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Greetings from the Netherworld.
Just started writing a few other new stories, go check them out.
Pokémon: I Really Didn't Want to Become a Trainer
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One Piece: Signing in Naruto Character Cards
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If you visit: [email protected]/LordInfernalm, you can get up to 25 advanced chapters.
Thank you. Now, let us get back to the story!!
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"You really want to choose this path?"
Obito asked with a gloomy expression.
Aoha numbly nodded.
"Why?" After a moment of silence, Obito asked again.
Unable to tell the true reason, Aoha could only fabricate a touching, praiseworthy excuse: "Didn't we make a promise? When the war ends, you'd come get me. Besides, a war orphan like me definitely couldn't survive outside, right?"
Obito's body shook violently, seemingly recalling those previous days when the two of them bickered and fooled around daily, along with those childish words about covering for him.
Suddenly, Obito's tense expression relaxed, and his gaze toward Aoha softened somewhat.
Precisely because of this, I cannot let you stay.
This place is hell, and those who remain in hell can only be demons!
"Since you've chosen this path, don't regret it."
After leaving these words, Obito resumed his cold demeanour and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Aoha breathed a sigh of relief. But strangely, even though he'd already made his choice, why hadn't the mission indicated completion?
"You've gone soft, Obito."
White Zetsu appeared mysteriously beside Obito, saying with a grin.
"No. I'm keeping him only because he still has utility value," Obito coldly argued.
"Oh? What utility does such a useless brat have? You should already see it too. The reason Lord Madara taught him nothing was precisely because he'd already seen his aptitude would only make him an ordinary ninja this lifetime, with no need for careful cultivation," Black Zetsu said.
Obito fell silent. Then, after several seconds, he slowly spoke: "Since Madara already saw all this, why did he still keep him? That person chose to do this, so there must be his reason. And I am merely doing what 'Uchiha Madara' should do."
Hearing him say this, both White Zetsu and Black Zetsu shut their mouths.
"So you plan to keep him?"
"No. Send him away. Send him to Konoha!"
"Send him to Konoha?" White Zetsu froze.
"I said he has utility value. War orphans with ordinary aptitude like him are among the resources various ninja villages 'recycle.' If his aptitude were special, the major ninja villages would instead investigate repeatedly. So this is an opportunity. He can perfectly infiltrate inside the Konoha Village. When the time comes, he'll surely become my asset."
Obito's reasoning seemed sound, but...
"If it's just collecting intelligence, having me and my clones is enough. There seems to be no need to..."
"I trust my judgment, and you only need to obey my orders. Understand?"
Then Obito closed his eyes. Though Aoha's choice surprised him, he immediately thought of using this method to temporarily keep him away from hell, because he believed this war would end sooner or later, and the victorious side would definitely be Konoha Village.
This way, the world would welcome a brief peaceful period, and Konoha would be counted as one of the safest places.
There, Aoha could safely grow up. When his plan succeeded, his promise could be fulfilled too.
Unknowingly, after witnessing Kakashi personally kill Rin with his own hands, the last softness at the bottom of Obito's heart was actually for a small brat who hadn't grown up yet. This was probably something Madara hadn't anticipated before ending himself.
At the tail end of Konoha Year 47, with Konoha Village achieving victories at the Kikyo Mountain battle and Kannabi Bridge battle, the western front of the Third Shinobi World War was declared over.
Iwagakure Village, unable to turn the tide, tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice; it could only retreat in dejection, leaving behind a complete mess.
Numerous villages were destroyed in the flames of war, and corpses were strewn everywhere.
While the Konoha ninjas responsible for the cleanup were clearing the battlefield, they extensively gathered surrounding war orphans, then sent them back to Konoha in batches.
Some said war was about money, but actually, more important than money was population!
After several consecutive major wars, genin graduating from the ninja academy were almost immediately sent to the frontlines at maximum speed.
If on the battlefield you saw a group of children around ten years old holding kunai and slaughtering each other, please don't be shocked, because adult ninjas had mostly already sacrificed and died.
All major ninja villages saw their populations plummet. If fighting continued, four or five-year-old children would be the next to enter the battlefield.
Precisely because of this, gathering war orphans back to villages became an unspoken understanding among major ninja villages that didn't need to be put on the table.
These homeless children would make enormous contributions to their villages' futures. Just the newborns they'd give birth to after growing up would replenish precious fresh blood for major ninja villages.
Not to mention that among these children who'd experienced war's sorrow, a large batch would become new ninja combat-ready forces.
So by war's end, those truly suffering weren't actually the Five Great Ninja Villages at war's centre, but those small villages destroyed in the flames, those powerless ordinary people.
As for hatred?
Stop joking. If they couldn't even resolve such small matters, why fight wars at all? A little favour here, some brainwashing there, and basically, it was settled. What waves could a group of helpless children raise?
Under these circumstances, after starving for several days and feeling dizzy, Shinomiya Aoha and several travelling companion brats were finally discovered by Konoha's follow-up troops.
The instant he saw that familiar forehead protector, he nearly shed tears.
Heaven knew how he'd struggled to survive these past days after being dumped by White Zetsu in some remote forest.
If not for the three abilities drawn from the Newbie Gift Pack, he'd probably already become faeces in some beast's belly.
Moreover, worried that White Zetsu was secretly observing him the whole way, he dared not proactively expose his abilities, living absolutely miserably.
Of the dozen-plus war orphans encountered successively along the way, by the time they exited the forest, only four or five remained. The rest were either carried off by beasts or starved to death. As for those without the strength to keep up who fell behind, their fates went without saying.
When he left, that shitty mission finally showed activity.
[Phase One complete. Reward: Shabby Wooden Treasure Chest X1]
[Phase Two activated.]
[Mission Name: Who's the Undercover]
[Content Description: Go undercover in Konoha Village, occasionally cause some trouble.]
[Mission Reward: Depends on completion status]
[Mission Failure: Don't ask. If you ask, self-destruct!]
[Phase Three: ???]
This mission was roughly the same as what Obito instructed him to do. Only, neither Obito nor this damn system clearly stated what he should do. Looked like he'd have to improvise.
But these missions really were more death-courting than the last!
Damn it!