chsdbacks Chapter 394 Naruto's Disappearance
Chapter 394 Naruto's Disappearance
Before the peace in the ninja world could even warm up, an unprecedented upheaval had already quietly arrived.
With overwhelming force, the Land of Water unified all the nations, large and small, in the ninja world in just a few months, ending hundreds of years of war and conflict.
Logically speaking, as the first Hokage after the unification of the ninja world, Minato Namikaze should have been busy formulating new policies and appeasing the people. However, at this moment, he was overwhelmed by a sudden change, and even his fingertips showed an undisguised tension.
Late at night, the Hokage's office was brightly lit, and an unyielding tension filled the air.
Kushina Uzumaki paced back and forth, her long red hair slightly disheveled from her hurried movements, with a few strands clinging to her sweaty cheeks, making her look even more disheveled.
Her eyes were already red and bloodshot: "Minato! Naruto has been missing for three hours! He never stays out this late, even if he's just going to the training grounds to play, he'll tell us beforehand! Could... could something have happened to him?"
Kushina's gaze was fixed on the scroll spread out on the desk.
That was Naruto's whereabouts for the day, recorded by the ninjas. It clearly showed that he left school after school in the afternoon, but suddenly disappeared without a trace in a small alley on his way home, without even a trace of chakra left.
Minato Namikaze sat in the large Hokage chair, his fingertips rhythmically tapping the armrests. The "tap...tap" sound was particularly clear in the quiet office.
His face showed no sign of panic, and his lips still held their usual gentleness, but only a faint, almost imperceptible seriousness occasionally flashed deep in his eyes, revealing his inner unease.
He stood up abruptly, strode forward, and pressed down on Kushina's trembling shoulders. The warmth of his palm reached her, and his voice, though gentle, carried an undeniable firmness: "Kushina, calm down."
Naruto isn't an ordinary child; he's incredibly clever, and... he's the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, possessing a vast amount of chakra within him. His status is special, so he won't easily get into trouble.
These words were both a way of comforting Kushina and a form of self-suggestion. He knew better than anyone that Naruto was not only his and Kushina's flesh and blood, but also the key to maintaining the balance of the ninja world.
The Nine-Tails' power is enough to destroy the world. If Naruto falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, the newly unified ninja world will inevitably fall into chaos once again, and the peace he has pursued all his life will vanish.
He remained calm because he knew that panicking at this moment was useless; only by finding Naruto as soon as possible could the risks be minimized.
Minato released his grip, turned around, and walked to the window, gazing at the gradually darkening sky outside.
Night had completely fallen, and the lights of Konoha Village twinkled in the darkness, but they couldn't illuminate the gloom in his heart: "I've mobilized thousands of elite ninjas to conduct a thorough search of Konoha and the surrounding area. We've searched everything—his usual training grounds, the forest behind the mountain, his beloved Ichiraku Ramen, even the most hidden corners..."
He paused, a hint of confusion in his voice: "But strangely, no ninja found any trace of him, and even his remaining aura vanished completely, as if... he disappeared into thin air."
"Disappeared into thin air?"
Kushina's body trembled violently, and her long-suppressed emotions finally collapsed. Tears could no longer be held back and dripped down her cheeks onto her clothes.
"How is this possible? Even the top ninjas couldn't do it without leaving a trace! Minato, let's think of another way, we have to find Naruto! Please!"
Her eyes were full of pleading; her former fiery temper had vanished, leaving only the helplessness of a mother.
Minato gently wiped away her tears, sighing inwardly. He desperately wanted to find his son, but the clues were far too few. The ninjas hadn't even caught a glimpse of Naruto's last breath; this was no ordinary missing person case.
Just then, a figure flashed through his mind... Uchiha Mitsunori. That man who possessed the power to create planets and understood the secrets of the universe, whose strength was unfathomable, perhaps only he could find the truth behind Naruto's disappearance.
"Kushina, go home and wait for news. I'll go to the Water Kingdom's palace now to seek help from Lord Mitsumine."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure transformed into a golden streak of light and disappeared into the Fire Shadow Tower.
Using the speed of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he appeared deep within the Water Kingdom's palace in the blink of an eye.
In the courtyard of the royal palace, the Uchiha Sanfeng stood with his hands behind his back, his black robes fluttering in the evening breeze, revealing his transcendent temperament as the hem of his robes swirled.
His golden six-tomoe Rinnegan turned slightly, his gaze as deep as the universe, as if he had already foreseen his arrival.
Minato Namikaze was startled and immediately stepped forward, bowing deeply. His voice was filled with urgency and respect: "Lord Sanmine, please help us! Naruto has gone missing. We've used all our resources, but we can't find any clues. He's the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. If something happens to him, the ninja world... I'm afraid there will be great turmoil."
Upon hearing this, a hint of seriousness flashed in Uchiha Mitsunori's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and comforted him, "Minato, you are the Hokage of the ninja world. Don't panic in this situation. Rest assured, even if Naruto dies, I can revive him."
Having said that, he slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, six rotating tomoe appeared in his golden pupils, radiating a chilling aura: "Time Reversal!"
The moment he finished speaking, a massive amount of golden chakra surged from his Rinnegan, like a rushing river, transforming into a dazzling stream of light that shot straight into the sky.
Immediately afterwards, countless fragments of light and shadow rearranged and flowed in the air, like a film playing in reverse, rapidly retracing the past.
Minato held his breath, staring intently at the fragments of light and shadow, his heart pounding, afraid of missing any trace of Naruto. His hands clenched unconsciously, his knuckles turning white from the force.
As the light and shadow shifted, the streets of Konoha Village gradually came into focus.
In the scene, Naruto has a bright smile on his face, and his clear blue eyes are curved into crescents. He is skipping along, waving and greeting the villagers by the roadside, looking innocent and carefree.
But just as he walked into a secluded alley, something unexpected happened!
Naruto suddenly stopped, his body trembling violently. He clutched his head with both hands, his face contorted in extreme pain, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
His breathing became rapid, and a suppressed groan escaped his throat, as if he were enduring immense torment.
Even more shockingly, his pupils gradually changed color. His originally clear blue eyes slowly turned into a pale purple, and the unique patterns of the Rinnegan appeared in the whites of his eyes, shimmering with an eerie and powerful light.
"That's... the Rinnegan?"
Minato Namikaze gasped in shock, staggering back a step, his eyes wide with disbelief: "Naruto... why does he have the Rinnegan?"
Immediately afterwards, Naruto in the scene stopped trembling, the pain on his face disappeared, and in its place was a calmness and majesty that was inconsistent with his age.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes cold and unfamiliar, completely devoid of his former innocence.
He stretched out his right hand, and a burst of black spatial energy emanated from his palm.
The next second, a black spatial gate more than two meters high slowly opened in front of him. Behind the gate was a chaotic darkness, like an abyss swallowing the surrounding light, making it impossible to see anything.
Without the slightest hesitation, Naruto turned and stepped into the spatial gate. As his figure disappeared, the spatial gate closed, and the alley returned to its usual tranquility, as if nothing had happened.
Uchiha Sanfeng slowly closed his golden Rinnegan, and the spacetime projection in the air dissipated, restoring the palace to its original tranquility.
"Naruto was controlled by the Sage of Six Paths' soul. He used a spatial gate to teleport to another location."
Minato Namikaze frowned, his eyes filled with doubt and confusion: "The soul of the Sage of Six Paths? Lord Sanmine, why would the Sage of Six Paths control Naruto? He was the savior of the ninja world a thousand years ago, a god who maintained peace. How could he harm a child? Is Naruto safe now?"
Countless questions swirled in his mind, the worries of a father and the responsibilities of a Hokage intertwined, pressing down on his heart like a boulder, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
Uchiha Mitsunaga was silent for a moment, then slowly explained, "The Sage of Six Paths' exclusive eye technique of the Rinnegan is called 'Edo Tensei World'. For over a thousand years, he has been hiding in the Edo Tensei World he created, secretly absorbing the chakra carried by the souls of ninjas to accumulate power."
"We unified the ninja world and ended the war. Without war, there would be no large number of dead ninja souls, and his chakra absorption rate would be greatly slowed down. So he controlled Naruto in order to use Naruto's body to revive and prevent us from maintaining peace in the ninja world."
He paused, then continued, "Naruto is the reincarnation of Ashura, the second son of the Sage of Six Paths a thousand years ago. He contains pure Yang Release chakra within him, and with the power of the Yang Nine-Tails, he is the perfect vessel for resurrection. But don't worry, Naruto is safe until he completes the resurrection ritual."
Minato Namikaze's face turned deathly pale. He staggered and grabbed the bronze pillar beside him, his fingers trembling slightly from the force, and even breathing became difficult. He had never imagined that Naruto would be drawn into such an ancient and dangerous conspiracy.
What does the resurrection of the Sage of Six Paths truly mean? Is the peace that the ninja world has just ushered in about to vanish like a bubble?
Minato took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fear and panic in his heart, and his eyes became extremely firm.
He raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Uchiha Mitsunori: "Lord Mitsunori, please tell me, where is Naruto now? No matter the cost, I must go and save him!"