"You don't need to tell me, Naruto."
"When I chose to follow Orochimaru, I already knew what I was getting into. I took the Curse Mark because I wanted to awaken its power."
"I have nothing else to say."
"It was my own choice, so naturally, I must bear the consequences."
Fukasaku nodded approvingly.
"What a mature child…"
"Still, I can understand why you're so desperate for power. But why do you need it so urgently?"
Sasuke did not answer.
Fukasaku did not press him. Instead, he sighed.
"People are always like this. The desire to protect others, pursue dreams, seek revenge, or obtain greater power… There is never an end to it."
"Although I don't particularly want to say this, if you are truly determined and willing to pay any price for power, you can try your luck at Ryūchi Cave."
Jiraiya's expression immediately changed.
"Fukasaku, this is no joke!"
"Not a single person who has gone to Ryūchi Cave to seek its power has ever returned alive!"
Fukasaku nodded.
"I know that, of course. But when I look into his eyes, I understand that he will never give up his pursuit of power."
"And besides…"
"He has already mastered the power of the Curse Mark. Perhaps he has developed enough resistance to adapt to Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu."
"Of course, whether he goes or not is entirely his decision."
Jiraiya understood what Fukasaku meant.
"Sasuke, before you make your decision, I must warn you."
"Although the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave is no weaker than that of Mount Myōboku, the dangers involved are completely different."
"When you train at Mount Myōboku, the Frog Sages will always be watching over you and protecting you. They cannot guarantee your safety completely, but they will do everything in their power to keep you alive."
"However, if you go to Ryūchi Cave, the White Snake Sage will directly bite you and inject you with Ryūchi Cave's natural energy."
"You will have to draw that power into your body yourself. If you cannot withstand it, there is only one outcome…"
"Death."
"It will swallow you whole."
"Even if you survive the initial process, training in Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu is still extremely dangerous."
Naruto trembled involuntarily. His expression became filled with worry.
"How is this any different from the time Sasuke followed Orochimaru?!"
"Isn't this basically sending Sasuke to his death?!"
Sasuke suddenly smiled faintly.
There was a strange, desolate beauty in that smile, contrasting with his usually cold and distant expression.
"Stop, Naruto."
"I understand everything you want to say."
"But please don't stop me this time."
"However—"
"There are no 'buts.'"
"You know this very well, don't you?"
"This is my only chance to defeat Uchiha Itachi."
Naruto hurriedly stepped forward.
"I'm here! If we work together, we can figure everything out!"
Sasuke looked at him.
"Thank you, Naruto."
Naruto froze.
This was the first time Sasuke had expressed his feelings so openly.
He looked at Sasuke's profile as the latter gazed toward the sky. There was no hatred or murderous determination in his eyes.
Instead, there was a sense of relief and peace.
"But whatever happens, I have my own path."
"Killing Uchiha Itachi and avenging my family and clan is my responsibility."
"More importantly, it is my destiny."
"If I die in Ryūchi Cave, then perhaps that simply means I was only meant to go this far."
Naruto clenched his fists.
Sasuke looked at him and smiled faintly.
"But I don't believe I'll die that easily."
Seeing that smile, Naruto suddenly lost the strength to continue arguing.
"Yeah…"
"I think so too!"
Sasuke understood that Naruto had finally accepted his determination.
He sighed softly, a slightly bitter smile still lingering on his face.
"Then, Naruto, you'll stay here and train at Mount Myōboku."
"Isn't that wonderful?"
"You'll be at Mount Myōboku."
"I'll be at Ryūchi Cave."
"And Hinata will be training at Shikkotsu Forest."
"Perhaps this is also a kind of arrangement by fate, isn't it?"
Hearing this, Naruto was not the only one who was shocked.
Jiraiya, Fukasaku, Gamabunta, and the others were equally stunned.
The three members of Team 7 were actually going to train in Senjutsu at the three great Sage Regions at the same time!
It truly seemed as though fate itself had brought them together.
Jiraiya and Fukasaku exchanged glances.
They knew that prophecy, fate, karma, and reincarnation truly existed in this world.
Perhaps Sasuke's casual remark was not merely a coincidence.
Jiraiya slowly nodded.
"Ah… Sasuke may be right."
"Perhaps this really is fate."
"Since you have both made your decisions, then as your master, I will naturally do everything I can to help you accomplish them."
"Leave Naruto here. He will train with Fukasaku."
"As for Sasuke, I'll help him find Ryūchi Cave."
Naruto immediately asked,
"Where are you going to look?"
Jiraiya smiled confidently.
"Don't forget, I'm one of the greatest intelligence experts in the entire ninja world!"
"Besides, I have gathered all kinds of information about Orochimaru over the years. And there are two ready-made sources of information in Konoha."
"Finding Ryūchi Cave shouldn't be too difficult."
Naruto immediately understood.
"You mean…"
"Exactly."
"Jūgo and…"
"Yakushi Kabuto!"
The moment he heard that name, Naruto experienced a strange, almost surreal feeling.
It felt as though an incredibly long time had passed since he had last thought about Kabuto.
In reality, it had not been that long.
But Naruto now understood much more about Kabuto's past.
Because of that, the hatred and anger he had initially felt toward him had greatly diminished.
Yakushi Kabuto had been an orphan too.
But his circumstances were even more tragic.
He did not even know which ninja village he had originally come from.
He had no identity.
No roots.
Not even a name.
Eventually, he met Yakushi Nono, the director of an orphanage.
Nono gave him a name, an identity, and a place where he finally felt at home.
But everything came to an abrupt end.
Danzo Shimura and Root forced Kabuto to become a spy.
He traveled between different ninja villages, constantly struggling to survive while maintaining several conflicting identities.
Deep down, he only dreamed of returning to the place he considered home.
But the day Yakushi Nono was killed, that dream was shattered.
From that moment onward, Kabuto completely lost himself.
Following Orochimaru was ultimately nothing more than his attempt to solve the question that had haunted him his entire life.
Who am I?
After Naruto defeated him and brought him back to Konoha, Kabuto endured brutal interrogation by the Anbu.
Eventually, his childhood friends persuaded and comforted him enough that he revealed information about Orochimaru and the Akatsuki.
Tsunade chose to treat him with leniency.
Under supervision, Kabuto was even allowed to care for the war orphans in the orphanage.
And when it came to understanding Orochimaru better than anyone else…
Kabuto was naturally the best candidate.
Naruto nodded.
"Jūgo's hometown isn't too far from Ryūchi Cave. And with Yakushi Kabuto's intelligence, it should only be a matter of time before we locate it."
"But Sasuke…"
Jiraiya smiled.
His smile carried the memories of countless experiences from the past.
"Naruto, Sasuke, both of you should know that I have trained other students before you."
Naruto nodded.
"Hmm. You mean the leader of the Akatsuki, the man with the Rinnegan?"
"And the Fourth Hokage."
Jiraiya's expression became complicated.
"Minato really was the most talented of them all."
"During his generation, there was hardly anyone who could compare with him."
"Unfortunately, he died so young."
"As his master, I didn't even have the chance to save him."
Jiraiya paused before continuing.
"And then there were those three children from the Hidden Rain Village…"
"Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan."
"At the time, I thought they were the Children of Prophecy mentioned by the Great Toad Sage."
"But later, I heard that they had died."
Fukasaku looked at Jiraiya and sighed.
"Little Jiraiya, don't think about these things too much."
"You'll only make yourself feel worse."
Jiraiya laughed.
"It's fine."
"I'm already used to failure."
"You could say that I've hit a wall everywhere I went and never truly succeeded."
"I really am like a frog at the bottom of a well."
He paused before his expression became serious.
"But perhaps a ninja is someone who can endure pain while continuing to move forward."
"Even someone as much of a failure as me hasn't become weak enough to give up."
Jiraiya looked at Naruto.
"Don't worry."
"Now that Sasuke has made his decision, I'll support him all the way."
"If he fails during his training in Ryūchi Cave…"
"Even if I have to face an entire Sage Region…"
"I will do everything in my power to protect him."
"That is my promise."
Naruto's body trembled.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Perverted Sage…"
Sasuke was equally shaken.
The empty space inside his heart, which had remained frozen for so many years, finally cracked.
Through that crack, a warm ray of sunlight slowly entered.
How many years had it been?
He had not felt this kind of familial affection in all those years.
But now, Jiraiya's words had finally broken through his emotional defenses and reached the deepest part of his heart.
"Master…"
"Thank you…"
Sasuke's eyes were slightly moist, but he stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.
Jiraiya laughed.
"How many times have I told you this?"
"As your master, protecting my students is simply common sense."
"There's no need to thank me. You're making it too formal."
Sasuke closed his eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
There was a trace of happiness in that smile.
"Master…"
"Naruto…"
"Even if I really die in Ryūchi Cave…"
"Even if I ultimately regret failing to kill Uchiha Itachi…"
"I won't suffer anymore."
"Because…"
"I'm not alone."
Jiraiya looked at Sasuke, who seemed to have completely changed.
His heart trembled slightly.
At that moment, he realized something.
Sasuke had finally found himself again.
"Mm."
Jiraiya gently placed his hand on Sasuke's head and ruffled his black hair.
For the first time in many years, Sasuke did not resist.
The path ahead was still dangerous.
Ryūchi Cave might be a place where countless lives had been lost.
But this time, Sasuke would not walk that path alone.
He had Naruto.
He had Jiraiya.
And, for the first time since the destruction of the Uchiha clan, he finally had something he had almost forgotten existed.
A family waiting for him to return.
________________________________________
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