Chapter 197: After the Battle

The memories of the Wood Clone ended here. The rest of its experience consisted of staying alone in the forest, caring for Little Leopard and waiting for the main body to return.

Kirito now understood why the Wood Clone hadn't completely stopped the Akatsuki. Besides the Gedo Mazo and the Six Paths of Pain, no other Akatsuki member could cause such widespread destruction to the village. Furthermore, every member of the Akatsuki had been countered by corresponding Konoha ninjas, making any extra action unnecessary.

Carrying Little Leopard, Kirito left the ruined Forest of Death and walked through the streets of Konoha. Around him, villagers were busy repairing buildings, with the constant sounds of hammers and saws echoing through the air.

From the summary report Kirito had reviewed earlier, Nagato, the leader of the Akatsuki, had been killed by the beheading team led by Jiraiya. Konan managed to escape. Kisame had taken his own life after being defeated by Guy, and Hidan had been captured by Guy. Meanwhile, Jugo, who was near Konoha Hospital, had been injured and forced to stay in the village. He was currently detained in the interrogation room.

The attack had destroyed a quarter of Konoha's buildings and caused over a hundred casualties—serious, but not catastrophic. The biggest loss was the death of Shimura Danzo, one of Konoha's senior elders.

Additionally, the Forest of Death had been almost entirely obliterated in the battle. It would take years to restore its vegetation and reintroduce its wild beasts, rendering it unusable for field training.

A few days later, after Tsunade's return to the village, a large-scale memorial ceremony was held to mourn the losses and heal the pain caused by the attack.

Kirito stood silently in the crowd, holding a white flower. He noticed that Danzo's photo was conspicuously absent from the platform where the deceased were honored. His name appeared only once, buried deep in the long list of casualties.

"As the root of Konoha, his existence shouldn't be publicized," Tsunade had explained, and Kirito accepted this reasoning without question.

After the ceremony, Tsunade signed an official warrant declaring Sasuke Uchiha a traitor to Konoha.

Surprisingly, the villagers adapted quickly. The commercial streets returned to their usual bustle that same night, as though the attack had already become a distant memory. Konoha was no stranger to rebuilding and moving forward.

Kirito walked into the newly reopened Ichiraku Ramen Shop. Inside, he spotted a familiar figure slumped over the counter.

Naruto lay wearily on the table and mumbled, "Uncle Teuchi, one big bowl of miso chashu ramen, please…"

"Got it! One big bowl of miso chashu ramen coming up!" Teuchi replied cheerfully.

"I'll take a tonkotsu ramen with extra Naruto rolls," Kirito said, taking the seat next to Naruto.

Out of habit from his previous life, he still referred to the fish cakes as "Naruto rolls."

"Alright! One tonkotsu ramen, extra Naruto rolls."

"Hey, Naruto! Long time no see. How's your training going?" Kirito asked as Teuchi began preparing the ramen.

"Long time no see, Kirito…" Naruto turned his head sluggishly and gave a weak reply. "I've learned Sage Mode from Pervy Sage, and I can use the Rasenshuriken just like you now. But… I still couldn't bring Sasuke back…"

"What do you plan to do next?" Kirito asked.

"I don't know," Naruto admitted, his expression clouded. "I'm so confused. I don't understand why Sasuke attacked the village. He promised to come back to Team Seven before… Why?"

It seems Sasuke's actions really hit Naruto hard.

Seeing Naruto's downcast face, Kirito asked curiously, "Has Kakashi-sensei talked to you yet?"

"Kakashi-sensei? No… Why?" Naruto asked, puzzled.

He's probably struggling with how to tell Naruto about Sasuke, Kirito thought. He knew Tsunade had signed the arrest warrant earlier that afternoon, and it would likely be made public the next day. That didn't leave Kakashi much time.

Kirito wasn't about to take on that responsibility himself. If Naruto caused a scene after hearing the news, the blame would fall squarely on him—and Kirito preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.

He had only come to Ichiraku Ramen because the other restaurants he frequented were still closed after the attack. Running into Naruto here had been a complete coincidence.

"Here's your ramen!" Teuchi said, placing two steaming bowls in front of them.

"Thanks!" Naruto perked up slightly, picked up his chopsticks, and was about to dig in when he paused. "Wait… Uncle Teuchi, why are there so many pieces of chashu in my bowl?"

Teuchi turned with a grin. "I heard you protected the village during the attack. Someone told me you fought off an Akatsuki member all by yourself. This is my way of saying thank you. You did great, Naruto!"

Naruto stared at the large bowl of miso chashu ramen in awe. "Thank you so much! I'm starting now. Itadakimasu!"

Kirito curiously poked through his own bowl with his chopsticks and found an extra egg. Well, that's fine. I guess Tsunade didn't mention what happened with me and Little Leopard. It's only fair Naruto gets all the glory here.

Midway through their meal, Kirito frowned as he noticed something missing. "Hey, where's Ayame today, Uncle Teuchi?"

Teuchi sighed. "I sent her out to buy more ingredients. Most of the shops around here are still closed after the attack, so she had to go farther out."

Suddenly, the curtain behind them rustled, and a familiar silver-haired figure poked his head inside. "I knew I'd find you here."

Kakashi's voice startled them both. Naruto looked up as Kakashi entered, carrying his usual casual demeanor.

"Oh, hey, Kakashi-sensei," Kirito greeted, lifting his bowl of ramen. "Want to join us? Ramen's pretty good."

Kakashi's stomach betrayed him with an audible growl. Sighing, he muttered, "Fine, I haven't eaten yet anyway."

Ordering his own bowl of ramen, Kakashi sat down next to Naruto. But when he turned to look at his student, Naruto's face had fallen again.

"Kakashi-sensei… Do you know why Sasuke attacked the village?" Naruto asked quietly.

Kakashi hesitated, caught off guard. "I don't know the full story, Naruto. But if Sasuke chose to attack the village… he'll have to face the consequences."

Naruto's brow furrowed. Kakashi's voice turned more serious. "Actually, I came here to talk to you about Sasuke…"

End of Chapter.

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