Meanwhile.
By the small river, a boy and a girl had already finished off three grilled fish.
"Where are we going now?"
Sasuke packed away her shuriken and kunai into her ninja tool pouch and asked.
"Follow me."
Naruto was also ready to go; since the recipe checked out, it was time to have a showdown with Aunt Ichiraku.
Walking side by side, the two quickly passed through the dark, lifeless Uchiha Clan Compound and arrived not far from the bustling streets.
Naruto was just about to lead Sasuke straight to Ichiraku Ramen when Sasuke grabbed his hand.
"What's wrong?" Naruto looked at Sasuke in confusion.
"How is your Transformation Technique?" With that, Sasuke smugly formed Hand Seals and said, "Transform."
Poof!
As the white smoke vanished, another Naruto carrying a canvas bag appeared.
Thinking Sasuke was trying to compete with him, Naruto chuckled as he also formed Hand Seals and said, "Transform."
Poof!
A twin-tailed girl appeared, looking down to see her own feet.
"Competing with me in the Transformation Technique? Don't you know transformation is my specialty?"
Naruto started to cancel the transformation, but Sasuke stopped him.
"Don't cancel it. I just want to walk around the streets of Konoha as you. Don't get me wrong, I want to know what you've been through all these years. Just how did you get this strong?"
Meeting Sasuke's resolute gaze, Naruto said irritably, "Are you sure? Won't you regret it?"
"Hmph, whatever the Uchiha Clan decides, we never regret."
"Fine then. Since you're going to disguise yourself as me, do me a favor and buy me a Dog-Head Mask from the ANBU. I've wanted that thing for a long time." Naruto flashed a sunny smile at Sasuke, who had turned into him.
"Small matter. Hand over the money."
Buying a mask was hardly difficult for Sasuke, who immediately held out her hand to Naruto.
"Money can wait. Once we get to the place and negotiate the price, I'll give it to you," Naruto laughed.
"Hmph, don't even think about making me pay. I don't have a single coin on me."
"Hey, the brilliant genius girl of the Uchiha Clan, if you grace a mask shop, can the owner possibly charge you?"
Sasuke liked the sound of that. "Fine then, let's go."
Naruto promptly told Sasuke which specific shop to buy it from, and Sasuke nodded, pacing toward the street.
Failing to see Naruto follow, she frowned, turned back, and said, "What are you doing? Hurry up and keep up."
"Never mind, you go ahead. I stubbed my foot on a fish bone just now, you go on ahead and I'll be right there."
"Hmph, annoying."
Pouting, Sasuke didn't care to deal with Naruto and headed toward the shop location Naruto had given her.
Yet the moment she approached the bustling streets, the surrounding whispers and undisguised cold glares made Sasuke bear immense pressure in her heart.figs
"Look, it's that kid..."
"Hmph, I heard he tore up a classmate's textbook today and even hit a classmate. What a tumor on Konoha."
"Whose child is in the same class as him? What absolute bad luck."
"We should jointly report this to Lord Hokage and expel this tumor!"
At first, Sasuke was full of confidence walking down the main street disguised as Naruto, believing Naruto's experiences couldn't possibly be as cruel as her own. Hearing one or two people pointing fingers at the start didn't seem like much.
However, as she walked forward.
One, two, three, five, ten, twenty...
Everyone looked at her with cold, hateful gazes, and without any hesitation, spoke extremely hurtful words. Her mindset gradually began to shift.
That sense of alienation and deep-seated malice was something Sasuke could even see with her naked eyes.
"Naruto, is this what you have to face every day?" Walking further, her expression grew increasingly dejected. Sasuke was shaken.
After just this short while, she felt so aggrieved she wanted to roar and charge over to beat up those people pointing and casting cold words. How was this kind of thing just Naruto's daily routine?
Yet Sasuke held back the impulse.
She wasn't Sasuke right now; she was Naruto, and she had to act according to Naruto's personality.
Soon, wearing Naruto's appearance, Sasuke entered a general store.
Near the storefront entrance, small and exquisite various ANBU masks were neatly lined up.
The shop owner was busy attending to a customer picking out merchandise, completely failing to notice Sasuke entering in Naruto's form.
However, by the time he turned around and saw Konoha's tumor, it was already too late.
Because one of Naruto's hands had already touched a Dog-Head Mask.
At that moment, touching the mask, Sasuke looked up at the owner and said, "Mister, how much for this?"
"Ah... It's him, it's that kid!" Seeing the Demon Fox's Child enter, the customer immediately fled in terror. "I don't want it, I'm not buying anymore!"
A deal that was practically closed had just been ruined because Naruto suddenly barged in.
The middle-aged owner's face turned frosty, his eyes fierce. Stomping over in three heavy strides, he pushed Sasuke hard without a word and cursed, "Jinx, who let you in?! Who told you to touch my mask?!"
The Uchiha used to be a Konoha Elite, and since the Military Police Force was controlled by the Uchiha, commoners never dared to offend them. Thus, Sasuke had always been treated with awe when walking the streets before.
She was completely unprepared for the middle-aged owner's shove. Propelled out of the shop by the tremendous force, she tripped over the doorstep and crashed onto the street.
Amid the middle-aged owner's fierce scolding and shouting, surrounding pedestrians also looked coldly at Sasuke, who had fallen to the ground disguised as Naruto.
Yet not only did no one stop it, someone even wanted to kick her while she was down.
"What are you doing?! I'll give you money!"
Feeling utterly aggrieved, tears welling up in her large eyes, Sasuke glared defiantly at the shopkeeper and roared.
"Money... Even if you have money, I won't sell to your kind!"
Seeing that the Demon Fox's Child still dared to talk back, the middle-aged owner vented his anger by ripping off the ANBU mask the child had touched and hurling it viciously at the fallen Sasuke.
Clang.
The mask struck Sasuke squarely on the forehead.
Sasuke was so angry she felt like she would burst, but right now she was Naruto and had to act according to Naruto's personality. Clutching her forehead and looking at the mask that had fallen beside her, she finally whimpered, snatched up the mask, and bolted toward the end of the street.
As she dashed out, she brushed past Naruto, who was transformed into Sasuke.
Yet Sasuke completely failed to notice Naruto in her own form because she was far too aggrieved at the moment.
"Weirdo."
Turning her head, Naruto blurted out that thoughtless remark as Sasuke ran past.
Realizing what he had done, he hurriedly gave chase.
"Oh man... I got too into character. I really started thinking of myself as Sasuke, and even casually dropped the original Sasuke's lines?"
Disguised as Sasuke, Naruto sped after the tearful Sasuke who had transformed into him.
Soon, Naruto found Sasuke in a quiet grove, using a kunai to hack away at an innocent tree.
"Release!"
Releasing the transformation, Naruto shrugged and said, "Well... You asked for this yourself, and you said yourself you wouldn't regret it."
Hearing Naruto say that, Sasuke choked back a sob, stabbed viciously at the tree, and snapped, "They're going too far! What right do they have?!"
Seemingly remembering something, Sasuke wiped away her tears, turned around, and hurled the ANBU mask in her hand at Naruto.
"Thanks."
Catching the mask he had longed for, Naruto broke into a smile.
"You... You're still smiling? People beat me up, and not only do you not help me, you even call me a weirdo?!"
Naruto thought Sasuke hadn't heard him; he hadn't expected this girl's ears to be so sharp.
Watching Sasuke approach menacingly with puffed-up cheeks, Naruto could only laugh awkwardly and apologize.
Yet even as he backed up against a tree, Sasuke didn't stop her advance.
Naruto was just about to cross his arms over his head to weather Sasuke's storm.
Yet the next second, Naruto felt his brain short-circuit.
Before you continue