Learning that Sasuke was training hard with Snake Aunt, doing everything he could to improve, put Naruto considerably more at ease.
Improving his various abilities was only one reason he had been training so obsessively lately, neglecting food and sleep.
The other was that Naruto wanted to immerse himself in training to ease the discomfort of not having Sasuke beside him.
Of course, that did not mean Naruto did not want to live with Sasuke.
Quite the opposite-he wanted it very much.
But Sasuke had a destiny of his own to shoulder.
And this seemingly peaceful Shinobi World, with its turbulent undercurrents, would soon descend into chaos.
So Naruto knew he did not have much time left.
He had to establish his own faction before the Fourth Shinobi World War.
"A brief separation only makes for a better reunion. Sasuke, I hope you won't blame me when that day comes."
Gazing at the sun slowly rising above the horizon, Naruto murmured those words, then turned back to have breakfast.
An hour later.
Naruto left a Shadow Clone to watch the house, then raced down Lone Peak.
"A true man's wisdom should flow like the Yangtze rushing east to the sea. Why linger over fleeting comforts in a tender embrace?"
Reciting Zilong's famous words from his previous life in a ringing voice, Naruto landed smoothly.
Yet before he could take a proper look at his surroundings, he heard shouts from nearby.
"Protect the young lady!"
"Who goes there?!"
Clatter, clatter, clatter...
Naruto had only just landed and still had no idea what was happening when a squad of spear-wielding bodyguards dressed like samurai surrounded him.
Honestly, Naruto really disliked their outfits.
With one spear after another pointed at him, Naruto looked past the samurai-like bodyguards toward where they had come