Orochimaru was undoubtedly the most persistent survivor in the shinobi world. His Cursed Seals worked like backups, allowing him to resurrect as long as a single chance presented itself.
Kiyosuke's goal had already been achieved—there was no need for Itachi to push him to the brink anymore.
From here on, let Kabuto teach him what it means to be human…
Itachi didn't understand what Kiyosuke meant, but he still nodded slightly. He walked over to his younger brother and said,
"Alright, let's go home."
"You guys… you knew about this all along, didn't you?" Sasuke finally pieced everything together. The so-called "training" had only been an excuse to draw him out—it was actually a setup to drain his chakra and purge Orochimaru from his body.
"Yeah," Itachi admitted, supporting his brother up. "We had to lure Orochimaru out somehow. Sorry, Sasuke."
"It's fine."
Sasuke staggered to his feet and muttered,
"I'm exhausted… finally, I can rest."
That fight with Kiyosuke hadn't earned him much experience at all. In fact, he'd just been beaten senseless. Totally not worth it.
But Kiyosuke said,
"No, Sasuke—you can't rest just yet."
"Huh?"
What now? I can barely stand and you still want me to—what, run a marathon?
"There's an S-rank mission waiting for you," Kiyosuke said with a faint cough. "To help control the Nine Tails sealed inside Naruto, we need to send him to an island belonging to Kumogakure. There, he'll train with the Jinchūriki of the Eight Tails to learn how to master the Nine Tails. You'll be one of the shinobi escorting him."
Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan could suppress the Nine Tails, and since the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura would be together, they could balance each other out if anything went wrong. And perhaps—just perhaps—that old sage would make an appearance.
"That guy again…" Sasuke groaned, rubbing his forehead. "When are we leaving?"
"In a few days. There's no rush—let's return to the village first."
"Alright."
...
When the group arrived back in Konoha, Tsunade immediately summoned Naruto to her office.
"Naruto, I have an S-rank mission for you."
"S-rank? Seriously?! I can finally take an S-rank mission?!" Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement.
Tsunade nodded. "You were summoned by the Great Toad Sage just now, right?"
"Yeah! He said I'd meet an octopus—an octopus that'd teach me how to control the Nine Tails!" Naruto scratched his head. Just earlier, he'd swallowed the key to the Nine Tails' seal. It had been… unpleasant, to say the least.
"You'll be going there with Yamato and Sasuke," Tsunade continued. "That's your top priority now. Obito will handle the teleportation."
Ever since Obito joined them, mission coordination had become far more efficient—and they no longer had to worry about exposing their movements.
Space-time ninjutsu allowed them to jump between points almost instantly, achieving their goals with minimal effort. Kamui wasn't quite as fast as Flying Thunder God, but it surpassed it in both distance and passenger capacity.
"Sasuke's going too?" Naruto asked curiously.
"That's right," Tsunade confirmed. "Yamato and Sasuke will act as double safeguards. Yamato can suppress the Nine Tails if it tries to break free, and Sasuke will be our last line of defense."
If the Nine Tails went berserk, the Mangekyō Sharingan would be their best bet to restrain it.
"That's your mission," said Kiyosuke as he entered the Hokage's office, followed by the Uchiha brothers.
"Kiyosuke-san! Itachi! And—Sasuke?! What happened to you?"
Naruto blinked at Sasuke's torn, filthy outfit.
"Just a little accident. Don't worry about it," Sasuke said impatiently. "Go pack your stuff—we're leaving soon."
Kiyosuke added, "Right, Naruto. Go get ready. We'll be departing shortly. And don't forget to say goodbye to Hinata properly."
"Got it!"
Naruto didn't waste time. He sprinted out of the Hokage building, leaving Tsunade with the others.
"You all should prepare as well," she said. Then her gaze turned sharp. "Sasuke—keep an eye on Naruto. He must not learn about the war."
Although Konoha was already mobilizing, everyone was under strict orders to keep Naruto in the dark. If he found out that the Fourth Great Ninja War was happening because of him, he'd rush to the battlefield without hesitation.
Letting the enemy's main target walk straight into danger was unthinkable.
"Understood," Sasuke said. He did want to join the war—but he also knew what was at stake. Naruto was the key to everything. Charging in recklessly would accomplish nothing.
But Kiyosuke shook his head.
"No, Sasuke. You and Naruto are the trump cards—the ones who will decide the fate of the entire shinobi world. When the time comes, you'll act. If Killer Bee and Naruto make a move, follow them. There's no harm in joining the fight."
"What are you saying, Kiyosuke?!"
Tsunade's tone turned harsh. "The whole point of this war is to protect Naruto and the tailed beasts from being captured! Putting the enemy's targets on the front line is pure madness!"
"Naruto will find out," Kiyosuke said calmly. "Even if no one tells him, he'll know. Don't forget his sensory abilities."
Members of the Uzumaki clan possessed exceptional sensory perception. Now that Naruto could control the Nine Tails, he could even sense negative emotions. No matter how far away he was—even isolated overseas—he'd feel the battles raging across the world.
"Then don't let him find out!" Tsunade snapped. "Sasuke—this is your S-rank mission. Keep him away from the battlefield!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Sasuke answered formally. Though whether he'd actually follow that order was another matter entirely.
The Uchiha brothers left soon after. Sasuke went home, changed clothes, and packed his gear. Outside, he ran into Naruto—who was struggling under an enormous pack that nearly reached his shoulders.
"Why the hell are you carrying that much?" Sasuke asked.
"Haha! Hinata was worried I'd starve while training, so she packed all this food for me! You never know what kind of place it'll be—what if it's like Mount Myōboku again?" Naruto shuddered at the memory of the insect cuisine there.
"You idiot," Sasuke sighed.
Just then, Obito and Yamato approached.
"Alright, you two ready?" Obito asked.
"Ready!" Naruto grinned. "Let's go!"
"Then let's move out!"
"Kamui!"
A space-time vortex swallowed them whole. When the world reformed, they were standing above a vast, glittering ocean.
"Uh… what's going on? Where's the island?" Obito frowned.
Yamato replied, "I heard the island moves. It never stays in one place for too long. Looks like we arrived late—it's already gone."
"That's… troublesome," Obito muttered. "A moving island means the coordinates are useless. I'll have to teleport us randomly until we find it."
And so, he began jumping through space again and again—until after the tenth transfer, they finally reached their destination.