"Juugo, Juugo…!"
The Eagle Squad rushed to the riverside and found Juugo unconscious on the ground, his body now as small as a child's.
"Ugh…" Juugo groaned and sat up, rubbing his swollen head.
Sasuke stepped forward. "What happened?"
Juugo looked confused. He couldn't remember.
What he didn't know was that Naruto had erased part of his memory before leaving—he didn't want Sasuke to notice his movements just yet.
Juugo had clearly been attacked, and normally Sasuke would press for answers. But right now, he had bigger priorities.
"Forget it," Sasuke said.
"As long as you're alive, I'll look into it later. We have something more important to deal with."
"More important…?" Juugo asked.
Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan spun with sharp light.
"We're changing targets. The Land of Iron. The Five Kage Summit. Team Hawk is going to hunt down Konoha's corrupt leader… Danzo."
With that, the Eagle Squad turned toward the Iron Country.
Hidden in the trees behind them, masked Obito and White Zetsu watched silently.
White Zetsu asked, "Why didn't you let me tell Sasuke about Naruto? He could've fought him for us, it'd be easier that way."
Obito answered calmly, "Naruto took Nagato's body. That ties into two of our biggest secrets the Rinnegan and the Gedo Statue. Sasuke shouldn't get involved."
"Besides… Naruto now isn't someone Sasuke can handle."
White Zetsu nodded. "That's true…"
Obito continued, "Letting Sasuke fight the Five Kage is a better way to sharpen his Mangekyō. It'll make him stronger just in case."
" …By the way, have you found where Naruto went?"
White Zetsu said, "I haven't found Naruto yet, but one of my clones disappeared not long ago. It was probably killed before it could report back."
"Oh?" Obito raised an eyebrow beneath his mask. "Someone who can sense the clone's thoughts, kill it before it sends a signal... That's not normal. Mark the location where we lost contact and show me."
Whoosh!
Ten seconds later, Obito used Kamui to teleport with a swirl of space, appearing at the site where Naruto and Orochimaru had recently fought.
Kamui's teleportation requires spatial marks to work.
Though Obito hadn't gone as far as marking all of the Fire Country, he had long prepared key areas especially around Konoha and its surroundings.
Within a hundred-mile radius, he could come and go freely.
A minute after he arrived, White Zetsu caught up.
Obito looked at the destruction in the area, his voice low and grim.
"There's no mistaking it. Only that eye could cause this much damage… Naruto has fully awakened the Rinnegan."
White Zetsu was stunned. "Unbelievable… Even Nagato took years after founding Akatsuki to reach this level."
Obito replied, "Naruto was a late bloomer. But now, he might even be stronger than Nagato was."
White Zetsu asked, "So what do we do? We're falling behind."
Obito's eyes darkened.
"Don't panic. As long as I still have the Gedo Statue and the Tailed Beasts, Naruto can't fully take control of the situation."
"And if it ever comes to the worst-case scenario… I still have a backup plan one I've avoided using for years."
His voice trailed off, heavy with the weight of what that "backup plan" meant.
...
Konoha Village.
Aside from the Jōnin led by Shikaku, most of the villagers had fully accepted Danzo as Hokage.
This was the result of Danzo's successful efforts to discredit Naruto.
And honestly... it had worked quite well.
Now, the only thing left was to attend the Five Kage Summit and defeat the missing-nin, Sasuke.
Once that was done, even the skeptical Jōnin would have no choice but to recognize Danzo's authority.
Inside the temporary Hokage tent,
Danzo sat straight and calm, while three Root members in white robes knelt before him.
Danzo said,
"Now I can attend the Five Kage Summit without worry."
"This is a critical time. We must ensure nothing goes wrong. Mistakes cannot be allowed."
He paused, then continued,
"Send more men to capture Kabuto."
Danzo was thinking:
Kabuto might know the connection between me and Orochimaru…
It made sense. Orochimaru had led the last attack on Konoha. If that link was exposed, Danzo's newly gained position as Hokage could be thrown into doubt again.
"There's also the research on Orochimaru's human experiments. Kabuto likely has that data, too. We must retrieve it at all costs."
Snap!
Danzo revealed his armored right arm and pressed his bandaged right eye with a grim expression.
"For my right eye and right hand, that might be useful…"
After giving the orders, he looked at the three people in front of him.
"Fuu and Torune, stay here. Sai, take care of the Kabuto matter. Go."
"Yes, sir!"
Sai vanished in an instant, leaving Fuu and Torune behind.
Danzo nodded.
"Well, it's time for me to attend the Five Kage Summit."
"As per the agreement, only two guards are allowed to accompany me, except in special cases. Since you two are the strongest among Root, you'll come with me."
" However, you must remove your masks."
The two took off their masks, revealing their true faces: Yamanaka Fuu and Aburame Torune.
Yamanaka Fuu spoke up, "What kind of weapon setup do you need for us?"
Danzo replied, "You decide for yourselves."
Yamanaka Fuu nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Danzo then turned to Torune.
"Tell your people to track down Uzumaki. We can't let the Nine Tails get out of our control. Also, keep an eye on Sai. He might betray Root. Be cautious."
...
"Kill the traitor ninja Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Destroy the Nine Tails Demon Fox, Naruto!"
"Give us back our home!"
The people of Konoha were furious and spontaneously gathered to condemn Naruto.
Even Naruto's own home in the village was burned down by arson.
The situation spiraled out of control.
The villagers, led by Kakashi, looked worried and uncertain.
But faced with what seemed like undeniable facts, they couldn't defend Naruto.
Danzo rose to become Hokage and issued a kill order for the traitor Sasuke.
Even the once-respected Naruto was now disgraced.
The appearance of these two rebels shocked their comrades deeply.
Many gathered around makeshift benches in Konoha to talk about the crisis.
Hyuga Neji and Aburame Shino were silent and heavy-hearted.
After all, some of those who died because of Naruto's actions were from the Hyuga and Aburame clans.
Yamanaka Ino sat on a bench crying quietly, Sasuke had been the prince of her youth after all.
Sakura also looked heartbroken. Her village was destroyed, her mentor was in a coma, and two of her classmates had turned traitor.
One of them had been her long-time support, and the other... her closest attachment.
Can Team 7 still be called Team 7 without Naruto and Sasuke?
But the one who suffered the most was Hinata. The boy she loved the one everyone knew she cared for had killed her clan's elders.
Nara Shikamaru, however, remained the most calm.
Noticing the heavy atmosphere, he, who usually avoided trouble, stood up and said, "It's too early to judge Naruto's guilt. The bodies of the three were brought back by Root members. With their methods, something's not right."
Everyone fell silent, deep in thought.
After a long pause, Sakura spoke, confused: "Then... what about Sasuke?"
"Huh." Shikamaru sighed. "Sasuke's guilt is clear. There's no defending him. His situation is more dangerous than Naruto's."
"No matter what Naruto did, he only poses a threat to Konoha for now. But Sasuke is already the enemy of the entire ninja world. The Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron is being held to deal with him."
Sakura bit her lip in pain. "Naruto... Why did you, a hero, do something so unforgivable at such a critical time? You're the only one who can save Sasuke..."
Shikamaru sighed deeply, about to say something, when a soft yet firm voice interrupted:
"I'm going to find Naruto-kun!"
Everyone turned, shocked. "Hinata...!?"
Hinata stood with determination. "Naruto must have had his reasons for leaving the village. He didn't kill Tokuma. There's definitely more to this story!"
At this moment, Neji tried to comfort her. "Hinata-sama, I understand your feelings, but we are ninjas. We can't let personal emotions cloud our judgment."
But then Sakura spoke up, "What Hinata said makes sense!"
"Sakura...?"
Sakura thought to herself, Naruto... if you're under some kind of curse, I'll bring you back! In my own way!
Rock Lee added, "It seems like there's no other choice. Youth means moving forward with courage!!"
Inuzuka Kiba also said, "Looking for someone is what we do best. What do you think, Akamaru?"
Akamaru barked in agreement: "Woof woof woof!"
Neji said, "I don't believe Naruto would do such a thing. Let's find out the truth."
Shino added, "I want to go too. I was excluded from the last search for Sasuke, so I can't sit this one out. Also, I need to know who was responsible for Muta's death."
Shikamaru sighed, standing up. "This is such a hassle. One thing after another... even for me."
Hinata, filled with gratitude, said, "Shino, Kiba, everyone... thank you."
With everyone in agreement, they set out together, and the Five Kage Summit went ahead as scheduled.
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
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