From Naruto onwards, I've become a dreamer.

Chapter 42 Shifting Blame is an Art

"Who exactly are you? What is your purpose?"

At this moment, Xiao Nan was extremely vigilant and had completely regarded the person in front of her as an enemy.

"My name is Adam, and if you ask about my purpose..."

Uchiha Muneki paused for half a second before slowly saying, "In the name of 'the Lord,' I will act on 'His' will, walk the world, and save those lost sheep."

Adam, of course, was him in disguise.

I must say, anything made in the world is bound to be of high quality!
Lies, that extraordinary tool, are indeed quite handy.

"Is the lost sheep referring to me?"

Xiao Nan frowned, a hint of coldness flashing across her icy face: "What exactly did you mean by saying that all gifts bestowed by fate have already been given a price?"

"Haven't you already seen the revelation of fate?"

Uchiha Munetsuki placed his long, slender fingers on the book and tapped them lightly: "As for the 'price,' isn't it your friend 'Yahiko'?"

"Who are you? How do you know all this? Why?"

It was as if a thunderbolt had struck Xiao Nan's mind. Her face turned deathly pale, as if her soul had been stripped away, and her hands and feet were ice-cold.

Because all of this was the result of my direction.
Uchiha Munezuki said calmly, "I think I've already answered this question. As for why I know these things, the answer is simple. The one who showed you destiny is me."

"It's you?!"

In an instant, Xiao Nan's emotions surged, and her endless regret seemed to turn into anger.

All the pent-up emotions of the past few days erupted like a volcano at this moment, a mixture of countless feelings that completely ignited the bomb.

Pain! Hatred! Regret!

Overwhelmed by a mix of emotions, Xiao Nan's eyes turned bloodshot, and she stared at him like a wild beast.

It was as if she would rush up and tear the man in front of her to shreds at any moment.

But a sliver of reason remained in her mind, telling her that if she really took action, her fate would be dire.

She can't die yet, otherwise who will take care of Nagato?

Yahiko's death made her realize that pointless anger and panic would only make things worse.

Instead of doing that, we should calm down and look for an opportunity to solve the problem.

Xiao Nan painfully suppressed her hatred and tried her best to remain calm: "Can you tell me why you chose me?"

"The one who chose you is not me, but 'the Lord'."

Uchiha Muneki's calm tone carried a certain inexplicable charm: "I merely followed the will of 'the Lord,' and happened to capture a small segment from the torrent of fate, allowing it to appear in the form of a dream. As for the outcome, and whether it can be changed, that is up to you."

"That's too cruel."

Xiao Nan clenched her fists, biting her lip hard, letting the blood seep into her mouth, filling it with bitterness.

That feeling of powerlessness—witnessing the outcome unfold before your eyes, step by step, yet being unable to change it—is like a piece of floating grass in front of a drowning person. You think it's salvation, but when you grab it, you find it's a deeper, heavier, and darker despair, a fall from the paradise of hope into the abyss.

The boundless abyss of despair was like a giant hand gripping her throat, suffocating her.

"Although it's regrettable, I have fulfilled my responsibilities."

Uchiha Munetsuki crossed his arms in front of him, his eyes like a clear lake, and said, "But fate will not change because of this. The future you see will still unfold. So, what will you choose? Will you become a slave to fate, or will you forge a path through the dark wilderness?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Xiao Nan was filled with bitterness and a sense of powerlessness: "I tried, but I couldn't change it."

Yes, she tried, but what was the result?
Her hasty attempt resulted in Yahiko's premature death!

How ironic?

It was precisely because of her attempt to change the future that she accelerated the arrival of her fate, ultimately failing to change anything.

If you pretend you don't know anything, maybe you'll feel better.

At least this way, Nagato can live a little longer.

This devastating blow has terrified Xiao Nan. She dares not touch the red line of fate again, for fear of hastening that ending.

"The key question is, do you have the courage to give up everything?"

Uchiha Muneki's deep voice subtly added a hint of psychological suggestion: "Everyone has moments of hesitation. Hesitation is not terrible; what is terrible is not making a choice while hesitating. Because once you make a choice, you will no longer hesitate and will act in the predetermined direction."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Nan hesitated, unsure of what to do. Should she, as 'Adam' had said, become a slave to fate and watch a tragic future unfold, or should she forge a new path through this dark wilderness?
"I don't know either."

Xiao Nan is confused, or rather, she has always been.

If Yahiko were still alive, he would surely be able to make the right choice, right?
"If you can really see fate, could you tell me?" Konan bit her lip, her eyes welling up with tears, and said in a trembling voice, "Why...why is fate so cruel to us? Yahiko...Yahiko...he always wanted to change the ninja world, to make everyone happy, why...had to let him die?"

"A very cruel fact is..."

In an instant, Uchiha Muneki had figured out how to shift the blame, and the reason was flawless: "Yahiko must die. Only his death can promote Nagato's transformation."

"Nagato?" Konan was completely shocked, her pupils dilating: "Why...why is Yahiko's death related to Nagato?"

"Because Nagato's existence is the catalyst for the Child of Prophecy to mature."

Uchiha Muneki spoke in a calm and indifferent tone, his eyes filled with a terrifying look: "The fate of everyone in the entire ninja world was predetermined from the moment of His birth."

"Who is He? And what is the Son of Prophecy?"

Xiao Nan felt her mind was in chaos; the sudden influx of information left her unsure how to react.

But faintly, a voice seemed to be echoing in my heart.

That was a name, a name that commanded awe throughout the entire ninja world, a name that existed only in legends!
Xiao Nan's eyes were filled with panic; she dared not look into his eyes. An inexplicable fear gripped her heart tightly.

"The blue-eyed boy who calls out the name of the nine-headed beast with a laugh is the prophesied child."

Uchiha Munetsuki glanced at her and said indifferently, "As for that 'He,' don't you already have a guess in your heart? Why do you still need to ask me?"

"Six Paths Immortal"

Xiao Nan subconsciously took two steps back, muttering to herself.

Others might think the Sage of Six Paths is just a legend, but she was certain that it was not a legend, but a person who actually existed.

Because Nagato possessed the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths—the Rinnegan!

"All of this we've experienced was for the sake of the prophesied child?"

Xiao Nan felt a surge of hatred in her heart; she had never been so angry before.

She desperately wanted to shout at the Sage of Six Paths: why should everything she cherished be destroyed because of a ridiculous prophecy?!

But then, Xiao Nan felt a deep sense of powerlessness. She looked at Adam in confusion and asked, "What should I do?"

"You should ask yourself that question."

Uchiha Munetsuki pointed to her heart and said softly, "Ask your heart what it wants to do?"

Xiao Nan slowly closed her eyes.

Scenes from the past flashed through my mind like a slideshow.

Yahiko's smile and dreams, Nagato's perseverance and pain, the entanglement of the past and the future, countless scenes are finally frozen in time.

Xiao Nan opened her eyes, and there was no longer any confusion in them.

At this moment, she transformed, as if reborn.

"I refuse to be a slave to fate!"

Konan's voice was firm and resolute, her pupils burning with a dark flame: "I will not become a pawn in someone else's prophecy. I will carry on with Yahiko's dream!"

“I see ‘enlightenment’ in your eyes.”

Uchiha Muneki extended his hand and smiled, "Then, the Twilight Hermits welcome you to join us."

In some unknown, empty space.

A pure white figure sat cross-legged, with a Zen staff lying across his lap, and several black spheres floating behind him.

"Ok?"

The pure white figure opened its eyes, a hint of confusion in its expression: "Fate... a new choice has been made. Who is it?"

Within His pupils were purple circles, the legendary Rinnegan, exuding a unique charm.

March 21th, sunny

I feel so awful, like I'm going to die. I'm going to buy a scratch-off lottery ticket after get off work, hoping that my bad luck will help me recover some of my losses (if I win the grand prize, I'll definitely treat you all to some fun, so please support me, I'm being so considerate!).

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(End of this chapter)