Starting as the mastermind behind Naruto

Chapter 156 Brothers Reunite

Under the moonlight.

Sasuke Uchiha barely managed to stand up. Looking at the black shadow that had landed beside him, Sasuke couldn't tell at all that the shadow was a ninja.

However, Orochimaru had a wealth of talented subordinates, each with their own unique skills. Sasuke Uchiha bluntly asked, "Were you sent by Orochimaru to pick me up?"

Does it really matter who sent you to pick you up?

The shadowy figure seemed to have no mouth, but a muffled voice spoke from within its body: "As long as it makes you stronger, that's enough, right?"

"Um?"

Sasuke Uchiha was immediately filled with doubt, and after a moment a cruel smile flashed across his face: "You're right, as long as it makes me stronger, that's enough."

"Then come with me!"

The shadowy figure slowly nodded, then looked at the unconscious Naruto Uzumaki not far away, and walked over step by step: "This brat seems to have some unusual power within him, which can be used by us."

"Don't touch him!"

However, Sasuke suddenly pulled out a kunai and stabbed it into the heart of the dark figure. But Sasuke felt as if his kunai had pierced the air!

This made Sasuke's heart tremble!

The body in front of me is truly a corpse with no sense of existence. How could there be such a person?

The shadowy figure slowly turned around, stretched out its arm, grabbed Uchiha Sasuke by the neck, and lifted the boy up: "You want to kill me?"

"No...no..."

Uchiha Sasuke tried desperately to tear off the shadow's arm, but only managed to grab empty air. This ninja who came to greet him really seemed to be made of pure shadows!

What exactly is going on?

This guy could clearly reach out and grab his neck, but no matter what he did, his hands couldn't touch the guy's body!

The next second, the dark figure threw Sasuke hard to the ground!

Sasuke Uchiha let out a weak sigh of relief, coughed repeatedly, and explained, "Cough cough cough... I just wanted to test whether you were qualified to let me join..."

"Yeah?"

The shadowy figure's voice suddenly became somewhat elusive, carrying an air of superior authority: "Our current strength is like the clouds in the sky and the mud on the ground. Don't test the temper of a strong person with your life, understand?"

"I see."

Sasuke Uchiha nodded resentfully.

Even though he was weaker than the person before him, Sasuke Uchiha still wanted to negotiate: "You need me, not this blond kid, right? Leave him here, and I'll go with you!"

"..."

After a moment of silence, the shadowy figure suddenly chuckled sinisterly, "It seems that even though you betrayed Konoha for power, your feelings still lean towards..."

"no!"

Sasuke Uchiha turned his head and looked at the unconscious Naruto Uzumaki, saying coldly, "I will kill him in the future. I'm sparing his life now just to test the power I can obtain from you, to let me know that joining you wasn't a mistake."

After a moment of silence, the shadowy figure looked at Uchiha Sasuke and nodded, saying, "Hehehe... I hope you can achieve that in the future, kid."

"snort!"

Sasuke snorted coldly and urged in a low voice, "Let's go! It probably won't be long before more people from Konoha come after us!"

The shadowy figure looked up at a figure rushing towards them and chuckled, "They've caught up..."

"Wood Release·Tree Boundary Wall!"

Just as they were leaving, wooden vines suddenly blocked their way, and a masked Konoha ANBU member stood in their way!

It is Yamato.

Yamato sized up the dark figure and Uchiha Sasuke, then said in a deep voice, "Uchiha Sasuke, come back to Konoha with me immediately. Don't go further down the wrong path!"

"Wood Release?"

Sasuke Uchiha glanced at the Tree World Barrier blocking their way with surprise, then turned to look at the Anbu blocking their path. His expression gradually turned cold, and he pointed at the dark figure, saying, "Fine, as long as you kill this guy, I'll go back to Konoha with you."

"Kids are such a hassle..."

Yamato frowned, then suddenly stretched out his palm towards the dark figure and shouted in a deep voice, "Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!"

His arm instantly transformed into countless planks that surged toward the dark figure!

However, the wooden planks passed right through the dark figure without causing any damage. This sight startled Yamato, who had never encountered such an enemy before!

The next moment, the dark figure slowly reached out and grasped the wooden planks, whispering, "We shouldn't stop a man's choice, don't you agree? Fire Release: Blazing Storm!"

A burst of scorching flames quickly ignited the wooden planks and surged toward Yamato, forcing him to dodge!

However, the flames clung to Yamato like a knife to the bone, the scorching waves of fire almost within reach, forcing Yamato to retreat with nowhere to go!

"Wood Release·Wood Spindle Wall!"

One after another, thick, curved wooden pillars emerged from the ground, tightly enveloping Yamato within them. The flame storm crashed directly against the wooden pillars, sending flames flying!

"Are you using too little chakra?"

The dark figure flipped its palm over, then suddenly thrust it out towards Yamato, who was defending, and whispered, "Fire Release: Pillar of Flames!"

A ball of flame erupted from the ground!

Hiding behind the wooden pillars for defense, Yamato never expected that there was such a fire-style ninjutsu. The flames that erupted from the ground hit his body directly!

Yamato, his body charred black and covered in burn marks, lay on the roadside, his face pale, watching the dark figure leave with Sasuke.

"This guy... is so strong!"

Yamato gritted his teeth. Fortunately, his Wood Release bloodline grants him powerful regenerative abilities and the ability to withstand damage; otherwise, he would have been killed instantly.

It's impossible to bring Uchiha Sasuke back now.

Yamato slowly turned his head and looked at the unconscious Naruto Uzumaki. He breathed a sigh of relief, at least he could still save Naruto.

Compared to Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki's identity is more important.

After following the shadowy figure for a long time, Sasuke Uchiha finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Who exactly are you? Are you one of Orochimaru's subordinates, or someone from another ninja village?"

"Really..."

The shadowy figure suddenly transformed into a young ninja. He slowly turned his head to look at Uchiha Sasuke, a smile on his face: "Still as impatient as ever, Sasuke!"

"Uehara Naraku!"

Sasuke Uchiha's expression changed drastically; his face instantly turned incredibly ugly: "How could it be you?"

If I remember correctly, Uehara Naraku was from Amegakure.

Although Uehara Naraku was indeed powerful, having assassinated the Third Hokage and then fought against powerful Konoha ninjas such as Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, and Jiraiya, his reputation was not as great as Orochimaru's!

"Why can't it be me?"

Uehara Naraku looked at Uchiha Sasuke with an incredibly kind smile: "Sasuke, only by joining us can you hope to kill Uchiha Itachi!"

After saying that, Uehara Naraku tilted his head and chuckled, "Hey, do you think I'm right, Itachi-san?"

"What?"

As Sasuke Uchiha was puzzled, two more figures suddenly emerged from the darkness. They were Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, who had just broken free from the battle.

Itachi Uchiha slowly raised his head, looked at his younger brother, and said softly, "We meet again, Sasuke."

"Uchiha Itachi!"

Even though Sasuke was exhausted, he still mustered his courage and launched an attack on Itachi: "I'll kill you!"

Bang!

Uchiha Itachi crouched down and punched Uchiha Sasuke in the stomach, then kicked him to the ground, coldly saying, "Still no improvement. I really don't understand why the leader would recruit trash like you into our Akatsuki."

"asshole!"

Uchiha Sasuke could only clutch his stomach in helpless rage!

"As expected of Itachi-san, so cold and ruthless even to his own brother!"

Kisame, standing to the side, spread his palms and chuckled, "Since Itachi-san thinks this brat is useless, why don't we just kill him now?"

After saying that, Kisame Hoshigaki explained with a touch of smugness, "It just so happens that Itachi-sensei lost a powerful enemy, so my Samehada can taste fresh blood, and Uehara Naraku, this intern, can get a gift to give to Konan-senpai..."

Uehara Naraku stroked his chin, nodded to Kisame Hoshigaki, and said, "I think Kisame-senpai is right. What do you think, Itachi-san?"

"Not very good."

Itachi Uchiha simply stared at Sasuke Uchiha on the ground, frowned slightly, and said, "Alright, let's take him back to base first!"

To be honest, Itachi Uchiha really didn't want to stay with those two bastards, Naraku Uehara and Kisame Hoshigaki, any longer!

These two people always seem to be doing this for your own good... but do you even know what I'm thinking?

So annoying!

Itachi Uchiha was afraid he wouldn't be able to endure it any longer!

"Tsk..."

After clicking his tongue in amazement, Uehara Naraku crouched down, patted Uchiha Sasuke on the shoulder, and chuckled, "How about that? I told you so, didn't I? If you join us, you'll have plenty of opportunities to kill Uchiha Itachi!"

(End of this chapter)