Chapter 986

【Randomly selecting from open world pool: Dragon Ball world, Bleach world, Naruto world, Hunter x Hunter world (unrestricted state; Hunter x Hunter world becomes semi-open when power system is suppressed, unrestricted state = large open world).】

【Selection complete. Hunter will enter Naruto-derived world.】

【Prompt: This is the Hunter’s first entry into a Naruto-derived world via conventional means.】

【Prompt: Detected that the Hunter previously entered a Naruto-derived world using a World Key item.】

【Synchronizing world progress…】

【Synchronization complete. Progress synced to Hunter’s recorded timeline; derived world identity retained, reputation system retained, relationships with NPCs (friendly/enemy) preserved.】

【Searching for Qiyuezhe with matching world progress.】

【Filtering… 157 Qiyuezhe found with Naruto world progress closely matching the Hunter’s; all will enter the Naruto world shortly.】

……

Seeing this string of prompts, Su Xiao felt a chill.

Within the Lunhuileyuan , the Naruto world was highly popular among Qiyuezhe —it had a complete power system and countless opportunities.

But for Su Xiao, the Naruto world was dangerous. The reason was simple: his identity there was a core member of Akatsuki, and he had joined Nagato and Konan in attacking Konoha.

Before the attack on Konoha, many Konoha ninja had died at Su Xiao’s hands—Yūhi Kurenai, Inuzuka Kiba, Kakashi Hatake—all slain by him.

Moreover, he had previously attacked the Sand Village alongside Deidara, openly kidnapping the One-Tail. After the One-Tail was extracted, Gaara died; whether he was later revived by Chiyo’s secret technique was unknown, but there was over a 70% chance he had been revived.

If Gaara was revived, the hatred from his village’s destruction combined with personal grudges meant he was now Su Xiao’s mortal enemy.

Su Xiao had already angered Konoha and Suna. That wasn’t all—Kirigakure also wanted him dead.

Su Xiao’s entry point into the Naruto world was Kirigakure. Zabuza had intended to use him, but Su Xiao refused to be manipulated. After killing Zabuza’s trusted subordinate, Ao, he left Kirigakure.

Of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Su Xiao had made three enemies. As for Iwagakure and Kumogakure, his capture of tailed beasts ensured they held no friendly feelings toward him.

Three of the Five Villages were mortal enemies, two were hostile—thus, entering the Naruto world was extremely dangerous for Su Xiao.

Yet alongside the danger lay great rewards: before leaving the Naruto world, he had been one of Akatsuki’s core members and had worked closely with Tobi. This time, his influence within Akatsuki would be substantial.

Remember, Su Xiao had attacked Konoha alongside Nagato, and the capture of many tailed beasts was tied to him. Calling him an elder of Akatsuki was no exaggeration.

If that wasn’t enough, his alliance with Tobi would grant him immense authority within Akatsuki. Originally, Tobi had lied to recruit him, claiming to be Uchiha Madara. Su Xiao had not exposed the lie—he had instead forged a cooperative relationship with Tobi.

In Akatsuki, Tobi trusted only Su Xiao enough to entrust him with joint operations. Su Xiao’s past enmities with so many villages had actually reassured Tobi—he had no reason to suspect him.

Now, Su Xiao’s strength far surpassed his former self. Back then, he could assassinate Kage-level opponents only if he closed the distance—using his blade skills to kill them. Even Kage-level ninja had weak physical resilience; if kept at range, Su Xiao would die.

Now, Su Xiao’s four attributes had each reached 80 points and were converted into true attributes. His Blade Master rank was Lv.39, Qinggangying rank was Lv.39. Combined with multiple abilities, he now possessed the capacity to fight Kage-level opponents head-on—victory still depended on battlefield conditions.

But against Kage-level figures like Hashirama Senju or Uchiha Madara, he was no match—let alone later-stage characters like Six Paths Tobi, Six Paths Madara, or Eight Gates Kakashi. Early-stage Kage-level ninja weren’t overwhelmingly powerful; the late-stage ones were vastly different. At that point, even non-Six Paths Uchiha Madara could fight all Five Kage alone—clearly showing the gap in power.

As for Kaguya, forget it. Su Xiao was nowhere near her level now. He’d need to reach late Stage Four, or Stage Five or Six, to even stand a chance. Right now, he could only fight ordinary Kage-level ninja.

The power system of the Naruto world could be divided into three tiers.

The first tier roughly matched Stage Two Qiyuezhe strength—like early-stage Kakashi, Yūhi Kurenai, etc.

The second tier corresponded to high Stage Three combat power—Kage-level strength.

The third tier saw a leap—likely matching Stage Five or Six Qiyuezhe strength.

Of course, this third tier was merely Su Xiao’s personal speculation—its accuracy remained unknown.

Spatial energy enveloped Su Xiao, Bubu Wang, and Am. Confused, Am stared around in wonder.

Thud!

A “Blunt Hammer” struck Am’s occiput—he rolled his eyes and passed out.

Bubu Wang also took a “Blunt Hammer.” As Su Xiao waited for the sensation to hit him, his hair suddenly stood on end.

Boom!

Su Xiao’s head felt as if struck by a train—he grew dizzy and disoriented. This teleportation sensation was unusually intense, likely due to his attributes having been converted into true attributes, or perhaps because of the open world’s nature.

……

Splash.

The sound of water reached his ears. Su Xiao lay in a bedroom, on a bed. The room was damp, but the bedding covering him was dry.

Outside, rain fell. Dark clouds blanketed the sky, casting the room in dim light.

“You’re awake.”

A woman’s voice came. Su Xiao turned his head and saw Konan, dressed in Akatsuki robes.

Konan’s blue hair was damp, her expression weary.

Su Xiao’s mind raced, desperately recalling the events of the attack on Konoha.

“Did we get the Nine-Tails?”

Su Xiao didn’t know the aftermath of Nagato’s assault on Konoha or their current location.

“… ”

Konan remained silent, her gaze tinged with guilt.

“Is Nagato dead?”

Su Xiao probed.

“He passed away peacefully.”

Konan answered evasively—she couldn’t bring herself to say Nagato was dead.

“Killed in battle?”

“… ”

Konan fell silent again. She couldn’t say Nagato had been persuaded by a Konoha genin—both were Jiraiya’s disciples, and the genin had inherited Jiraiya’s will, earning Nagato’s approval. Konan knew such reasoning would mean nothing to Su Xiao.

“The tailed beast capture failed. Nagato died under unknown circumstances. This is abnormal.”

Su Xiao sat up. The blanket slipped off. At that moment, an old woman entered, carrying a tray of medicine.

“After your severe injuries, you were unconscious for at least a month.”

Konan revealed a key detail: Su Xiao had been gravely wounded after the battle and unconscious for a month—likely the Lunhuileyuan ’s disguise mechanism.

“That’s not important. I want to know what happened during the attack on Konoha.”

“… ”

Konan fell silent again.

“Could Nagato have betrayed Akatsuki?”

Su Xiao’s eyes narrowed. Something very interesting must have happened after he left the Naruto world.