Across the ruins of the Valley of the End, Truth-Seeking Orbs lay scattered everywhere. Kurojirō and his eight brothers were wolfing them down!
Those were all Truth-Seeking Orbs copied by Ōmononushi. Discarding them would be wasteful, taking them along would be troublesome, and giving every one a soul was impractical. So Naruto had decided to let his own consume them!
In the scramble for food, Kurogōrō and Kurorokurō set their sights on the same orb!
"I found this one first! Go look somewhere else!"
"Nonsense! I saw it first!"
"Younger brothers should give way to their older brothers!"
"Nonsense! Older brothers should give way to their younger brothers!"
"Still talking back, you little brat? Looks like you need a lesson!"
Kurogōrō and Kurorokurō wrestled with each other. When they finally realized neither could get the better of the other, they decided to split the Truth-Seeking Orb. But when they turned back... Kurohachirō had already beaten them to it!
Watching from a distance, Naruto was no longer surprised by such scenes.
The souls Futsunomitama bestowed on the spur of the moment were highly unpredictable. Apart from their unwavering loyalty to Naruto, their personalities varied widely, from honest and kind to downright nasty.
He did not ask much of them. Obedience was enough.
After the ups and downs of an entire lifetime, Naruto had grown much more cold-blooded. He admitted that himself.
But toward Sasuke, he had always preserved that pure affection, expressing it through almost boundless tolerance and indulgence.
"Mm..." Beside the burning campfire, Sasuke opened his eyes. Seeing Naruto sitting quietly nearby, he immediately understood the situation.
Dejected, he turned his face away.
A gentle light reflected in Naruto's eyes. He added a piece of firewood to the campfire and said softly, "Let me guess what you're thinking, Sasuke. You're