Can I Borrow Your Head for a While?

"How can you be sure I'd take you with me?" Uzumaki Reikawa crossed his arms. "Stop fooling around and go back. If we run into a Jonin, it'd be hard enough for me to escape on my own. I don't have the strength to protect you."

Sasuke nodded. "That's exactly why I came with you."

"..."

"No matter what the mission is, even though it has the Hokage's signature, it doesn't look like a classified mission. And a mission assigned to you alone, based on your strength, definitely won't be too difficult. There haven't been any suitable missions to practice on lately, so I came looking for you." Sasuke's analysis was perfectly logical.

"..."

If the real situation was indeed what Uzumaki Reikawa had told Tsunade, then Sasuke was right.

But the problem was that Uzumaki Reikawa was going to find the original body. If no one had been following him, he would have dismissed himself long ago and had the original body create another clone. He also didn't know whether the original body could keep White Zetsu in the dark.

Thinking of this, Uzumaki Reikawa refused. "No. This is a classified mission."

Sasuke: "..."

What kind of classified mission openly left through the main gate? And wasn't that red hair a little too conspicuous?

After saying that, Uzumaki Reikawa was about to slip away. Sasuke stayed where he was without chasing after him, nor did he return to Konoha. Just as he lifted his foot to head in another direction—

Uzumaki Reikawa suddenly turned back. "Where are you going?"

"What's it to you?"

...This brat was really unlikeable. Even when asking for help, he had no proper attitude. "If you don't plan on telling me, then I'll have someone from Konoha take you back."

"..."

Yet even after things had come to this, Sasuke still showed no intention of speaking. Uzumaki Reikawa resigned himself. "Fine, come with me. But I can't guarantee your safety."

Meanwhile, after Uchiha Gen brought back the Five-Tails, he had nothing much to do for the time being. Though the sealing still needed to be performed, there were only ten spots up there. No matter how much work he did, he wouldn't get paid, so Uchiha Gen was more than happy to take it easy.

It was worth mentioning that Itachi's handwriting was much prettier than Obito's, and the previous experience card reward was still there.

Using a blind spot, he had a clone replace Uchiha Gen and remain there, then put the skin on the clone. The original body used Instantaneous Shift to leave.

Looking at the familiar cracks on his hand... and thinking of the number of skins required in the system, Uchiha Gen smacked his lips twice. At that moment, he really wanted to ask Asuma, "Can I borrow your head for a while?"

The place he had agreed to meet his clone was where they had captured the Five-Tails before, at the border of the Land of Rock. There was no special meaning behind it; it was mainly far away and convenient.

The cracks on his face were also why he had chosen to keep wearing a mask.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Gen stared at the cracks on his hand and fell silent for a moment. I still really want to pick at them. Can't this thing be a little smoother?

At the same time, Orochimaru, who still hadn't given up on Sasuke, immediately smiled upon noticing Sasuke had left Konoha. At the same time, a small snake crawled into his sleeve.

After receiving the intelligence delivered by the small snake, Orochimaru pondered slightly. There was also a red-haired ninja beside Sasuke?

White Zetsu, watching from afar, relayed the news to Obito as well.

Night had completely fallen...

After setting up the tent, Uzumaki Reikawa asked as if making casual conversation, "You seem to have been working very hard lately. Tell me about it. Maybe I can give you some pointers."

"...No need. Where is this mission of yours headed?"

"The border of the Land of Rock."

"That far?"

"I'm going to visit relatives."

"...I think I want to go back."

"I think so too. I told you to go back earlier, but you refused. Now, even if you want to go back, you can't. Trouble's here."

"?!"

As soon as he spoke, several giant snakes suddenly appeared and slammed toward Sasuke and Uzumaki Reikawa, trying to separate them. Prepared for this, Uzumaki Reikawa directly grabbed Sasuke by the collar and dodged at near-teleportation speed.

The tent left behind was instantly smashed apart. Seeing this, Uzumaki Reikawa fell silent. "...Looks like we'll have to sleep rough tonight."

Seeing that the attack had failed, Orochimaru was not angry. He recalled the giant snakes, licked his lips, and walked out with a smile. "Sasuke, you haven't come looking for me in so long. Is your hatred still not enough? Or do you simply not care about the person who wiped out your entire clan? Then again, as the only Uchiha left, without other clansmen to compare you against, who would know that your talent is the worst?"

Seeing Sasuke immediately enraged and activate his Sharingan, Uzumaki Reikawa stretched out a hand to stop him, then mocked Orochimaru instead. "You say you can give him power. Does that mean you're stronger than his enemy?"

Hearing those words, Sasuke gradually calmed down. For some reason, the more he looked at Uzumaki Reikawa, the more familiar he felt. Yet he was certain he had never seen that face anywhere.

Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly. He answered without giving anything away, "Of course I'm stronger. You're a member of the Uzumaki Clan?"

"Bullshit!" Seeing Orochimaru lie through his teeth, Uzumaki Reikawa didn't even know what to say about his shamelessness. "Whether I am or not, is there a problem?"

"Hehe..." Though Orochimaru was smiling after being contradicted again and again, immense killing intent rose within him toward Uzumaki Reikawa.

Unfortunately, it was like winking at the blind. Uzumaki Reikawa could not sense any of that killing intent. He merely suddenly asked Sasuke, "Sasuke, do you want to try challenging him?"

Sasuke froze. "?!"

"I received some interesting intelligence these past few days. Orochimaru is a paper tiger right now. Because of a certain jutsu, his mental state is extremely poor. You know what to do, right?"

Sasuke's expression darkened slightly. Challenge Orochimaru as he was now? Remembering how powerless he had felt before, and how completely he had been overwhelmed, he didn't think he could defeat Orochimaru at this point.

"Of course, in a normal fight to the death, I shouldn't interfere. But this is a challenge across ranks, after all. If you can't beat him, I'll save you."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "You can try!"

With that, his body suddenly twisted. His neck rapidly extended as he slithered like a snake, and the Kusanagi Sword shot from his mouth toward Uzumaki Reikawa. Yet after it struck him, Uzumaki Reikawa turned into a wooden log.

Uzumaki Reikawa suddenly appeared beside Sasuke again, his voice clear. "Remember his movements. The Sharingan's abilities aren't limited to copying and observation. Genjutsu is also very important. You don't need to become especially proficient. As long as you master enough genjutsu to threaten Orochimaru, that'll be enough."

Hearing this, Orochimaru's expression turned ugly. How did this guy know his weakness? "Kabuto!"

A second before Orochimaru spoke, Kabuto had already charged in with light glinting off his glasses, using the Chakra Scalpel in an attempt to sever Uzumaki Reikawa's muscle connections.

Uzumaki Reikawa sidestepped to avoid it. Faced with the exposed opening, Kabuto had no intention of pressing the attack. Instead, he immediately turned and tried to seize Sasuke. Yet in the next moment, a golden chain bound his hand.

Sasuke also took the chance to leave his original position, inwardly shocked. This guy is that strong? At that moment, Uzumaki Reikawa gave Sasuke no chance to stand around and watch. "I can only hold the two of them off. If you want to defeat them, it'll depend on you."

At the same time, he silently estimated that he had three-tenths of his chakra left. Seeing the faint signs of Sasuke's Three-Tomoe Sharingan emerging, Uzumaki Reikawa sighed. Forget it.

As for what might be exposed after this, considering Sasuke's attitude toward pursuing power, as long as Uzumaki Reikawa told him not to speak of it, Sasuke probably would not say much.