Naruto came back to his senses, but Sasuke was already gone.
The street was crowded, and Sasuke had vanished into the sea of people.
Konohagakure had changed a lot since before. Now, in addition to the main village, there were many small towns spread around it, each with their own roles.
A year after the Third Hokage's death, Konohagakure had grown into a lively town, full of life and energy no matter where you looked.
The only place that stayed quiet and lifeless was the edge of the village—the Uchiha clan's compound.
Sasuke returned home alone, living in that empty house, sitting by himself on the steps in the backyard, staring into the silent open yard.
The swing hanging from the tree creaked as it swayed in the wind. Sasuke just sat there, quietly watching it. His wounds still throbbed faintly, and Kisame's words from back then echoed in his ears.
"Uchiha Sasuke, you're not that gifted. You're young and clueless, and you don't train hard enough.
Even if you've got someone like Shisui looking out for you, in the end, you're just going to be a nobody."
Sasuke mumbled, repeating Kisame's words to himself.
This time, he didn't clench his fists.
Anger wouldn't give him more strength. Deep down, the young Sasuke clearly understood where his weaknesses lay.
What Kisame told him back then… was almost the same as what Chiriku told all the clan heads earlier today.
"The Uzumaki clan is already gone..."
Thinking about what Hyuga Hiashi said at the Hokage building today, a calm smile suddenly appeared on Sasuke's face.
"Compared to the Uzumaki clan, the Uchiha clan wasn't much stronger. So maybe I can have that kind of resolve too."
Sasuke saw it clearly. He was smart—smarter than Naruto in some ways.
If he could just let go of his pride… if Sasuke was willing to cast aside the so-called pride of the Uchiha clan, he definitely had the brains to do something great.
And in truth, Sasuke had already started letting go of that pride back when they ran into Zabuza in the Land of Waves.
He had been getting stronger all this time, and the speed of his progress was way beyond anyone's expectations.
At this moment, Sasuke had even let go of his hatred and broken free from the chains in his heart.
In this era, no genius had the right to be proud — that was the way things were now, a change brought about by *that man*.
Sasuke used to be confused about Naruto, but now, his gaze had already moved past Itachi and landed on that man's figure.
Shanks, as a member of the Uzumaki clan — didn't he carry hatred too? Of course he did.
But no one ever talked about Shanks seeking revenge. No one ever saw even a trace of hate in him.
Because that man's vision and presence were on a whole different level.
No one in the ninja world would ever associate Shanks with words like "revenge" or "hatred," but for Shanks, those things were just something he could deal with in passing.
"The difference between the strong and the weak has always been clear from the start."
"Things like talent, bloodline, or legacy… they don't really matter that much."
A real strong person is the one who leads, the one who stands at the top.
Shanks never showed off because he was an Uzumaki. Instead, it was the Uzumaki clan that could be proud to have someone like Shanks.
Sasuke looked at the old Uchiha house.
It was time for the Uchiha clan to rebuild.
If Sasuke was going to do something, it would be to become someone like Shanks.
The Uchiha clan had nothing to be proud of — yet
But one day, the Uchiha clan would be proud because of Uchiha Sasuke
He lit a fire, took everything he needed, and calmly walked away.
He didn't go far.
He went alone to the Hokage Rock and just watched as flames rose from the Uchiha compound.
It was in a remote area, and the Uchiha were always too proud — no one went to put out the fire.
Everyone just stood there watching.
No one knew how long it burned until finally, someone rushed out of the crowd yelling and started using Wind Style to try and put it out.
Even though Sasuke couldn't clearly see who it was, the sudden flare-up in the fire gave it away. He knew exactly who it was.
So one person watched, and the other "put out the fire."
By morning, it was finally over.
Thanks to Naruto's help, really — otherwise, with how big the Uchiha estate was, it probably would've burned for two more days.
"Sasuke!! Your house was on fire! I worked my butt off to help put it out — I'm totally wiped out."
Naruto's voice came from behind. His whole body was covered in ash, completely blackened by the smoke.
He was still holding two popsicles, as a little reward for all the hard work.
"Yeah… thanks."
"No problem. It's what I should do. You want one, Sasuke?"
Naruto plopped down next to him and held out the extra popsicle.
He didn't ask why Sasuke was here. But Sasuke *did* ask Naruto how he knew where to find him.
"How'd you know I was here?"
"Because this is probably the best spot to watch the fire from, right?"
"Did you see the color of the flames?"
Naruto lay back on the grass while Sasuke held the popsicle in his hand.
"Yeah. Red. The color of the Uzumaki clan."
Sasuke took a bite, looking at Naruto who had already closed his eyes.
"But the fire's out now."
"We can still look at the sun."
"The sun's not out yet."
"Then let's just look at the village… or the mountains over there."
Naruto spoke casually.
Hearing that, Sasuke smiled and lay down too. The two of them just laid on the grass like that—it had never felt this peaceful between them before.
Sasuke always had that cold look on his face, and Naruto was usually loud and reckless.
But this time, both of them had something on their minds.
"What's so great about the mountains?"
Sasuke closed his eyes as he spoke.
The wind rustled the grass, and the trees swayed noisily. The forest and the field were alive with sound, but the two of them stayed quiet.
After a long while, Naruto finally opened his eyes.
"Because… beyond those mountains, there's the sea."
"..."
"Sasuke, let's go see the ocean. Let's go see the New World."
Naruto finally said it—the words he'd been holding in his heart.
He carried just as much weight as Sasuke did.
He was different—a misfit in the Uzumaki clan.
Not only did he have yellow hair, but he lacked talent, wasn't that strong, and didn't have much presence either.
Maybe only Naruto really knew why he worked so hard—because he was the worst of the Uzumaki clan, and the only one without red hair.
He'd gotten used to the cold looks people gave him ever since he was little.
But… even though he was such a misfit, even though no one liked him…
It was Karin, someone he'd only met once, who fought to protect him and Gaara.
It was Shanks, one of the "Four Emperors" of the world, someone completely out of reach for normal people, who treated him with such kindness.
It was Nagato, who had no real connection to him, but cared for him like a little brother.
Naruto was used to being judged, but it was the love from the Uzumaki clan—that warmth—that he struggled to bear.
To be called an outcast during the World Government summit… to hear Hyuga Hiashi mention how the Uzumaki clan was wiped out…
He might've looked fine on the outside, but how could he really be okay?
He could handle pain aimed at him. But what he couldn't accept was the Uzumaki clan being blamed because of him.
That kind of "love" was one of the few things in his life that truly warmed him.
"Be my vice-captain!"
That's why Naruto said it out loud.
Sasuke was stunned for a second when he heard that.
"Huh? Me, your vice-captain?"
"Yeah! Look—Shisui is Shanks' vice-captain, and your brother's in the Revolutionary Army too."
Naruto said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And you know what? Now that he mentioned it… it really did seem like all the Uchihas were working for the Uzumakis lately.
At least, that's how it is on paper.
Still, none of that proves Naruto's logic. Then again, if Naruto was the one saying this kind of stuff, it wouldn't be surprising.
"What an idiot."
"Huh? Why are you suddenly calling me that?"
"Aren't you one?"
Sasuke stood up.
"Let's go. We need to leave Konohagakure before sunrise."
With so many people in the village, slipping out of Konohagakure isn't hard—you can just blend in with the crowd.
More importantly, Tsunade doesn't start work that early. To help her show up late, the village even adjusted some of its systems.
To her, keeping Konohagakure safe isn't that big of a deal—especially after a bunch of nobles from the Land of Fire moved in. If something happens, those people will be the first to die anyway.
Sasuke left without warning—or maybe there was, and only Naruto noticed. He'd seen how Sasuke had changed.
And the same was true for Sasuke—he saw the change in Naruto too.
Sasuke wanted to restore the pride of the Uchiha clan. Naruto, on the other hand, just wanted the world to recognize that he was worthy of being part of the Uzumaki clan.
Naruto's goal wasn't as grand, but it was much harder to achieve.
A few days later, Sasuke and Naruto reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves. Looking at the Naruto Bridge in front of them, both felt a bit emotional.
"When we come back, this bridge should be worthy of being called the Uzumaki Bridge."
Sasuke stepped onto the bridge.
Naruto followed closely behind.
This bridge connecting the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves was like a path from one world to another.
It was the era of pirates—but also the era of ninjas. At that moment, both of them were walking the road their predecessors had laid out for them.
Back in Konohagakure, the sudden departure of Naruto and Sasuke threw all the village clans' plans into chaos. They had to quickly send people out across the ninja world.
At the same time, at the entrance of Konohagakure, a man named Ichidai Kiyomu arrived—he represented the World Government. Behind him stood a masked figure.
Seeing what Konohagakure had become, Danzo was stunned.
This... is this really still Konohagakure?
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