bacchusnovels Chapter 360 Kakashi: So you already guessed it?
Chapter 360 Kakashi: So you already guessed it?
Chapter 360 Kakashi: So you already guessed it?
Karin finally woke up slowly under Sakura's treatment. Her pale cheeks gradually regained color, her long eyelashes trembled a few times, and she slowly lifted her heavy eyelids.
As soon as she regained consciousness, the pain in her neck suddenly brought back the terrifying memories of a few minutes earlier.
Suffocation, struggle, and a sense of despair, as if one's life hangs by a thread, washes over you.
Her pupils suddenly contracted, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
Her gaze gradually focused, and she immediately saw a black-haired, black-eyed boy with a cold expression slowly walking towards her.
In an instant, Xiang's heart pounded faster, and her scream caught in her throat, unable to escape.
In her terror, she instinctively reached out and gripped Sakura's arm tightly beside her.
Sakura noticed Kaori's fear and quickly stepped forward to shield her tightly, trying to make her voice sound calm as she comforted her, "Don't be afraid, Kaori, I'm here."
Sakura's heart was pounding in her throat, but she forced herself to remain calm. She pulled out a kunai and held it in front of her, then mustered her courage and shouted at the black-haired boy, "Don't come any closer! What do you think you're doing?!"
Only after she uttered the cry did she realize that her voice was still trembling.
At the same time, Kakashi, who was not far away, kept his eyes fixed on the black-haired boy's every move. As long as the boy made any unusual moves, he could unleash a thunderous attack immediately.
A true thunderbolt.
Faced with several pairs of hostile and tense gazes, the black-haired boy paused, stopping a few steps away from Sakura and Kaori.
He didn't try to get any closer, because he knew that taking even half a step forward would only make the other party feel even more threatened.
After stopping, he took a deep breath.
The boy's cheek was swollen on one side, and there was still blood on the corner of his mouth. He looked a bit disheveled, but there was a rare solemnity in his dark eyes.
After a moment of silence, he said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry."
A few simple words, yet they carry immense weight.
Sakura, Kaori, and Kakashi were all stunned, exchanging bewildered glances, each thinking they had misheard.
Who would have thought that the guy who was cold and ruthless and spoke rudely just a moment ago would actually stop and apologize with such a solemn attitude?
This change is too sudden and too bizarre!
Xiang stood there, stunned, and opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
She unconsciously loosened her grip on Sakura's arm, and when her gaze met the boy's dark and unfathomable eyes, she was completely at a loss for how to react.
Should I forgive him?
Her neck is still throbbing with pain.
Don't you forgive?
The other person seemed to be apologizing very sincerely. Her thoughts flashed through her mind, but Xiang ultimately didn't say a word. She just subconsciously shrank back behind Sakura, her lips pressed into a tight line.
Seeing that Xiang did not respond for a long time, the black-haired boy became more solemn and lowered his posture. He slowly said, "I sincerely apologize to you for what I did just now—I shouldn't have treated you that way, Red Bean Paste Secret Marseille."
As soon as he finished speaking, he even bent down, adopting a standard apologetic posture.
The movement was somewhat stiff, clearly indicating that he was not used to it, but the sincerity it conveyed was undeniable.
A brief silence spread among them.
Xiang remained silent, her shock and confusion preventing her from making any response.
Sakura kept her eyes fixed on the black-haired boy, trying to figure out how sincere his sudden apology was.
In the midst of this tense standoff, a boisterous voice suddenly broke in: "Xiang, don't be afraid!"
""
Naruto rushed forward, patted his chest without any hesitation, and laughed loudly, "Look, I've taught this guy a lesson for you! Look, his face is all swollen from my beating!"
As Naruto spoke, he reached out and put his arm around the black-haired boy's neck again, shaking him nonchalantly, and continued to declare exaggeratedly to Xiang, "He couldn't beat me, he's already admitted defeat, and this time he obediently came to apologize to you! He knows he was wrong!"
Menma stiffened slightly after being hugged and slapped so forcefully by Naruto. His lips twitched violently, and he stared at Naruto in disbelief.
What the hell?
When did he ever lose to Naruto?!
This guy was the one who launched a sneak attack when no one was looking!
Furthermore, if it weren't for that ANBU member wearing a cat-face mask suddenly appearing and causing trouble, he would have already—his mind was filled with a frantic rant, and he couldn't help but retort on the spot.
His lips moved, his Adam's apple bobbed, but the words he was about to say were swallowed back down.
Forget it.
Menma sighed inwardly, helplessly averting his gaze, and reluctantly acquiescing to Naruto's ramblings.
Seeing that Naruto had made such a confident promise, and Menma had not refuted it, Kaori's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly.
She had an almost instinctive trust in Naruto.
Since Naruto said that the opponent had been defeated and was apologizing, she was willing to try to believe that the matter had really been resolved.
Xiang nodded gently, her voice still weak as she whispered, "Mmm—I...I understand."
Although this statement is not the same as directly saying "I forgive you," it at least indicates that Xiang has accepted the other party's apology and is no longer as fearful as before.
However, Sakura's brows remained furrowed, and she did not relax easily just because the two sides had made peace.
In her opinion, Naruto's attempt to smooth things over was rather naive, and Menma's change of attitude was too quick and his motives unclear.
Sakura didn't say anything, but secretly pulled Kaori back two steps, increasing the distance between herself and Menma, showing her vigilance through her actions.
Then, she asked softly, "Xiang, how are you feeling? Does it still hurt?"
Sakura deliberately ignored Menma's presence and focused all her attention on Kaori, expressing her distrust of Menma in this way.
Sakura, who was playing mahjong, noticed all of these little actions and couldn't help but feel embarrassed and annoyed.
He chuckled dryly twice, offering no further explanation, nor did he dare to take another step closer.
He knew very well that his actions just now had gone too far and he had almost killed the other person.
He's already lucky to have received a reluctant acceptance from Xiang; what right does he have to ask for more?
On the other side, watching Naruto and Menma's inexplicably harmonious, even somewhat comical, interaction not far away, Kakashi's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that just as Itachi had warned him, Naruto had "dealt with" him.
Although this solution is somewhat unusual.
Thinking of this, Kakashi couldn't help but turn his gaze to the figure beside him who had remained remarkably calm throughout.
This guy has grown so much.
Kakashi gazed at the cat-face mask, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Compared to when they were on missions together in the Anbu, Itachi Uchiha's strength has clearly reached a new level.
At least for now, Menma, who even Kakashi found quite troublesome, was easily subdued by Itachi in just a few moves.
Kakashi subtly moved two steps toward Itachi, closing the distance before lowering his voice and asking, "What are you doing here?"
""
Upon hearing this, Itachi Uchiha turned his head slightly and glanced at Kakashi. His voice, transmitted through the mask, still showed no emotional fluctuation.
"I was also present in yesterday's dream."
Itachi explained succinctly, "When the name Uzumaki Menma appeared on the screen, I realized something was wrong. Based on previous patterns, those chosen were invariably important characters who had appeared in my dreams that night."
Kakashi immediately understood Itachi's implication and asked in a low voice, "So you've long suspected that this Menma is the mysterious boy who appeared in the black market scene in the dream? The age matches up too."
Uchiha Itachi nodded slightly and said, "Yes, the age matches up. However, Naruto and the others made their choice too quickly, so I couldn't make a direct prediction. Besides, I only had some suspicions and needed to confirm them further. I happened to be traveling near the Land of Grass at the time, so I came to take a look."
The word "on the way" sounded particularly casual coming from Itachi's mouth, but Kakashi knew in his heart that this was by no means a coincidence, but rather a judgment made by Itachi based on intelligence.
He said sincerely, "Thank goodness you came."
His words revealed the lingering fear of surviving a disaster.
As Kakashi spoke, he glanced at the black-haired boy with Naruto's arm around his shoulder not far away, frowned, and lowered his voice to add, "He seems to be a ninja who is very good at summoning jutsu. If we had really started a full-scale war with him in the center of Konoha just now, and he had summoned a large group of summoning beasts, the damage and casualties would have been unimaginable."
Itachi didn't reply immediately, his mind replaying the dangerous scenes he had glimpsed in the illusion.
After a moment, he slowly said, "He is indeed very dangerous. Whether it's his techniques, his chakra, or the things he summons—they all exude an unusual aura."
Itachi's voice remained calm and unhurried, but Kakashi clearly heard the solemnity within it.
Kakashi nodded, indicating that he understood.
He then looked towards Naruto and Menma again.
Naruto seemed to have already treated the other person like a brother who had come to his senses, and began to talk and persuade him. His carefree attitude made Kakashi frown again.
He asked in a low voice, "So, what should we do with him now?"
This is clearly the most pressing issue at present.
Itachi was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Let Naruto go with him."
Kakashi was caught off guard and froze, wondering if he had misheard.
Send Naruto to follow this guy whose danger level is unknown?!
Itachi seemed to see through Kakashi's concerns and calmly explained, "Judging from the current situation, his attitude towards Naruto is very special. Naruto's words just now have had a significant impact on him."
"Furthermore, he seems to care a lot about the existence of Naruto in his dreams. By keeping Naruto by his side, they might communicate about Naruto in his dreams."
Itachi's gaze fell on Naruto, who was not far away, and he said with unusual seriousness, "We must believe in Naruto's abilities. Naruto's unique charisma might be able to keep him calm for the time being."
Kakashi remained hesitant and worried, saying, "Can Naruto really have that much influence over him? That's far too risky. What if he loses control again, or has ulterior motives? Wouldn't Naruto be the first to suffer? Besides, we haven't placed any substantial restrictions on him yet; he himself is a huge hidden danger."
Kakashi didn't disbelieve Naruto's ability to move people, but as an elite Jonin and a former ANBU captain, he had to consider more factors.
Leaving such a dangerous and unknown factor in the village and relying solely on a troublesome teenager to control it seems far too unreliable.
Upon hearing this, Itachi Uchiha simply shook his head slowly, calmly glancing at Naruto and Menma, who were still chatting casually not far away, his tone revealing an unusual seriousness.
"We mustn't provoke him; we didn't truly defeat him just now."
Kakashi's single eye narrowed, and a clear look of astonishment flashed across his face.
"What?!"
His gaze unconsciously fell on Mianma, who was not far away and whose face still bore the marks of a fist, looking quite disheveled.
Seemingly noticing Kakashi's confusion, Itachi took a half step closer and continued to explain in a low voice, "It was Naruto's words that influenced him, which is why he chose to stop."
Kakashi and Menma might not be aware of this, but Itachi himself knew it perfectly well.
The reason his kaleidoscope illusion was so effective was mainly because Menma was completely unprepared at the time.
For a Jinchūriki, the effect of illusion is limited, and if it happens again, his illusion may not work.
Itachi's tone became more forceful.
"Like Naruto, he is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. If our methods go too far and completely enrage him, causing him to go berserk and unleash the Nine-Tails within Konoha Village—"
Itachi didn't finish his sentence, but the consequences of not saying it were self-evident.
Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.
Fragments of that bloody night from many years ago flashed through his mind.
The horrific scenes of the Nine-Tails' rampage through Konoha are still vivid in my mind. If a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki were to completely go berserk in the very heart of Konoha...
Kakashi didn't even dare to think about that scene.
Kakashi's expression instantly turned extremely serious, and cold sweat even broke out on his forehead.
He had previously focused more on Menma's inherent danger and intelligence value, but overlooked the most unstable and explosive factor: his status as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Itachi's reminder was like a wake-up call, jolting Kakashi awake to the fact that a simple and crude approach was absolutely not the way to deal with Menma.
We must find a way to calm him down and absolutely cannot let him lose control of his emotions!
In just a few seconds, Kakashi had already rapidly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.
In comparison, having Naruto try to communicate with and appease him, while simultaneously monitoring him covertly, is indeed the lowest-risk solution at present.
Just as Kakashi was pondering Itachi's warning and reassessing the situation, several sharp whooshing sounds suddenly came from afar—
Three figures arrived at the scene with incredible speed and landed steadily in front of everyone.
The man in the lead, dressed in a striking green bodysuit, sporting his signature watermelon-shaped haircut and thick, bushy eyebrows, was none other than Might Guy. Behind him were two ninjas in standard ANBU uniforms, wearing animal masks.
"Yo! Kakashi!"
As soon as Might Guy landed, he spotted his friend and nemesis, Hatake Kakashi. He immediately gave him a thumbs up, grinned to reveal a set of bright white teeth, and greeted him enthusiastically, as if he hadn't come to deal with an emergency, but rather to attend a youthful date.
Matt Kai gave a thumbs-up and said enthusiastically, "I received a report from the villagers that someone had invaded and a battle had broken out here, so I rushed over immediately with boiling blood!"
The two secret agents beside him were much more professional, silently and quickly scanning the scene.
Kakashi, Sakura, Kaori, and Naruto were all unharmed. In the center of the arena stood an unfamiliar black-haired boy and another ANBU member wearing a peculiar cat-face mask.
The two ANBU members exchanged a glance, then stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Kakashi, saying, "Kakashi-senpai."
Kakashi nodded slightly to Gai, acknowledging his energetic greeting. He then looked at the two Anbu members, waved his hand, and said calmly, "Don't worry, the situation is under control for the time being."
"Resolved?" Upon hearing this, Might Guy raised his thick eyebrows and looked around with some confusion.
The scene was indeed somewhat messy, and there were signs of a fight, but it didn't seem to be intense.
Although the unfamiliar black-haired boy's face was a little swollen, he didn't look like a vicious enemy.
Matt Kai scratched his head, puzzled. "Where are the enemies? Did they escape?"
"Hmm... I guess it's resolved." Kakashi nodded vaguely, glancing at Menma next to Naruto, but offered no further explanation.
He trusted Matt Kai, but Menma's identity and specific circumstances were too complicated to be discussed publicly at this time and place.
Although Might Guy was hot-blooded and straightforward, he wasn't without discernment. He noticed the weariness in Kakashi's expression and knew that things were probably not as simple as they seemed.
Trusting his best friend implicitly, Might Guy didn't ask any more questions. He simply patted Kakashi on the shoulder and laughed heartily, "Well! That's good! Just say the word if you need any help. My youth is always ready to burn!"
However, just when everyone thought the situation had completely calmed down, the two ANBU who had been on high alert suddenly flashed out one after the other and moved to the sides of the ANBU wearing the cat-face mask in the blink of an eye, sandwiching him in the middle.
One of the ANBU agents stared intently at the cat-face mask, coldly demanding, "Your mask—there's no such design among active ANBU agents. Who are you? Which unit do you belong to? Why are you disguising yourself as an ANBU agent? State your identity immediately!"
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