bioinnovel Chapter 388 Sasuke: Uchiha Madara, I need to check your cards.
Chapter 388 Sasuke: Uchiha Madara, I need to check your cards.
The next day, in the Land of Water, at an inn, early morning.
Obito slowly sat up from the bed.
Lin...
Obito could almost still feel the lingering warmth of the girl's slender wrist from his dream, and the faint fragrance of her body still seemed to linger around his nose. He could still recall the gentle look in Rin's eyes when she looked at him.
However, a strong sense of vigilance suddenly welled up in his mind.
White Zetsu...!
The thought that White Zetsu might have secretly sabotaged things made Obito irritably press his throbbing temples.
Just then, a knock on the door pulled Obito back from his thoughts.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and tried to make his voice sound calm and even: "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and two figures walked into the room one after the other.
Leading the way was Kisame Hoshigaki, whose shark-like face had lost its usual sneer and mockery, revealing a rare hint of seriousness.
Following closely behind was Uchiha Itachi, who remained silent and calm, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
However, Obito still keenly noticed that Obito's gaze was subtly fixed on him, scrutinizing him.
Is there any progress on the mission?
Obito immediately guessed that the two men's early morning visit was likely due to some progress on their mission.
However, instead of feeling any anticipation, he asked impatiently, "What is it?"
Upon seeing this, Kisame grinned, revealing a set of sharp, saw-like fangs: "My lord, we've found the target's trail."
"The Six-Tails' Jinchuriki has broken away from Kirigakure's control and is currently in a state of defection," Kisame reported.
"According to intelligence, the Hidden Mist's Anbu are also pursuing him with all their might. The two sides may have already clashed, and that guy may already be injured. Right now is when he is at his weakest, and he has no Hidden Mist ninja to protect him. His whereabouts are also relatively clear. This is the perfect opportunity for us to make a move."
Uchiha Itachi stood quietly to the side, his deep eyes fixed on Obito's face since he entered, seemingly observing his reaction carefully.
"The Six-Tails Jinchuriki... has defected..."
Obito repeated these words in a low voice, but they did not stir any emotion in him; in fact, they even caused a slight feeling of annoyance.
What weighed heavily on his mind at that moment was the potential threat that Lin might face.
In comparison, what is a mere rogue Jinchuriki?
Is Lin important?
Now all his attention is focused on the various variables hidden in last night's dream, figuring out how to deal with Bai Jue's surveillance and how to better protect Lin.
Who has the energy to care about tailed beast jinchūriki?
Thinking of this, Obito frowned without hesitation and raised his hand to interrupt, saying, "You can handle this kind of thing yourselves."
"Itachi, Kisame, with your abilities, do you really need my personal guidance to capture a lone Six-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"Don't bother me unless it's something really important right now. Even if it is, please don't come yet, I'm busy these days."
Kisame was clearly taken aback by Obito's sudden attitude.
His shark-like face first showed surprise, then a hint of doubt.
Kisame opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to emphasize the rarity of this opportunity and the importance of the mission, but Obito didn't give him a chance to speak, saying forcefully, "Do as I say."
Kisame swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, and could only awkwardly touch his nose, revealing his sharp teeth with a smile.
"Understood, sir. It's just a mere Six-Tails Jinchuriki. Itachi and I will handle it."
Obito raised his hand and waved, signaling them to step back.
Kisame nodded in understanding, and together with Itachi, they left the room, gently closing the door behind them.
Silence returned to the room.
Obito leaned back in the recliner behind him and closed his eyes.
He wasn't worried about leaving the task of capturing the Six-Tails Jinchuriki to Kisame and Itachi.
With the combined strength of those two, dealing with a rogue Six-Tails Jinchuriki shouldn't be a problem.
At this moment, he needs to concentrate all his energy on dealing with the variables that appear in the dream.
As for the actual plan to collect the tailed beasts, it will have to be put on hold for now.
He had absolutely no interest in this matter until Lin's safety was completely resolved.
……
the other side.
When Sasuke woke up, he did not sit up in a panic as he had the day before.
Having had his previous experience, he was much calmer this time; practice makes perfect.
His gaze calmly swept over the strange white tissue covering his body, then he turned his head slightly and, sure enough, saw the bizarre half-black, half-white figure not far from the stone bed—Jue.
Black Zetsu's jet-black half of its body swayed slightly, and then a strange laugh came from beneath its pitcher plant-like leaves: "Hehe, good morning, Uchiha-kun."
"He seems to be recovering well today, much faster than yesterday."
Sasuke simply nodded slightly in response to its greeting.
He slowly sat up, supporting himself on the stone bed, and felt the chakra flowing through his body; it was flowing more smoothly than yesterday.
Although this method of healing is strange and eerie, its effects are truly astonishing.
However, at this moment, Sasuke's mind was not on his own injuries.
The scenes he saw in his dream last night, especially the actions of the boy named Obito, were still vividly imprinted in his mind, leaving him completely baffled.
Uchiha Obito...
Sasuke frowned slightly.
Recalling what I saw in my dream, that boy who cried his eyes out in front of Rin and got so angry at Kakashi's sarcastic remark that he seemed no more mature than Naruto, that loser.
He's just a little kid who hasn't grown up yet.
Could this person really be the mysterious masked man hiding behind the scenes, stirring up trouble?
Or is it that I really guessed wrong?
For a moment, various thoughts churned in Sasuke's mind, leaving him somewhat confused.
"Hmm?" Just then, the strange voice rang out again, its tone tinged with inquiry, "Kid, you seem troubled. Have you hit a bottleneck in your cultivation, or... had a bad dream?"
Upon hearing this, Sasuke slightly turned his head, his dark eyes glancing at Zetsu.
Jue's observation skills were indeed sharp. He did not intend to deny it, and nodded slightly, admitting that he did have something on his mind.
Even so, he showed no intention of explaining.
Zetsu is Madara Uchiha's assistant, with a mysterious origin and unknown purpose.
Although it had been healing its injuries for the past two days, Sasuke had no idea what was behind this kindness.
Should he tell such a suspicious guy about his confusion and guesses?
impossible.
Seeing Sasuke nod but remain silent, Black Zetsu seemed even more interested: "Oh? I actually guessed right?"
It let out a sinister chuckle.
"What's troubling you? Tell me, maybe I can help you analyze it. After all, I've lived for so many years and seen quite a lot."
It feigns friendliness, with a persuasive and enticing tone, as if it were truly an elder eager to help the younger generation.
However, Sasuke merely glanced at Zetsu indifferently, his eyes calm as still water, yet clearly conveying a chilling aura that kept people at a distance.
He immediately looked away and began to move his slightly stiff wrists and ankles, carefully checking his recovery, completely ignoring Jue's persistent questioning.
Should we negotiate with it?
Are you kidding me!
Zetsu didn't respond. His half-black, half-white body remained still for a moment, as if he was thinking about something.
After a moment, Jue spoke again: "You don't need to be so wary. I just noticed that you seem to have some doubts. I wouldn't dare to boast about anything else, but when it comes to gathering intelligence, I'm quite confident."
Upon hearing this, Sasuke looked at Zetsu again, his doubts deepening.
Has this guy been a little too eager to get close to me lately?
What exactly does it want to do?
Did Ban instruct it to try and trick me into revealing information, or did it have ulterior motives of its own?
His vigilance did not diminish; on the contrary, it increased.
Thinking of Madara Uchiha, Sasuke suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
Madara Uchiha...
That masked man who always hid his face and claimed to be Uchiha Madara—I remember when Hokage Madara descended upon Konoha, that imposter angered the real Madara by using Madara's name, and even provoked Madara's undisguised killing intent.
And now, the real Uchiha Madara of this world is right here!
If I tell him about this...
Sasuke's mind raced, and he quickly made up his mind.
Although he had never seen Madara Uchiha of this world and that masked man in the same place, one thing was certain.
Based on his understanding of Uchiha Madara, that ancestor, whose style was domineering and tyrannical, was definitely not someone who would hide behind a mask and play tricks.
Madara Uchiha may not be considered a benevolent person, but he possessed the arrogance and conceit unique to the strong.
In comparison, no matter how strong that masked man is, in Madara's eyes he's probably just a cowardly, scheming clown.
Sasuke made up his mind instantly.
Instead of spending ages asking this strange guy Zetsu for all sorts of vague information, it's better to just go and confront Madara Uchiha face to face.
This is not only more direct, but also potentially more efficient.
At least, he can glean more valuable information from Ban's reaction.
Just then, Zetsu's treatment for Sasuke finally came to an end.
The white tissue covering Sasuke suddenly began to shrink rapidly, and soon it all shrank back into Zetsu's half of his white body.
The uncomfortable cold and sticky feeling disappeared instantly, replaced by a slight itch and comfort from the new skin after the wound healed.
The feeling of fatigue in my body was completely swept away.
Sasuke didn't even glance at Zetsu again.
He knew very well that Zetsu had healed him most likely on the orders of Madara Uchiha.
Sasuke accepted this arrangement calmly and without any qualms.
He nimbly flipped off the stone bed and then stretched his limbs a couple of times.
His injuries have now completely healed, and he even feels more energetic than before he was injured, with his flexibility and strength having improved to a new level.
Sasuke nodded in satisfaction, then strode forward, heading straight into the depths of the cave where Madara Uchiha was.
Watching Sasuke's decisive departure, Zetsu's strange face twisted slightly, and he let out a low, enigmatic laugh: "Heh heh... How cold-hearted. It seems this brat isn't so easy to fool."
However, Black Zetsu was not in a hurry.
There's plenty of time. As long as Sasuke stays here, as long as he needs treatment and craves power, it will have plenty of opportunities to influence him.
You have enough patience to wait for the most opportune moment to act.
Sasuke walked through the familiar cave passageway and arrived at the open area in the center.
The damp, cold air was filled with the unique scent of the rock face.
He had expected to see Madara Uchiha sitting on the stone seat with his eyes closed as usual, but the scene before him made him pause.
As expected, Madara Uchiha sat high on the stone throne, but on the armrest to his right was a completely black raven.
Even more unexpectedly, Madara Uchiha's gaze met the crow's scarlet eyes.
A subtle fluctuation of chakra rippled through the air, suggesting that the two sides were exchanging information in some way.
He's communicating with this crow...?!
Sasuke's heart tightened.
He knew very well what the crow was for, after all, he himself had used it before.