Surprisingly, Naruto didn't make a fuss this time. He quietly packed his things and left with Jiraiya.
He didn't even say goodbye to anyone.
By the time the others realized he was gone, it was already two days later.
"Huh? Naruto just left with Jiraiya-sama like that? Natsuki, did you know?" Tenten asked casually while enchanting some explosive tags.
"Yeah, I knew a little."
Natsuki was helping her as he replied. "Jiraiya-sama took Naruto to train so he could master the Kyūbi's power. Plus, now that Naruto is gone, the Akatsuki won't be keeping such a close eye on the village, so things will be more peaceful for a while."
Tenten nodded in realization. "So that's how it is! But still, why didn't he say anything? Not even to Sakura?"
Natsuki wasn't surprised. "That guy has a lot of pride. Remember when you were blaming yourself after the fight? He was blaming himself even harder. He had to watch you all fight, powerless to help, watch people get injured and poisoned... That crushed him. So he agreed to go train with Jiraiya-sama without hesitation. To avoid any attachments, he didn't even say goodbye."
Tenten softened. "Yeah... Naruto really hates being alone. The moment Team 7 finally got back together, he had to leave. I bet he'll be really lonely. But… he had no choice."
Natsuki just smiled faintly and said no more.
Naruto growing stronger was a good thing. As the so-called savior of the world, if he didn't have real strength, he wouldn't even be able to resist the Akatsuki, let alone save the world.
Natsuki wouldn't always be around to help in time—Naruto had to become powerful on his own.
Since Naruto would be gone for at least two years, it was time to crank up the training intensity.
After all, when Naruto returned, the Akatsuki's operations would only escalate. They'd even send the Six Paths of Pain personally. Without overwhelming strength, all that awaited them was despair.
Also, Natsuki had been mulling over when to reveal the truth about Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Madara.
Maybe even hint at Black Zetsu and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki too.
Once the script was spoiled, and many people were in the know… let's see how Black Zetsu tried to manipulate things then!
"Looks like I need to make time to organize the history of the shinobi world. When the time is right, I'll release it—not to the whole world necessarily, but at least to Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi. That way we can all work together and I won't have to keep hiding things."
As for how Natsuki knew?
Simple—let's just say the Sage of Six Paths visited him in a dream.
Jiraiya had the Great Toad Sage, didn't he? So it was only fair the Sage of Six Paths gave dreams to a genius like him too!
And if anyone doubted him? Just verify what he said. No fear of suspicion!
Natsuki quietly plotted the timeline in his head.
Two days later, Tsunade summoned all available jōnin in the village for a meeting.
"I'm sure many of you have already guessed the reason for this meeting," Tsunade said. "Last year, Orochimaru launched the Konoha Crush, resulting in the death of the Third Hokage and plunging the village into chaos. We cannot forget that grudge. We've held back so far because the village wasn't stable enough and our forces were insufficient. But now the time has come. We must eliminate that poisonous snake hiding in our neighbor's land—only then can Konoha grow in peace!"
Tsunade's words ignited the jōnin's morale.
Orochimaru's attack had been a brutal blow to Konoha's dignity and strength. This vengeance had to be exacted. And as Tsunade said, with Orochimaru lurking nearby, no one could sleep easy.
He had to be taken out—fast.
Natsuki, Tenten, Shino, Neji, and Sasuke exchanged glances, all understanding instantly.
Tsunade's goal had never been hard to guess. She had already sent Natsuki to investigate Orochimaru's base long ago—they had just been waiting for the right moment. Now that everything was in place, it was time to strike.
"Now, I'll assign the mission. This time, Kakashi will lead the operation…"
Tsunade's orders were clear.
The plan wasn't complicated—Team Kakashi and Team Aoba would attack Orochimaru's main base, while the other three teams would handle the surrounding labs. Once Orochimaru was dealt with, they'd move on to the remaining outposts.
Though the mission sounded heavy, the strike force was deliberately small.
That's because this was a decapitation strike—not a turf war. The focus was on elite combat.
And they still needed enough forces left in Konoha to guard against sneak attacks from other enemies.
Once the orders were given, the five teams immediately began preparations.
There was just one problem: with Naruto gone, Team 7 was now missing a member. They needed a replacement—or it could compromise the mission.
But they couldn't just throw anyone in. A bad fit could ruin the entire squad.
Tsunade found herself momentarily stumped.
Sakura, unaware of Naruto's departure, suddenly complained: "What's Naruto's problem?! He leaves at a time like this? Team 7 finally got back together—what's more important than going on a mission with us?"
Apparently no one had told her about Naruto's training trip with Jiraiya.
It wasn't a secret, but everyone had avoided bringing it up, so she never found out.
Sasuke snapped at her. "Don't talk nonsense if you don't know the facts! Tsunade-sama made the arrangements. It's not your place to whine! Get ready—the enemy we're facing isn't someone you can take lightly."
Sasuke held deep wariness toward Orochimaru.
Not just because Orochimaru had toyed with him during the Chūnin Exams and cursed him with the Seal…
But because he'd sent the Sound Five after him, trying to steal his body.
If Orochimaru's underlings were that strong, then Orochimaru himself had to be terrifying.
Sasuke didn't dare be overconfident anymore.
He was no longer that cocky "sunshine boy" who thought a few cool jutsu made him invincible.
Sakura, meanwhile, was left stunned by Sasuke's rebuke. All she'd done was vent about Naruto disappearing without warning—why did Sasuke snap at her like that?
Ugh… Those two really were the real couple, weren't they? Was she just the third wheel?
On the other side, Natsuki was assigned to scout the Land of Fields again—specifically, to confirm whether Orochimaru's base had changed and whether he was still there.
Which meant Team Aoba was also down a member.
"Tsunade-sama, I'm more suited to solo operations anyway. How about assigning someone new to Team Aoba instead?" Natsuki suggested.
"Oh? Do you have someone in mind?" Tsunade perked up. She'd been mulling over this too.
"Uh, I heard of a girl named Kurama Yakumo…"
"Yakumo, huh!"
Tsunade remembered. "That's right—her condition's been resolved. If she's willing to become a ninja, it'd be great. That's always been her dream. And her genjutsu is incredible—honestly, she could probably be a jōnin already. I'll have Kurenai talk to her. I doubt she'll refuse."
(End of Chapter)
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