Midnight, Konoha, main gate.
Sasuke was dressed in white, with the Kusanagi Sword at his waist, and his expression was cold and murderous.
The familiar figure stood before him, blocking his way with a serious expression.
The two security guards on duty yawned listlessly, occasionally glancing at the young figure on the bench not far away, and sighing softly.
"Are kids these days so precocious? Dating at the village entrance in the middle of the night... It reminds me of our time..."
" Izumo, did you have any dating experience back then?"
Kotetsu ruthlessly undermined him, leaving Izumo dejected and forcing out a single sentence from his throat.
"No."
"What is it, Sakura?"
Hearing Sasuke's indifferent tone, Sakura, who had been on tenterhooks and worried about Sasuke, breathed a sigh of relief, but still felt a little worried.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about you... Sasuke-kun might come here, may I ask... where are you going?"
Perhaps sensing Sakura's thoughts, Sasuke frowned and spoke in a cold, indifferent tone.
"Revenge."
"Revenge? Sasuke-kun, you want to... leave the village?"
Sasuke did not refute this, his deep, unfathomable eyes fixed on his companion, his tone tinged with impatience.
What do you want to ask?
"No, the Third Hokage has just sacrificed himself, and the village is in chaos. Sasuke-kun, if you leave the village now, you might be labeled a rogue ninja..."
"Who cares?"
For a moment, Sakura froze on the spot, silently lowering her head.
"But... but, if Sasuke-kun becomes a rogue ninja, then won't all the bonds we've built up over this time be for revenge?"
"Only him, Uchiha Itachi, only him I will never forgive!"
These words sent a shiver down Sakura's spine, and the words she had been holding back for so long burst forth like water from a burst dam.
"Then take me with you. Without Sasuke, Konoha is just a lonely place for me. I will never hold you back!"
After a long silence, Sasuke stared intently and said something that left Sakura bewildered.
"You have parents, friends and rivals, caring partners and family, but I have nothing except my one friend."
"The guy who took away my parents, my clan, everything I had, Uchiha Itachi, was my brother, and all of this was for his so-called magnanimity..."
"You are not me, and you have never experienced loneliness like Naruto, so how could you possibly understand my feelings? But I still want to thank you, thank you for stepping in to stop me, and thank you for waiting these past few days. Please do not hinder my revenge."
With a flash of red light in her eyes, Sakura fainted and was Sasuke.
"Wait, something seems off..."
Izumo, who had been watching this side, called out to Kotetsu. As the two walked near Sasuke, the dark clouds that had been obscuring the moonlight gradually moved away.
Only then did they see clearly the Fire Fan behind the white-clad figure.
" Uchiha, Uchiha Sasuke? Why is he here so late...?"
Looking back, the exquisite and intricate Mangekyō spun slightly, and the two of them instantly collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.
"Sorry to trouble you to sleep here. I hope you don't catch a cold."
"No problem, I'll explain to them. Danzo has already gone to the Five Kage Summit. With Teacher and me covering for him, everything will be fine. Just don't die."
A familiar, indifferent tone appeared from behind, and the sight of blond hair and blue eyes warmed Sasuke's heart.
"Thank you, Naruto."
"You've got some things wrong. You have friends, family who care about you, and elders who love you. Next time, at least finish your meal before you go out. Someone will worry about you."
Naruto tossed a package into Sasuke's hands. When Sasuke opened it, he found that it contained his favorite bonito rice balls and various dishes.
"Let's finish this quickly. If those old guys find out, things will get really complicated."
"Ah."
As Uchiha Sasuke disappeared, Naruto shook Konoha head slightly, helped Izumo and Kotetsu, the two gatekeepers, into the duty room, and then watched silently from the shadows.
Soon after, Sakura's parents rushed over from afar. When they saw Sakura sleeping soundly on the bench, Sakura's irritable mother was about to wake her up, but Sakura's father stopped her.
"Honey, what are you doing? If you don't discipline this child properly, he'll end up like this..."
"Never mind, the village has been so busy lately, the child must be exhausted. Let's just go home."
Naruto watched the family of three leave without saying much, but a hint of envy still flashed in his eyes.
"What's wrong? It's so late, why aren't you going home to sleep? Go home."
He felt a weight on his shoulder, and when Naruto turned around, the familiar face and attire warmed his heart.
"Brother Huayue, Sasuke, he..."
"Ah, it's over already? A little faster than I expected. Don't worry, with those eyes, Sasuke won't lose to Itachi. Let's go back."
After receiving a positive answer, Naruto finally felt relieved and smiled slightly.
"Really? Then I'm relieved. What the teacher said will definitely succeed, right?"
"I'm not a god, how can I make things go my way? If I don't leave now, I won't have time to sleep. Time to go back!"
On the other hand, outside the Root Headquarters, there is a hidden stronghold on the outskirts of Konoha.
Aburame Ryoma silently stretched out his right hand, and one by one, the Kikaichū stealthily crept into the room not far away.
A moment later, when the Kikaichū crawled back into his hand, Aburame Ryoma was immediately startled.
"What? He's not in the room!"
"Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique ".
Suddenly, a hand reached out from under Aburame Ryoma's feet and grabbed Aburame Ryoma ankle.
As if struck hard with a hammer, Aburame Ryoma was paralyzed and lay on the ground, yet the words that reached his ears sounded strangely familiar.
"I recognize this face. You were the guard who followed Danzo and mingled with Orochimaru. You also played a part in forcing the Director to infiltrate Iwagakure."
Gone was the listening tone of the past; as the Yakumi slowly lifted the hood, Aburame Ryoma was terrified.
" Yakushi Kabuto?! How is this possible? Your and Yakushi Nonō's corpses were clearly already..."
"Corpses? You mean those two carefully cultivated fakes, almost identical in age and experience? As expected of Brother Huayue, those flawless disguises are simply exquisite works of art."
"With your Anbu's ability to identify problems, you're dreaming."
As a transparent potion was injected into Aburame Ryoma's body, the Kikaichū that had been struggling to escape became drowsy.
"When you wake up, all the mistakes Danzo has made will be exposed to the light of day, causing him to fall apart at his most glorious moment. Your faith will also collapse completely. This is the best punishment for you."