That meant heading to the forbidden grounds and secret places of his own clan.
Sasuke believed that if his brother really was waiting for him, those secret places would be the most suitable setting—the perfect battleground for the two brothers.
Naruto watched Sasuke and his companions leave, his eyes narrowing slightly. A faint golden glow flickered in his azure eyes. Then his expression turned solemn once more.
"Then let's head back, too. The real main event is still ahead!"
"Yeah!"
"Right, Naruto!"
Naruto and Sasuke had been reunited only briefly before parting ways again.
One headed toward the person who mattered most to him.
The other chose to return to the Land of Snow for the time being.
Naruto had planned to accompany Sasuke in searching for Uchiha Itachi. That would have minimized the risks as much as possible, but it would also have wasted precious time. Who knew when the Akatsuki would strike again? Obito and Nagato were both ruthless madmen. Naruto wouldn't—and didn't want to—hand the initiative to someone else. That would leave him far too passive.
There was another, more important reason: Naruto could see Sasuke's pride and resolve in his eyes. Especially after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, Sasuke surely didn't want anyone interfering in the matter between him and his "brother"—all the more so now that he knew the truth behind his clan's destruction.
So Naruto let Sasuke make his own choice. If something really did go wrong, then each of them had to be prepared for that possibility.
If you wanted to be a player, you had to be prepared to be treated as a piece on the board.
If you dared to "pull the trigger," you had to be ready to be "shot" yourself!
Ever since Naruto had come to this world, he had