Chapter 3: Paths Diverge
Naruto sat among the lifeless bodies of the Root ANBU, the weight of his actions pressing heavily on his mind. Blood dripped from the tanto in his hand, pooling onto the forest floor. As he stared blankly, the oppressive silence was broken by a soft, high-pitched voice.
"Hey, Kenny! Don't look so down!"
Naruto blinked in confusion and turned his head. Standing before him was a tiny girl with bubblegum-pink hair and a mischievous grin. She leaned toward him, her small hand resting gently on his bloodied one.
"Everything's going to be fine," she said cheerfully, patting his head.
Naruto's eyes widened. "K-Kenny? Who's Kenny? Who are you?"
The girl giggled, her voice light and carefree. "I'm Yachiru, of course! Don't tell me you forgot already."
"Yachiru..." Naruto repeated the name. It felt familiar, like a distant memory he couldn't quite grasp.
She grinned. "Yep! You're always like this, getting all serious and mopey after a fight. But you're still you, Kenny. And you always figure it out."
Naruto stared at her, baffled by her presence but oddly comforted.
---
Naruto sat cross-legged on the forest floor, the tanto lying beside him. His thoughts warred with themselves. He now understood that Tsunade hadn't truly betrayed him, Danzo had manipulated everything. But even with that knowledge, he wasn't sure what to do.
"Maybe I should go back," he muttered to himself.
"No, Kit," the Nine-Tails growled in his mind. "If you return, you'll only face betrayal again."
Yachiru sat beside him, swinging her legs idly. "Don't listen to that grumpy voice," she chimed in. "You've always followed your instincts, right? Just do what feels right."
Naruto clenched his fists, feeling something stir deep within him. His instincts spoke to him, not of retreat, not of submission, but of something primal. He raised his head, a bloodthirsty grin spreading across his face.
"I want more..." he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I want to fight more."
Yachiru's eyes sparkled with delight. "That's the Kenny I know!"
---
Meanwhile, back in Konoha, Tsunade finished overseeing Neji's surgery and went to visit Naruto. When she didn't find him in the hospital, she began to worry. She ordered the staff and ANBU to search for him.
Her worry turned to despair when a letter was found in his apartment. It was brief and devastating.
"I can't stay in the village anymore. I'm leaving for good."
The words hit her like a blow. She sank into her chair, clutching the letter tightly. The memory of Naruto proudly declaring his dream to become Hokage flashed through her mind. "Why, Naruto?" she whispered, her heart breaking.
The situation worsened when her ANBU returned with a report of the massacre in the forest. The bodies of the Root ANBU had been found.
Tsunade's fury boiled over. She summoned Danzo to her office, her fists clenched in barely restrained rage.
"What did you do to Naruto?" she demanded.
Danzo stood calmly, feigning ignorance. "I don't know what you mean, Hokage-sama. The boy's actions are his own."
"Don't play dumb with me!" Tsunade shouted. "Your men are dead, and Naruto's gone. What did you do to him?"
Danzo's expression didn't change, but his silence was answer enough.
Tsunade signaled her ANBU, who surrounded Danzo, weapons drawn.
Danzo smirked. "You shouldn't be so hasty, Hokage-sama."
Before Tsunade could react, Danzo activated Kotoamatsukami. The room fell silent as his subtle genjutsu took hold. Tsunade's stern expression softened, and her ANBU lowered their weapons.
Danzo chuckled darkly, his plan unfolding perfectly. "Uzumaki, you will be mine one day," he thought.
---
A week passed, and Sasuke, Neji, and Choji recovered from their injuries. Sasuke, however, was furious. His hatred for Itachi burned brighter, and he seethed at Naruto for stopping him from achieving the power he deserved.
When Sakura visited him in the hospital, her face lit up with relief. "Sasuke-kun! You're awake!"
Sasuke's glare made her falter. "Get out," he said coldly.
Her heart sank. "But Sasuke-kun..."
"I said get out."
Tears welled in her eyes as she quietly left the room, her shoulders shaking.
---
Naruto's friends gathered. Ino, Shino, Sakura, Shikamaru, Lee, Hinata, and Kiba sat together, their expressions heavy with worry.
"Does anyone know where Naruto is?" Kiba asked, breaking the silence.
"No one's saying anything," Shikamaru replied, his tone grim. "But something's not right. He wouldn't just disappear."
Ino frowned. "What could have made him leave? Did something happen?"
Sakura looked down, her hands trembling. "It's... my fault," she whispered.
The others turned to her in surprise.
"What do you mean?" Hinata asked, her voice uncharacteristically firm.
Sakura clenched her fists. "I... I said horrible things to him. I blamed him for Sasuke's condition and... I told him I wished he was the one in the coma instead of Sasuke."
Hinata's eyes widened in shock, and for the first time, her shyness vanished. She stood abruptly, storming over to Sakura. Without hesitation, she slapped her across the face.
Sakura gasped, holding her cheek as tears filled her eyes.
"Hinata!" Ino exclaimed.
But Hinata wasn't finished. She glared at Sakura, her voice steady and filled with righteous anger. "How could you? Naruto has always been there for you, always supported you, even when you didn't deserve it. And all you've ever done is focus on Sasuke, someone who doesn't even care about you!"
Sakura's tears fell freely as Hinata continued, her tone cutting. "Naruto deserves better than the way you've treated him. He's saved this village, saved all of us, and you repay him with cruelty? You don't deserve to call him your friend."
The group fell silent, the weight of Hinata's words sinking in.
Sakura sobbed quietly, guilt consuming her. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."
Hinata softened slightly but turned away. "It's not me you need to apologize to. It's Naruto."
The group exchanged solemn looks, each of them silently vowing to find Naruto and make things right.
---
Chapter 4: Fractured Bonds
Jiraiya's Reaction
The tension in Tsunade's office was suffocating as Jiraiya stormed in, his expression uncharacteristically dark. The legendary Sannin rarely allowed his emotions to surface, but today, anger and frustration were etched deeply on his face.
"Tsunade," he growled, slamming a fist on her desk. "What the hell happened? Where is Naruto?"
Tsunade, still under Danzo's subtle influence, tried to maintain her composure. "He defected, Jiraiya," she said flatly.
Jiraiya's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white. "Defected? That's a lie, and you know it! Naruto wouldn't abandon the village, he's dreamed of being Hokage his whole life!"
Tsunade's voice hardened. "He killed Root ANBU, Jiraiya. We found their bodies in the forest. His letter said he couldn't stay here anymore. The boy broke under the pressure."
The words cut through Jiraiya like a blade. "Broke? No, that's not like him. Naruto's endured more than anyone else, and he's always come back stronger. Something's not adding up here."
Tsunade sighed, her face an impassive mask. "Naruto left of his own free will. He's gone, Jiraiya. You need to accept it."
"Accept it?" Jiraiya growled. "You're asking me to just stand by while Danzo's dogs harass him? You know what Danzo will do if he gets his hands on Naruto. We have to get to Naruto before Danzo does."
Tsunade hesitated for a moment before replying, "Do what you must."
Frustrated, Jiraiya turned and left the office, his resolve steeling with each step.
---
The cemetery was silent as Kakashi knelt before the graves of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. He carried no flowers, only the weight of his guilt.
Kakashi placed a hand on Minato's gravestone, bowing his head. "Sensei, I failed you," he murmured, his voice breaking slightly. "I failed him. I should have been there for Naruto from the beginning. Maybe if I had stepped in sooner, things would be different. He wouldn't have had to suffer alone."
He shifted his gaze to Kushina's grave. "You trusted the village to protect your son, but we let him down. I let him down. I see so much of you in him, your fire, your determination. But I've done nothing to nurture it. Instead, I left him to face the world on his own."
The weight of guilt was unbearable as he continued, "Naruto always believed in the village, in us, even when we didn't believe in him. And now... he's gone. I don't know if I can bring him back, but I'll try. I owe him that much."
Kakashi closed his eye, allowing the silence to envelop him. For the first time in years, he felt truly powerless.
---
Sasuke sat by the window in his hospital room, his dark eyes fixed on the horizon. The days felt agonizingly slow, but he knew it was only a matter of time.
When the door creaked open, Sasuke didn't need to look. The presence was unmistakable.
"It's time," Kabuto said, stepping inside with a sly smile.
Sasuke's lips curved into a smirk. "Finally."
Kabuto nodded. "Orochimaru-sama is waiting. Are you ready to leave everything behind?"
"I left it behind the moment I set my sights on my brother," Sasuke replied coldly, standing and cracking his neck.
Kabuto gestured toward the window. "Then follow me. Quietly. The Hokage still has people watching you."
Sasuke climbed out of the window without hesitation, the cool night air brushing against his skin. As they disappeared into the darkness, Sasuke's smirk widened. Finally, he was moving closer to his goal, Itachi's death.
---
The training ground was eerily quiet as the group of genin sat in a loose circle. Ino, Shino, Shikamaru, Lee, Hinata, Kiba, and Sakura were gathered, but the usual camaraderie was absent.
Sakura sat slightly apart from the others, her head bowed. No one spoke to her directly, but the weight of her earlier confession lingered in the air.
Shikamaru finally broke the silence with a sigh. "We're not going to get anywhere sitting here like this. What's done is done. Now we need to focus on finding Naruto."
Kiba growled lowly. "How do we even know he wants to come back? He's been gone for weeks."
"He would," Lee said firmly, his fists clenched. "Naruto isn't someone who gives up. If he left, there's a reason."
Hinata's gaze flickered to Sakura, her expression cold. "Maybe he just got tired of being hurt by the people he cared about."
Sakura flinched, but said nothing.
Ino crossed her arms. "It's not like all of us treated him that well. Sakura just happened to be the one to push him over the edge."
"Enough," Shino said, his calm voice cutting through the tension. "This blame game isn't helping. Naruto is gone. Whether he's coming back or not, we need to figure out what to do next."
Hinata stood abruptly, her fists trembling. "I know what I'll do. I'll find him, and I'll tell him the truth, that he's not alone."
She stormed off, leaving the others in stunned silence.
---
Naruto sprinted through the dense forest, his senses heightened and his body primed for battle. Danzo's men were relentless, but each confrontation only made him stronger. His instincts sharpened with every fight, pushing him closer to a state of primal clarity.
"They're not going to stop," he thought, wiping blood from his face. "But neither will I."
---
"The boy is on the run," Zetsu said. "He's killed multiple squads of Root ANBU."
Pain's expression remained stoic, but his voice was firm. "Itachi, Kisame," he commanded. "Find him. This time, failure is not an option."
The two nodded, their mission clear.
---
Naruto stood in the middle of a blood-soaked clearing, surrounded by the corpses of Root ANBU. His clothes were tattered, his skin smeared with blood. His chest heaved as he looked down at the carnage, a dissatisfied scowl on his face.
"That's it?" he muttered. "Pathetic."
The dissatisfied scowl on his face quickly shifted to a feral grin as he sensed two powerful presences approaching.
From the shadows of the trees, Itachi and Kisame emerged, their expressions unreadable as they took in the carnage.
"There's the kid," Kisame said, gripping Samehada tightly. His shark-like grin widened. "But what's with the brat next to him?"
Itachi's sharp eyes lingered on the girl. There's no chakra signature... but she's not ordinary.
Naruto's grin widened when he spotted them. "Well, if it isn't Emo's shitty older brother and Sharkface. What brings you two to my bloody playground?"
"Kisame chuckled, gripping Samehada. "The kid's got a mouth on him, doesn't he?"
Itachi's gaze was calm but sharp. "Naruto. You're coming with us."
Naruto tilted his head, his grin widening. "Oh? You're welcome to try, but I'm warning you, it won't be pretty."
Yachiru tilted her head curiously, her bright eyes fixed on Kisame. "Wow, you're a big one! And you've got a big sword too!" She giggled, pointing at Samehada. "Are you gonna use that against Kenny?"
Kisame blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Kenny?" he echoed, glancing at Naruto.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "She's talking about me."
Yachiru grinned. "Kenny's super strong, you know! You're gonna need to try really hard if you wanna beat him!"
Itachi's gaze didn't waver. She seems harmless, but her presence feels... unnatural. Naruto isn't someone who would normally travel with a child. What is she really?
"Oh, this is gonna be fun!" Yachiru cheered, bouncing in place. "Go, Kenny! Show them what you're made of!"
Kisame raised an eyebrow at the girl's enthusiasm. "Is she serious?"
Naruto chuckled darkly, his yellow reiatsu flaring more intensely. "Don't mind her. She's just here for the entertainment."
"Good," Kisame said, smirking as he hoisted Samehada onto his shoulder. "Because this is going to be very entertaining."
Itachi's eyes remained fixed on Yachiru. Whoever she is, her presence could complicate things. But our mission comes first.
Naruto cracked his knuckles, his bloodthirsty grin spreading. "Let's see if you two can put up more of a fight than these weaklings. Yachiru, you better cheer louder, I don't want them thinking I'm going easy on them."
"Don't worry, Kenny!" Yachiru exclaimed, clapping her hands. "I'll cheer so loud they'll know you're the best!"
The air grew heavy with tension, the promise of violence lingering as the three prepared for the inevitable clash.