radicalducati Chapter 103 Shattered Hopes
Chapter 103 Shattered Hopes
The moment Naruto entered the Uchiha mansion, he immediately saw a black-haired boy sitting cross-legged.
The black-haired boy had grown a bit taller, but what Naruto saw at that moment still seemed to be that resolute figure from the Valley of the End.
The moment Naruto saw Sasuke, his body suddenly froze, so much so that the mini Nine-Tails perched on Naruto's head was almost thrown off by inertia.
The Nine-Tails, clinging tightly to Naruto's golden hair, was about to berate him when it felt a slight tremor emanating from Naruto's body.
The long fox ears twitched, and the nine-tailed fox couldn't help but purse its lips, becoming unusually quiet.
Kurama, perched atop Naruto's head, squinted and looked at Sasuke Uchiha not far away with Naruto, a hint of confusion in its round fox eyes.
It's been so long since I've seen this kid from the Uchiha clan. His aura has become a bit strange. He seems to be becoming more and more similar to that guy named Zeref.
A strange feeling welled up in Nine-Tails' heart.
Naruto, who was stunned upon seeing Sasuke, finally came to his senses after a moment.
Seeing the arrogant expression on Eli's face that was no different from Sasuke's, Naruto gritted his teeth and rushed forward, intending to punch his teammate who had defected from the village and abandoned his comrades!
"Sasuke! You bastard!"
Naruto charged forward while roaring.
Just as Naruto was about to approach Sasuke, two masked ninjas appeared simultaneously and blocked his way.
Suddenly stopped, Naruto looked at the ninjas who had appeared in front of him with confusion and shouted, "Who are you? Get out of the way!"
The ninjas who suddenly appeared were naturally members of the Anbu and Root who had been monitoring Sasuke.
The members of the Anbu did not speak, but looked at Kakashi Hatake beside them.
The Root ninjas, however, showed no mercy and told Kakashi, "Uchiha Sasuke is a rogue ninja who defected from Konoha. He must never get close to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!"
Kakashi glanced at the Root ninja who was coldly rebuking him, his eyes flickering slightly, and said, "The Hokage has already agreed to their meeting. Besides, Sasuke has already been sealed with a chakra-sealing technique, hasn't he?"
After Kakashi spoke, the members of the Anbu turned around and returned to where they had been.
In contrast, the Root ninja showed no intention of backing down, their voices even carrying a hint of threat: "Kakashi Hatake, this is Lord Danzo's order! Besides, if anything happens to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, can you take responsibility?"
"What if I'm watching over things?" a voice suddenly came from the side.
Jiraiya slowly entered the courtyard, looked at the Root ninja, and spoke in a calm tone.
After a moment's hesitation, the Root ninja said, "I understand, Lord Jiraiya. However, Sasuke Uchiha must remain under Root's surveillance! Also, I will report this matter to Lord Danzo!"
After saying that, he retreated to his original spot, just like the previous members of the secret service.
Seeing the two masked ninjas who had suddenly appeared and then just as suddenly disappeared, Naruto was completely bewildered. He couldn't help but frown and ask, "Kakashi-sensei, Perverted Sage, who were those two guys?! And what about Root? I've only ever heard of Anbu..."
Jiraiya raised his hand to stop the incessant chatter of Naruto, saying, "Alright, alright, I'll explain later."
He glanced at Sasuke, who had been watching coldly from afar as if their conflict with Root had been nothing more than a farce, frowned, and said, "You can go see Sasuke now, can't you?"
Naruto's body stiffened. He had just been stopped by the Anbu and Root, and at this moment, Naruto had calmed down a little from the excitement of meeting Sasuke for the first time.
Moreover, after so much time spent cultivating, he has become much more composed.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto resolutely walked towards Sasuke. When he met Sasuke's familiar black eyes, Naruto had so much to say for a moment, his lips trembled slightly, but in the end, only one sentence remained: "Sasuke... welcome back to Konoha..."
Aili's cold expression softened slightly, as if he were somewhat moved. He gently curled the corners of his mouth, stood up, looked at Naruto, and said in a rare gentle tone, "Yes, I've returned to Konoha, Naruto."
As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, looking at Sakura who had rushed over after hearing that Naruto had returned to Konoha, and said with a smile, "From now on, our Kakashi team can train together and do missions together again. We'll be comrades forever."
Naruto stared wide-eyed in disbelief as Sasuke said those words with a smile.
Sasuke's words were exactly what Naruto had been hoping for, but at this moment, seeing Sasuke actually say those words, Naruto suddenly felt a strange sensation.
Why did Sasuke seem a little unfamiliar to him...?
And Sasuke... would he really say these things so bluntly...?
Looking at Sasuke's face with a faint smile, Naruto suddenly felt an absurd sense that the person in front of him was unreal.
Unlike Jiraiya and Kakashi, who were skeptical and secretly on high alert, Sakura was thrilled to hear Eri's words.
She couldn't help but hurry forward, walking to Naruto and Sasuke's side, her eyes slightly moist, and she couldn't help but ask to confirm, "Are you telling the truth, Sasuke?"
During this time, although Sasuke had returned to Konoha, she always had a feeling of unreality. Even when Sasuke was standing right in front of her, she always felt that Sasuke was still very far away from her. She didn't even know why, but she felt that Sasuke was even more distant than when he was in Konoha.
She has always been a smart child. She was able to sense the suspicion that Tsunade and Kakashi had about Sasuke, and she felt very uneasy about it.
Sakura was finally relieved to hear Sasuke's words today. As long as Sasuke sincerely returns to Konoha, no matter how long it takes to regain everyone's trust, she will always be by his side!
Seeing the look of anticipation and surprise in Sakura's eyes, Sasuke's smile widened.
He looked at Naruto and Sakura with a gentle expression, then glanced at Jiraiya and Kakashi, who had been vigilantly watching the situation, and said with a slightly raised tone, "Of course..."
"It's fake!"
Before Naruto and Sakura could react, the purple chakra-constructed blade pierced their abdomens.
Blood gushed continuously from Naruto and Sakura's abdomens, some even splashing onto Sasuke's pale face, giving the smile on Sasuke's lips a cruel beauty.