Within the Summoning Realm.
"Spiral Chidori!!!"
Boom. With the explosion, it felt as if all of Mount Myoboku trembled.
Sasuke emerged from the smoke, looking disheveled and covered in wounds of various sizes.
"It's no good. The Rasengan's energy is chaotic enough on its own. When you try to combine it with the Lightning Release of the Chidori, both of which have extreme explosive power, merging them is nearly impossible. One wrong move, and the jutsu could backlash and destroy you," Jiraiya commented with a frown.
"I think you need to give up on the idea of merging the Rasengan and Chidori. Focus on perfecting a Lightning Release Rasengan," he concluded, offering his final assessment.
"Damn it, I was so close. Sensei, you saw its power. If I can succeed, my chances of defeating Naruto will increase," Sasuke said, looking unwilling to give up. He punched a nearby tree in frustration.
Seeing Sasuke's vexation, Jiraiya's expression softened. "Don't be impatient. Take your time. The more you rush, the more likely you are to make a mistake," he soothed.
Plop. Just then, a small toad suddenly hopped onto Sasuke's spiky hair, let out a lazy yawn, and promptly fell asleep.
Hearing the faint snores from atop his head, Sasuke carefully lifted the small creature into his palm, a hint of gentleness in his eyes.
The sight warmed Jiraiya's heart. Although the Uchiha clan had a reputation for being cold and obsessive, Sasuke, thankfully, had changed a great deal. His heart was soft; he was capable of affection.
Swish. The next moment, Jiraiya watched as Sasuke flung the small toad away, yelling with a dark expression, "Toad, don't interrupt my training!"
The toad nimbly flipped in the air, landed on the ground, and let out a defiant "ribbit" in Sasuke's direction.
"It seems Sasuke's psychological training still has a long way to go," Jiraiya muttered, his face darkening as his mouth twitched.
"Well, everyone seems full of energy," Lord Fukasaku said, walking out with a smile. Watching the playful squabble between Sasuke and the toad, he felt a sense of nostalgia.
Compared to the mature and composed Naruto, Sasuke was clearly more lively. He had brought a bit of energy to Mount Myoboku.
However, he could sense that Sasuke carried too much on his shoulders. A sense of mission and responsibility bound him like chains, preventing him from releasing his true potential. He lacked Naruto's ability to transcend everything.
In other words, he was too caught up in personal attachments. In his current state, he would be unable to master Sage Mode.
"We don't have much time," Jiraiya sighed. "I don't know when Naruto will make his move against the ninja world. We have to teach Sasuke Sage Mode before then."
Lord Fukasaku's expression grew solemn, and he nodded. "I never thought Naruto would walk down that path."
He sighed with regret. He had a very good impression of Naruto—a boy who was gentle to his very core. If the Child of Prophecy was meant to save the world, then it had to be Naruto.
But everything that happened afterward had shocked him. The real Naruto was ambitious, even daring to stand against the entire ninja world. After defecting, Naruto had never returned to Mount Myoboku; he had made their choice for them.
Sasuke's talent was indeed impressive, and he had made great progress during this time. But if he wanted to catch up to Naruto... it was still not enough.
But at least Sasuke was still kind. His heart was soft.
That evening, they gathered around the table for dinner. Lady Shima served her meticulously prepared cuisine: fried bugs.
"Here, try some. They're delicious. Naru... he always praised them," Lady Shima said, her expression dimming as she corrected herself.
Sasuke took a bite with a pained look on his face and immediately felt the urge to gag. But when he saw Lady Shima's expectant gaze, he forced himself to swallow, wiped his mouth, and said awkwardly, "It's... not bad."
On the other side, Jiraiya was clamoring for a feast.
The atmosphere was, for the most part, harmonious.
This continued for nearly a month. Sasuke gradually grew accustomed to his daily diet of bugs, with the occasional change of pace. His training progressed smoothly, and his state of mind began to calm.
But a fire still burned within him.
I have to get stronger, as fast as I can, and bring Naruto back.
Recent days had not been easy for Konoha. In the wake of Naruto's defection, the other hidden villages were cautiously testing the waters. Small-scale battles would occasionally break out along the Land of Fire's borders.
The most intense friction came from Iwagakure.
The Tsuchikage, Onoki, was the longest-reigning and longest-living Tsuchikage in the history of the ninja world, having presided over Iwagakure's golden age. His style was aggressive and overbearing. He constantly orchestrated incidents to create small-scale conflicts with Konoha.
This left Tsunade feeling both helpless and furious.
"That old geezer Onoki is nearly eighty with one foot in the grave, and he's still stirring up trouble everywhere! Does he really think Konoha is a pushover? If it comes down to it, let's just go to war! Konoha may be weakened, but we're not afraid of a fight! We'll capture him and burn him alive with Fire Style!"
Fortunately, Iwagakure was only probing. They understood that under Tsunade's leadership, Konoha would be more aggressive than ever. If they truly angered the Leaf, Iwagakure might become a laughingstock.
For now, all the hidden villages were waiting for a tacitly agreed-upon moment.
Tsunade's orders were simple: "Do not cross the Land of Fire's border, and do not kill foreign ninja without cause. We can make some concessions; don't give them an excuse to act."
"But you can retaliate appropriately. We are not to be trifled with."
"Iwagakure likes to test us. Let them. Konoha will remain steadfast, no matter the storm. That is the composure of a great village!"
In response, Onoki was wary. "The already aggressive Leaf, under Tsunade's leadership, is starting to show shades of the Third Hokage—a mix of feints and real moves, making them difficult to read."
"They keep redrawing the line at their border. It could very well be a trap, a red carpet laid out to lure us in."
"We'll wait and see. We can't be rash."
Intelligence that soon followed only strengthened Onoki's belief that Konoha had something up its sleeve.
A few days later, Orochimaru arrived at Konoha, bringing Obito with him. He wore standard ninja attire, the crossed-out Leaf symbol on his forehead protector proudly displayed, making no effort to conceal his identity.
He dragged a captive Uchiha Obito, with Minato Namikaze following behind them.
Obito's eyes were sunken, stained with dried, dark red blood. His Mangekyo Sharingan had long since been gouged out and placed in a preservation device. With Orochimaru's advanced technology, the eyes could be preserved for at least three months without decaying.
"Who goes there? This is the border of Konoha Village. Entry is forbidden!" As Orochimaru and Minato were not hiding their presence, they were quickly discovered by the Konoha ANBU.
Several ANBU operatives surrounded the trio.
"Oro... Orochimaru... and... the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze!!!" one of the ANBU exclaimed in shock. All the operatives immediately took defensive stances, on high alert.
Facing the tense ANBU, Orochimaru chuckled lightly. "It's been a long time, Konoha."