Naruto hesitated for a moment.
But in the end, he nodded.
"Good!"
Sakura activated her Palm Healing Jutsu and began treating Naruto's injuries.
Yoruha stood off to the side, silently watching the expressions on their faces.
He felt a sudden warmth stirring in his heart.
Maybe it was because of his own influence, but Sakura didn't seem as obsessed with Sasuke as she had been in the original timeline.
After all these years, her relationship with Naruto had grown naturally closer.
That was probably why Naruto had chosen not to rely on the power of the Nine-Tails just now.
Because if he did, he'd lose control of his consciousness—and miss the feeling of fighting side by side with Sakura.
"If something good comes out of this between the two of them, then… that's not so bad," Yoruha thought to himself.
—
Half an hour later, both Sakura and Naruto had mostly recovered from their injuries.
The stamina they'd lost was gradually replenished with the help of military ration pills.
But just as things seemed to calm down, Yoruha frowned.
Something felt off.
"…Sai's chakra hasn't moved in a while," he muttered.
Could it be... Orochimaru's hideout was actually nearby?
"Yoruha, let's go!" Naruto stood up, his energy back to full. "I feel great again!"
After all, it was Sakura who had healed him. That made all the difference.
"Alright," Yoruha nodded.
He activated the Flying Thunder God Array and teleported the three of them directly to Sai.
But when they arrived—
It wasn't Orochimaru's hideout.
It was an empty wasteland.
"Ah?! Sai!" Naruto rushed over and caught his unconscious teammate. "Wake up! What happened?!"
Sakura knelt quickly and began checking his condition.
"Yoruha, what now? It doesn't look like he went over to Orochimaru's side like you said…" she asked, her face tight with concern.
They had originally planned to track Orochimaru by using Sai as bait.
But judging by what they were seeing now… it looked like that plan had failed.
"I'll use the clan's secret technique to scan his memory," Yoruha said calmly.
He formed several hand seals and sent a thread of spiritual energy into Sai's mind.
Ten minutes later, Yoruha opened his eyes with a deep frown.
Everything in Sai's memory was just as he remembered from the original timeline.
Sai had approached Orochimaru with Danzo's message: continue the collaboration.
But Orochimaru didn't even hesitate.
He smacked Sai unconscious on the spot.
Before leaving, Orochimaru even muttered coldly, "Cooperate? You clearly don't know how terrifying Yoruha is. Danzo's dead. I, Orochimaru, don't want to die too."
"…So Uncle Snake's actually scared of me now?" Yoruha blinked.
That… actually made things complicated.
—
At Orochimaru's stronghold in the Land of Grass.
He and Kabuto staggered back into the underground lair, their clothes a mess from battle.
As soon as they walked in, Sasuke was already there waiting impatiently.
"Master Orochimaru! Let's start today's training—"
"No," Orochimaru cut him off coldly. "Pack the most important intel. We're leaving. Immediately."
Kabuto nodded without question.
"Leave? Why?" Sasuke frowned. "We only just arrived here."
"…Because of Yoruha," Kabuto explained quietly. "We ran into him. He's likely tracking us as we speak."
He himself didn't know what exactly had happened between Orochimaru and Yoruha.
But the way Orochimaru panicked and fled mid-battle told him enough.
This guy—Yoruha—wasn't just strong. He was on a whole different level.
"The Night Wind, huh?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
A sharp surge of chakra filled the room. His black pupils spun into crimson Sharingan.
"Orochimaru… you've gotten soft. So what if Yoruha's coming? I've been waiting to settle the score with him for three years!"
His voice was icy.
His expression twisted into something almost demonic.
Three years.
He'd spent three years sharpening his blade under Orochimaru's watch.
Now he wasn't that same boy anymore.
He hadn't forgotten the humiliation—Yoruha's constant kicks, the complete defeat.
"I've long since had a move prepared… to take that bastard down!"
Sasuke's tone was cold, confident, deadly.
"Sasuke, calm down." Orochimaru sighed. "Yoruha is no joke. If you really want to face him, you need more than just anger."
"…Tch."
Sasuke clenched his fists.
"I don't care! He's strong—but so am I! I'll prove it right now!"
The air around him buzzed with electricity.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished in a burst of lightning.
"Damn it. He's still so impulsive!" Orochimaru gritted his teeth.
"Lord Orochimaru, what if Yoruha actually injures Sasuke's body?" Kabuto asked. "He won't be suitable as your vessel anymore."
"…You take care of packing. I'll bring Sasuke back myself," Orochimaru replied, eyes narrowing.
Although he had a secret space-time jutsu for emergencies…
He'd already used it once recently. Firing it again might leave him completely drained.
—
In the forest.
Yoruha, Naruto, and Sakura moved swiftly through the trees.
Orochimaru had covered his tracks well—but Yoruha wasn't about to give up so easily.
His Yamanaka clan's sensory technique was pushed to its limits.
Still… Orochimaru's hideout was an underground facility.
Not something easily found.
"I can't believe Danzo actually tried to ally with Orochimaru," Sakura said grimly. "Looks like Tsunade-sama's hunch was right."
"But now that Sai failed… can we still find Sasuke?" Naruto murmured.
They were so close.
So close to getting him back.
Had they really lost the chance again?
Yoruha didn't reply.
He was too focused on tracking—too aware of the faint, cold chakra signature rapidly heading their way.
Wait…
That chakra…
Familiar. Deadly.
"Is that… Sasuke?"
Yoruha's eyes narrowed as he focused his senses.
Confirmed.
Sasuke was coming. Fast.