Chapter 22
Sasuke frowned. "Right hand? What do you mean by that?"
"Hah." Naruto took a deep breath and raised his left hand. "You remember back in the academy? What did Iruka-sensei have us do after a fight?"
Sasuke lowered his eyes, thinking.
They had quarreled on the school grounds. In the end, Iruka ordered them to perform the seal of reconciliation.
Sasuke had used his left hand back then.
"So now you're using your right... does that mean—"
He muttered, "You're saying that if I destroy Konoha, not only will you not stop me, but you'll break my left hand so I can never form seals again?"
"Pfft…"
Naruto couldn't help but laugh.
"Answer me," Sasuke demanded, his tone sharp.
Naruto's eyes glinted mischievously, like he was half serious, half teasing. "Yeah, you got it. I'll break your hand!"
"You shameless idiot!" Sasuke snapped. "You want to talk about the past? You forgot what happened at the Valley of the End? Who won? If I'd gone all out, you wouldn't have even been alive for this conversation!"
It was true—Naruto had lost at the Valley of the End. Sasuke had the perfect chance to finish him.
But people always overlooked one thing.
During their final clash, Naruto's Rasengan had aimed upward, brushing Sasuke's forehead. The scratch on his forehead came from Naruto's sharp claws in his tailed-beast form.
Sasuke's Chidori, however, had struck downward—straight at Naruto's vital point.
Had it not been for that difference, things might've ended very differently.
"…Don't be so serious," Naruto said quietly. "Can't you tell I was just messing with you?"
"…Not funny," Sasuke growled. His voice turned cold. "You say you treat me like a friend, yet you joke like I'm nothing. Don't talk down to me. I'm not blind! You're Konoha's hero now, and I'm their number one enemy. I'll destroy the village."
"I've already betrayed Konoha," Naruto muttered.
"…What?" Sasuke froze.
Only now did he notice the forehead protector Naruto wore—the same one Sasuke had left behind when he defected. The symbol of a rogue ninja.
He turned his gaze toward Obito, recalling their meeting in the forest outside the village. Obito had only told him about the Five Kage Summit and Danzo becoming Hokage. He briefly mentioned Naruto defeating Pain, but never said a word about Naruto leaving the village.
"…What's going on?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto replied calmly, "My purpose goes against the village's ideals. To act freely, I had to sever those ties."
Sasuke's eyes flickered. His voice dropped, strangely soft. "So you didn't attack Danzo for my sake. You did it for your own goals."
Humans were complicated. If someone acted for you, it felt intrusive. If they didn't, you felt abandoned.
Naruto sighed. "Half and half. I wanted you to kill Danzo, to help you vent your hatred. Maybe then, you wouldn't burn the whole village down. But you let him go out of rage. I underestimated how deep your resentment goes. Now there's no avoiding the consequences."
Sasuke clenched his fists. Susanoo's chakra flickered violently around him.
Naruto's face hardened. "I won't stop you from going after Danzo anymore. But if you try to hurt anyone else…"
Sasuke interrupted, voice like ice. "What if I do?"
"I'll stop you with everything I've got."
"…You saying you still have strength left?"
"At the very least, I'm not going all out yet."
Sasuke let out a low, bitter laugh. "So your power's grown. But what do you even know about me? Do you know the real reason I want to destroy Konoha?"
Naruto said without hesitation, "I know. The truth about Itachi."
Sasuke's face froze. "That's classified at the highest level. How the hell do you know?! Was it…"
His eyes shifted back to Obito.
But Obito simply shook his head.
He hadn't told him—not this Naruto, anyway.
Naruto had learned it in another timeline. Another world.
Obito narrowed his eyes beneath the mask. I really underestimated him…
Sasuke turned his glare back on Naruto. "You know what Itachi went through, and you still want to stop me?"
"If Itachi were alive, I'm sure he wouldn't want this."
Sasuke's expression twisted. Itachi was the one person no one was allowed to speak of—not even Naruto. Whether in praise or blame, any mention of him was forbidden.
But Naruto wasn't speaking from ignorance. He had faced Itachi directly, more than once.
Sasuke's anger exploded. "Shut up!! You act like you knew him! Don't use his name to interfere with my revenge, Naruto!!!"
BOOM!!
A violent surge of purple chakra erupted from his body, forming armor—the final stage of his incomplete Susanoo: Yatengu.
BOOM!!
The force of it shook everyone present—Eagle Squad, Obito, even the hidden onlookers.
Karin trembled. "That's… not the Sasuke I knew…"
Obito's eyes narrowed. As I thought… his greatest trigger isn't the Five Kage. It's you, Naruto.
The heavenly bow formed in Susanoo's hands once more. This time, it paired with the black flame arrow infused with Earth Life Flame—the Arrow of Flame Dungeon.
Its scale… was in a completely different league.
Sasuke's eyes gleamed with real killing intent. "You've talked enough, Naruto! You're in my way. I'll kill you here, then crush Danzo and Konoha once and for all!!!"
Naruto's heart tightened. This Susanoo… it's on another level now. That arrow can't be blocked with ordinary methods.
Whoosh!
The massive black flame arrow howled through the sky.
"…Guess I have no choice."
Naruto shut his eyes. When he opened them, a ripple of power lit up within—the brilliance of the Rinnegan.
Shinra Tensei!
BOOM!
A wave of repulsion burst forth. The arrow shattered, dissolving into black flames that scattered over the snow.
Obito watched silently. "So… you finally used the Rinnegan's true power."
Sensing the incoming chakra of multiple shinobi, Naruto muttered, "This fight's drawing too much attention. We need to end it fast."
He clapped his hands together, gathering chakra.
Bang bang bang bang—! Hundreds of shadow clones poofed into existence, white mist swirling around them. Each one held a massive Rasengan.
"Sage Art: Massive Rasengan Barrage!!!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Dozens of orbs crashed into Susanoo from every angle. The air shook with the thunder of explosions. The armor began to crack, groaning under the force.
Sasuke growled, "This power… where did he get it?!"
Naruto drew blood from his own Amaterasu wound and formed a quick seal.
Summoning Jutsu: Crumbling House Technique!
With a crash, the toad Hiroshi fell from the sky—landing directly atop Susanoo like the final nail in the coffin.
"Ugh…!"
Susanoo collapsed.
Sasuke leapt out at the last second.
Naruto reached out.
Bansho Ten'in!
Whoosh! Sasuke was dragged midair toward him.
But Sasuke wasn't done yet. He quickly formed hand seals.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!
Naruto stood still, maintaining the pull, the Rinnegan's shield flaring to life. The fireball crashed against the barrier. Unfazed, Naruto extended his hand and grabbed Sasuke by the throat.
Preta Path!
Whoosh!
Sasuke's chakra poured into Naruto's palm.
"Oh," Sasuke muttered. "So that's your left eye's ability…"
"Sorry," Naruto said quietly. "It's the only way to stop you. If you keep using your Mangekyō like this, you'll go blind."
With the chakra drained, Sasuke's eyes regressed—first back to three tomoe… then fading into dull, lifeless eyes.
As the darkness took him, Sasuke murmured, "That doesn't matter anymore…"
Naruto caught him and gently laid him on the snow, exhaling slowly.
"Sasuke!!!" Karin rushed forward.
But Obito arrived first, scooping up Sasuke and opening a spiral in space.
"You—recover his chakra!"
"Y-Yes!"
Swish, swish— Konan and Orochimaru appeared beside Naruto.
"You okay?" Konan asked softly.
Naruto smiled tiredly. "Used too much chakra… I'll need your help from here."
Konan nodded. "Of course."
"Heh." Orochimaru smirked. "You still can't bring yourself to finish him off, can you?"
Naruto didn't answer.
From the south came Mifune and the other Kage—everyone but Danzo.
From the north, figures emerged, racing through the snow—young shinobi wearing Konoha forehead protectors.
Under his mask, Obito's expression shifted subtly.
"…I'll stay out of this now. But remember, Naruto—protect the Rinnegan. That's my treasure."
With a final spiral, he and White Zetsu vanished.
Crackle—! Lightning arced across the sky. The Raikage and his guards arrived, their eyes falling on the dying flames of Amaterasu.
"The black flame… that's Itachi's Mangekyō," C said gravely. "But he's dead. Only one other person can use it…"
"Uchiha Sasuke," Darui confirmed.
The Raikage stomped forward, glaring at Naruto.
"WHERE IS SASUKE?!"
Naruto didn't respond.
His gaze was already fixed ahead… locked onto a figure approaching through the snow.
"…Hinata."
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