Sasuke turned around and glared at Kabuto.
The white-haired man smiled innocently, looking harmless.
This man had only mentioned that Orochimaru wanted to see him.
He hadn't expected that the purpose of bringing him here was to see Naruto.
Right now, Naruto was the last person he wanted to meet!
"I heard from Orochimaru that you've fought with that man," Sasuke asked, "Is he strong?"
The image of those Sharingan eyes from the Land of Whirlpools surfaced again.
Naruto shook his head. "When he fought me, it seemed like he wasn't using his full strength."
"I'm not sure about his exact power."
"But."
Naruto glanced at Orochimaru. "If you can kill this guy and evolve your Sharingan into the Mangekyō, you should be able to challenge him."
Sasuke lowered his head and softly repeated, "Mangekyō, huh?"
Orochimaru clicked his tongue and joined the conversation between the two. "Naruto, you're quite straightforward. That really hurts my feelings."
"In your mind, am I just a tool?"
Naruto shot him a glance. "When did you ever think you weren't?"
"I've always been this way."
Orochimaru grinned even more broadly. "Since you're so concerned about Sasuke, how about we make a deal?"
"I can give him to you."
"As long as you're willing to share."
"The secret of your two swords and the method for modifying summoning techniques."
Naruto looked at Sasuke.
Sasuke clenched his fists and didn't lift his head.
"Is it because I'm too merciful that you've deluded yourself into thinking you're qualified to bargain with me?" Naruto spoke, his tone soft but sharp.
Naruto's presence, mixed with the Nine-Tails' aura, directly confronted Orochimaru.
A flicker of emotion crossed the snake-like face, and Orochimaru took a small step back. "Naruto, you've grown stronger again. I was just speaking casually."
"I intend to take Sasuke away, and I don't need your consent," Naruto continued, "However, he has his own thoughts."
"And he's prepared to bear the consequences."
"I won't interfere."
He could tell that Sasuke didn't want to accept a "handout."
What he didn't quite understand was why, in Sasuke's eyes, his help was seen as a "handout."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Is that what you think, Naruto? Then I'm relieved."
Sasuke lifted his head, his expression no longer as heavy.
"Everyone chooses their own path." Naruto shifted his gaze back to the black-haired boy with three-tomoe Sharingan. "As long as you're ready to bear the consequences, whatever path you take is your own will."
"But."
"Orochimaru, I believe Sasuke will be the one to come out on top."
Orochimaru lowered his voice. "You hold Sasuke in such high regard, Naruto?"
"Let me think." Naruto tilted his head. He sensed something different about Sasuke. "If I had to sum it up, it's that Sasuke's potential far surpasses both you and that guy named Itachi."
His gaze rested on Sasuke's forehead.
He captured that "different" feeling.
Naruto walked over, reached out, and removed the forehead protector from Sasuke's head, casually tossing it to the ground. "Since you've chosen to leave Konoha, there's no need to wear such an inconvenient item anymore."
Sasuke slightly raised his head.
After a year and a half apart, Naruto was now a bit taller than him.
Back in Konoha, he had been shorter than even Sakura.
"Is that so?" Orochimaru wasn't angered by Naruto's words; instead, his interest grew stronger. "It seems I mustn't disappoint you, Naruto."
Naruto tilted his head, noticing Sasuke's empty neck, and continued. "I have two pieces of advice for you."
"Don't accept Orochimaru's curse mark. While it's indeed a way to gain power..."
"But."
"It's merely an inferior substitute for Sage Mode."
"You should try to obtain the scroll of Ryūchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Regions, from Orochimaru, and then learn Sage Mode from Ryūchi Cave."
"If you can't master that technique, then you can consider accepting Orochimaru's curse mark."
Sasuke was startled.
Sage Mode?
This was a new term he hadn't heard before. If even Naruto valued it so highly, it must be a tremendous power.
He nodded.
Naruto continued. "The second thing is that he's currently researching the power of the soul."
"You might also want to explore that."
"It could be beneficial for your Sharingan."
Sasuke was taken aback again and nodded once more.
"Sage Mode" and "the power of the soul," huh?
Naruto turned back to Orochimaru with a bright smile. "Orochimaru, don't hold back your power."
"Teach it all to Sasuke."
"If you're hiding anything..."
"Even if you're the last one standing, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Orochimaru licked his lips. "Naruto, you're really biased toward Sasuke."
"He's my friend," Naruto responded without hesitation. "And you, well, I've already killed you once before, haven't I?"
He paused meaningfully. "I currently have an immature idea, but it might be needed in the future."
Orochimaru remained silent.
Sasuke lowered his head, lost in thought.
Kabuto quickly prepared what Naruto needed. The experimental equipment was far more abundant than expected. Orochimaru's laboratory, despite its scale, was hardly inferior to that of the 12th Division.
Orochimaru also provided a lot of information regarding criminals.
Most of these were ninjas who posed a threat to the Sound Village. Since Orochimaru had been out of sight for a long time and Kabuto was the apparent leader of the village, the situation there was not very good.
After getting what he wanted, Naruto immediately left.
Casually capturing a known criminal ninja nearby, Naruto then set off for Konoha with Karin.
This time, they sneaked in without alerting the Anbu.
There were not many traces related to the "Uzumaki Clan" in the village.
Soon, they found a shrine at the edge of Konoha, a relic left behind by the Uzumaki Clan.
The place was dilapidated, long neglected, with most of the buildings already collapsed.
Only the plaque at the entrance of the shrine still bore the Uzumaki Clan's emblem, a spiral pattern that revealed the original owners of this shrine.
They entered through the half-collapsed, low doorway.
Karin exclaimed, "There are so many masks here."
As soon as they entered, they saw the walls lined with three rows of Shinigami masks.
The Nine-Tails peeked out, its gaze sweeping over the masks. "Which one is it?"
They all looked similar, with fierce and terrifying faces, each with a pair of horns on its head. However, subtle differences in facial features made each mask distinct.
"It's that one," Naruto said, reaching out to take down the sixth mask on the second row.
The Nine-Tails sniffed it but sensed nothing special.
"How did you know?" it asked.
"Because it looks the same," Naruto replied. "The demon looked just like this."
Karin took out a scroll. "Shall I summon that person now and release the Fourth Hokage's soul?"
Naruto shook his head and handed her the mask. "Wait a moment. Let me make some preparations."
Karin tilted her head, wondering what else needed to be prepared.
The tools, the ritual, and the chosen person were all ready, weren't they?
Naruto walked out of the shrine.
He clasped his hands together, and a spell unfolded.
A massive barrier arose, enveloping the entire shrine from all sides.
Then, several sealing techniques spread across the ground within the barrier.
Finally, one last technique.
"Bakudō #73. Tōzanshō (倒山晶, Inverse Mountain Crystal)."
A blue, inverted triangular pyramid appeared out of thin air, suspended above.
After completing these preparations, Naruto grabbed Karin and entered the Tozanshō.
"Naruto?" Karin was puzzled.
She didn't understand the significance of Naruto deploying so many sealing techniques.
Konoha wasn't worth this much trouble.
"In case of that guy from the Pure Land," Naruto said, shaking his head.
Karin recalled, "The Sage of Six Paths?"
Although the Great Toad Sage hadn't explicitly stated who the master of the Pure Land was, the clues in its words made it easy to deduce a result.
"We can't confirm if it's him yet," Naruto said, reaching out and taking the scroll from Karin's hand. "But the guy in the Pure Land is indeed very powerful. I can barely detect traces of his movements."
"When the soul is released later, if he tries to take it back, all this would have been for nothing."
As he spoke, he spread the scroll flat on the ground and placed his hand over it, activating the summoning technique.
A wooden barrel appeared out of nowhere.
Naruto opened it and pulled out the person inside.
"Uzumaki-sama!" The middle-aged ninja cautiously greeted him as soon as he could speak.
Naruto took the mask from Karin's hand and handed it to him. "Just as we agreed before. You help me perform this ritual. If you survive, I will let you go."
The middle-aged man nodded and respectfully accepted the mask, placing it on his face.
He formed a seal.
The chakra within him was completely drained, and a phantom figure appeared behind him.
Karin still couldn't see anything.
However, the Nine-Tails, having once experienced the "Reaper Death Seal," could see clearly.
That "Shinigami" had the same fierce, evil face as the mask.
Naruto drew his sword.
"I caught a glimpse of you once before."
"Now let me see what you really are."
He moved forward in an instant, stopping before the "Shinigami."
The demon showed no reaction, its expression vacant, only staring at the ninja performing the ritual.
It seemed as though it only focused on the person who had become its "vessel" and had no intention of taking further action.
Naruto's sword had already struck, hitting its abdomen directly.
The demon still did not react.
Even as its stomach was sliced open, five souls flew out from within its body.
But without a command from the one performing the ritual, it did not make any move.
At the moment the souls appeared, Naruto looked down.
In his perception, a force surged from the ground, crashing into the barrier, its target being the four newly released souls.
~~~
Ohhh??? Naruto is already getting in touch with the sage of six paths this early!!! Waku waku!
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