Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 90 Someone Knocks on the Door

Ladies and gentlemen, there's some news you'd never expect!

Izuna, having caused quite a ruckus in the Land of Owls, didn't rush back. Instead, he took the opportunity to inspect the surrounding outposts, where he discovered an interesting person. Sharingan abilities vary in strength, and besides, Hui is currently in a period of infiltration. The Uchiha clan, who openly exterminated their members, shouldn't be appearing in every corner of the world; they typically don't use the Sharingan. An ordinary red-haired wandering monk wasn't worth much attention; they were more concerned with the crops in the fields, sufficient medicinal reserves, and unobstructed roads.

Izuna: "Guess what I found? A Jinchuriki! Judging by the looks, it's the Four-Tails Jinchuriki from Iwagakure."

Hashirama: "Oh! There are only two Jinchuriki who aren't in a ninja village, right? Did we just happen to run into each other?"

Naruto: "Is that Old Purple Uncle? Did he have a conflict with us?"

Izuna: "No, everything's fine. I asked, and Hagoromo said that Old Purple was a wandering monk who accidentally wandered into a village that was undergoing renovations and just stayed."

Tobirama: "After all, he's a Jinchūriki of Iwagakure; we still need to be cautious."

Izuna [It's good that he's a Jinchūriki; I heard he's incredibly efficient at his work~]

Hashirama [Tobirama, don't be so prejudiced against Jinchūriki.]

Tobirama: "What is prejudice? That's a Jinchūriki from Iwagakure! The key point is Iwagakure!"

Izuna: "I don't think this is a problem. Old Purple has been gone from Iwagakure for years; even Ōnoki doesn't know where he is. He seems to really support Hikaru's ideas; maybe we can develop something from there."

Tobirama: "Leaving isn't the same as defection; who knows if he's truly loyal to Iwagakure?"

Izuna: "Come on, aren't you on the run too? Second Hokage, sir~"

Tobirama: "Find a secluded spot, quick!"

Hashirama: "Can't you even leave Izuna for a day? Don't you dare dump all the renovation work on me! You're involved in the plan too!"

Fugaku: "...First Hokage, wasn't I the one doing the work? I'm not in the group chat!"

Hashirama: "Ah... hahaha, I'm in charge of building the houses, I just don't have time to settle them in..."

Tobirama: "Big brother! You're slacking off again! Fugaku, you can't let him get away with this!"

Naruto: "Alright, alright, do you all have that much chakra left? I can't go back anytime soon. Old Shiki is pretty good; since he's stayed, let's pretend we don't know anything and continue as usual. Tobirama, you shouldn't join in the fun; you and he's incompatible."

Izuna: "That's what I thought too, but when recruiting members later, we can let Haori and the others put in some effort."

Hashirama: "Shouldn't we all work harder on the Jinchūriki?"

Tobirama: "So, brother, you shouldn't have divided up that tailed beast in the first place!"

Fugaku: "...I think the division is quite good; just one Nine-Tails is enough of a headache."

Naruto: "Hey, what's wrong with me and Kurama causing you any trouble?"

Kurama: "You brat from the Uchiha clan, don't think I won't teach you a lesson!"

Izuna: Who was it that my brother brought back to Konoha?

Kurama: "Come here and take one of my Tailed Beast Balls!"

Naruto〖……〗

Naruto's inner world is rich and colorful, while Sasuke in reality is boring to the point of being bubbly.

After sitting for a while, Sasuke realized that what was really bothering him wasn't Naruto rolling around, but Naruto himself. After sitting for only a short while, he unconsciously opened his eyes and stared blankly at the sleeping Naruto.

This guy clearly didn't work as hard as him, yet he'd unknowingly gone so far, so far that even his silhouette was out of reach. He was incredibly anxious about this distance, but this guy had utterly defeated him with just a few words, allowing him to comfortably continue hiding in the sun's shadow.

Why can't I look away? Why do I want to get closer? Why can't I let go?

Is he yearning for warmth? Having been branded as an avenger, does he deserve to have a "home" again?

"Knock knock knock."

The knocking interrupted Sasuke's reverie. He looked at the door with some surprise, not expecting anyone to come at this hour. He hadn't called any inn service, and Jiraiya wouldn't be back so soon.

The knocking continued. Sasuke reached for his kunai pouch and cautiously asked, "Who is it?"

"Room service." The voice that answered was rough, with a strange tremor at the end.

Sasuke's suspicions deepened, but unfortunately, his Sharingan couldn't penetrate the wooden door to see what was happening outside. He slowly retreated to Naruto's bedside, firmly shielding him behind him.

"I didn't order any service, so I don't need it."

The sounds outside stopped, and Sasuke finally breathed a sigh of relief after a while, assuming he had overreacted. However, before he could even catch his breath, the thin wooden door was forced open from the outside! The lock seemed to have no function at all; it snapped with a single twist!

A towering figure, its head almost touching the doorframe, dominated the entrance. The person's skin was an unnatural bluish-gray; their features, while generally human, held a distinct human quality, yet in detail resembled a fish that had crawled ashore. The person grinned, revealing a mouth full of serrated teeth, and smiled at the terrified Sasuke, saying, "Quite wary, Itachi's brother~"

...What? He said...who?

As if to break its prey's spirit, the blue-skinned monster stepped aside, making way for the other person it had completely blocked. Then, Sasuke met a pair of similar red eyes.

Naruto, who was mediating the argument, suddenly froze. Sasuke's intense fear and anger, which came through his senses, startled him as well. The moment his attention returned, he immediately noticed two strong chakra reactions beside him and decisively activated them.

"Long time no see, Sasuke."

"Uchiha... Itachi. I'm going to kill you!"

They only arrived in Konoha yesterday, and they caught up with us today! We were careless; we thought they'd be searching for us for days. Is this the Sharingan's reconnaissance ability? That's terrifying!

"Sasuke! It's cold..." Chidori's voice was so loud that it was hard for Naruto not to hear it. However, his movement to jump up was restricted by the thin blanket on his body, and he rolled off the bed before he could finish speaking.

"boom!"

Although Sasuke had tried his best, only time could bridge the gap in age and experience. Itachi easily deflected the attack, smashing through a wall. Fortunately, no one else lived on that floor.

The feeling of witnessing fratricide again was even worse, because Naruto could clearly sense the immense pain beneath Itachi's expressionless exterior. He felt he had to do something, he had to stop this suffocating encounter.

The thin blanket was instantly ripped apart, and the massive burst of chakra nearly ripped the roof off. The sudden explosion caused the two well-trained ninjas to instinctively dodge, only realizing the Jinchuriki's ability to transform into a tailed beast when they saw the translucent tail that had crashed through the wall. Sasuke, who had been deliberately sidelined by Itachi, stopped in the opposite direction from the two dangerous figures, while Naruto's power stood between them, separating them.

The perverted sage is on his way. This one accident is enough. From now on, he must keep a close eye on Sasuke.