While Konoha was still scheming and plotting against one another over the position of Hokage, Naruto had also set out on the path of revenge. It was just that the process had not gone very smoothly.
Even though his mind had been somewhat eroded by the Nine-Tails' Chakra, he still had a rough grasp of his own strength. Let alone bringing pain to Konoha by himself, he might be suppressed before he even had the chance to show what he could do.
Look at the Akatsuki Organization. They had charged all the way to Konoha's gates in such a grand display with so many people, yet they still had not completely destroyed Konoha. Regardless of the reason, Konoha was still standing, and Naruto saw that clearly.
Since one person's strength was limited, the best approach was to unite every force that could be united. There were plenty of people persecuted by Konoha, and there were also many within Konoha itself who were dissatisfied with its current state. If he could make use of that power...
But reality was often not as simple as Naruto imagined. He knew that he was currently isolated and helpless. Forget whether others would immediately distance themselves upon seeing his identity—even the people of Konoha likely harbored deep resentment toward him. Winning over allies was easier said than done.
"Rustle, rustle~ Rustle, rustle~"
The sound of someone moving through the grass and trees reached his ears. Naruto's senses were exceptionally sharp. If Dark Naruto had something Naruto lacked, it was caution.
"Someone's following me?"
That was the first thing he thought of. He believed he had hidden his tracks well along the way. No one should have been able to catch up with him while he was moving at such high speed.
A thin layer of