In the end, Naruto still let Kakuzu and Hidan go.
However, before letting them go, he also managed to extract some intelligence. It was through the information they provided that Naruto learned which period they had time-traveled to.
The current timeline is shortly after the start of Naruto: Shippuden.
This is the time when the original Naruto returned after two years of training.
What remains uncertain is whether this world has other time-travelers or true protagonists.
Naruto carefully counted the scrolls he had confiscated from Kakuzu, finding over twenty million Ryo, which was enough for now.
After putting the money away, Naruto looked at Sasori beside him and smiled, "How about it? Don't you feel that our Hidan is still cuter?"
"They're all the same, equally annoying!"
With that, Sasori walked back in the direction they came from.
The two returned to the black market, and Naruto distributed the money he had taken from Kakuzu.
"Most of the general intelligence doesn't need to be collected. I've already obtained a lot from Kakuzu. You can use this money to inquire about any information you're interested in!"
"This world is basically no different from our world, except for the timeline."
Naruto didn't reveal all the timeline plot details he knew, as there were simply too many. He distributed the money precisely so they could gather information themselves, as they were all Ninja.
Jiraiya and Nagato formed one group, Sasori and Itachi another, and Naruto and Minato Namikaze a third.
The three groups entered the black market to search for information that interested them.
"Naruto, tell me the specifics!"
After the three groups separated, Minato Namikaze immediately spoke.
"This is the timeline at the very beginning of Shippuden! That is, Konoha Year 67."
Naruto directly stated the current timeline.
Upon learning it was the beginning of the Shippuden timeline, Minato Namikaze knew that the Fourth Shinobi World War, which concerned the Ninja World, was about to begin.
The Fourth Shinobi World War was set to occur in Konoha Year 68.
"Dad? Since this is the Ninja World of a future timeline, what are your plans?"
Naruto asked Minato Namikaze.
Minato Namikaze pondered for a moment, then said, "I want to participate."
Naruto naturally knew that Minato Namikaze's desire to participate actually meant he wanted to participate in the Fourth Shinobi World War, or even prevent it entirely.
"Won't that be too much trouble? Do we have to start a revolution in this world too?"
Naruto's words made Minato Namikaze shake his head. "There's no need for such trouble. This isn't our world after all. Neither you nor I exist here, so a revolution wouldn't work! However, we can plant the seeds of revolution by leaving books on the red ideology with reliable people."
"For example, this world's Jiraiya, Naruto, Nagato, Itachi..."
"Although the world is different, their personalities and ideals won't change."
"After the war, Naruto and Sasuke will become the strongest in the Ninja World. That would be the best time for them to start a revolution."
Naruto shrugged at this, saying, "But there's no need to get involved! In the end, it's this timeline's me and Sasuke who successfully save the world with their cheats, right?"
Minato Namikaze smiled and said, "I know, but if we get involved, Black Zetsu's plan will be completely disrupted, perhaps even unable to proceed. At that point, Black Zetsu will definitely use his fallback plan."
"Once we know what Black Zetsu's fallback plan is, we can create a targeted strategy when we return to our own timeline."
After hearing Minato Namikaze's explanation, Naruto also understood.
While Naruto and Minato Namikaze were talking, Jiraiya and the others also finished gathering the information they wanted and joined them.
At this moment, the faces of three of them, excluding Sasori, were not looking too good.
Jiraiya's expression was grim because he had learned that Orochimaru had carried out the Konoha Crush plan and killed his teacher, the Third Hokage.
He could guess Orochimaru's motive for doing this: it was simply because he saw the Third Hokage so old and didn't want him to die peacefully in his bed. He wanted the Third Hokage to die like a hero, just like the other Hokage.
But even so, Orochimaru shouldn't have done it himself.
In addition to that, there was the matter of Tsunade becoming the Fifth Hokage.
Although he could be sure that Tsunade wouldn't gamble away her grandfather's precious Konoha Village, her mountain of debt...
Thinking it over, Jiraiya could guess the specific process.
With those two old scoundrels, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, in Konoha's leadership, they would absolutely not allow Konoha to help pay off Tsunade's gambling debts.
In the end, the only one who would likely pay off Tsunade's gambling debts would be himself, the unlucky one.
After all, to get Tsunade to return to Konoha, Jiraiya indeed had such intentions, but he never expected Tsunade to make a fortune through virtual games, rendering his help unnecessary.
But this timeline was different.
Uchiha Itachi's grim expression was even easier to understand, as the news he heard was the most explosive, and it concerned him directly.
Uchiha Itachi had massacred the entire Uchiha Clan, leaving only his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, alive.
This news alone deeply shocked Uchiha Itachi.
After all, in his mind, he would never do something so deranged.
Even if he had such a thought, Shisui would stop him.
So, Itachi now desperately wanted to know the truth of the matter.
Why had he become a sinner who massacred his clan and betrayed Konoha?
As for Nagato, he had only one thought: to find his counterpart in this timeline and prevent him from continuing to be used by Black Zetsu and Obito.
"Naruto, I want to investigate what happened to me in this world!"
Itachi said with a serious tone, "I suspect... my counterpart in this timeline might have chuunibyou."
Upon hearing "chuunibyou," both Jiraiya and Nagato's expressions changed.
chuunibyou could be said to have left a deep impression on many people's minds; that illness was truly terrifying. In mild cases, it led to incomprehensible actions and words, and in severe cases, it could lead to the destruction of the world.
Jiraiya had naturally also inquired about the Uchiha Clan massacre. Now, thinking it over, the Uchiha Itachi of this timeline indeed had suspicions of chuunibyou.
Jiraiya then looked at Nagato.
His own timeline's Nagato was fine now, but before that, perhaps due to the Rinnegan, Nagato also showed clear symptoms of chuunibyou.
The Nagato of this timeline was several years older, so wouldn't his chuunibyou be in its advanced stages?