Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 364

"Everything around us was gray, even the sky seemed to be covered with a layer of haze."

“The Uchiha clan members who occasionally come to hunt me down have become the only ‘spice’ in my monotonous life, even though it doesn’t taste good.”

Her lips curved slightly upward, a faint yet genuine smile.

"But following you, even though it was only for a short day, I encountered so many things... that were completely beyond my imagination."

"I saw a village under construction, full of hope, met... a different Uchiha clan leader, and even... witnessed a battle that was like a myth."

She looked at Naruto with clear eyes: "Although it was dangerous and tough, I didn't feel miserable at all."

"On the contrary, I feel that... the world is so big, so complicated, and so... wonderful."

As Naruto looked at the faint yet genuine smile on Hikari's face and listened to her calm narration, a warm feeling and a touch of heartache welled up in his heart.

What kind of lonely and desperate life did this girl live in the past that made her think that such a bumpy escape was "wonderful"?

He was about to say something more when his expression suddenly changed!

At the same time, Guang frowned and subconsciously covered his nose.

A faint yet unmistakably distinct smell of blood drifted in from a certain direction outside the cave on the cool night breeze.

The smell wasn't strong; it seemed to be coming from quite far away.

But for experienced ninjas like Naruto and Hikaru, they were as conspicuous as a lighthouse in the dark.

"It smells like blood!"

Naruto instantly stood up, his relaxed expression vanishing, replaced by the vigilance and seriousness befitting an elite ninja.

He gestured for Guang to extinguish the fire, and the two of them silently approached the cave entrance, hiding in the shadows and looking in the direction from which the smell was coming.

That was in the direction of a denser forest, appearing deep and quiet in the gradually dimming light.

"It's not close, but the smell just wafted over...it's probably about a kilometer away."

Naruto lowered his voice and made his judgment, his senses focusing again on scanning that direction.

But apart from the pervasive smell of blood, no obvious fluctuations in chakra were detected.

Either the battle is over, or the opponent is extremely good at hiding.

"Want to go over and take a look?"

"Hikaru asked softly, her Mangekyou Sharingan flashing slightly in the darkness. She had already entered battle mode."

Naruto hesitated for a moment.

Based on his usual personality, he would definitely not hesitate to investigate and see if help is needed in this situation.

But after experiencing the continuous time travel and the terrifying scene at the Valley of the End, he had to be even more cautious.

In this unknown era, it's better to avoid trouble, especially since they're carrying Li, this "time bomb."

However, amidst the lingering smell of blood, there seemed to be a faint, almost imperceptible, human groan of pain.

It drifted into his ears almost imperceptibly on the wind.

"...Go and check on the situation."

Naruto finally made his decision, his eyes resolute: "If everything's alright, that's for the best. But... maybe we can save someone. Be careful, stay close to me."

Guang nodded, offering no objection.

The two emerged from the cave like ghosts, silently blending into the dim forest, and stealthily made their way towards the direction from which the scent of blood was coming.

The forest at night is fraught with danger, and this sudden stench of blood undoubtedly cast an ominous shadow over what should have been a peaceful night.

Chapter 383 Treating Strangers

The strong smell of blood acted as an invisible guide, leading Naruto and Hikaru deeper into the forest.

The closer you get to the source, the more pungent the smell of rust becomes, even mixed with a hint of dampness from the churning of soil.

The two held their breath and suppressed their aura to the lowest level, moving among the trees like shadows.

Pushing aside the last drooping vine, the sight before him made Naruto's pupils shrink.

A not-so-wide river meanders through the woodland, its waters shimmering red in the afterglow of the setting sun.

I don't know if it's a reflection of the setting sun or if it's been tinged with some other color.

The riverbank was a mess, with messy footprints and traces of ninjutsu attacks covering the soil.

The most shocking sight was the figure lying prone on the edge of the riverbank.

The man was wearing a brown ninja uniform from Iwagakure, which was now tattered and stained with mud and dark red blood.

She lay face up, motionless, with only the very faint rise and fall of her abdomen proving that she was still alive.

Blood gushed from beneath her, soaking the soil and flowing into the river, spreading out a small, ominous red patch.

"Hey! Hey! Are you alright?" Naruto's heart tightened, and he rushed over almost without thinking.

Guang quickly grabbed his arm, her eyes filled with wariness: "Don't come any closer!"

Light's words reminded Naruto of Madara, Minato, and Iruka-sensei.

They all said that when facing ninjas from other villages, one should not approach them casually, even if they are already injured.

This is an experience that has been passed down since the Warring States period.

In an unfamiliar environment where friend or foe is hard to distinguish, it is indeed an extremely dangerous act to rashly approach an injured ninja from another village.

Reason told him he should get away from this place of trouble immediately.

His gaze fell on that figure, and his senses extended outwards like tentacles.

The opponent's chakra response was already as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, and their life force was rapidly fading away.

More importantly, in the other party's faint chakra reaction, he sensed a familiar reaction.

That's a special reaction that only ninjas who have lived around Konoha Village for a long time can possess.

"She was seriously injured, and she might die if she wasn't treated soon."

Naruto said in a deep voice, looking at the light with a determined gaze: "I feel... that saving her might be the right thing to do."

Looking into Naruto's undeniably deep blue eyes, he hesitated for a moment.

He finally let go and whispered, "I'll go keep watch around."

After saying that, her figure quietly disappeared into the shadows of the trees nearby.

The Mangekyou Sharingan gleamed faintly in the shadows, closely monitoring any movement around them.

Naruto quickly walked to the side of the Iwagakure ninja.

What came into view was the extremely pale face of a woman who had lost too much blood. She looked to be young, around thirty years old, and was wearing a pair of glasses that were half broken.

To Naruto's surprise, she had blonde hair similar to his own, which was quite rare in Iwagakure.

What is most shocking is the huge wound on her chest!

It felt as if he had been cleaved by an extremely sharp and heavy weapon, the blow extending from his left shoulder all the way to his right abdomen.

The skin and flesh were rolled up, and the bone was visible deep inside; even the damaged internal organs could be vaguely seen!

It's a miracle that he's held on this long with such severe injuries!

The female ninja seemed to regain a sliver of consciousness after being moved; her lips moved, emitting a faint, almost inaudible sound.

"do not speak!"

Naruto immediately stopped her, his expression extremely serious.

Ordinary medical ninjutsu is powerless to save him from this injury! Without the slightest hesitation, he quickly covered his hands with a layer of soft golden light.

That's the Nine-Tails' chakra!

He placed his hands lightly above the female ninja's chest.

The pure and vast Nine-Tails chakra flowed slowly into the opponent's body, which was on the verge of collapse, like warm spring water.

The immense life force contained within the Nine-Tails' chakra played a crucial role at this moment.

It does not directly heal the wound, but rather forcibly stimulates the injured person's own life potential with its powerful vitality.

It accelerates cell division and regeneration, while stabilizing the life force that is about to dissipate.

At the edge of the horrific wound on the female ninja's chest, granulation tissue began to slowly wriggle and connect at a visible speed, and the bleeding was quickly stopped.

A faint trace of color returned to her pale face, and although her breathing was still weak, it gradually became steady.

The light, which was hiding in the shadows on guard, saw this scene and a hint of surprise flashed in its eyes.

Although she knew Naruto was strong, she didn't expect him to have such powerful healing abilities.

She couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Is she... from the village?"

When Naruto heard Hikari's question, he shook his head and replied in a low voice, "I don't know her specific identity."

"But I had a gut feeling that saving her might prevent some bad things from happening in the future."

He couldn't explain this feeling himself; he could only categorize it as his sixth sense.

With the Nine-Tails' chakra flowing in without regard to its consumption, the female ninja's vital signs finally stabilized.

Although he is still unconscious, he is at least temporarily out of danger.

Naruto let out a long sigh of relief and withdrew his chakra.

However, the crisis has not been resolved.

A battle had just taken place here; the stench of blood is overwhelming.

It's hard to say whether it will attract other Iwagakure ninja, or whether the person who attacked her just now will return.

If the people of Iwagakure saw him, clearly a Konoha ninja in disguise, with a severely injured Iwagakure ninja, it would be a terrible sight.

That would be impossible to clear one's name even if one jumped into the river; it would definitely cause serious village disputes and could even become the fuse for war!

We can't stay here!

Naruto acted decisively and carefully picked up the unconscious female ninja in his arms.