The moment Nagato fixed his gaze on him, Naruto felt goosebumps erupt all over his body. His hair stood on end as he subconsciously took two steps back, feeling both flattered and nervous.
"H-ha, haha… Nagato-sama, why are you so fired up all of a sudden?" (;ﾟДﾟ)
Seeing Naruto retreat, Nagato naturally couldn't allow such a priceless asset to slip away. He stepped forward, draped one arm over Naruto's shoulder, and firmly grasped Naruto's other arm with his free hand. His tone turned earnest, carrying a strange weight to it.
"Naruto~ tell me, how has Jiraiya-sensei been lately?"
"I haven't seen him for many years."
Hearing Nagato mention Jiraiya, Naruto didn't think too deeply about it.
After all, Nagato was stationed in the Land of Rain, while Jiraiya often stayed around Nadeshiko Village. Both of them were constantly busy—it was only natural that they rarely saw each other. It made sense for Nagato to ask about their teacher after finally meeting one of his students.
"The perverted sage is still in Nadeshiko Village," Naruto replied casually.
"He's getting along really well with the chief of Nadeshiko Village. Last year, the two of them even came to Kumogakure to visit me while I was training."
"They're pretty much… this."
As he spoke, Naruto raised his little finger and wiggled it twice, making a meaningful gesture. (´∀｀)
Nagato's expression softened. Memories from the past flickered through his eyes as he nodded slowly.
"That's good. It seems Jiraiya-sensei has finally found his true love."
"A dragon goes out to sea, and two dragons return home… that's not a bad ending."
Then, as if remembering something, Nagato shifted the topic. A faint gleam flashed through his pupils as he spoke again.
"By the way, where are the others this time? Why didn't they come with you?"
After all, over the past two and a half years, he had dealt extensively with Uchiha Hikaru and learned many things from him.
"The others?" Naruto blinked.
"They said they wanted to go check on the shinobi from their own villages. They should be back in a few hours."
Nagato felt a bit more at ease after hearing that.
"I see. That's understandable. Caring about your own village's shinobi is only natural."
"But Naruto, I'll need to trouble you for something."
"When they return, have them gather here before dawn, before the sun rises."
"I have some assignments to give all of you."
As he spoke, Nagato patted Naruto's shoulder firmly, a clear glimmer of expectation burning in his eyes.
Naruto met his gaze head-on. For a brief moment, he felt as though an enormous responsibility had settled onto his shoulders.
"I understand," Naruto said seriously.
"Don't worry—leave it to me."
After chatting for a while longer, Naruto excused himself so as not to delay Nagato's coordination with the other units.
Perfect timing. I can take this chance to go see Sasuke and Sakura.
From Nagato, he'd just learned that Sasuke was now the captain of the First Vanguard Unit, while Sakura was leading the logistics and medical division.
One at the front, one at the rear.
That left Naruto standing in place, scratching his head with a conflicted look.
"Uh…"
"Sakura-chan's in the back, and Sass is on the front lines… which one should I go see first?"
Between his brother and his longtime crush, Naruto made a decisive choice and turned toward the rear.
"Well~ whatever. I'll go check on Sakura-chan first!"
"My cute Sakura-chan's gonna be totally shocked to see me after more than two years!"
"Hehe~!" (≧▽≦)
As he walked, he happened to pass by two Kumogakure shinobi chatting about what they'd seen earlier that day.
"Hey, Dai, did you see that guy in white clothes with the Uchiha fan on his back today?"
"He looked only sixteen or seventeen, right? How the hell is his Lightning Style that insane?"
"I swear he's almost on par with Darui-sama. You know, the Raikage's right-hand man—the one with 'Thunder' tattooed on his shoulder."
The other ninja shook his head, a bitter smile on his face.
"You're talking about Uchiha Sasuke."
"He's one of Uchiha Hikaru's students—and Orochimaru's disciple too."
"He's mastered all five basic nature transformations. His Lightning Style and Fire Style are especially terrifying."
"And that swordsmanship… I'm afraid only Lord Killer Bee is better."
"He's a born genius, backed by monsters of mentors. How could he not be strong?"
"Kasa, it's a damn good thing all the villages are allied now. Otherwise, someone like him wouldn't be a teammate—he'd be a nightmare enemy."
The unforgettable scene from the battlefield replayed vividly in Kasa's mind. He nodded in deep agreement and sighed.
"Yeah… if nothing unexpected happens, Uchiha Sasuke will probably become the next Hokage of Konoha."
"His strength already overwhelms most shinobi of the same generation…"
Naruto had stopped without realizing it, listening to every word of their casual conversation by the campfire.
His fists slowly clenched.
Even shinobi from other villages—especially Kumogakure ninjas, who worshipped raw strength—were praising Sasuke like this.
So Sasuke really hasn't fallen behind at all in these two and a half years…
Though irritation bubbled in his chest, Naruto's eyes soon lit up with anticipation, blazing with fighting spirit.
He suddenly turned around, retraced his steps, and sprinted toward the front-line camp.
He couldn't wait any longer.
He wanted to see Sasuke—right now.
...
At the same time, inside the tent of the First Vanguard Unit on the front lines.
Sasuke, Sakura, Sai, Lee, Neji, Tenten, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru were all present.
Aside from Naruto, the new generation of Konoha—the so-called Konoha Twelve—had all gathered here, along with Sai, who had temporarily replaced Naruto on Team 7.
Everyone gnawed on dried meat and hard rations, washing them down with canteen water.
"Ugh~ this tastes like absolute crap," Shikamaru groaned while chewing.
"I really want to go back to Konoha and eat barbecue…"
For someone who lived for good food, this was practically torture.
Shikamaru shook his head and sighed helplessly.
"At least we have jerky," he muttered.
"Plenty of shinobi don't even get that—they survive on soldier pills alone."
At that moment, Sasuke asked Sakura—who was bandaging his right arm—to pause for a moment. He then reached into his ninja pouch and pulled out a small scroll.
"What you're about to see," Sasuke said gravely, "must remain confidential. No one outside this tent can know."
His sudden seriousness made everyone tense up. They swallowed unconsciously and nodded.
Sasuke unrolled the scroll with his left hand.
A puff of white smoke rose up—and dozens of metal cans appeared on the ground.
"This is high-speed wartime rations developed by Orochimaru-sensei and Tobirama-sama," Sasuke explained.
"They haven't entered mass production yet. I… borrowed some from Orochimaru's lab."
"I don't know how they taste, though."
As he spoke, Sasuke pried open one of the cans. Inside, a layer of white fat had already solidified on the surface.
Choji and Sakura recognized it instantly.
"Is that… lard?"
"Wait—this is lard?!"