signingbooks Chapter 224 No way, the rope tree really came back to life?
Chapter 224 No way, the rope tree really came back to life?
Chapter 224 No way, Senju Nawaki really came back to life?
auditorium.
Tsunade and Hiruzen Sarutobi were both stunned.
"What...what's going on?! Why is the name 'Rope Tree' appearing on it?!"
Tsunade's eyes were filled with shock.
"This is the first time I've encountered this situation."
"It's a shame that Jiraiya and Kakashi aren't here."
Tsunade frowned.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, saying regretfully, "That's right, it would be great if Kakashi were here. He has much more information about dreams."
Having experienced numerous dream replays, the third generation leader knew that bizarre developments often occurred here.
But the scene before him, where the audience had a choice, still exceeded his expectations.
Indeed, in the world of ninjas, intelligence is always of paramount importance.
Kimimaro, standing to the side, stared blankly into the distance.
Since it was his first time there, he had no idea what was going on and could only ask Kabuto Yakushi for information.
"Kabuto, what's going on?"
Kabuto the Pharmacist was equally full of doubts.
He hadn't been to the dream world many times, and he had never encountered a scene like this, where it resembled a vote.
Upon hearing this, he could only shake his head, adjust his glasses, and say, "I don't know either."
Although he said that, his mind was already shaken by the name flashing on the screen.
Yakushi Nonou!
Kabuto involuntarily held his breath, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his heart began to race.
He also secretly glanced at Tsunade and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The atmosphere in the audience became strange and tense.
After regaining her senses, Tsunade was still very confused.
What's going on?
What does this choice mean?
"Is the dream about to play a clip of the chosen person?"
She frowned and muttered to herself.
Besides that, she couldn't think of what it meant for these two completely unrelated names to appear at the same time.
"If that's really the case—" Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard, pondered, and shook his head, "Isn't it unnecessary to make us have to choose like this?"
"Perhaps it's about us choosing one person, and then—," Hiruzen Sarutobi speculated, his gaze returning to the screen, "and then the chosen person will appear here directly? After all, this place is part of a dream."
His guess made Tsunade's heart skip a beat. If it was true that he appeared here directly, then...!
Tsunade's breathing suddenly became rapid, and her chest pounded like thunder.
Kabuto Yakushi overheard this conversation.
He barely managed to calm himself down, took a deep breath, and forced himself to think calmly about the current situation.
If Dean Nono is chosen, will she appear before me?
Thinking of this, his originally cold blood suddenly became hot.
However, before Kabuto could figure out a solution, Tsunade could no longer contain her longing.
Without much hesitation, she stepped forward and shouted her choice: "I choose Rope Tree!"
Tsunade's powerful voice echoed in the empty stands, filled with urgency, excitement, and hope—
She was terrified that if she was even a second too late, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
The voice just fell.
She realized that her actions were somewhat abrupt, that she, as the Hokage, had lost her composure, but when she thought of the hope that her brother might be able to return, Tsunade could no longer care about anything else.
Upon hearing the sound, Kabuto suddenly snapped back to reality, his expression changing drastically: "Oh no!"
He gasped, inwardly realizing something was wrong.
Too slow!
Kabuto was sweating profusely with anxiety, staring intently at the screen, trying to see if there was any way to salvage the situation.
Just as Tsunade finished speaking, the strange characters on the screen flickered slightly.
A small avatar suddenly appeared next to the "Thousand Hands Rope Tree" option.
It's Tsunade in cartoon form!
Clearly, her dream had recorded her choice.
"One person, one vote?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself, then paused for a moment before realizing what he meant.
Tsunade looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally couldn't stand idly by.
Without further hesitation, he also spoke up: "I also choose the Thousand-Handed Rope Tree."
As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, another avatar appeared after "Nawaki" on the screen.
This scene invigorated Tsunade.
"Very good!"
Two votes!
Regardless of Kimimaro and Kabuto's choice, Nawaki will at least be evenly matched, and may even win!
She gazed intently at the remaining two.
Kimimaro felt a slight sense of satisfaction from being stared at by Tsunade and the Third Hokage.
He actually had no idea about the two names on the screen; he didn't recognize either of them.
Whether it's Senju Nawaki or Yakushi Nono, they are just unfamiliar names.
In his confusion, he noticed that Kabuto's expression was extremely complicated, especially when he looked at the "Yakushi Nonou" option. Kabuto's usually calm eyes revealed a look of excitement and pain.
"Yakushi Nonou — shares the same surname as Yakushi Kabuto".
Kimimaro thought to himself that he could more or less guess that it was probably an important person to Kabuto.
Recalling Kabuto's almost out-of-control reaction when he saw the name, he made a decision.
"I choose Yakushi Nonou."
Although the dream mechanism puzzled him, he was willing to support it since it concerned Kabuto's wish.
At this moment, however, Kabuto Yakushi was acting out of character, standing motionless in place.
After Tsunade chose Nawaki, he was torn between his inner thoughts and his own.
Upon hearing that Kimimaro had chosen Nonou, his back tensed up abruptly.
The opportunity hasn't completely disappeared!
Yakushi Kabuto almost blurted out the word "wild," which rolled out of his throat.
However, that last shred of reason held him back.
The fear in his heart, like an invisible barrier, firmly locked his voice!
How should he face Dean Nono?
Just thinking about what's going to happen next...
Yakushi Kabuto's face turned deathly pale, cold sweat trickled down his temples, and his body trembled slightly. In the end, he couldn't utter a single word.
She doesn't recognize me anymore.
Kabuto's heart is bleeding. Nono was deceived by Danzo back then and never recognized himself until her death.
And aren't I the culprit myself?
Even if the dream brings her back, so what?
Is it better to see her stare blankly at you, as if you're a stranger, or to face her disgust and disappointment after she learns the truth?
Kabuto felt he didn't have the courage to accept any outcome.
The atmosphere at the scene was extremely tense.
Tsunade stared nervously at Kabuto Yakushi: "Hey, are you going to choose or not?!"
She didn't know why Kabuto Yakushi had such a pained expression, assuming he was hesitating about who to choose.
But the longer she delayed, the more uncertain she felt.
When Kabuto heard the call, it was as if he had been jolted awake from a nightmare.
He suddenly shuddered, his hands hanging at his sides clenching and unclenching involuntarily.
After a few seconds of internal struggle, the light in Dou's eyes gradually dimmed, and he lowered his head slightly as if deflated.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to clear his mind of the countless agonizing thoughts.
"—I choose the Thousand-Handed Rope Tree."
A simple sentence, yet it seemed to have exhausted all of Yakushi Kabuto's strength.
After he finished speaking, his shoulders slumped slightly, and he stood there exhausted, his gaze unfocused.
"What?" Tsunade was stunned, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened as well.
I just thought Kabuto was leaning towards Nono, but at the last minute he actually changed his mind and chose Nawaki?
Kimimaro was even more puzzled: "Kataru"
He frowned and looked at Yakushi Kabuto, only to find the other man's expression blank, completely unable to believe why he had given up the option that he originally seemed to care about so much.
However, Kabuto Yakushi no longer wanted to explain, and simply lowered his head, remaining silent.
As Kabuto Yakushi made his choice, several dazzling fireworks burst onto the screen, exploding in the dark theater and illuminating the surroundings with a play of light and shadow.
Immediately afterwards, the text in the center of the large screen began to change and recombine rapidly.
"Vote Results: Senju Nawaki!"
The large, golden lettering was fixed in the center of the screen, shining brightly.
A cute, cartoon-style smiley face was thoughtfully drawn next to it, as if to congratulate all the viewers.
"Dear viewers, please stay tuned!"
A message appeared on the screen, and then the entire screen suddenly went black with a "whoosh".
"Huh?!"
Tsunade paused for a moment, then quickly took two steps forward, almost bumping into the screen.
However, all that remained was darkness, and nothing could be seen.
"That's it?"
Tsunade stood there contentedly, feeling utterly lost amidst the immense sense of disappointment.
She had been eagerly awaiting the appearance of Rope Tree, but after the voting ended, only a few inexplicable prompts remained, and the dream abruptly ended.
The entire audience area was plunged into complete darkness, as if even the last glimmer of light had been taken away.
Tsunade's heart sank suddenly, and in her anxiety, she shouted, "Hey! Wait! What does 'stay tuned' mean?!" Her voice echoed in the boundless darkness, receiving no reply.
Before I knew it, the surroundings had become completely silent, and the other figures in the dream seemed to have vanished.
Tsunade felt a blur before her eyes, and then the world suddenly spun around her!
"Hmm—"
Tsunade suddenly opened her eyes and found herself lying on her own bed.
Morning light streamed in through the window, illuminating a familiar corner of the room; everything seemed normal.
Tsunade rubbed her throbbing temples, sat up from the bed, her eyes still filled with shock and confusion.
The scenes from her dream flashed through her mind so quickly that she couldn't tell whether what she had just experienced was real or not.
Tsunade was lost in thought for a moment, then murmured, "What exactly did that choice mean?"
Just as Tsunade was trying to recall the details of her dream, there was a sudden knock on the door, followed by a female voice saying, "Lady Tsunade, are you awake?"
"Mute?" Tsunade snapped out of her daze and quickly replied, "Come in."
The door was gently pushed open, and Shizune strode in, looking quite anxious.
"Lady Tsunade!" She stepped forward and quickly reported, "This morning, several urgent reports arrived from the Hokage Building! They're all urging you to come over, saying there are important matters that require your immediate attention as Hokage!"
"What?" Tsunade was stunned for a moment when she heard this, and then realized that it was already broad daylight.
It's probably because I slept too soundly last night and woke up later than usual.
She quickly threw off the covers and got out of bed, hastily putting on her Hokage-style haori (outer robe), and while tying the belt, asked, "Do you know exactly what urgent matter it is?"
Shizune followed behind her, straightening her clothes and shaking her head, saying, "The intelligence report mentioned that something happened to Lord Danzo. He was waiting for you in the Hokage's office early this morning, and he seemed very angry."
"Danzo?" Tsunade paused slightly, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. "What could have happened to him?"
Shizune lowered her voice and said, "I heard he was attacked last night."
As she said this, her expression clearly showed some doubt, as if she wasn't sure herself.
"An assassination attempt?" Tsunade's pupils contracted slightly upon hearing this. She didn't have time to think further and quickly walked outside. "Let's go to the Hokage Building!"
A few minutes later, Tsunade rushed to the Hokage's office.
She pushed open the door and entered, but the scene before her made her pause slightly.
Besides Danzo, there were two other familiar figures inside the room—Jiraiya and Kakashi.
The atmosphere in the office was heavy and oppressive, as if an unpleasant argument had just taken place.
Jiraiya leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his face unusually devoid of his usual carefree smile, while Kakashi stood quietly to the side, his expression cold and stern.
Danzo stood with his back to the door in front of his desk. Hearing the door open, he turned around abruptly and saw Tsunade, who had arrived late. His originally gloomy face immediately turned indignant.
"Tsunade! You've finally arrived!" Danzo, leaning on his cane, strode up to her and immediately demanded, "Do you even know how serious what happened last night?!"
As soon as Tsunade entered, Danzo pointed a finger at her and berated her. Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed, and her voice turned cold: "Danzo, what are you doing? What's wrong with you so early in the morning?"
Danzo was so angry that his Sharingan almost popped out.
"Last night, Pain from Amegakure dared to break into Konoha and attempt to assassinate me at my residence! How can the dignity of Konoha be violated? As the Hokage, shouldn't you have done something about it?!"
He spoke with righteous indignation, his cane slamming heavily on the floor, as if he had just experienced a thrilling life-or-death struggle the night before.
However, Tsunade glanced at Danzo a few times. As a medical ninja, Tsunade was able to see through Danzo's current state with just a little observation.
His breathing was steady and his voice was full of energy; there was no sign of serious injury, not even a scratch.
Tsunade couldn't help but sneer, saying sarcastically, "Oh? You were standing here perfectly fine, not a single hair on your head. You don't look like you've just been assassinated at all."
"you!"
Danzo's face turned pale; he hadn't expected Tsunade to be so disrespectful when she spoke.
"Hmph, that's because I am powerful enough to personally defeat that madman last night!"
"You?" Tsunade spread her hands, her face full of distrust. "As the darkness of Konoha, you've been working behind the scenes for years, and you haven't made a name for yourself at all. How exactly did you manage to face Pain, who could withstand Minato's attacks without being defeated?"
These words were blunt and almost directly exposed Danzo's shortcomings.
Danzo was so angry that his chest heaved violently, and he was speechless for a moment.
Jiraiya and Kakashi exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of misunderstanding in each other's eyes.
That's the Rinnegan, the power of the Sage of Six Paths!
Why does Danzo appear to be completely unharmed?
Tsunade's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Alright, Danzo, stop stirring up trouble!" she interrupted impatiently. "I'll have someone investigate the specifics. If you truly have evidence that 'Pain' infiltrated Konoha, I, the Hokage, will naturally take action. But right now..."
Tsunade waved her hand, signaling them to leave.
"I have urgent business to discuss with Jiraiya and the others. You should go back first."
"You—" Danzo was both shocked and furious. He never expected Tsunade to be so disrespectful to him and actually let him leave!
"Tsunade, how dare you look down on me like that?!"
"Many people heard the sounds of fighting last night! They can all testify to that!"
"I'm just stating the facts."
Tsunade crossed her arms and sneered, "Many people heard the sounds of battle? So what? Who knows if you staged it yourself to stir up trouble?"
Upon hearing this, Danzo's face turned ashen, and his lips trembled: "You—you're spouting nonsense!"
He looked around angrily, trying to find an ally.
"Jiraiya!" Danzo pointed his cane at Jiraiya. "Weren't you right outside my house last night when Pain escaped? You saw him with your own eyes, didn't you? Tell Tsunade!"
Jiraiya was called out, his eyes darted around, and he suddenly coughed twice: "Ahem, um - Lord Danzo, I'm sorry, I just happened to be passing by last night and didn't notice."
"you!"
Danzo was so angry that he was speechless. Even Jiraiya refused to speak up for him. He was caught in a dilemma and felt his face burning with embarrassment.
Seeing this, Tsunade chuckled inwardly, but her face remained stern. She gestured towards the door with her chin and said, "Alright, Danzo, you can leave now. I'll have the Anbu investigate this matter thoroughly. Until then, don't act without a base of operations, lest you cause panic in the village."
Danzo then uttered another vicious remark: "Hmph! I will not let this matter rest!"
After saying that, he stomped his foot on the floor, leaning on his cane, and said sharply, "I'm going to find Hiruzen and make him give me an explanation!"
Tsunade shrugged dismissively and sneered, "Suit yourself. Go find the old man to settle this!"
Danzo glared at Tsunade through gritted teeth, then turned and stormed out of the office.
After Danzo left, the atmosphere in the office immediately relaxed.
Jiraiya and Kakashi exchanged a glance, both showing expressions of helplessness and relief.
Jiraiya shrugged and chuckled softly, "I never would have guessed, Tsunade—you really don't give him any mercy at all."
Tsunade snorted and rubbed her temples. "Why bother with this kind of guy?"
Jiraiya sighed, just about to tell Tsunade the truth about what happened last night.
But Tsunade suddenly stopped smiling and her expression became serious.
He spoke first: "Something strange happened in the dream last night."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya and Kakashi both looked at Tsunade, their expressions immediately becoming serious.
"Something strange?" Jiraiya asked, frowning.
Tsunade nodded, then recounted how the screen in the dream audience suddenly displayed two options: Yakushi Nonou and Senju Nawaki, and how everyone voted in turn, with Nawaki ultimately being elected.
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya and Kakashi indeed showed expressions of surprise.
The two looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time.
"Is this even possible? We've never encountered anything like this before," Jiraiya muttered, quickly processing the new information in his mind.
Kakashi hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Excuse my bluntness, Lady Tsunade, but these two seem to be... deceased figures, aren't they?"
Tsunade nodded sadly: "That's right. That's why I found it strange."
Why does a dream force us to choose between two people from the past?
Jiraiya stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Could it be that the dream intends for one of them to 'appear' in some form?"
He was surprised as he spoke.
But anything can happen in dreams. He didn't say anything more about whether he could actually see the deceased, but everyone understood what he meant.
Kakashi adjusted his headband, a thoughtful expression on his face. "We've watched so many episodes before, and we've never seen a dream actively offer any choices. This sudden appearance is definitely not simple."
"Hmm, maybe it signifies a completely new phase or—"
Jiraiya nodded in agreement, but still couldn't figure out the reason behind it.
"In any case, we must be more careful next time we encounter a similar situation."
Tsunade didn't reply, but she understood perfectly well.
The word "cautious" is easy to say, but last night, the moment she saw the name Rope Tree, she had already thrown her composure to the back of her mind.
If the dream gave her another chance, she didn't know if she could truly remain rational.
This thought cast a shadow over her mind.
Just as the group was deep in thought, suddenly there was a loud "BOOM—!!"
A loud bang suddenly came from afar, making the entire Hokage Building tremble slightly!
The office windows rattled and dust fell.
Tsunade and the others all paled: "What's going on?!"
Almost instinctively, Tsunade jumped up from her chair and looked straight out the window.
Jiraiya's heart sank: Had Nagato attacked again?!
"Look outside!" he shouted, rushing to the window and pushing it open to look at the source of the explosion.
Kakashi followed behind him, while Tsunade quickly stepped forward and leaned out with the two of them.
As far as the eye could see, billowing dust rose into the sky above the western side of Konoha Village, where a huge, dark brown serpent was coiled among the buildings!
The giant snake had a thick, long body and was frantically whipping its tail, forcing back the Konoha ninjas who were chasing it from all sides.
The earth-shattering sound just now was clearly the explosion caused by the giant serpent's tail crashing to the ground.
Even more terrifying, a human figure was standing steadily on the top of the triangular head of the largest snake!
He was quite a distance away, with his back to the Hokage Building, making it difficult to discern the details of his face.
But one thing is very obvious.
He had a neat short haircut, not Orochimaru's signature jet-black long hair!
"There are also figures fighting the giant snake nearby; they look like our Konoha guards."
Kakashi, with his keen eyesight, quickly noticed several figures moving at high speed around the giant snake, using ninjutsu to restrain its movements.
"Orochimaru?" Jiraiya murmured, his face full of shock and confusion.
"It's not Orochimaru," Tsunade shook her head firmly. "Manda is much larger than this snake. And..."
She stared intently at the figure in the distance.
"And that person has short hair, not Orochimaru!"
Short hair?
Jiraiya felt a chill run down his spine.
That's right, Orochimaru has changed bodies so many times, but he always has long hair.
This person, however, had short hair; he was a short-haired ninja who could control giant snakes.
He quickly searched his mind, but couldn't think of anyone who fit the criteria.
"Who could it be?" Kakashi also found it strange. "Could it be one of the Akatsuki members who is skilled in summoning jutsu?"
"I don't know." Jiraiya's expression was solemn. "But whoever it is, daring to attack Konoha in broad daylight must not be let off lightly!"
That being said, Tsunade's attention was not on who the enemy was.
She stared at the giant snake and the unfamiliar, blurry human figure on its head, and her heart began to pound uncontrollably.
That terrible thought resurfaced in her mind and wouldn't go away.
Short hair, snake-style ninjutsu
These clues converged in Tsunade's mind like lightning, causing her heart to race.
Tsunade felt as if all the blood in her body rushed to her head.
"No way?!"
She murmured to herself, her voice trembling unbelievably.
"Tsunade? What's wrong?" Jiraiya noticed that her face was as pale as paper and couldn't help but ask.
Tsunade did not answer; she vanished in a flash.
"Hey, Tsunade—!"
"Lady Tsunade!"
Jiraiya dared not delay and immediately leaped after him.
"Quick! Kakashi, keep up with her!"
Three figures, one in front and two behind, leaped out of the high windows of the Hokage Building and headed straight for the battlefield in the west of the village.
Ahead, Tsunade, wearing the Hokage haori, was running at high speed on the rooftop, showing none of the composure one would expect from a Hokage.
Her mind was filled with that terrifying guess, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode.
Rope Tree—is that you?!
She strained to open her eyes wide, trying to make out the face of the person in the distance.
Behind Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi chased desperately, but always kept a distance from her.
As Jiraiya ran, he anxiously shouted to Kakashi, "Requesting backup! She's the Hokage, nothing can go wrong!"
Kakashi replied in a deep voice, "Understood!"
With that, he waved his hand, and a signal flare shot straight into the sky and exploded.
That was a signal to call for support from nearby secret forces.
Tsunade, who was in front, seemed completely oblivious to the shouts coming from behind her.
The wind whistled past her ears, and her eyes were already wet.