thefictionvixens Chapter 190 Rope Tree! It's a rope tree!
Chapter 190 Rope Tree! It's a rope tree!
Chapter 190 Rope Tree! It's a rope tree!
In the audience, a figure flashed and Jiraiya suddenly appeared between a row of empty chairs.
He looked around and immediately spotted two familiar figures not far away.
Tsunade and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The two were sitting side by side in the dimly lit theater, looking up at the huge, pitch-black screen in front of them.
"It's the two of you?" Jiraiya strode forward, raising an eyebrow, and teased, "So, it's not Kakashi's turn today, is it?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded upon hearing this: "I think so."
Tsunade chuckled lightly, crossing her arms: "Hmph, maybe—"
She deliberately drew out her words, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, "Maybe it's Orochimaru!"
Jiraiya was taken aback for a moment, and was about to retort when suddenly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze darkened: "Someone else has come in."
Before the words were finished, a ripple suddenly appeared in the air not far from the three people, and an unfamiliar figure slowly emerged from the void.
The light and shadow coalesced into a shape, and a young man appeared in the aisle of the audience seats.
The newcomer had a short, light gray ponytail, and a pair of thin-rimmed glasses perched on his high nose bridge. Behind the lenses were a pair of cunning and gloomy eyes.
He was thin, wearing a beige turtleneck coat, without a headband, and his face was slightly pale, but there was a faint smile on his lips.
"Yakushi Kabuto?!" Jiraiya's pupils contracted, and his voice turned cold.
Tsunade recognized the newcomer, her gaze sharpening: "How could it be you!"
Jiraiya's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but smile wryly: "Looks like—you were right, Tsunade."
Kabuto was equally shocked to see three legendary Konoha ninjas gathered here.
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +200!]
However, his shock was only momentary. He quickly calmed down and cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
In the dimly lit and silent theater, with empty seats and a huge, yet still dark, black screen behind him, Kabuto Yakushi's eyes flashed with a sharp light: Could this be the dream space that Lord Orochimaru spoke of?!
"Kabuto!" Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke in a deep voice, scrutinizing the former Konoha ninja before him. "If I remember correctly, you grew up in the Konoha orphanage, right?"
Upon hearing this, Kabuto paused slightly, then chuckled softly.
He raised his hand to adjust his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and the reflection in the lenses revealed his mocking expression: "Heh, I didn't expect the Third Hokage to actually remember a nobody like me."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at him, his expression complex: "I remember every ninja from Konoha."
He paused, his expression hardening, "Konoha raised you, taught you ninjutsu, and yet why did you assist Orochimaru, that rogue ninja, in attacking the village?!"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense after these words were spoken.
The smile on the pharmacist's face instantly turned cold.
He gave a sullen snort: "Hmph! This is nothing but your own fault!"
"What?!" Tsunade was furious upon hearing this. Her pretty face darkened, and the veins on her forehead throbbed. She took a step forward, ready to lash out.
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
If Jiraiya hadn't raised his hand to stop her in time, she would have punched this arrogant traitor.
"Calm down, Tsunade," Jiraiya whispered, while glaring sternly at Kabuto.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also frowned.
It's understandable that he harbors resentment towards Orochimaru, after all, he has many grievances against his disciple.
But Yakushi Kabuto
Konoha had treated him well, so why did he harbor such strong resentment towards the village?
Just as the group was facing off, the huge black screen in front of the theater suddenly lit up with a "thud".
"They're here!"
Jiraiya was startled and quickly turned to look at the screen.
Tsunade also temporarily suppressed her anger and looked on, holding her breath.
The image shows a simple military tent.
The dim light of the oil lamp cast a play of light and shadow inside the tent, as if it bore the marks of bygone years.
A tall man stood at the table, looking down at an open map.
That familiar pale profile and golden vertical pupils were clearly visible—it was none other than Orochimaru in his youth!
"This...this is!!!" When Tsunade saw the scene on the screen, her mind went blank and she couldn't breathe.
What came into view was a scene that she was extremely familiar with, yet one that she never wanted to recall, even in her wildest dreams.
Military tents, maps—
All of this deeply pierced her most painful memories!
"No—it can't be—" Tsunade trembled violently, her pupils suddenly contracting. "Where am I—!!"
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value: 1000!]
In the midst of the intense emotional turmoil, her face turned ashen, her body swayed slightly, and she almost lost her balance.
"Tsunade? What's wrong with you?!"
Jiraiya was startled and quickly reached out to support her shoulder, his face full of worry.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, ignoring Kabuto Yakushi, quickly walked up to Tsunade and asked with concern, "Tsunade, are you alright?"
Tsunade stared intently at the screen, her eyes filled with a mixture of shock, fear, and grief, as if she had lost her soul.
Jiraiya could feel her trembling as he held her hand.
He frowned, his mind filled with doubt.
Tsunade's current reaction is clearly like a hemophobia attack when she sees blood.
The problem is, there's absolutely no blood here!
After a long silence, Tsunade finally managed to squeeze out a hoarse voice: "This was during the Second Shinobi World War—"
Jiraiya was taken aback at first upon hearing this, but then he realized what was happening.
He stared at the young Orochimaru's back on the screen, muttering incredulously, "Could it be that tonight's dream was Orochimaru's dream from back then—?"
Tsunade closed her eyes briefly, her breathing rapid: "Nawaki—Nawaki died around that time—"
As she spoke the last few words, her voice trembled almost imperceptibly.
Just standing here and watching, she felt as if she had returned to that era filled with blood and pain.
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
The scene on the screen continued to unfold.
Inuzuka Jaw knelt on one knee, presenting a scroll he was clutching tightly, and loudly reported, "Reporting to Lord Orochimaru! Urgent report from the reconnaissance team: traces of a supply convoy from Kumogakure have been discovered near the front lines!"
"A supply convoy?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, took the scroll, and quickly unrolled it.
Inuyagi nodded solemnly, his expression both excited and serious: "A golden opportunity! Lord Orochimaru, the ninjas at the front are currently locked in a stalemate with the Cloud Ninja. If we can cut off their supply lines, the situation at the front will change dramatically!"
Orochimaru stared at the information and map markings on the scroll, his golden pupils narrowing slightly.
He murmured to himself, "The supply convoy from Kumogakure—during World War II?"
For a moment, Orochimaru was somewhat dazed.
"Lord Orochimaru?" Seeing his continued silence, Inuzuka Jaw couldn't help but urge him, "Please give the order as soon as possible!"
Orochimaru snapped out of his daze and turned his gaze back to his eager subordinate.
A glint of cold light flashed in his eyes as he slowly spoke: "Assemble the troops and prepare for attack."
"Yes!" Inuyagi accepted the order with a bang and quickly left the tent to relay it.
The military tent fell silent again.
Orochimaru lowered his eyes to look at the scroll in his hand, his expression inscrutable.
He still couldn't figure out Itachi's true intention behind this genjutsu.
That being the case.
"I want to see what your purpose is in putting on this whole show!"
He muttered something to himself, then a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He rolled up the scroll and strode out of the tent.
Under the hazy sky outside, the Konoha ninjas were quickly assembling and forming ranks.
Orochimaru stood at the entrance of the camp, his hands behind his back, staring intently at the small team of about twenty men before him. In the distance, the occasional faint sound of explosions could be heard.
The air was filled with a faint smell of blood and gunpowder.
Among these people were many familiar faces, mostly young faces with immature features. Orochimaru knew that many of them were children who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy.
Looking at those faces, Orochimaru was suddenly overwhelmed with an overwhelming sense of melancholy.
The vast majority of them will fall in this brutal war, buried in foreign lands, and sleep forever in the unknown wilderness.
Life is so fragile.
Even as ninjas, their lives were like candles flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
Orochimaru couldn't help but sigh inwardly: After all, this is war.
[Ding! Orochimaru's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
However, just as he was lost in thought, a slightly anxious boyish voice came from behind him, breaking the brief silence: "Teacher! I'm here! You have to take me with you this time no matter what!"
Orochimaru was startled, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes: "!!!"
He turned around abruptly and saw a figure rushing towards him in a flurry of activity.
He was a boy whose features vaguely resembled Tsunade's. He looked to be no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, tall and thin, yet exuding a youthful naiveté.
He wore a slightly oversized Konoha armor vest, his headband hanging crookedly around his neck, and his gait carried a hint of childish impatience.
At that moment, the boy was excitedly waving his arms and running towards them, a bright smile on his face: "Teacher, please let me participate in this operation! I'm all ready!"
Orochimaru gazed smugly at that all-too-familiar face, then froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.
Rope Tree!?
His former disciples, who had died in battle, were now standing vividly before him, giving him the same smiles they had when they parted before the war.
Orochimaru's mind buzzed, and an indescribable, complex emotion swept over his entire body.
Shock, mistake, doubt, anger
"Rope, rope tree—!!"
At the same time, Tsunade also suddenly stood up from her seat in the audience.
She stared intently at the familiar boy on the screen, tears welling up instantly, her voice cracking slightly with emotion.
It's a rope tree!
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Tears blurred her vision. Tsunade looked at Jiraiya beside her, her voice choked with emotion, "Jiraiya, I really saw Nawaki!"
Tsunade covered her mouth tightly, almost unable to believe her eyes.
That really was the younger brother she had been longing for day and night!
She could clearly see that Rope Tree was wearing a very familiar necklace around its neck.
That was the First Hokage's keepsake that she had personally given to her younger brother!
The boy who died tragically on the battlefield, leaving her with endless regret and pain, is now standing alive and smiling before her!
Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi exchanged a glance, their expressions becoming extremely serious.
How could they not know the meaning of the name Rope Tree?
Senju Nawaki – Tsunade's only younger brother, a victim who died in battle.
For Tsunade, it was a pain she could never touch again.
Jiraiya felt a slight sting in his nose, as if he could see again the boy who once had a bright smile and kept saying he wanted to become Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was also extremely complicated, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
Nawaki is an exceptionally talented child with a fiery passion. If fate hadn't played a cruel trick on him, he might very well have become a pillar of Konoha in the future.
Both of them had a vague sense of foreboding: what followed was a dream that would likely lead them to witness the death of Nawaki again—could Tsunade withstand such a blow?
On the other side, Kabuto squinted, staring at the boy on the screen with considerable surprise.
"Orochimaru-sama's disciple?"
He muttered to himself, a look of doubt on his face.
In Kabuto's mind, Orochimaru had never bothered to actually take on any disciples.
Whether it was Kabuto himself, Kimimaro, or the Sound Five, all of his subordinates were at best mere underlings and pawns.
But this boy named Nawaki is actually calling Orochimaru "teacher"—
This child must have something extraordinary about him to be accepted as a disciple by Lord Orochimaru!
Moreover, judging from Tsunade's excited appearance, it was clear that Nawaki and she had a close relationship. Yakushi Kabuto pondered this, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Nawaki on the screen and Tsunade in the audience.
On the screen, the story continues.
"hateful!"
Orochimaru's fingertips trembled slightly.
That damned bastard dared to fool my soul!
Orochimaru has finally understood.
This is not Itachi Uchiha's genjutsu at all!
This is that damn dream!
Watching a hallucination from the audience is one thing, but now, to personally fall into this dream and witness someone he hasn't seen for years come back to life...
This feeling of being manipulated and played with!
Orochimaru's face was extremely gloomy, and his golden vertical pupils were brimming with killing intent.
Just then, a servant rushed in from outside the tent to report: "Lord Orochimaru! The battle force has assembled and is ready to depart at any time!"
Orochimaru snapped back to reality upon hearing the sound, forcibly suppressing the complex emotions churning within him.
His gaze unconsciously fell on the rope tree in front of him, which seemed eager to try.
The boy's face was filled with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, and his eyes, which bore a striking resemblance to Tsunade's, burned with a fierce fighting spirit and longing.
They had no idea what awaited them.
.....
Orochimaru's Adam's apple bobbed, and he remained silent for a long time.
After a long while, he suddenly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, they had regained their usual coldness and indifference.
"Let's go." He issued the battle order in a deep voice, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
Rope Tree was overjoyed upon hearing this and clenched his fist in excitement.
Meanwhile, Inuya Jacques and the others beside him readily accepted the order: "Yes, sir!"
Orochimaru stood with his hands behind his back, watching the crowd rush out of the camp.
He lowered his head slightly, his face dark and unreadable.
He won't try to change anything!
It was just a false dream, how could it possibly shake me, Orochimaru?
In a sudden, the camera seems to shake, and a scene of a forced march begins.
During the march, dozens of kunai suddenly burst through the air from the forest on both sides—an ambush by the Cloud Ninja!
Rope Tree's eyes narrowed, and he shouted sharply, "An ambush!"
He shot off like an arrow to the front of the group.
Several figures suddenly emerged from the shadows of the dense forest; they were none other than the Cloud Village ninjas who had been lying in wait.
Nawaki calmly responded, throwing several shuriken to force his opponent back, buying time for his companions to counterattack.
He then rapidly formed hand seals, unleashing a fierce fire-style ninjutsu that exploded among the enemies.
With a series of screams, two unsuspecting Cloud Ninjas were blasted away on the spot!
Led by Nawaki, the remaining Konoha ninja were greatly encouraged and attacked from both flanks, quickly annihilating the enemy forces that had launched the sneak attack.
Amidst the vast forest, more than ten figures darted and moved through the trees, rapidly approaching their designated target.
Orochimaru silently followed in the middle of the group, his golden vertical pupils calmly scanning the surroundings.
Along the way, they encountered several small groups of Cloud Ninja intercepting them.
However, these Cloud Village ninjas were of mediocre strength, so how could they possibly withstand the high morale of the Leaf Village ninjas?
After only a few rounds of fighting, the enemy was defeated by the advance team led by Rope Tree, with most of them abandoning their bodies or wounded wolves and foxes to flee.
Within just half an hour, Konoha's forces advanced rapidly, quickly reaching the vicinity of the location indicated in the intelligence report.
A small hill, not very high, appeared before everyone's eyes.
A glimpse of a dark cave entrance is faintly visible in the bushes at the foot of the mountain.
"Found it!" Inuzuka Jaw shouted excitedly, pointing ahead. "The cave is over there—!"
Before he could finish speaking, a figure shot past Orochimaru like an arrow: "I'll lead the charge!"
It was none other than the Rope Tree.
The boy, gripping a kunai, was the first to rush towards the entrance of the cave that appeared to be a supply depot. His speed surprised several Konoha ninjas beside him.
"Haha, that kid Nawaki," Inuyagi chuckled, shaking his head. He then remarked to Orochimaru, "His speed is truly impressive. No wonder he's your disciple, Lord Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and remained silent.
At this moment, his attention was completely focused on Rope Tree, and the solemnity between his brows was even greater than before.
This is the scene from his memory, playing out again without any difference.
He knew perfectly well that there was no supply convoy in this inconspicuous cave at all; Yunyin had simply set up a huge trap.
The cave was filled with pre-placed explosive tags!
Once someone steps inside, only a devastating explosion awaits them.
Orochimaru looked at Nawaki's fearless expression and it immediately overlapped with the last scene in his memory.
Back then, he had high hopes for this apprentice, regarding him as the most promising successor.
But the cruelty of war took everything away in an instant. Was he really going to just watch Nawaki die again?!
In areas where the dog's jaw is not being noticed.
Orochimaru's breathing became sluggish.
in the audience.
Tsunade was already so nervous that her whole body was stiff.
She stared intently at her brother's figure approaching the trap, her heart pounding in her chest: "Orochimaru, that bastard—what is he doing?! Why didn't he stop Nawaki?! There's a trap in that cave, how could he just stand by and watch?!"
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +1000!]
Jiraiya felt a pang of bitterness in his heart, yet he was speechless.
He clenched his fists, staring at the screen at the potential tragedy that could happen at any moment, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Hiruzen Sarutobi gritted his teeth, his face unusually pained: "Orochimaru, you're truly beyond saving!"
At this moment, Tsunade was on the verge of collapse, her fists clenched, and tears welling up in her eyes.
If it weren't for Jiraiya and the others holding her back, she would have loved to rush into the screen and pull Nawaki back from the brink of death!
Kabuto, however, took a keen look at the different expressions on Tsunade's and the other two's faces, a mocking smile playing on his lips: So this is Lord Orochimaru!
No matter how realistic the illusion, it won't fool Lord Orochimaru.
He wouldn't be like those sentimental fellows, led by the nose by mere illusions.
At this critical moment, the scene on the screen suddenly changed!
Orochimaru suddenly attacked, his hands rapidly forming hand seals, then he abruptly opened his arms and let out a fierce shout.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hand!"