The next morning.
Naruto Uzumaki received some not-so-good news.
Jiraiya was taking him away from Konoha for a year of training.
Upon hearing this, Naruto Uzumaki was surprisingly calm. He thought to himself, Just as he said. The Third Hokage and Jiraiya have compromised.
He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Deep down, he still had strong feelings for Konoha. But unfortunately, Konoha didn't trust him enough.
"I understand," Naruto Uzumaki said placidly. This time, he didn't even bother to put on his usual goofy, carefree act.
It was truly strange. He had always thought his personality was just that optimistic. He never expected that after losing the influence of that power, his brain would cool down at light speed, becoming rational and capable of thought.
Although it had only been about a day since the Konoha Crush Plan, Naruto Uzumaki had already deeply experienced Konoha's rejection. This rejection stemmed from their fear of the Nine-Tails and the other Naruto, as well as their own extreme guilt. Because they had hurt the son of the Fourth Hokage, trampling the child who should have been a hero under their feet, most of the villagers felt a sense of guilt.
But humans have always been creatures who are adept at running away. They had thought about apologizing, about making amends, but their pathetic pride kept them rooted to the spot.
Everything Naruto Uzumaki had done in the past flashed through their minds. The Naruto Uzumaki who loved to play pranks and cause trouble for everyone. The Naruto Uzumaki who never fought back, even when cursed and attacked. And… the Naruto of the future, who possessed the power to destroy Konoha, who had defeated the Third Hokage and killed countless ninja.
Hatred, fear, anger, guilt, and other emotions intertwined, leaving them unable to face Naruto Uzumaki. In the end, they chose indifference.
When Naruto Uzumaki walked down the street again, he heard no malicious words. There was only a bone-chilling cold. The street was bustling as usual, the villagers going about their lives in an orderly fashion. But in their lives, there was no place for Naruto Uzumaki to fit in. His situation seemed to have gotten even worse.
Naruto Uzumaki took a deep breath and walked towards the place where he had agreed to meet Kakashi and the others, preparing to say his goodbyes.
Arriving at the training ground, Naruto Uzumaki saw the worried faces of Sasuke and Sakura, and a warm feeling flowed through his heart.
At least, compared to that other Naruto, I'm not alone!
Little did he know that the Naruto inside him let out a scornful laugh. In terms of social skills, the two of them were not even in the same dimension.
"Naruto, are you okay?" Sakura, forgoing her usual violent demeanor, took a step forward and asked with concern.
"I'm fine. Don't worry, I'm great," Naruto Uzumaki said with a smile. His gaze then fell upon Kakashi. Although the man still had his usual dead-fish eyes, Naruto Uzumaki could see the sorrow in those listless pupils. One by one, his best friends had left him, and he had even killed a comrade with his own hands again. The blow was immense.
"Everyone, I'm leaving," Naruto said, taking a deep breath, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"Leaving?! Why are you leaving?"
"Did the villagers say something to you again? Damn it!" Sakura blurted out, her face filled with indignation. She had once despised Naruto Uzumaki, but now, she stood firmly on his side.
"Konoha…" An unconcealable disappointment appeared on Sasuke's face. Everything the other Naruto had said was still vivid in his mind. Sasuke now had great doubts about the village.
"Is that so? You're leaving?" Kakashi was not surprised. He adjusted the headband covering his other eye.
"Yes, with Jiraiya," Naruto said calmly. "Goodbye, everyone. If we can see each other again, that is."
Naruto's mood was also very low. He himself didn't even know if he would ever be able to return to Konoha. Where was his home?
The Naruto watching everything from within suddenly had a very interesting idea. He said playfully, "Naruto Uzumaki, are you interested in a deal? A deal you definitely won't lose out on."
"What kind of deal?"
"I'll give you the chance to awaken a Kekkei Genkai later. All you have to do is shake hands with Sasuke."
"Why? What's your objective?"
"You have Jiraiya's guidance; becoming a Kage-plus level shinobi in the future is definitely not a problem. But Sasuke can't. He's also being watched by Konoha now, and he has no resources. It's very likely he'll join Root and be brainwashed."
"In my world, Sasuke and I have a good relationship, so I naturally want to help him out. I imagine you don't want to see Sasuke brainwashed into a killing machine either."
Hearing Naruto's words, Naruto Uzumaki's eyes flickered.
Was the other Naruto a good person?
Of course not!
But it was an undeniable fact that Sasuke was in a dangerous situation. The moment the other Naruto had guided Sasuke to doubt Konoha, a rift had formed between them. The Konoha leadership, who had always been wary of the Uchiha clan, would not wait for Sasuke to grow up. They would definitely find a way to control him.
If I let the other Naruto become Sasuke's teacher, perhaps Sasuke will completely walk a path opposite to Konoha's. But that's better than being brainwashed or killed, right? And… even if that day really comes, I'll be there to stop Sasuke!
Naruto Uzumaki thought long and hard.
Finally, he agreed.
"Goodbye, Sasuke." He took a step forward and, before Sasuke could protest, pulled him into a hug.
Sasuke's mouth twitched slightly, his usual proud demeanor gone, his heart filled with a mixture of annoyance and shyness. "Idiot, what are you hugging me for? It's disgusting." He pushed Naruto away and turned his head with a cold huff, a blush creeping up his fair neck.
"Well then, everyone, goodbye." Naruto Uzumaki said his reluctant farewells and turned to leave.
Watching Naruto's retreating figure, everyone's hearts were filled with sadness.
Just then, Sasuke, who had his head lowered, suddenly found his eyes going blank, his mind pulled into a mysterious space.
Drip. Drip.
The sound of water dripping echoed in his ears. Sasuke opened his eyes to find himself in a cold, damp place. He looked around in a daze. Before him was a dim, cold sewer.
"Where is this?" Sasuke asked, confused. One moment he was saying goodbye to Naruto Uzumaki, and the next he was in a strange space.
"Is this a genjutsu?" His eyes turned cold. Sasuke's chakra churned, and he even activated his Sharingan, but he couldn't find anything unusual. A genjutsu I can't break through?
Sasuke was wary, but sitting around and waiting was not his style. So he began to walk forward.
Guided by the dim light, he felt his way forward, the cold, damp air making him hug his arms. Soon, he came to an iron gate. A sealing tag was pasted on it. Through the dim light, a figure appeared.
A white robe, brilliant blond hair like the sun, an ever-confident, gentle smile, and a pair of unfathomable eyes hidden behind glasses.
Naruto!!!
"It's you!!!" The moment he saw Naruto, Sasuke's muscles tensed, and a flash of fear appeared in his eyes. This Naruto was a terrifying being who had single-handedly defeated all of Konoha. Even Might Guy, who had burned his own life, couldn't do anything to him.
What was even more terrifying was his Kekkei Genkai. Not only could it control the five senses, but it could also rewrite life and death! A ninja's life was short; any seemingly simple mission carried the risk of death. If he could possess such a power, it would not only be a guarantee for his own safety, but he might even be able to resurrect others.
His gaze towards Naruto suddenly became fervent.
"I've been waiting for you, Sasuke Uchiha," Naruto said with a gentle smile, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
"Waiting for me? What's your objective?" Sasuke asked coldly.
"No objective. I just saw how pitiful your situation in Konoha is, so I thought I'd help you out."
"Help me? I don't think someone who wants to destroy Konoha would be interested in helping me."
"You can choose not to believe me. It's no loss to me either way," Naruto said with an indifferent smile.
"Tch." Remembering the dominant power Naruto had displayed during the Chunin Exams, Sasuke turned his head, refusing to look at him, his face slightly red as he said awkwardly, "Then… then can you help me get stronger?"
His tone was stiff. It didn't sound like a request, but more like a petulant command.
"Oh?" A playful smile appeared on Naruto's face. As expected, no matter the world, Sasuke's tsundere nature was ingrained in his very bones.
"Please, guide me in my training!!" Having laid the groundwork, Sasuke mustered his courage and bowed deeply to Naruto.
BONK.
His head hit the iron bars, and he clutched it in pain. This clumsy scene was somewhat reminiscent of the other Sasuke.
"Alright, then. Call me master. Give me a kowtow," Naruto agreed readily.
"Yes, master… a kowtow?" Sasuke was confused for a moment, then he refused angrily. "Impossible!!! The honor of the Uchiha will not be insulted!"
"Then you can leave. Without resolve, how can you become strong?"
Sasuke stood there, conflicted. Finally, he reluctantly bent his knees.
He was halfway down when Naruto stopped him. "That's enough. Just call me master."
"Master," Sasuke said, lowering his head obediently.
"Mm," Naruto said, crossing his arms and giving a muffled reply.
"Then, master, please teach me ninjutsu," Sasuke said eagerly.
"Ninjutsu? You want to run before you've even learned to walk?" Naruto shook his head with disdain.
"I'll give you your first mission now. Defect from Konoha and find Orochimaru!"
As he said this, Naruto thought to himself, That guy Orochimaru blocked Jiraiya for me but got nothing in return. This round is mine.
In the Land of Sound, Orochimaru was experimenting with a blank expression, but his hand trembled. The experiment had failed. His face was calm, but a fire of rage was brewing in his eyes. The surrounding researchers didn't dare to make a sound. Orochimaru's temper had been very volatile these past few days.
The rumor was… he had been played in Konoha.