Naruto unexpectedly bumped into Rock Lee, and to his astonishment, the siblings from the Sand Village - Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari were also there.
The Sand trio lent a hand to Rock Lee. They chatted for a while before the siblings departed for their own village, and Naruto and Rock Lee set off for Konoha.
En route, they ran into Kakashi, and all together, they headed back to their village.
Upon reaching the gates of Konoha...
Sakura was there, patiently waiting, along with Neji and Choji.
Sakura accompanied Kakashi to the Konoha hospital, while Naruto headed straight to the Hokage's office to deliver the mission report.
At the Hokage's office...
"So, there were five Sound ninjas at the location?" Tsunade inquired as Naruto stood opposite her desk.
"Yes, there were five. They placed some sort of seal on Sasuke and seemed to be using these curse marks to amplify their power..." Naruto explained.
"A seal? What kind of seal?" Tsunade probed.
"Well, you'll see when you meet Sasuke, but I've seen those seals before on Anko-sensei. She had this seal, and it was given to her by Orochimaru..." Naruto elaborated.
"That Orochimaru..." Tsunade muttered under her breath, frustration seeping into her words. "So, where's Sasuke now?" She further inquired.
"Well, Kakashi-sensei has taken him to the hospital. I plan on heading there myself from here..." Naruto responded.
"Well, if you're not busy, you can..." Naruto began to say, but Tsunade cut him off as she stood up. "I have to see the seal mark, and I also have some decisions to make regarding Sasuke," she stated, making her way towards the exit of the Hokage's office.
"I think Sasuke is in big danger..." Naruto thought to himself, feeling a sense of urgency as he followed Tsunade.
At Konoha Hospital...
Sasuke had finally awakened and was lying in a hospital bed, gazing up at the ceiling. Sakura, and Jiraiya stood beside his bed, discussing the situation.
Jiraiya had heard the news and had some business in the village, so he decided to visit Sasuke.
"Tsunade, you're here..." Jiraiya exclaimed upon seeing her.
"Jiraiya, what are you doing here?" Tsunade asked curiously.
"I was actually on my way to visit you, but when I heard about Sasuke's condition, I came here to see him," Jiraiya explained.
Tsunade nodded and turned her attention to Sasuke.
"Sasuke... I came back to the village and treated you for this? So that you could heal and then turn against the village itself?" Tsunade expressed her anger.
"Tsunade, he's just a kid. There's no need to be so harsh," Jiraiya interjected.
"Yeah, Grandma Tsunade, he only wanted to gain strength to achieve his goal," Naruto defended Sasuke.
"There are many ways to become strong, and he chose to go against the village," Tsunade responded, her gaze still fixed on Sasuke. "I will not make any severe decisions or give you a harsh punishment due to your age, but..." Tsunade paused for a moment.
"But I cannot overlook the mistake, or should I say crime, you committed by attempting to flee the village and join a criminal. So, you should be grateful that I am not punishing you more severely. I am removing you from the role of a shinobi. That will be your punishment..." Tsunade concluded, her tone firm.
The room fell silent as Tsunade's words echoed through the stifling air.
"Tsunade, you can't just take away his shinobi status. Sasuke is still young. He made a mistake, but we can guide him back onto the right path."
Tsunade turned sharply to face them, her expression stern. "Jiraiya, this isn't about age. It's about loyalty. Sasuke chose to abandon his village, his friends, and us. For Orochimaru, no less!"
Naruto chimed in, his voice filled with confidence. His carefree and jovial nature, mimicking that of Gojo Satoru, was evident. "Hey, hey, hey, Granny Tsunade. Don't you think you're being a little too harsh? Sasuke's just a bit misguided, that's all. We can still help him see the error of his ways, can't we?" he said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Tsunade..." Jiraiya began, attempting to interject.
"Jiraiya, this situation doesn't doesn't involve you,so don't concern yourself with it." Tsunade retorted.
"Actually, it does, it involves my pupil..." Jiraiya stated, gesturing towards Naruto, "...so it involves me." He then shifted his attention to Sasuke, "About Sasuke, he's got a thirst for power, right? Well, if that's the case, I'll lend him a hand. I'll mold him into the mightiest he can possibly be. What do you think, Sasuke?" Jiraiya proposed, turning to face Sasuke.
Sasuke was silent, so Naruto spoke up, "Hey, you wanna get stronger, right? Jiraiya sensei is offering a hand, you know..."
"I'll...think about it," Sasuke muttered, averted his gaze.
"What was that?" Naruto teased, "You gotta speak up!"
"I said...I'll think about it," Sasuke repeated, louder this time.
"Alright, alright, no need to get all riled up!" Naruto chuckled.
Turning to Tsunade, Jiraiya said, "So, what do you say, Tsunade? You can count on me to keep an eye on Sasuke. No more missteps like this one, I promise."
Tsunade sighed, "Fine... But Sasuke, consider this your last chance. If you mess up again, I won't be so lenient with your punishment," she warned before exiting the room.
"Sasuke, the offer stands. Let me know by tomorrow morning if you're in. That's your deadline," Jiraiya said, following Tsunade out.
Naruto then turned to Sakura, who had been quiet throughout the conversation. "Hey, Sakura, remember the promise I made? I said I'd bring Sasuke back, and look, here he is. You can stop worrying now."
Sakura blushed, looking down, "Thank you, Naruto."
Naruto then addressed Sasuke, "Now that you're back and everything's cool, why not say sorry to those who went out of their way to help you? Especially Shikamaru and Kiba, they got hurt trying to bring you back, ya know."
Sasuke simply nodded and got off his bed. Together, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura went to see Shikamaru and Kiba, where Sasuke offered his apologies.
After that, Naruto bid his friends goodbye and headed to his favorite spot, the Ichiraku ramen shop.
Following these events, Naruto decided to spend his afternoon with Hinata.
They spent a good chunk of their time training and discussing the life of a Shinobi, their missions, and the growth they've experienced from each task.
Afterwards, Naruto accompanied Hinata back to the Hyuga clan compound, his first visit there. He exchanged greetings with the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi, Hinata's father, and her younger sister, Hanabi.
Subsequently, Naruto returned to his newly acquired apartment, which could also double as a safehouse.
After a hearty meal, he took a bath and drifted off to sleep.
The next day...
Naruto was up with the sun, ready to start the day.
Suddenly, his door was interrupted by a knock. "Who could that be at this hour?" He wondered, considering only a handful of people knew where he lived.
Upon opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of Karin and Sakura.
"Hey, Karin, Sakura, morning's greeting to you both..." Naruto said.
"Good morning." Both of them replied in unison.
"So, what brings you two here so early?"
"I went to your place, but you weren't there. Karin informed me that you moved..." Sakura explained.
"...And that's why I brought her here. She said it was urgent," Karin added.
"Urgent? Is it about Sasuke?" Naruto inquired.
"Yes, exactly. Remember when Master Jiraiya offered to train Sasuke, and he accepted? Well, they're leaving the village now," Sakura clarified.
"You mean they're leaving right now?" Naruto exclaimed.
"Yes, so I came to get you. Do you want to go?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, wait for me. I'll be right there," Naruto responded, rushing to his room and returning quickly. "Now, let's go," he declared.
Naruto and Sakura headed to the Hokage's office, where Jiraiya and Sasuke were speaking with Tsunade. Karin had already returned.
Upon entering the office, Naruto and Sakura found Sasuke and Jiraiya standing in front of Tsunade's desk. Tsunade sat in the Hokage's chair, with Shizune and her pet Tonton beside her.
"Hey, so you've decided to leave with Jiraiya sensei for training?" Naruto asked Sasuke.
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, this time I'll definitely become stronger than you," he stated.
"Well, trying isn't a bad thing, you know," Naruto replied.
"Naruto, why don't you join us? Maybe you can learn a thing or two along the way," Jiraiya suggested.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Jiraiya. The village is already short on shinobi, and Naruto, being a Chunin now, has a lot of responsibilities. Him leaving the village wouldn't be very helpful," Naruto explained, looking at Tsunade. "Are you okay with that, Naruto?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes, no problem. I understand," Naruto assured. "Sasuke, come back stronger. We have to have a one-on-one fight when you return," he added with a smile.
Afterwards, Jiraiya and Sasuke left the Hokage's office, accompanied by Naruto and Sakura, as they made their way to the Konoha gate to leave the village.
Naruto and Sakura waved goodbye to Sasuke as Jiraiya and Sasuke departed.
"Hope you become as strong as possible," Naruto thought to himself as he and Sakura returned to the Hokage's office. They had their own missions to attend to as well.
[ A.N: Making a bold shift with the narrative, not sure if it's wise or foolish. I'm honestly at a loss for concepts, but regardless, I hope it resonates well with you...and if it does, show some affection...
Query - Would you prefer a leap in the timeline in the forthcoming chapter or are you interested in seeing Naruto guide more missions with Sakura and others?
- Leap in Time
- Naruto at the helm of missions, as a Chunin.
Gratitude for your time spent reading. Your Powerstones are much appreciated and do leave your reviews if the story appeals to you. Also, don't forget to add it to your library.