"Sasuke, um..."
Karin spoke hesitantly, carefully choosing her words to avoid giving Sasuke the wrong idea.
"You want to leave?"
Sasuke Uchiha stated bluntly, without mincing words.
Karin gasped in surprise and quickly waved her hands in denial!
"No way! How could I possibly leave you at a time like this! That's not true! I won't leave!"
Sasuke Uchiha watched her silently.
Karin: "I just want to go to Konoha and see the Akatsuki organization as it is now. You'll be going there eventually anyway, so I can just follow you."
Suigetsu saw through her intent first.
"You want to meet that Naruto Uzumaki, and that guy called Nagato in Akatsuki?"
Jūgo added in a dull tone, "After all, they're her only remaining kin."
Mentioning kin made them realize for the first time that Naruto Uzumaki still had two fellow Uzumaki: Karin and Nagato.
But Sasuke had already...
"Oh, right, Sasuke," Jūgo said. "Obito Uchiha returned to Konohagakure. Word is he's undergoing mental interrogation by Ibiki Morino and mind-control manipulation by the Yamanaka clan. Beyond the punishment befitting a Missing-nin, they seem to be searching for ways to activate his Rinnegan."
Sasuke Uchiha furrowed his brow slightly, unsure of what meaning that guy saw in all this.
Jūgo continued, "Additionally, rumors suggest Kakashi Hatake is attempting to learn the Impure World Resurrection technique. However, since Orochimaru destroyed the scrolls detailing the Second Hokage's research on this ninjutsu—scrolls believed to contain the Hokage's secrets—the person responsible for that destruction is Kabuto Yakushi. As a result, Konoha is now secretly pursuing him."
"What are they planning?"
"When Obito Uchiha returned to the village, he killed Danzō Shimura and uncovered evidence of his persecution against the Uchiha clan. Currently, he's working on activating his own Rinnegan while negotiating with Nagato of Akatsuki to use his Rinnegan to resurrect the Fourth Hokage's family and the Uchiha clan members who shouldn't have died back then."
"!!"
Resurrect the entire Uchiha clan?!!
"What about Itachi?! Will he be resurrected too?!!"
Jūgo: "That's unclear. It doesn't seem to have been specifically mentioned."
Suigetsu chimed in from the side:
"Hey, hey, Sasuke, isn't the more shocking part the earlier intel—that Obito Uchiha wants to evolve his Sharingan into Rinnegan through some method?"
He muttered to himself: "To think you can resurrect the dead... Your eyes are truly incredible. Hey, Sasuke, if your eyes ever become Rinnegan too, could you bring my brother back? His name is Mangetsu Hōzuki. Even though his genius always overshadowed me, to be honest, he was pretty good to me when we were kids."
These words struck a chord deep within Sasuke. As fellow Uchiha, if Madara could possess the Rinnegan, there was no reason he, Sasuke Uchiha, couldn't!
"Let's go back."
Jūgo suddenly interjected.
Synthesizing all known intelligence and Sasuke's inner thoughts, he unusually refrained from merely following Sasuke's lead, instead proactively offering his own perspective.
"Return to Konoha. The Uchiha clan you wish to revive is the one from your memories in Konoha. Only by returning to Konoha can you find that feeling you seek."
Sasuke Uchiha stared blankly at Jūgo, as if deep down he'd been waiting for someone to offer this suggestion.
Suigetsu protested,
"Wait! Wait! If Karin can return to Konoha because she's an Uzumaki, and Sasuke can definitely go back too, then what about us?! Jūgo, we have absolutely no connection to Konoha."
Jūgo seemed to see through Sasuke.
"Even if he returns to Konoha and the Uchiha are resurrected, Sasuke probably won't be able to face that place again."
Sasuke pondered his words…
If he truly fulfilled his childhood dream, he'd likely spend his days accepting S-rank missions, perpetually on the move—a nomad with no fixed home?
"But there's another possibility," Jūgo suddenly interjected. "If you still wish to change this ninja world, to change Konoha, you could run for Hokage."
Suigetsu: "Is that really possible? That Naruto Uzumaki has sky-high popularity in Konoha right now. Plus, there's a rumor he's the Fourth Hokage's son?"
Sasuke's entire competitive spirit seemed channeled into rivalry with Naruto. Hearing Suigetsu's words, he genuinely felt the urge to return and challenge Naruto head-on.
Karin pressed her advantage,
"Once you're back in Konoha and meet the masked man, you'll discover the key to evolving your Sharingan into the Rinnegan, right?"
"Hold on, you guys are making this way too easy!" Suigetsu never imagined he'd be the most level-headed member of Team Taka. "Sasuke's a Missing-nin from Konoha! Getting back isn't that simple!"
Karin smacked his head hard.
"Idiot! If that masked guy can go back, why can't Sasuke?! Our Sasuke avenged the Third Hokage by killing Orochimaru! Surely such a monumental achievement outweighs that tiny transgression?!"
She gestured with her finger, emphasizing "tiny."
"Uh..." Suigetsu was speechless. "Desertion is a capital offense."
"Shut up! Keep arguing with me and I'll beat you to death!!" Karin delivered another violent punch that sent Suigetsu reeling.
Suigetsu muttered a few quiet complaints before falling silent.
The two bickered on, while Jūgo waited quietly for Sasuke's decision.
Until, after a long while...
"Why are you being so stubborn? dattebayo."
The person outside finally couldn't wait any longer.
Hearing that familiar voice, Sasuke immediately glared at Karin. With Karin present—someone whose chakra perception was hyper-sensitive to anyone—even hostile individuals hundreds of meters away could be detected early.
So whenever Karin was around, they all let their guard down.
"Am I allowed in? Am I really allowed in?"
After asking twice, Naruto Uzumaki opened the door. Seeing Sasuke, he clearly looked pleased.
But to prevent Sasuke from drawing his sword, Naruto quickly explained his purpose:
"Just as Jūgo knows, the sin of Obito Uchiha from back then has been shouldered by himself. Itachi Uchiha's identity has been cleared, and he's been reinstated as Konoha's spy within Akatsuki."
Naruto rubbed his head, looking slightly embarrassed. "I came to tell you this good news, but it turns out your friend can actually communicate with birds and already relayed this information to you."
Sasuke regarded him calmly.
"What would I return for? Aren't you worried I might compete with you for the position of Hokage?"
Naruto huffed indignantly.
"Me, afraid of you?! I, Naruto Uzumaki, will definitely become the future Hokage! I'm not afraid of you!"
Sasuke stared at him coldly.
Naruto whined,
"If... if you really take the Hokage position first, then..."
"Hm?" Sasuke was genuinely curious about his answer.
Naruto: "Then I'll just wait until you're too old to hold the position and become the next Hokage."
"....."
Sasuke almost laughed at the response. "I'd be so old I'd have to retire. And you? Planning to become immortal?"
Karin keenly noticed that Sasuke's mood had shifted slightly while speaking with Naruto Uzumaki. The scent of his chakra had become...
...sweet?
Though Suigetsu couldn't sense Sasuke's emotional shifts through chakra like Karin could, he noticed Sasuke! That Sasuke!! Had actually made a joke?!!
Naruto huffed as he defended himself to Sasuke: "I'm two months younger than you! Forget two months—even if I only served as Hokage for two days, two hours, I'd still be Hokage! Hmph!!"
This time, a hint of amusement touched the corners of Sasuke's mouth.
"Super big idiot."
…
Past World, Later Events – –
Much later, it was finally the turn the Hōzuki's older brother, Mangetsu, to be resurrected.
A strange man with a pompadour hairstyle emerged from the Edo Tensei Reincarnation, eyebrowless and sporting a small mustache.
Sasuke: "This is your brother?"
Suigetsu: "....."
Karin eyed the man who bore no resemblance to Suigetsu skeptically and asked, "He's not your biological brother, is he?"
Suigetsu was speechless: "Mangetsu Hōzuki is indeed my biological older brother, but....."
Fuming, he stomped his foot at Kabuto Yakushi, who had assisted with the Edo Tensei Reincarnation: "Why the hell did you bring back our ancestor, the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki?!!"
The passing Uchiha clan: "...."
No saving him. Just give up.