novelraw Chapter 65 Chain of Suspicion
Chapter 65 Chain of Suspicion
Chapter 65 Chain of Suspicion
Konan understood what Shiba Kiyokazu meant.
"Are we... destined to be enemies with Hanzo the Salamander?"
Shiba Kiyokawa nodded.
He's not like the kind of protagonist in a female-oriented novel who never speaks; there's no need for him to hide things from his closest people.
However, Xiao Nan seemed to have misunderstood his meaning.
"Is it because of me?"
"?" Shiba Kiyokawa slowly typed out a question mark.
"Was it because I told him I didn't like the place on the day of the negotiations that Kiyokawa-kun decided to do this?"
Shiba Kiyokawa chuckled, reached out and patted Minami's head, comforting the girl who was inexplicably feeling guilty.
"It's none of your business, don't overthink it."
"Then why?" Xiao Nan suddenly became agitated. "Why do we have to work so hard? Aren't we doing well now?"
Isn't it good for everyone to live peacefully together like this?
After struggling for a while, Xiao Nan nervously twisted her hands before finally mustering her courage to speak, "I don't actually care that much about those ideals, I just... just want to be with you..."
For a fleeting moment, Shiba Kiyokawa was actually quite moved.
Although he had long seen through Xiao Nan's character and had a clear understanding of her personality and behavior, he was still touched when the girl actually said these words to him.
This is equivalent to a girl telling you frankly that she cares about you more than her ideals right now!
Unfortunately, Shiba Kiyokawa interrupted Minami before she could finish her sentence, preventing her from saying the most important second half.
He understood Xiao Nan's feelings, but he also understood that he absolutely could not stop here!
"Sister Xiaonan, I told you, this has nothing to do with you, but we have to do it! Otherwise, we will all die!"
"Why?" Konan still didn't understand. "Can't we just avoid provoking Hanzo the Salamander?"
Shiba Kiyokawa smiled and dismissed Konan's naive idea.
"Will he trust us if we don't provoke him?"
"But……"
"You don't actually want to talk about mutual understanding now, do you?"
Xiao Nan blushed when she was retorted.
Under the tutelage of Shiba Kiyokawa these past few days, well, the influence of his education, Konan has become increasingly aware that "mutual understanding between people" is just a naive delusion.
"If we don't take action or offer explanations, will Hanzo necessarily believe us?"
For example, if I were to tell Yahiko now that I'm tired, giving up, and returning the Akatsuki to him, would he really believe me without a second thought?
Xiao Nan opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn't say anything.
She said she would believe it, but she herself didn't believe it.
"This is the third lesson I'm going to teach you, Sister Xiao Nan, and it's also an extension of the first lesson."
As I said in the first lesson: mutual understanding can only be built between people who share similar positions, experiences, and identities.
Conversely, if all of the above are different and there is a conflict of interest, people will fall into a chain of suspicion.
Even if we choose a peaceful life now, the existence of Akatsuki in the Land of Rain will threaten Hanzo, which is an established fact.
Hanzo the Salamander couldn't be sure if we would be content with the status quo;
Even if he says he believes it, we have no way of knowing whether he truly believes it.
Even if we say we believe him, he still can't be sure if what we say is true.
Suspicion will continue to roll on forever, without end.
Xiao Nan fell silent.
This was perhaps the first time she realized how cruel and complex the real world truly is.
"Then... is there really no other way?"
Shiba Kiyokawa smiled and answered casually, "Yes."
Xiao Nan's eyes lit up. "What method?"
"That's what I'm doing right now: strike first! Like a battle in a dark forest, the one who throws the dagger first gains the upper hand!"
Xiao Nan's expression, which had just brightened, quickly turned bitter again.
This time, however, she did not try to persuade Shiba Kiyokawa to give up.
"So... our ideals in the past were so naive," Xiao Nan murmured softly.
Shiba Kiyokawa neither offered comfort nor denied it.
Because that is indeed the case.
To believe that people can understand each other unconditionally? Ha, you might as well believe he can become the First Emperor of Qin.
At least unification can truly eliminate barriers.
After a moment of disappointment, Konan quickly cheered up and even more firmly took Shiba Kiyokawa's hand.
"Qinghe, I will always be by your side."
"Thank you, Sister Xiaonan."
"What about Nagato? You seem to be avoiding him lately?" Konan asked again.
Shiba Kiyokawa told a little white lie, "Nagato is very dependent on Yahiko, so he might not understand so quickly. Let's not rush to tell him."
Besides, it wouldn't be a bad thing for us to let him continue to try to reconcile with Hanzo.
This is, of course, just an excuse. The real reason is that Shiba Kiyokawa is consciously guarding against Black Zetsu!
In the latest update, the system clearly states that Black Zetsu will be involved in his death more than 100 days later!
This is a very obvious hint: it means that some dirty things have probably started paying attention to this place.
And indeed, things turned out exactly as he had predicted.
During the day, Nagato was training the newly joined team members as usual.
On a tree outside his perception range, three figures, one black and two white, were growing out of the trunk like pitcher plants.
Black Zetsu sighed, "I never imagined that so many changes would happen around Madara when he was only asleep for a few years."
Of the two White Zetsu standing nearby, one was noticeably dull, like a rigid robot, only capable of giving formulaic reports.
"According to observations, the activity index of the Rinnegan has increased abnormally in the past 180 days. The reason is unknown."
This White Zetsu has been monitoring Nagato ever since Madara left the Rinnegan on him.
He just wasn't very intelligent; he could only record things step by step.
Meanwhile, the other white zeppelin in the tree was noticeably more lively.
After watching for a while, the lively White Zetsu turned his head and said, "We've been watching here for over an hour, why haven't those people taken a dump? Aren't they curious about what it feels like to poop?"
The lively White Zetsu is none other than Tobi from the future original work, a special White Zetsu individual with a deep obsession with defecating.
Black Zetsu's expression twitched twice.
If it weren't for the fact that highly intelligent White Zetsu was hard to come by, he would have long ago stuffed this guy next to him back into the Gedo Mazo for a second chance.
Damn it, what's so curious about taking a dump? Are you crazy?!
Ignoring his brain-dead companion beside him, Black Zetsu sneered to himself.
"Isn't the reason for the abnormality of the Rinnegan obvious?"
Shiba Kiyokawa, ah, what a pity. No matter how hard you try, you are nothing but an ant in the face of Madara's great cause!
Want to reconcile with Hanzo the Salamander? Of course not!
(End of this chapter)