Sasuke stood nearby in silence for a long time. As he looked at the youth before him, guilt and self-reproach filled his heart, and he finally spoke in a low voice.
"Actually... you should have come to me sooner."
"All these years, I kept hearing that a young descendant of the Uchiha had appeared in the Shinobi World, but I never sought you out."
"I thought you were a lab-grown experiment, not someone with genuine Uchiha blood, so I never looked into it. That was my mistake."
For all those years, he had watched Sarada wander from place to place and fall into danger time and again, yet he had never offered her protection.
Now that he knew the truth-that she was the only blood descendant his older brother, Uchiha Itachi, had left in this world-Sasuke was filled with indescribable regret.
Sarada gently shook her head. Her voice was calm and accepting; she had long since let go of her past grievances.
"It's all in the past."
"I'm already lucky to have survived this long."
Then her tone shifted. She looked at Naruto and Sasuke with worry in her eyes and asked urgently, "Right, what about Langwei and Uncle Kisame? How are they?"
At the mention of the two, Naruto slowly shook his head and offered quiet reassurance.
"They're definitely fine."
"They've probably gone into hiding by now, resting and treating their injuries somewhere out of sight."
"In a little while, I'll release some Nine-Tails Chakra as a signal. Once they sense it, they'll come find us."
As the group continued on their way, Orochimaru, who had watched the battle in silence, suddenly spoke. His voice was grave as he addressed the deadliest threat they now faced.
"Naruto, there's something I need to say plainly."
"The threat posed by the