Chapter 186: We Unite
Due to the vast number of ants and their massive size, cracks appeared in the passages they traversed, and they began to collapse downward.
A real-life version of Temple Run?
Naruto glanced at Tenten.
Considering this achievement, he couldn't help but shake his head; the scope was just too small.
All this commotion just for Tenten?
Can't you Shadow Clones do something productive?
The five of them sprinted all the way.
Tenten ran at the very front.
Naruto lowered his speed to stay at the very back for their safety.
If they were forced to catch up, he could deal with it.
Even though he lowered his speed, he was still incredibly fast.
His hair blew back, revealing his forehead.
The oncoming wind reminded him of riding a motorcycle in his previous life.
He was just missing a track like 'Deja Vu' and some drifting around the corners.
"We've reached the end!"
Tenten shouted hurriedly.
She was panting.
Riding such a fast horse for the first time was quite a thrill for her.
Especially with a huge swarm of followers right behind them.
She jumped off the horse and entered the bronze door.
And her horse instantly turned into mud.
Seeing this, and having experienced the previous 'Resurrection of the Dead' stage, the others understood that this meant they had passed the level.
Naruto was the last to arrive at the door.
He glanced at the ant swarm, turned around, and walked in.
The bronze gate closed.
Immediately, the sounds of thudding and crashing against the wall echoed.
Only then did Naruto have the time to look at the situation inside the door.
Seven or eight passage openings came into view.
"Minotaur Labyrinth?"
His gaze finally landed on several large words on the wall.
Good grief.
A literal Minotaur.
"My perception is being obstructed."
Ino closed her eyes, frowned, and said, "There seems to be some kind of barrier inside the labyrinth."
"I'll try."
Naruto also closed his eyes.
He activated Kagura Minds Eye.
Instantly, he perceived the situation inside the labyrinth.
It was extremely complex, extending in all directions.
Besides that, there were no Minotaurs, but there were several different forces.
One of them was precisely his Shadow Clone and Kakuzu.
So it wasn't Merlin after all.
Naruto opened his eyes and said, "Neji, Lee, and Shiyohana's teammates are in the northeast part of the labyrinth. We'll split into two groups; the four of you go find them."
Surprised expressions immediately appeared on Tenten and Shiyohana's faces.
But they weren't too shocked.
After all, they had a good relationship with their teammates.
It was only logical that they would come down to look for them.
"What about you?" Ino asked.
"There's another very strange force in the labyrinth, I'm going to check it out."
Naruto spoke with a mix of truth and lies.
"Be careful."
Ino had originally intended for them to act together, but since Naruto said so, it must be something very dangerous.
Naruto drew a map for them.
Although it wasn't precise enough, it was sufficient for them to leave the labyrinth.
He just didn't know what other random things lay beyond the labyrinth.
Naruto changed into his Tianming Organizationgear.
Somewhere in the labyrinth.
"Big Brother Kakuzu."
Uzumaki Menma sat on the ground, scratched his head, and said, "Haven't we been here already?"
"Probably."
Kakuzu's voice was indifferent.
They had previously tried to forcibly destroy the labyrinth, but a monster that couldn't be killed or injured suddenly appeared.
Out of necessity, they could only rely on walking on foot.
"If we want to get out, we must catch that fellow Fujiwara Tokai."
Uzumaki Menma handed Kakuzu a cup of water and said, "But he runs so fast, and he seems to have known the details of the labyrinth long ago."
"Mm."
Kakuzu stared at the water cup, a thoughtful look on his face.
He and Uzumaki Menma had taken the bounty to assassinate Fujiwara Tokai.
A total of fifty million ryo.
Because he was the heir to the Fujiwara Clan and the future Grand Minister of the Land of Fire.
"Logically speaking, Fujiwara Tokai shouldn't have traveled thousands of miles to the Desert of Illusions."
Uzumaki Menma said casually.
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes.
Indeed, that was the biggest problem.
The Desert of Illusions was the Land of Wind's territory and was a notoriously dangerous place.
Thinking about such a perilous labyrinth, the answer was obvious.
"He came for treasure hunting."
Kakuzu said with certainty, "These ruins are definitely extraordinary; even that monster alone left us helpless. And the reason Fujiwara Tokai is so familiar with it is because he has a treasure map."
"Big Brother's brilliant insight!"
Uzumaki Menma looked like he had just realized something and praised him.
"You still have much to learn."
Kakuzu educated him casually.
After spending this time together, his impression of Uzumaki Menma was decent.
He was quite agreeable.
"What Big Brother says is true."
Uzumaki Menma accepted the teaching humbly and added, "The top priority is to find Fujiwara Tokai."
As he said this, he suddenly gritted his teeth, a look of hesitation on his face.
Kakuzu glanced at him.
This guy couldn't hide anything at all.
Everything was written on his face.
Truly young.
"If you have a way, just say it," Kakuzu asked after taking a sip of water.
"I have a Ninjutsu that can track him, but the Chakra consumption is quite large."
Uzumaki Menma said in a low voice, "I will lose my combat effectiveness for a short period."
"That's not much of a price."
Kakuzu's tone was flat but full of confidence as he said, "I can handle them alone; as for you, I can protect you."
"Big Brother!"
Uzumaki Menma was somewhat moved.
"No need for more nonsense, let's begin."
Kakuzu waved his hand and said.
In all these years, this was the first time he had met a teammate who trusted him.
He was a bit unused to it.
But when his own life wasn't at risk, looking after him a bit didn't matter.
Having a brainless teammate was better than having one who was always thinking about killing him.
"Heaven and Earth Infinite, Ten Thousand Mile Tracking!"
Uzumaki Menma let out a roar, and majestic Chakra turned into an invisible wind, spreading in all directions with him as the center.
Then he took a sharp breath, sniffing the air like a canine.
Kakuzu was stunned for a moment.
The chant was quite resounding, but the action didn't quite match it.
"This Ninjutsu is a clan secret of mine. An ancestor of mine loved ninja dogs since childhood, and after deep communication, he got the inspiration to allow humans to gain a sense of smell far exceeding that of a ninja dog."
Uzumaki Menma exhaled, and the massive commotion gradually vanished.
"He's to the south."
"Let's go."
Kakuzu immediately dropped the water cup and stood up.
"Okay."
Uzumaki Menma was about to stand up when his legs suddenly gave way, and he collapsed back onto the ground.
"Big Brother, you go first, I'll catch up in a bit."
He waved his hand and said, "I'm fine, my Chakra is just drained and I've lost my strength for a moment. I just need to rest for a while. But catching Fujiwara Tokai is urgent; if we're a moment late, he'll run away."
"Fine."
Kakuzu nodded and left him where he was.
Although he thought Uzumaki Menma was decent, they hadn't reached the level of friends.
He wasn't going to care if he encountered any danger.
Fifty million was far more tempting than this teammate.
"The acting was pretty good."
Naruto clapped his hands, walked up to him, and asked, "What name are you using this time?"
"Uzumaki Menma."
"..."
Naruto didn't know how to roast that.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"For Merlin's plan."
Uzumaki Menma smiled and said, "It's also for the future of the White Lotus Sect and for your disciple En Yui to become the successor."
This was quite unexpected for Naruto.
So it wasn't just one Shadow Clone.
When did you guys learn to unite?
We unite? We run away?
"Do you need my help?"
"Of course, you are the plan executor."
Uzumaki Menma took out a scroll and said, "Only you can do this plan; we aren't quite suited for it."
Naruto scanned it.
I see.
Treasure hunting, framing—it was all done in one go.
No wonder it could trigger the mei changsuachievement.
The sense of deja vu in this plot was too strong.
"You and Kakuzu were all lovey-dovey just now, and in the blink of an eye, you're going to harm him."
Naruto shook his head and teased, "You really are heartless."
"..."
Uzumaki Menma looked speechless. "What the hell is 'lovey-dovey'? I'm sacrificing myself and enduring hardships for the greater goal."
"Leave Kakuzu to me; you take care of Neji's side and give them a bit of a lesson."
Naruto pointed in a direction and said.
Neji would be promoted to Jonin after these Chunin Exams.
Thinking about his death in the original work, perhaps he should give him another hand.
Naruto turned and went after Kakuzu.
He trailed far behind him, not getting close to avoid being noticed.
Under his perception, Kakuzu gradually approached Fujiwara Tokai.
Naruto waved his hand.
A mass of purple mist surged from the ground.
"Master."
Moryo hesitated for a moment and called out.
"Don't call me Master."
Naruto shuddered and refused. "Just call me The Fool."
"Oh."
Moryo secretly sighed in relief and nodded.
As an otherworldly demon, it wasn't used to calling someone 'Master' either.
"I'm letting you control Earth Grudge Fear; you can do that, right?"
"Of course I can!"
Moryo's tentacles flew about as it said with extreme confidence, "I, Moryo, am best at fooling people's hearts."
The Yomi Cult, which almost destroyed the world in the past, was so powerful largely because of its control, turning the followers into an army without any fear.
It could be said to be invincible and ever-victorious.
Unfortunately, it was one step short and met the Priestess.
Naruto glanced at it and then turned back to Kakuzu.
He had already encountered Fujiwara Tokai.
"Are you Fujiwara Tokai?"
Kakuzu took out a portrait for comparison.
However, he found it a bit strange that there was only one person and no guards.
This was clearly not normal.
But his powerful strength made him ignore this bit of oddness.
"I am."
Fujiwara Tokai was very calm and asked, "Who are you? Why have you been chasing me?"
"Someone just paid fifty million for your head."
"Only fifty million?"
Fujiwara Tokai chuckled and asked, "If I could provide something worth more than fifty million, would you be more interested?"
"Are you talking about these ruins?"
Kakuzu had intended to follow professional ethics and just kill the guy, but these ruins made him very curious.
"Correct."
Fujiwara Tokai pointed to the depths of the labyrinth. "Buried there is the treasure of Ashura, the son of the Six Paths Sage, enough to rival the wealth of a nation."
Kakuzu's expression was shaken.
The name Ashura made his thoughts race.
"But why should I believe you?"
Kakuzu said expressionlessly, "You should have a map. Give it to me; you have no other choice."
"Fine, I can't beat you anyway."
Fujiwara Tokai very readily took out a map.
Kakuzu spread it out.
The map was very detailed, recording not only the exit of the labyrinth but also the route to the final treasure.
He laughed and snapped Fujiwara Tokai's neck without hesitation.
"The treasure, the bounty—I want them all."
At that moment, blood erupted from Fujiwara Tokai's entire body.
Kakuzu couldn't dodge in time and was splashed all over.
"What bad luck."
He was about to step back when he suddenly noticed something was wrong.
Black Cursed Seals surged from the blood in the air.
From a distance, he looked as if he were being encased in a sphere.
Reverse Four Symbols Seal!
Everything went pitch black before Kakuzu's eyes.
Damn it!
His rich experience immediately let him know this was a Sealing Jutsu.
He had fallen into a trap.
But he didn't have time to think too much.
Kakuzu could feel that this was an extremely profound Sealing Jutsu.
At the cost of the caster's life, everything around him would be sealed into darkness.
But Kakuzu was different.
Countless fine black tentacles emerged from the seams of his body.
At the same time, four masks surfaced.
He planned to sacrifice one heart to resist the Sealing Jutsu.
"What is this?!"
Due to the Sealing Jutsu, Kakuzu had temporarily lost his vision.
He suddenly felt that something strange was being forced into his Earth Grudge Fear—the black tentacles that stitched his body together.
"Get away from me!"
Kakuzu couldn't help but roar.
Earth Grudge Fear was the very foundation of his life.
Nothing could be allowed to go wrong with it.
But it was useless.
He felt his body being filled with something that didn't belong to him.
It felt like a liquid.
"Release."
Kakuzu heard a voice, and the darkness before his eyes vanished.
"It's you?"
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Narutodressed in the Tianming Organization outfit.
Then he looked at his Earth Grudge Fear.
It was originally black, but now it had turned dark purple.
"What did you do to me?"
Kakuzu tried to control Earth Grudge Fear, but it seemed the same as before, with no change.
But he knew there must be something different.
The Earth Grudge Fear was no longer the original Earth Grudge Fear.
"Didn't do much, just helped you strengthen Earth Grudge Fear,"
Naruto's lips curled up as he said, "You should thank me."
"Thank my ass!"
Kakuzu was so angry he burst out with profanity.
Naruto sighed and said, "Moryo."
"What on earth did you do?!"
Kakuzu suddenly felt like he had lost Earth Grudge Fear.
It was clearly still in his body, but he could no longer control it.
This feeling was terrible.
It was like discovering one day that your kid looks more and more like the neighbor, Old Wang.
"You should already be clear on the situation."
Naruto spread his hands and said, "Now we can have a good talk about you joining the Tianming Organization."
"..."
Kakuzu was just about to refuse.
But his body involuntarily walked up to Naruto.
This was awkward.
Now he wanted to escape, but there was no way.
Even with five lives, it wouldn't help.
"I don't want to beat up a hundred-year-old man either."
Naruto thought about Kakuzu's age and said, "I'm a 'Three-Good Youth' who respects the elderly and loves the young, so just be straightforward. Is my Tianming Organization really worse than the Akatsuki Organization?"
What the hell kind of 'Three-Good Youth' is that?!
With your strength, I wouldn't believe you're not at least twenty.
Kakuzu roasted him in his heart.
What a pity.
He and Uzumaki Menma had just started a very profitable idol business.
He didn't expect it to be cut short like this.
Their subsequent plans hadn't even unfolded yet.
"I'll join, just get this thing out of me."
"Sure."
Naruto snapped his fingers, and Moryo came out again. "But it can't be completely removed. I've left you something good; you don't have to thank me."
Thanks to the big boss 'Bai Lu Qi Shuang' for the reward.