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A head of snow-white hair suddenly grew longer, entangling the blue figure who was frozen in place, clutching her head from a great distance.

Having gained the upper hand, the remaining Konoha ninjas finally reacted and unleashed a series of ninjutsu.

"Shadow Binding Technique".

"Tu Dun·Tu Liubi!"

"Sealing Technique: Three-Way Seal!"

Various binding ninjutsu were unleashed in quick succession, instantly binding Blue, who was stiff and seemingly about to fall into an abyss.

The croaking of frogs gradually subsided, and the rain, now cut off, slowly fell. Only Lan, who was firmly bound, and a group of Konoha ninjas maintaining their ninjutsu remained on the scene.

"You can't escape now, can you?" Jiraiya remained in his hand seals, looking solemnly at the man wrapped up like a dumpling.

"Tell me, who are you? What orders did Qing give you? Why did you attack the village?!"

A barrage of questions instantly spilled out, raining down on Lan.

"..." Lan's vision suddenly spun around, and the sound of frogs croaking still echoed in her ears.

He stared intently at the three Jiraiyas before him, shook his head, and merged the three images into one. He then looked at the increasingly gloomy sky, and a strange smile suddenly appeared beneath the wooden mask that had been smashed again.

"What are you laughing at?" Jiraiya asked, puzzled.

Boom!

Under the gloomy night sky, a branch-shaped lightning bolt suddenly flashed, instantly turning everything in the world into black and white.

The dazzling white light shone on the bound blue body, and coupled with his eerie smile, he looked even more like a demon from hell.

At this moment, the rain grew heavier and heavier, and even the intricate tree trunks began to sway, as if even the heavens were grieving and weeping.

"I'm just laughing at myself for being too careless." Lan gradually suppressed his smile, and a glint of blue light flashed again in his deep eyes. He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Jiraiya in front of him.

"Since you're so eager to know, I'll kindly answer your question."

He paused, as if remembering something, and said, "However, before that, let me give you a heads-up on behalf of someone."

"What reminder?"

“The Nine-Tails,” he said. “Or rather, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.”

Chapter 239: Has something been forgotten?

"Cough cough..."

A bizarre dreamscape, indistinct figures, an endless expanse of darkness, and the most dazzling light within that darkness.

Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to be having a dream that had lasted for an unknown amount of time, in which he experienced endless battles and was left with countless wounds.

His whole body felt like a dough being constantly pounded by a rolling pin, with dull pain coming from all over. The stabbing pain in his temples made it difficult for him to open his eyes.

"pat..."

The cool raindrops fell on his withered face, making him feel much clearer for a moment.

Suddenly, he stood up abruptly, his slightly bewildered eyes scanning his surroundings.

What came into view were inexplicably piled-up black cubes, with rain lashing against them yet leaving no trace, while signs of battle were everywhere.

"Battle... Black Cube..."

What about people? !

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned in thought, and almost instantly, a movie-like replay of everything that happened before he fainted appeared in his mind.

Encountering that man, a sky ablaze with red light, Danzo's death, a successful sneak attack, and finally, a black cube that blots out the sky...

Hiruzen Sarutobi dragged his broken body, trying to find his trace, only to find that apart from the rain still falling, the surroundings were deathly silent.

"Cough cough..."

Another cough, similar to his, rang out. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a muffled thud coming from the spot where the small cube was pressed down.

boom.

Suddenly, a deathly pale hand emerged from it. Blood trickled from the corner of Shimura Danzo's mouth as he struggled to pry open the small blocks pressing down on him and stood up.

What met his gaze head-on was Hiruzen Sarutobi's surprised eyes.

Your hand...?

Danzo Shimura paused, then looked down at his deathly pale right hand, which had been restored using eroded cells.

A rich life force circulated within him, continuously nourishing his body and allowing him to maintain a good condition even after suffering chakra depletion and numerous attacks.

"This is the result of my research, utilizing erosion..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, interrupting, "I meant that one."

He stared intently at the scroll beneath Danzo's tattered robe on his right hand, its light gradually dimming as if eroded by time. The marks and ancient decorations on it were losing their original color and gradually darkening.

Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly remembered that when faced with that terrifying release of energy, with red light filling the sky, he displayed golden light.

They helped them withstand that terrible blow.

now.....

After being reminded by Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo realized that the scroll he had found in the cave had completely lost its original color and luster. When he unfolded it, he saw that the strange and supernatural characters engraved on it had disappeared.

The strange, difficult-to-read, and obscure characters that were previously seen are no longer there.

"Now is not the time to worry about such trivial matters. What is the situation? What about that man? What about the Nine-Tails? What about the village? What about the Sky Ninja?" Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could speak, Danzo Shimura fired off a series of questions.

At this moment, his gloomy face was filled with a deep sense of sorrow for the village.

A sense of righteousness is often the most powerful weapon to break a person.

If this is true for the villagers who hold the "Will of Fire" and place the safety and beliefs of the village above their own, how much more so for Hiruzen Sarutobi?

Seeing Danzo's solemn expression and the question he posed, Hiruzen Sarutobi moved his lips, suppressing his thoughts for the time being.

"I woke up not much earlier than you. That guy should have retreated temporarily after you ambushed and seriously injured him..."

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to ask, he understood that it wasn't the right time to discuss these matters given Danzo's attitude and the current situation. Besides, there was nothing he could do if Danzo didn't want to talk about it.

In the end, wasn't it precisely because of this golden-glowing thing that they were saved?

"The Sky Ninja who attacked the village have temporarily stopped making a move. That's a good thing. We should trust Aoran and Minato."

"As for the Nine-Tails..." He pondered for a moment, then said, "Its chakra has temporarily disappeared."

"Then let's go!" Danzo waved his hand and focused his senses, trying to find the Nine-Tails' chakra.

At this moment, nothing in the world could compare to the guy he had severely injured with a single blow, or the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Tailed beasts are the most precious thing for every ninja village, and can be understood as the village's ultimate weapon.

Looking at Danzo's righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression kept changing.

Various thoughts and ideas swirled in his weathered eyes, but he ultimately said nothing. Instead, he looked at the Konoha ninja not far away, who stood there dumbfounded, pinned to the spot by black rods, like a stone statue.

In their eyes, the Hokage and Danzo Shimura were practically divine interventions.

To put it bluntly, they're like cockroaches that can't be killed.

Despite enduring the onslaught of multiple attacks, they maintained their formidable strength, driving away the enemy. Elder Danzo even nearly killed that godlike man...

Hmm? Have you forgotten something?

Oh, that hurts so much...

"Hiruzen, stop being so soft-hearted. The real emergency is with Kurama. They're just pinned down... As for their lives being in danger..." Danzo glanced sideways at the Konoha members who were rooted to the spot, their faces shifting with various expressions.

They're so energetic and have so many mood swings, how could their lives be in danger?!

"One cough!"

Before he could reply, Danzo vanished from the spot, leaving only lingering echoes that swirled and intertwined in Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind.

"..." Hiruzen Sarutobi choked on his words, and after meeting the expectant and hopeful gazes of the crowd that seemed to inspire them to forge ahead and temporarily disregard everything else, he ultimately said nothing.

Despite his broken body, he instantly caught up with Danzo's pace.

Danzo refused to say more; the Nine-Tails' chakra vanished without a trace, and that guy disappeared from the spot as well...

Danzo's heart was always for the village, and even if he had his own selfish motives, Hiruzen Sarutobi was willing to believe him.

Even if there might be something fishy going on, even if it's only temporary.

Swish! !

Two sounds suddenly flashed in the spot, and even the rain failed to catch up with the two.

In the devastated ruins of the battlefield, only endless fragments of black blocks remained, along with the Konoha members who were still struggling, pinned to the spot, and communicating with each other.

Meanwhile, in the intricate and dark forest.

"puff..."

The faint sound of the ground hitting the ground was drowned out by the pouring rain. Ancient trees belonging to the Land of Fire were everywhere, and insects, taking advantage of the damp environment, poked their heads out at this time.

However, while breathing in the fresh air, I suddenly felt an extremely strong sense of oppression.

Looking up, what came into view was a white-haired figure standing out in the darkness.