Land of Fields.
Otogakure territory.
Atop a low mountain in the forest.
Naruto and Sasuke were getting to know each other's taste.
Clearly, neither had much experience in this area. Compared with Naruto, Sasuke was more innocent, responding only awkwardly.
After a long while, they slowly parted.
Gazing at Naruto's handsome, resolute face from up close, Sasuke couldn't help reaching out to stroke his cheek.
"If that special Ninjutsu of yours, 'Window to the Mind,' hadn't shown me how you wrote those letters, I'd still think this was a dream. Naruto, is all of this real?"
Seeing the deep worry in Sasuke's eyes, Naruto nodded. "It's real. If you still don't believe me, how about I stab you so you can feel it?"
Those words made Sasuke laugh in exasperation, and he curled his hands into little fists again to pound Naruto's chest.
"You jerk. You've grown up, but you still can't be serious."
Sasuke looked at Naruto, thought for a moment, then asked, "How did you spend these past two years in Konoha?"
He had instinctively assumed Naruto had returned to Konoha after he defected.
Naruto shook his head. After carefully choosing his words, he began explaining.
"Actually, Kakashi had already arrived when Kimimaro carried you away from the Valley of the End."
At the mention of Kakashi, Sasuke's face became expressionless. "And then? He didn't try to stop Kimimaro?"
"He did, but I stopped him."
Sasuke was visibly taken aback.
Seeing Sasuke's confusion, Naruto's expression turned serious.
"After that, we fought and laid our cards on the table. I told him about Konoha's decline over the years, and eventually he became my mole in Konoha."
"What? Kakashi became your informant in Konoha?"
Sasuke was quite shocked to hear that. He knew Kakashi fairly well.
Kakashi had previously served