[NTU] [ARC-26] Chapter : 330

In the depths of a dark, gloomy underground base, silence hung like a suffocating fog.

Flickering candles lined the corridor walls, casting uneven, trembling shadows. The doors to the rooms on either side remained tightly shut—sealed as if hiding some unspeakable horror within.

Creak—

The agonizing screech of rusted hinges echoed through the hall, slicing through the silence like a blade. The sound was distant and sharp, reverberating endlessly within the enclosed space.

It sent a chill down the spine—an ominous signal that something ancient and malevolent had begun to stir.

At the corridor's far end, a heavy door creaked open inch by inch. From its widening crack, darkness spilled out like a living thing, swallowing the weak glow of candlelight.

Inside, something writhed. A shadowed form twisted and trembled, accompanied by a low, guttural growl.

“You are…”

As the dim light pushed forward, Kabuto caught sight of a lone figure emerging from the darkness—upright, composed, and cold as ice.

Was it... Lord Orochimaru? Or Sasuke?

His throat tightened. Kabuto swallowed hard. He couldn’t be sure. The presence before him felt entirely unfamiliar, yet disturbingly familiar all the same.

"Kabuto."

Sasuke turned slowly, his crimson eyes glinting faintly as he stepped forward and passed by without pause.

Kabuto remained frozen, silently observing, every muscle tense, unwilling to miss a single detail.

"Who... are you?"

"What do you think?" came the cryptic reply, devoid of emotion.

Without another word, Sasuke—if it was Sasuke—walked away from the place he had called home for years, leaving only a chilling stillness behind.

“The Mangekyō…”

As he wiped away the blood-red residue near his eyes, Sasuke let his thoughts drift back to the decisive battle during the Reincarnation Ritual.

He had faced Orochimaru at full strength… and prevailed. But victory hadn't come easily—it had been possible only because of his brother, Itachi.

Three years ago, Orochimaru had done everything to claim his body. But in the end, Itachi had found him.

Still, no matter how much Itachi tried, Sasuke’s determination remained unshaken. He had no intention of going back to Konoha only to live a safe, comfortable life.

He had told Itachi plainly: even if he returned to the village, he would still seek out Orochimaru—because only by dancing on the edge of death could he grow stronger.

In the sheltered safety of Konoha, under the guidance of his father or even his brother, his progress would come slowly. That wasn’t the path he wanted.

Left with no choice, Itachi had sealed a powerful jutsu within Sasuke’s eyes—a secret trump card encoded in his own Mangekyō Sharingan.

It was that very seal that had turned the tide—allowing Sasuke to overcome Orochimaru and survive the possession.

Now, as the dust of that battle settled...

"It's time to find that idiot… and settle things once and for all."

Memories of Naruto flashed through his mind, and a rare smirk touched the corners of Sasuke’s lips.

Then, without a sound, he vanished into the shadows of the corridor—leaving Kabuto staring after him, silent and stunned.

—

"Naruto, mission time!"

Clad in a fitted, mission-ready outfit, Naruto looked up at Kakashi, excitement lighting up his face.

He slurped down the last strands of ramen from his bowl in one loud gulp, then lifted the bowl with both hands and drank the remaining pork-bone broth in one go.

As the rich, savory flavor warmed him from the inside out, his eyes welled up with emotion.

“I’m finally home…”

Only the gods knew the suffering he’d endured over the past few months.

Faced with the "insect cuisine" lovingly prepared by Shima on Mount Myōboku, even someone as tough-skinned as Naruto had begun to doubt his own sanity.

Worse yet, after he started training to sense natural energy with toad oil, those bizarre dishes had… started to taste good.

The thought alone sent shivers down his spine.

As soon as he returned to Konoha, he made a beeline for Ichiraku Ramen—desperate to remind his stomach what real food tasted like.

And now, fully recharged, his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

A mission. Finally.

Fortunately for Naruto, despite everything he endured, his love for ramen remained unshaken. Compared to those bizarre, borderline-heretical “insect dishes” on Mount Myōboku, ramen was still his one true comfort food. He was still Uzumaki Naruto—not some weird Toad Naruto... at least not yet.

"Thanks for the meal, Uncle Ichiraku!"

With a satisfied bang, Naruto downed the last drop of broth and set the empty bowl down. Flashing a grin, he waved goodbye and stood up to leave.

"Finally... it's time for me to show what I've learned!"

"So, Kakashi-sensei, what’s the mission this time?"

Trailing behind his former teacher, Naruto couldn’t help but daydream. In his mind, he imagined himself sweeping through high-level missions, impressing everyone with the results of his training. This was his comeback—and he was ready to shine.

—

Meanwhile…

In the shadowy, rain-soaked village of Amegakure, the mood was much darker.

"Obito, how do you plan to deal with the Nine-Tails?"

Nagato’s brow furrowed as he glanced sideways at Obito. The plan to gather all the Tailed Beasts had begun. Capturing the One through Eight-Tails should go relatively smoothly.

But the Nine-Tails... that was a different story altogether.

Not only was the beast itself one of the most fearsome, but guarding it stood the Fifth Hokage—Uchiha Toshiro. A major obstacle.

"If we all move at once, there’s a chance we could succeed," Obito said calmly. "But I’ve already prepared a backup plan."

Nagato scoffed lightly. He didn't appreciate the idea of needing alternatives—especially when it came to dealing with a single shinobi, no matter how powerful.

Still, Obito was well aware of the odds. "Even with your improved strength," he said, "confronting the Fifth Hokage directly isn’t wise. Even if the entire Akatsuki moves, the chance of successfully invading Konoha is slim."

"Jiraiya, Tsunade, Fugaku, Itachi, Shisui. There is even the Uchiha clan to consider."

Obito’s voice grew colder. "If we make the wrong move now, we risk losing everything we’ve built."

He turned toward the shadows. "Zetsu, explain the plan to Nagato."

Though Nagato had regained much of his strength, Obito still lacked full confidence in a head-on clash with Toshiro. A second failure could spell the end of their ambitions.

Zetsu emerged, his dual-toned voice echoing faintly. "There’s a group of Guardian Shinobi operating within the Land of Fire that wants to eliminate the Hokage and make the Daimyo the sole power of the Land of Fire," he began. "Their leader’s been growing restless… and desperate."

"Sixteen years ago, on the night of the Nine-Tails attack, they managed to extract a small portion of the beast’s chakra and seal it into a boy," Black Zetsu revealed. "That chakra is now in the hands of these guardians. They foolishly believe it’s enough to challenge the Hokage."

Nagato sneered. "Using a fragment of the Nine-Tails to topple Uchiha Toshiro? What kind of delusional thinking is that?"

"Frogs at the bottom of a well," he muttered. "They have no idea how vast the sky really is."

Still, a hint of doubt remained. "Is a mere fragment of the Nine-Tails' chakra really enough?"

"It should be sufficient," Zetsu replied with confidence. "If the Gedo Statue absorbs that chakra, we can move forward with the plan."

"Very well," Nagato said at last, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. He might’ve been eager for battle, but even he knew—a direct confrontation with the Hokage was a last resort.