"The person Sasuke is looking for," Naruto said, stepping forward and being the first to leave the graveyard. "Sasuke's target just happens to be someone I want to find too. Once they realize I'm not in Konoha and there's no powerful ninja watching over me, they'll definitely come after me. They're Itachi Uchiha and his partner Kisame Hoshigaki."
Chojuro looked at Naruto in surprise, a flicker of fear in his eyes.
"You're planning to go after Kisame Hoshigaki? Do you even know how strong he is?"
"Of course I do. But we're not going to fight them this time. We'll wait until Sasuke finds them, then we make our move. We'll reclaim Kubikiribocho first, and then figure out how to take Samehada (the Shark Skin) from Kisame. You understand how important the Sharingan is—we can't let Sasuke and Itachi do whatever they want. If it really comes down to it, we might have no choice but to kill them."
Sai and Maki both nodded in agreement.
"We should also inform Danzo-sama about this."
Naruto sighed and adjusted the ninja blade on his back while looking at his two companions.
"Are you guys ready? Sorry, but I really don't want to drag you into business with Akatsuki."
"Naruto-senpai, no matter what happens, I will accompany you all the way until you safely return to Konoha."
Naruto turned his gaze toward Maki, who grew slightly flustered under his gaze, her cheeks faintly blushing.
"Sai-senpai is right. Whatever you decide to do, we'll support you… I won't be the burden I used to be back then." Her gaze was full of determination.
"I believe in both of you," Naruto gently replied, looking toward the distant horizon. "Alright, let's head out. No matter what it takes, we have to find Sasuke and Itachi and end this once and for all."
xxx
##Konoha, Hokage Tower's Office##
"What?! What is that brat planning to do?!" Inside the Hokage Tower's office, Tsunade and Sakura Haruno exclaimed at the same time.
Tsunade slammed her fist on the table furiously.
"That damn kid! Looks like I'll have to send Jiraiya to bring him back—but only if his injuries have healed…"
"Naruto is going to look for Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's face lit up with excitement.
Tamako nodded.
"He'll go after whoever is easier to find—Sasuke or Itachi. He says he doesn't care anymore whether Akatsuki comes after him. But if anyone wants to hunt him down, they'd better think twice about their strength because he doesn't want to lose any more comrades ever again."
Sakura quickly turned to Tsunade.
"Lady Tsunade, I want to go too! If Naruto can find Sasuke-kun, then we can bring him back, right?"
Tsunade didn't reply immediately. She simply stared at Tamako, who was currently using the summoning seal tattoo to communicate secretly with Naruto.
"He says he's confident this time... And if he can find Itachi, Sasuke will eventually come looking for him too."
"Why would he do this?" Tsunade asked. "Is it because he sees an opportunity, or is there another reason?"
Tamako shook her head with a bitter smile.
"To be honest, I think he's aiming to kill three birds with one stone. If things go smoothly, it might even become four birds with one stone."
She walked over to Tsunade and whispered,
"Naruto-sama is quite the opportunist. He will exploit every opportunity and leverage every available resource to achieve his goals."
"I don't really understand what you mean," Sakura said, frowning.
"To put it simply," Tamako explained, "Naruto-sama can't return to Konoha yet because he's worried about Akatsuki attacking the village. While searching for ways to control the Nine-Tails, he's building new alliances for Konoha. Right now, he also needs to track down two rogue ninja from our village while simultaneously helping Kirigakure recover their lost blades to strengthen Konoha's relationship with Kiri. And all this time, he's never stopped pushing himself."
Tsunade's eyes widened as she recalled those reports about Naruto's training and her firsthand experience of his progress during his time in Sunagakure. A slight smile formed on her lips.
"So then, has his strength improved significantly compared to before?"
Tamako turned toward the door and started walking out. When she reached the doorway, she stopped and looked back as she spoke:
"[Nine-Tails Chakra Mode] has already been perfected. He completed it long before fighting Pain, though using that jutsu still puts too great a strain on him. I should report this to Jiraiya. With that, I'll take my leave, Lady Hokage, Sakura. Naruto-sama asked me to send his greetings to you."
With that, she left the Hokage Office.
"What should we do now, Lady Tsunade? Should we go find Naruto?" Sakura asked.
Tsunade considered her options for a moment before making her decision. She had never liked the idea of letting Naruto roam freely alone. Now, with him bound to become everyone's target, it would be best to have someone secretly protect him.
"Go call Kakashi here. He doesn't need to go with Jiraiya, but tell him to immediately assemble a team and stand ready for immediate deployment once he receives word." She smiled. "That Kakashi fellow will agree if you're just firm with him."
Sakura smiled at Tsunade and replied with determination,
"Yes, sensei!"
With that, she rushed out to find Kakashi. Team 7 was now down to just her, and she'd have to do something about it.
xxx
##Unknown Location##
Deidara rose slowly from his spot inside the cave and stretched lazily. He'd just finished sealing a tailed beast—the latest addition to Akatsuki's collection.
"Now where should I go next? Should I go looking for revenge against that brat with the Nine-Tails? Or should I look for that guy who ruined my mission—Uchiha Sasuke?"
"Deidara-senpai, why would you want to chase after someone who thoroughly defeated you and killed our partner?" A man clad in Akatsuki robes and wearing an orange vortex mask asked, "His current power level likely exceeds what it was before."
"Who said I got defeated by him, Tobi?" Deidara snapped back angrily, "I want to settle scores with him because he destroyed Sasori's puppets!"
They shouldn't be hard to find. Ever since their last failed attack on Konoha, they've only had a few hiding places remaining.
xxx
## Land of Fire's Southern Border ##
Naruto, Sai, and Maki reached a safehouse under cover of darkness.
This safehouse was hidden deep within dense forests along the border region, making it extremely secluded.
After parting ways with Chojuro in the Land of Waves, they made their way here without delay.
"Will we be able to find Sasuke or Itachi?" Maki asked, sitting by the campfire at the center of the small room, which provided the trio with some warmth.
Sai nodded:
"We should. While we were in the Land of Waves, we heard rumors that Sasuke and his companions had headed south, toward the coastline. Later, however, a prisoner who had escaped from Orochimaru's base told us that Sasuke had gone north. So now we should search closer to the heart of the country."
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