Chapter 391: Even Deidara Got Dragged Into It
"Kiba, Shino, everyone… you must have misunderstood Naruto-kun… Even if he and Sasuke have that kind of relationship, he definitely wouldn't do something like this."
Hinata was still trying to defend him.
But from her words, it was already clear that she had subconsciously accepted that Naruto and Sasuke had an improper relationship.
"That's true… their character… well, let's not talk about Naruto's character for now, but Sasuke shouldn't be capable of something like this, right?"
Shikamaru had just been about to defend Naruto, but suddenly remembered Naruto's childhood, his constant pranks and the infamous "poop-throwing Naruto." He immediately changed his tone.
"He is capable of it!"
A voice filled with grief and indignation came from behind them.
"Shigaraki Tanuki-san?"
Everyone looked at the newcomer in surprise.
"You clearly already have the answer, yet because of your emotions, you're trying to deny it. That's acting on impulse!"
Shigaraki Tanuki clenched his fists.
He had been listening to Shikamaru's analysis from the side, and was angered that these young people had already arrived at the truth but were still making excuses for the perpetrator.
Not long ago, he had encountered White Zetsu.
White Zetsu had informed him of his physical condition and told him that if he still wanted offspring, he could accumulate contribution points and go to Orochimaru.
At first, he didn't believe it.
But Konoha had recently undergone reforms, including a full-body check during employment. He had only completed half of his exam before being sent on a mission with Sai.
So he decided to finish the check-up and clear his doubts.
The result?
White Zetsu had been telling the truth.
He had heard of "boiling a frog in warm water" before.
But this time, he had been "slow-cooking tadpoles."
Despair. Anger. Pain.
Shigaraki Tanuki couldn't understand it. The Raikage constantly stimulated his entire body with lightning and not only he was fine, but he became stronger.
Yet he had just one night, and he was finished.
Amid his sorrow, hatred began to grow.
Fortunately, because White Zetsu had already given him a solution, he didn't completely fall into darkness.
At the same time, he had two lingering doubts.
That night, both he and Sai had been affected. So did Sai also suffer the same fate?
But Sai was rumored to have been Danzo's "boy toy." Even if something happened to him, maybe it had already been broken before?
The second doubt was this, although the check-up confirmed he was infertile, that morning he had still… been "standing tall."
That was when Shigaraki Tanuki realized something.
Had the lightning stimulation sacrificed one function but enhanced another?
With Orochimaru as a backup option, his hatred diminished slightly.
And so, the current situation came to be.
He still needed to find Sasuke and demand an explanation.
So when he heard Shikamaru say Sasuke had good character, even with his reduced hatred, he couldn't help but feel angry.
The one who ruined him like this had good character?
"Shigaraki Tanuki-san, are you saying it really was Sasuke? Do you have any evidence?"
Shikamaru didn't mind being contradicted, he only cared about the truth. Hearing this, he immediately realized something and hurried over.
"Evidence? Of course I do… but I can't show it to you."
Shigaraki Tanuki was about to speak, but then remembered that his evidence was tied to his "contribution points." He had to submit it in Amegakure first before revealing it.
"I could have told you, but after seeing you defend Uchiha Sasuke just now, I don't trust you. I'm afraid you might destroy the evidence instead."
"So… take me to Amegakure first. I'll submit a copy of the evidence there. After I see your further investigation results, I'll tell you."
He came up with an excuse on the spot.
"Alright."
Shikamaru could tell that Tanuki wasn't simply distrustful, he had his own motives, but there was no other choice.
If they wanted the evidence, they had to comply.
Besides, it wasn't a troublesome task.
Soon, the group arrived outside Amegakure.
Shikamaru had Akamaru search the surroundings for traces.
Akamaru remembered three scents.
Naruto. Sasuke. And that mysterious half-body Impure World Reincarnation ninja.
The most important one was the mysterious Impure World Reincarnation.
Normally, Impure World Reincarnation bodies had no scent, but this one was an exception. It carried not only a milk smell, but also the fragrance of lilac.
"Sasori-nii, you won't believe what I saw this morning!"
"As everyone knows, I'm very hardworking. I always ride my bird out early in the morning for a flight to train my body."
"But today I ate too much oden, so I came back a bit late and sped up. And you know what I saw?"
"A butt with a flower stuck in it was flying beside me toward Amegakure! We were moving at the same speed!"
"I was so scared I almost blew up my bird!"
"It was terrifying! So bizarre!"
Deidara and Sasori passed by the group as Deidara gestured wildly, describing his morning experience.
"…And then?"
Sasori wasn't interested in such things, but the remnants of his humanity made him slightly curious.
"And then? I kept chasing it, trying to see what it was, and then something even more terrifying happened, I suddenly appeared on your bed. Sasori-nii, do you believe me?"
Deidara looked completely innocent.
"…This story of yours has zero logic!"
Sasori glanced at him and stopped responding.
Because he still had a heart and could experience mental fatigue, he occasionally needed to shut down and rest.
But when he woke up this morning, Deidara had been sitting on him, looking confused.
Who was Sasori?
Even the inherently evil Nine-Tails Jinchūriki Uzumaki Naruto couldn't pull a Thousand Years of Death on him.
Would he be afraid of Deidara having improper intentions?
Even if Deidara tried, what if it turned out to be a pencil sharpener inside?
Sasori was only curious about why Deidara had come over.
Since Deidara refused to explain, he didn't care.
Making up such a nonsensical story only made Sasori think even less of Deidara's "art."
"I'm not lying!"
Deidara looked aggrieved.
The two gradually walked away.
Shikamaru's group, however, had stopped moving ever since the conversation began.
They only resumed after it ended.
"Did you hear that? There are similarities."
Shikamaru stroked his chin, thinking.
"Yeah, there are similarities. We were framed too, we all ended up somewhere we shouldn't have been… It must be Sasuke and Naruto! They're trying to drag everyone into this 'bond freak' label! Look, even members of the Akatsuki got dragged into it!"
Kiba grew more and more agitated as he spoke.
(End of this chapter)