Deidara burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Uchiha Itachi, I didn't expect someone as cold and ruthless as you to have such a ridiculous little brother. This is truly eye-opening for me!"
He smirked. "But since your brother is that arrogant, I wonder—are you just as arrogant in private?"
Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly, a clear look of displeasure flashing across his face.
Sasori quickly controlled his puppet and snapped at Deidara, "Deidara, shut your filthy mouth!"
What's gotten into this kid today?
Deidara often liked to provoke Itachi, but today, he was being unusually reckless.
Kisame, walking ahead, noticed the thick forest in front of them and asked, "Are we in the wrong place? Is this really Sunagakure?"
Itachi replied calmly, "This is the latest intelligence from the organization. Both the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and the One-Tail Jinchūriki are currently in Sunagakure."
Sasori said in surprise, "So the rumors are true—Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki can really use Wood Style."
Kisame looked out over the vast forest—trees covering what was once desert—and grinned cruelly. "With Wood Style this powerful, his chakra reserves must be enormous."
Sasori glanced at Kisame curiously. "Do you have as much chakra as him?"
Kisame chuckled. "Not even close. I just have my own ways of unleashing large-scale ninjutsu."
Itachi silently observed the sea of trees spreading across the sand, his expression darkening.
Not long ago, the Akatsuki had given him a mission—to capture a tailed beast.
He'd learned that Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, had left Konoha and gone to Sunagakure.
At first, Itachi thought Naruto was on an official mission.
But now, seeing Sunagakure surrounded by this vast Wood Style growth… he began to suspect the truth.
Could Naruto have actually defected?
Only someone with Wood Style could bring life to a land like this.
Did he really abandon Konoha?
…
Meanwhile, a team from Konoha arrived at Sunagakure.
Their mission: bring back Uzumaki Naruto.
But Naruto was nowhere to be found. Instead, they were told he had become a missing-nin.
The Konoha shinobi refused to believe it.
If this had been before, maybe they would've thought it possible—Naruto had always been isolated and treated coldly, so leaving the village wouldn't have been unthinkable.
But now that everyone knew he was the Fourth Hokage's son, people no longer shunned him—they respected him.
In that case, would Naruto really defect?
The Konoha Anbu didn't believe it at all. They insisted on seeing Naruto in person.
Rasa had no choice but to ask Temari to find him again.
When Temari finally located Naruto—
He was relaxing in a hot spring.
Bathing, changing clothes, and burning incense—these were the three "metaphysical steps" he always took before running a simulation.
Temari stepped into the steamy bathhouse, her vision hazy through the thick white mist.
She called softly, "Naruto?"
Naruto, eyes closed in relaxation, opened them in surprise when he heard her voice. "Temari? What are you doing here?"
Temari walked closer, through the mist, and saw Naruto alone in the spring.
Under the soft, dim light, his face looked even more striking—sharp features, blue eyes glinting like crystal.
For some reason, Temari felt her heart skip. He looked… even more handsome fresh out of the bath.
She turned her face slightly. "You should go. They don't believe what your Shadow Clone said."
"Alright," Naruto replied with a resigned sigh as he stood up and stepped out of the water.
Temari quickly turned around, her face flushing as she swallowed nervously. "I—I'll wait for you outside."
…
Not long after, Naruto and Temari appeared in the Kazekage's office.
The Konoha Anbu had been waiting for some time.
Upon seeing the real Naruto arrive, his Shadow Clone dispersed on its own.
Naruto absorbed the clone's memories, then turned his attention to the two Konoha Anbu present.
One was a stranger—but the other, he recognized immediately.
Uzuki Yugao.
Seeing Naruto enter, Yugao's eyes lit up. "Naruto! Tell me this isn't true—are you really leaving Konoha?"
Naruto couldn't help but smile faintly. The Third Hokage really knew how to play the emotional card.
Sarutobi Hiruzen must have known Yugao had been kind to Naruto in the past, so he'd sent her here deliberately.
"Well," Naruto said frankly, "I've already made up my mind."
Yugao's expression froze. A heavy sadness washed over her.
The son of the Fourth Hokage… walking the same path as a rogue ninja.
It was a tragedy Konoha didn't need.
She wanted to speak again, but Naruto interrupted her. "Enough. I don't want to make things harder for you. Just deliver my message to Lord Third."
The other Anbu beside her frowned and drew his sword. "Uzumaki Naruto. You should already know how important you are to the village as a Jinchūriki."
"Come back with us now—or I'll have to—"
Crack!
Naruto's hands formed a quick seal.
Thick wooden branches erupted from the ground beneath the Anbu's feet, wrapping tightly around him and immobilizing his body.
Seeing Naruto move so suddenly, Rasa immediately tried to mediate. "Naruto, perhaps you should return to Konoha first?"
Of course, he could easily keep Naruto in Sunagakure—but in front of Konoha's representatives, he had to maintain appearances.
That way, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't suspect him of anything.
Naruto ignored Rasa's suggestion and looked coldly at the bound Anbu. "Otherwise, what will you do?"
Bang!
The Anbu struggled, but the Wood Style tightened further. His chakra was being absorbed through the branches, forcing him to drop his sword.
Behind his mask, his expression twisted with pain and anger. "Uzumaki Naruto! Don't forget who you are!" he growled.
"You're the son of the Fourth Hokage—Konoha's Jinchūriki! You can't betray the village!"
"If you do this, you'll stain the Fourth Hokage's name!"
Naruto said nothing, only increased the pressure.
The Anbu began coughing, gasping for air—but still refused to stop talking.
"Uzumaki Naruto! You took the First Hokage's ninjutsu scroll and abandoned the village!" he shouted hoarsely. "You're a traitor! A disgrace to your father! An ungrateful fool!"
"If you don't come back, think about your friends—how do you think Konoha will treat them after this?!"
Naruto sighed deeply, then turned to Yugao with a helpless look. "Why is he so brave for someone about to die?"
Yugao looked confused. "Naruto… can you tell me why you're doing this?"
Because she'd once tried to protect him, Naruto didn't hide anything. "Simple. I just don't like being disturbed."
Yugao nodded seriously. "Alright. I understand. I'll tell Lord Third exactly that."
Rasa, standing nearby, thought to himself, Hmm… I'll remember that too.
Yugao then looked at her colleague, who was on the verge of suffocating, and pleaded, "Naruto, please don't be impulsive."
"If he dies, I'll be implicated for not stopping you…"
She'd clearly realized something—Naruto no longer had any emotional ties to Konoha.
So instead of lecturing him about loyalty, she appealed to his sense of personal connection.
It was a much smarter way to reach him—far better than trying to guilt him in the name of Konoha.
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