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On duty, off duty—after a busy day, Kakashi carried food he had bought on the street, ready to go home, eat, take a bath, and sleep.
But as he reached his doorstep, he found someone leaning against his door, fast asleep.
"Naruto?"
What was this kid doing at his doorstep?
Scratching his head in confusion, he tucked away the book in his hand—the kind unsuitable for children—before approaching and nudging Naruto. "Naruto."
"Mmm… who is it?!"
Having stayed up all night and struggled through classes at the ninja academy during the day, Naruto was utterly exhausted. After arriving at Kakashi's house and finding him absent, he had slumped by the door and drifted off into a deep sleep.
"Kakashi-sensei!!"
Blinking groggily, Naruto jolted awake the moment he recognized the person who had roused him.
"Perhaps… you needed something from me?"
"I want you to train me!!!"
Naruto scrambled up from the ground, hastily wiping the drool from his mouth.
He was well aware of his unique circumstances. Unlike Sasuke, he couldn't expect the same preferential treatment, so he had to find another way.
After all, Orochimaru might really dissect him like a lab specimen!
Thus, Kakashi became Naruto's chosen target.
"..."
Was this kid serious?
Kakashi couldn't help but doubt it.
Yet, the stubbornness and frustration in Naruto's eyes made it hard to believe he was just fooling around.
"I might not have much time, but I'll try to spare some when I can."
Aside from following Kazuki's orders, Kakashi also had his own reasons for helping Naruto—partly out of respect for his late teacher, Minato.
"Come inside first."
At this hour, sending Naruto away seemed a bit too harsh.
So, Kakashi reluctantly brought him inside, only to…
Watching Naruto devour his food with greasy lips, Kakashi immediately regretted his decision.
Because he hadn't bought much, and Naruto's stomach had been growling loudly, Kakashi had no choice but to give him the food he'd brought home.
Then, he boiled water to make instant noodles for himself.
Well, instant noodles were still food—at least enough to fill his stomach.
"Mmm~ Kakashi-sensei, this is sooo good!"
"..."
Kakashi's eye twitched.
If it's good, then eat up. There probably won't be a next time anyway.
He was a busy man, often too occupied to even eat properly, let alone prepare meals specifically for Naruto.
Having an extra person in the house—especially a noisy kid—left Kakashi feeling somewhat unsettled.
He was used to solitude.
But what truly left Kakashi speechless was that after stuffing himself, Naruto, without even washing up, slumped onto the sofa and fell into a deep, heavy sleep.
Though unconscious, his lips still mumbled faintly:
"I'm… not worthless."
Naruto had effectively moved into Kakashi's house.
Meanwhile, Kazuki arrived at Orochimaru's laboratory.
Orochimaru remained as busy as ever, engrossed in various experiments—so much so that even supervising Sasuke's recovery had been delegated to Kabuto.
Kabuto's medical ninjutsu was decent, but even so, Sasuke would need time to fully recuperate.
For now, Sasuke wouldn't be bouncing around anytime soon.
Though the ordeal was harsh, the benefits were substantial. Once he digested the experience from this battle, Sasuke's growth was bound to enter a rapid phase.
Elsewhere, Jiraiya, still tirelessly tracking the Akatsuki, received word from the village and found himself in a dilemma.
He wanted to continue the investigation, but the village's orders were clear.
After years of relentless pursuit, Konoha had decided to halt the mission to track the Akatsuki.
The operation was to be suspended.
Compounding matters was Naruto's recent troubles.
Whether due to the village's command or Naruto's situation, Jiraiya had no choice but to abandon the mission and return to Konoha as soon as possible.
With Konoha calling off the search, Kumogakure wouldn't last much longer either.
For a while, it hadn't been an issue, but after years with little progress, even the Raikage—despite his pride and obsession with the Rinnegan—would eventually have to concede.
After all, the village wasn't his personal fiefdom. Any prolonged endeavor would inevitably face growing opposition.
More importantly, as time passed, the village had begun to recover.
The scars left by the conflict in Amegakure were slowly healing.
Under such circumstances, some of the village's higher-ups naturally opposed the Raikage's continued fixation on the Akatsuki.
Once Konoha withdrew, Kumogakure's operatives knew their mission was nearing its end.
Soon enough, they'd likely receive orders to abandon the pursuit and return home.
The fundamental reason the mission couldn't continue was simple: after years of effort, they had made little headway.
The Akatsuki had gone deep underground, and with the aid of Black Zetsu—a master of infiltration—the Five Great Shinobi Villages stood little chance of rooting them out.
In the past, the Akatsuki had been based in Amegakure, making them an accessible target.
Now, having severed ties with Amegakure, they had vanished completely, making detection extremely difficult.
Already well-hidden, Black Zetsu's assistance had rendered the Akatsuki virtually untraceable.
At the Akatsuki's new hideout, Black Zetsu delivered the latest intelligence.
Though Obito's identity had been exposed, deepening mutual distrust, the Akatsuki hadn't disbanded.
Despite their lack of faith in one another, Pain had chosen to continue cooperating with Obito and Black Zetsu—united by their shared goal.
"Kumogakure and Konoha have called off their search. Their operatives have returned."
"So… no one's watching us anymore?"
The Akatsuki had lain dormant, avoiding any major moves—not only due to their weakened state but also to evade the Five Great Villages' attention.
Now, at last, the pursuit had ended.
"That seems to be the case. Unless we make a significant move, the Five Great Villages won't focus on us again."
Black Zetsu's analysis was confident.
"Good."
Obito smirked coldly, glancing at the Deva Path.
"Then our plan to covertly control Kirigakure can begin."
"Agreed. But the Mizukage will be under my control."
Obito had been itching for revenge against Kirigakure for years, but without allies, his efforts had stalled.
Now, with the Akatsuki's backing, the time had come.