In the night, several figures passed through the dense forest and arrived at a plain, their pace slowing.
During the process, their consciousnesses gradually recovered, and they began to exchange greetings.
“Can everyone speak now?” Uchiha Itachi, who was supporting Nagato, spoke first.
“Yes, we can, Itachi!” Nagato replied.
Kakuzu, carrying Lin Nan on his back, grumbled, “I never expected to see each other again like this. And I’m carrying you again, brat. What bad luck!”
Lin Nan silently endured Kakuzu’s deliberate jolts. He used to dislike this guy so much, but now he seemed quite endearing.
Ah, it was good to be alive.
“Lin Nan, you’re dead too…” Nagato sighed.
Uchiha Itachi also gave Lin Nan a deep look. “Have you seen Sasuke after that?”
Lin Nan recalled the plot. “Sasuke joined the Akatsuki, then captured the Eight-Tails for them. After that, I’m not sure.”
“It still came to this?”
Nagato asked, “How is my junior brother Naruto?”
Lin Nan scratched his head. These two were truly interesting.
“Naruto became a hero of Konoha. Afterward, Uchiha Obito… Madara, also known as Tobi, initiated the Fourth Great Ninja War. I was killed by him during that time.”
“Tobi? You were killed by Tobi?” Kakuzu looked surprised.
Lin Nan glared at Kakuzu.
“Tobi is Uchiha Madara. My guess was correct, what a shame!” Itachi looked up at the full moon in the sky, his expression complex, lost in thought.
“So, what’s the current situation? Why are they fighting, and why are they deliberately keeping us away from the war?” Nagato asked.
Itachi sighed. “We were summoned by someone allied with Madara. Madara likely has other strategies.”
Kakuzu’s expression turned somewhat violent. “To think that we, the great Akatsuki, have become pawns for others to manipulate. How ridiculous!”
Lin Nan glanced at him. If he knew that his savings from two lifetimes were squandered by Konan, he wondered what expression he would have.
Right, Konan.
He wondered how Konan was doing.
“Lin Nan, do you know Konan’s situation?” Nagato suddenly asked.
Lin Nan didn’t know if Nagato was aware of this matter, but Konan had used the organization’s treasury to buy explosive tags, so Nagato had no reason not to know.
Lin Nan shook his head and sighed. “I’m not entirely sure. My death was to save Konan. I thought I could retreat unscathed, but I didn’t expect… If she’s dead too, then my death was truly in vain.”
Lin Nan gave a self-mocking bitter smile.
“Is that so?” Nagato sighed.
“As expected of Uchiha Madara, the legendary man! Only he could kill you, this freak!” Kakuzu said with a sinister smile at Lin Nan.
Before Lin Nan could speak, Kakuzu looked at Nagato again. “By the way, who are you? Did you join later?”
He joined much earlier than you did!
Lin Nan looked at Nagato’s half-smiling expression, feeling a mix of amusement and despair.
This guy didn’t even know who he was working for, and he was foolishly handing over all the money he earned.
That’s right, when he was alive, Lin Nan was a member of the Akatsuki, the holder of the “Azure Ring.”
However, Lin Nan didn’t possess S-rank strength like his other colleagues.
Lin Nan himself wasn’t from this world. In his original world, this was just an anime.
Therefore, Lin Nan knew most of the plot developments.
When he transmigrated, he naturally received a cheat.
But this so-called cheat, thinking about it, made him angry.
Lin Nan didn’t have the Sharingan himself; his single Sharingan was transplanted, similar to Kakashi’s but not quite the same. He wouldn’t speak of that painful experience.
After obtaining the “Replication System” cheat, combined with the Sharingan’s ability to record visual information, it sounded quite impressive.
Although the Replication System could copy all kinds of ninjutsu, and all skills in sight could be replicated.
But this thing consumed too much chakra.
Coupled with Lin Nan’s inability to close his Sharingan like Kakashi, constantly draining his chakra, he successfully surpassed Kakashi to become the historical “most chakra-deficient” person, the number one “50/50” in the ninja world.
But fortunately, Lin Nan, being familiar with the plot, relied on his knowledge to navigate through most of the events smoothly.
He originally thought he would just muddle through until world peace, but ultimately…
No need to dwell on the past.
In short, after hardship came happiness.
All the effort and waiting were worth it.
If Lin Nan wasn’t in his current predicament, he would probably collapse on the ground and weep.
It was too difficult.
Lin Nan felt he was the most miserable among his fellow transmigrators in the Naruto world, without exception.
Even with a cheat, he couldn’t defeat anyone. Helplessly, he could only coast along, and unexpectedly, he was still betrayed.
Heaven has taken pity on me; finally, another chance has been given.
A sharp glint flashed in Lin Nan’s eyes.
Then, I’m sorry!
This time, I choose to soar!
Susanoo, Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence, Eight Gates, here I come…
Of course, all predicated on that skill!
I, Hu Han San, am back!
Hahaha… *hiccup*!
“What are you laughing at?” Kakuzu turned to look at Lin Nan, his expression extremely displeased.
Lin Nan retorted, “We’re all dead people now, why are you still so hot-tempered? Can’t you control your temper even in death?”
“Hmph!”
Kakuzu snorted and fell silent.
Before, in the Akatsuki, Lin Nan couldn’t say if he had good or bad relations with anyone. He had always been paired with Tobi.
But who would have thought that after cultivating their relationship for so long, he would still make a move without hesitation?
What a thankless wretch!
As the eastern sky turned a fish-belly white, dawn was approaching.
“Traveling through the night, the mastermind behind this has likely found their target. Be careful!” Uchiha Itachi warned.
As the group of four stepped onto a pond, they saw two figures approaching rapidly in the distance.
One had dark skin and a sturdy build, wearing sunglasses; the other was radiating golden light, almost blinding Lin Nan’s dog eyes.
Chapter one, meeting the villains; chapter two, meeting the protagonist; chapter three, soaring…
That’s right, the approaching figures were none other than Uzumaki Naruto in his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee.
“So that’s it. They want to use us to intercept the Jinchuriki?” Nagato, still being supported by Itachi, finally understood.
Itachi looked surprised. “He can already control the Nine-Tails chakra?”
“Of course. He’s my junior brother!” Nagato said with some pride.
Naruto, upon seeing the four opposite him, looked serious. “Akatsuki members? Kakuzu, Itachi, Nagato… and that’s Mr. Lin. He’s dead too?”
“What’s going on? You know them all. Are you old acquaintances?” Killer Bee asked, confused.
“We appeared here, so you must know the reason. I have one question for you, Naruto!” Before Naruto could reply, Uchiha Itachi shouted, but in the next second, he spewed out a giant fireball.
“Oil Puddle Bomb!” Lin Nan, on Kakuzu’s back, turned and spat out a stream of oil.
Great Fireball plus Oil Puddle Bomb, a standard “adding fuel to the fire” combination.
Lin Nan looked surprised. The one manipulating them, Kabuto Yakushi, was quite playful.
However, these were all futile against Samehada behind Killer Bee.
Killer Bee brandished Samehada, tearing open a gap in the flames.
“Samehada?” Uchiha Itachi looked regretful.
Kakuzu chuckled. “To think that Kisame is also dead. Does that mean there’s no one left in our Akatsuki except for Tobi?”
“Bang!” With a muffled thud, Uchiha Itachi’s figure disappeared.
Kakuzu then tore off his cloak, revealing the four masks on his back.
“That mastermind understands us very well. They even equipped me with five hearts! While it allows me to unleash my full power, being controlled feels truly unpleasant!”
With that, Kakuzu plunged his hands into the ground, and when they reappeared, he was behind Killer Bee.
“Above!” Nagato warned.
In the air, Naruto and Itachi engaged in a fierce battle. At the same time, Itachi began questioning Naruto about Sasuke’s whereabouts.
Upon learning that Sasuke had joined the Akatsuki and betrayed the village, Itachi broke off the engagement and retreated.
Killer Bee was already fighting Kakuzu, and Lin Nan felt his body moving uncontrollably to join the fray.
On the other side, Nagato had summoned the bizarre Six Paths’ summoned beasts, clearly dividing the battlefield!
This wouldn’t do. If they only focused on Killer Bee, it would be difficult later.
Those under Edo Tensei could still have some degree of independent action, but mostly they had to obey the one pulling the strings.
However, just as Lin Nan was about to make a small move, his body was uncontrollably pulled towards Naruto.
Presumably, Kabuto Yakushi believed that Kakuzu alone could hold off Killer Bee.
“Mr. Lin, I’m sorry!” Naruto said to Lin Nan with a complex expression, turning and kicking Lin Nan away.
Lin Nan smiled back. “It’s alright. Do what you have to do.”
As a slacker who wanted to muddle through to world peace back then, how could he not build a good relationship with the protagonist? Lin Nan and Naruto’s relationship had made significant progress during the Pain’s Assault on Konoha.
However, he died not long after.
Just then, Naruto’s golden, radiant face contorted, and a crow was suddenly spat out from his mouth.
“It’s here!” Lin Nan’s pupils contracted. The single Sharingan’s three tomoe spun frantically.
“Ding! Replication System activated. SSS-rank Dojutsu: Genjutsu – Kotoamatsukami (Shisui Uchiha’s Mangekyo Sharingan) has been added to the skill library!”
“Huh? How is this possible?”
Far away, a thousand miles away, Kabuto Yakushi watched as two chess pieces on his board shattered, his pale face growing even paler.