Sasuke, Why?

At this moment, Second Pillar spoke up.

"Sakura, you're really annoying." Then, as if remembering something, Sasuke stopped in his tracks and glanced back.

He glared at Sakura with his left eye, the six-tomoe Rinnegan. Sakura, who had been teary-eyed just a moment ago, saw her pupils dilate instantly; she closed her eyes and felt as though she were about to collapse.

Oh, it's starting, Zeyu thought to himself, gloating from the sidelines.

"Sakura!" Naruto and Kakashi shouted in unison. They had never expected Sasuke to strike at Sakura. Fortunately, it was only a genjutsu, but it was still a genuine attack on a comrade.

Wait, where is Sa...suke? Zeyu knew what would happen to Sakura—she had simply been knocked unconscious by the genjutsu. He knew Sasuke still needed her; he needed her to prevent Naruto from stopping his revolution, to help kill the Five Kage, and later to undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Therefore, he hadn't paid any attention to Sakura's condition, keeping his eyes fixed on Sasuke instead. But now, Sasuke, who should have still been standing there, was nowhere to be seen.

"Zeyu!" Naruto shouted loudly after noticing the disappearance.

A chorus of chirping birds rang out. Zeyu's left chest was pierced through, an entire hand thrusting out from his back. Without looking down, Zeyu saw the lightning crackling at his chest.

There was a pale left hand wrapped in lightning; blood flowed onto it, reacting with the electricity to emit wisps of white smoke.

"Sasuke... why?" Zeyu stammered, blood spilling from his mouth the moment he spoke.

"Zeyu, an existence like yours will only hinder me. You know too much," Sasuke paused, then added, "Besides, Kaguya has been sealed, along with Black Zetsu. The new ninja world I am building has no need for you."

"I..." Just as Zeyu tried to say something, Sasuke yanked his hand out. The violent motion caused blood to spray, staining the ground beneath Zeyu's feet.

However, Sasuke didn't seem intent on letting him go. He grabbed Zeyu's right shoulder with his other hand, leaned in toward his left shoulder, and said coldly, "Besides, it was you who told me to go back early that day, wasn't it?" With that, Sasuke let go.

Deprived of support, Zeyu fell straight forward and collapsed onto the ground.

"Sasuke! What are you doing!" Naruto could no longer hold back. When Sakura had confessed earlier, he hadn't expected Sasuke to attack her, and he had only reacted once she fell under the genjutsu. He had just been about to check on her when he realized Sasuke was gone and had appeared behind Zeyu. By the time Naruto realized what Sasuke was about to do, the deed was already done. Although he had shouted a warning, it was too late.

The Chidori had pierced his heart directly; there was no saving him.

If the Sage's power were still with him, he might have been able to attempt a rescue, but that power had already been returned to Otsutsuki Hagoromo. For Naruto, this was a double blow. Both were his lifelong friends—one trapped in a genjutsu, the other murdered in cold blood. Naruto, who had been holding back earlier to avoid accidentally hurting Zeyu, now had no such concerns. Seeing Zeyu fallen, he charged straight at Sasuke.

"Rasengan!" Naruto rushed toward Sasuke with the orb in his hand. Sasuke didn't hesitate, leaping backward and preparing the Preta Path with his Rinnegan.

Naruto was slightly faster, and since Sasuke was jumping backward, he was naturally slower, but the distance gained from the leap was enough to prepare the power of the Preta Path.

Just as Naruto was about to strike, Sasuke extended his left hand to absorb the Rasengan, then used a backhand motion to clamp onto Naruto's wrist.

Suspended in mid-air, Naruto couldn't exert any force, and with a sharp tug, Sasuke threw him behind him.

"It seems this battle has made me even more proficient in using the Rinnegan." Sasuke was very satisfied with himself, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

"Damn you, Sasuke!" Naruto's face was twisted in rage. He clenched his fists tightly in front of him, looking as if he wanted to pin Sasuke to the ground and beat him senseless right then and there.

"Naruto, if you want to fight, let's go to the Valley of the End. You wouldn't want to involve Kakashi and the others, would you?" Sasuke flicked his left hand, looking at Naruto with a hint of contempt.

In Sasuke's eyes, Naruto was already a dead man. Once he beat him half to death, killed the Five Kage and the other obstacles, and undid the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he would be completely useless. He could kill him whenever he pleased. What was there to fear from a failure who had only grown this strong by relying on the Nine-Tails? When the time came to deal with the Tailed Beasts, he would just let him die along with them.

"I, Second Pillar, am the strongest now. Once I finish you, Naruto, this ninja world will welcome a new era—an era of peace." Sasuke spread his arms toward the furious Naruto.

Then, he leaped away.

"Sasuke..." After watching Sasuke's back disappear, Naruto turned and returned to Zeyu's side.

By now, Zeyu had completely lost his breath, the warmth of his body slowly fading away.

Kakashi crouched nearby, silent and motionless. He truly hadn't expected Sasuke to kill Zeyu in cold blood. Over the years, although Zeyu hadn't been particularly powerful and had never defeated any major enemies, his intelligence gathering had been superb. During battles, he could accurately point out an enemy's weaknesses. In an era of ninjas where encounters often meant instant death, knowing the opponent's intel and weaknesses in advance was critical.

It could turn the tide of any battle.

Yet, a man like this—a hero—had been killed so casually. And for the absurd reason that he was no longer useful, not to mention that cryptic remark: "It was you who told me to go back early that day." What did that even mean?

Naruto walked over, glanced at Zeyu, and then looked at Kakashi. Noticing Naruto's gaze, Kakashi shook his head.

Naruto sighed, knelt down, placed his hand over Zeyu's eyes, and gently stroked downward to close them.

"I'm sorry, Zeyu. It's my fault. If only I had noticed sooner..." After saying this, Naruto let out another sigh.

After a moment of silence, he said to Kakashi, "Kakashi-sensei, please help bury Zeyu. And I leave Sakura to you."

"Mn," Kakashi nodded.

Naruto then turned to look in the direction Sasuke had gone, glanced one last time at Zeyu on the ground, and as if having made a firm decision, walked away without looking back.

In this life, Zeyu had finally managed to be reincarnated into Konoha. Even though he was just a background character, by knowing the plot and providing intelligence, he had saved Sarutobi Asuma, Jiraiya, and even Neji.

I had informed Asuma of Hidan and Kakuzu's weaknesses in advance, which ensured he didn't die. In the end, the skirmish concluded with only minor injuries on our side and the loss of one of Kakuzu's hearts.

Although it was a pity not to have finished them off, Kakuzu and Hidan were no pushovers. Given the limited strength of our current lineup, this result was already quite satisfactory.

As for Jiraiya, after learning the intelligence regarding Nagato, he insisted on making a trip. His reasons were twofold: first, to verify the accuracy of the intel, and second, to see his own student and ask why he had established an organization like the Akatsuki.

He returned later without any major injuries, having met Yahiko and Konan, and even exchanged a few words with Nagato. He did encounter a bit of trouble during his retreat, but because he had been well-prepared, it didn't pose much of a problem.

Following this incident, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, began to rely heavily on Zeyu. Later, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, she even appointed Zeyu as a military strategist... or rather, a deputy.

It was only due to Zeyu's strong insistence that he was allowed onto the battlefield, where he stayed by the side of the main force, Naruto.

That was what led to the later event where he used a Shadow Clone to save Neji.

Zeyu had been conserving his chakra the entire time he was with Naruto, just waiting for the moment to save Neji. Since his chakra reserves were low, manifesting a single Shadow Clone was already his limit.

Regardless, with Naruto there to protect him, he didn't really need to fight.

At that time, Hinata gave him a heartfelt thank you, bowing until her waist was at a ninety-degree angle.