Border of the Land of Grass
The area looked as if it had just suffered a natural disaster.
When Naruto used his full strength to unleash the Great Spiraling Rasen Ring, Itachi's Susanoo couldn't withstand it at all.
Susanoo was completely shattered.
As the aftermath faded, Kisame's figure had vanished, leaving only Uchiha Itachi's silhouette amidst the devastation.
Floating in midair using the Ultra-Light Rock Technique, Naruto closed his eyes. He wasn't using sensory perception this time—rather, pure battle intuition.
To be precise, it was prediction.
He kept his eyes shut to avoid falling under Uchiha Itachi's genjutsu.
Sensing that Itachi was still alive, Naruto felt a faint sense of relief.
"As expected of you, Uchiha Itachi," Naruto said calmly. "You actually managed to survive."
Below, Itachi opened his remaining eye, staring at the desolate scene around him, a complicated emotion flickering in his heart.
He was still thinking of how to retreat when Naruto's voice descended from above.
"Uchiha Itachi, go," Naruto said quietly, still with his eyes closed. "Your life should end in his hands— not mine."
Itachi froze, shocked that Naruto seemed to know his plan.
Almost no one knew of it. Not even his closest allies.
Only he truly understood the purpose behind his actions.
Only someone who had long observed Uchiha Itachi and possessed extraordinary analytical ability could vaguely guess his motives.
Orochimaru was one such person.
And now, Naruto was another.
Could it be that Naruto not only possessed overwhelming power, but also terrifying insight?
When Naruto made no move to attack, Itachi cautiously backed away.
Realizing Naruto truly intended to let him go, Itachi turned and fled.
He had his own mission—his own path to walk.
Though he still held many trump cards, he had no intention of using them against Naruto.
Once Itachi disappeared, Naruto's transformation finally dissipated.
The Lightning Release Chakra Mode vanished, and Kurama's chakra was exhausted.
A large portion of Naruto's own chakra had been consumed after the prolonged battle and pursuit.
After all, the Great Spiraling Rasen Ring was a massive technique.
Even with his immense reserves from the Uzumaki and Senju bloodlines, using such devastating attacks repeatedly had drained him.
Still, he managed to maintain the Ultra-Light Rock Technique effortlessly.
After confirming Itachi had completely left, Naruto found a quiet spot nearby to rest for a while.
Rain Village
Konan, aware of Kisame and Itachi's situation, had ordered them to lure Naruto away from the Land of Rain—avoiding unnecessary losses to the village.
Later, Konan reported everything to Nagato.
Nagato, controlling the Six Paths of Pain, personally set out.
But when they arrived, all they found was devastation.
Naruto, Uchiha Itachi, and Hoshigaki Kisame—none remained.
Pain had arrived too late.
Elsewhere
Konoha's Anbu had sent a squad to Sunagakure to retrieve Naruto—only to be firmly rejected.
One of Yugao's teammates tried to use force to bring Naruto back but was swiftly defeated by him.
In the end, only because of Yugao's intervention did her teammates survive.
As they made their way back to Konoha, one teammate suddenly began blaming her.
"If you had been firmer back there, we might have completed the mission!" he snapped.
Yugao frowned, a bad feeling rising in her heart. "What did you just say?"
If it hadn't been for her, he would already be dead.
And yet, he was now blaming her for the mission's failure?
Under those circumstances, could the mission even have succeeded?
But her teammate clearly didn't see it that way.
All he wanted now was to shift the blame—to avoid punishment once they returned.
After all, he believed he had done his best.
"When we get back, I'll tell the truth to Lord Hokage!" he said coldly.
His tone made it sound like Yugao had betrayed Konoha.
Those words cut deep.
Yugao was not without temper. She glared back and said sharply, "You don't need to remind me. As Anbu, I would never lie to the Third Hokage!"
The two eventually returned to the village and reported directly to the Hokage's office.
After listening to their report, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed heavily.
So that was it.
The reason Naruto left the village… was because his peaceful life had been disrupted.
Had he made a mistake yet again?
Hiruzen stared blankly at the ceiling, a lifetime of regret weighing on him. He weakly waved his hand. "You may leave."
Yugao's teammate bowed and left, secretly relieved.
This way, he could escape blame for the failed mission—by pushing some of the fault onto Yugao.
Now, only Hiruzen and Yugao remained in the room.
After a moment of silence, the old Hokage spoke again.
"Yugao," he said slowly, "I'm afraid I must wrong you once more."
Yugao blinked in confusion. "Third Hokage-sama… what do you mean? I've already done my best."
"I know, Yugao," Hiruzen said softly. "You've worked hard. But you also understand our situation."
"If we want Naruto to return to the village, we may need to use… unconventional means."
Yugao hesitated for a long moment before finally nodding. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes for the village."
Hiruzen's expression softened with approval.
As expected of an Anbu operative—her loyalty was unquestionable.
He then explained his plan in detail.
Yugao's eyes widened in disbelief as she listened.
It felt deeply unfair. Yet, after a long silence, she gritted her teeth and agreed. "Understood."
Hiruzen's plan was to exploit Naruto's guilt.
Guilt—one of the highest emotions distinguishing humans from beasts.
It was also the easiest to manipulate.
Those consumed by guilt often act against their own will.
And how to use it?
Naruto had once shared a connection with Yugao.
Now, stripped of her Anbu position for failing to retrieve him, Yugao would become the scapegoat.
Rumors would spread—claiming that her excessive surveillance drove Naruto from the village.
When Naruto eventually heard of what happened to her because of him, his kind heart would fill with guilt.
He would return to Konoha to make things right.
Then, Yugao could reveal the truth to him in person.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen would recruit Naruto's close friends to convince him to stay.
It was a perfect plan.
Within days, Yugao became the target of public scorn in Konoha.
And because the mission was classified, she couldn't defend herself.
Even Moonlight Gai, her lover, began to doubt her.
The pressure was unbearable.
The rumors soon spread beyond Konoha—to Sunagakure as well.
At that very moment, Naruto was resting quietly in a small inn in the Land of Grass…
Unaware of everything that was happening to Yugao back home.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to [Deadaimbro]for joining my Patreon page!🎉Your support means the world to me. 🙏
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 100+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
Check out my new Marvel fanfic!
[Marvel: Kidnapping Iron Man at the Start]