Sasuke gripped Sakura's hand like a drowning man clutching at a lifeline, desperately asking, "Sakura, do you believe me?"
Blushing from the first time Sasuke had ever taken her hand, Sakura nodded immediately. "Yes, I believe you."
Sasuke quickly said, "He's fake. He's a fraud trying to steal the power of the Uchiha Clan. I have to expose his true face."
Seeing Sasuke stand up to leave, Sakura tightly embraced his back and pleaded, "No, you can't go."
"Why? Was your belief in me just a lie?" A chill settled in Sasuke's heart.
"No," Sakura shook her head. "I do believe you, but his identity has already been recognized by the Hokage (Village Leader). Even if he is fake, going there won't change anything. Besides, Master's strength…"
Back on the carriage ride, Sasuke had provoked 'Anya' and nearly been killed instantly. Now, if he went to cause trouble again, Sakura truly feared he might be seriously hurt.
Sasuke clenched his jaw until it ached, his hands curling into tight fists. Rage boiled in his chest. Fake. Everything was fake. The Hokage, Konoha—it was all petty people.
Only strength was real. Sasuke had never longed for power as intensely as now.
Standing silently, Sasuke slowly opened his fists and relaxed his body. Facing the person behind him, he said, "Sakura, let me go. I understand now."
Relief finally showed on Sakura's anxious face, and she gave a slight smile.
But before Sakura's smile could fade, her body was struck by Sasuke on the nerves, swaying unsteadily.
Gently cradling Sakura onto the hospital bed, Sasuke whispered his farewell, "Sakura, thank you. It's time for me to embark on a new path."
Before losing consciousness, Sakura desperately held onto wakefulness, tears streaming down her face as she murmured, "No… Sasuke, please don't go… Don't…"
Looking at the now unconscious Sakura, Sasuke's eyes became resolute. Without hesitation, he jumped out the window.
"Well, this is the one chosen by Our Lord? Fancy that."
Four Sound Ninja were already waiting right there.
Sasuke's eyes flashed coldly. "You work for Orochimaru. Let's move."
"Not bad. At least your demeanor fits."
Seeing that Sasuke understood immediately, the four wasted no time and handed him a pill. "Take this first—the Mind Awakening Pill—before meeting Our Lord."
Sasuke looked at it and asked, "What is this?"
Another Sound Ninja explained, "Your current Cursed Seal level is Stage 1. This pill can forcefully awaken you to Stage 2. However, once awakened to Stage 2, the speed at which the seal spreads through your body will greatly increase. You won't live much longer."
Cold sweat appeared on Sasuke's face. He asked grimly, "Then what happens after death?"
"There's no need to worry. We're here precisely for that reason. We'll use Barrier Ninjutsu (a protective technique) to counteract the side effects, turning permanent death into a temporary, fake death state." The Sound Ninja placed the Mind Awakening Pill in Sasuke's hand.
Looking at the pill in his palm, Sasuke's expression turned dark with dread. "How reliable is your Barrier Ninjutsu?"
"Lord Sasuke, the four of us are Orochimaru's personal guards. Therefore, Barrier Techniques, Defensive Ninjutsu, Cursed Seals, and Sealing Techniques are all second nature to us."
"I absolutely cannot die now." Sasuke poured the pill out from its container, hardened his resolve, and swallowed it down.
Seeing this, the Sound Four quickly took out the specially-prepared containment device, cast a Sealing Barrier around Sasuke, and sealed him inside. Having completed their mission, the four immediately sped off toward Orochimaru's location without delay.
In the Hokage's office, Anya was hurried in by Shizune. Along the way, he had already figured out what happened and couldn't help but bitterly chuckle—now he finally understood what Miss Mikoto needed all that money for.
Sigh, she didn't even discuss this beforehand; wasn't this just throwing someone into the fire?
Knowing full well that a storm was about to erupt here, Shizune discreetly backed away a few steps before quietly closing the door and escaping the scene.
Anya was just about to speak when he saw Tsunade raise her palm, signaling him to stay silent. Calmly and unhurried, she continued sorting through official documents without showing any sign of anger.
What was this—another calm before the storm? Feeling uneasy, Anya lacked confidence to leave, so he found a seat and sat down helplessly.
Once the paperwork was finally finished, Tsunade exhaled deeply, placed all the documents into a corner of the room, and only then turned to Anya, saying, "Come over here."
"Alright." As Anya stepped forward to explain, he said, "Please don't get angry first, let me—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Tsunade emotionlessly threw a punch straight at his abdomen.
This blow clearly used Monstrous Strength. Unprepared, Anya almost vomited bile, curling up like a shrimp ball, his face turning bright red.
[Heaven Piercing Leg]
Landing the hit, Tsunade lifted her leg high, channeling earth-shattering strength into her heel, targeting directly at Anya's head.
"Don't!"
A familiar voice interrupted from the side, causing Tsunade to stop mid-kick.
Only her beloved daughter, Hakuto, could halt an attack mid-motion during such a rage-filled moment.
"Big sis Tsunade, if you really kick like that, Dad might actually die," Hakuto said.
"What did you just call him?" Tsunade's fury reignited: "He hasn't been around for even a few days, yet you've already accepted him as your father?"
Hakuto looked somewhat helpless; after all, it was Tsunade who had been bested first—why was she blaming him now?
Facing Hakuto's gaze, Tsunade flushed slightly, coldly huffing, "He doesn't deserve to be your father. Get lost! Go back to your clan and live like a prize stallion!"
Anya lay weak on the floor, catching his breath. He inwardly thought, "That was way too close—this punch almost finished me off!" Luckily, he had notified Hakuto in advance; otherwise, today would have been really difficult. Given his current physical condition, unless fighting desperately, against Tsunade, he could only endure punches.
"I understand everything already, Dad. So tell me—what should we do?"
Through their short time together these past few days, Hakuto felt quite satisfied with Anya. Knowing the entire story, she had already accepted Anya as her father. Two days ago, she had already changed how she addressed him, which made Anya incredibly happy.
"This was Miss Mikoto's request; I didn't know beforehand that she would use such methods.
Anya sighed and said, "I mean, it's not a big deal. If I'm not satisfied, I can just pay those women to leave."
Tsunade responded coldly, "What about your promise to Mikoto to help restore her clan? Are you giving up on that now?"
"Don't worry about it. We still have Sasuke. Once he grows up a little more…"
He hadn't even finished speaking when someone suddenly burst through the door of the Hokage's office. There stood Sakura, tear marks still on her face, breathing heavily. "Sasuke… he—he's left the village!"
For a moment, the Hokage's office fell silent.
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