Always Walking by the River, How Could Your Shoes Stay Dry?

"That's good. I was worried the village would find out I was missing," Sakura said lazily as she lay down on a sofa.

"That's not necessarily true. You didn't even bring your communicator with you, so how would anyone know where you went?" Naruto said dismissively, still posing by the window.

"Alright, alright! They're all gone, no need to keep up your imposing figure." Sakura rolled her eyes at him; this guy just loved to make pretentious jokes.

"I'm just practicing now and then, so that when it's my turn to save the world soon, I can leave a better impression on everyone in the Shinobi World." Naruto chuckled.

"By the way, Konohagakure recently released a new communicator."

"Really? Did you manage to get it?" Sakura's eyes lit up immediately. "I've been waiting for it, but the Intelligence Department's information has been inaccurate, and it's been delayed again and again."

"I got it, but I don't know the password."

"How could I not know the password? New phones don't have passwords." Sakura paused halfway through her sentence, then suddenly realized what she meant.

"Naruto!!"

"Just kidding, the new communicator hasn't been released yet, I don't use this thing much," Naruto said with a grin.

"Hmph, you were the one who did those things in the Land of Fire, weren't you?" Sakura said. "I heard some things from Konan. You seem to really enjoy doing bad things under Sasuke's name."

"That's different," Naruto retorted. "Sasuke is a rogue ninja, what he did was his job, how can that be considered bad? Besides, I've never been to the Capital City of the Land of Fire."

Upon hearing this, Sakura covered her mouth and laughed, knowing that this person was cunning, and didn't bother to say anything more.

"Okay, I should go to work now."

Naruto didn't stop her. He knew Sakura had been very busy lately, and he was probably the only one who was free. The more she was free, the more uneasy he felt, as if something was about to happen.

However, after much thought, there are too many places where things could go wrong. Whether it's Kumogakure or Iwagakure, the sheer number of problems makes it all worthwhile; we'll deal with it when the time comes.

Konohagakure.

"Something's happened! Yamato's gone missing!" Kotetsu Hagane rushed to the Hokage Building, his voice trembling. Yamato was gentle Yamato honest, and had a good personal relationship with the two goalkeepers.

"What happened?"

"They were kidnapped, and there were signs of a struggle at the scene."

"Yamato is quite strong. Who can take Yamato away?" Kakashi frowned, but he still had to do what he had to do. "Go and inform Asuma, and Naruto as well."

He didn't expect Naruto to go on missions for the village, but Naruto Yamato into trouble. The two weren't bad friends, and there was no reason for Naruto to stand idly by.

"Yamato was captured?" Naruto was taken aback.

He didn't hear the news until the afternoon of the next day. He had just returned from his trip to Amegakure and hadn't even had dinner when he heard this surprising news from Choji.

"Yes," Choji worriedly.

Others might not know, but Naruto knew Yamato wouldn't die; he'd most likely been captured by Kabuto and had his blood drawn. After all, Yamato possessed Wood Release power, and whether or not his semen was extracted was unknown.

He wasn't in a rush about this. Even if he knew, he hadn't prepared in advance; firstly, it was unrealistic, and secondly, it wasn't necessary. The Dream-Fulfilling Master Kabuto wouldn't kill Yamato. What malicious intent could Kabuto possibly have? He just enjoyed the grand spectacle of fulfilling dreams.

However, since Kakashi had called him, Naruto didn't refuse and readily accepted the mission.

On his way home, Naruto saw Choji's worried expression and couldn't help but give him a light kick. Choji's eyelids twitched slightly, and he said speechlessly.

"Alright, Yamato will definitely be fine, why are you worrying so much?"

"No, no." Choji looked up blankly. "Why did you kick me? I was thinking Ino has been acting a little strange these past few days. Have you talked to her?"

"No, I've been busy. What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing, it's just that she seems... gentler." Choji said, frowning. "It's so strange, don't you think?"

"Isn't it better to be gentle? Do you only feel happy when Ino kicks you in the waist?" Naruto scoffed, not taking it seriously.

Girls have those few days every month, and their personalities can be quite eccentric.

Naruto said this, but he made a mental note of it, planning to go and ask Ino after dealing with Yamato's matter. That way, he could discover any problems in time.

Logically speaking, no, since they had just met a couple of days ago, and if there was anything unusual, they would have noticed it then.

The village hastily formed a four-person search team for Yamato, consisting of Rock Lee, Tenten, Naruto, and Shino Aburame. Without saying much, they simply grabbed their bags and set off.

Naruto knew where Yamato was from the beginning, so he didn't seem too anxious. Tenten seemed to have gained a little weight, but it wasn't noticeable on her face.

"How could Captain Yamato have been kidnapped for no reason?" Tenten asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Who knows? Maybe someone's got their eye on Yamato's good looks," Naruto said slowly as he walked. "It's dangerous for boys to be out in the world. They need to take care of themselves."

He had a good relationship with Kakashi and Asuma's generation, and they were used to calling each other by their first names. In addition, he didn't like small gestures that lacked real meaning, so he simply called them whatever felt comfortable.

"Hehe, Naruto, you're joking again." Tenten smiled with her eyes narrowed, and the atmosphere was no longer so dull.

"How could that be? Yamato- sensei isn't handsome either." Rock Lee looked bewildered and turned around to say.

"Maybe girls these days prefer honest guys?" Naruto said, still with his usual carefree attitude. "The fact that they were able to take Yamato away suggests they have ulterior motives."

"Hmm." Shino was always a man of few words, preferring to remain silent whenever possible.

Tenten felt something was off, turned to look at Naruto suspiciously, and asked in a low, mysterious voice.

"Why do you seem to know so much about this? Could it be that you kidnapped Captain Yamato?"

"Why would I tie Yamato?" He rolled his eyes. "I'd have him build me a three-bedroom apartment. But it's not impossible, I can consider it next time."

With Naruto around, the atmosphere wasn't too tense. Plus, Naruto seemed confident that Yamato, so the other three weren't as nervous.

Tenten is easily led astray by Naruto's words, Rock Lee is rather straightforward, and Naruto is clearly just there to fill space. The only one left doing any real work in the group is Shino Aburame, whose eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, are fixed intently on the front.

At noon, the team began to rest.

Seeing Tenten and Naruto each take out various ingredients and barbecue equipment, Shino Aburame finally couldn't hold back anymore, but he wasn't the type of person to get angry.

"That."

As soon as he spoke, the other three looked over.

"What's wrong?" Naruto pulled out a bag of frozen chicken legs and asked, puzzled.

"Shino, are you feeling unwell?" Tenten pulled out a bag of dried vegetables. "I brought a first-aid kit. You can tell me where you feel unwell."

"Is Shino having a stomachache?" Rock Lee blurted out.

Shino Aburame: "."

He didn't know what to say for a moment, even though the scene was no different from a picnic. But seeing the three of them staring at him wide-eyed, he could only shake his head.

"Fine."

"That's good. We'll make do with roasted chicken legs for lunch; there's really nothing to eat on the road," Naruto said as he started the fire.

"I'm making vegetable soup, hehe!" Tenten was also swayed and added water to the pot with great interest.

"I want to drink juice! Tenten!" Rock Lee stood up and raised his hand.

"Here you go." Tenten pulled a bottle of juice from her Ninjutsu scroll with a bang and poured it into the glass that Naruto had prepared. "Call me if you need more."

"Good!"

Shino Aburame: "."

He didn't know what to say. If it were three or four years ago, Shino Aburame might have given Naruto and the others a stern scolding. After all, the mission was the top priority; how could they let their guard down?

But now he's not so stubborn; the mission isn't the top priority. And the mission isn't just his own; it's the team's mission.

Just let things take their natural course; there's no need to worry too much. Excessive worry not only doesn't help the task, but it can also easily lead to conflicts with teammates.

After the meal, Naruto asked about the location where Yamato had disappeared, and Shino Aburame gave him a place name.

"Kusagakure".

Upon hearing this, Naruto's heart skipped a beat. This place was no good. Kusagakure —why would Yamato go to a place like that?

"What kind of mission requires going to Kusagakure? Could it be a trap?"

"I don't know. The details of Yamato- sensei's mission are kept secret." Shino Aburame shook her head. "The information provided by the village is that Captain Yamato was last seen in Kusagakure."

"What's wrong with Kusagakure? Why do you look so worried, Naruto?" Tenten leaned closer, stared at Naruto for a while, and then reached out to touch his forehead.

"You're still sweating, what's wrong?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Shino Aburame and Rock Lee both turned their gazes toward Naruto.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about Kusagakure." Naruto wiped his sweat. "My sixth sense tells me it's best not to go."

The so-called sixth sense is nothing more than the conclusions drawn subconsciously from the vast and complex permutations and combinations of information stored in the brain.

But the thought process is a beat slow, requiring a sudden flash of inspiration. Unfortunately, there are no prior clues.

"There's such a saying?" Tenten was stunned for a moment.

"I don't know either." He took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Let's go and see. Maybe I'm overthinking it."

On the other side.

Kabuto had already placed Yamato, whom Black Zetsu had captured, on the testing platform and successfully enhanced 100,000 White Zetsu. As for the 5,000 White Zetsu Sasuke and sent to Kumogakure, they had already been shipped underwater and would arrive the next day.

Sasuke had arrived at the border of the Land of Lightning a few days earlier than planned. He received news of his attack on the Capital City of the Land of Fire while he was still on the road, where he kidnapped the Daimyo and stole his jewels.

Sasuke: "."

Undoubtedly, just like last time, they wanted to pin the blame on themselves. Sasuke's expression wasn't good. In the world of martial arts, getting hurt is one thing, but being forced to take the blame for so many things is another.

"Sasuke, what do you think about the situation in the Capital City of the Land of Fire?" Karin looked at him with some concern.

"It must have been Naruto!" Sasuke gritted his teeth, a rare expression of anger on his face. "Does that guy think I'm stupid? He keeps framing me!"

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Karin was somewhat surprised.

"It's him! No doubt about it!" Sasuke said confidently, grinding his teeth.

Karin was momentarily stunned. She hadn't really investigated who the fake Sasuke was; after infiltrating Kumogakure, her mind had been entirely focused on Sasuke. She had tried her best to stop him from doing anything too dangerous, but she hadn't expected that her concern would cloud her judgment.

Upon closer examination, there aren't many people who could impersonate Sasuke. First, one would have to have seen Sasuke, and second, one would need to be somewhat familiar with Sasuke. Most importantly, one would need strength that is no less than Sasuke's.

By now, Naruto's strength can no longer be hidden, and it's not difficult to deduce the imposter Sasuke's identity with just a little thought.

The Land of Fire, immense power, acquaintance with Sasuke, shamelessness—all these factors combined make the answer obvious: that damned Naruto Uzumaki!!

"Why would he do this?" Karin frowned. "Sasuke, weren't you partners before? Even if he wanted to use a fake identity, he could have used someone else's."

"No, you don't understand him!" Sasuke gazed at the border of the Land of Lightning ahead, took a deep breath, and said, "This man has always been shameless, utterly shameless!"

"He's deliberately provoking me. When I question him, he'll definitely pretend to be innocent!"

Damn it!

"Then Sasuke, you should get revenge too. He impersonated you, so why can't you impersonate him?" Suigetsu glanced at him and said casually.

When he turned around, he found Sasuke staring straight at him.

"W-what's wrong?" Suigetsu was startled and stammered.

"No, you're absolutely right." Sasuke shook his head, then muttered to himself, "That guy understands me because I haven't changed at all over the years."

"But isn't that guy the same? I know his character too, and I can definitely get revenge."

Suigetsu was a little dumbfounded and reminded her.

"Sasuke, we're going to invade Kumogakure."

"I know, this is a perfect opportunity to get revenge." Sasuke looked up into the distance. "Once White Zetsu arrives, we'll set off immediately!"

The next day.

As usual Yugito Nii got up early, washed up, and changed into casual clothes. The daily routine almost made her forget her past imprisonment.

Only when he saw Samui and Mabui did he suddenly realize that they, including himself, were spies who had no choice in the matter.

She straightened her collar in front of the mirror, and two minutes later came downstairs carrying a bag of trash. She had just finished throwing away the trash at the corner when she turned around and saw Samui greeting her.

"Up so early?" Samui a smile.

The next second, the head was separated from the body.

The Yugito Nii, their gazes icy, sheathed their Ninja Blade and watched as the corpse on the ground transformed into a white humanoid creature. A chill ran down their spines; was this an enemy they had never seen before?

When the Yugito Nii realized that enemies had infiltrated Kumogakure, the same scene was unfolding simultaneously throughout the village: hundreds of careless or distracted Kumogakure had their throats slit by their "relatives" or "friends."

Near the Raikage Tower, Sasuke used the Transformation Jutsu to transform into Naruto's appearance, paused for a moment, and slowly walked into the shadows.