77: Chapter 77 Only idiots would run into a brick wall, like Sakura."Lead the way."
As soon as those three words landed, the feeling of gravity in the air, which was almost squeezing and deforming one's lungs, suddenly disappeared.
Sai felt as if he had just been pulled ashore from the deep sea, panting heavily, cold sweat dripping from his chin onto the black sketchbook in his arms.
He lowered his head somewhat stiffly, his fingers tracing the rough cover.
That's illogical.
According to the "Root" training manual, the best solution when facing a spy who has failed to defect and possesses core secrets is to kill him on the spot, while the second best solution is to disable his ability to act and then torture him severely.
trust?
That's the most lethal wrong option during a mission.
"Why.why do you believe me?" Sai raised his head, and for the first time, a crack of emotion called "confusion" appeared on his pale face.
Naruto didn't turn around; he simply put his hands behind his head and leisurely stepped over a puddle of ink on the ground.
"Don't misunderstand, Sai-kun."
The boy's voice echoed in the dimly lit passageway, carrying a nonchalant lightness.
"I don't believe you, I believe the sketchbook in your arms.A kid with inner turmoil can't be all that bad.Or rather."
Naruto stopped and turned to the side.His azure gaze was like a fine scalpel, precisely dissecting Sai's psychological defenses.
"You're not completely broken yet; there's still value in fixing you."
Sai stood there, stunned.
Repaired?
Do you see yourself as a broken tool?
This statement is harsh, but strangely, it's not offensive.
In Danzo's eyes, he was simply a matter of whether he was "useful" or "dead," and no one ever said that he could be "repaired."
"What are you still standing there for?" Sakura urged impatiently.Although her eyes were still wary as she looked at Sai, she had already put the kunai back into her ninja tool pouch."Since Naruto said he believes you, then stop dawdling.Sasuke-kun.is he really in there?"
Sakura's voice trembled slightly at the mention of that name.
Sai took a deep breath, stuffed the sketchbook back into his backpack, and adjusted the length of the straps.
"Yes."
He resumed his expressionless demeanor, but his steps were no longer hesitant.He passed Yamato and walked to the front of the group.
"According to intelligence, the target is in the 'Hall of the Sky,' the deepest part of the base." Sai resumed his calm tone, as if he wasn't the one who had just been protecting the picture book.
He automatically filtered out the references to Orochimaru and went straight into mission mode; this mechanical calmness only made him seem more pathetic.
Sai spoke quickly as he walked, his speech a beat faster than usual.
"But I must remind you.The Sasuke we have now.is completely different from the one described in the data.I once sensed his chakra from afar."
At this point, Sai paused, seemingly searching for the right adjective.
"That's not the aura of a human being.It's cold, sharp, and full of exclusivity.It's like.grinding polar ice into needles and piercing the pores of everyone who gets close."
"That sounds interesting."
Naruto whistled, his smile widening.
"Hopefully, besides his temper getting worse these past few years, he's also improved his skills.Otherwise, this 'family visit' will be too boring."
Yamato walked at the back of the group, and as he looked at Naruto's back, which showed no sign of tension, a vein throbbed on his forehead.
What does this guy think of S-rank rogue ninjas?
The underground labyrinth has a complex and intricate structure, resembling the intestines of a giant snake.
The walls were inlaid with glowing fluorite at intervals, and the pale light made people feel uneasy.
The air was filled with the smell of formaldehyde mixed with some kind of rotting meat.
Naruto wrinkled his nose, raised his hand and fanned himself in front of him, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.
"What disgusting taste.Is Orochimaru some kind of rat living in the sewers?Even Kurama would feel nauseous from that smell."
"The experimental area is ahead."
Sai lowered his voice, pressing his body against the wall, "Orochimaru kept many failed experimental subjects here to serve as guards.They have no sense of pain, only the instinct to kill."
Before he could finish speaking.
A roar suddenly erupted.
From the darkness ahead, several twisted figures suddenly darted out.
Those were several monsters whose human forms were no longer recognizable.
Their skin turned a sickly grayish-brown, their muscles swelled abnormally, some arms turned into bone blades, and some had tumors growing on their backs.
A failed experiment with the cursed seal.
"Intruders.kill.kill."
The monsters roared and moved with astonishing speed, rushing towards the group in the blink of an eye.
"Wood Release: Silent Binding Technique!"
Yamato reacted extremely quickly, forming hand seals, and several wooden strips emerged from the cracks in the floor, attempting to entangle the monster at the front.
Click!
The monster's strength was astonishing; it actually tore the wooden strips in half and swung its bone blade at Yamato's neck.
"Damn it!" Yamato cursed under his breath and pulled out his kunai to defend himself.
On the other side, two monsters pounced on Sakura and Sai from the left and right respectively.
As for Naruto.
He stood there, not even taking his hands out of his pockets.
Sakura didn't even look back at Naruto because she knew there was no need to worry about him.
She simply gritted her teeth and vented all her anxiety on the enemy in front of her.
The monster that lunged at Naruto suddenly slowed down to a crawl when it was still three meters away from him.
No, it's not that it slowed down, but rather that the distance between it and Naruto was infinitely stretched.
The monster's claws were clearly swinging, but they could never cross that final inch of "infinity".
The next second, the accumulated kinetic energy backfired.
Bang!
Space seemed to snap its fingers; the monster's face instantly flattened, and it was launched away in a manner that defied the laws of physics.
Yamato's pupils contracted slightly.It was that again.the flow of chakra without any.Movement, simply a spatial rejection.
[Unlimited Techniques]
Naruto yawned, not even bothering to glance at the patch of mosaic.
"Don't expect me to lift a finger on these small fry." He leaned against the wall, looking like a supervisor."Sakura, Sai, this is a rare opportunity for real combat.Let me see how much you've improved."
"You bastard." Sakura gritted her teeth, but knew that now was not the time to complain.
Facing the oncoming monster, the pink-haired girl took a deep breath, and her chakra instantly gathered in her right fist.
No fancy hand seals are needed.
All that's needed is the purest form of violence.
"Get out of here!"
boom!
Sakura threw a punch, hitting the monster squarely in the chest.
With a sickening cracking sound, the monster, twice her size, was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through three walls before coming to a stop.
Smoke and dust rose everywhere.
"Oh?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes."You've mastered the Super Strength Fist quite well.It seems that Granny Tsunade really taught you something useful."
On the other side, Sai's battle appeared even more unpredictable.
"Ninja Art: Super Beast Imitation Painting - Lion!"
His paintbrush danced swiftly across the scroll, the ink transforming into three roaring lions that pounced on the enemy, biting down hard on the monster's limbs.
However, an accident occurred.
A small monster, which had been lurking on the ceiling, pounced down while Sai was performing hand seals.
Its target wasn't Sai's throat, but the backpack on his back.
There were picture albums there.
If it were the Sai of the past, having received "Root" training, he would not hesitate to abandon his backpack and use the opening to counterattack the enemy.
Task priority.
Objects are external possessions.
This is an ironclad rule.
But for a split second, Sai's mind went blank.
The body reacted faster than reason.
He whirled around, taking the monster's claw attack head-on with his back, while simultaneously protecting his backpack with both hands.
Pfft!
The claws tore through his clothes, leaving three deep, bone-revealing gashes on Sai's pale back.
"Hmm!"
Sai grunted and staggered to the ground.But he didn't retaliate; instead, he immediately checked his backpack.
It's not broken.
The picture album is fine.
He breathed a sigh of relief, even though blood had stained half of his body.
"Sai!"
Sakura defeated her opponent and, seeing this, immediately rushed over.
"Are you an idiot?"
Sakura kicked the attacking monster away, knelt down next to Sai, and pressed her hands, which glowed with green medical chakra, onto his wounds.
"You could have dodged it!Why did you have to take it head-on?It's just a bump!"
warmth.
This was Sai's first impression.
That green light, carrying a temperature he had never experienced before, flowed into his body through the wound, dispelling the chill brought on by blood loss.
"This is not.a bag."
Sai lay on the ground, his voice weak but unusually firm.
"This is.something I can't lose."
Sakura paused for a moment while she was treating him.
She looked at the boy who always wore a fake smile and spoke with a sharp tongue, but now he was protecting that tattered bag like a child guarding his food.
She had seen that look before.
That was Naruto's gaze when he was protecting his headband.
That was the look in Sasuke's eyes when he used to protect the Uchiha clan crest.
That was.the look in my companion's eyes.
"Fool."
Sakura's eyes reddened slightly, and she increased the amount of chakra she channeled."If it's so important, then don't get hurt!If you die, who will read the picture book?"
Sai stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Sakura's anxious profile.
The wound on his back was healing, and a warm current flowed into his body, but this only made him feel an unprecedented.discomfort.
This emotion called "worry" is not in the "root" database.
Logically, damaged tools should be discarded, not repaired.
Why?
His fingers twitched slightly, as if he wanted to push Sakura away, but he found that his body was craving that warmth.
This physiological reaction, which went against his task priorities, confused him and even gave him a slight sense of.fear.
Not far away, Yamato finally dealt with the troublesome bone-blade monster.Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he looked at the scene with mixed feelings.
He turned to look at Naruto.
The blond boy remained leaning against the wall, a knowing smile on his face.
"Did you see that, Captain Yamato?"
Naruto said softly, in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Sometimes, stuffing a hollow puppet with something 'weak' makes it stronger."
Yamato looked at Naruto, a chill running down his spine.
This boy.
He was not only manipulating the battlefield, but also manipulating people's hearts.
He was like a master chess player, placing everyone in the most suitable position, even calculating their emotional changes.
This method is even more terrifying than Danzo's.
Because Danzo controls people with fear, while Naruto.uses bonds.
"Let's go."
Naruto straightened up and clapped his hands.
"Warm-up complete.Now it's time for the main character to take the stage."
The deeper you go, the stronger the sense of oppression becomes.
The once humid air became dry and cold, and every breath felt like swallowing ice crystals.
There are no more monsters.
Because weak creatures simply cannot survive under such chakra pressure.
finally.
A huge double stone door appeared before everyone.
The stone gate is carved with two giant snakes that are intertwined, with rubies inlaid in the eyes of the snakes, which emit an eerie light in the darkness.
Even through the thick stone door, that cold, evil, and arrogant chakra still seeped out like a tide.
Yamato instinctively gripped his kunai, his breathing becoming rapid.
Sai clutched his newly healed wound, his face pale, his body instinctively wanting to back away.
SmallSakura stared intently at the door, her hands clasped together until her knuckles turned white.
She was trembling.
It is both fear and anticipation.
It's been three years.
That was the figure she longed for day and night, that was the reason she desperately tried to become stronger.
"arrive."
Naruto walked to the stone gate and, without hesitation, stretched out his hand, placing his palm on the cold stone surface.
He didn't rush to push the door open, but turned around to look at the pink-haired girl behind him who was trembling all over.
"Sakura".
Naruto's voice was soft, yet it clearly penetrated everyone's ears.
Are you mentally prepared?
Sakura raised her head, her emerald green eyes filled with tears, yet revealing a stubbornness within them.
"What.preparation?"
"Be prepared to face reality."
Naruto tapped lightly on the stone door with his fingers, making a tapping sound.
"The Sasuke you remember probably died three years ago that night.The one inside now."
He paused, a cruel pleasure flashing in his eyes.
"Just a vengeful man blinded by hatred."
"Shut up, Naruto." Sakura's voice trembled, but she raised her head, her emerald eyes burning with an almost obsessive flame."I know he's in there, I know he might have turned into a monster… but that was my choice.Open the door."
"Yeah?"
Naruto shrugged and said no more.
"Then.open the door."
Rumble—
As Naruto unleashed the chakra from his palm, the long-silent stone door emitted a muffled rumble.
Dust settled in a soft patter.
The massive stone gate slowly slid open to both sides.
dark.
Behind the door was a deep darkness that seemed to swallow up light.
Immediately afterwards.
A terrifying shockwave erupted from inside the door, causing everyone's clothes to flutter wildly.
In the deepest part of that darkness.
A pair of eyes slowly opened.
scarlet.
Eerie.
Three black magatama slowly rotated in the crimson light, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.
Those eyes were high above, coldly looking down at the crowd at the door through the darkness.
That wasn't just murderous intent, but a deathly stillness born from completely freezing oneself.
Two gazes collided in mid-air.
On one side is Sasuke's extreme cold that can freeze the soul, and on the other side is Naruto's cynical yet unfathomable abyss.
A crackling sound, as if electricity were flowing through the air, seemed to fill the air, and even the dust stopped falling.
"You're too noisy, Naruto."
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