Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 266 Prophecy

"Five chakra reactions entered my perception range. One of them was an old acquaintance, while the other four felt very strange."

"How familiar are you with these 'old acquaintances'? Are they recruits?"

"...The one you stabbed is familiar."

"Damn it, it's him again!"

"Isn't that normal? Highly mobile ninjas are best suited for long-distance missions like this, and besides, he's a definite Hokage candidate, deeply trusted by the current Hokage. We're not afraid to send him anywhere, no matter how far away."

"Wait a minute, I remember this kid has incredibly strong senses too, could he have discovered us?"

"This is definitely a shadow clone, probably used as a scout. Its perception range shouldn't be... that large, right?"

"...This is our second chance to make a contribution. Let's go and take down those four strange guys first!"

"It seems you haven't learned your lesson. What we should do now is report it immediately, instead of acting on our own. I don't want to go to jail with you a second time."

"Isn't there a saying, 'A general in the field may disobey orders'? The safety of the priestess is the most important thing..."

"Shut up! Listening to you always brings trouble!"

After learning from their mistakes twice, the team finally mastered the correct way to handle unexpected and important events, which is truly commendable.

"Reporting to Hokushin, we've spotted four suspicious individuals near the Shrine of the Witches. Their clothing is uniform, and their chakra seems similar to that of the Ghost Army. They're lingering outside the village. Also, Naruto Uzumaki from Konoha has arrived nearby, but it's only a shadow clone."

[Beichen received. That shadow clone was definitely there to place the Flying Thunder God Mark. Konoha's forces could arrive at any moment. Are you confident you can take down those four before Konoha arrives?]

〖have!!〗

"Go for it if you have confidence. Next time, don't shout so loudly; it's making my head buzz."

No, I'm sorry, Tobirama-sama.

Having achieved his goal, Uchiha Yao was like a runaway horse, disappearing in a flash of lightning, leaving Yun and Shan unable to catch up. Facing a group of ninjas who relied excessively on special chakra, and encountering the Uchiha and Senju, whose own strength was superior and who had no risk of running out of chakra, it was truly a crushing defeat.

"Hey! Let's take down the purple-haired one first!"

I know, I know.

"How come the other side didn't even notice what he was doing..."

"Sigh, the quality of ninjas these days is getting worse and worse."

In short, the Sharingan's combined effect makes for a highly effective sneak attack. Despite Yao's carefree nature, he always likes to be at the forefront of battle, drawing all the firepower. The startled four's first reaction wasn't to retaliate, but to move closer to the purple-haired man with the most chakra—a grave mistake. Taking advantage of the purple-haired man's momentary lapse in concentration as he prepared to cast a spell, Yun suddenly lifted the ground where he stood, while Shan, at the perfect moment, unleashed a lightning spear, successfully completing the decapitation strike.

In this way, the remaining three little cuties are left with no choice but to be slaughtered.

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

She had another dream, but this one was different from the others. It wasn't just a series of images; it felt as if she were actually there. And this time, she dreamt of someone she didn't recognize. There was no actual scene of that person dying, but the fear at the very last moment was so real, so real, that she was convinced that person was definitely dead.

Lately, she's been having recurring dreams of confronting the demon with her mother—definitely not a good omen. Now, she's dreamt of death again, and she'll never forget the demon's nightmarish appearance! Undoubtedly, that thing has awakened again, stirring once more with its delusions of a thousand-year-old empire. As a priestess, sealing it away is her duty, but... can she truly do it? Can she truly face all the lives lost for her?

"Lady Shion, I apologize for disturbing your rest." Azusa's voice came from the doorway. Her most loyal guard said gently, "The envoys from Konoha have arrived. Would you like to receive them now?"

...So fast? They came for the demons, so they can't keep running away now.

"Ah, I can't sleep anyway."

The priestess's throne was much higher than where the guests sat, but the golden light was so dazzling that she could recognize the person at a glance. She was never as indifferent to the deaths of those around her as she appeared; now her heart pounded wildly, as if in a dream. She absolutely, positively did not want the prophecy to come true, but death after death shattered her hope.

"Um..." Shion interrupted the person's explanation of the Daimyo's mission, and asked with her last hope, "What's your name?"

The blond man tilted his head, somewhat puzzled by her behavior, but still answered cooperatively, "I am Naruto Uzumaki, the squad leader for this operation."

Uzumaki... Naruto. So, it's still the same?

Ziyuan lowered her head and said in a muffled voice, "You... will die."

"......ah?"

"What?! Why would someone curse someone to death?!" Kurama was the first to shout. He couldn't stand that word, especially when it was associated with Naruto. He exploded, wishing he could jump out of Naruto's body and smash him off the platform. Don't expect him to show any mercy; he's not human!

"Calm down, Kurama. It's probably just a prophecy, not something that's guaranteed to happen." Naruto was actually a little surprised. If Shion had said he might have died in his past life, he would have believed it. He knew all the bad habits he had back then, and it wasn't impossible for him to accidentally kill himself. But... it wasn't just him bragging; in terms of survival skills, as long as he didn't want to die, no one could kill him. How could he still be prophesied to die?

"Why are you saying such things to others as soon as we meet?" Sakura was the first person to speak up, and she seemed quite unhappy.

"Because, this is fate." Ziyuan said this expressionlessly, then turned and left.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Shion sometimes seems to have a premonition of people's life or death, just like what happened." After escorting her to the reception room, Ashiho almost prostrated herself in apology.

"Prediction?"

"But please don't mind it." Ashiho was the kind of guy who would pause at the wrong time to speak, and just when everyone was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he added the last sentence.

"So far, all my predictions have been accurate, so there's no point in worrying about them."

"Ha!!" Everyone in Konoha, except for the person directly involved, exclaimed in surprise.