When Naraku reopened the forum, he saw countless new posts.
The entire site was a scene of wailing, gnashing of teeth, and utter chaos.
There were those arguing and cursing about the plot, those descending into madness to vent their emotions, and even some announcing a milestone.
They claimed that if they reached ten thousand replies, they would livestream the assassination of the "Old Thief."
However, amidst such chaos, serious plot analysis posts still stood firm in the center of the storm.
"After three days and three nights of thinking, I believe Kakashi has been compromised."
1L (OP): As the title says. Here is why I think so—
Firstly, the Old Thief usually has a meaning behind every special technique he uses.
When Kakashi stopped in front of the dango shop, the entire scene became distorted.
This is an allusion to Kakashi's spirit—or rather, his will—being greatly twisted.
Secondly, we can see that from the moment Kakashi entered the hospital and saw Sakumo, until he broke things off with Naraku, he actually softened several times.
Even in the latest episode, when Kana came to find him, he had a visible reaction.
This indicates that Kakashi himself didn't truly want to do this.
Also, Kakashi had a severe headache for a long time after returning home.
This could very likely be him struggling against implanted thoughts.
2L: None of your points are very convincing; they're purely speculation.
3L: Agreed. These can't even be considered evidence.
The distorted screen could just as easily be the Old Thief showing Kakashi's descent into darkness.
His hesitation only shows that he is conflicted, with emotion and logic clashing.
Finally, the headache could just be a cold from the rain.
4L: Replying to 3L: To be honest, if Kakashi wasn't being influenced at all, then his character design would be far too inconsistent.
5L: Replying to 4L: The change wasn't that sudden, was it?
After experiencing a series of major life tragedies, a drastic personality shift is understandable.
6L: I think the OP makes sense.
Once or twice could be a coincidence, but the Old Thief has shown these signs too many times.
It means Kakashi is very likely in trouble.
7L: Everyone, let's look on the bright side. Maybe Kakashi just suddenly went crazy?
... 15L: No way. If we follow the OP's logic, who was the one who acted against Kakashi?
Danzo? Does he even have that ability? Besides, what would be the point?
16L: Danzo is half-dead; does he still have the energy for these schemes?
I think it's Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He definitely doesn't want the White Fang's son to continue associating with the Uchiha.
17L: Replying to 16L: It can't be Lord Third. Is he insane?
Laying hands on the only son of a Konoha hero?
If that were exposed, his position as Hokage would be over.
18L: Replying to 17L: Why wouldn't he dare? In that world, anything is possible.
... 31L: I still think the OP has merit, but Danzo probably isn't awake yet, and Hiruzen wouldn't be so insidious.
Is there someone else we don't know about?
32L: Isn't that a bit too much of a conspiracy theory?
33L: Exactly. Just arbitrarily adding a villain halfway through? That's too abrupt.
34L: What else do you want?
Should we have watched the villain's birth for it not to be abrupt?
That's just linear narration, and it would look even worse.
35L: Have you all forgotten? There's still an unsolved mystery: how did Sakumo wake up back then?
If there truly is a deeper hidden player...
36L: Holy crap, the legendary "Thirteen Seat" is here!
37L: No way, is it really them?
This post accumulated hundreds of replies.
Even with the participation of the community's famous "prophet," Thirteen Seat, no consensus was reached.
Eventually, the discussion somehow spiraled off-topic.
The thread veered so far into left field that Naraku couldn't even bear to look at it anymore.
Ignoring the uninformative arguments and spam, the remaining popular threads were mostly for venting raw emotion.
"I'm impressed! My roommate is a Naraku fan; she cried herself unconscious and had to be taken to the hospital!"
1L (OP): Originally, my roommate and I were happily watching the anime together today.
The Old Thief just slashed us both with that plot twist o(╥﹏╥)o
We used an entire pack of tissues.
My hands and feet went numb from crying, and my roommate was even worse.
She got respiratory alkalosis and was taken to the hospital by an ambulance.
She still hasn't returned, boo hoo hoo.
2L: Good heavens, are you the two girls trending on TikTok right now? [Link]
3L (OP): Replying to 2L: I just checked. That is us...
So embarrassing, the whole school knows... (つ﹏⊂)
4L: Replying to 3L: Look on the bright side. The whole country knows now.
5L: Life doesn't have that many spectators, but social media is full of surveillance!
"How to deal with a situation where one roommate supports Kakashi and the other pities Naraku, and they end up fighting?"
1L (OP): I'm a casual Naruto fan, but my two roommates—one a Kakashi fan and the other a Naraku fan—declared they would duel in the park tonight because of the new episode.
What should I do to make them stop?
Getting caught fighting will result in academic penalties...
2L: Hahahahahahahahahaha.
3L: Someone next door cried so much they went to the hospital, and here these two are about to duel.
I also cried for a long time, but everyone else is being so dramatic I can't even cry anymore.
4L: My morals and my sense of humor are at war right now.
5L: OP, look on the bright side. At least they didn't ask you to be the referee.
6L (OP): Replying to 5L: To be honest, I was actually asked to be the referee...
"It's over. The 'Shipping' record post has become a funeral memoir."
1L (OP): Hello everyone, I am the author of the "They Are Real (Kakashi/Naraku)" post.
I was shipping them so well; who would have thought the Old Thief's move would be a total kill?
I didn't sleep at all last night.
I reread my post from beginning to end, and it hurt even more!
I feel like I need to keep heart medication on hand...
2L: My condolences.
3L: I remember a girl predicted "Naraku opens his eyes for love, but evolves his Mangekyo out of hatred."
That was already tragic enough, but the Old Thief made it even more brutal.
4L: Brain teaser! Who is one person in the morning and two people at night?
It's the OP! The OP has split! I've split too! Wuwuwuwuwu!
"Does no one really know where the Old Thief lives? I have a 'gift' for him."
1L (OP): My family runs a business, so I have plenty of money.
I'm offering a reward for the Old Thief's home or company address.
Genuine clues will be handsomely rewarded.
2L: Lol, the Old Thief is really famous now; people are putting out bounties on him.
3L: Oh my god, we've got a super-rich young master on the hunt.
"Why was that last one even allowed in the plot section?" Naraku wondered.
Although the audience was a bit chaotic, it was clear they were being tormented by the plot.
Naraku chuckled to himself, rubbing his hands together as he entered the fanfiction section.
The fanfiction posts had a completely different style from before.
Perhaps having suffered too much from the canon story, the authors had all started writing "sugar"—sweet little stories.
"You Really Do Like Me, Don't You? (Kakashi x Naraku)"
"Today's Meal at the Hatake Household (All Naraku-centric)"
"[Forum Post] My Wife Has Amnesia and Doesn't Want Me Anymore"
"Winter Warmth (Naraku x Kakashi)"
"What to Do When Your Boyfriend is a Drama Queen"
"My Senior Brother Always Peeks at My Diary (Kakashi x Naraku)"...
But amidst the sea of sweet stories, there were still stubborn authors.
They adhered to the principle of "I'd rather torment everyone else than be tormented myself."
They broke through the ranks with their own efforts, displayed prominently at the top.
They were the kind of people who could get rich by collecting the razor blades sent by angry fans and selling them for scrap.
"The Day I Shot My Lover (Kakashi x Naraku)"
"Fading Star Chasing the Moon (Naraku x Kakashi)"...
Many authors even thought that Kakashi and Naraku had truly broken up for good.
They began finding new pairings for Naraku.
Even Uchiha Fuyo, who had barely any screen time, was being dragged in for shipping.
Naraku wished he could personally post on the forum to clarify.
"We didn't break up! No! I refuse to believe it! Stop spreading rumors!"