In the world of Naruto, Aoi could turn down the Chidori, or even the Eight Gates Technique — but the Rasengan was the one ability he simply could not refuse.
It was said that in the ninja world, the number of shinobi struck and sent flying by the Rasengan in a single year alone could encircle the entire village of Konoha three times over.
All right then — I'll take this mission!
Even so, now that he had committed to it, Aoi found himself unsure of where to begin.
As he had thought before, convincing the Raikage to let go of his hatred was no easy task…
And more importantly, Sasuke was now an official member of Akatsuki.
Even if the Raikage chose to forgive him, the other great nations would never let the matter rest — starting with Konoha itself, now under Danzō's rule.
If events were allowed to follow their original course, and he waited until after Danzō's death to try to have the manhunt revoked, too much time would pass in the real world back home.
It looked like he would have to deal with Danzō early — before his time was up.
"Sorry about this, Danzō," Aoi said with a shrug and a grin.
"Even if your time as Hokage was only meant to be a temporary trial run, I'm cutting it short ahead of schedule!"
But before that, he first had to stop things from getting out of hand with the Raikage.
Without that, everything else would be impossible.
"Crunch… crunch…"
The Land of Iron was covered in snow all year round. Every step taken upon the white drifts made a soft, crunching sound.
Just as in the original story, Samui's team met up with the Raikage and his entourage out on the snow‑covered plains to exchange information.
But before anyone could speak…
"Someone has been following us all this way!" shouted C, the Raikage's bodyguard — a blond sensor‑type ninja — as he spun around, eyes sharp.
"Come out, you lapdogs of Konoha!"
True to the story, C's acute sensory abilities quickly picked up the group hiding not far away.
Only this time, it was not just Yamato, Kakashi, and Naruto — Sai had been following Naruto from the very start as well.
Truly, even the emotionally distant and reserved Sai seemed to hold a very special kind of devotion toward Naruto…
"Boss — that's Hatake Kakashi."
Darui recognized him instantly, and the Raikage nodded in agreement.
"Kakashi — son of Konoha's White Fang, known as the Copy Ninja."
Hearing this, Aoi could only click his tongue in amusement.
No wonder Kakashi is called the most popular "master technician" in the ninja world — he's basically a celebrity with a fan base everywhere he goes!
"Did the Hokage order you to trail us like this, Kakashi?" the Raikage asked coldly.
Having Konoha send a jōnin to spy on them during the Five Kage Summit was practically an act of provocation between nations.
His expression darkened, and it looked as though he might strike at any moment.
"No — it was my student, Uzumaki Naruto, who wished to speak with you," Kakashi replied calmly and respectfully, carrying himself with the dignity expected of a great village.
"I want you to call off the manhunt for Sasuke!"
Naruto had never been one to beat around the bush. True to his straightforward nature, he got straight to the point without any pleasantries.
To be fair — only Naruto could have gotten away with saying something like that.
If anyone else had spoken so boldly, the Raikage would have grabbed them and slammed them straight into the earth with a Lariat long before they finished their sentence.
What kind of attitude is this? the Raikage thought.
I am the Raikage, leader of one of the Five Great Nations — and you, a mere genin from another village, dare lecture me like this? You must have a death wish!
Just as in the original story, the Raikage completely ignored him.
In his eyes, Naruto was nothing more than an ignorant child from Konoha.
"Thud…"
Then came the moment everyone dreaded to watch: Naruto dropped to his knees in the snow, tears streaming down his face as he begged. "Sasuke… he's just being controlled by hatred…"
This time, Aoi did not stop him.
He knew Naruto wasn't actually doing this because he truly believed it would change the Raikage's mind…
He did it because if he simply gave up and walked away without even trying to stand up for Sasuke, his own "ninja way" would have been broken.
This act of kneeling was not so much for Sasuke's sake —
It was for his own beliefs. This was Uzumaki Naruto: the man whose story ran through the whole series, famous for his refusal to give up no matter what.
No matter how difficult the path, no matter how slim the chances, no matter how many told him it was impossible — once he set his heart on something, he never turned back.
The most stubborn, unyielding fool in all of the ninja world.
"All right — just this once, I'll lend you a hand!"
Aoi grinned, wriggled free from Karui's arms, and hopped down onto the snow.
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