Naruto and Konoha's companions were shocked as they looked at the vanished figure in the distance.
It wasn't that they didn't want to chase him; it was simply that Satoru's speed was so fast, they had no clue which direction to even begin pursuing.
That speed—unbelievable.
Not even a chance for a glance back?
The entire process had taken only a moment.
They hadn't even had the chance to fight before Sasuke was taken right from under their noses.
Was this the gap in strength?
"It's terrifying," Shikamaru sighed, continuing, "Things are getting more and more troublesome."
He glanced back at Inuzuka behind him.
"Can you sense the other person's direction?" Shikamaru asked.
"I'll give it a try," Inuzuka replied, concentrating chakra into his nose.
This was their family's secret technique, which could instantly enhance their sense of smell to thousands of times that of an ordinary person.
He sniffed the air carefully but shook his head after a moment.
The scent was so faint, it seemed as though the target was already thousands of miles away. He couldn't pick up any trace.
"Akamaru," Inuzuka called to his partner.
Akamaru barked in response and tried as well.
After a while, Inuzuka shook his head again. "Still nothing. I can't feel their traces at all."
"I see," Shikamaru said, sighing.
Deep down, he'd already prepared for this outcome.
This was to be expected. Given the strength Satoru had just displayed, even if they could catch up, they wouldn't stand a chance against him.
It was better to head back to Konoha and report this immediately.
"So strong..." Rock Lee of Guy's team murmured, still replaying the earlier scene in his mind.
During the Chunin Exams, he had already sensed how formidable Satoru was.
But now, having seen him in person, the gap in their strength was staggering.
There hadn't even been a moment where fighting seemed possible.
"Let's hope nothing major happens," Neji said, lowering his eyes in thought.
Why did he take Sasuke Uchiha?
What was his purpose?
Meanwhile, Tayuya glanced nervously at Kimimaro, whose face was dark and unreadable.
"Lord Kimimaro, should we...?" she started, but her voice faltered under his cold gaze.
Kimimaro said nothing at first, his eyes fixed on the forest ahead.
After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Let's go."
The mission had failed. There was no reason to linger, and he needed to report this to Orochimaru-sama.
Kimimaro hadn't expected the white-haired ninja to be so fast—so fast that he couldn't even follow his movements properly.
Who was that man?
At the same time, Kimimaro didn't realize he'd just let go of the very vessel Orochimaru had been so eager to secure.
Gathering the Sound Four, Kimimaro led them back to the village.
Satoru, who had disappeared with Sasuke in a sack, soon felt movement from inside it.
"Oh, waking up already?" Satoru mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
What to do? He hadn't figured out how to explain everything yet.
Maybe he could claim the Uchiha clan had been saved by some wandering sage, eliminating the need for revenge?
Or would it be better to keep the truth—that they'd faked their deaths—a secret?
Satoru frowned, deep in thought. Something about this situation gave him an uneasy feeling.
Delusion, he decided. Probably just delusion.
"Hey, you bastard! Let me out!" Sasuke's voice suddenly called from the sack.
With a casual wave, Satoru dropped the sack, and Sasuke tumbled out in a mess.
"You idiot! What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke demanded, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Haha..." Satoru laughed awkwardly, stroking his chin. "Well, actually, there's something I forgot to tell you."
Without giving Sasuke time to respond, Satoru quickly explained the situation, carefully picking his words.
Sasuke's expression shifted continuously as he listened, his face like a palette of swirling emotions.
When Satoru finished, he gave a bright smile. "And that's about it, haha..."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "So..."
His voice dropped to a dangerous tone.
"You think I can just forget about something like this, bastard?!"
Satoru blinked, surprised by the response.
Wait, that's it?
He had expected Sasuke to explode in fury, especially after finding out the truth about Itachi and the Uchiha clan's destruction.
But instead, Sasuke seemed... almost calm.
At first, Sasuke had been furious—angry at himself, at Itachi, at Konoha, and even at the world.
But when he looked at his brother's familiar, irritating smile, the rage began to fade, replaced by a strange sense of relief.
For years, Sasuke had carried his pain alone, and he was exhausted.
But now, it seemed there had always been someone else walking this path alongside him.
He chose not to question why Satoru had kept this from him or why he was only telling him now.
Sasuke figured his brother must have had his reasons.
Besides, Sasuke was still too weak.
He couldn't even awaken Itachi from his stubborn mindset, let alone keep up with Satoru's strides.
Lowering his eyes, Sasuke made a silent vow.
If his brother had carried so much responsibility on his shoulders, Sasuke wouldn't let him walk alone anymore.
He had to get stronger—strong enough to shoulder some of that burden himself.
After a long conversation, Sasuke decided to head to the Uchiha clan's land, as Satoru had suggested, while Satoru returned to the Akatsuki base.
Back at the Akatsuki organization's base, Satoru reclined on a tree branch, munching on a dango skewer.
"Strange..." he muttered.
"Did Sasuke come up with something weird in his head today? His expression seemed a bit off."
Satoru scratched his head.
"Must've been my imagination."
A few months later, in Konoha's Hokage office, Tsunade frowned as she placed a report down.
"That's all the information we have about Akatsuki," she said solemnly.
"The organization's activity has been increasing rapidly. What are they planning with their frequent movements across various nations?"
She sighed deeply.
This organization, once lurking in the shadows, was now making bold moves.
Turning to a Anbu Ninja, she asked, "What's the status of Sasuke Uchiha?"
"No new information has been uncovered," the ninja replied.
"I see..." Tsunade murmured, her brow furrowing.
Why had the white-haired ninja taken Sasuke?
During the Chunin Exams, he'd had plenty of opportunities to take Sasuke but hadn't.
So why now?
Could this be part of Akatsuki's plan?
What were they after?
>>>>>
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