Warlock Invasion of Naruto.

[Chapter 166. Disrupting the Great Ruler!]

A week later.

Thanks to Shiraha's superb medical ninjutsu and the powerful medicine from the pharmaceutical company, Kabuto Yakushi's injuries have basically recovered, but he still insists on his decision to return to Konoha.

"Goodbye, Dean!"

Kabuto looked at Nono with a reluctant expression. This parting might mean not knowing when they would meet again.

“Kabuto…” Nono opened her mouth, but hesitated. She knew that Kabuto had grown up and had his own opinions, so she didn’t try to persuade him anymore. She just told him, “Be careful.”

"Dean, I will!" Kabuto nodded heavily, carefully taking out a glasses case from his pocket. Inside were the round-framed glasses that Nono had given him.

Just as Kabuto was about to take out his glasses and put them on, Nono reached out and took them from him: "Let me help you."

"Hmm." Kabuto nodded, remaining standing still.

Nonou helped him put on the glasses, just like the first time she brought Kabuto to the Konoha Welfare Home and gave him these glasses.

Seeing the two's reluctant expressions, Bai Yu said, "After you've settled your younger siblings, if you feel tired, you can come to the Land of Whirlpools. This place can be your final resting place!"

"Thank you!" Kabuto bowed deeply to Shiraha, then turned to Nonou and bowed again: "Goodbye, Dean!"

After saying that, he turned around and ran quickly out of the cave, without lingering for even a moment longer.

Perhaps she was afraid that if she saw Nono's expression again, her heart would waver.

Nonou stared blankly at Kabuto Yakushi's rapidly disappearing figure, and tears finally streamed down her face.

"This is the path Kabuto chose himself, you should support him, and I will help him from behind, don't worry." Bai Yu patted Nono's shoulder and asked softly.

"Thank you, Shiraha." Nonou was saddened for a moment, then wiped away her tears forcefully and said with a straight face, "Kabuto took on the responsibility that should have been mine, and I can't let myself give up like this. From today onwards, I will continue to do my best as the director of the Uzushiogakure Hospital!"

Shiraha smiled and extended his hand to Nonou: "On behalf of the Land of Whirlpools and the Uzumaki Clan, I welcome you to join us! Dean Nonou."

"Yes!" Nono nodded heavily and reached out to shake hands with Shiraha.

......

After leaving the cave, Kabuto Yakushi quickly headed to Root's secret base in the Land of Earth.

To return to Konoha, he first needs to make contact with the Root ANBU who is responsible for communicating with him, and then continue to pretend that he killed the headmaster but is completely unaware of it.

They swiftly traversed the Yakushi-kabuki Forest, getting closer and closer to the Land of Fire as they traveled south, where the vegetation coverage increased.

The base of the roots is located deep in the dense forest, and it changes locations every so often.

The closer they got to the base, the slower Kabuto Yakushi's pace became.

Because most ninjas from Root don't care about their so-called comrades. Even if they are their own people, they might be attacked if they barge in. If someone is injured during a mission, they will most likely be dealt with by Root members first. People who haven't been brainwashed can't stay in Root.

As for Kabuto, he stayed in Root for several years and underwent brutal training, yet he remained normal because he always cared about Dean Nonou.

Danzo praised his abilities and talents more than once, wanting him to stay in Root forever. However, Kabuto Yakushi only wanted to leave Root as soon as possible and go to find the headmaster.

Because Dean Nonou gave him a name and a home, and gave him a reason to exist.

He is his light!

Now Danzo is actually trying to extinguish his light and erase the meaning of his existence by his own hands. This is unforgivable!

But everything has to be done step by step.

Kabuto Yakushi quickly arrived outside the base, then rapidly formed hand seals, and black curse marks appeared in his hands before disappearing into the ground. The next second, the underground barrier opened, revealing a dark, gaping hole.

Whoosh!

A sharp, piercing sound rang out.

Yakushi Kabuto's hair stood on end, and he retreated hastily, quickly taking out a kunai from his ninja tool bag to parry.

"Shin! What are you doing?" Kabuto Yakushi stared at the ninja who attacked him with a grim face. Although the other party was wearing a mask, he could still tell that it was the Root ninja who was responsible for contacting him, codenamed 'Shin'.

"So it was you! Kabuto, I didn't expect you to come back alive." Shin looked at Kabuto with icy eyes before stopping his attack, but the killing intent on his body did not diminish in the slightest.

The pharmacist frowned slightly.

The Root ninjas don't have names, only code names. They usually only call a fallen ninja by his name. Clearly, in 'Shin's' eyes, he was already a dead man.

Upon closer reflection, that's indeed the case.

If it weren't for Senior Bai Yu, he would be dead by now.

Kabuto Yakushi's strength has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, but in a direct confrontation, he is indeed no match for Nono. Therefore, the person 'Shin' was originally planning to ambush was Dean Nono, who had already killed him.

"The mission is complete. Can I return to the village now?!" Kabuto Yakushi said coldly. The ninjas of Root didn't have much friendship to begin with, let alone the fact that 'Shin' had come to ambush Dean Nonou. Even with his disguise skills honed over the years, he couldn't suppress the killing intent in his heart.

However, the thought of facing Menzo directly upon returning to Konoha quickly calmed Kabuto down.

"Oh? You didn't see the 'Wandering Priestess'?" Xin's tone was tinged with mockery. He had no good feelings towards Nono, this 'traitor' of Root. Knowing the inside story of this mission, he couldn't wait to see Kabuto's expression after he found out that he had killed his foster mother with his own hands.

"I've already taken down the target, but before I could take the body, I was discovered by the Iwagakure ninjas, so I used explosive tags to destroy the body." Kabuto Yakushi said expressionlessly, "As a fellow Root ninja, you should know that I don't lie about missions."

"You've completed your mission. Now come back to the village with me."

"Ah."

After Xin hid the stronghold again, he left the place with Yakushi Kabuto.

However, they had only gone halfway when Shin launched another surprise attack on Kabuto Yakushi.

boom!

As the detonating tag burned out, a violent explosion rang out, and flames shot into the sky.

Kabuto leaped onto the tree trunk, looking at Shin with an indifferent expression, seemingly unsurprised by Shin's renewed attack. "Shin, what are you doing?"

“Of course, I’ll kill you!” Xin said slowly. “Whether you succeed in killing the wandering priestess or not, my mission is to eliminate you. However, if you can successfully kill me in return, Lord Danzo might continue to value you.”

"I see, then I'm relieved," Kabuto Yakushi said calmly.

"So you knew all along." Xin's tone changed slightly.

"go to hell!"

Kabuto Yakushi gathered chakra in his palm and activated the A-rank medical ninjutsu, Chakra Scalpel.

This medical ninjutsu can cut any part of the body for further medical treatment, transplant any organ, break the opponent's muscles and meridians in battle, and even be used as a weapon to cut the opponent, with tremendous power.

The two figures moved nimbly through the forest, and even as a Jonin, Shin couldn't defeat Yakushi Kabuto for a while.

"You really were hiding your strength. No wonder you were valued by Lord Danzo." Shin praised Kabuto Yakushi even during the battle, but his hands moved without hesitation, each strike a deadly move.

Kabuto Yakushi, having just recovered from serious injuries, was weakened and gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

boom--!

With a loud crash, a large number of trees in the forest were snapped in half, and a giant, yellowish-brown snake suddenly appeared, opening its blood-red maw towards Xin.

"what?!"

Xin was shocked and immediately abandoned his attack on Yakushi Kabuto, retreating quickly.

However, just as he dodged the giant snake's attack, he suddenly felt a chilling aura fill his entire body.

Turning around, I saw a man wearing an earth-yellow kimono and with long, black, flowing hair walking towards me. His skin was somewhat pale, his face was thin, his eyes were narrow and long, and he wore black eyeliner and purple eyeshadow. His pupils were strange, vertical golden pupils, and he wore blue and green tomoe-shaped earrings.

It was none other than Orochimaru, who was listed as an S-rank rogue ninja by Konoha!

"Orochimaru?!" Shin's expression changed drastically, and he immediately said, "This is an internal matter of our Root organization. Please do not interfere."

As Danzo's confidant, Shin naturally knew about the relationship between Orochimaru and Danzo. Even though Orochimaru had become a rogue ninja, he still maintained close ties with Danzo. This was also the reason why Root ninjas never participated in missions to hunt down Orochimaru.

Of course, they were aware that if they dared to attack Orochimaru, they would be committing suicide.

'Hidden Shadows, Many Snake Hands!'

Orochimaru didn't waste any words. He raised his right hand, and his arm quickly transformed into a large number of pythons, attacking Xin. Another direction was blocked by the summoned beasts summoned by Orochimaru, leaving Xin with no choice but to fight to the death.

"what!"

Unfortunately, the difference in strength was too great. With a scream from Shin, he was swallowed whole by the giant Orochimaru and became its lunch.

Meeting Orochimaru's gaze, Kabuto Yakushi tensed up, looking at him warily.

Orochimaru's magnetic, husky voice rang out as he smiled slightly at Kabuto Yakushi: "I just admire you."

"Admire me?!" Yakushi Kabuto was taken aback.

"Your mission this time is to kill Nonou, and Nonou's target is also you. However, the photos of you growing up over the years have been switched by Danzo's people." Orochimaru continued, "As for me... to show his sincerity in continuing to cooperate, Danzo asked me to finish things off. If either you or Nonou survives, I will personally take care of it."

"Danzo really values ​​me!" Kabuto Yakushi chuckled self-deprecatingly. Not only Shin, but also Orochimaru.

"It seems you already know the truth," Orochimaru said calmly. "Now I've changed my mind. Do you want to come here? If you go back to Root, Danzo will still try to harm you. But if you return to Konoha as my subordinate, Danzo won't be able to do anything to you."

"Why didn't you kill me? Aren't you afraid it will affect your cooperation with Danzo? You spared me just because you admired me?"

Kabuto Yakushi wouldn't believe Orochimaru just because of his few words, after all, Orochimaru was one of the people who forced the headmaster to go to Iwagakure to carry out a spy mission.

“I have no ill intentions toward you,” Orochimaru said. “You are someone that Bai Yu values, and no matter what, I would never want to stand against him. As for Danzo and me, as long as we share common interests, we never need to trust each other. Besides, trust is a fragile thing that can collapse at any time.”

Upon hearing this, Kabuto fell silent.

Orochimaru just watched him quietly, without urging him.

"If I were to take revenge on Danzo and Konoha, would you stop me?" Kabuto Yakushi stared directly at Orochimaru.

"I will help you."

Orochimaru said in a deep voice.

......

The Land of Whirlpools, the territory of the Whirlpool Clan.

The clan chief's office.

Bai Yu looked at the latest intelligence report and couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused.

Kirigakure has unilaterally launched an attack on the Land of the Sea.

Although the Land of the Sea does not have a ninja village, its commerce is very developed, and its merchants are found throughout the ninja world.

If the pharmaceutical company located in the Land of Demons wants to expand further and accumulate more funds for future nation-building, it must cooperate with the Land of the Sea.

It should be noted that the Land of the Sea had only recently established diplomatic relations with the Uzumaki clan, and Kirigakure immediately dispatched troops to garrison the area, and had already begun sending warships to patrol the waters off the Uzumaki clan's territory to the west.