decisive."

"I suppose so." The one with his head down chuckled softly. "However, the Hokage who gave the order wasn't Tsuna."

What?! What did that person call Tsunade?!

Two pairs of bright red eyes shone from beneath the mask, and the two opportunists who thought they were useful were instantly caught off guard. Both swords slashed at Danzo at the same time, forcing him to abandon his attempt to break the seal and retreat.

The moment Danzo saw those two pairs of eyes, the fear deep within him was instantly awakened. How could someone who had done wrong not be afraid of ghosts knocking at their door? What was his greatest fear?

That must be revenge from the Uchiha!

----------

"Are you alright? This area is not safe. Please evacuate in that direction immediately." Sakura smashed a giant centipede with one punch and saved a mother and daughter. At this time, it was the early stage of the invasion, and she did not know where the enemy was. She could only see the smoke of gunpowder everywhere.

As per the duties assigned by Lady Tsunade, Sakura, who was on leave, was to rush to the hospital immediately. On the way, she saw the troublesome summoning beast and the trapped person, and immediately rushed over and killed it. Before the summoning beast disappeared in the white smoke, Sakura saw the centipede's abnormal purple eyes, the shape of which was almost exactly the same as the "Rinnegan" described in the information.

Has Akatsuki infiltrated? These people talk about "peace," but all they do is destroy! It's utterly despicable! They're definitely after Naruto; we can't let them get away with it!

Sakura unconsciously quickened her pace towards the hospital. As a medical ninja capable of standing on her own, guarding the rear is their greatest responsibility at this moment!

Not long after Sakura passed by, a robust giant toad flew through the air, leaping across several districts before crashing straight into the area where the Heavenly Path was located.

The Heavenly Path and the Asura Path, one in darkness and the other in light, fought together, and their combined destructive power nearly leveled the area. Fortunately, the East Wind Squad reacted quickly enough, risking their lives to stop the two, which gave Konoha reinforcements the opportunity to arrive in time.

As luck would have it, Iruka was strolling around the area when a building nearby suddenly exploded. He only had time to pull the nearest passersby to safety; many others were trapped under the rubble. Iruka, unlucky enough to be caught in a hail of projectiles from the Asura Path, had no time to react and could only watch helplessly as people perished before his eyes.

This wasn't the first time Konoha had been invaded. As a ninja, Iruka's first reaction was to search for the enemy's location. Unfortunately, the area was shrouded in smoke and dust, making it impossible to determine the enemy's direction and numbers. Since he couldn't find anyone, he decided to rescue them. He did his best to save the civilians he could see, guiding them to the nearest shelter. Then he returned to the battlefield to check the situation there, where he discovered many wounded ninjas.

In his eagerness to save lives, Iruka forgot the most basic observation skills. Moreover, as a teacher at the school, he was not a ninja skilled in combat, and thus he jumped into the trap.

A ninja dressed in a black robe with red clouds suddenly descended from the sky, pointing a blood-stained black rod at him.

Where is Naruto Uzumaki?

Is it Akatsuki...? Are they here to see Naruto?

Iruka dared not move. This man was unlike any enemy he had ever faced; his overwhelming pressure could almost instantly conjure up images of death. He wanted to keep the man calm for as long as possible, then find a chance to escape and call for reinforcements, but the man seemed to have no patience for that. He didn't seem to be there to find someone; he was there to... kill.

"Don't you know? Then die."

As the black stick pierced through, a gust of wind blew over, and someone grabbed the strange stick and descended from the sky in the same way as the enemy.

Kakashi had entered battle mode, his crimson Sharingan meeting the patterned purple eyes directly. This Pain in this form must be the Deva Path, the strongest of the six Pains. His abilities had already been revealed by Jiraiya; they appeared very simple, but were extremely troublesome to deal with.

Shinra Tensei is a repulsive force that can instantly repel anything that gets close to him, including ninjutsu. It can be an ability that can be called "absolute defense".

The All-Encompassing Heavenly Attraction is a suction force that can pull distant objects directly to your side.

These two techniques sound like they're from the same series, used only five seconds apart, making them extremely difficult to catch. Moreover, they can't currently determine the maximum potential of these techniques; what if the opponent could launch someone dozens of meters away in one blow? Even the fastest ninja attacks still require time.

If Naruto were here, that would be perfect. Once the mark is placed, he could arrive instantly no matter how far away he is. He'd be a perfect nemesis for Pain. Unfortunately, he's not in Konoha, and Lady Tsunade doesn't seem to have any plans to recall him immediately. We'll have to rely on their tactics.

"So, you're openly causing chaos to attract attention while secretly conducting investigations?" Kakashi was also passing by nearby. He had already observed the Asura Path and, noticing their unusual behavior, immediately searched the nearby streets. Sure enough, he discovered the Deva Path threatening Iruka.

This is a common squad tactic used by ninjas. He is currently unsure of the situation and can only prioritize dealing with the most troublesome one.

Payne recognized him, of course. The guy's expression never changed from beginning to end; he simply stated Kakashi's identity calmly.

"Kakashi with the Sharingan?"

"Are you looking for Naruto?"

"The Tailed Beasts are the cornerstone of 'peace,' and 'Akatsuki' is determined to obtain them."

Kakashi gestured for Iruka to retreat with his other hand, and Iruka immediately picked up the wounded soldier and fled while Kakashi was still holding off Pain. Iruka, of course, didn't forget Kakashi. While running away, he kept an eye out for any Konoha reinforcements and would provide them with Kakashi's location if he encountered any.

"What would you do if I told you he wasn't in Konoha?" The information that Naruto wasn't there wasn't classified as top secret, so Jiraiya suggested to Tsunade that if Naruto wasn't there when the enemy attacked, they should just say so directly. Although Kakashi didn't know what Jiraiya was planning, he did as he was told.

"What are you doing?" Pain paused slightly, just as a heavy thud sounded behind Kakashi. It turned out that Kakashi wasn't the only one stalling for time; Pain was too. Facing such a renowned ninja, Pain would never underestimate him. As long as he could eliminate his opponent, what did it matter if it was two against one?

Kakashi released his grip and immediately moved away from the two Pains. Without a numerical advantage, he wouldn't recklessly charge in.

The new Pain is the one who caused trouble in the Asura Path nearby. Was he specially transferred here to ensure that he is dealt with? That's good, it can relieve the pressure on the patrol team that is evacuating the people.

However, the other party seemed to be even more brutal than he had imagined. Before he could stop his retreat, a powerful repulsive force rushed straight at his face.

"Of course, we'll kill until he shows up."