Naruto Dream Fulfillment Master

Page 95

Several subordinates respectfully accepted the order and filed out of the room, considerately closing the door behind their leader.

As the door closed, only the current Hokage of Konoha and the leader of the Root organization remained in the spacious office.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment, and an invisible sense of oppression spread out.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at his old friend and said bluntly, "Danzo, I want command of the Root organization!"

Upon hearing this, Danzo's pupils suddenly contracted, and his previously steady body abruptly stood up from his chair: "Impossible!"

He shouted sharply, interrupting Sarutobi.

Is this guy crazy?

Danzo stared intently at the Third Hokage, his heart filled with both surprise and doubt.

"What on earth do you want to do?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi quietly took a puff of his pipe, remaining silent, only the swirling smoke rings slowly exhaled from his lips, blurring the inscrutable expression on his face...

……

time flies.

It was already noon on the third day of the second Chunin Exams.

In the rest area inside the central tower of the Death Forest, small groups of ninja squads who had luckily passed the forest's trials were gathered in twos and threes.

After two days of fierce competition, the candidates who successfully reached the tower could finally relax for a while and, under the guidance of the staff, enter the tower to rest and patiently wait for the second exam to end.

In a dormitory room on the second floor of the tower, a tall, thin young man stood quietly by the window.

His eyes were lowered, and a few strands of black hair fell across his forehead, covering most of his face, revealing only a pale chin.

The young man wore a headband from the Hidden Sound Village with musical note markings on his head, and his long ponytail tied up at the back of his head hung down from his shoulders. He looked ordinary and unremarkable.

However, at this moment, his slightly narrowed eyes were fixed on a corner outside the window.

Following his gaze, one could see a six-person team running around the central tower on the open ground outside the tower.

The figures of the first two boys were particularly eye-catching.

It was Naruto and Sasuke.

Not far behind them were two figures wearing green tight-fitting training suits.

Against the backdrop of their standard green jumpsuits, two figures, one tall and one short, both with black hair and thick eyebrows, exuded an imposing aura, clearly resembling a master and apprentice.

Last to fall at the back of the group were two girls.

Seeing this, the ponytail-wearing youth by the dormitory window curled up slightly, revealing a smile that was hard to decipher.

"interesting……"

Just as he was staring out the window in a daze, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him.

"Lord Orochimaru! The mission has failed!"

A respectful voice reported in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, the young man with the ponytail slowly turned around, the eerie smile on his face still lingering.

Suddenly, a figure appeared at the dormitory entrance, kneeling in the shadows and bowing to him.

The newcomer appeared to be in his early forties, wearing an inconspicuous dark gray kimono jacket. His appearance was unremarkable, and at first glance, he looked like someone who had gone missing.

"So it's you, Kabuto." The deep, husky voice of the ponytail-wearing youth rang out; it was undoubtedly Orochimaru.

He squinted and looked the other person up and down, then smiled meaningfully, "It's not your fault that the mission failed. You know, Sasuke and the others arrived at the tower on the very first day. No wonder he's such a coveted little guy."

The middle-aged man, referred to as Dou, remained kneeling on one knee, his head slightly bowed, and remained silent.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked with a half-smile, "But speaking of which, how did you end up like this?"

Upon hearing this, Kabuto Yakushi raised his head and replied with a wry smile, "When I was on a mission in the forest, I was spotted by Konoha's ANBU. In order to get rid of the surveillance, I had to disguise myself."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover... Konoha is currently recalling all its Anbu members who are operating outside. I'm worried that something might happen in the village."

Orochimaru chuckled softly upon hearing this, raising his chin to reveal the unremarkable face of the ponytail-wearing youth.

"Hmph, after all these years, it's not surprising that Konoha has made some progress."

"But it's alright. This plan is flawless! That old geezer from the Third Generation isn't capable of seeing through it!"

Upon hearing this arrogant and confident declaration, a hint of fanaticism and admiration flashed in Kabuto Yakushi's eyes.

He bowed slightly: "Yes! Your subordinate understands."

Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction.

He walked back to the window, his golden snake eyes peering coldly through his disguised body as he gazed toward the distant direction of Konoha Village.

"Teacher... let your disciple present this great gift to you."

……

As the last rays of the setting sun gradually faded, the sky above the Death Forest darkened.

At the foot of the tower, the six people who had been running in circles all afternoon finally stopped.

"Ha ha……"

Naruto was bent over, panting heavily, with large beads of sweat constantly streaming down his face and dripping onto the ground.

His legs were trembling, and he could barely stand.

Sasuke stood to the side, not much better off.

Several hours earlier, Karin and Sakura had already run out of energy and had to withdraw from training to rest on the sidelines.

They originally thought that Naruto and Sasuke could only hold on for another ten minutes or so before collapsing from exhaustion.

To everyone's surprise, these two stubborn guys gritted their teeth and persevered until nightfall.

"Great, it's finally over..." Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and quickly ran forward to take out the water bottle she had prepared in advance from the backpack placed to the side.

Karin also picked up a water jug ​​and quickly followed.

Chapter 99: Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha!

"Sasuke, have some water!" Sakura blushed and handed Sasuke a glass of cool drinking water.

Sasuke nodded slightly, said "thank you," and then tilted his head back to drink the dregs.

On the other side, Karin, panting, approached Naruto and shoved the water bottle into his hand: "Naruto, water... drink up!"

Naruto grinned, took the water bottle, and gulped down the water.

Karin, however, did not smile upon seeing this. Instead, she stared intently at Naruto's face, her eyes filled with worry.

"What's wrong, Karin?"

Noticing the girl's gaze, Naruto blinked and asked with some confusion.

Karin pursed her lips, mustered her courage, and asked softly, "Naruto, are you... in a bad mood today?"

"He's been acting strange ever since he woke up this morning... He doesn't talk much, and he looks preoccupied when he's running."

Karin didn't go to that strange place yesterday, and she doesn't know what happened.

She was very worried about the kind-hearted clansman who had rescued her from her suffering.

Looking at the worried expression on the girl's face, Naruto felt a warmth in his heart.

Naruto scratched his head and gave a bright, cheerful smile: "It's nothing, Karin. I just... I just suddenly realized what I should do next."

What should we do next?

Karin paused, clearly not understanding.

Sasuke snorted coldly and said nothing more.

However, when Naruto looked at him, he was also looking at Naruto.

The two boys' eyes met in the air, their gazes carrying a tacit understanding and an inexplicable determination.

……

The starry sky hangs low, and the night is deep.

After a long day of travel and training, everyone ate some dry food to stave off hunger and then returned to their dorm rooms to rest.

Naruto lay on his back on the bed, his hands behind his head, but his mind was still restless.

In the darkness, he stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, recalling the scenes from his dream the previous night.

"Mother……"

Naruto silently recited this in his heart, his nose feeling a little sore.

Yesterday's dream abruptly ended the moment my father appeared.

Was Mom rescued in the end? Was she... was she alright?

……

A familiar dizzying sensation flashed by, and when Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura opened their eyes again, they found themselves back in that mysterious audience seating area.

All around was still endless darkness, and rows of benches stretched into the distance, as silent as an abandoned theater.

The three looked down and saw that they were sitting upright in three of the chairs.

"Looks like we're just spectators today." Naruto looked around and spoke first.

Sasuke crossed his arms: "That's right. This means that it's Kakashi-sensei who's in the dream today."

Hearing this, Naruto nodded, his eyes fixed on the backstage area: "I wonder who the fourth guy will be today..."

Just then, a ripple suddenly appeared in the dark theater, like a pebble thrown into water, creating concentric circles of ripples.

The three of them perked up.

In the center of the ripples, a tall figure gradually emerged.

As soon as the man landed, he looked around warily, calling out in confusion, "What's going on? Didn't I just lie down and fall asleep?!"

In the dim light, Naruto and the others were finally able to see what the person looked like.