Naraku opened the shop interface.
His popularity points had accumulated quite a bit again, reaching a total sufficient for him to upgrade his sensory ninjutsu once more.
Although Black Zetsu's ability to conceal his aura and chakra was exquisite, this upgraded perception might still not detect him.
However, Naraku knew he had to try just to be certain.
While the system processed the upgrade for his jutsu, Naraku navigated to the online forums.
As expected, the recent plotline had deeply distressed the audience, and posts were popping up at a frantic pace.
The top trending post was a petition titled, "Ten Thousand Signatures for Danzo's Failed Rescue."
The second was "Hoping Danzo Shimura Doesn't Survive the Night," which genuinely made Naraku laugh.
There were several plot discussion threads, but since the audience lacked Naraku's insider knowledge, they couldn't reach any definitive conclusions.
However, some viewers managed to grasp a key point: how exactly did Kyoka Suigetsu fail?
Sakumo's abnormality during the battle could be attributed to Danzo using specific underhanded methods, but he couldn't have remotely dispelled a genjutsu to force Sakumo to attack him, could he?
Some posters even theorized that Naraku's ninjutsu was flawed, causing Sakumo to regain consciousness prematurely.
These users argued the subsequent abnormalities were after-effects of the genjutsu, pinning the blame for Sakumo's severe injuries on Naraku.
This controversial take garnered a significant amount of attention.
Besides that, Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions in the final episode sparked heated debate.
"Does Anyone Else Feel Hiruzen Sarutobi's Orders Were Total Nonsense?"
1L (OP): Everyone, look at this. At first, he said, "Control the situation, avoid excessive conflict, and wait for my decision on everything."
Then it suddenly shifted to, "You must apprehend Sakumo Hatake; he absolutely cannot be allowed to escape."
Finally, he withdrew the pursuit order, saying, "Seal off the information; no one is allowed to discuss it. Announce that tonight's disturbance was the capture of a foreign spy."
It's hard to believe these orders came from one person in such a short window of time.
2L: Exactly, the move to arrest Sakumo felt way too aggressive and forced.
3L: He's an old fence-sitter; is vacillating between extremes just a habit now?
4L: Reply to 3L: It shouldn't be that much of a flip-flop, should it? Having been Hokage for so long, he should know that orders shouldn't be issued so lightly.
5L: Reply to 4L: Is it possible he saw his old war buddy almost die and just lost his cool?
6L: Reply to 5L: Ugh—I refuse to believe it!
... "Regarding Why Hiruzen Sarutobi Chose to Bury the Truth."
1L (OP): As titled.
Attacking Root is a capital crime, and Sakumo Hatake would inevitably be held accountable under normal circumstances. Even labeling him a rogue ninja wouldn't be a stretch.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi knows in his heart why Sakumo did it: Danzo pushed him to the edge, forcing his hand. It was entirely Danzo's fault.
If Sakumo were punished, half of the Jonin squad would revolt, and Danzo's dirty secrets would be impossible to hide.
Once the darkness beneath the firelight is exposed, all of Konoha would fall into turmoil, which destroys the stability Hiruzen craves.
So he ultimately decided to cover the whole thing up, leaving both Sakumo and Danzo technically unpunished.
2L: If the Uchiha had helped, at least Sakumo wouldn't have ended up in the ICU.
3L: Even if Uchiha Fugaku had openly defied Hiruzen, Sakumo probably wouldn't have asked for his help. Otherwise, the situation would have spiraled out of control.
4L: Reply to 3L: Right, and I also feel Sakumo didn't want to drag anyone else down. A surprise attack on Root is basically treason. He wanted to kill Danzo alone and take the fall, but he got ambushed.
5L: Reply to 4L: No one expected Sakumo to lose, including the man himself.
6L: So Danzo Shimura has mastered the art of "using" Hiruzen. As long as the deed is done and punishing it would cause a bigger loss, Hiruzen will hold his nose and accept it.
7L: Reply to 6L: You hit the nail on the head.
Naraku grumbled, "The phrasing in these comments is getting weirder and weirder..."
The top-ranked posts in the fanfiction section were mostly new additions.
Due to Sakumo Hatake's increased screen time and highlights, both solo stories and ship fics were dominating the front page.
Thanks to Sakumo's surge in popularity and his chemistry with the other lead, the shipping community was thriving.
There was even a highly skilled fan artist who made a misleading "couple edit" with zero Photoshop traces, which was currently trending third on a major video site.
In the comments, fans were playing along, weeping over the "beautiful master-disciple bond," sounding so sincere that confused passersby were asking if it was canon.
Looking at the chaotic comment section, Naraku felt his vision dimming from pure exasperation.
Naraku: "Is this supposed to be good? This is not good."
He continued to scroll through the feed, and finally, a few fanfics appeared that actually piqued his interest.
One title looked familiar.
Naraku clicked the avatar to view the posting history and realized it was the same author who had posted "Abandoned" last time.
"Naraku Always Neglects Himself, So Kakashi Finally Solves the Problem."
1L (OP): Blackened yandere trope, heavy OOC, beware of triggers.
This was already the countless time Naraku had ended up in the hospital.
Kakashi thought as he screwed the lid of the kettle tight, walking slowly back to the ward...
"I can grasp the future, I can grasp a cold blade, and I can grasp the lives of my enemies, but I just can't seem to hold onto your hand."
"Winter is here; let's go watch the fireworks together."
... "If I don't keep a close eye on you, Naraku, you always find a way to hurt yourself."
"Isn't it better to just stay here? Others will take care of everything for you."
"Don't try to leave. Don't you dare leave me."
... "This is perfect, Naraku. Finally, it's just the two of us."
"Just keep looking at me. Only at me... okay?"
... 2L: First!
3L: Good heavens, this is so dark and twisted; my stomach actually hurts.
4L: Naraku hasn't even turned dark in the anime yet, but Kakashi has already gone full villain in the fanfics!
5L: This is so good... I don't know about other characters, but if Kakashi turned out like this, it must be because he cares way too much.
6L: Reply to 5L: Sakumo: So my love just doesn't count anymore?
... 11L: Online: "I love a yandere boyfriend!" Reality: "Police! Help! Emergency!"
12L: Online: "Wow, this vibe is so cool." Reality: "Run! My legs are shaking but I have to run!"
13L: Hahahahahaha!
Naraku scoffed, "Good. Great. I clearly didn't give them enough trauma yet! Just you wait, all you fanfic writers!"
He fiercely scribbled the author's name into his mental "revenge notebook."
After a moment's thought, he also noted down the accounts that posted those mocking meme comments.
Naraku: "You think you can escape too? None of you are safe!"