nashuaworldcup Chapter 231 Crying Counts as Time Too
Chapter 231 Crying Counts as Time Too
Chapter 231 Crying Counts as Time Too
As the dream ended, the system interface in front of Shiyu lit up. Overnight, Shiyu had gained far more emotional points than expected, and the conditions required for the system upgrade had been successfully met.
However, to his slight disappointment, the legendary special reward effect of the Dream Machine was not triggered this time.
However, Shigure didn't feel too much regret.
After all, the Dream Machine is so powerful that if it could be triggered every day and level up every day, that would be too exaggerated.
He looked around to make sure no one was approaching before calming himself down and looking at the notification panel that appeared in front of him.
[The Dream Master System has been successfully upgraded!]
[Congratulations, host, you have reached level 17]
Please select one of the following enhancement effects.
[1. Audience size +3]
[2. Dream intensity greatly increased (more specific targets can be selected)]
[3. Dream Goal +1]
Shi Yu glanced back and forth between the three options, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally moved the pointer to the second option.
"Dream intensity greatly enhanced?"
"What exactly does this so-called 'special target' refer to?"
Curiosity prevailed.
Shi Yu took a deep breath, made up her mind, and decisively confirmed option 2.
It took a moment; the system panel gave a slight jolt.
A new line of text appeared on the semi-transparent light screen.
Enhancement effect 'Super Dream Intensity Boost' selected successfully!
The level 17 upgrade reward has been claimed.
Shi Yu opened the list of candidates for realizing her dream and began to look at it.
Upon closer inspection, he indeed discovered a change that was completely different from before.
At the end of the list, nine new names appeared out of nowhere.
"One-Tailed Shukaku, Two-Tailed Matatabi, Three-Tailed Isobu, Four-Tailed Son Goku — and Nine-Tailed Kurama?!"
"this one?"
Shi Yu paused for two seconds, her expression somewhat speechless.
The so-called special target—
Are these the nine tailed beasts?
Can't you?
The next morning.
In the dense forest near the Valley of the End in the northern part of the Land of Fire.
Two colossal statues stand majestically facing each other on either side of the cliff, while a waterfall cascades down the valley, its waters echoing through the silent forest.
Jiraiya stretched and sat up from the flat rock where he had been staying the previous night, yawning.
He turned his head to look to the side and saw that Orochimaru had already gotten up and was gazing at the direction of Konoha in the distance with his back to him, seemingly lost in thought about something.
Jiraiya greeted him with a smile, "Good morning, Orochimaru! This place is really beautiful, isn't it? The air is fresh and the scenery is stunning, though the waterfall is a bit noisy; I almost couldn't sleep last night, haha."
Orochimaru slowly turned around, his golden vertical pupils coldly staring at Jiraiya, his eyes sinister, his face full of impatience and suspicion.
"Jiraiya," he interrupted the other's pleasantries, "Why did you suggest resting here last night? If we had traveled all night, we should have arrived in Konoha by now."
He took another step forward, staring intently at Jiraiya, and said coldly, "Tell me the truth—are you stalling for time?"
Or are you simply lying to me, and the whole "Rope Tree" thing is completely fabricated?
Faced with Orochimaru's aggressive questioning, Jiraiya not only did not panic, but instead showed a confident smile.
He spread his hands and said casually, "Don't worry, Orochimaru. I guarantee you with the honor of the Toad Sage that Nawaki is perfectly fine and waiting for you in Konoha!"
"Besides—if you hadn't slept last night, how would we have seen such a good show?"
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly.
Orochimaru's mind flashed back to the images from his dream.
He couldn't help but hum softly.
"Hmph—last night's dream was quite interesting."
However, that smile vanished in an instant.
Orochimaru's expression darkened, and he turned to look in the direction of Konoha, saying impatiently, "But now, we should head back to the village."
"I've lost patience with wasting any more time with you here."
Jiraiya scratched his messy white hair, somewhat surprised, and asked, "Huh? In such a hurry? Okay, let's fill our stomachs first before we go—."
Cuckoo...
As he spoke, he smiled sheepishly and patted his belly.
Orochimaru did not respond, but his gaze grew colder as he stared intently at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya felt a chill run down his spine, immediately sensing that something was amiss.
He chuckled twice and waved his hands repeatedly, "Alright, alright! Let's go, let's go now!"
"Seriously, they won't even let me eat breakfast—"
After they finished tidying up, Jiraiya and Orochimaru exchanged a glance, and then simultaneously leaped onto the treetops beside them.
Two figures darted through the forest, one after the other, crushing branches and leaves and creating a whistling sound as they headed straight for Konoha Village.
at the same time.
Inside a mansion in Konoha Village, Tsunade awoke from her sleep.
She slowly opened her eyes, lay quietly for a moment, and suddenly a comfortable smile appeared on her lips.
It was a long-lost feeling of inner ease and joy, as if a huge stone that had been weighing on my heart for many years had finally been lifted, and I felt lighter than ever before.
Tsunade woke up earlier than usual today.
Because she had promised Nawaki last night that she would take him on a tour of Konoha Village first thing this morning.
Recalling the scene of their reunion yesterday, Tsunade's smile was harder to suppress than an AK, and she almost thought she was still dreaming.
Yesterday, it wasn't until she rushed forward and hugged Sheng Shu, touching her brother's warm body, that she was convinced it wasn't all a hallucination.
Over the years, longing and guilt nearly overwhelmed Tsunade.
Not only did her younger brother return to her side unharmed, but he also grew into a spirited teenager!
Thinking of this, she stretched happily, got out of bed, and hummed an off-key tune as she walked out of the bedroom.
The village of Konoha was peaceful and serene in the early morning, with the occasional chirping of birds in the distance making one feel even more relaxed.
Walking through the hallway into the living room, Jingyin was busy in the kitchen wearing an apron, while the cute pink pig Tuntun was running around on the floor, wagging its little tail excitedly.
Tsunade leaned against the door, arms crossed, and asked contentedly, "Shizune, where's Nawaki? Still not up?"
Upon hearing the Hokage's voice, Shizune quickly put down the spatula, turned around to wipe her hands, and respectfully replied, "Yes, Lady Tsunade. There's been no sound from Nawaki-sama's room; he's probably still asleep."
Tsunade waved her hand dismissively and chuckled, "That lazybones, I'll go wake him up. We agreed to take him out today, so I can't let him oversleep."
After saying that, Tsunade turned around and went to the door of Nawaki's room at the end of the corridor, knocking on the door: "Nawaki? Time to get up!"
There was complete silence inside the door; not a single response could be heard.
Tsunade waited two seconds, then knocked harder and called out in a louder voice, "Nawaki, wake up!"
I'm coming in!
There was still no response; the room was so quiet it was as if no one was there.
An ominous premonition crept into Tsunade's heart.
Rope Tree wasn't the kind of child who would oversleep and make mistakes, especially in an unfamiliar environment; it was impossible for him to sleep so soundly that he would fall into a deep sleep.
Thinking of this, Tsunade's expression changed. Without thinking further, she suddenly kicked the door open!
"Bang!" The wooden door slammed heavily against the wall, making a loud noise. Tsunade rushed into the room, only to find it empty, the bed in disarray, the blankets half-lifted to one side, and not a soul in sight!
The floor was spotless, the windows were closed, and there were no unusual signs in the room except for the slightly messy bed.
It was as if Rope Tree had vanished into thin air!
"How—how could this be?"
Tsunade felt a buzzing in her head, and the world spun before her eyes. She stumbled and fell two steps, almost losing her balance.
The morning, which had just been filled with warmth and coziness, seemed to have instantly lost all its luster and warmth in her eyes.
Hearing the loud noise, Shizune rushed over and anxiously asked, "Lady Tsunade, what happened?"
Tsunade opened her mouth, only to feel a dryness in her throat: "Nawaki—...is gone."
Shizune was taken aback, then quickly reassured him, "Could it be that Lord Nawaki got up early and went for a walk by himself?"
Shizune's words were like a ray of light shining into the darkness, bringing Tsunade back to her senses.
"Yes—yes!"
She nodded as if grasping at her last hope.
"Rope Tree might have gone out for a stroll! After being away for so long, he must be very curious about everything in the village—it's possible he went out to explore on his own early in the morning!"
Thinking this way, Tsunade felt a slight sense of relief.
She turned around and rushed out of the house, into the yard, and clapped her hands together forcefully.
As the Hokage, Tsunade's residence was always guarded by ANBU on a rotating basis. If Nawaki went for a walk, those ANBU would definitely be able to see him.
In the blink of an eye, two dark figures emerged from the shadows of the courtyard, knelt on one knee, and respectfully bowed their heads to await orders. One of them was a member of the Anbu who was on duty guarding the area around the Hokage's residence.
One of them asked respectfully, "Lord Hokage, what are your orders?"
Tsunade took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and asked, "You've been on guard here the whole time. Tell me, did you see a boy of about sixteen or seventeen leave the mansion this morning?"
The two ANBU members exchanged a glance, and one of them replied in a deep voice, "Reporting to the Hokage, from last night until now, no one has left your residence through the main gate or any other exit."
"Wh-what?"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade took a step back and her whole body went limp backward.
Shizune quickly stepped forward and half-hug Tsunade.
Tsunade's eyes were glazed over, her lips trembling, as she muttered in a daze, "Gone, vanished into thin air. Nawaki... he's gone—"
Last night, she was happily planning to take Nawaki around to see the prosperous Konoha Village today, and let her younger brother see the glory of being the Hokage.
Who would have thought that when I woke up, everything would vanish like a bubble again.
At that moment, it felt as if an invisible blade had pierced Tsunade's heart.
Nothing is more unbearable than losing something, getting it back, and then losing it again.
Just then, a familiar, cheerful voice rang out from outside the courtyard gate: "Tsunade! Come out and see! You'll never guess who I brought back!"
The loud, excited voice was full of pride and a desire to claim credit.
Tsunade shuddered upon hearing the voice and instinctively looked up.
Before he finished speaking, Jiraiya strode into the courtyard, a smug smile on his face.
Behind Jiraiya, a tall figure wearing a wide black robe followed closely.
The man was wearing a straw hat with the brim pulled down very low, completely obscuring his face, making it impossible to tell who he was.
After Orochimaru caused trouble in Konoha last time, the villagers were terrified and still vividly remembered their fear of him.
To avoid causing a commotion in public, Jiraiya gave Orochimaru a simple disguise before returning to the village.
Jiraiya had barely stepped into the courtyard when the scene before him instantly froze his smile.
Tsunade was seen slumped on the ground, looking dazed, her eyes lifeless, and her pretty face still bearing traces of tears.
Shizune knelt beside her, carefully supporting Tsunade's shoulders, her face full of anxiety yet at a loss.
This unusual scene filled Jiraiya with a sudden sense of foreboding. He rushed to Tsunade's side, bent down, and helped her up: "Tsunade! What happened?"
Seeing the usually strong Tsunade break down like this, Jiraiya felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
He quickly grabbed her shoulders, anxiously asking, "Tsunade, what's wrong?! What happened?!"
Tsunade lifted her tear-streaked face and saw that it was Jiraiya who had returned. Her long-held strength could no longer be contained.
She reached out and grabbed Jiraiya's collar, trembling: "Jiraiya Nawaki Nawaki is gone!"
Jiraiya was greatly alarmed upon hearing this.
"What?! It's gone?!"
He immediately realized the seriousness of the situation. He first waved for the ANBU members beside him to retreat, then, holding Tsunade's shoulder, he asked urgently in a low voice, "Don't rush, tell me slowly, what exactly happened? She was gone when we woke up this morning?"
Tsunade quickly recounted how she discovered the room was empty and how she asked the Anbu but received the reply that "no one left."
"Disappeared into thin air?!"
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and said in a low voice, "Tsunade, don't panic! Perhaps the Anbu were careless and didn't notice Nawaki leaving. Nawaki is probably still wandering around somewhere in Konoha. I'll mobilize people right now and search the entire village for him!"
As he spoke, Jiraiya was about to get up and arrange for people to search.
However, before he could finish speaking, a slow, steady clapping sound suddenly interrupted him: "Clap—clap—"
"Snap."
The sound came from not far away, sending a chill down one's spine for no apparent reason.
Jiraiya suddenly turned his head and saw Orochimaru clapping his hands while letting out a sinister laugh.
"Keep acting! Keep acting!"
"What a show!"
Orochimaru tossed his straw hat aside.
The pale, rash-covered face beneath was revealed, its golden vertical pupils filled with the fury of someone who had been fooled.
"Well, Jiraiya—you really went to great lengths to trick me into returning to Konoha."
Orochimaru had always hated being fooled. The thought that he had rushed back to Konoha with such high expectations because of such a lie made his face burn with shame and anger.
Orochimaru's sinister gaze then fell upon Tsunade, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Tsunade! What exactly did Jiraiya give you that you'd even play along with him?"
"Or do you think it's funny to fool me like this?!"
Tsunade watched Orochimaru, who was in a fit of rage, with a sense of satisfaction.
She opened her mouth, and said weakly, "It's not like that—no—"
However, she had no intention of defending herself; she simply murmured to herself, as if denying everything she had seen.
Orochimaru! Calm down!
Jiraiya then belatedly realized that he had been so busy comforting Tsunade that he had left Orochimaru, who had come with him, standing aside.
"Listen to me! Things aren't really what you think! Nawaki, he truly—"
"Shut up!"
Orochimaru interrupted Jiraiya sharply, his voice chilling, "A boy, right under the noses of two ANBU in the Hokage's mansion, just vanished into thin air? Do you think I'd believe such a clumsy lie!?"
Orochimaru suddenly flicked his sleeve.
"Jiraiya, you just wait! I will not let this go!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around abruptly and strode out of the courtyard.
"Orochimaru! Don't go!" Jiraiya shouted, reaching out his hand to try to stop him.
However, Orochimaru completely ignored him and left in a flash without looking back.
The courtyard returned to a deathly silence.
Jiraiya stood there, stunned, one hand still outstretched, unable to lower it for a long time.
The three legendary ninjas reunited.
On one side is Orochimaru, who leaves in anger, and on the other side is Tsunade, who is suffering a mental breakdown.
Jiraiya stood frozen in place, as if he had returned to that rainy night, a sense of powerlessness washing over him.