Chapter 261: Mom, the Snakes in Ryūchi Cave Are So Scary

The light of dawn had faded, and the sun was now fully rising over the eastern horizon, revealing its complete form. 

Its glow was even brighter than it had been at dawn. 

Even though some may think the soft light of dawn is more beautiful than the full brilliance of the sun, the sun never hesitates to shine its light across the world. 

That's just what the sun does. 

The blinding light made Naruto instinctively open his eyes. His body was still exhausted, but after a night of recovery, his injuries weren't as bad. At the very least, he felt like he had the strength to stand up. 

At almost the same moment he opened his eyes, Sasuke's eyes opened as well. 

His black pupils faced the sun, and his lone Tomoe Rinnegan spun slowly as his visual power began to recover. 

Forcing himself to sit up, Sasuke looked toward the morning light and said, "It's time to go back, Naruto. Konoha still needs us." 

Naruto lay sprawled out on the ground, arms and legs stretched wide. Hearing that, he couldn't help but laugh. "Weren't you all set on falling into darkness last night? Dragging me into a fight, refusing to let me go back? And now you suddenly remember Konoha needs us?" 

"Are you coming or not?" Sasuke shot Naruto an annoyed look. 

He wasn't about to admit that he was actually in a good mood. At least all the frustrating thoughts from last night had completely cleared from his mind. 

This was probably what his brother meant about the effect of awakening the Mangekyō—once you got through it, the influence faded away. If he hadn't managed to get past it, he probably really would have gone down the extreme path and tried to take revenge on Konoha. 

Of course, just because his mind was clear didn't mean his feelings toward Konoha weren't still complicated. 

But helping them out? Yeah, that wasn't a problem. 

And it was definitely *not* because he liked Konoha or anything like that.

"Definitely not!" 

Kurama gave Sasuke a strange look as he noticed the slight redness on Sasuke's face. "Sasuke, listen to me—being tsundere is a losing game these days." 

The moment Kurama said this, he froze, staring blankly at the two in front of him. 

Now that he thought about it, Naruto and Sasuke's moms were best friends. Naruto and Sasuke grew up together—basically childhood friends. Sasuke was the classic tsundere, while Naruto was the hot-blooded but clueless protagonist. 

Then, after 700 episodes, Naruto ended up choosing Hinata, the "fated" girl. 

"Hiss—" Kurama sucked in a sharp breath. It all connected! Turns out *Naruto* was actually a show about a childhood friend losing to a gentle, caring heroine! 

And then looking at *Boruto*... 

Hiss, Kishimoto was playing the long game! 

Sasuke: "..." 

His face turned even redder. 

Noticing the odd looks he was getting, Sasuke crossed his arms and put on an indifferent expression. "It's because my skin is fair and has less melanin. When the sun hits me, it turns red. It's a normal biological reaction." 

"...You're really pulling *that* out just to explain yourself?" Kurama's expression turned even weirder. "I don't buy it." 

Naruto's eye twitched. "Sasuke, I'd suggest you stop talking. Don't you notice Kurama's eyes are looking at you kinda weird?" 

Sasuke: "..." 

Yeah, he definitely noticed. 

Better just keep my mouth shut before this fox starts acting up again. 

"Let's focus on getting back to Konoha first." Sasuke's expression turned serious. "If the Akatsuki really launched a full-scale attack, then Konoha must be in serious danger right now." 

"You're changing the subject," Kurama pointed at Sasuke suspiciously. 

Naruto nodded with a serious face. "Sasuke, you're right. Our bodies still need to recover. The fastest way is to have a summoning creature take us back." 

"You're changing the subject too," Kurama said, now pointing at Naruto. 

"I'll do it." Sasuke struggled to get up. "Toads are good for short-range movement, but for long-distance travel, Ryuuchi Cave's creatures are better." 

Mainly because it was more stable. If they rode on a toad, the constant bouncing would definitely mess with their recovery. 

"Alright," Naruto agreed. 

Kurama's eye twitched. "You guys are ignoring me just to dodge the conversation now? Seriously?" 

Sasuke acted like he didn't hear him, forming a seal as he forced himself up. "Ninjutsu: Summoning Technique!" 

A massive cloud of smoke engulfed the two men and one fox. Judging by the sheer size of the smoke, whatever creature was summoned had to be at least as big as Kurama—perfect for traveling long distances. 

At least, in theory. 

But when the smoke cleared, instead of a giant snake, a petite girl in a vintage outfit stood in front of them. 

Even Kurama, who was ready to explode, fell silent for a moment. 

She was a *real* little girl—red eye makeup, deep blue hair, a golden crown on her head, and golden slit pupils. She wore a white long robe, draped in a light, translucent shawl, with a single tomoe-shaped green pendant on her chest. 

"Wait… where's the snake?" Naruto was completely confused. 

The girl glanced at Naruto briefly but didn't react at all. Then, turning to Sasuke, she gave him a dazzling smile. 

With elegant movements, she bowed deeply and greeted him, "Sasuke-sama, Ryuuchi Cave has been waiting for your summons for over a thousand years." 

Sasuke blinked, momentarily stunned. "Wait… have all the snakes from Ryuuchi Cave evolved into human form now?" 

How was he supposed to *ride* this? 

Wasn't he going to get arrested by the village guards for this?

The girl smiled slightly, just about to say something, when she suddenly noticed the Rinnegan in Sasuke's left eye. She gasped in surprise, covering her mouth with one hand before speaking with excitement. 

"Sasuke-sama, have you already gained the power of the Sage of Six Paths?" 

"Ah… yeah." Sasuke wasn't sure what to say, so he just nodded. 

The girl, already enthusiastic, became even more eager. 

"Then, Sasuke-sama, what do you need me to do?" 

She gave Sasuke a quick once-over, then suddenly looked like she had figured something out. 

"I see! Sasuke-sama, you're injured right now, so you must want me to take you home… back to Konohagakure, right?" 

Sasuke paused. 

"Well… the details aren't wrong, but… fine, you're right." 

Sasuke nodded, his expression turning serious. 

"Konohagakure is under attack right now. I need you to take me and Naruto back there. Can you do that?" 

"Of course." The girl's eyes curved into a cheerful smile. 

"Please wait a moment. I'll notify the others to head to Konohagakure as soon as possible, then use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to send you back." 

"We can also help you fight if you need us to." 

"…Oh yeah, Reverse Summoning is a thing," Naruto muttered, realizing he had completely forgotten about it. 

Wait—something wasn't right. 

The next second, Naruto quickly reacted. 

"Konohagakure seems to be sealed off by something. We haven't been able to get any intel from inside. Are you sure the Reverse Summoning Jutsu will even work?" 

But the girl completely ignored him. 

Her overwhelming enthusiasm made Sasuke feel a bit uncomfortable. 

"Uh, about Naruto's question…" 

"Don't worry, Sasuke-sama." The girl clapped her hands together, responding eagerly. 

"The snake we're sending out is pretty strong, even by Ryuchi Cave standards. And like me, she has a human form. Even if the Reverse Summoning doesn't work, she can still use Senjutsu to contact us. If the jutsu is blocked, we'll send a giant snake to help you." 

"More importantly…" The girl suddenly leaned in, her face practically pressing against Sasuke's chin. Her eyes sparkled. 

"Sasuke-sama, do you need me to heal you? Our recovery abilities in Ryuchi Cave aren't as good as Katsuyu-sama's, but they're still pretty effective~" 

"Ah… oh." Sasuke wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead. 

"W-Well… I'd appreciate it." 

"How could you say 'trouble'!" The girl looked at him in shock, almost offended. 

"Sasuke-sama, you're way too kind. This is such a small thing—there's no need for you to say 'trouble' at all~" 

Why does this feel like dealing with Sakura from three years ago? 

Sasuke's head started to hurt just thinking about it. 

"O-Okay then. While you're at it, help Naruto recover too." 

"Of course." The girl's face lit up with joy. 

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," Naruto said politely. 

But in an instant, the girl spun toward Naruto, her snake-like eyes filled with killing intent. 

Her mouth opened wide like a monster's, and a forked tongue flickered out as she hissed at him. 

"Shut up, you filthy toad." 

Naruto: "..." 

W-WHAT?! 

Naruto shivered. 

To be fair, if a cute and friendly girl suddenly opened her mouth like a snake and hissed at you, the sudden shift would be enough to freak anyone out. 

Sasuke gave him a confused look. 

"What's wrong?" 

From his angle, he hadn't seen anything. 

The girl immediately turned back to Sasuke, her monstrous expression vanishing as if it had never been there. Once again, she looked as sweet and innocent as before. 

"Sorry about that, Sasuke-sama. The stench of a filthy toad made me lose my composure for a moment." 

At that moment, the girl suddenly clapped her hands together, flashing an adorably bright smile. 

"Oh! Sasuke-sama, I completely forgot to introduce myself." 

With that, she gave a slight bow, showing the utmost respect as she greeted Sasuke. 

"Please allow me, Ichikishima Hime, one of the Sage Trial Instructors of Ryuchi Cave, to offer my respects on behalf of Ryuchi Cave, Sasuke-sama." 

"P-Please… offer respects…" Naruto twitched at the corners of his mouth. 

Honestly, it was hard to keep a straight face. 

"Shut up, you stupid toad!" 

Naruto: "..." 

The snakes from Ryuchi Cave are seriously scary. 

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