Chapter 41: Sasuke's Deep Resentment (Part 1)
"I did tell you guys your bodies could be rewound in time and that you didn't have to fear injury…
But I also said time reversal would put a massive strain on your minds, didn't I?!"
Sakura stood there exasperated, looking at Kakashi and Guy, who were now sitting back-to-back like a pair of exhausted old men.
One had nearly blown himself up by opening the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates, and the other had gone wild with ninjutsu—overusing time reversal to the brink of mental collapse.
"Well, it was just… you know, the first time in my life I didn't have to worry about chakra limits, so I may have gotten a bit carried away,"
Kakashi said with a sheepish smile, eyes half-lidded.
His head was pounding, but oddly enough, he seemed… content.
"My youth is fulfilled!"
Guy gave Sakura a proud thumbs-up.
Training the Eight Gates was never easy—especially when it came to practical use.
Since opening the final gate damaged the body, Guy had always trained just enough to know he could open them—but had never dared to practice the ultimate techniques.
But today, thanks to time reversal, he had truly experienced the power of the Seventh Gate without worrying about his body breaking down.
The only cost was the mental backlash—which left him physically okay but spiritually drained.
Being the only two unscathed members, Sakura and Shisui ended up escorting the "critical patients" all the way back to the Hidden Leaf.
---
At the village gates, Kakashi and Guy limped along, supporting each other like two wounded war veterans.
Even though their legs were trembling, they stubbornly refused to ride in on the demon sword.
"Sakura!"
Just as they stepped through the gates, an excited voice called out.
"Naruto? What are you doing here?"
Sakura blinked in surprise at the grinning blond standing at the entrance.
"Oh, you know… just passing by…"
Naruto scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.
"You're not seriously coming here every day to wait for me, are you?"
Sakura raised a brow.
The gate guards didn't even bat an eye at Naruto's presence—clearly this wasn't his first time.
"N-No way! I just… stop by in the mornings and evenings when I'm free!"
Naruto chuckled brightly.
"The rest of the time, I help out at Ichiraku. I didn't know exactly when you'd be back, so I thought I'd try my luck."
"You're such a dummy."
Sakura sighed, but her heart felt warm.
Having someone who waited for her—it was a good feeling.
"Hey, Sakura, go say hi to your friends. I'll report to the Hokage myself."
Kakashi looked at Naruto, a faint glint of emotion flickering in his eyes.
Then he leaned close to Sakura and whispered with a grin:
"When a lovestruck boy waits for you this faithfully…
Make sure you give him an answer. Don't let love pass you by!"
"Uncle Kakashi, why are you meddling like a nosy old man?"
Sakura rolled her eyes.
"You're the ultimate shut-in who spends his life reading those kinds of novels. Maybe focus on fixing your love life first? At this rate, you'll die single!"
"Ultimate… single dog…?"
Kakashi's expression froze.
He had just reached adulthood, how was he already being labeled like that?!
Back at the academy, he was insanely popular! One finger snap could summon a legion of fangirls—how could he possibly die alone?
"You walk around reading smut, your summon creatures are literally dogs… You're on track to die single and you know it."
Sakura said bluntly as she and Naruto headed off toward Ichiraku.
Behind them, Kakashi stood frozen in place, hit by the emotional equivalent of a fatal blow.
A cold wind blew past, making his silhouette seem especially tragic.
"I'm heading off too, Kakashi-senpai,"
Shisui said with a wave, leaving behind a thoroughly disheartened Kakashi… and a clueless Guy.
"Guy… there are girls in the village who like me, right?"
Kakashi asked weakly.
For someone freshly entering adulthood, being labeled a "forever-alone" type was a devastating blow.
"Well… there should be?"
Guy said uncertainly.
He'd never paid attention to these kinds of things, but based on Kakashi's popularity back in the day, there had to be girls who still admired him… right?
"Should be…"
The gloom around Kakashi grew thicker.
Had his years in ANBU made everyone forget him?
But no… last time he went to Ichiraku, the owner's daughter had even struck up a conversation with him—he just… didn't bother responding.
While lost in thought, Kakashi and Guy supported each other as they slowly made their way toward the Hokage's office, shuffling along like a pair of frail old men.
Their odd, wobbly gait drew quite a few curious stares from passersby.
---
Inside the Hokage's office, after hearing Kakashi's full report, the Third Hokage took a long drag from his pipe and let out a sigh, a bitter smile forming on his face.
"Danzo… he's already begun targeting our own comrades in the Leaf?"
Kakashi remained silent.
This wasn't something that could be resolved by arguing—it all depended on how the Third chose to handle it.
"Kakashi, you've done enough for now. Go rest. I'll demand an explanation from Danzo personally."
Smoke curled in the air as the wrinkles between the Third Hokage's brows deepened, his expression growing heavier.
At Ichiraku Ramen, Ino and the others surrounded Sakura with a barrage of excited questions.
Thanks to a new branch opening in the village, a good chunk of the customer traffic had been redirected elsewhere.
Combined with the fact that Teuchi had hired several new servers, the place was no longer as packed as it used to be—leaving Ino and her group with plenty of free time.
As the group chatted cheerfully, one person remained quiet: Sasuke.
He sat alone with his head lowered, exuding an aura of deep, gloomy resentment.
"He got taken away by that weird woman… my brother got taken away by that weird woman…"
Sakura perked up her ears and listened more carefully, finally realizing that Sasuke was mumbling to himself—his mutterings all centered around Uchiha Itachi.
The more he muttered, the heavier the aura of resentment became.
He looked almost like a heartbroken housewife abandoned by her man.
"Hey, Sasuke! It's Sakura's welcome-home day—can you try acting a little happier?"
Naruto frowned, clearly annoyed.
The mood had been good until Sasuke's brooding sucked the joy out of the room.
Sasuke glanced up at Naruto for a second… then lowered his head and resumed his gloomy chanting.
"You've been going on and on—who is this weird woman, anyway?"
Sakura asked curiously.
"Knowing brother Itachi's personality, there's no way he'd fall for just any woman…"