A thank you for being my patron:
"Human Path":
-Codeseed g
"Outer Path":
-chris
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - p@treon.com/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
--------------------------------------------------------------
In the morning, Sasuke woke up from his sleep to find himself alone in the cave.
Sitting up, he looked around and noticed a line of words shallowly carved on the rock wall to his left.
"Sasuke, I've gone to find some food. If you wake up, wait here for me."
He snorted, then looked down at the bedding below him and the new clothes on his body, a barely noticeable smile appearing on his face.
Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy in spots, reaching the cave entrance, with the sound of birds calling from outside.
Sasuke stepped out of the cave, lightly jumped onto a large tree, and looked down at the endless green forest below the cliff, stretching lazily.
The breeze brushed across his face, fully waking him up and making him aware of the differences in himself.
It seemed the injuries he had received yesterday had already healed.
Was it uncle? He even knows medical techniques.
Moreover, his whole body felt relaxed.
Without the urgent desire for revenge and now having a clear goal, the gloomy air around the young man had mostly dissipated, making him feel much more open-minded.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared overhead, and Sasuke looked up to see Kaito, with his garments fluttering, lightly descending from the sky.
Sasuke noticed that when he landed on the tree, the branches didn't shake at all.
"Good morning, Sasuke."
Kaito glanced at Sasuke's condition and smiled slightly.
"You look much better!"
"Good morning."
Sasuke politely responded.
"Did you heal the wounds on my body? Thank you."
"No need to thank me. Your injuries weren't that severe."
As they spoke, the two entered the cave again. Kaito didn't say much but handed over a simple food container.
"Well, I found some berries. Make do with these."
Sasuke took the container, opened it to see the juicy red berries inside, thanked him, and then sat down on the ground to eat.
Kaito also sat down next to him, and for a while, neither of them spoke.
Only the fluttering of birds and the rustling of the wind through the forest continued to come from outside the cave.
After a while, Sasuke finished the berries.
He set aside the food container, stealthily glanced at the contented Kaito, and couldn't help but ask, "Uncle... how did you acquire your power?"
"Couldn't hold back your curiosity, huh?"
Kaito looked at him and didn't answer, instead asking him a question in return.
"Do you know the origin of chakra, Sasuke?"
Sasuke paused, then gave the standard answer he learned in ninja school.
"It's said to have been passed down by the legendary Sage of the Six Paths, a thousand years ago."
Kaito smiled meaningfully.
"That answer isn't wrong. But have you ever wondered where the Sage of the Six Paths' chakra came from? And before the appearance of chakra, did humans possess some other form of power?"
Sasuke shook his head, not understanding why it was necessary to clarify these things.
He replied, "Power is just power. As long as it's useful, that's enough for me. I haven't thought about these things."
Kaito's smile became even more mysterious.
He softly began, "This relates to the source of my power, as well as a great secret of the ninja world that no one else knows."
Hearing this, Sasuke started to become interested in the topic.
He suppressed his curiosity and looked at Kaito with a nonchalant tone, asking, "So, do you have a different answer?"
In the Land of Rain, Hidden Rain Village.
This village, located in the center of a lake, seemed as gloomy and lifeless as the rainy country it was part of.
Itachi Uchiha, cloaked in a large mantle, and Kisame Hoshigaki walked silently through the dark streets.
Suddenly, both stopped in their tracks.
"Itachi, Kisame."
A person with a pitcher plant overhead rose from the ground at their feet, raising a hand in greeting.
"What's the matter, Zetsu?"
Itachi remained silent, leaving Kisame to step forward and inquire, revealing a mouthful of shark-like teeth, "About Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha's information."
Zetsu's face, hidden within the pitcher plant, did not reveal his expression as he spoke.
Itachi merely glanced at him expressionlessly and did not ask further.
"Still the same, huh? Aren't you curious at all, Itachi?" Zetsu's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"Sasuke Uchiha was lured away by Orochimaru and has defected from Konoha."
"What will you do, Mr. Itachi? Are you going to save your brother?" Kisame interjected, "After all, your eyes that Orochimaru got are yours."
"No need," Itachi stated flatly. "He will come to me on his own."
"Indeed, no need! The report I just mentioned wasn't complete. Sasuke Uchiha was taken away by someone else along the way."
Zetsu moved closer to Itachi as he spoke.
"And that person is also an Uchiha, named Kaito. Do you know him, Itachi? He claims to be your and Sasuke's uncle."
Hearing this, Kisame became curious and asked Itachi, "Oh? Mr. Itachi, who exterminated the whole clan, left an uncle alive?"
Itachi's usually calm eyes flickered slightly, and he frowned slightly.
He recalled for a moment and answered, "Uchiha Kaito was just an ordinary person without ninja talents, and he left Konoha long ago."
"It seems he had some strange gains after leaving Konoha!" Zetsu continued with the information.
"And I even lost track of him. That person has a power completely different from chakra."
"A power different from chakra, huh? I'd like to see that. Do you know, Mr. Itachi?" Kisame looked at Itachi with a probing gaze.
"Yes, what exactly is it?" Zetsu also chimed in.
Itachi remained emotionless as he replied, "I'm not sure. Kaito left over a decade ago."
In the Land of Fire, Hidden Leaf Village.
"Good morning, Naruto."
In the Konoha Hospital, Naruto Uzumaki had just woken up when Sakura Haruno walked into the room with a bento box.
"Good morning, Sakura!" Naruto, wrapped in bandages, greeted her cheerily.
He excitedly asked, "Hey, hey, Sakura, did you come to bring me food?"
"Here's your ramen."
Handing the bento to Naruto and seeing his wounds, Sakura's expression fell, "It's all my fault, I couldn't do anything, just asked you for help, and ended up getting everyone hurt."
Naruto took the bento with one hand and waved the other, reassuring her, "It's not your fault, Sakura."
He gave a thumbs up, declaring firmly, "Don't worry, I'll definitely bring Sasuke back!"
"I'll work hard with you, Naruto."
Sakura suddenly looked up, her gaze determined, somewhat excitedly saying, "Tsunade-sama has agreed to take me as her apprentice! I'll bring Sasuke back with my own hands!"
She didn't want to be powerless anymore, didn't want to burden her teammates anymore.
"Yeah!"
Naruto smiled, "Tsunade granny, huh, she's as strong as the Pervy Sage! Sakura will become stronger too..."
Just then, the door to the room opened again.
Both turned to look as Shikamaru Nara hurried in, his expression slightly grave.
He directly addressed them, "Naruto, Sakura, the Hokage just told me some new information about Sasuke."