The surroundings fell silent.
Sasuke's heart raced, and his body stiffened. He was at a loss.
No one could ever be prepared for an impossible coincidence.
The two girls who had been keeping an eye on Sasuke, Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka, saw that Naruto was his first kiss. Like a stick of dynamite being lit, they both exploded with fury.
Naruto immediately pulled away from Sasuke, thinking, The Ninja Academy's going to have another ridiculous rumor that'll spread far and wide.
"Sasuke, a man should be decisive. Don't dwell on accidents." Naruto gave Sasuke an awkwardly worded reassurance, then hurried out of the classroom. He really couldn't stand to stay there any longer.
Sasuke lowered his head and returned to his seat, weighed down by his thoughts.
Ino punched the air. "Sakura, we have to teach Naruto a lesson. We can't let him get close to Sasuke-kun again."
Sakura said, "We should check on Sasuke first. That must have been a huge shock for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be sitting there with his head down, not saying a word."
The two girls silently fumed. Why wasn't I Sasuke's first kiss?
Naruto left the Ninja Academy, planning to find Lee and train with him.
They were all still children. They'd laugh and joke about it, and then it would pass.
But the Ninja Academy's lessons had already become something he could afford to neglect. If Naruto wanted to get stronger, he would have to train hard, push his body beyond its limits, and completely unlock all Eight Gates as soon as possible. As for ninjutsu, he should choose the right path and master some powerful long-range techniques. They would help him in battle later on.
During his missions, Naruto had caught a glimpse of the Ninja World. Powerful ninjutsu gave shinobi the chance to break the rules, while killing ensured that chains of hatred endured.
If he could grow even stronger, Naruto was willing to contribute to peace in the Shinobi World.
On the border of the Land of Fire, beneath the earth in a dense forest, lay one of Orochimaru's research bases.
Orochimaru had resurrected in a new, youthful body. He looked delicate, with long hair cascading over his shoulders. The only thing that hadn't changed was his pair of golden, slit-pupiled eyes. "The Sharingan, the Uchiha—there's something so fascinating about their power. That's why I chose to work with you. If I can get my hands on a large number of Sharingan, I'll surely uncover every secret of the Uchiha and their eyes."
Orochimaru's expression was almost feverish. After losing to Uchiha Itachi, he had put his pursuit of eternal life on the back burner. What he wanted most now was the bodies of the Uchiha Clan's gifted members.
Across from Orochimaru stood Uchiha Obito, wearing a mask. Following Madara Uchiha's orders, he intended to make the Uchiha who had once opposed Madara disappear from Konoha forever.
"Orochimaru, your research is very useful. Hashirama Senju's abilities will soon reappear in the Shinobi World. In Konoha, Danzo will help us deal the Uchiha Clan their final blow. I hope you don't have any other ideas." Uchiha Obito knew Orochimaru wouldn't obey anyone's orders.
Orochimaru was fiercely ambitious. After witnessing the deaths of so many people, he knew how fragile life was. He believed the human body contained power that one could never use up in a lifetime. That was why he wanted to live forever: so he could learn every ninjutsu and grasp the truth of the world.
Uchiha Obito, meanwhile, only wanted to create a perfect world where he and Rin could live happily together.
"Uchiha Itachi's body must be left to me." Orochimaru eagerly awaited the clan's destruction.
A Kamui vortex appeared, and Uchiha Obito vanished from where he stood.
Konoha.
The daimyo of the Land of Fire and the daimyo of the Land of Earth were meeting, and both Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi had been called away to escort them. The Council of Elders would temporarily oversee the village's affairs.
Root.
Danzo looked at the trusted subordinates he had spent years training and gave his order. "We move tonight."
"Yes, Lord Danzo." They only obeyed Danzo's orders. They didn't care whether his actions were right or wrong; he had already brought them completely under his control.
Danzo rubbed his right hand, which had been aching faintly for some time. Tonight would mark a new beginning for Konoha. He would prove to everyone in the village that Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi were incapable of making Konoha powerful. Only he, Danzo, could be the village's savior.
On a long embankment, Sasuke angrily kicked a dark, round stone away. "I lost to Neji again. Where am I falling short? Naruto said that if I could awaken the Sharingan, I might be able to see Neji's movements. But how do I awaken it?"
The stone bounced along and came to rest beside a girl wearing a purple coat, her long black hair gleaming beautifully.
"Sasuke, is school out?"
"Hello, Izumi."
Izumi Uchiha had been a classmate of Uchiha Itachi's. When the Nine-Tails rampaged, she had witnessed her father's death and awakened the Sharingan in her grief. Even now, though, she still hadn't learned how to use it.
"Why do you look so down, Sasuke?" Izumi Uchiha asked.
Sasuke took Izumi Uchiha's hand. "You're looking for my brother, right? I bet he's at home helping Mother clean. My brother's going to grow into a wonderful man."
Izumi Uchiha's bright eyes held a quiet affection for Uchiha Itachi. "Is that so? I'm looking forward to it, too!"
"Izumi, when will I awaken the Sharingan?" Sasuke blinked and asked uncertainly.
Izumi Uchiha stroked Sasuke's face. "What are you worried about? Itachi said awakening the Sharingan might not be a good thing. It's only when we go through something unbearably painful that our blood is stirred and we gain this power. Sasuke, don't let the pursuit of strength hold you back. There are so many other wonderful things in life waiting for you."
Sasuke didn't quite understand. "We're almost there. My brother really is home."
They looked down from the embankment. Itachi was holding a bucket of water, ready to mop the floor.
"Brother!" Sasuke immediately brightened, forgetting his anger at being beaten by Neji.
Itachi said warmly to Izumi Uchiha, "What brings you here?"
Izumi Uchiha spoke softly. "My team was disbanded, so I came back. I thought I'd come see how you were doing!"
Sasuke snatched the mop from Itachi and started playing with it in the bucket.
Itachi beckoned to Izumi Uchiha. "Come inside and have some tea. I'm sure my mother hasn't seen you in a long time, and she'll have plenty to talk about."
Izumi Uchiha looked a little nervous. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
Even though she liked Itachi, Izumi still acted cautiously around him.
"Of course not," Itachi said.
Before long, Mikoto and Izumi were happily chatting together. Most of their conversation was about Itachi's life at school. Sasuke sat off to one side, listening intently.
Itachi continued mopping the floor.
"I'm home!" Uchiha Fugaku returned. Seeing Izumi, he remembered that she had once been Itachi's classmate. He gave Itachi a look that urged him to make a move.
Suddenly,
A rectangular barrier of transparent purple flames flared up all around them.
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