Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 102 The Attack

"What do we do now? I need to at least look like I've been through a tough fight." After fulfilling his wish of marking Sasuke, Naruto started scratching his head again. Sasuke refused to hurt him or allow him to harm himself, so the two kids slapped their foreheads and finally decided to set off a firecracker across the river.

"No instant casts allowed, and don't make the casting too big. Leave me a way to walk," Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded perfunctorily. This time, he simply rubbed out a fox head, moving at a speed that allowed Sasuke to clearly see the entire process of the Tailed Beast Ball forming, effectively reducing the burden on his body. Then, the Tailed Beast Ball was launched, landing in the opposite forest along a standard parabola. Its blast radius was precisely where Kabuto could clearly feel the power and suffer minor injuries.

"Kabuto's here to pick you up. I caused him a little trouble." Naruto's mood brightened considerably because he knew that Sasuke did indeed want revenge, but he wasn't blinded by hatred like he had in his previous life.

How ruthless he was in his past life! Although I... am probably... maybe... not so bad. But this time, I only almost hit him, and little Sasuke immediately revealed his true colors, even releasing his cursed seal in his haste!

This feeling of occupying an important place in Sasuke's heart inexplicably delighted Naruto, even lessening the sadness of having to part with Sasuke. Yet, he never doubted the reason for this feeling, after all, Sasuke had always been the "only one" in his heart since childhood.

The two even coordinated perfectly in this situation, causing the statue erected during the First Hokage's time to suffer its worst damage ever. They left behind a trail of chaotic battle marks without any restraint before returning to the shore on the Land of Fire's side. The crater created by the shadow clones fit Naruto perfectly; he lay there comfortably, while Kurama absorbed his chakra. For a full day and night, Naruto hadn't truly rested. He had only just reached the point where he could be discharged from the hospital, and this ordeal had left him lucky if he didn't have to be hospitalized again.

Sleepiness crept in, and Naruto's eyelids drooped, but he forced them open, wanting to see Sasuke's face one last time. This was Sasuke at his cutest; he wouldn't see him again!

However, a hand covered his eyes. He felt Sasuke's breath so close, yet his vision was taken away. Before Naruto could react, something cold landed on his face.

...Won't she cry? No, wait, it sounds like it's raining...

Heaven knows how much willpower Naruto used to resist the urge to use his superhuman senses. Sasuke, being such a proud guy, clearly didn't want him to see if his eyes were covered. He respected Sasuke's choice and didn't deliberately try to see even though he could.

When will the people from Konoha arrive?

"About half an hour, it's very close."

"That's good. Getting caught in the rain too much can cause a cold."

"This is a line I should be saying to you: Who is it that always needs me to take care of them when they catch a cold?"

"Humph."

"...Goodbye, Naruto."

Naruto didn't wake up in a hospital. His right hand, which he raised, felt slightly heavy; a black metal handcuff bound him to the chair. The handcuff had strong chakra seals, suppressing the outflow of chakra. There were also signs of chakra blockage within his body, likely due to Hyuga's pressure point technique, but the pressure points were probably only partially sealed, as someone had stopped them.

The surrounding noise was deafening. He saw a shattered iron gate, scattered torture instruments, Granny Tsunade arguing with an advisor, and the lecherous sage confronting Danzo. Without much thought, he knew what was going on. Most likely, the Root members had taken him from the hospital, only to be discovered by Granny Tsunade in time. These old fogies were really going all out to cause him trouble before things were settled, resorting to such a tactic even with the strongest fighting force of the Hokage lineage present. Moreover, two out of three had been deployed, leaving only Homura Mitokado unseen, presumably to preserve some room for dialogue with the Hokage and prevent a complete falling out. He saw a wounded man clutching his arm in the corner, with Byakugan, a member of the Hyuga clan. The person supporting him was also familiar; he was one of the two he had knocked unconscious, and remembered his surname was Yamanaka.

Are you trying to extract his memories directly? Ha! There's no way you'd be able to.

"What do you mean by taking the injured out of the hospital?"

"That's what I should be asking, Fifth Hokage. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki leaving the village without permission is such a serious incident. If Konoha loses its Tailed Beast, the balance will be broken!"

"His name is Naruto Uzumaki, please don't call him by the wrong name."

"Jiraiya, being a Jinchūriki is his most important identity."

“Children can be willful, but Jinchuriki cannot! Moreover, the Uchiha orphans have left the village, which can be considered as defection.”

"Didn't you even read the incident report? Your Root members can testify that Sasuke was kidnapped!"

"That requires obtaining firsthand information from the person involved and ensuring that they are not hiding anything!"

"..."

The old-school verbal sparring was incredibly boring; the advisors seemed obstinate and incomprehensible, making one's fists itch with frustration. Naruto felt he should do something, but what would be the best thing to do?

He then removed the shackles without any hindrance and stood up calmly.

The roommates suddenly fell silent. The advisors' expressions were quite interesting; some were gloomy and dark, while others were dumbfounded. Tsunade and Jiraiya, however, remained calm.

"I forgot to tell you, Naruto has the same perfect Sage Body as the First Hokage, and can instantly enter Sage Mode." Jiraiya stepped forward, patted his disciple's head, and showed off with a bright smile.

Sage Mode means that all existing methods of sealing chakra are ineffective, and it also means that no cage can confine Naruto unless he is completely sealed. Moreover, this kid's Sage Mode has no downtime, which also means that he has no weaknesses.

"This is... ah, I remember." Since the old man didn't care about saving face, Naruto wasn't going to give them any either. He said in a childlike, innocent tone, "When Konoha was attacked, the number of ninjas left here was the largest; not a single one was sent out. Were they guarding something important here?"

Sensory ninjas have always been the most terrifying presence on the battlefield. As long as you're within their sensory range, they can pinpoint your location and bring death to you. But for a sensory ninja like Naruto, even trickery is a pipe dream, because your every move is under their control—something that can't be faked.

"...Let me explain, the person in charge of 'Root'. Why did you and your subordinates all become cowardly deserters when Konoha was invaded?"

"This is the Fifth Hokage's order."