By the time he arrived, the Uchiha Compound was a complete mess. Broken stones and shattered wooden planks were scattered everywhere, and the ground was covered with scorch marks and craters left by Ninjutsu exchanges.
Sasuke sat alone on the stone steps, his clothes torn in several places, one hand supporting his knee as he gasped for air.
"Didn't win?" Naruto walked up to Sasuke.
Sasuke looked up at Naruto, then nodded.
Naruto didn't press for details. With Sasuke's current strength, it was indeed difficult to go up against the Sound Four.
Although these four people were just subordinates of Orochimaru in the original story, each of them had strength close to the Jonin level. Sasuke had just been discharged from the hospital, and he hadn't fully adapted to the Cursed Seal yet, so it was normal that he couldn't win.
Naruto used Negative Emotions Sensing to scan the area. The four Chakra signatures had already retreated to the edge of the village.
He withdrew his sensing and looked down at Sasuke. "Do you need help?"
Sasuke shook his head.
He was silent for a moment, then asked, "Naruto, am I very weak?"
Naruto put his hands in his pockets and slowly said. "Everyone has their own limits at every stage. You have already reached the limit of this stage. Those four are not ordinary ninjas, they are elite bodyguards specifically trained by Orochimaru, and each of them possesses strength close to a Jonin. You fought four people alone, losing is not shameful."
Sasuke buried his head in his crossed arms, remaining silent for a long time.
When he raised his head again, his black eyes held determination. "Naruto, I have decided to go to Orochimaru. I want to become stronger."
Naruto asked, "Are you sure?"
Sasuke had made it very clear, he wanted to become stronger. And this decision was one of the two paths Naruto had given Sasuke that night at the Uchiha Compound.
Sasuke nodded. "I'm sure."
Naruto reached out and pulled Sasuke up from the ground. "Alright then, come with me to see Granny Tsunade. The undercover mission I mentioned to you last time."
Sasuke looked into Naruto's eyes and asked, "Naruto, why do you trust me so much? Aren't you afraid that I really won't come back?"
Naruto smiled and patted Sasuke on the shoulder. "Everyone has their own period of confusion. When you are no longer confused, you will come back."
"Loser, you..."
Sasuke stared at Naruto with wide eyes, his throat feeling as if it were blocked by something, unable to say the rest of his words.
"Let's go, come with me to the Hokage Office to see Granny Tsunade. Since a Konoha Ninja has received a recruitment invitation from an enemy force, that counts as an S-rank undercover mission. I have to help you negotiate the mission reward, can't let you make the trip for nothing."
Naruto walked toward the Hokage Building. Sasuke stood in place for a moment, then took a deep breath and followed Naruto.
— — —
Hokage Office.
In front of Tsunade was a mountain-like pile of documents.
She had stayed up most of the night, going through the files seized from Root, and the more she read, the more furious she became.
The events recorded in these files were ten times dirtier than she had expected. She wished she could drag Danzo down from his Elder seat right now and throw him into the interrogation room.
Spread out on the desk was also the report Shizune had just delivered regarding that batch of explosive tags. With the cooperation of the Hyuga Clan, they had all been dismantled, and the hidden danger had been eliminated. Only then did Tsunade let out a small sigh of relief.
Knock, knock...
Just then, there was a knock on the office door.
"Come in."
Tsunade placed the report in her hand on the desk, looking up to see Naruto pushing the door open and entering, a smile appearing on her face.
"What brings you here, kid? The announcement has already been posted. The way the villagers look at you now should be different, right?"
Naruto nodded to Shizune who was sitting nearby helping organize documents, and then walked up to Tsunade's desk.
"I haven't had time to check the village's reaction yet. I came today because I want Granny Tsunade to do me a favor."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and wore an amused expression. "Oh? What kind of favor?"
Naruto immediately explained Sasuke's situation.
Orochimaru had sent the Sound Four to retrieve Sasuke. They had already made direct contact with Sasuke this morning, and Sasuke had decided to go to Orochimaru.
"I want you to issue an undercover mission order for Sasuke, so he can leave Konoha legitimately and infiltrate Otogakure."
Tsunade's brow furrowed. "Send Sasuke to Otogakure as an undercover agent and let Orochimaru teach him?"
"Naruto, I know what kind of person Orochimaru is better than anyone. He is best at manipulating people's minds. Sasuke already has hatred in his heart, aren't you afraid he'll be swayed by Orochimaru?"
It wasn't that she was unwilling to believe in Sasuke, but she knew Orochimaru's manipulative methods all too well.
In Tanzaku Quarter, she herself had almost been swayed by Orochimaru's offer to resurrect Dan and Nawaki.
When even she, one of the Sannin, had almost fallen for it, how could a thirteen-year-old boy, tortured for years by the hatred of his clan's massacre, withstand Orochimaru's temptation?
Naruto voiced Tsunade's worry, "Granny Tsunade, you're worried that once Sasuke is swayed by Orochimaru, he won't come back, right?"
"I can guarantee you this: within three years, I will personally go to Otogakure and bring him back."
Hearing this, Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples.
"Naruto, I know you have confidence in Sasuke, but this isn't a problem that can be solved by confidence alone. People's hearts change."
Naruto looked at Tsunade and said, "What if I have strength like the First Hokage?"
Tsunade's fingers froze on her temples. She lowered her hand, her eyes locked onto Naruto.
Beside them, Shizune, who was organizing documents, froze.
"Naruto, make yourself clear. What do you mean by 'strength like the First Hokage'?"
Tsunade stared intently into Naruto's eyes.
"Exactly what it sounds like."
After speaking, Naruto reached into his ninja tool pouch and took out a Flying Thunder God Kunai. He placed it on the desk and extended his hand toward Tsunade.
Tsunade looked down at the Kunai, then at Naruto's hand. She took a deep breath and grasped his hand.
Whoosh!
In an instant, both of them vanished from the Hokage Office.
...
The mountain behind Konoha.
With a flash of golden light, the figures of Naruto and Tsunade appeared there.
Once Tsunade found her footing, she looked around and recognized where they were.
Naruto used both Mind's Eye of the Kagura and Negative Emotions Sensing, carefully scanning the surroundings.
He had always been on guard against White Zetsu and Black Zetsu, who could be spying at any moment. Any demonstration involving his true strength had to be conducted in an absolutely secure environment.
After confirming there were no abnormal Chakra signals around, he formed hand seals, and a Sensory Suppression Barrier expanded, enveloping the entire mountain behind Konoha.
Having done all this, he looked at Tsunade. The next moment, he activated Kurama Mode.
Golden Chakra erupted, forming a shroud of light around Naruto's body. Immediately after, a golden Chakra cloak materialized behind him. His hair was lifted upward by the Chakra, the strands on his forehead splitting into the shape of two horns, and six black Magatama appeared on his collar.
The moment Tsunade saw Kurama Mode, she froze in place.
She stared at Naruto, whose entire body was wrapped in golden Chakra, her mind completely blank.
This was not a simple borrowing of Tailed Beast Chakra, nor was it the violent red Tailed Beast shroud when a Jinchuriki went berserk.
This was a form that could only be achieved after the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and Nine-Tails reached a true understanding.
"Naruto... You... You've already mastered Nine-Tails's Chakra?"
"Yeah." Naruto nodded in response.
Tsunade remained silent for a long time, then spoke, her voice carrying a trace of complex emotion, "So that's how it is. No wonder you said you have strength like my grandfather."
Naruto deactivated Kurama Mode and extended his hand again. Without hesitation, Tsunade took his hand.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was activated once more, and the two instantly returned to the Hokage Office.
***
40 Advanced Chapters on
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