Chapter 178

Carnes gazed around with a blank expression, struggling to contain the overwhelming urge to unleash his frustration on everything that surrounded him.

It was a maelstrom of emotions that raged within his heart.

His cold, piercing eyes fixed upon Naruto as he spoke.

"He's not my son."

He declared tersely, his voice carrying an edge of bitterness that he couldn't conceal.

"Don't even entertain the thought."

He admonished himself, but the torment within him refused to be silenced.

Carnes found himself unable to bear this unbearable lie.

When he had transmigrated to the Naruto world, he had mentally prepared himself for countless challenges and meticulously prepared for numerous contingencies.

Even when the system had suddenly imposed difficult tasks on him, he had anticipated them and meticulously calculated his way through them, finding solutions in his mind.

But nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared him for this.

Never, in his wildest dreams, had he imagined that he would be labeled as Pain's father in this world.

Or even worse, Nagato's father. The absurdity of it all was nothing short of outrageous.

What perplexed him even more was the bizarre thinking of the people around him.

They seemed fixated on gruesome images of suffering.

It was as if their minds were collectively crafting a gruesome tableau of pain, Carnes might have been through due to his 'son'.

Carnes was on the verge of exploding.

He couldn't help but wonder if he should pry open their skulls, to uncover the twisted circuits of their minds.

Their thought patterns defied all logic, and it left him pondering whether they were truly geniuses or just madmen.

His thoughts raced as he contemplated his already tumultuous existence.

In his crew, there was already a Demiurge, and dealing with them was taxing enough.

But now, it appeared as though the entire village was spiraling into chaotic drama and tragedy.

Carnes wondered, how much more could he endure?

As he looked into Naruto's wide, curious eyes, it only added to his growing disarray.

Carnes felt himself on the brink of mental breakdown, his anger was about to blow up.

At this moment, the tension in the air was palpable.

Fortunately, the rest of the ninja were quick to react.

However, instead of resolving the misunderstanding, they only became more convinced of their own fabricated tales.

"Naruto, how can you talk to Lord Carnes like this?" said one of the ninja

"Come back, Naruto!" another one urged.

"Don't behave so impolitely with our savior!"

Yet another ninja exclaimed.

Even Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage stepped forward, her expression earnest and serious as she addressed Carnes.

"Carnes, I'm truly sorry. Naruto has always been a bit impulsive and rash since he was a child. He's still very young. So, I hope you won't take offense..."

"We're all terribly sorry!"

"Yes Lord Carnes, we all deeply apologize for Naruto's behavior."

Ninja present at the Hokage building pleaded with Carnes one by one, their plea was heartfelt.

But Carnes wasn't having any of it.

He simply turned his head without uttering a word. Reckless?

Did they think he was oblivious to Naruto's impulsive nature?

That wasn't the issue at hand.

The real question was, is that even the point right now?

'I'm not Nagato's father!

The kid asked me.

And I answered.

Do you believe it or not?

Say it to me!'

What on earth was happening?

He seemed to have committed some grave offense! Nagato's parents were genuinely loving, for heaven's sake.

Although they had been dead for many years now, there was no reason to invent discord out of thin air!

"Really!" Carnes exclaimed, bewildered by the situation.

Not only did the ninjas of Konoha fail to comprehend, but they grew more resolute in their baseless assumptions.

Some of the female ninjas even appeared to be overwhelmed with maternal affection.

Fortunately, they refrained from vocalizing these feelings, or Carnes might have spitted out a mouthful of blood and choked on it.

He would have surely lost his patience had he heard them.

Was it too much to ask for a peaceful trip to the Naruto world without suddenly being thrust into the role of a father?

The real issue was, if he had genuinely made a blunder that any man might commit, that should have been the end of it.

But now, it was as if he hadn't even eaten a piece of meat or, more accurately, hadn't even smelled it, and yet he was inexplicably accused of eating it and was made to pay.

Who could endure such absurdity?

At this point, Carnes found himself surprisingly relieved and he couldn't be happier in this bizarre situation.

Demiurge and the others weren't with him right now, or else this entire incident would have undoubtedly become a legendary tale in the crew and might be passed down through generations if he had any childrens.

"Thankfully they aren't here or before we could even dig into Nagato's dark and shameful past, my crew would be feasting on my melons!

What a spectacle! Is this a crew of serious pirates?" Carnes chuckled to himself.

What a bizarre scene! Would Carnes allow his crew to know about it?

Absolutely not! Carnes had no intention of telling them.

Nevertheless, as Murphy's Law said "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

So, Carnes still had some unease about the whole situation, as he had learned that the unexpected could always happen.

Demiurge, who had been absent for quite some time, suddenly descended from the sky, landing gracefully on the roof of the Hokage building.

Even Carnes couldn't help but sense the lingering presence of Obito and Yuta.

Surprisingly, the two of them came to a stop once they encountered each other.

The reason for their sudden halt remained a mystery.

But what was clear was that they had not come to Konoha Village.

Regardless, Demiurge, once he appeared, detected no disturbances in the scene's atmosphere.

He proceeded directly towards Carnes, displaying a deep respect as he offered a reverent bow.

"Captain, I must admit that my endeavors to recruit powerful individuals across this village have not yielded the desired results. This has been a rather challenging..."

"I've had a rough start and it's truly disheartening..."

"Please, Captain, punish me!"

Carnes raised an inquisitive brow, question marks practically emanating from his forehead as he reclined in his chair.

'Failed to recruit members?

Demiurge, are you sick or mentally unwell?

Since when have I issued such an order?

What on earth is happening here?'

Nevertheless, Carnes was aware that Demiurge's brain had progressed into the advanced stages of his strange intellect, leaving him with little room for optimism.

Furthermore, no plausible solutions seemed evident.

For all his quirks, Demiurge had never committed any serious blunders, save for his occasional habit of overthinking matters.

Thus, punishing him for a trivial matter like this was entirely out of the question.

Carnes thought for some time on what to say to Demiurge.

Then with a simple glance, He gestured dismissively.

"Don't trouble yourself with such small matters."

"Think big."

Demiurge responded, his body trembling slightly, his cheeks flushed.

"Thank you, Captain!"

'It's precisely as I suspected. Our Captain is the most understanding and lenient towards me, even going as far as to forgive me. He couldn't bring his heart to reprimand me for my shortcomings in this mission!'

'Again, thank you, Captain, for your support.'

'I proudly consider myself the Captain's most capable subordinate, and I refuse to let him down!'

'I vow to persevere and not disappoint your faith in me!'

All of these thoughts came in his mind as his face lit up with renewed determination and spirit.

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