webnovelvip Chapter 192 The much-anticipated mutual catfishing session
Chapter 192 The much-anticipated mutual catfishing session
Chapter 192 The much-anticipated mutual catfishing session
Early morning, Rain Hidden Village.
In a room on the second floor of a small hotel, Jiraiya sat up from the bed.
He stretched, feeling fairly well, with a relaxed smile on his lips.
Recalling the scene he saw in his dream last night, Orochimaru's unexpected behavior made him very gratified.
This rekindled Jiraiya's hope of bringing Orochimaru back to the right path.
Jiraiya opened the window, and the cold rain and wind immediately rushed in.
The sky outside the window remained gray, and the dense rain blurred the distant scenery.
The towering buildings were silhouetted against the rain, and the entire Rain Village seemed to be asleep in endless darkness.
Jiraiya leaned against the windowsill and looked down. He saw a few pedestrians wearing cloaks hurrying through the puddles on the street. The whole village looked desolate and oppressive.
Looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar scene, Jiraiya's smile gradually faded, and a lingering sorrow appeared between his brows.
He sighed softly, his mood turning heavy again.
He had been in Amegakure for several days and had secretly gathered a lot of information, but had gained very little.
Information about Itachi Uchiha's whereabouts is almost entirely blank.
As for Pain, the leader of Akatsuki, Jiraiya also gained nothing.
In an effort to elicit clues, Jiraiya even deliberately created some minor disturbances over the past two days, hoping to force out the members of Akatsuki.
Disappointingly, these actions seemed to sink without a trace, failing to make any impact.
Xiao's reaction was surprisingly indifferent. He didn't even notice the enemies on the surface, or even a person who came to test him in secret.
Is the other party deliberately keeping their distance from me?
Jiraiya stood by the window, quietly pondering the various possibilities, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
"If this continues, perhaps we should consider a temporary evacuation—"
He certainly wouldn't give up the investigation easily, but staying here for too long wasn't a solution either.
After careful consideration, Jiraiya had made up his mind.
If he still has no success by the last day, he will leave Amegakure and change his strategy.
However, just as Jiraiya made up his mind to turn away from the window, he suddenly caught a glimpse of an unusual figure out of the corner of his eye.
In the rain, a tall, dark figure flashed by at a street corner in the distance. Jiraiya's eyes narrowed slightly, and he quickly focused his gaze.
The figure appeared at the entrance of a narrow alley.
Despite the misty rain, the dark red cloud pattern on the man's outer robe was still faintly visible, and he carried a huge, strangely wrapped knife on his back.
"That's...!" Jiraiya's pupils contracted, and a name immediately flashed into his mind—Kisame!
That tall, imposing figure, like a shark, and the giant blade "Samehada" wrapped in bandages on its back—there's no mistake about it.
Jiraiya had met this guy a few times, and each time Kisame was always accompanied by Itachi Uchiha.
If Kisame is here now, then Itachi Uchiha is most likely nearby as well!
Realizing this, Jiraiya thought to himself: The opportunity has arrived!
These past few days have been completely without any clues, but now that we've finally spotted members of the Akatsuki in Amegakure, we can't just sit idly by and miss this opportunity.
Jiraiya didn't hesitate any longer. He immediately turned around and closed the window again, then took a few steps to the bedside to start packing his things.
He quickly packed the necessary scrolls and items into his ninja tool bag, and after making sure nothing was missing, he grabbed the straw hat that was placed on the bedside table and put it on.
Before leaving, Jiraiya quickly formed several hand seals and cast a transformation jutsu on himself.
A soft thud.
After a wisp of white smoke dissipated, the tall, white-haired sage in the room was gone, replaced by a middle-aged ninja from Amegakure with an ordinary build and plain appearance.
The man in the mirror had dark skin, a breathing mask covering half of his face, and wore a gray-blue uniform commonly seen in Rain Ninja. There was nothing unusual about him.
Jiraiya looked down and inspected his disguise, then nodded in satisfaction.
He looked completely out of place in a crowd, and he believed that even people who knew him very well wouldn't recognize him at first glance.
After making all the necessary preparations, Jiraiya pushed open the door and walked out of the room.
He tiptoed through the dimly lit, narrow corridor, slipped silently out of the hotel's back door, and quickly disappeared into the misty rain.
at the same time.
Inside the secret chamber of the central tower in Amegakure, the atmosphere was completely different from the chilly rain scene.
A figure appeared without warning at the doorway.
The newcomer was tall and slender, wearing a tiger-skin patterned mask; it was none other than Obito.
Obito shrugged and casually waved to the two people standing inside, as if he were in his own living room.
In the center of the room, Pain sat high in the seat of honor, with Konan standing beside him.
Seeing the newcomer's completely relaxed demeanor, Xiao Nan couldn't help but raise her eyebrows slightly, her expression revealing a hint of displeasure.
"You went back to the village last night."
Xiao Nan's face darkened. "Why didn't you come over immediately last night?"
Obito waved his hand dismissively, "Who knows why you guys are looking for me! What if you waste most of my time and I can't get to sleep on time?"
He yawned dramatically as he spoke, then lazily pulled over a chair and sat down, looking completely nonchalant.
"What?!" Xiao Nan's eyes widened, clearly furious at this absurd excuse. "Just because you're in a rush to sleep, you can't even bother with important matters?!"
In response to Konan's questioning, Obito simply shrugged, spread his hands, and said matter-of-factly, "What can I do, Konan? For me, nothing is more important than sleeping!"
Forget about any urgent missions, even if Madara Uchiha jumped out of his grave, he wouldn't be able to get him to go to bed on time.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Nan was immediately speechless with anger.
"You! What a joke! What kind of lame excuse is that!"
Just as Konan was about to lash out, Pain slowly raised his arm.
"Xiao Nan, stop talking."
Konan took a deep breath after hearing this, barely managing to suppress her anger, but her gaze toward Obito remained icy.
Pain's Rinnegan slowly turned towards Obito: "You're doing this because of that dream, aren't you?"
Upon hearing this, Obito's previously nonchalant attitude softened slightly, and he wasn't surprised by Nagato's reaction.
After all, Nagato had already personally participated in the dream world, so it wasn't surprising that the other party could guess it.
Thinking of this, Obito simply nodded and said frankly, "That's right. Aren't you enjoying it too?"
Pain narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, his sharp gaze fixed on Obito: "Very good."
"So, tell me, what exactly do you know about that dream space?"
Konan's gaze also fell on Obito, her eyes now filled with inquiry and wariness: "Don't tell me you don't know; you're clearly very familiar with that dream!"
The moment that question was asked, the atmosphere in the room seemed to become even more tense.
As Obito met the scrutinizing gazes of the two men, his mind began to wander into all sorts of fantasies.
Could the same technique used on Itachi Uchiha be used on Nagato again?
After all, to be honest, Yahiko's importance to Nagato and Konan might not be less than Sasuke's importance to Itachi.
Obito suddenly chuckled and said casually, "You want to know? Heh heh—I'm more than familiar with that dream space!"
the other side.
In the crisscrossing streets of Amegakure Village.
Jiraiya carefully followed the street where Kisame had just disappeared, searching for him.
But nothing was found.
"Did we lose them?"
After a brief moment of annoyance, Jiraiya didn't rush around searching. Instead, he crouched down, reached out and gently touched the water splashes on the ground, and began to observe them carefully.
Soon, he discovered a faint line of footprints on the nearby stone path that had not yet been completely washed away by the rain.
The trail extended to the entrance of a secluded alley on the left, where it then stopped.
Jiraiya followed the trail and looked up at the deep entrance of the alley, wondering to himself, "Did they go in?"
Just as he hesitated, he caught a glimpse of a familiar dark figure flashing by in the distance out of the corner of his eye.
Jiraiya's spirits lifted, and looking in that direction, he saw Kisame's figure reappear around the corner not far ahead.
This time, he turned and walked into an alley to his left.
Jiraiya quickly composed himself, tried to walk as quietly as possible, and followed quietly.
The narrow alley is flanked by towering old brick walls, making the view even darker than outside.
Jiraiya held his breath, using the falling rain to cover his footsteps, and slowly made his way deeper into the alley.
Kisame's figure had already disappeared around the corner. Jiraiya dared not be careless and cautiously turned the corner, hugging the wall, preparing to hang far behind.
However, just as he leaned out halfway, a dark shadow suddenly flashed before his eyes!
Then Kisame's grinning face came into view: "Tobi, I didn't expect you to actually catch a little bug!"
He was standing not far from the corner, waiting there sideways, as if he had expected Jiraiya to follow!
Jiraiya was startled and realized something was wrong.
We've fallen for their trap!
Without a second thought, he immediately retreated at top speed.
However, it was too late. In that split second, a whooshing sound came from behind him, accompanied by a mocking voice: "Kisame, nothing more than a little insect!"
"I have more than one pair of eyes. I spotted him a long time ago. How dare he follow us? He must be tired of living."
The voice sounded nonchalant, with a strong sense of smugness and amusement; the tone was young and unfamiliar, making it difficult to discern the speaker's identity.
Jiraiya's hair stood on end instantly.
There's someone behind me!
Moreover, judging from the tone of his voice, the other party seemed to have already discovered his presence!
In a moment of panic, Jiraiya turned around abruptly and saw a young man in a black robe with red clouds standing at the entrance of the alley where he had just turned into, blocking his way out.
Jiraiya's eyes widened. The young man who had suddenly appeared before him was none other than Uchiha Itachi, whom he had been searching for for many days!
When did he appear behind me?
Could it be that the strange, mocking voice just now came from Itachi's mouth?
Jiraiya's gaze swept quickly over Itachi, a mixture of surprise and doubt washing over him.
To his shock, the Itachi before him was completely different from the one he had seen in the Land of Grass the last time.
When we last met, Itachi was pale and weak, giving the impression that he was on his deathbed.
However, after only a few days, Itachi Uchiha has become a completely different person.
His cheeks glowed with a healthy rosy hue, and his entire demeanor exuded composure.
Most strangely, several pale white, sharp spikes had sprung from his neck, protruding from his collar like the bone spurs of some creature, looking particularly glaring and terrifying in the rain.
What happened?!
Why is Itachi in such a strange state? What changes have occurred in him?
And who is Tobi, whom Kisame just mentioned?
Could there be someone else lying in ambush nearby besides Kisame and Itachi?!
Before Jiraiya could think any further, Kisame suddenly launched an attack with a strange laugh!
"Since you've come looking for us, you're not leaving!" He stomped his foot, and his massive body shot out like a cannonball, slashing down at Jiraiya's head with the huge Samehada wolf in his hand!
Jiraiya was still in shock, and his reaction was a beat slow.
Although they managed to dodge the attack in time, they were still affected by Samehada's abilities because they were too close.
Jiraiya felt his chakra suddenly freeze, and then a portion of it rapidly dissipated.
"not good!"
As a puff of white smoke rose, he could no longer maintain his disguise as a Rain Ninja, and his original white-haired appearance reappeared.
"Oh?" Kisame paused slightly upon seeing this, clearly not expecting that the opponent's disguise would be shattered by this strike.
Upon seeing the true form revealed after the white smoke cleared, a look of surprise flashed across his face, followed by wild joy: "It's you again, Jiraiya?!"
"Hahaha, so that's who dared to follow us! It turns out to be one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha!"
Kisame's gruff laughter echoed through the narrow alley, his small eyes gleaming with excited greed: "We just captured Orochimaru, that rogue ninja, yesterday, and today Jiraiya shows up! The Legendary Sannin of Konoha, I think our Akatsuki will soon have all three! Hahaha!"
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya's pupils constricted sharply: "What? Orochimaru has been captured?!"
His eyes widened as he stared intently at Kisame, and he exclaimed in disbelief.
Orochimaru entered that dream yesterday, so why did he fall into the hands of Akatsuki?!
For a moment, Jiraiya was in a state of utter confusion.
What is Orochimaru's situation? Who captured him?
If the Akatsuki organization were to take control of Orochimaru, what would they do to him?
His mind was in turmoil, but now was clearly not the time to think things through.
He was in a very dangerous situation, caught between Kisame and Itachi. If they really fought, he was afraid he would be in grave danger!
At the entrance of the alley, Itachi Uchiha stood silently, without uttering a word.
When his dark eyes saw the white smoke dissipate and reveal Feng Ye's true form, a hint of surprise flashed across them.
However, he immediately realized that the peak master had been thinking.
He was in a desperate situation and absolutely could not allow Kisame to actually fight Jiraiya here.
Kisame's ninjutsu is extremely complex, and if he were to make a move here, it would definitely attract the attention of the rest of the Akatsuki organization.
However, once the peak is led by Ya or Payne, the peak will not be able to escape the Lord.
Itachi's eyes darkened, and he quickly stepped forward, saying in a deep voice, "Kisame, stop! Let me... He's in danger, we can't be careless."
"Oh?"
Kisame paused slightly upon hearing this, looking at Itachi with a strange expression.
But having worked with his partner for many years, he rarely saw Itachi being so proactive.
Although he couldn't understand why Itachi valued Samehada so much, Kisame still decisively put away Samehada, chuckled, and said, "Alright, I'll leave the shattering to you."
That's perfect, he really doesn't have much of a chance against Zifeng.
Having said that, he carried Samehada back a few steps and stood guard to the side.
Seeing Kisame retreat, Zifeng felt relieved, but the solemnity on his face did not diminish in the slightest.
He stared at the weasel slowly walking towards him, his brows furrowed, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.
The information about Kakashi's peak is probably accurate.
But now, facing the combined attack of Kisame and Itachi, he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.
After all, Itachi's current state makes Mine seem too strange.
The rain gradually intensified, and only the pattering of raindrops on the ground could be heard above the alley.
The damp chill in the air sent shivers down one's spine; the atmosphere seemed to freeze, making it difficult to breathe.
At this tense moment, Itachi Uchiha slowly raised his head.
His dark eyes turned blood red in an instant, and the three tomoe spun rapidly, connecting in a strange pattern in a flash!
"Oh no!" Zi Feng's heart tightened suddenly, and he subconsciously wanted to look away, but it was too late.
A red light, like a rash, shone from Itachi's eyes, and he uttered a low shout:
"—January Reading!"
The next instant, Zi Feng felt the world before him suddenly spin around!
His mind went blank for a moment, and his consciousness was instantly pulled into a strange space.
When he finally managed to gather his strength and open his eyes, he was shocked to find that the scene before him was no longer the narrow, dark, and fragmented alleyway of Yuyin Village.
What came into view was a bizarre and dilapidated world.
The sky seemed to be soaked in ink, presenting a depressing black and white color. The world was silent and desolate.
The ground beneath their feet was parched and cracked, with fissures spreading like a spider web, and a heavy, oppressive feeling seemed to permeate the air, making it hard to breathe.
Zi Feng was also startled and immediately tensed up.
No, there's a slender figure standing not far away!
It was none other than Uchiha Itachi!
However, Itachi's appearance had returned to normal: the strange white spikes around his neck had disappeared without a trace.
In this dreamlike space, he no longer maintained his previous terrifying and bizarre posture, but appeared in his usual form, walking solemnly to Zifeng.
"I am honored to be your master, Mine-senpai." Itachi bowed slightly.
Hearing Itachi resume addressing him respectfully as "Master," Mine's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally felt half relieved.
He carefully examined the former genius of Konoha before him, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh, revealing a relieved smile: "See, Kakashi was right—Itachi, you are still on our side after all."
Itachi did not deny it, but pursed his lips, his expression complex and unreadable.
He gestured to his surroundings, saying, "This is my illusion space. No one outside will notice us talking here, so you can rest assured, senior."
Zi Feng nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
He looked around at the desolate black and white world and secretly marveled at Itachi's powerful eye power, which was able to create such a realistic and hidden illusionary space.
After saying this, Itachi looked directly at Zimengya, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered, "Zimengya-senpai, why did you suddenly appear in Amegakure? I remember you were still active near the Land of Grass when we parted last time."
Upon hearing this, Zifeng also put away his smile and replied seriously, "My previous mission, Feng Yuyin, was to investigate intelligence about the Akatsuki organization."
Itachi shook his head solemnly: "This place is not safe to stay any longer. You must leave Amegakure as soon as possible! Every move here is under Pain's surveillance, and I'm afraid your presence would have been exposed the moment you stepped into the village. Staying here now is far too dangerous!"
Zifeng nodded slightly and sighed, "I have some old ties with Yahiko and the others. He hasn't caused me any trouble, but I can't find him either. Itachi, do you know his location?"
Upon hearing the name "Yahiko," a hint of doubt flashed in Itachi's eyes: "Yahiko?"
Zifeng nodded, his gaze drifting slightly into the distance, as if recalling his master's past. "After the First Shinobi World War, I took in a group of homeless children in Amegakure. They were Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato—"
Feng also recounted in detail his connection with Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko to Itachi Uchiha.
At this point, Zifeng couldn't help but sigh with mixed emotions: "No matter what, I still don't want to believe that those few children would go down the wrong path. This time, Zifeng went to Amegakure, partly to gather intelligence on the Akatsuki organization, and partly to confirm their current situation."
After listening, Itachi lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then revealed the doubt in his heart: "I know Konan. She is the White Tiger of Akatsuki, a member of the Akatsuki organization."
"But the names 'Nagato' and 'Yahiko' that you mentioned—I've never heard of either of those names in Akatsuki or Amegakure."
"You don't know either?" Zi Feng frowned slightly upon hearing this.
Itachi slowly shook his head: "I can confirm that no one in Akatsuki has this name."
"However, no matter what, even if Xiao Nan still has some feelings for you, the current situation is extremely unfavorable to you."
Looking at Itachi's solemn expression, Zifeng felt confused and couldn't help but ask, "Itachi, can you tell me what happened? Why are you in such a hurry for me to leave? Are there any dangerous people in Amegakure that I don't know about?"
Upon hearing this, Itachi Uchiha took a deep breath, his gaze complex as he stared directly at Mineya, and slowly uttered a sentence that caused the other's expression to change drastically: "...? The true leader of the Akatsuki organization has already returned to the Mineya."