NRAO: Chapter 404/403

Chapter 403

Sleeping, with no memory?

Hearing this, Chōji looked speechless.

"Naruto, it's normal for people to not remember anything while sleeping!"

"That's right, Naruto, what kind of strange rumor did you hear this time?"

"Sakura?"

Hearing this voice, Naruto suddenly turned his head and saw a little girl with pink hair walking toward him. He immediately greeted her with a grin, "Hi, Sakura!"

Sakura put her hands on her hips and sighed. "Hey, you! Why are you always talking so much these days?"

"I don't talk that much! My dad was the one who told me about this!"

"Oh?"

Hearing that it was Naruto's father who said it, everyone except Reige perked up.

After all, they all knew that Naruto's father was the lord of the Land of Frost—Namikaze Minato.

"Naruto, when exactly did this happen?"

"What time? What time at night...?" Naruto was briefly stunned, then touched his chin, thinking back carefully.

As Naruto recounted his memory, the children around him looked surprised!

They had never heard about this before.

After all, only a small number of shinobi had participated in that battle!

Not to mention, kids their age all went to bed early. Even many adult shinobi weren't aware of the incident, let alone children!

The only reason Naruto knew about it was that he happened to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. At that time, he noticed that the moon had turned red and thought it was strange. Then, after being struck by Tsukuyomi, he woke up to find that he had wet himself in the living room. That was how he realized something had happened before the other kids did.

Most civilian shinobi were confused about the event, but since it didn't cause them any real harm, they didn't take it too seriously.

At most, it became an interesting topic for casual conversation.

Of course, the reason why Uzumaki Reige remained so calm was that she knew it must have something to do with her parents.

She clearly remembered that two days ago, a woman had suddenly appeared in her house. She had a cold expression and an overwhelming presence that sent chills down one's spine!

That woman had seemingly appeared out of thin air. According to her father, it was related to the red moon that night.

As the children continued chatting, Sasuke's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Big brother?"

On the distant street, two young Uchiha, each carrying a ninja sword and clad in armor, were walking toward them, talking and laughing.

Both were extremely handsome and wore the Uchiha clan's uniform.

Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui!

Upon hearing Sasuke's voice, Itachi glanced in his direction and smiled.

"Sasuke! Hmm? You don't have school today?"

"What? Brother, did you forget? Something big happened a few days ago, so classes have been suspended for days! School only resumes tomorrow! Speaking of which, big brother, what exactly happened? Does it have anything to do with that white-haired woman from Reiyue's family?"

Seeing Sasuke looking so eager, even Shisui, standing beside Itachi, couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sasuke, it's classified. How could we tell you? Don't put your brother in a tough spot."

"Ah? Really?"

Sasuke's enthusiasm instantly deflated when he heard that it was a secret.

After all, curiosity was in human nature!

"Alright, you guys head back first. Shisui and I have some business to take care of."

"Fine..."

Sasuke reluctantly agreed.

As they watched the two walk away, Chōji's eyes filled with admiration.

"Sasuke, my dad told me that your brother isn't even fourteen yet, and he's already capable of fighting a Kage-level opponent. Is that true?"

"Of course! I've always admired my big brother!"

Just as Sasuke finished speaking, he noticed something off—Sakura, not far away, was gazing at him with a dreamy expression.

"Sasuke is so cool!"

"I think I'm cooler than him!"

Bang!

A slap landed on Naruto's head from out of nowhere.

Clutching his head, Naruto looked innocent. "Why did you hit me, Sakura? I was just telling the truth!"

"Naruto, don't insult my Sasuke!" Sakura shouted at him in anger. "If you keep saying nonsense, I won't forgive you!"

In her heart, Sasuke was the most handsome boy. Even if Naruto was the son of the city lord, he could never compare!

While a group of seven- or eight-year-olds chattered away in the streets, inside the office of the Lord of the Land of Frost...

A silver-haired shinobi, clad in a vest and carrying a ninja sword, was reporting to Namikaze Minato.

"According to the hospital's report, Guy's leg was fractured, but it's nothing serious. He should be able to walk again in half a month."

"I see," Minato nodded. "That's good. By the way, Kakashi, get ready and head to this location for a mission."

As he spoke, Minato handed over a map.

Kakashi accepted the scroll without hesitation and nodded. "Understood."

———

Might Guy, after opening the Eighth Gate, should have suffered a completely shattered leg.

However, since he was still young, and with Orochimaru's enhancement formula, his injuries weren't as severe this time.

Fully armed, Kakashi moved swiftly, though doubts lingered in his mind.

The location marked on the map was within the Land of Sound.

Why had Minato-sensei assigned him a mission there?

After all, Orochimaru's Otogakure was within the Land of Sound—a fact widely known in the ninja world.

Otogakure had its own shinobi.

No matter how he thought about it, this mission shouldn't have fallen to him.

But when he arrived at the designated place and saw the two figures standing outside a massive wooden house in the remote forest, he was stunned!

In the front yard of the wooden house, beneath a large tree, a girl with painted cheeks gently caressed the scarred half of a man's face.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Obito, thank you... for everything you've done for me!"

Obito, having discarded his mask, revealed a rare, gentle smile.

"Rin, I should be the one thanking you."

"Thank me?" Rin wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, looking puzzled. "For what?"

"For being willing to live here with me in seclusion."

"Silly Obito, you've done so much for me. How could this be a burden?" Rin wiped her tears and smiled. "But I am surprised you chose the Land of Sound."

"What's so surprising?" Obito chuckled. "Lord Orochimaru resurrected you, which means I've been given a second chance too. Watching over this land for him... I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Fine, fine. You're always right."

"Rin," Obito gazed at her with warmth, "just listen to me this once. After we get married, you can decide everything, okay?"

"You... What are you talking about? I never agreed to marry you..." Rin blushed slightly.

Obito grinned foolishly. "Hey, you agreed to come here with me. Isn't marriage just a matter of time?"

"I won't!"

"What if I insist?"

"You...! We'll talk about it later!"

Rin pretended to be angry.

Obito immediately stepped forward, showering her with sweet words, trying to coax her.

As they laughed and chased each other around, a familiar voice called out.

"Kakashi?"

"Obito? Rin...?"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 404

The resurrection technique is an unnatural ability.

Even though Orochimaru had mastered multiple resurrection techniques, he rarely used them under normal circumstances.

After all, birth, aging, illness, and death are part of the natural cycle.

It was best not to interfere with the natural order.

So far, aside from Uchiha Madara, whom he had no choice but to revive, the only others he had resurrected were Nawaki and now, Nohara Rin.

Those brought back to life were not suited to appear in public.

The same was true for those who were neither truly alive nor completely dead.

And so, two individuals who did not belong in the public eye chose to live in seclusion.

"Obito… Rin… What are you two doing here…?"

Kakashi was visibly shocked. He couldn't comprehend why his two deceased friends were now standing before him, alive.

Had the Infinite Tsukuyomi not been undone?

"Come on, don't look so surprised. If you don't mind, come in and sit for a while," Obito said casually.

Did Obito still hate Kakashi?

Of course, he did.

After all, the root of his descent into darkness was the fact that his best friend, Kakashi, had killed the girl he loved—Nohara Rin.

Watching his comrades slaughter each other, his Sharingan had been awakened through grief, transforming him into a ghost that lived in the shadows.

But now that Rin had returned, that hatred naturally faded away.

For him, as long as he could exist in a world where Rin was alive, hatred no longer mattered.

The same was true for Kakashi…

—

Late at night.

Moonlight bathed the world below.

Although the moon was missing a piece tonight, it still shone brightly.

It had to be said, the Sage of Six Paths had done at least one good thing, creating such a magnificent moon for humanity.

Gazing at the bright moon, Tsunade leaned against the bathroom window, humming softly.

"I… I want to have a child… So, Orochimaru…"

Her exaggerated bust pressed against the smooth wall.

The sound of rushing water in the bathroom masked the rhythmic slaps of their movements.

Standing behind her, Orochimaru smirked. "Isn't it troublesome to have a child? Isn't this just fine?"

"No… No… A woman without children is incomplete. So… you have to do it!"

Tsunade retorted firmly.

By normal human standards, she was already considered of advanced maternal age.

But for a kunoichi—especially Tsunade—this was of no concern.

Wasn't she feeling a bit uneasy because Mikoto and Kushina had both given birth to daughters?

Of course, that was impossible.

As she had said, a woman's life was incomplete without a child.

"Well, I suppose there's no helping it."

At the last moment, Orochimaru relented, granting Tsunade's request and ensuring the fusion of their genes.

After finishing their bath and changing into their nightgowns, Orochimaru stepped outside to the villa's courtyard.

In the yard, a woman with long, silver-white hair stood, gazing up at the sky.

More precisely, she was staring at the moon.

Seeing the cold and detached woman, Orochimaru smirked. "Everything on my side is just about settled. What about you? Can you go back?"

"Still trying." Kaguya's voice was indifferent.

The planet where the God Tree was planted was under her control.

This meant that the coordinates of Earth were only vaguely known to the rebellious Otsutsuki Momoshiki and his faction—they didn't have the precise location.

That was why, whenever the Otsutsuki clan sought to invade Earth, it took them time to locate its exact coordinates.

In other words, there were only two ways to permanently eliminate the security threat to Earth.

One: Kaguya could send a signal, allowing the enemy to pinpoint Earth's position, leading to an invasion.

Two: Kaguya could return to the Otsutsuki homeworld herself.

Orochimaru was never one to act passively, so he chose to take the initiative.

He wanted Kaguya to bring him along.

Unfortunately, having been sealed for so long, Kaguya's memory of her journey to Earth was hazy.

It would take time to find her way back.

"Let me know when you figure it out."

Having grown used to Kaguya's cold demeanor, Orochimaru wasn't bothered. "By the way, since your Otsutsuki clan came to Earth to plant the God Tree a long time ago, does that mean your space-time abilities don't originate from it?"

"Correct. Spatial power is an innate ability of our clan—it has nothing to do with the God Tree."

"I see…" Orochimaru mused. "Then… can you connect to other dimensions?"

Orochimaru asked tentatively, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Before resurrecting Kaguya, he hadn't known whether she would be an ally or an enemy.

Aside from fulfilling his agreement with Black Zetsu, he also harbored a secret hope.

A hope that Kaguya's mastery over space-time could be the key to something greater.

In Orochimaru's understanding, the person with the most powerful space-time abilities in the shinobi world was undoubtedly Otsutsuki Kaguya.

She could instantaneously shift between six different dimensions—a feat beyond comprehension.

Even with the hollow shell of the Ten-Tails and Sakura's assistance, Obito could barely manage to connect to one of Kaguya's dimensions.

But Kaguya could move between six effortlessly.

This alone demonstrated the sheer strength of her spatial abilities.

When Orochimaru first arrived in this world, he had wondered.

Did he have any hope of returning to his original world?

He had searched for ways to break through space-time, but even with his current strength, he had yet to find a method.

"Other dimensions?"

Kaguya turned her cold gaze toward him. "Of course not. Space and dimensions are not the same thing. You're overthinking it."

"So… is it that you can't find them, or you can't connect to them?"

"Of course, I can't find them! And if I can't find them, naturally, I can't connect to them."

For once, Kaguya actually spoke more than a few words. "Why? Are you from another world as well?"

"I…"

Kaguya's unexpected insight left Orochimaru momentarily speechless.

"Forget it. If it can't be found, there's no point in discussing it further."

Sure enough, breaking through the barriers of space-time wasn't that simple.

If even Kaguya couldn't do it, then there truly was no way.

Would he have to rely on the system?

"Perhaps there is another way."

"Oh? What is it?"

Orochimaru, who had already given up, suddenly perked up.

Kaguya replied calmly, "Go to the Otsutsuki homeworld. There is a secret archive that contains the coordinates of countless inhabited planets. Perhaps your world is among them."

"I see…"

Hearing this, Orochimaru's excitement faded again.

Planetary coordinates?

It sounded impressive, but Orochimaru knew better.

The Earth he came from might not even be in this universe.

Who knew where the Naruto world truly existed?

Was it in a parallel dimension or an entirely different universe?

"Thank you for the information… but for now, I should focus on dealing with the Otsutsuki clan first."

(To be continued.)