Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 507, Battlefield 3

"Naruto, it's not a bad thing to start all over again. As long as our civilization continues, that's enough."

"...Do you believe I can do that?"

"Of course you can now."

"Then why don't I use those memories to relive the past? Just like now."

The crumbling Hokage Rock, which had previously obscured the outline of a human figure, regained its color as the conversation unfolded. It was the world's most precious miracle, something only a god who controlled creation and destruction could accomplish.

The scorching wounds were soothed by the great power, the collapsed ruins were rebuilt in an instant, and the clamor of voices drifted to the cliffs on the horizon. Two people overlooking the valley stood side by side on Fire Shadow Rock, silently observing this dramatic change.

They returned to Konoha, a village that had not been destroyed and was thriving and peaceful.

But the black-haired man simply sighed softly and said, "You know this isn't true, and neither am I."

"And everything I say is your own voice."

"No!" Maintaining his image as the Seventh Generation, he denied it face to face, but his excitement was fleeting. He said casually, "You're still the same as ever, always fixated on my gains and losses. You always call me an idiot, but you're the idiot."

However, Sasuke, who had covered one eye, simply stared at him quietly, in a way that felt unfamiliar to him.

Sasuke's expression changed subtly, but it wasn't absent. When they looked into each other's eyes, he could always detect a subtle tremor. He didn't understand what that fluctuating emotion was, so he attributed it to the joy of a long-awaited reunion, just like he felt every time he saw Sasuke.

Now, however, he understood what it was, but cruel reality robbed him of the right to look into that black eye again. The black eye he saw now held only a stagnant calm, nothing but a memory etched into his soul.

The dark eyes closed as he instructed. He turned his head away, no longer gazing at the perfect shell that pulsated but ceased to respond to life once separated from him. But such shells were more numerous below the cliff. A vast town suddenly fell silent, not even the chirping of birds or insects could be heard. He saw more familiar figures, frozen in their previous poses, like puppets.

He cannot create living beings with souls. Even with the most complete memories, and by separating his own soul and adding it to the creation, he still cannot mold a soul core unique to each individual. These people are not merely puppets, but also his alter egos, driven by him and forcibly acting according to their past habits.

This is not the world he wanted, nor the world he desperately tried to protect. This is clearly his own Infinite Tsukuyomi, but everything here is real, leaving no room for maneuver.

How exactly can we recreate the past?

......past?

A wildly arrogant thought suddenly flashed through his mind: if he could salvage the past before it was destroyed by Shibaju from the timeline of this region, could his homeland truly be saved? Could the souls that had merged with him regain their independence and continue the lives that had been taken from them?

------------

The coalition's plan is proceeding smoothly.

A large number of reinforcements were added to the third battlefield, suppressing the White Zetsu Legion's counterattack. The elite troops finally had enough space to deal with the Edo Tensei that flooded into the third battlefield.

Based on the principle that each village is more familiar with its own people, they assigned corresponding squad leaders according to the opponents that appeared, and these leaders led the teams to seal their own ninjas.

The fact that the team captains correspond doesn't mean the team members correspond as well. For example, the team that fought the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers from Kumogakure included a white-haired Konoha ninja; the team that fought Kato Dan from Konoha included members from various ninja villages; and the team that fought Kakuzu was also a mixed bag. Then there's the Third Kazekage, who was pulled back into the fray again—his opponents couldn't do without Fire Release techniques; and the diverse bloodline limit ninjas from different villages required corresponding elemental weaknesses to handle.

In short, the third battlefield, where the most Edo Tensei (impure world) appeared, was a true free-for-all. Even if the battle areas were divided as much as possible, they would inevitably affect each other.

Among so many opponents, the most conspicuous are the gold and silver brothers of Kumogakure. Their appearance is very eye-catching, and they are equipped with exaggerated ninja tools. In addition, Kumogakure attaches great importance to their existence, and even urgently retrieved another Six Paths Ninja Tool stored in the Allied Forces Headquarters to help them seal the two brothers.

"Since you're from Konoha, I need to tell you about the dangers of those strange ninja tools..."

“No need,” Izumi calmly replied. “Don’t touch the golden rope, and don’t stand within the fan’s attack range. Those are the only two things to be careful about.”

Darui was momentarily speechless. The other person seemed to understand the two brothers very well, and there was no need for him to say anything more. Moreover, his summary was spot on; there were indeed only these two things to pay attention to.

"Oh, and also, if necessary, don't communicate with words," Izumi added, before leading the charge.

Although that was indeed the battle plan, Darui felt that the enemy was rushing too fast, and they were having a hard time keeping up. They had to use Storm Release to make up for the distance they had created. The two brothers, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, had a very good relationship. When the surprise attack came, the elder brother, Kinkaku, raised his fan and created a gust of wind that actually scattered the lightning.

Just as Jinjiao was about to mock the opponent's overestimation of their abilities, the seawater beneath his feet suddenly churned, and the rapidly spinning current created a waterspout shooting straight into the sky, centered on them. For some reason, this scene seemed strangely familiar. However, it was just a waterspout; he could break through it by waving his banana leaf fan a few more times.

However, those who had trapped them probably guessed what Jinjiao was thinking. The moment Jinjiao raised his hand, a barrage of kunai flew from behind him. Yinjiao was standing there, so he instinctively turned and swatted at them from behind. But just as he was about to attack, a burst of black lightning erupted from the front – an attack that couldn't be easily blocked.

Jinjiao was a little annoyed. He grabbed Yinjiao and slapped him from all angles, while carefully avoiding touching the rope wrapped around his hand.

The waterspout, struck by such force, was bound to dissipate. But just as their guard was about to lift and people were about to be thrown out by the mist, a figure emerged gracefully from the sea beneath their feet. He precisely kicked Ginkaku in the waist, causing him to touch the golden rope that could extract the power of words, and then with a swift stroke, severed Ginkaku's arm holding the Seven Star Sword. As he grasped the ninja tool, he cut off the last wield of golden chakra that Ginkaku had released.

This guy's series of movements were so swift and fluid that the Gold and Silver Brothers couldn't react at all. What's even more infuriating is that after taking Silver Horn's Word of Power, Gold Horn's attack also missed its target, because that ninja disappeared in an instant! He even disappeared with the Red Gourd!

As the armless Silver Horn trembled and called out Gold Horn's name, the power of the Word of Power activated; it was his brother's name that he most often uttered. Thus, he too was punished by the Red Gourd on equal terms.