Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 516 The Ninja's Way of Reasoning

"Good afternoon, gentlemen."

A ninja wearing a Konoha headband... Is Konoha some kind of magical treasure land? It always produces these sunny and cheerful types.

A person inexplicably flashed through Wu's mind. That person seemed to be the same, possessing unparalleled strength in the ninja world, yet always smiling and showing his gentleness.

"You're Nagato's junior brother? A Konoha ninja... what's your relationship with Minato Namikaze?"

"It is indeed my father." The blond ninja answered generously and made a definitive conclusion, "Uchiha Madara, you really are the architect of the Eye of the Moon Plan."

The term "Eye of the Moon" had only recently been spread by the masked man. Wu looked bewildered upon hearing it, while the invisible fourth member, Kabuto, was somewhat surprised. Madara, whose name had been called, slightly toned down his initial disdain and quickly scrutinized the boy. He appeared harmless, even daring to look him directly in the eye, and didn't seem to have any combat experience. However, it was difficult to judge the other's danger based solely on appearance, so he decided to test the waters.

However, before that...

"who are you?"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

Whirlpool? The Mito people?

"You died recently? Has the 'Eye of the Moon' become a widely known rumor?"

"That's not important. I just want to ask you a question," Naruto asked with a smile, "How do you plan to keep the world trapped in the dream going?"

This is a very tricky question. The fact that Naruto could ask it means that he fully understands what the world would be like after the Eye of the Moon is realized.

"...The sacred tree will provide sustenance for those who are connected to it."

"Human lifespan is limited, only a few years, which cannot be called 'continuation'."

This time, Madara remained silent for an even longer period. Just as he was about to answer, the other person interrupted, "You're not going to suggest erasing some people's memories and letting them reproduce, are you?"

"..."

Even Kabuto, who knew the plan, was somewhat bewildered, let alone Wu. He admitted that he approached Akatsuki to use their power to disrupt the ninja world where he had spent most of his life as "someone else." He already possessed many abilities and believed that as long as he completed the puzzle with Sasuke, he could resist the so-called "Infinite Tsukuyomi." But Naruto, who died so young, clearly knew the details of the "Eye of the Moon," guessed the true mastermind of the plan, and could even discuss it with them effectively?

Naruto didn't continue to make things difficult for Madara, but changed the subject, saying, "The place you've been hiding in is the Mountain Graveyard, right?"

"...You found it there?"

"Because it's too conspicuous. The Land of Fields, which has basically the same climate and environment as the Land of Frost, can have a bumper harvest every year, but the Land of Frost can't even grow half a grain of rice, and the vegetation becomes sparser the further north you go. With such an unusual environment, it's impossible not to notice it, right?"

"Or are you saying that you haven't paid any attention to the small country you've been parasitizing?"

What does this mean? Does the divine tree draw nutrients from the soil? It's a tree, after all, so it's not too strange, but the extent of its influence is so vast?

"The weak have no value in being noticed."

"That's certainly true for you, which is why you didn't realize that the Frost Kingdom is a core hub for human trafficking, where tens of thousands of illegal people are dispersed. The lucky ones at least manage to leave alive, while the unlucky ones are offered up to the monsters underground, losing their lives and their sense of self, becoming part of the monsters."

Naruto's smile faded, and he seriously posed the second thought-provoking question: "How do you think the original White Zetsu came about?"

The three dead bodies did not need to breathe. Not even a breeze stirred. The air in this area seemed to have frozen, and there was complete silence.

But soon, Madara Uchiha laughed and said, "You quick-witted junior, do you think you can confuse me with just a few words? Prove to me that you are right by speaking in the manner of a ninja."

It was a direct, undisguised attack. Madara's fist was already at Naruto's face before he could finish speaking, but Naruto easily dodged it, lowering his center of gravity and striking Madara's chest in return. The two ninjas exchanged blows several times in the most primal way, punch and kick.

Madara tried using genjutsu during this time, but it was completely ineffective even when the other person looked directly into his eyes. Moreover, the brat's eyes changed from blue to gold, and while the amount of chakra was undetectable, the force of his attacks clearly changed. Was it Sage Mode?

Madara borrowed some force from Naruto, quickly creating distance between them. Simultaneously, he formed hand seals, unleashing a devastating fire jutsu. Naruto hadn't anticipated Madara's speed, and his wind jutsu was a second late. But it didn't matter; a water tornado instantly formed, blocking the fire jutsu. In the blink of an eye, the area was covered in a thick mist.

By this time, no one had time to pay attention to Wu, and Wu also felt that he shouldn't get involved in this internal strife in Konoha, so he quickly drifted away and hid himself. But he always stayed at a distance where he could watch the battle; after all, why not watch the excitement?

The mist was supposed to obscure vision, but the Sharingan and sensory abilities were equally powerful at this moment. Naruto dodged Madara's fireball, and Naruto's wind blades also failed to hit Madara.

A true master can guess the opponent's approximate abilities with just a little probing. Realizing that his opponent was a sensory type and had a high probability of inheriting his father's skills, Madara unleashed the power of his Mangekyou Sharingan without hesitation. The blue skeleton rose from the ground, and the longsword formed by Susanoo swept away everything in front of him in an instant.

This time, Naruto used the force of his sweeping attack to retreat, and the distance between the two suddenly increased from a few meters to tens of meters, a distance that was very suitable for using only ranged attacks.

Madara frowned slightly. He still possessed some sensory abilities and knew that Naruto had retreated in the direction of a large gathering of chakra. Was this guy in such a hurry to rejoin the team? Did he not even have the courage to look him in the eye?

However, Naruto always manages to surprise. The ground he was standing on suddenly rose, and a group of rock giants, almost as tall as Susanoo, rose from the ground and charged towards Madara. As for Naruto himself? He didn't stand on the giants' heads, but instead took off from there, heading towards the direction where the chakra was gathering.

From the moment these two started fighting, something felt off. It wasn't until Naruto ran away that he suddenly realized these two seemed completely unaffected by the Impure World Reincarnation technique, acting entirely according to their own will. Could it be that the Impure World Reincarnation user is from Konoha, and is showing favoritism?

Kabuto was indeed a Konoha resident, but he was truly wronged. Madara Uchiha was a dangerous individual; he wouldn't dare use control tactics that would offend anyone. He only wanted to curry favor and use rhetoric from someone on the same side to influence Madara's actions. Naruto genuinely wanted to control Madara, but the contract between them broke shortly after he was summoned! He couldn't control him at all! He couldn't even make him disappear!

Therefore, forbidden techniques are risky and should be used with caution. Never summon a dangerous person stronger than yourself...