To be praised... well, she considered it praise anyway.
Sakura quickly stepped forward, hugging Naruto's arm and rocking it gently.
"Naruto-kun, what about my ranged attacks?"
Naruto noticed the pride in her eyes and responded with a faint smile.
"You shouldn't be too proud. Sasuke can currently open four of the Eight Gates. If he does, combined with his Sharingan, it's hard to say who would win."
"Of course, the Dark Walk Technique is too much of a counter to the Sharingan."
"Well... this time, you really won."
At the last moment, Naruto changed his words. There was no helping it—the Dark Walk Technique was just too broken.
"As for ranged attacks, I haven't thought of anything suitable for you yet."
"However, whether it's a ranged attack or genjutsu…"
"Neither of these are the main focus. They're just tools to help you close the distance in battle."
"Your true power is your super strength. If a normal opponent takes even one of your punches, they'll be incapacitated."
"So, if you encounter a familiar enemy, your best bet is to confuse them first."
"Why confuse them?" Sakura blinked, feigning innocence.
Naruto's eye twitched slightly. Why did she seem a little too sly just now?
Still, he continued.
"Make them believe you're just a rookie who only knows genjutsu."
"Use genjutsu whenever possible. Stay in your role—you're a medical ninja."
"Then, when the enemy gets close, let them realize too late that you're the Queen of Close Combat."
"Yes~!" Sakura beamed.
On the other side, Sasuke—who had been deeply shaken—lowered his head.
After hearing Naruto's advice to Sakura, he let out a soft sigh.
This battle had allowed him to clearly gauge his own strength.
The storm had passed, the sky was clear again, but his mind was still reeling.
At least he hadn't gotten beaten this time.
If he had, he'd probably be bedridden for days.
Kakashi had been silent for a while, but finally decided to ask the question that had been bothering him.
"Naruto, what the hell is going on with you?"
"You want to ask where I learned all this?" Naruto countered.
Hearing the slight sarcasm in Naruto's tone, Kakashi took a deep breath.
"The Dark Walk Technique… if I recall correctly, it's recorded in the Forbidden Scroll kept by the Third Hokage."
"He wouldn't have given it to you because…"
"Because he still hasn't given me the Flying Thunder God, right?" Naruto interrupted.
"Naruto, did someone tell you something?" Kakashi asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Don't do anything reckless. And… your identity—"
Naruto waved a hand, stopping him.
"Kakashi-sensei, if you still want to stand by the old man, then you don't need to worry about what happens next."
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke frowned, unable to follow the conversation.
Sakura, however, had a suspicion in her heart.
"Naruto-kun… your father… he was the Yondaime Hokage, wasn't he?"
Buzz—
Sasuke's mind went blank.
This guy… had that kind of lineage?
Wasn't he just a Jinchūriki?
If he was the Fourth Hokage's son…
The Nine-Tails attack…
There was actually a father who would do this for his son… Damn it!
Sasuke gritted his teeth and turned away, refusing to look at Naruto.
Because at that moment, the image of his own father in his mind was fading—being replaced by Naruto.
And for some reason, this feeling had been getting stronger recently.
It made him feel deeply ashamed.
Especially when an unbidden image surfaced in his mind—
A picture of Naruto and his mother, guiding a young boy as he took his first steps.
Naruto glanced at Sasuke strangely.
Why does this guy look so weird?
Kakashi took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.
"Yes… Naruto's father was the Fourth Hokage. He died protecting the village during the Nine-Tails attack."
"And the Yondaime Hokage was my teacher."
"How could it be?!" Sasuke demanded, his voice cold.
"Then why did Naruto have to endure everything he did growing up?!"
Sakura's voice carried a trace of heartache.
"Was it because of the Third Hokage?"
She thought back to her first time in the Hokage's office.
Kakashi furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
Who told Naruto all of this?
Whoever it was, they were powerful and possessed extensive knowledge of ninjutsu.
His mind quickly narrowed down the suspects to three.
The Legendary Sannin.
Jiraiya—Minato's teacher.
Orochimaru—Minato's rival for the title of Fourth Hokage.
And Tsunade—the granddaughter of the First Hokage.
None of them were currently in the village.
Jiraiya wouldn't have needed to be secretive about it, and he was deeply loyal to Konoha.
Tsunade had her own reasons for staying away from the village.
Which left only one possibility—
The rogue ninja, Lord Orochimaru.
Kakashi's expression darkened.
"Naruto… what are you planning?"
"Is it revenge on the higher-ups… or destruction?"
Kakashi's heart felt heavy.
I really am cursed. Everyone I care about meets a tragic end.
"Naruto, if you want to destroy Konoha… don't be deceived by Orochimaru. If you release the Nine-Tails, you'll die just like Kushina-sensei!"
The weight of Kakashi's words left both Sasuke and Sakura stunned.
But Naruto…
Naruto remained calm, as if Kakashi wasn't talking about him at all.
"Hmph."
Sasuke snorted coldly, turning his back on the three and shoving his hands into his pockets.
"It doesn't matter. As long as I can become stronger, I don't care where I am."
"I'm just an avenger. If the village isn't useful to me, then it wouldn't bother me even if it were destroyed."
He immediately took his stand with pride.
Kakashi could make him stronger, but so could Naruto.
More importantly, under Naruto's guidance, his potential ceiling was even higher than it would be under Kakashi.
"I... Naruto-kun, I... I'll support you, but... my parents..."
In contrast, Sakura wasn't alone—she still had her family.
"Why are you so serious all of a sudden?" Naruto asked, his expression calm. "Don't worry, things won't turn out the way you think."
Then he turned his gaze toward Kakashi. "As for you, sensei, I think someone will be coming to see you soon."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Orochimaru?
The memory of their confrontation surfaced in his mind. His body trembled involuntarily.
"I'll be upfront about this," Naruto continued. "I can't control you, and I won't be able to help you. You're on your own."
"You may not die, but you'll still have to endure the pain."
Naruto observed Kakashi's expression. He seemed hesitant, unwilling to resist outright. Perhaps if his father were still alive, things would be different, but Kakashi alone was just... lacking something.
"Let's go home and eat."
"Naruto-kun, I'm coming too~" Sakura quickly followed.
"Hmph."
Seeing Naruto turn to leave, Sasuke and Sakura hurried after him.
No one paid any attention to Kakashi, who remained standing there in a daze.
Sasuke was simply an avenger.
And Sakura?
At the beginning, she could see it clearly—Kakashi viewed her as a burden.
It wasn't surprising. After Naruto enlightened her, she began to see many things more clearly.
She didn't blame Kakashi. Instead, she simply worked harder, never skipping the special training Naruto assigned her.
Among Tenten, Ino, and Hinata, she proved to be the most talented, the most diligent, and the most serious when learning chakra control and medical ninjutsu.
Truthfully, she also had an aptitude for genjutsu, but her energy was limited. Mastery would take time.
Fortunately, under the guidance of Kurenai Yuhi, she didn't fall behind in genjutsu training.
Now, she had to choose between Kakashi and Naruto.
And if she hesitated, even for a moment, it would feel like betraying Naruto.
Meanwhile…
Ruins of the Land of Whirlpools
"Minato, Kurama says he sensed Tsunade's chakra!"
"Good. We've also located the ruins of Uzushiogakure."
"Next, we need to find what remains of the village."
"Once we recover what we need, we can finally prepare for the official resurrection."
Kurama scoffed. "Hey, don't forget my Yin half. I'm still not whole yet."