Chapter 209 : The situation has changed, Platycodon Mountain#
Naraku frowned, pondering what deal Hanzo of the Salamander had made with Sunagakure.
Even White Zetsu hadn't gathered much relevant intelligence, indicating both sides were extremely cautious, likely communicating entirely through secret messages and codes, with no physical evidence left from each transmission.
If Nagato hadn't been so ruthless in his recent attack, causing Hanzo of the Salamander to become a bit restless, he wouldn't have been so flustered as to directly call people for a face-to-face, open discussion.
So, what exactly was their plan?
It was now clear that Hanzo of the Salamander seeking Konoha's cooperation to eliminate the Akatsuki Organization was something Sunagakure welcomed, and perhaps it was even part of Sunagakure's deal with Hanzo of the Salamander. Why would this be the case?
Konoha's fighting strength was currently stretched thin; dozens of Anbu was not a small number that could be pulled out casually. These individuals were likely drawn from the defensive forces facing the Land of Wind, stationed near the Land of Fire.
Losing so many Anbu would leave Konoha's defenses unprecedentedly weak, which would naturally be very advantageous for Sunagakure. If Sunagakure seized the opportunity to launch a large-scale attack, Konoha's defense line could very likely collapse, allowing them to strike directly at the heart.
Therefore, there was only one truth: Sunagakure had made a deal with Hanzo of the Salamander first, asking him to find an excuse to tie up Konoha, so they could exploit the weakness and completely overthrow Konoha in one fell swoop.
Coincidentally, Hanzo of the Salamander was troubled by the existence of the Akatsuki Organization, so he used the opportunity to seek Konoha's help, even promising huge benefits that made those old fogeys willing to take risks—after all, as long as Sunagakure didn't detect any abnormality in the defense line, and the Anbu returned to their positions in time after completing their mission, everything would be fine, and they could even earn a large amount of military funds.
For Hanzo of the Salamander, this plan had high feasibility and a high return rate.
As long as Sunagakure successfully ambushed and destroyed Konoha Village, he would not only eliminate the Akatsuki Organization with Konoha's help but also wouldn't have to pay them anything, while still receiving his reward from Sunagakure. It was like getting something for nothing and killing three birds with one stone.
No wonder "Yahiko's Death" was released by the animator; it turned out this event involved so many forces and directly affected the situation of the Third Great Ninja War.
Naraku's eyes moved, and he began to rapidly calculate.
In the animation, the Sand Ninja were willing to pay a reward, indicating that the plan was largely successful, and Sunagakure's vanguard had already breached Konoha's defense line and entered the Land of Fire.
There was a similar event in the original world line: the Mount Kikyo Battle during the Third Great Ninja War.
At that time, Konoha was once pushed to its doorstep by Sunagakure, almost teetering on the brink of collapse, and only managed to barely save the Village after sacrificing many Ninja and fighting a brutal battle.
So, Sunagakure's marching route now was probably similar. If they wanted to intercept them, Mount Kikyo was the safest location.
Although Naraku was ordered not to fight and was thus excluded from the combat units, if the war spread directly from the border to his doorstep, he couldn't be blamed.
Moreover, he hadn't made much progress for so long. If he didn't seize this opportunity to wreak havoc and earn some popularity points to fill his wallet, how could he justify it?
As for the bloodline limit sickness, he would just suppress it with popularity points and pretend it had slightly worsened to fool them. After all, Tsunade and Orochimaru weren't in the Village, so no one would be able to tell if it was real.
The only problem now was that he had to quickly obtain news of "Sunagakure's sneak attack" through some legitimate channel. If he was late, Konoha might actually be successfully ambushed by Sunagakure.
And the only person who could transmit a message to him alone across thousands of miles was probably only Eternal Day... It was late at night, so even if Naraku was anxious, he had to honestly wait for the message to be transmitted for him to "know" before acting.
However, he didn't forget that Kana's squad was operating behind the first defense line. Out of caution, he still spent popularity points to activate one [Pseudo-Izanagi: Time Reversal Modification].
If Kana happened to encounter or was about to encounter danger, it could greatly increase the probability of turning the danger into safety.
But if Kana was going to be safe anyway, then this money would be wasted... Naraku didn't hesitate much; he would just consider it money spent for peace of mind.
There was nothing else to do after that, so he opened the forum to see what the experts in the plot section were thinking.
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"Konoha Hunts Akatsuki, Sunagakure Behind, Hanzo of the Salamander's Three Birds with One Stone Plan"
1L (OP): The intelligence revealed in the latest episode is crucial. We can see that the entire process of Amegakure and Konoha ambushing the Akatsuki Organization was within Sunagakure's grasp.
Sunagakure's goal was certainly not to eliminate the Akatsuki, which was insignificant to them. It could only be those dozens of Anbu from Konoha sent to Amegakure. Whether to delay or eliminate these important combat forces, it would cause great damage to Konoha's defense line.
If they seized the opportunity for a blitzkrieg, it's really hard to say if Konoha could withstand this wave.
That's why Hanzo of the Salamander dared to dig a pit for Konoha and wasn't afraid of retaliation. For him, it would be best if Sunagakure directly killed Konoha this time. Even if Konoha was lucky enough not to die, it would be severely weakened and completely unable to hold him accountable.
If the plan went smoothly, not to mention Sunagakure, Hanzo of the Salamander would truly profit immensely: solving the Akatsuki, a major problem, with the help of others (Konoha), without paying any money, and even receiving payment from others (Sunagakure)...
2L: I noticed a detail, at that time, it was Konoha's Anbu who jumped down first to deal with Nagato.
If Nagato hadn't gone berserk and wreaked havoc, Hanzo of the Salamander might have kicked them while they were down after they dealt with Nagato. Perhaps there were even some Sunagakure Ninja ambushing further out.
3L: Reply to 2L: Agreed, highly probable.
4L: Konoha lost both people and money and was invaded across its border, a huge loss; Amegakure lost people but gained money, a slight profit; Sunagakure used money to weaken Amegakure significantly and collapse Konoha's defense line, while they themselves advanced triumphantly... Overall, it was Sunagakure's Qin Shi Huang touching a power line—they won big time!
5L: Tsunade is probably going to be infuriated by those short-sighted old fogeys in the Village.
6L: Not just Tsunade, Jiraiya would also explode if he knew Konoha personally participated in the ambush of the Akatsuki Organization.
7L: Counting everything, the only high-ranking combatants left in Konoha Village are Hiruzen Sarutobi and the two Advisors. There aren't many high-level combatants left. Can they withstand this wave?
8L: Will Hatake Sakumo perform a "rising from his deathbed" act?
9L Reply to 8L: Hey, don't say it, you really shouldn't say it! If White Fang defeats Sunagakure again, that scene would be truly spectacular!
10L (OP): Unlikely. The power of Forest Creation is very low. Naraku and Orochimaru both said it would take a very long time to see any improvement.
11L: Even if Hatake Sakumo doesn't wake up, it doesn't matter. Kushina, as a nuclear weapon, can just blow up with Sunagakure. With a Tailed Beast Ball carpet bombing, there's no way they could reach the Village.
12L: And there's Naraku. He's also in the Village, not on the front lines. Once his Mangekyo is activated, he'll be slaughtering them like crazy.
13L: The upstairs comment reminded me, could Naraku be about to die this time? He's so sick, Old Thief might really let him die in this battle!
14L: Noooo (ㄒoㄒ)... Kakashi is still on the battlefield at this time, they won't even get to see each other one last time! Ahhh!
15L: It's over, it's over! The more I think about it, the more I feel Old Thief must have arranged it this way! It's over!
...20L: naraku fans heard the news and rushed over! The sky is falling!! (╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻
21L: Old Thief! Dog Thief! Evil Thief! I will kill you!!!
22L: Sister Kanai, the sky is falling!!! What kind of ultimate bad ending is this?!
23L: It's all over! Both the fans of naka (naraku/kakashi cp) and KakaNara are going crazy!
—
Naraku scratched his chin, thinking, "He's not even dead yet, and they're already mourning. Isn't it a bit too early?"
Fortunately, the original poster timely pulled the derailed thread back, continuing to discuss which route Sunagakure would take to attack.
—
...38L (OP): Getting off-topic, everyone. Now I'll continue to deduce Sunagakure's advance route. There are several terrains in the western Land of Fire that are particularly suitable for Sunagakure Ninja's forced march. First is...
39L (OP): It's estimated that Konoha won't receive news until Sunagakure breaks through the second defense line. By then, it will be difficult to organize effective resistance in a hurry. Konoha can be said to be in a precarious situation this time.
40L: So they'll be at the doorstep by then?
41L: Good, good, good. As expected of the Third Hokage. The mess he inherited from the first and second Hokage is about to be smashed, and Sunagakure has slapped him several times.
42L: Even if they can hold it, if the matter of moving a large number of Anbu away from the front lines leaks, Hiruzen Sarutobi's time as the Third Hokage is pretty much over ~
..."Opening the Bet! Who Cries Every Day, Who Loses Every Day?"
1L (OP): Sunagakure is attacking. Who will turn the tide and save Konoha from collapsing?
① Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage; (522 likes)
② Advisors Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane (one or both); (314 likes)
③ Uzumaki Kushina; (1098 likes)
④ Uchiha Naraku; (1162 likes)
⑤ Maito Dai; (968 likes)
⑥ Hatake Sakumo; (1359 likes)
⑦... This activity is exclusively sponsored by "didn't know how to get sponsors so didn't get any," just for fun. Everyone just cast a vote ~
2L: I'm voting for Kushina, all in!
3L: It's definitely Hatake Sakumo! Wouldn't it be very dramatic for Sunagakure to be defeated by White Fang twice?
4L: Maito Dai is also very likely! As a Chunin stationed in the Village, he just needs a highlight moment to get promoted!
5L: Naraku, he has to participate.
6L: I'm dying of laughter, the first two options combined aren't even as much as Maito Dai alone, hahahahahaha
—
Naraku: 6
—
"How Much of What Eternal Day Said to Nagato is True?"
1L (OP): I feel like there's quite a bit of credibility in what Eternal Day said.
Jiraiya had long said that the Rinnegan was a symbol of the Six Paths Sage. Since he could pass the Rinnegan to his reincarnations, it's very reasonable to create an organization to escort them to ensure that the reincarnations, who have lost their past memories, continue to carry out his will.
This is also a common trope in many animations—an ancient, long-standing, mysterious organization finally meets the savior they have been searching for, and together they embark on a journey to save the world.
2L: I also think Eternal Day and Eternal Day are real, but their timing is a bit too coincidental.
Why did he only appear on the eve of a major change in the Akatsuki Organization?
And during their first meeting, he clearly said things like Nagato "has been on the wrong path for too long" and "as expected, I can't let you act recklessly," but when Nagato intended to leave, he didn't stop him.
It gives me the feeling that he knew Hanzo of the Salamander was going to act, so he deliberately stood by, just waiting for Nagato's ideals to be shattered and for him to return to Eternal Day's embrace.
3L (OP): Reply to 2L: That's possible. After all, Eternal Day has to let the "savior" know how unrealistic the Akatsuki's dream is, to let him hit a wall and suffer greatly. A disobedient child, of course, can only obediently return to his side.
4L: Reply to 2L: It's mainly Old Thief's fault for the plot pacing.
Old Thief arranged the story's rhythm too tightly, trying to explain the cause and effect clearly in just three or four episodes, so the plot is all squeezed together.
This leads to the final effect of the animation having a strangely conspiratorial feeling, appearing to be "arranged."
So it's very likely that this is just a way of expressing fate, like in some works where elders often warn juniors, saying "you'll get into trouble sooner or later if you keep doing this," and then the junior still goes their own way, and sure enough, something happens.
In summary, it cannot be determined whether Eternal Day was aware of Hanzo of the Salamander's plan.
5L (OP): Reply to 4L: What you said seems right too. This kind of plot device is actually quite common... *crying-laughing.jpg*
6L: The wavering OP, hahahahaha
...11L: There's also a possibility that Eternal Day is actually lying. He wants to use Nagato's Rinnegan to add legitimacy to his actions on the surface, something like "Heaven's mandate is with me," "By Heaven's decree to quell the rebellion"...
12L: Reply to 11L: Then he's quite clever. In the Ninja World, that's already one of the top-tier minds, isn't it?
13L: Reply to 12L: Indeed...
18L: With the appearance of "Eternal Day," "naruto," this Ninja combat adventure ensemble drama, has gained a bit of an epic feel... This feeling is quite fresh.
19L: I'm increasingly looking forward to the protagonist group from Konoha meeting Eternal Day and the Akatsuki Organization in a chaotic battle!
..."Encountering the CP of Saint Nagato and Leader Eternal Day, Unable to Resist with All My Might"
1L (OP): This pair is just too good... Both the older and younger versions are incredibly appealing!
If it's the older version, then it's the seemingly unreliable but actually clear-sighted, mature, and tolerant leader, and his saintly son who looks obedient and well-behaved but is rebellious at heart;
If it's the younger version, then it's the passionate, compassionate savior, and his yandere, manipulative, yet disguised as a gentle and understanding older brother, chaotic evil follower... Oh my god! It's too shippable!
2L: OP is indeed a good chef, a few sentences are a whole meal.
3L: I saw that there are already fanfics in the fanfiction section, both Nagato/Eternal Day and Eternal Day/Nagato are being written.
4L: What! That fast?
5L: Actually, the older version set by the OP can also be the younger version, and the younger version can also be the older version. Shipping them in reverse also feels super good!
6L: Reply to 5L: Indeed, both ways are so good to ship!
7L: Yeah, yeah! And they got close the first time they met, who can say they aren't real!
—
Someone actually shipped Nagato and Eternal Day?
Naraku had a premonition while watching the animation, but he didn't expect more people to ship this pair than he imagined. Even fanfiction had been produced. As expected of the seasoned veterans of the forum, their speed was incredible.
Should he take a bite and see how it tastes?
Naraku hesitated for 0.1 seconds, then turned to the fanfiction section.
Sure enough, posts with the tags [Nagato/Eternal Day] or [Eternal Day/Nagato] stood out among the various fanfics, and their popularity was not low.
—
"It's Hard for Me to Hate You (Eternal Day x Nagato)"
"Aurora is Hard to Find (Nagato x Eternal Day)"
"The Rain Will Stop, The Wind Will Cease, Tomorrow Will Be Clear (Eternal Day x Nagato)"
"Rainy Season (Eternal Day x Nagato)"
"Sealed in the Sea (Nagato x Eternal Day)"
"Give me mercy (Eternal Day x Nagato)"...
—
Although the new CP had strong momentum, overall, it still couldn't beat the traditional CPs. The fanfics with the highest popularity were still KakaNara / naka (naraku/kakashi cp).
Naraku felt a strange sense of pride: Kakashi and I are indeed the strongest!