022 Lost

Sasuke asked, confused, "Right hand? What do you mean?"

"Hah." Naruto took a deep breath and held out his left hand.

"Remember back at the Ninja Academy? After our fight on the training field… what did Iruka-sensei make us do?"

Sasuke looked down, thinking.

They had argued during training, and Iruka had told them to perform the seal of reconciliation.

Back then, Sasuke used his left hand.

"So… this time, you'll switch to your right hand?"

His brow furrowed. "Are you saying that if I destroy Konoha, you won't stop me… but instead, you'll break my left hand so I can't use hand signs again?"

Pfft…

Naruto laughed.

Sasuke snapped, "Answer me!"

Naruto grinned, eyes full of mischief. It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious.

"Yeah, that's right! I'll break your hand!"

Sasuke's temper flared. "I knew it, you loudmouth! And since we're bringing up the past, don't forget who won at the Valley of the End! If I'd really wanted to kill you, you wouldn't be talking right now!"

He wasn't wrong, Naruto had lost that fight. Sasuke could have ended it.

But… there's something most people overlook.

When they clashed at close range, Naruto's Rasengan was aimed upward, striking Sasuke's forehead protector. The scratch on it came from Naruto's claw while in his Tailed Beast form.

Meanwhile, Sasuke's Chidori was aimed downward, right at Naruto's heart.

If things had gone just a little differently, the one who fell that day might not have been Naruto.

"..."

Naruto paused, then gave a small smile. "Don't take it so seriously. Can't you tell I was joking?"

"..."

Sasuke's expression eased slightly, but his tone turned cold.

"I'm not joking with you. You keep calling me your friend, but then mock me with your words. Stop looking down on me! You think I don't see it? You're the hero of Konoha now. Everyone loves you."

He clenched his fists.

"I want to destroy Konoha… and that makes you my number one enemy!"

Naruto let out a quiet sigh. "I've already left Konoha."

"What!?"

Sasuke froze, shocked.

That's when he noticed it, Naruto was wearing the scratched forehead protector. The same one Sasuke had left behind. The mark of a missing-nin.

Sasuke turned his gaze toward Obito.

Back when they met in the forest outside Konoha, Obito had only mentioned the Five Kage Summit and Danzo becoming Hokage.

He'd casually said Naruto defeated Pain…

But he never mentioned that Naruto had left the village

"..."

Obito's masked face showed no reaction.

Sasuke turned back to Naruto. "What's really going on?"

Naruto answered calmly, "My goals go against the village's will. I had to leave Konoha to act on my own."

Sasuke's eyes flickered with unease. His voice carried a hint of disappointment.

"So... you went after Danzo for yourself? Not to help me?"

Humans are complicated.

When someone helps you, it can feel like interference.

But if they don't, it still hurts.

Naruto's voice turned quiet. "That's not true. It was both. I wanted you to be the one to defeat Danzo, so you could let go of your hatred. Maybe then, you wouldn't turn it against the village. But instead… you let him go. All out of anger."

He gave a small shake of his head.

"I underestimated how deep your need for revenge still is. If this keeps up, you'll only create more chaos."

"..."

Sasuke clenched his fists, and the chakra around his Susanoo began to flicker.

Naruto's expression turned serious.

"Sasuke, I won't stop you from going after Danzo. But I won't let you hurt anyone else."

Sasuke's voice was ice-cold.

"And if I do?"

Naruto answered without hesitation.

"Then I'll stop you, no matter what it takes."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"So you've still got strength left?"

Naruto stepped forward.

"I haven't even gone all out yet."

"Heh..."

Sasuke let out a dry laugh. He was proud—but not foolish. He knew Naruto was telling the truth.

Still, he turned away, his voice cold and sharp.

"Yeah, you've gotten stronger. But what do you really know about me? Do you even understand why I want to destroy Konoha?"

Naruto replied calmly, "Yeah... I know. About Itachi. The truth."

"What!?"

Sasuke froze. "That's classified! A top-level secret! How could you know that!? Was it…"

He turned and glared at Obito.

"..."

Obito silently shook his head. He hadn't told him.

The truth was, Naruto had learned everything—from another timeline, from another version of Obito.

I underestimated this kid, Obito thought to himself.

Sasuke's voice turned cold.

"So if you know what Itachi did... if you know everything... are you still going to stand in my way?"

Naruto answered firmly,

"If Itachi were alive, he'd never want you to do this."

"..."

Sasuke's expression twisted. Just hearing Itachi's name reopened an old wound.

It was too painful. Too raw.

Even Naruto, especially Naruto, had no right to speak for Itachi.

Not even to defend him.

But how could Sasuke know that Naruto wasn't bluffing?

He had met Itachi more than once—and truly understood him.

Sasuke shouted in fury, "So you do know Itachi! Then don't you dare use his name to stand in the way of my revenge, Naruto!!"

Boom!!

Fueled by rage, Sasuke's purple chakra exploded outward, forming a powerful armor around his Susanoo.

It was no longer a partial form, this was the evolved Crow Tengu version of his half-body Susanoo.

Boom!!

The violent surge of chakra shook the ground, stunning everyone nearby.

Karin trembled, whispering, "This... this isn't the Sasuke we used to know…"

Obito narrowed his eyes.

So... he awakened this level of power all at once. Just as I thought, Sasuke's true trigger isn't the Five Kage… it's Naruto.

Rage poured from Susanoo as Sasuke pulled back the bow of Tian no Maga.

This time, the arrow was wrapped in the black flames of Amaterasu.

Its power was overwhelming.

Sasuke's voice was filled with killing intent.

"Enough of your talk, Naruto. I've had it. You're in my way, and I'll destroy you here and now! Then I'll crush Danzo… and burn Konoha to the ground!"

Naruto's face turned grim.

This Susanoo... it's changed completely. And that arrow…

There's no way I can block it with any normal move…

Whoosh!!!

A massive arrow of black flames tore through the air!

Naruto quietly closed his eyes.

When he opened them, his pupils glowed with divine power.

—Shinra Tensei!!

BOOM!!!

A powerful shockwave burst outward, smashing the black flame arrow into scattered embers of Amaterasu that rained down like burning snow.

Obito's eyes narrowed.

"So... you've finally used the Rinnegan. And Sage Mode too, huh?"

He paused, sensing something deeper.

"This battle… it's drawing attention. Huge amounts of chakra are starting to gather here. We need to end this soon."

Naruto formed a seal, gathering more chakra than ever before.

Bang bang bang bang...!!

Hundreds of Shadow Clones appeared in the mist, each one charging a giant Rasengan and rushing straight at Sasuke's Susanoo.

—Sage Art: Multi Massive Rasengan Barrage!!

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

One Rasengan after another crashed into Susanoo, layering explosions on top of each other.

Even Susanoo's armor, once unbreakable, began to crack under the relentless assault.

Sasuke growled, rage in his voice,

"Where is all this power coming from?!"

Suddenly snap!

Naruto dipped a finger into the blood from his Amaterasu burn and formed a hand seal.

—Summoning Jutsu!!

A massive toad, wearing a ribbon and carrying twin shoulder sacks, crashed down from the sky, dealing the final blow!

BOOM!!

Susanoo shattered under the impact.

"Ugh…!"

Sasuke barely managed to leap free before the collapse, using the last of his strength.

But Naruto was already waiting.

He reached out his hand

—Bansho Ten'in!!

Whoosh!!

A powerful gravitational pull yanked Sasuke through the air, dragging him straight toward Naruto.

Sasuke reacted quickly. Mid-air, he formed hand seals and launched a counterattack:

—Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

Naruto didn't move.

Bansho Ten'in held steady as a Rinnegan barrier flared up, shielding him from the flames.

As Sasuke flew closer, Naruto reached out and grabbed him by the throat.

—Gakido!!

Whoosh!!

Sasuke's chakra began to drain into Naruto's palm.

Sasuke managed a faint smirk.

"So... this is the power of your left eye."

Naruto replied calmly, "Sorry... but this is the only way to stop you. If you keep pushing your eyes like this, you'll go blind."

As the chakra drained, Sasuke's Mangekyō slowly faded, first to three tomoe... then to dull, lifeless eyes.

Just before blacking out, Sasuke whispered,

"Heh… that kind of thing doesn't matter anymore…"

Naruto gently laid Sasuke down in the snow, let out a quiet breath, and took a step back.

"Sasuke!!!"

Karin cried out and rushed toward him.

Whoosh!!

But Obito appeared first, silent behind his mask. He picked Sasuke up, slung him over his shoulder, and opened the swirling space-time portal in his right eye, pulling Karin in as well.

"Go restore Sasuke's chakra."

"A-ah…"

Swish! Swish!

Konan and Orochimaru arrived, taking positions on either side of Naruto.

Konan asked softly, "Are you alright?"

Naruto gave a tired smile. "I pushed my chakra too far. Things could get difficult from here… I'll be counting on you two."

Konan nodded with a gentle smile. "Of course."

"Hmph," Orochimaru chuckled.

"As I expected, you couldn't go all out on Sasuke… You didn't drain all of his chakra."

Naruto didn't answer.

From the south, Mifune and the Iron Country samurai approached, followed by the Four Kage, minus Danzo.

And from the north, a group of young shinobi emerged through the snow, each one wearing a Konoha headband.

Obito watched in silence. Beneath his mask, his expression grew complicated.

"Well then… I'll step back for now. Think carefully about how you want this to end, Naruto. And remember to protect the Rinnegan. It's my treasure…"

Whoosh!!

Obito and White Zetsu vanished into a swirling vortex.

Crack!!

A flash of lightning split the sky as Raikage A and his two guards arrived.

Seeing the lingering black flames of Amaterasu on the snow, one of the Cloud shinobi muttered,

"That's Amaterasu… the inextinguishable flame. It was Itachi's jutsu, but now only one person can use it…"

Darui added, "Which means Sasuke was just here."

The Raikage roared, "Where is Sasuke?! Where is he?!"

"…"

Naruto didn't respond. His eyes were already focused elsewhere, on a figure rushing through the snow in a panic.

"…Hinata."

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED

_________________

Noted : if you guys want read advance chapter, you can check at my P@treon : patreon.com/MoonEater18