Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 518 The Long-Awaited Reunion

"Naruto?! Is that you?! I can't sense your chakra at all!"

"I don't have any either. In situations like this, there's no point in using concealment; it's detrimental to obtaining location information."

Is Naruto... really Naruto?

"Naruto, you actually managed to crawl back from the Pure Land?"

"We can talk about catching up later. Although there were some minor hiccups, the outcome wasn't too bad. Kabuto summoned me, but he couldn't control me. I'm acting entirely on my own will now and will fully assist the Allied Shinobi Forces in defeating the Eye of the Moon Plan." Naruto gave a brief answer simultaneously in the real world and through telepathic communication. To dispel Gaara and Onoki's hostility, he even put his arm around Sasuke's shoulder and sincerely exclaimed, "You really worked hard this time, Sasuke. You did a great job!"

How could someone praise the culprit even after they've died?!

Sasuke didn't know whether he should cry or laugh; he just stared blankly at Naruto's black eyes, feeling the coldness of his body.

This is just the beginning. Naruto isn't truly alive yet, and it's far from time to relax.

As for Gaara and Onoki, who didn't even know why Naruto had become dead, they were completely confused. However, Naruto's words possessed a magical quality that made people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze, and within a few words, most of their hostility had vanished. Moreover, Gaara completely believed in Naruto; it was just... he couldn't accept that Naruto was dead! And although he vaguely sensed that something was wrong, he never raised any questions.

Instead of launching a sneak attack, the enemy, who was not on their immediate concern, chose a spot with a good view to watch this "touching" reunion.

"Is his identity that special? Someone actually impersonated him. His genjutsu is impressive, and his eyes are remarkable too. Are there really such outstanding descendants of the Uchiha clan?"

Madara Uchiha appeared to be alone, but in reality, he had already discovered Mu hiding in the shadows. This unlucky fellow seemed to be the type who couldn't escape control and couldn't go far at all, so he could only observe him from the sidelines.

"I don't know." Wu Laoshi appeared. He knew best what kind of monster Uchiha Madara was, and the junior who almost traded one life with the monster seemed to be a powerful figure, but unfortunately he died too young.

Before Wu could provide an answer, someone quickly responded. Wu's gray pupils were completely covered in white, a sign of being fully controlled. Wu's voice also changed; his deep baritone became slightly sharper, sounding like a very young voice.

“I am Kabuto… his assistant.” Kabuto, who was controlling the Edo Tensei from afar, had already gone through a brainstorming session. Naruto’s question was no challenge for this researcher, and he quickly simulated it in his mind.

He happened to have learned magic arts and knew about the circulation of natural energy, so he quickly guessed that the changes in the land of the Frost Kingdom were due to the excessive loss of natural energy.

Regarding the origin of the White Zetsu, he did discover some anomalies during his research. Their genes were almost identical, but upon closer observation, subtle differences could be found between individuals. This was more common in the early White Zetsu; as for the later, mass-produced White Zetsu clones, the differences were more difficult to detect.

White Zetsu may indeed have originated from humans, and the final result of being hung on the Divine Tree is very likely that they will become White Zetsu.

However, this conjecture couldn't overcome his thirst for power. Madara Uchiha was right before his eyes; witnessing the legendary power firsthand was his top priority. He could stop the Eye of the Moon later, since the masked man wasn't bothering him right now.

"To speak to me through the Impure World Reincarnation technique, what a dark fellow."

Kabuto didn't care about the teasing and said, "The Uzumaki Naruto who was surrounded is the former Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the current Sixth Hokage. I originally planned to use him to undermine the morale of the Allied Forces, but I didn't expect him to be able to break free from my control."

Madara caught the key phrase, "Now? You mean, you took someone else's place and became the Sixth Hokage using their identity?"

"Yes."

The thought of the replacement being an Uchiha made Madara inexplicably want to laugh. He had long predicted the fate of the Uchiha if they remained in Konoha. The center of power was out of the question, and the Hokage position was impossible. At best, they would be dismantled and destroyed, like the Senju clan, but most likely they would perish together, becoming nothing more than dust in history, vanishing forever.

Now, the one who has become Hokage is actually an Uchiha who is using someone else's identity. If those parasites in Konoha knew this, their expressions would be quite interesting.

It's a real pity that he won't have the chance to see the Eye of the Moon mission, which is about to be carried out.

“Naruto was an undefeated ninja in his lifetime, and it seems he never used his full strength. The ninjutsu he just used to attack you is something I've never seen before.” Kabuto pressed his advantage, saying, “Your Impure World Reincarnation was specially prepared for you. Your power now surpasses even your peak strength…”

Ban glanced at Wu with displeasure and said in a dangerous tone, "You...have seen me at my peak?"

"No, so now, please let me see it."

Madara could tell that this guy wanted to instigate him to fight the boy, but having finally regained his freedom of movement, he figured stretching his muscles was acceptable, and he reluctantly forgave the guy's rudeness. Just as he was considering how to give his opponent a truly despairing intimidation, the purple Susanoo in that direction vanished, replaced by a puff of white smoke and... a chakra he absolutely couldn't mistake!

Madara Uchiha, whose expression had remained largely unchanged until now, suddenly contorted into a ferocious grin. Only he could display such arrogant excitement. If I'm not mistaken, the one who just cast the spell was Naruto. Dead people can't be resurrected, so there's only one reason he could perform a summoning.

Before he was alive, Hashirama Senju was already a dead man whom he had summoned back.

But none of that matters; all that's enough is seeing Hashirama again. The exhilarating battle that would allow him to fully immerse himself can only happen between the two of them. Let's just say that kid understands war quite well.

At this moment, Ban had long forgotten everything else. He leaped dozens of meters and landed at a distance close enough to see his best friend's face clearly.

"Hashirama! Fight me!"

"Madara!" Hashirama hadn't smiled so brightly in a long time. He also sprinted forward, opening his arms to rush towards his long-lost best friend.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time!"