Chapter 27
Orochimaru's base was just like his people, eerie and chilly. Naruto suddenly returned from the game and was a little dazed until Sai called out to him.
"Naruto, Sasuke should be here. Let's split up and look for him." The routes to Orochimaru's base are complicated, so splitting up is the best option. The most important thing is that Sai came here not only for the mission of the new Team 7, but also for the mission of the Root. For this reason, he must meet Sasuke before everyone else to confirm whether Sasuke will pose a threat to Konoha...
"Sasuke!" Naruto finally remembered his purpose at this moment. He nodded randomly to Sai and continued searching along the dark corridor ahead.
Sai, who stayed where he was, frowned in confusion. He felt that something was wrong with Naruto, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Seeing that he had already run far away, he took out the scroll and brush from behind and activated the Ninja Technique: Super Beast False Painting. Rats painted in ink ran out of the scroll and scattered in all directions to look for Sasuke's trace...
On the other side, Ming Ren was traveling through the maze-like base. Every time he came across a room, he would push open the door to check, but every time he found nothing.
Naruto, who had just come out of the Infinite Game, changed some of his previous ideas. He had a lot to say to Sasuke, so he couldn't help feeling a little anxious, because he was afraid that he would miss Sasuke again this time, and he didn't know when they would see each other again.
Naruto stopped where he was and looked at the dark and endless passage. He let out a long breath and crossed his hands over his chest, intending to summon his shadow clones to help him search. However, before his shadow clones came out, the entire underground base suddenly shook, interrupting Naruto's ninjutsu. He looked in the direction where the vibration had just come from and quickly ran along the passage...
Someone was fighting, which meant that Sasuke was probably there. Naruto's steps became faster and faster, and he was thinking faster, faster...
The passage was winding and Naruto didn't know how many bends it had passed. Suddenly, he was blinded by a strong light. He squinted and looked forward. The passage in front of him led directly to the outside. It was not a normal exit, but a huge pit dug by someone, blocking the passage...
Naruto walked forward, rushed out of the dark passage, and stood completely in the sunlight. He looked up and finally saw the person he was looking for.
Sasuke was standing on the broken wall of the huge pit. He noticed his appearance and looked over at the first moment. One of them was on a high place, and the other was on a low place, and they looked at each other from a distance.
Although he had thought about a lot before, and now he really saw someone he hadn't seen for several years, Mingren was stunned. In the blink of an eye, the person on the broken wall disappeared, and was replaced by a figure in front of him.
Naruto was amazed at Sasuke's speed. While he was happy for Sasuke's strength, he also felt a sense of crisis. He seemed to be surpassed by Sasuke again. Fortunately, he also gained a lot in the game this time...
"Isn't it your dream to become a Hokage? If you have time to come to me, you might as well go and practice."*
Sasuke suddenly spoke, interrupting Naruto's excitement. Naruto tilted his head slightly to look at the person in front of him. He thought, if he had heard such words before, he would probably say "A guy who can't even save his companions is not qualified to be Hokage"*, but now he didn't want to say that...
"Hey, Sasuke." Naruto also spoke, "I just learned something called a spell, and my strength has become stronger. Do you want to try it too?"
"..." Sasuke actually had a slight suspicion that he had heard something wrong. Did Naruto just say that he would teach him how to practice?
Sasuke didn't respond, but Naruto suddenly patted him on the back and continued, "Just like this, I will leave a cursed mark on you. When I want to see you in the future, I can use the spell to see you."
"…………" Sasuke turned his head to look at Naruto, and he also noticed that Naruto was not normal today. The curse mark reminded him of the curse mark Orochimaru gave him. His expression became even colder and he refused, "I won't go back."
Naruto was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed. He really wanted to take Sasuke back, but the player Gojo Satoru in the game showed him another choice. When facing the request of Principal Satoru, the player Satoru did not persuade or stop him, but instead fulfilled it in a way of shared responsibility.
"I know," Naruto said, "I just wanted to share what I learned with you."
Sasuke looked at Naruto's serious expression and suddenly wondered, "Why?"
"Hasn't Sasuke always wanted to become stronger?" Naruto's idea was simple. Since Sasuke wanted revenge and wanted to become stronger, he would do everything he could to help Sasuke. When Sasuke became strong enough, he would no longer need Orochimaru's power.
Sasuke looked at Naruto for a long time without saying a word. Naruto scratched his head uncomfortably and then put his hands down, saying in a higher voice: "Don't think I'm giving up, I will become stronger and make you wholeheartedly accept my words!"
Sasuke suddenly laughed out loud.
He knew that he had chosen a road of no return, but this was something he had to do, so when Team 7 had made him waver, he resolutely left Konoha. Now Naruto, who was chasing him relentlessly, had wavered again. He was really a difficult guy...
"Let's talk about it when you become stronger than me." Sasuke stretched out his hand to push Naruto away, then lightly jumped back and returned to the broken wall to meet Orochimaru who had rushed over.
Naruto did not chase after him. Instead, after Sasuke left, he said to the confused members of the new Team 7, "Let's go back too."
"Are you just going to let Sasuke go like this?" Sakura thought Naruto might have been stimulated by something, otherwise why would he be so calm after Sasuke left.
"Yeah." Naruto looked at his hands and curled his lips unconsciously, "I have already left a mark on Sasuke, it will be easy to meet him next time."
Sakura: “…”
No matter what, the target of their mission had already left, so they could only return to Konoha to report. Led by Yamato, after they returned to the village, they were going to see the Hokage first, but Naruto stopped when he saw the Hokage Rock.
"Captain Yamato, you guys go first, I want to stay here." Naruto suddenly said to Captain Yamato.
"What's the matter, Naruto?" Yamato was a little surprised by Naruto's behavior.
"It's just that I've been away from the village for too long, and I want to see the Hokage Rock." Naruto said, remembering that when he was a child, he used paint to scribble on the Hokage Rock in order to attract other people's attention. It seems that he also drew the rock statue of the Fourth Hokage...
Yamato observed Naruto carefully. The reason why he was assigned to Team 7 where Naruto was was because the seal of the Nine-Tails on Naruto's body was loosened, and his Wood Release could suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra. After confirming that Naruto's abnormality was not caused by the leakage of the Nine-Tails' chakra, he nodded and agreed with Naruto's words.
After Yamato and his men left, Naruto climbed up a nearby telephone pole, stood on the top of the pole, looked at the Hokage Rock in the distance, and looked at the fourth rock statue on it.
[Mingbao, do you know the Hokage Rock? 】
[The fourth one above has blonde hair]
[Not only blonde hair, but also blue eyes]
Naruto recalled what the game barrage said. He stroked his short golden hair, his blue eyes slightly curved, and a silly smile unconsciously appeared on the corners of his mouth...
"What are you doing standing there?"
Suddenly, a powerful voice came from below. Naruto looked down and found that it was the lecherous immortal.
Naruto jumped down from the telephone pole and stood in front of Jiraiya. He looked up and asked with a gleam of joy in his eyes: "Hey, lecherous sage, the Rasengan was invented by the Fourth Hokage, right?"
Jiraiya was startled, looking at Naruto who was full of expectation, and suddenly raised his hand to press on his head and rubbed it vigorously: "Yes, Minato is a well-deserved genius ninja."
"Is he more powerful than the lecherous hermit?" Naruto was eager to know more.
"Well..." Jiraiya's expression suddenly became serious. He stretched out his hand to indicate a short distance, "Compared to my master, it's still a little bit behind."
"Is the Fourth Hokage also a disciple of the Lecherous Sage?" Naruto asked again.
"Of course, your name was given to me by the Fourth Hokage." Jiraiya gave Naruto an accurate answer.
Naruto suddenly giggled, and Jiraiya looked up at the rock statue of the Fourth Hokage and smiled with relief, while sighing in his heart:
Minato, you've seen it, right? Although this guy is not as smart as you, he is surprisingly persistent. One day he will surpass you and me...