vncnus Page 193
Page 193
Seeing Naruto's smug expression, Sasuke couldn't help but pour cold water on him: "You're really messing around."
His gaze fell on Naruto's right arm, which was covered by newly grown, slightly pink skin.
He frowned slightly: "That kind of ninjutsu with extremely strong backlash, he just uses it without warning."
"If it weren't for the Fifth Hokage's timely use of his superb medical ninjutsu to repair your hand, it would probably be crippled, and it might even have been life-threatening."
Naruto's excitement was interrupted by Sasuke's serious tone. He awkwardly lowered his arm and scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.
He flashed his signature goofy grin: "Hehe, what can I do? The situation is urgent!"
"That's the strongest ninjutsu I developed after perfectly integrating Wind Release: Nature Transformation into the Rasengan! Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
"While its power is great, it is indeed... the first time it has been used in actual combat..."
His voice trailed off as he spoke, clearly realizing how risky he had taken.
Suddenly, as if he had grasped the key information in Sasuke's words, he abruptly raised his head.
Azure eyes widened in surprise: "Wait? The Fifth Hokage?! You just said the Fifth Hokage?! Grandma... she agreed to become Hokage?!"
Sasuke looked at Naruto's surprised and delighted expression, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.
He nodded: "Yes. Lady Tsunade has officially taken over as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha."
"Very good!!"
Naruto was so excited he almost jumped out of bed, his face beaming with genuine relief and pride: "I knew Grandma could do it! She's so amazing! With her as Hokage, Konoha will definitely become even better!"
He seemed to see Konoha flourishing under Tsunade's leadership, and he was even happier than if he had become Hokage himself.
After the initial excitement subsided, Naruto realized he was in an unfamiliar place and asked curiously, "By the way, Sasuke, how did I end up in your house?"
"You've collapsed from exhaustion. No one's taking care of you in your hut. We can't just leave you in the Hokage Building or a hospital corridor."
Sasuke's tone was calm, as if he were stating something perfectly natural: "Mom has prepared some light porridge for you. Wash up and come out for breakfast."
After he finished speaking, he stood up and prepared to leave.
"Wait, Sasuke!"
Naruto called out to him, a hint of doubt on his face, "You seem... to have something on your mind?"
Sasuke stopped in his tracks and remained silent for a few seconds with his back to Naruto.
He turned around, his dark eyes staring directly at Naruto with an unprecedented seriousness: "Naruto, I need to leave the village temporarily and go out for some training."
Naruto was stunned and asked in confusion, "Training? Isn't training in the village the same? There's Kakashi-sensei, and the perverted sage... uh, Jiraiya-sensei, and so many training grounds, why leave the village?"
Sasuke walked to the window, looking at the bamboo shadows swaying in the morning light in the courtyard, and said in a low voice, "Because... I feel that Orochimaru is not dead yet."
"what?!"
Naruto sprang from the bed, his face filled with disbelief: "Didn't you just say you saw him pulverized by my Rasenshuriken?! How could he still be alive with that kind of power?!"
Sasuke slowly raised his hand, his fingertips gently touching the black three-tomoe curse mark on the side of his neck—the Curse Mark of Heaven.
The curse mark was emanating an extremely faint yet chilling aura, as cold as a snake.
“I did see pieces of his body.”
Sasuke's voice carried a hint of solemnity and confusion: "But... through this 'Heavenly Curse Seal' he left behind... I seem to still be able to sense a faint connection."
"It was very faint, like a candle flickering in the wind, but it... definitely existed. That cold, sticky feeling... belonged to Orochimaru."
"He... might still be alive."
This news struck Naruto like a hammer blow.
That terrifying enemy, who clung to me like a leech, was still alive?
Even the Rasenshuriken couldn't completely defeat him?
"That guy's target has always been your body and your Sharingan!"
Naruto said anxiously, his face full of worry, "If we leave the village, won't it be even more dangerous without the village's protection? What if he comes looking for us..."
Sasuke turned around, his eyes sharp: "Staying in the village might actually bring greater danger to the village."
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
Orochimaru knows very well that we are in Konoha.
Sasuke calmly analyzed, "Given his relentless nature and skill in scheming, he's determined to achieve his goals."
"If he's sure we're in the village, he'll definitely try every possible way to harass Konoha endlessly."
"They might even use the Sound Village or other forces to launch an attack and create chaos, just to find an opportunity to get close to me."
"Just like he did before, in the Forest of Death and during the Chunin Exams."
Naruto nodded thoughtfully; Sasuke's analysis made a lot of sense.
Orochimaru is a madman who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Sasuke continued, "We left the village on our own initiative, and our whereabouts are uncertain."
"He has lost his specific target location, which will greatly increase the difficulty of finding us accurately in the vast ninja world."
"In this way, Konoha will have time to breathe and rebuild, and Lady Tsunade will be able to stabilize the situation more smoothly without having to be on guard against Orochimaru's schemes all the time."
"We... managed to draw the danger away from the village."
Naruto's eyes lit up after hearing this, and his face showed understanding and admiration: "So that's how it is! Sasuke, you've thought pretty far ahead! Going out of the village as bait to protect it? That's a good idea!"
Sasuke looked at Naruto's "sudden realization" expression and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly again.
There was a hint of mockery in his tone: "Hmph, you idiot, you're not too stupid after all."
Hey! Who are you calling stupid?!
Naruto immediately bristled, retorting defiantly, "I'm a member of Team 7, second only to you and Sakura! I'm quite strong!"
He straightened his chest, trying to appear confident.
Seeing Naruto's silly antics, Sasuke's coldness dissipated considerably.
Their eyes met, and they both saw trust in each other and determination to face unknown dangers together.
A tacit understanding without words flowed in the air, and the two of them simultaneously revealed a faint smile, full of youthful spirit.
Naruto suddenly thought of something: "Just the two of us? Even though we have Dad, my father, and Uncle Kurama inside us, we can't always rely on them to save our lives, can we? We need to become stronger ourselves!"
"Of course, it's not just the two of us."
Sasuke nodded: "Although they can help in times of crisis, we ultimately have to rely on ourselves for daily training and dealing with emergencies."
"Furthermore, in order to ensure safety and to more effectively deal with any potential encounters with Orochimaru or his minions, I sought out Jiraiya-sensei."
"Huh? A lecherous immortal? What use is he?"
Before he could finish speaking, the guest room door was pushed open with a loud "whoosh".
A tall figure blocked the doorway, with long, unruly white hair.
He wore a headband with the character "油" (oil) on his forehead, and his signature red jacket was casually open, revealing his muscular chest.
With an expression that was three parts smugness and seven parts dissatisfaction on his face, it was none other than Jiraiya!
"Hey! You brat!"
As soon as Jiraiya entered, he pointed at Naruto and started yelling, his voice booming, "I'm your real master, after all! What do you mean 'what use'? You unfilial disciple, you really look down on your master!"
When Naruto saw that it was Jiraiya, his previous obedient demeanor towards Sasuke vanished instantly, replaced by a look of disgust.
She retorted without hesitation: "Who told you to be so easily knocked out by Granny Tsunade with just one drink at such a crucial moment in Tanabata! You slept like a log!"
"If Sasuke and I hadn't arrived in time, Grandma would have been in danger! How dare you say that?"
Naruto rolled his eyes and brought up the old story, hitting Jiraiya where it hurt.
Jiraiya's smug expression froze instantly. His weakness had been exposed, and he awkwardly touched his nose.
Her momentum weakened slightly: "That...that time was an accident! It doesn't count! It's just that Tsunade is too cunning, I wasn't careful..."
He tried to justify himself: "Anyway, with me here this time, you can rest assured!"
"If Orochimaru dares to show his face, I'll make him regret it! I'll show him the power of the Toad Sage!"
Jiraiya patted his chest and made a promise, trying to salvage his dignity as a master.
However, looking at Jiraiya's confident yet somewhat unreliable demeanor...
Naruto's lips twitched. He leaned closer to Sasuke, lowered his voice, and said with a doubtful look, "Sasuke... how about... we go by ourselves? I feel even more uneasy taking him along..."
Sasuke looked at Naruto's expression of "disdain and worry".
He glanced at Jiraiya, who stood at the door with an air of "I'm very reliable," and sighed helplessly, "No way."
"Why?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
"Besides the reasons I just mentioned,"
Sasuke explained, his voice regaining its calm: "Actually, before deciding to leave the village, I had spoken with both the Fifth Hokage and the Third Hokage."
"They all agreed that Jiraiya-sensei must accompany them."
"On the one hand, his strength and experience can indeed protect us at critical moments, especially when facing an opponent of Orochimaru's caliber."
"On the other hand, he is very familiar with intelligence and secret training sites throughout the ninja world, and can find the most suitable training location for us."
"This is an order, and it's also for our safety."
"Did you hear that, you brat!"
When Jiraiya heard Sasuke mention Tsunade and the Third Hokage, he immediately became smug again.
With his hands on his hips and a smug look on his face, he said, "This is the Hokage's order! With me, one of the 'Three Legendary Sannin,' and the legendary Toad Sage personally protecting you, you can all be secretly happy!"
"Don't worry! Your teacher will definitely be reliable this time! I guarantee your strength will improve by leaps and bounds!"
He tried to adopt a reliable posture.
Naruto looked at Jiraiya's arrogant attitude.
Countless memories flashed through his mind: Jiraiya peeping into the women's bathhouse, being beaten up by Tsunade, and the dark history of being easily anesthetized last time.
He sighed deeply, his azure eyes filled with undisguised contempt, and said in a tone as if concluding a statement: