Chapter 100: Conversation Before the Third's Grave
Sasuke lowered his head awkwardly, took a sip of tea, and said, "I know what I have to do."
Naruto nodded and said no more. He would let Sasuke walk the rest of the path himself; how far he could go would depend on Sasuke's own efforts.
In fact, Naruto had thought about giving Ashura's Chakra directly to Sasuke. That way, Sasuke would have the Chakra of both Indra and Ashura, which is the Power of All Creation. He might even be able to awaken the Rinnegan before long. However, Naruto was also afraid that Sasuke's current body wouldn't be able to withstand the Power of All Creation, and it would be troublesome if he ended up exploding and dying.
Seeing that Naruto hadn't spoken for a long while, Sasuke lowered his head and asked uneasily, "Do you have anything else to instruct me on?"
"Nothing! I've basically told you everything regarding your situation. As for how you choose to act, that's your own business. You chose the path beneath your feet; even if you have to crawl on your knees, you must finish it!"
"Understood! Then I'm heading back."
Naruto gave a slight nod and let Sasuke leave.
Watching Sasuke's departing back, Narutomurmured to himself, "I wonder if telling you everything was right... or wrong!"
Just like that, another three days passed. A drizzling mist floated in the sky, and the gloomy weather seemed to be seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi off.
The streets of Konoha had already been cleared, and the destroyed buildings were slowly being reconstructed.
Dressed in black formal attire, Naruto also attended the funeral of the Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
After everyone else had left, Naruto stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi's grave and said, "Do you have any idea how many people in Konoha were waiting for you to die sooner? The moment you died, the Great Clans of Konoha sent out their clan Ninjas to suppress the chaos. Do you know why? You definitely don't. I'm afraid that at the moment of your death, you still thought you were an extraordinary Hokage who did everything for the good of Konoha. But do you know that the gap in Konoha's high-level power is incredibly severe? When you first became Hokage, Konoha's prosperity was evident, but what about now? Those who can actually support Konoha's foundation are few and far between."
After finishing, Naruto stood for a while longer and spoke to the empty air, "Come out! I've said everything I needed to say, and you've heard it all. Any thoughts?"
Jiraiya slowly stepped out from behind a tree, standing behind Naruto as he asked, "You were the one who killed the two elders, Koharu and Homura, weren't you?"
"Yes! Why? Are you going to arrest me and bring me to justice?"
"Do you hate the Village that much?"
Naruto rolled his eyes speechlessly and said to Jiraiya, "I've said it so many times. Although I have no feelings for Konoha, I have never hated Konoha Village."
"Then why did you kill them?"
"I killed them because the misfortunes of my childhood were caused by the four of them. Since Hiruzen Sarutobi is dead, there's no need for them to stay alive either."
Jiraiya was silent for a good while before saying, "You cannot kill Danzo!"
Naruto nodded and said, "I know, so I left Danzo for Sasuke."
Hearing this, Jiraiya frowned and asked, "What do you mean? What grudge does Uchiha Sasuke have against Danzo?"
"The annihilation of the Uchiha was planned by the four high-level members of Konoha, with Danzobeing the primary mastermind. Isn't it only right to let Sasuke kill Danzo for revenge?"
Jiraiya clenched his fists and said in disbelief, "What evidence do you have?"
"Evidence? Danzo ambushed and tried to kill Uchiha Shisui. I met Uchiha Shisui after he escaped; does that count as evidence? I saw with my own eyes Uchiha Itachi wipe out the entire Uchiha Clan; does that count as evidence? Before Uchiha Itachi left, he gave me some things to pass on to Sasuke; does that count as evidence?"
After hearing this, Jiraiya looked at Naruto and said, "That's even more impossible! If the Old Manand the others had planned the annihilation of the Uchiha Clan, how could they have let you see the entire process?"
Naruto smiled and said, "Believe it or not! What does it have to do with me?"
Jiraiya actually believed Naruto, but for the sake of Konoha, he still wanted to argue on behalf of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura.
Jiraiya was silent for a long time before saying, "I'm going to bring Tsunade back to have her succeed as the Fifth Hokage."
"I'm not part of the Konoha Leadership; you don't need to tell me this."
"I'm taking you with me."
Naruto was silent for a good while before asking, "Is it because someone inside the Village is eyeing me? Or is someone outside the Village eyeing me?"
"Both sides!"
Jiraiya hadn't expected Naruto to have thought of everything, so he had no choice but to tell the truth.
"Fine! I'll treat it as going out to clear my head. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow morning!"
Naruto closed his eyes and was silent for a moment before saying, "Let's leave the day after tomorrow. I expect a guest will come to Konohatomorrow at noon."
Jiraiya looked at Naruto warily and asked, "Who?"
"It should be Uchiha Itachi! Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado are all dead. When Hiruzen Sarutobi was alive, he still had some concerns regarding Uchiha Itachi and would certainly protect Sasuke. But now that Hiruzen Sarutobi is dead, Danzo has no one to restrain him and will surely harbor some thoughts he shouldn't."
Jiraiya was silent for a long while before saying, "You mean Uchiha Itachi appearing in Konoha is a warning to Danzo?"
"Otherwise? Danzo hasn't coveted the power of the Uchiha Clan for just a day or two. He is the one who understands the Uchiha best and knows their strength most clearly. Only after Uchiha Itachishows himself can those improper thoughts of Danzo's be extinguished."
After understanding everything, Jiraiya nodded and said, "I see! Then we set out the day after tomorrow."
After Jiraiya left, Naruto said with a bitter smile, "Why bother? If you had just stood out and listened openly, Jiraiya wouldn't have said anything."
Kakashi jumped down from a nearby tree to Naruto's side.
"Eavesdropping is one thing; hearing it in front of Jiraiya is another."
"You're still the same as ever, feigning ignorance while knowing everything. Just like what happened to me—you clearly knew I was your teacher's son, yet you had to watch me suffer and endure hardships with your own eyes before you could feel at peace."
Naruto's words pierced right into Kakashi's heart.
"I know you blame me for being unwilling to give you a hand back then. But you also know the situation in Konoha. Even if I had the heart, I didn't have the power. It's possible that if I helped you today, I would be sent to guard a sentry post at the border tomorrow. By not helping you, I could at least watch you live safely. If I had left... then I really wouldn't have been able to see anything."
Naruto actually knew Kakashi's difficulties, but knowing was one thing, understanding was another, and forgiving was yet another.
In truth, on the night Kakashi stopped Danzo from taking him to the Root, Naruto's resentment toward Kakashi had already mostly dissipated.