"A favor?"
Minato Namikaze's expression shifted slightly.
He remembered Naruto telling him seven years ago that he had separate plans for Sasuke. After Minato was resurrected and regained his memories, Kushina had explained to him how the chakra of the Sage of Six Paths' two sons—Indra and Asura—had intertwined and reincarnated throughout the shinobi world for over a thousand years, with Naruto and Sasuke being their current reincarnations.
At the time, Minato had dismissed it as nonsense.
Even if the Sage's sons were special, the idea that chakra alone could reincarnate endlessly across a millennium sounded far too abstract to believe.
But not long ago, Naruto had replicated the data puppets of the founders of the Three Great Sage Regions, and Kushina had directly shown him Great Toad Sage Gamamaru's memories.
That was when Minato had truly been shaken.
At first, Naruto had cooperated with Kurama because he wasn't certain he could obtain the key to unlocking his seal from Mount Myōboku. Getting close to Sasuke had been a way to potentially borrow the power of the Sharingan someday.
But after Naruto obtained the key from Mount Myōboku—and learned the truth about Indra and Asura's reincarnations—his objective had changed immediately.
He wanted to take Indra's chakra from Sasuke.
Yet for some reason, deep down, Minato kept hearing a voice telling him that Naruto's approach toward Sasuke from the very beginning had been for Indra's chakra.
The thought made no sense.
And yet, the more Minato carefully reviewed his memories of Naruto, the closer he felt he was getting to a deeply unsettling truth.
Seeing Minato lost in thought, Naruto asked softly,
"Father… what are you thinking about?"
"…Nothing. I'll head out first."
Minato sighed inwardly. He didn't know what Naruto ultimately intended to do—but he knew one thing for certain.
He could not stop him.
Naruto nodded lightly.
After Minato left, Naruto opened Sasuke's character interface. The moment he accessed Sasuke's memories, Kurama's massive form appeared behind him.
"Sasuke's ocular power is steadily increasing due to his emotional fluctuations," Kurama said.
"The Sharingan evolves through intense emotional stimulation, generating a special chakra. But his personality is too… normal."
"If killing Danzō still isn't enough to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan," Naruto continued calmly, "then I'll have to use the script I prepared specifically for him."
Kurama chuckled darkly.
"His original life was a joke. Then he met you—and it became another joke."
"What's funniest is that, aside from the time you killed Itachi, he's never once harbored hostile intent toward you."
"…You sound like you pity him," Naruto remarked.
"Heh. I think it's amusing to sympathize with an Uchiha—especially one who carries Indra's chakra."
The Next Day
"I told you to make a cloud—what is that supposed to be?"
"Clay clouds can't fly, so I added wings! That makes the art more imaginative! Mm!"
"Deidara… clouds don't have wings."
"Sasori, you just don't understand art! Mine is always evolving, hmm!"
"Be careful," Sasori warned. "The leader specifically reminded us that Orochimaru has already mastered Edo Tensei and turned several powerful shinobi into his pawns. He even summoned the Second Tsuchikage."
"If we run into him," Deidara grinned wildly, "I'll show you whether Dust Release or my Explosion Release is the true art! Hmm!"
High above the rolling sea of clouds, Deidara and Sasori stood atop a white cloud with three pairs of wings.
Deidara scanned the surroundings excitedly, a miniature scope over his left eye. Sasori, concealed within Hiruko, showed no expression.
Suddenly, Deidara's pupils shrank.
"Sasori! Two o'clock!"
"…What do you see?"
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
Deidara thrust a hand into his pouch—bang!—a white clay owl shot forward.
"Wait!" Sasori shouted, sensing something wrong.
Too late.
The owl lunged at the suddenly appearing Sasuke as Deidara formed seals in a frenzy.
"Katsu!"
BOOM!
Fire and smoke erupted in the clouds—but before the smoke could disperse, Sasuke appeared unharmed on the opposite side.
"…Huh?" Deidara narrowed his eyes and immediately pulled out a winged clay dragon.
"Calm down!" Sasori yelled. "We're trapped in some kind of genjutsu barrier!"
"What?!"
At that moment, the Second Tsuchikage appeared above them.
Below, four crimson walls rose from the clouds—
Four Red Yang Formation.
Light flashed.
Explosions echoed.
When it ended, only the Second Tsuchikage remained.
The Stratosphere
Inside a vast hall, Sasuke watched from a crystal sphere as Deidara desperately detonated clay bombs—only for every explosion to be nullified.
In the end, both members of the so-called "Art Duo" were erased by Dust Release.
Naruto stood beside him, expression calm.
Then—he smiled.
A thread of consciousness from the Mirror World informed him that Pain had just convened a meeting.
From memories synced through Kakuzu, Naruto learned that Deidara and Sasori had used Shadow Projection Technique.
Which meant—
The real Deidara and Sasori were still alive.
So even a god knows how to protect his subordinates now?
"I'm heading down," Sasuke said, sensing something off about Naruto's expression but choosing not to dwell on it.
Konohagakure
The streets were completely deserted.
Even the busiest commercial district was shuttered, doors plastered with notices of urgent sale or lease.
In the underground bunker, Danzō stared at a monitor, his expression dark and terrifying.
An ANBU appeared, kneeling.
"Lord Hokage! All civilians have entered shelters. Air-defense units detected no sign of Uchiha Sasuke. The earlier noise was likely just atmospheric thunder."
"…Mm."
Danzō nodded, his expression easing slightly.
He turned—
Another ANBU dropped to one knee.
"Lord Hokage! Uchiha Sasuke has appeared!"
Aboveground, a giant projection of Sasuke hovered over the ruins of the Hokage Office, his gaze cold and merciless.
"Danzō, listen carefully."
"In ten days, if you do not face me atop the Hokage Rock, I will unleash indiscriminate annihilation upon Konoha."
"And to everyone in the village—"
"You have ten days to decide whether you want to live and die alongside your Fifth Hokage."
"If you don't intend to stay, leave now. Because if your Hokage chooses to hide forever, I'll notify the other villages of this wonderful opportunity."
"By then—leaving won't be an option."
"Bastard!!"
The moment the projection vanished, Danzō smashed the monitor with his cane.
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