The world I hear is completely different from yours.

Perhaps because she was too tired, Tian Qing quickly fell asleep, and then she saw that person again.

"Sunny! Come to my house for a card game!" My friend's face was beaming with smiles, her bow bouncing like two long rabbit ears as she playfully waved her hand and said, "I just bought a Shaddoll deck, let's try it out together. A corrupted girl covered in strings is the cutest!"

Is this the same familiar beginning again? How many times have I had this dream? A thousand times? Ten thousand times? Tian Qing looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face of her old friend, realizing she couldn't remember her name at all. Come to think of it, what was her personality like before this happened? What kind of person was she? What were her hobbies? Did she really enjoy playing card games with her friends before?

The dream continued, and no matter how hard Tianqing tried to stop it, she still quickly uttered the words she would later regret: "No way! You know perfectly well that my deck is completely countered by Shaddoll's Synchro deck, yet you still dare to ask me to join you? I don't want to be utterly crushed by you. How about we go on an adventure to that cave behind your house today?"

Then a series of fragmented images flashed by: sunlight... grass... laughter... playing... running...

However, all of these images in her dream were blurry and unrecognizable. Since that incident, Tianqing has lost most of her past memories, but she still vaguely remembers the happiness and joy she felt when she was with that friend.

The scene shifts, and Tian Qing and her friend are standing in front of the cave. The two young girls look up at the dark cave with curiosity, then hold hands and walk inside.

The cave wasn't deep; at the end was a wrinkled stone wall, at least two meters high. Then, to the little girl's curiosity, the stone wall slowly rose, revealing an eye inside, as large as the cave's diameter—the cave was one of its countless eye sockets. Perhaps it sensed something entering its eye socket, which is why it raised its wrinkled eyelids and glanced at the two little creatures.

Then, just like in the tens of thousands of dreams I'd had before, Tianqing felt an endless flood of information rushing into her brain, as if trying to force an entire ocean into a fish tank!

"Ah!!" Then Tian Qing woke up and found herself lying in bed. The view outside the window was bright, and it seemed that Konoha would have another sunny day.

"It's that dream again." Tian Qing recalled her childhood memories. "Since then, I have become a listener and lost my childhood memories and personality. According to the senior who sealed my brain, I had already collapsed because my SAN value dropped to zero. I am a completely new person now, with no relation to the past, like a new life born from a corpse."

"I wonder what happened to that friend afterward? Will I ever have a chance to regain my memories?" Tian Qing couldn't help but think of this question she had pondered thousands of times.

............

A field in the Land of Rain.

As the Sand Ninja army retreated, the Konoha army that had been stationed there began packing their belongings, preparing to embark on their long-awaited journey home.

"Jiraiya, are you really planning to stay here like this?" Tsunade asked her teammate, sitting on a rock nearby.

Just like in the original story, during the war in the Land of Rain, Jiraiya still encountered the three people destined to become his disciples: Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan. Jiraiya then decided to stay in the Land of Rain to take care of these orphans who had lost their parents and relatives due to the war, which could be seen as a small compensation for the displacement caused by the fighting between Konoha and other major powers.

"I'm not going back. Anyway, the Land of Wind has surrendered, the war Konoha is facing is over, and there's no battlefield where I need to carry out any missions." Jiraiya said this, waved goodbye to his teammates, and then walked towards Nagato and his group, who were silently waiting for him in the distance.

Actually, this wasn't Jiraiya's true feeling. After the war in the Land of Rain ended in the original story, Konoha and the Land of Wind fought for another year. However, Jiraiya still didn't return to serve his country. Instead, he stayed in the Land of Rain for three whole years, teaching Nagato and the others, and did not participate in the subsequent war.

Jiraiya originally only planned to take care of Nagato and the others for a while before leaving, but Nagato's unintentional display of the Rinnegan caught Jiraiya's attention. For Jiraiya, finding the chosen one prophesied by the Toad Mountain Sage and then teaching him to create a new era was clearly much more important than winning one or two battles.

Watching Jiraiya walk away, Tsunade sighed helplessly, turned to Orochimaru who was leaning against a tree and hiding in the shadows, and said, "Never mind, Sarutobi-sensei didn't say anything anyway. If he wants to stay, let him stay. Let's just go back."

Orochimaru said in a hoarse voice, "You and Jiraiya shouldn't have stopped me when I planned to kill those brats. Anyway, those brats wouldn't live long in this chaotic world, and they might suffer even more if they did."

"Stop making such sarcastic remarks!" Tsunade curled her lip, showing no remorse whatsoever. "This is not a reason to take someone's life so easily. Who knows, their future life might be exceptionally exciting, and they might even become a god!"

Orochimaru chuckled, ignoring his companion's teasing, and turned to leave.

.....................

Many years later, Orochimaru recalled this moment and deeply regretted his actions. He wished he could go back in time and unleash the Kusanagi Sword Formation on himself. What the hell were you doing, trying to look cool? If you had stayed in the Land of Rain with Jiraiya and pounced on Nagato, you might have gotten your hands on the Rinnegan. The path to godhood and immortality that you had been searching for would have been right in front of you, okay?

Do you even know how much effort I went through to get a pair of Sharingan eyes? I gave away cultivation techniques, weapons, and even sacrificed all my trusted subordinates whom I had trained for years. In the end, I still failed and was killed by the Sharingan. The worst part is that some people actually think I'm a pervert who likes pretty boys! Don't you think about it? If I really liked pretty boys, why would I put cursed seals on them? You know, the second state of the cursed seal is hideous beyond recognition! Do I really look that bad?

...............

PS: Second update, making up for the missed monthly tickets and rewards.

I should reiterate this, just to avoid any misunderstanding from readers: the term "Cthulhu" is consistently included in the book's tags.

Chapter Twenty: The Road Ahead

Creak! Creak! The triumphal arch of Konoha Village slowly opened. After each victory in a war, the village would open this gate, which was rarely opened on ordinary days, to welcome the warriors who returned victorious from various battlefields.

The "Hero of the Ninja," Hiruzen Sarutobi, led the Konoha troops, returning victorious from the battlefield in the Land of Rain, towards the village they hadn't seen for many days. Looking at the village before him, both familiar and unfamiliar, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a mix of emotions—the joy of returning home, but also a faint bitterness: "I suppose a few days after I return with my troops, the village's Jonin trust vote will begin, right? And the Third Hokage should officially take office then, shouldn't he?"

As a capable and ambitious ninja, Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as the "Hero of the Ninja," naturally aspired to the position of the Third Hokage. However, Ame no Shinobu's performance and strength far surpassed his own, so Hiruzen Sarutobi could only accept reality with a wry smile: "Oh well, even if I'm not the Hokage, I can still protect Konoha, right?"

With mixed feelings, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked towards the gates of Konoha, heading towards his family who were waiting for him there.

Those who entered Konoha Village included survivors returning from the battlefield as well as the remains of heroes who died in battle.

Tsunade stared blankly at the name of Kato Dan on the memorial stone in front of her, standing there without saying a word for a long time.

Senju Nawaki stood silently beside his sister, not uttering a sound to disturb her, but quietly keeping her company. Having experienced the war, he had matured considerably. Although he didn't know much about his sister's lover, he held him in high esteem as a warrior who had sacrificed himself for Konoha.

To be honest, Ame was quite surprised when she heard the news, because Kato Dan was a member of the army that Ame led to attack the Land of Wind. This Konoha army, which relied on ranged puppet weapons, was unstoppable in the Land of Wind and had a low casualty rate. However, in one battle, Kato Dan happened to encounter a Sand Ninja assault suicide squad and died together with them.

"Could it really be a curse of beauty, or the curse of those fat otaku who love reading Tsunade doujinshi? Her younger brother didn't die, but her boyfriend did?" After having people investigate the scene and confirming that it was indeed an accidental encounter, Tianqing couldn't help but sigh at the malice of fate. "It seems that Tsunade is destined to be a single dog, and I wonder if Jiraiya still has a chance?"

............

Danzo sat alone in a small hotel, drinking his wine with his head down. Lately, he seemed to have become a little obsessed with this feeling.

As a representative of the martial arts faction, he naturally hoped to lead the Konoha army to fight a good battle on the battlefield. However, in this war, the troops he led were stationed on the Konoha defense line against the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning. Unexpectedly, in the end, the war ended one-sidedly before they could even unleash a single ninjutsu. Therefore, Danzo could only return to the village in disgrace without achieving any merit.

Having failed to achieve any military merits and with no hope of becoming Hokage, Danzo became somewhat depressed and could only drown his sorrows in alcohol.

In a corner where no one was paying attention, a person with half-white skin and half-black skin peeked out: "Is that the person? Doesn't look particularly special?"

"Don't underestimate White Zetsu. As the second generation's disciple, he is quite strong now. More importantly, he has a high reputation among the pro-war faction in the village, making him a very good pawn."

"Wouldn't someone like that be hard to control?"

"What if all his skills are wasted? How could such an ambitious person tolerate his own weakness and powerlessness?" Black Zetsu grinned. In its long life, it had seen far too many people like him.

Indeed, such people do have a lofty purpose or ideal at the beginning, and may even do their best for it without fear of bloodshed. However, after losing power and falling into the trough of life, such people eventually cannot overcome their sense of loss and ambition. They begin to lower their bottom line until they finally become schemers who shout lofty slogans but use despicable tricks.

"Alright, it's time to go back and report to Madara on the selection of the chosen person." Black Zetsu glanced one last time at the oblivious Danzo before slowly sinking into the ground and disappearing.

.................

Hinata Kagetsu walked alone toward the gates of Konoha.

The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan has great strategic significance in war, so as a member of the Hyuga clan, even Hyuga Kagetsu, the head of the main family, needs to go to the battlefield.

When Hyuga Kagetsu walked through the gate, he was surprised to find that the Hyuga clan members were waiting for him at the entrance.

"The clan actually sent someone to pick me up? What's going on?" Hyuga Kagetsu was a little surprised. Because he had become friends with Uchiha Haruno, many members of the Hyuga clan thought that he was colluding with outsiders in private, so the Hyuga clan didn't have a good reputation for him.

His relatives wouldn't dare openly defy the collective will of the Hyuga clan and show him any kindness. Even the last Byakugan transplant surgery was only successful thanks to the strong encouragement of his teammate, Tensei, which allowed him to regain his sight.

"You've actually changed your tune today? You actually sent someone to pick me up?" Hinata Kagetsu asked them directly. Although Hinata Kagetsu appeared somewhat gentle, her experiences on the battlefield had shaped her into a straightforward person who spoke her mind. Besides, these people had never been kind to her before, so why should she be polite?

The Hyuga clan leader, looking embarrassed, could only lower his head and silently lead Hyuga Kagetsu towards the clan's compound. What could he say? Could he possibly say that because his teammate and good friend was about to become the village's Third Hokage, the clan needed him to be a vital link between the Hyuga clan and the village, to strengthen the relationship between the Hokage and the Hyuga clan, and therefore the clan had decided to improve his treatment in the future? But how could he dare say such a thing to the other party's face?

........................

At the Uchiha clan's encampment, the newly appointed Uchiha dancer, Uchiha Haruno, was dancing with great enthusiasm. Her body, honed through rigorous training, appeared exceptionally well-proportioned, radiating alluring youthful energy. Unfortunately, her dance moves were remarkably clumsy, reminiscent of the bears Xiong Da and Xiong Er dancing around Bald Qiang. From a distance, it looked as if this spirited young woman was imitating a native frog-praying-for-rain dance.

"Isn't today the day Huoyue returns to the village? Tianqing, aren't you going to pick her up?"

Tianqing took a bite of the apple in her hand and watched the wild dance in the field with a grin: "No, someone from the Hyuga clan should be going to pick her up today."

"Oh, but isn't tomorrow the vote for the new Hokage and the inauguration ceremony? Don't you need to prepare?" Uchiha Haruno asked casually, concentrating on adjusting his dance moves, so the frog rainmaking dance turned into a gorilla chest-slapping dance.

"Basically everything that needed to be done has been done, and there's nothing else to prepare now." Tian Qing smiled as she watched the wild, unruly creature in the wilderness while contemplating her future plans.

In her past life, as a child, she was turned into a listener by that big eye, at the cost of the complete collapse of her original, ordinary personality. Therefore, the listener she is now has virtually no relation to that ordinary little girl from before; they are strangers sharing the same body and name.

As the saying goes, one should repay grievances and settle scores. No matter what, one must avenge one's previous personality, right? The reason why I went through so much trouble to infiltrate the ranks of civil servants in my previous life was precisely to find clues in this regard.

So, that's the plan for the future! I'll use the Demon Egg to continue strengthening myself, find my way back home, then deal with those bastards who destroyed my body, and finally get revenge on that guy who dared to glare at me!

.............

PS: I've finally found a suitable opportunity to write out the main storyline of this book.

Looking at my outline, I feel like the end of this book is a long way off, 555555

.............

P.S. Thank you all for your votes. After adding extra chapters these past few days, I've realized I actually owe more chapters.

Chapter Twenty-One: I've read many of your wife's doujinshi, and the male lead isn't you.

Whoosh! A cloud of white mist dissipated, and Tian Qing stood on the land of another world.

Now that she had already decided on her future plans, she naturally had to take action immediately. Talking all day without doing anything was not in Tian Qing's nature! Therefore, after arranging the affairs around her, Tian Qing immediately began this time travel.

"Because I replaced Hiruzen Sarutobi as the Third Hokage, I slightly altered the Naruto storyline once again. As a result, the Demon Egg took the opportunity to absorb some of the world's power, which gave it enough energy to initiate this journey. I hope that this other world will allow me to find a way to further enhance my strength!"

In the Naruto world, there are only three things that can effectively enhance Tensei's combat power: the Sharingan, Byakugan, and Rinnegan. The problem is that Tensei can't use any of these, nor does he dare to.

First of all, as the Third Hokage, Tensei secretly transplanted the eyes of other bloodline ninjas, especially the Sharingan and Byakugan, which are currently only inherited by a single clan. What do you think the whole village will think of you? Do you still care about your reputation? In the original work, Danzo stole so many Sharingan, but he didn't dare to show them in public at all.

Secondly, even if Tian Qing disregarded his reputation and transplanted these eyes, how would he solve the problem of rejection? Kakashi explicitly stated that because he wasn't a member of the Uchiha clan, he needed to expend far more chakra to activate the Sharingan. Even someone as powerful as Orochimaru didn't intend to simply extract Sasuke's eyes and install them in his own sockets; instead, he wanted to use Sasuke's entire body. Did Orochimaru not even know how to perform a simple eye transplant? No, it's because Orochimaru understood that only a Uchiha's body could fully unleash the power of the Sharingan.

As for the Rinnegan, look at how emaciated Nagato was after using it, as if he was about to collapse at any moment. This is only because Nagato is a descendant of the Uzumaki clan with a strong physique, which is why he can endure the pressure of the energy-consuming Rinnegan for so long. Anyone else might have been drained to death by the Rinnegan in no time.

Therefore, at least until Tianqing has a sufficiently strong body, she will not consider using the Rinnegan.

It was precisely because she could no longer rapidly increase her strength in the Naruto world that Tian Qing chose to immediately begin a new round of transmigration once the Demon Egg had stored enough energy.

At this moment, Tian Qing was in a strange little garden. The garden wasn't very big, about the size of a football field. An iron fence surrounded the outermost edge, beyond which lay endless clouds and mist, with countless enormous pillars soaring into the clouds visible in the distance.

Therefore, the entire small garden is like an isolated island floating in the clouds and mist. Perhaps the tops of those large pillars in the distance are also independent small gardens.

A large, full moon hung in the sky, illuminating the entire small garden, as if this moonlit night would never end.

Tian Qing stood in a valley filled with unidentified wildflowers, looked around, and did not sense any other living creatures.

Tian Qing crouched down and asked a small flower, "Have you seen any humans like me lately?"

Little Flower: "Dragon Roar!!!!!"

This seemingly beautiful and delicate little flower emitted a roar like that of a wild beast. Its indistinct voice was full of madness and violence, as if a mentally ill person who was in the middle of a fantasy had their train of thought suddenly interrupted and was so angry that they wanted to destroy everything.

"Huh? What's going on? What's wrong with this flower? Can plants have epilepsy?" As the listener, Tian Qing swore she had never heard such a strange sound in all these years.

After asking several different plants and objects, Tian Qing became certain of one thing: everything in this small garden, from plants to stones, could only make a kind of crazy sound, and it was impossible to communicate with them.

"What's going on? Was this originally a mental hospital, and then everything here got infected by the lunatics?" Tian Qing asked, puzzled. But since she couldn't get any useful information by relying on her listening skills, she had no choice but to walk towards the other side of the small garden.

On the other side of the small garden was a hillside, at the highest point of which stood a dilapidated house. Judging from its size and architectural style, it was likely built by humans. However, when Tian Qing went inside, she discovered that the house was actually quite run-down, covered in dust everywhere, clearly indicating that it hadn't been inhabited for a long time.

Just as Tian Qing searched the house but found no one, a bloodcurdling scream like a pig being slaughtered came from outside!

A young man in a black trench coat appeared in the open space outside the house at some point. After letting out a pig-like scream, he jumped up quickly, frantically rubbing his entire body with his hands: "Didn't that werewolf just bite off my head? How am I still alive? My hands and feet are still there, and all the wounds on my body are gone?!"

Then he looked up at Tian Qing, who was standing on the hillside watching him curiously, his eyes wide with disbelief: "A living person! You, are you really a living person?"

He ran up quickly, looking at Tian Qing with excitement, and recounted the hardships he had endured over the past few days.

He claimed to be a player of an online game named Kiritani Kazuto, who was playing an online game called Sword Art Online. However, after logging into the game, he found that the game scene was completely different from the one he had tested before. There were crazy killers and strange monsters everywhere, and he had not seen any other players and was unable to log out of the game.

After that, Kirito, who was completely naked and unarmed, was pounced on by a giant wolf, which bit off his head. Then he found himself perfectly fine in this small garden.

After recounting his experience, Kirito looked at the girl opposite him and saw that her face was full of sympathy and pleading. He couldn't help but say awkwardly, "It wasn't that bad, really. I was just a little flustered because I didn't see any other players..."