In the secluded corners of Konoha, an abandoned Uchiha residence stood silent.
Sasuke found himself seated in the tranquil courtyard.
According to his usual routine, this was the time for taijutsu training.
But now, he found himself devoid of motivation.
He simply lifted his gaze, staring blankly at the crescent moon.
The rain from earlier had polished the sky, leaving not a single cloud.
Yet in his mind, he could always discern an ethereal golden figure drifting.
It was Naruto's presence.
The scenes from the day replayed ceaselessly in his mind.
Standing in the air, departing unconcernedly despite Konoha's rules.
The villagers were helpless, forced to accept it.
All of this was a result of overwhelming power.
But how did Naruto come to possess such immense strength?
Even if he developed his Sharingan to its third tomoe, it might never catch up with Naruto's pace.
Sasuke frowned deeply.
Suddenly, he spun around, his eyes fixed on a shadow not far off: "Who's there? Come out!"
"Your sensory skills aren't half bad, Sasuke."
A man shrouded in a black cloak emerged slowly, "You noticed me quite swiftly."
Sasuke sprang to his feet, kunai in hand: "It's you."
"Kabuto!"
"Show yourself in Konoha at a time like this? Quite bold."
The man pulled back his hood, revealing an unremarkable, spectacled face marked with a disingenuous smile: "My boldness is minimal, but the chance was too ideal to miss."
"Right now, all of Konoha's attention is on that individual."
That person.
Sasuke was taken aback, several names flashed through his mind persistently.
After a moment, he finally confirmed which one it was and spoke up, "Naruto?"
Kabuto Yakushi nodded, "That's right, the Jinchūriki. He's just returned to Konoha, causing quite a commotion throughout the village."
"He went to the hospital for a while and then left."
"I thought Konoha might try to stop him a bit."
Sasuke squinted but didn't follow up on his words. Instead, he sharply demanded, "Enough with the nonsense, state your purpose for coming."
He didn't need to ask "What did Naruto go to the hospital for" — the answer was clear.
It was to heal Rock Lee.
Compared to Naruto's matters, he was more concerned about this person's reason for seeking him out.
"Naruto is truly powerful," Kabuto observed, looking out into the distance. "I've been quite anxious, only daring to come to you after confirming he left the village."
"Aren't you supposed to be three months older than him?"
Sasuke said nothing.
He knew Naruto's birthday, October tenth.
Making him over two months younger than himself, born on July twenty-third.
"Do you crave great power?" Kabuto turned back to look at him with a sly smile.
Sasuke lowered his hand, maintaining a cautious stance, "The Jinchūriki?"
"You all refer to Naruto as the Jinchūriki."
"Is it because of that identity? That the fox sealed inside him makes him so strong?"
Kabuto chuckled softly, "How naive, Sasuke."
"That brat from Sunagakure, Gaara, is also a Jinchūriki."
"Yet the difference between him and Naruto—"
He clicked his tongue, offering no judgment.
Sasuke had made up his mind.
Gaara was formidable, far outstripping most at his age, but compared to Naruto, the difference was like that between a valley and a mountain peak.
"Do you want to catch up to Naruto?" Kabuto raised his hand, extending it with genuine sincerity.
Sasuke shook his head, sizing him up. "Do you really think you can help me with that?" His tone was dripping with disdain.
On the day of the Konoha Crush, he had seen Kabuto in action, joining forces with several Sand Village ninjas, posing a challenge even to Kakashi and his team.
Naruto's assessment hadn't been wrong.
Kabuto was, indeed, someone not to be underestimated.
But he was no more than on par with Kakashi, or perhaps even below his level.
"Of course not," Kabuto said, pointing upward. "Have you forgotten the one above me?"
"You mean that Orochimaru guy?" Sasuke hesitated.
Kabuto nodded.
"To learn from a dead man," Sasuke scoffed. "Can you even say such words?"
Kabuto's face remained fixed in a false smile. "Even I initially thought Lord Orochimaru had truly died," he admitted.
"But Lord Orochimaru's methods far surpass anything we could have imagined."
He recalled returning to Orochimaru's base, delivering news of the 'death' to the man Orochimaru trusted most.
The man's calmness was unsettling—he assured Kabuto that Orochimaru had not perished and ordered him to bring Sasuke back to prepare for Orochimaru's revival.
Kabuto smirked arrogantly, pausing before continuing, "Death is merely an illusion."
"After all," he added thoughtfully, "compared to falling into Konoha's hands, death is a far more acceptable outcome."
Sasuke's expression shifted.
Orochimaru isn't dead?
"Come with me, Sasuke," Kabuto Yakushi extended his hand again. "Konoha isn't the right place for you."
"That little Jinchuriki brat should just destroy this place," Kabuto continued. "Erase the darkness beneath this village as well."
"You won't become strong here. You'll only be swallowed by the darkness."
Sasuke stood tall, hands in his pockets. "Even if Orochimaru isn't dead, so what?"
"What can he teach me?
How to fake death and escape enemies?"
"It's the power to defeat my enemies head-on that I need, not the power to run away."
Kabuto withdrew his hand and gently pushed up his glasses. "Does killing the Third Hokage not prove Lord Orochimaru's strength?"
"Just killing an old man," Sasuke shook his head, decisively refusing.
Orochimaru.
When he appeared in the Forest of Death, he indeed exerted tremendous pressure on him.
But in Sasuke's eyes, Orochimaru wasn't worthy of being called a 'stronger'.
He seemed to want to try something on him, But was soon driven off by Naruto.
Struggling to kill an already dying Third Hokage, Only to be killed by Naruto immediately afterward.
Such a person.
Such meager strength isn't enough to entice me to learn.
Leaving Konoha to seek out someone Naruto could kill
isn't as worthwhile as staying in Konoha, training under Kakashi, and unlocking the Sharingan with three tomoe, then making other plans.
"Is that so? So Lord Orochimaru appears to you like this," Kabuto sighed softly. "But even if you temporarily misunderstand Lord Orochimaru."
"You are always welcome, Lord Orochimaru," came the invitation. "If you change your mind. Come to the Village Hidden in Sound."
Sasuke remained silent, watching as Kabuto Yakushi disappeared into the shadows.
He waited until he could no longer sense Kabuto's presence or chakra, then raised his head, continuing to gaze at the moon.
His fists clenched tightly in his pockets. Power...
Naruto had left the village, and it wasn't long before he sensed a familiar presence tailing him closely.
He stopped on a tree branch, waiting.
Soon, the follower caught up. It was Jiraiya. "Why are you chasing me like this?" Naruto asked calmly.
Scratching his head, Jiraiya replied with uncertain bravado, "I have two jutsu I want to teach you."
"One is the Summoning Jutsu, a contract with the Great Toad of Mount Myoboku. We can communicate through it."
"The other is a jutsu called the Rasengan."
Naruto shook his head. At this moment, he didn't feel the need for more jutsu; they wouldn't add much to his strength.
"These are jutsu your father once mastered," Jiraiya continued with renewed conviction upon mentioning Minato Namikaze. "The Rasengan, in particular, is a jutsu he developed without the need for hand signs."
"So," Jiraiya asked, "Do you want to learn them?"
(End of Chapter)
TL Note - Read up to 50+ chapters ahead for some really good novels (according to my taste, which is good) and other perks on my Patreon - patreon.com/geriatricvibes. Thanks a lot for the support