Just as Sasuke was pinned down, unable to move under Kaito's pressure, Yamato and Sakura arrived. The moment they saw Kaito, both called out at the same time,
"Kaito-senpai!"
Sasuke froze when he heard the way they addressed Kaito. Then, seeing those Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan eyes, a name suddenly came to mind.
"Kaito? You're Uchiha Kaito?!"
This name was anything but unfamiliar to Sasuke. Back when he was a child, he often heard Itachi mention it. And whenever Itachi spoke of Kaito, his tone was filled with clear respect.
Once, Itachi had looked at little Sasuke with admiration in his eyes and said,
"Sasuke, today Kaito-senpai told me… that a Hokage is someone who earns everyone's recognition, not someone who is recognized only because they've become Hokage. What do you think? Do you agree with him?"
Back then, Sasuke was too young to understand the meaning behind those words. His reply was simply,
"I'm hungry!"
Itachi could only shake his head helplessly and take little Sasuke to eat his favorite three-colored dango.
Scenes like this had happened many times. Thinking about them now, Sasuke couldn't help but show a faint smile. But almost immediately, that smile was replaced by hatred.
Anyone who Itachi respected couldn't possibly be a good person! And especially since Kaito had awakened the Mangekyō...
Sasuke's thoughts twisted further—Kaito had most likely taken part in the Uchiha clan massacre. Maybe he had even awakened those eyes back then!
Sasuke's face contorted more and more, his Sharingan flashing with a blood-red glow.
Kaito, on the other hand, was baffled. What was wrong with Sasuke now? The moment he learned his name, it was as if he had been injected.
Well… what else could you expect from Sasuke?
Sasuke let out an enraged roar. The curse mark on his neck rapidly spread across his body, his skin darkening as a pair of grotesque "wings" sprouted from his back.
He had activated the second form of the Curse Mark of Heaven, relying on its power to clash head-on with Kaito and his Mangekyō.
Sasuke pressed his hand down, black lightning sparking violently with the screech of birds. His wings beat sharply, propelling him toward Kaito at incredible speed.
"Chidori!"
To both Kaito and Naruto, this scene was eerily familiar. Back when Sasuke confronted Itachi in Konoha, he had charged in with the exact same posture.
And, of course, the outcome wasn't much different.
Kaito simply raised his leg and delivered a perfectly timed kick, striking Sasuke in the stomach and sending him crashing into a nearby rock wall.
The blow nearly knocked Sasuke unconscious. He clutched his stomach and staggered out of the wall, spitting up several mouthfuls of blood.
When he looked at Kaito again, his eyes were filled with dread.
That Chidori had been his all-out attack, yet Kaito had brushed it aside effortlessly. The gap in power was far too great!
Sakura's face twisted in pain at Sasuke's condition. She shouted toward him,
"Sasuke! Please, come back! We all want you back!"
Naruto also didn't want to see Sasuke take another beating. He quickly called out too,
"Sasuke! Kaito-senpai is your clansman. With him around, no one in the village would dare mess with you!"
Ever since Naruto had met his father, his attitude toward Konoha's higher-ups had shifted subtly. He no longer held the same blind trust he once had.
Looking at Naruto and Sakura's sincere expressions, Sasuke felt a pang deep inside. But his obsession with revenge now outweighed everything else. Until he had fulfilled that revenge, returning to Konoha was unthinkable.
What's more, Naruto's words had wounded his pride. He had spent three years training tirelessly—wasn't it all to grow stronger?
And now Naruto was suggesting he rely on a "clansman" to return? That was worse than death.
Sasuke roared back at Naruto,
"Are you kidding me? I don't need to rely on anyone now! And I especially don't need some so-called clansman!!!"
Naruto froze, realizing he had said the wrong thing. His eyes instinctively flicked to Kaito.
By now, he had grown dependent on Kaito's presence. Not just because Kaito possessed overwhelming strength, but because he was his father's close friend—the one who had revealed the whole truth to him.
Even Jiraiya hadn't done that much. For Naruto, Kaito had already become someone of immense importance, someone he trusted deeply.
Kaito, however, paid no attention to Naruto's almost fatherly gaze. He slowly stepped in front of Sasuke, his Eternal Mangekyō bearing down on him.
Under that oppressive power, Sasuke's mental defenses crumbled. With a desperate scream, he once again unleashed Chidori, trying to destroy those nightmare eyes.
Kaito's patience had run out. He stomped down hard on Sasuke's back, driving him into the ground.
Applying a bit of pressure with his foot, he forced a scream out of Sasuke before the boy finally lost consciousness.
Kaito then grabbed Sasuke by the shoulder and lifted him up. Turning toward Naruto, he tossed Sasuke over casually.
"Catch."
Naruto was still stunned and didn't react in time. Sasuke landed right in front of him, bouncing weakly on the ground with a faint groan of pain.
Only then did Naruto snap back, quickly bending down to lift Sasuke onto his back. Feeling that familiar presence again, he couldn't help but smile.
Kaito's lips twitched. So, forget Sakura and Hinata… Sasuke really is your true love, huh?
Sakura rushed over, reaching out to heal Sasuke, but Kaito barked sharply,
"Don't waste your effort. Let him stay unconscious!"
Sakura froze in place, her hand hanging midair. Naruto quickly added,
"Sakura, just listen to Kaito-senpai. If Sasuke wakes up now, then…"
He cast a quick, subtle glance at Kaito—his meaning obvious. If Sasuke woke up, he'd only get beaten down again.
Sakura understood and quietly lowered her hand, gazing at Sasuke with deep affection instead.
Naruto felt his chest tighten painfully, letting out a silent sigh.
At that moment, Yamato, who had been ignored all this time, suddenly looked at Kaito and asked,
"Kaito-senpai, are you coming back with us?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Naruto's head snapped up. His eyes were full of pleading hope—he desperately wanted Kaito to return to Konoha with him.
During this time with Kaito, he had felt a sense of security like never before. He truly couldn't bear the thought of losing it.
Facing everyone's gaze, Kaito let out a small laugh and said,
"Of course I'll go back. I just don't know if some people will welcome me or not."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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