Reincarnation of the Pure Land and the Dirty Land
Obito wants to kill Loquat Juzo?
Naruto was stunned, wondering if he had heard wrong. In his memory, Loquat Juzo, known as "Loquat Ten Zang," had been born in Kirigakure. Disillusioned by the oppressive rule of the Fourth Mizukage, he had rebelled and joined the Akatsuki organization.
Logically, Loquat Juzo's situation mirrored that of Kisame Hoshigaki—both were formidable warriors from Kirigakure and long-time associates of Obito, making them seem like trusted allies.
So why would Obito want to kill Loquat Juzo?
Naruto scratched his head in confusion before suddenly recalling Itachi Uchiha and Juzo's attack on Kirigakure. In theory, Kirigakure had already been under the control of the Akatsuki, rendering any investigation into the whereabouts of the tailed beasts unnecessary.
The most likely explanation seemed to be an internal factional split within Akatsuki—Obito's group versus the faction led by Nagato (Pain).
Despite being an associate of Obito, Loquat Juzo had likely uncovered Obito's covert manipulation of the Fourth Mizukage, the mastermind behind the Bloody Mist resurgence. Juzo, determined to expose the conspiracy, might have tried to return to Kirigakure to reveal the truth.
Thinking this over, Naruto nodded in agreement with Obito's proposal, signaling his consent.
Obito, eyeing Naruto intently, activated his Kamui, vanishing into the vortex. The next moment, he reappeared behind Naruto, swinging his kunai with deadly intent.
Naruto, anticipating the attack, gripped his hand tightly, summoning the breath of the sickle weasel to materialize in a fluid motion. It sliced through the air like a whip, cutting through reinforced concrete and wooden office furniture effortlessly. Meanwhile, a Rasengan formed in his other hand, ready for action.
"Do you intend to continue our partnership?" Obito asked, maintaining a spectral form as he spoke. "Cooperation requires strength. And you must pay a price for killing so many of our men."
With that, Obito disappeared into the vortex again, leaving the Mizukage Building.
After Obito's departure, Naruto instructed his shadow clone to gather any valuable items from the building. His gaze, however, remained fixed on the spot where Obito had vanished, lost in thought.
At that moment, the Nine Tails spoke up from within Naruto's body. "Naruto, why didn't you attack the masked man? Why did you choose to cooperate with him? He's the one who caused your tragic childhood! He's our enemy!"
Naruto's face grew serious as he replied, "Kyuubi, I want to take him down more than anyone, but now is not the time. I'm not strong enough to defeat him, and I can't risk him escaping with his space-time jutsu."
He paused before adding, "Besides, the Uchiha clan possesses a technique called Izanagi, which temporarily rewrites reality."
"The jutsu of time and space, the technique of Izanagi..." Namikaze Minato, who had been watching silently, sighed, a look of concern crossing his face.
Naruto's guess was correct. The masked man who had attacked the village was indeed Obito, who had secretly manipulated the Fourth Mizukage to ignite the Blood Mist in Kirigakure. Their ultimate goal was to capture the Tailed Beasts and resurrect the world-ending monster Kyuubi had spoken of.
The existence of such a powerful masked figure and the organization plotting to collect the Tailed Beasts posed a significant threat to both the village and Naruto himself. This was also why Minato had always opposed Naruto leaving the village—because, as the Jinchuriki of the Nine Tails, Naruto was bound to attract dangerous ambitions.
But now, it seemed that Naruto had matured enough to handle these challenges. His growth, though still imperfect in some ways, made him no longer the child he once was. It was clear that he had begun to think more like a seasoned ninja.
After a moment of contemplation, Minato walked over to Naruto and Kyuubi. "Kyuubi, Naruto's decision isn't wrong. Against an opponent who can manipulate time and space, unless you have the means to deliver a decisive blow, it's too dangerous to make him an enemy."
He continued, "Forming a temporary alliance is a sound strategy. But I advise against using illusions to control the leadership of Kirigakure."
Both Naruto and Kyuubi glanced at Minato, who then added, somewhat defensively, "Isn't this the Fourth Hokage? Why would I offer advice to a Tailed Beast and a rebel?"
Naruto, deep in thought, ignored Minato's remark. Instead, he quietly muttered, "Fourth Hokage, if the enemy is in a different space, would your Flying Thunder God technique still work?"
Minato, hands on his hips, thought for a moment. "I haven't tested it, so I can't say for sure. But if you're asking about Flying Thunder God, are you planning to use it against the masked man?"
Naruto nodded without hesitation. "That's the plan. If the Flying Thunder God technique can truly reach different spaces, it will make dealing with him much easier."
"Well, I can teach you the Flying Thunder God technique, but don't expect too much," Minato cautioned. "It requires incredible reflexes and precise spatial coordination. It's already difficult to teleport within the same space, and attempting to move through different spaces is as risky as Master Tsunade's gambling habits."
Before Minato could finish his sentence, Naruto shot him a curious look. Minato quickly added, "I didn't mean to dissuade you. If you want to learn other ninjutsu or taijutsu, I can teach you those too."
Kyuubi, who had been silent up until now, spoke up suddenly: "Naruto has always had the ability to read people's hearts, Minato. Your attitude doesn't seem sincere. Do you want him to return to Konoha and protect it after learning the Flying Thunder God?"
Minato raised an eyebrow, unperturbed. He wasn't surprised by Kyuubi's statement, but his intentions had always been genuine. He wanted to guide Naruto, not control him.
Kyuubi snorted, then looked at Naruto, who was lost in thought.
Since his early childhood, Naruto had displayed extraordinary abilities—such as mastering the Uchiha clan's ninjutsu and learning the Soft Fist style. These talents were part of the secrets Naruto kept, just as he himself hid certain truths.
While Kyuubi didn't doubt Minato's sincerity, it began to consider deeper issues. The system it had been using to gauge others' favorability had malfunctioned twice now—first with the Uzumaki clan's patriarch Ashina, and now with Minato. Neither of these figures had shown any signs of favorability.
This raised two possibilities: either the system itself was flawed, or the effects of the Reincarnation of the Dirt might be involved.
After all, both Ashina and Minato had passed away, but there were legends of a "Pure Land" in the ninja world—where even the dead could have their souls wander, and resurrection was not an impossible feat.
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