Chapter 93: Two Bedrooms, One Living Room, One Kitchen, and One Bathroom

Where should they go next?

In the darkness of the room, Naruto pondered his next move.

Sunagakure? That was out of the question.

Now that he had Setsu with him, things had become more complicated. Naruto didn't want to admit it, but even he could tell he was becoming somewhat of a scoundrel. Setsu had been proactive in her affections, and despite his attempts to resist, he knew he wasn't immune to her charm. If Temari found out, things could get ugly.

Return to Konoha? That was also not an option.

The village had become a place Naruto no longer felt connected to. It was not the Konoha he had once dreamed of protecting. The politics, the betrayals—he wanted no part in it, at least for now.

The Land of Lightning and Kirigakure were instantly ruled out as well.

Then, there was Zetsu. A member of the Akatsuki, he had the terrifying ability to blend into any plant, making it impossible to escape his surveillance in any area with vegetation. That meant forests, grasslands, and any heavily wooded area were off-limits.

If Sunagakure was not an option, then the only remaining choice was Iwagakure.

Naruto made up his mind. Activating Kagura's Mind Eye, he scanned for the nearest Flying Thunder God Seal he had placed. This was something he had recently discovered—once he awakened Kagura's Mind Eye, his ability to sense his seals had increased dramatically, allowing him to teleport across much greater distances.

With his destination set, Naruto turned to Setsu, who was still half-asleep.

"Hold on," he said, wrapping an arm around her.

Then, in an instant, they vanished.

The Escape to the Land of Earth

Setsu stirred awake, her body feeling a sudden shift in motion.

"Naruto?" she murmured, her crimson eyes blinking open.

She found herself in a completely different environment. Instead of the dimly lit hotel room in the Land of Grass, they were now in a barren, rocky landscape.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. We were surrounded, so I had to get us out of there."

Setsu let out a breath of relief before curling into Naruto's arms, much like a small kitten finding warmth.

She didn't ask where they were going. She didn't care.

As long as she was with Naruto, she felt safe.

Naruto continued moving, using Flying Thunder God in short bursts while keeping Kagura's Mind Eye active. In a matter of minutes, they crossed the border into the Land of Earth.

Understanding the Shinobi War

The reasons behind the many wars in the shinobi world were not as simple as power struggles or vengeance. A large part of the conflict came from the geographical and economic conditions of the different nations.

The Land of Fire, home to Konoha, was abundant in resources, blessed with lush forests, fertile lands, and a mild climate.

The Land of Wind, home to Sunagakure, was mostly a barren desert with very few resources.

The Land of Earth, home to Iwagakure, consisted of vast rocky terrains and mountains, making agriculture and development difficult.

The Land of Lightning had better development potential, but its terrain was also harsh and mountainous.

The Land of Water, home to Kirigakure, was an isolated island nation with limited trade and a history of internal strife.

The imbalance in natural resources meant that some nations thrived while others suffered. The weaker nations, desperate for survival, waged wars to take control of better lands. The shinobi villages, acting as military arms of their respective nations, were caught in the center of this ongoing struggle.

Naruto understood this now more than ever.

The Land of Earth was an ideal place for him to hide. The region was mostly rocky, with very little vegetation, making it harder for Zetsu to track them.

When they finally reached a safe and secluded area, Naruto stopped.

"Alright, this should do," he muttered.

He gently placed Setsu down and began forming hand seals.

"Wood Style: Two Bedrooms, One Living Room, One Kitchen, and One Bathroom Jutsu!"

A deep rumble echoed as a house made of wood rose from the ground.

Despite being a Wood Style creation, Naruto had designed it so that it wouldn't stand out. Since it was his own jutsu, he could sense any disturbances in the structure, making it easier to detect if Zetsu tried to infiltrate.

For now, this would be their home.

Here, Naruto planned to train until he was ready for his next move.

The Akatsuki's Hunt

Meanwhile, the Akatsuki had mobilized.

This time, they were not underestimating Naruto.

Thanks to Itachi's firsthand reports, they knew Naruto was powerful, and they had devised an elite strategy to capture him. The operation included:

Pain's Six Paths

Deidara and Sasori

Kakuzu and Hidan

Kisame

Zetsu

This was one of the most intense Akatsuki missions yet.

Zetsu had finally managed to locate Naruto's last known position. When they arrived, however, the room was completely empty.

Pain narrowed his eyes. "The Flying Thunder God Technique…"

They had failed.

Turning to Zetsu, Pain commanded, "Find him again. I will personally capture him when you do. The rest of you, continue tracking your own targets."

"Yes," the others responded.

The hunt for Naruto was far from over.

Cloud Shinobi Village's Demands

Back in Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in his office, rubbing his temples.

His plan with Yugao had failed.

Naruto had already heard about Yugao being isolated, yet he still refused to return. Worse yet, Naruto's absence meant that Konoha had lost its most powerful Jinchūriki.

And now, Cloud Shinobi Village was knocking on their door.

A group of Cloud Shinobi envoys had arrived, standing before Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Years ago, Lord Hokage," one of the envoys spoke, "our village's emissary was murdered in Konoha. This was done under your command, correct?"

Sarutobi's face darkened. He had been expecting this confrontation.

The envoy smirked. "Our Raikage-sama wishes to resolve this… peacefully. Of course, that depends on your cooperation."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "What does Raikage want?"

The envoy leaned forward, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Our demand is simple."

"In exchange for peace, Konoha must hand over Uchiha Sasuke and Hyūga Hinata."

A wave of silence washed over the room.

Sarutobi's grip on his pipe tightened. They were after Konoha's Bloodline Limits.

Not just any Bloodline Limits—the Sharingan and the Byakugan, the two most powerful ones in the village.

Hiruzen's eyes burned with fury.

"Cloud Shinobi Village has a very big appetite," he said, his voice dangerously low.

And this time, he wasn't willing to give in so easily.

To be continued…

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