Preparations for Departure

Sasuke's reason was naturally Naruto. He had no personal connection with Tsunade now, and as the last member of the Uchiha Clan, the resistance to him leaving alone would not be small.

"My main reason is that Team 7 will soon be incomplete. There's no point in me staying." Sasuke's expression was utterly calm.

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"I know very well why Itachi Uchiha returned to Konoha. The Nine-Tails inside Naruto is his target—or rather, his organization's target. Naruto is in an extremely dangerous situation now. The best solution is for Lord Jiraiya to take him away for training. With that man protecting him, Naruto will be very safe. He can also improve his strength. When he returns to Konoha, I think he'll be very powerful. That's why I said Team 7 is about to become incomplete. At the same time, Sakura is very suited to becoming the Hokage's disciple. Her Chakra control is extremely precise, and she has the potential to become a medical ninja, so she should train under the Hokage. I also need to travel and gain experience. Now is the best opportunity. It should be three years. I think that will be enough time for us to grow into ninjas capable of standing on our own."

Tsunade was somewhat surprised after hearing this. But based on Sasuke's previous performance, he truly possessed exceptional intelligence. It was understandable that he could analyze so much. He had also read an enormous number of books; he was a studious and clever fellow.

"You should know that Orochimaru has his eye on you as well. Doing this is very dangerous," Kakashi spoke up from the side. Sasuke was the same type of person as him, so he thought highly of Sasuke's future.

"Please rest assured, Sensei. I know that. But even if I can't defeat an enemy alone, I believe I can still escape. Naruto wants to have a duel with me before I leave. Then please, both of you, watch and see my strength." Sasuke's words brimmed with confidence.

"Fine. I'll agree to your request for now, but I won't make a final decision until I've seen your battle with Naruto. Go back and prepare first." After thinking it over, Tsunade agreed. Naruto really was going to leave, and she had reviewed Sakura's information. Sakura was indeed suitable to become her disciple. That only left Sasuke. Should she assign him to another team? Then what would happen when Naruto returned? Naruto was still her greatest concern. People naturally had those closer and dearer to them, so there was nothing wrong with her thinking this way. Besides, Sasuke wanted to leave the village to gain experience, and that might be a good thing. Otherwise, who would teach him? Kakashi had plenty of matters to handle as well.

Sasuke bade them farewell and left. Once outside, he felt much more relaxed. Honestly, staying in Konoha might be even more dangerous. Since he was here, he would be easy to find, and it was inconvenient to exchange information with Itachi Uchiha. It would be better for him to be alone outside. Akatsuki still had three years of preparations ahead, which meant Itachi had three years to train again. Hopefully, he could break through the barrier and evolve to Four-Tomoe.

When Sasuke returned home, he saw Sakura waiting at the door with a small cloth bundle in her hands.

"Sakura, why didn't you go inside and wait?" Sasuke walked over and asked.

"I didn't know when you were leaving. I made this for you. I hope you like it." Sakura opened the bundle. Inside was a wide sash for a man's kimono. It looked far better than Sasuke's rag in the anime and was much neater, fully protecting the waist. It was broad and black, with a red decorative strip sewn down the middle.

"Thank you. I like it very much. I'll keep wearing it." Hearing Sasuke's words, Sakura let out a sigh of relief, then ran off with a blushing face. Sasuke smiled and shook his head. It seemed leaving was the right choice. Otherwise, who knew whether Sakura would be able to focus on her studies? Back inside, Sasuke put on the sash and found that it looked quite good. Once he had forged his weapons, he could tuck them behind his back.

Sasuke began sorting through the things he needed to bring. There was quite a lot. First was all that Chakra Metal—there was a considerable amount of it, along with some ores. He did not yet know how much he would need, but he might as well bring it all. Anything unused could be brought back later. He had bought quite a few Sealing Scrolls, using an entire scroll just to store the ores. Then he began organizing his Ninja Tools. Since it would be difficult to replenish supplies while alone outside, he decided to take all the stock from home. This used up four scrolls. He would not need to buy any for three years; no matter how much he used, he would not have to worry. Lastly came his finances. He took the Passbook and sealed the rest of his valuables into scrolls to carry with him. The only wealth left at home now was those Ninjutsu Scrolls, but he had read them all, so he would not feel bad if they were stolen. He could just write them again later. He was quite open-minded about it; even if someone came to steal, he would not care. The Barbecue Restaurant could be left to Sakura to help manage. She would be becoming the boss's wife ahead of schedule. At the thought, Sasuke chuckled.

The Fifth Hokage was finally about to take office. Early in the morning, the people of Konoha began gathering at the Hokage Tower, all waiting for the Hokage's inauguration announcement. Ninja was a profession that pursued efficiency, so the ceremony was not complicated. The Hokage only needed to say a few words before the villagers. Everyone would get to know the new Hokage, and other countries and villages would be informed of who the new Hokage was. As for the details, everyone already had them.

As the ceremony ended, the villagers dispersed. Sasuke knew his departure was not far away. He had also been looking forward to his battle with Naruto for a long time. But Naruto had better not summon Gamabunta; Sasuke could not deal with that. Not having a Summoning Animal was truly frustrating. And Naruto was a cheating bastard—he even had someone inside his stomach supplying him with Chakra.

The village returned to peace once more. Sasuke took Sakura to the Barbecue Restaurant, introduced her to everyone, then announced that he would soon be leaving. He handed the restaurant's authority over to Sakura and announced that she would become the Hokage's disciple. That was quite an intimidating piece of news. After leaving the restaurant, Sasuke brought Sakura to his home and showed her around inside and out. He told her that servants had originally handled the cleaning, but since he was leaving, Sakura would need to bring the servants over to clean in the future. Twice a week would be enough. She did not need to do it herself; she only needed to supervise. Sakura had been blushing all day. Sasuke knew what she was thinking. For Sakura, who had loved Sasuke from beginning to end, he had no reason to seek out another love.

Besides, the ninja world was full of danger. Having a powerful wife was not bad either. At least he would not have to constantly worry about her safety, and she was a medical ninja too. How convenient!