"Defected?"
Naruto frowned, truly unable to understand why Sasuke would leave.
He had not held back at all regarding the training method for Senjutsu Chakra and the Rasengan, teaching them all to Sasuke. By all rights, Sasuke had no reason to leave Akatsuki Village.
Yet the next moment, Naruto suddenly arched an eyebrow, as if he had finally thought of a crucial detail he had forgotten.
Good grief, he had actually forgotten the pit he had dug for himself.
He had always subconsciously treated Sasuke in this life as that Second Pillar from the anime, the one who got talked into a corner by Obito Uchiha and ultimately chose to forgive Itachi Uchiha. But the problem was that things in this life were already entirely different.
The reason Sasuke had originally shifted his hatred from Itachi Uchiha to Konoha was because Obito had told him the truth. Now, however, Naruto had deliberately preserved Sasuke's monstrous hatred toward Itachi, giving him no opportunity whatsoever to forgive the older brother who had murdered their parents.
With Akatsuki Village's establishment this time, Akatsuki had once again publicly appeared at the ceremony. Naturally, Sasuke would point his hostility toward Akatsuki Village, which sheltered the Uchiha Clan, and toward Naruto as its leader.
That being the case, a defection became a logical progression.
Sigh, Orochimaru is getting a bit carried away.
Naruto sighed, suddenly somewhat missing the Orochimaru who had completely turned into a comic relief after Jiraiya's death.
"Black Zetsu."
As his voice fell, the ground slowly bulged, and a black figure emerged from the soil. Black and white, with a pitcher plant atop his body, Black Zetsu bowed respectfully.
"Lord Naruto."
"Go notify Pain, and have him send people to bring Sasuke back." Naruto looked toward the direction of the Land of Wind,