In Konoha, you get one evolution point every day.

Chapter 101 Sasuke is yours, Lin Fan is mine

Lin Fan's team had a smooth first day in the Death Forest, enjoying a fantastic all-you-can-eat outdoor barbecue. The only downside was Naruto's cooking skills; he kept burning the sausages. In the end, the kind-hearted and beautiful Bai took on the role of barbecue chef for Naruto.

As for Gaara's team, Gaara personally grilled for Temari and Kankuro. Aside from a few initial failures, they gradually became more consistent, using the sand to transfer heat, controlling the temperature, and evenly distributing the heat to the raw ingredients, ultimately creating a standardized and perfect dish.

Lin Fan also took a bite of the grilled chicken skewers Gaara had made. The skewers were made from a wild pheasant found in the Forest of Death. The pheasant was about half the height of Lin Fan. Gaara even shared some with Lin Fan. Although Lin Fan didn't know why Gaara was being so kind to him, he reluctantly accepted it and then shared the meat with Haku and Naruto. After all, he and Lin Xiaobai couldn't finish so much meat. Then, as Naruto was laughing heartily, he felt a cold gaze sweep over his back:

Simply put, the Calabash Brothers seem to be jealous.

When it was time to sleep, almost everyone was asleep, except for Gaara, who lay on a tree branch with his dark circles under his eyes, gazing at the bright moon in the sky through the dense green leaves:

He remembered his uncle, Yashamaru, who was Karura's younger brother. Ironically, Yashamaru's death was caused by the current Fourth Kazekage, Karura's husband and Gaara's father, Rasa.

Rasa sent Yashamaru to assassinate his nephew, just to test Gaara's stability. Naturally, the assassination failed, but Gaara still became a Jinchūriki.

The funny part is that Rasa wanted to test the stability of the Jinchūriki, so he sent Yoru, who had the deepest bond with Gaara.

Chamaru went to assassinate Gaara—his purpose was merely to test whether Gaara could lay down his sword when faced with the threat of being killed by his own family.

Furthermore, Rasa claimed that he loved Karura very much, and because he died in childbirth while giving birth to Gaara, he also claimed that he harbored resentment towards Gaara because of this.

But then he turned around and used his lover's younger brother as cannon fodder.

With a father like that, it's no wonder that Ira developed this twisted personality.

However, just a few days ago, Gaara saw the concept of family for the first time. Of course, family only refers to his older sister and older brother, and has nothing to do with his father or anything like that.

He also saw Lin Fan, who had shown him mercy. Lin Fan was clearly powerful, yet he went easy on him, who was weak. Was he trying to befriend him?

However, Lin Fan had a carefree, blond-haired kid who liked to put his arm around other people's shoulders. That blond-haired kid often took the opportunity to get close to Lin Fan, and he was ten times more despicable than the girl with the black ponytail.

The next day arrived, and Gaara barely slept, his sleep almost entirely in a semi-conscious state. However, he had dreamt of Lin Fan the night before. He and Lin Fan became inseparable friends, and not only that, he and Lin Fan together overthrew the Sand Village, which had been ruled by his father who had killed his uncle. He helped Lin Fan become the Fifth Kazekage, and then he saw Lin Fan marry his sister, becoming his brother-in-law, and living happily ever after with his sister and brother-in-law's family.

Seeing Gaara lost in thought, Lin Fan suddenly felt a flirtatious urge and tossed a piece of bread to Gaara:

Gaara thought someone was attacking him and instinctively used sand to shield himself.

Seeing that the object had been thrown from Lin Fan's direction, he sifted through the sand and saw that what was hidden in the sand was a square loaf of bread packaged in a bakery. "Have some breakfast. You're so thin," Lin Fan said with a smile. He then took Lin Xiaobai to the Death Forest to see if there were any fresh ingredients. It wouldn't hurt to cook a fragrant and sweet mushroom and scallion soup early in the morning.

Gaara looked at the bread in his hand: Did he care about me? How long has it been since anyone cared about me?

Temari, who had just emerged from the tree hollow after yawning, was stunned to see Gaara lost in thought. She paused for a moment, then ran back to a corner and woke Kankuro, telling him what had happened. When Kankuro heard that Gaara had once again been lost in thought about something "ordinary," he was completely taken aback.

Heaven knows how much he, as the older brother, has sacrificed for Gaara, but every time he speaks kindly to him, all he gets in return is a sand attack from Gaara that sends him flying.

He was still young then, and when he was hit, he would fly out and hit the floor, even knocking out a tooth once. This left him quite traumatized, so afterwards he would try to avoid Gaara as much as possible. However, when Gaara graduated, he still had no choice but to join Gaara's team along with his sister Temari, becoming Maki's apprentice.

But during the mission, Gaara's indiscriminate killing nature remained unchanged. He was just in the village when a villager said a few words to him, and then a bunch of villagers were killed. His father would only tell them to keep an eye on Gaara and prevent him from killing indiscriminately.

But Gaara wants to kill someone, how can he stop him? He's just an ordinary puppeteer. He'll block the One-Tailed Beast? Really?

Therefore, Gaara's worries have always been a headache for Temari and Kankuro, as both of them have genuine feelings for Gaara.

In the original story, Kankuro almost died at Sasori's hands while trying to save Gaara.

After washing up, the two prepared to pack their things and head to the tower. After all, they had spent the whole day playing yesterday. Although this "playing" was a pleasant surprise—their younger brother finally seemed alive again—they still had missions to complete, missions given by their father and the village. Therefore, they absolutely could not linger here.

At this moment, Gaara opened the packaging, took out a piece of bread and ate it: The taste is not very good. If Lin Fan had given him the bread to bake yesterday, perhaps he could have baked it better... But if he baked it better, would it make Lin Fan sad?

Just as Gaara was struggling with his decision, Temari and Kankuro came out. Kankuro, thinking Gaara was cured, said casually, "Little brother, let's go. It's time to report to the tower today."

Upon hearing the words "younger brother," Gaara frowned slightly and glanced at Kankuro.

Upon seeing Gaara's gaze, the latter instantly took several steps back.

It was because he had just witnessed the return of a god of death.

Okay, his brother is still his brother, he hasn't changed at all! Yesterday was definitely just my imagination!!

Gaara stared at Kankuro's face and felt more and more that Kankuro, his older brother, was almost non-existent in his life. If his mother had given birth to Lin Fan instead, perhaps he wouldn't be all alone now.

Of course, the scenes of Kankuro stopping him from killing have been assimilated into Gaara's memories and made him a ninja of the village:

The village ninja = stranger:

Kankuro = the ninja of the village:

Therefore, Kankuro is essentially a stranger.

This is probably based on blood ties and the fact that they often appear in front of you.

"Lin Fan hasn't returned yet," Gaara explained after a moment of silence.

Hearing Gaara's words, Kankuro became even more certain that Lin Fan had definitely given his younger brother some kind of influence. Just a few days ago, the two were fighting fiercely, practically risking their lives for each other. How could his younger brother be calling Lin Fan by his name so intimately now? Gaara had never called him "brother" before!

Kankuro, realizing that his status might already be equivalent to Lin Fan's, retreated with a pale face.

Seeing Kankuro's expression, Temari helplessly reached out and patted her younger brother's shoulder, comforting him, "Don't be sad."

My older sister is the best...

"After all, Lin Fan is really handsome! He can cook! He can raise rabbits! He can even raise rabbits that can talk! He knows Wood Release! He's also strong! And he's so good to my brother Gaara! Sigh, Kankuro, do you think we really have to carry out that plan?" Temari, thinking about how happy she would be if she could marry Lin Fan, was already somewhat unwilling to carry out the plan issued by her father, teacher, and village to "destroy Konoha".

Kankuro:

'

It's over! It's all over! Two out of the three main members of the squad betrayed them!

Although that's what Temari said, as the eldest daughter in her family, she's long past the age of being a love-struck girl who would give up everything just because a boy is handsome: "Little brother, I was just kidding."

Hearing Temari's earnest tone, Kankuro knew that his earnest older sister had returned!

"Then all we need to do is have my brother defeat Lin Fan, capture him and bring him back to Sunagakure, and then we can marry each other, right?"

Gaara: ? Great idea!

Kankuro:

...Destroy me, am I dreaming right now... Ouch! That hurts! This isn't a dream!!

When Lin Fan returned with some fresh mushrooms, he heard that Gaara's team of three was leaving. He suggested having lunch before leaving, since it was already this late and they could still make it to the tower after lunch. Kankuro shook his head, about to refuse, when a grain of sand transformed into a hand and pressed it against Kankuro's mouth. Temari looked at Kankuro's expression and waved her hands wildly. Gaara, as if nothing had happened, said to Lin Fan, "No problem, we'll leave after lunch."

Seeing this, Lin Fan felt a little embarrassed, since he wasn't familiar with Gaara. He then went to wake up the lazybones who was still sleeping in. After Lin Fan left, Kankuro finally got the chance to breathe, his mouth and nose full of sand, his eyes almost rolling back: "Are you alright?"

"He's alright, he just fainted from being too angry." Temari used her chakra to check Kankuro's pulse.

The Sand Village basically compensates its elite ninjas, whether they are Wind Release ninjas or puppeteers, they all generally have some basic knowledge of medical matters.

Even someone like Temari can only examine someone; she can't wake Kankuro up.

When Kankuro woke up, he smelled a strong, pleasant fragrance: "What's that?"

When he woke up, he saw Lin Fan, Temari, and Gaara sitting around a large wooden pot of soup. Lin Fan was stirring mushrooms and scallions in the pot with a wooden ladle. The milky white broth looked delicious. Kankuro, watching all this from a distance, felt like an outsider... Who is really part of the family?!

After his initial sadness, Kankuro took a sip of the mushroom soup Temari brought him. The moment it entered his mouth, the broth was so delicious it made his tongue tingle: "Five ants!"

Seeing Kankuro regain his spirits and drink the soup heartily, Temari happily joined in the enjoyment.

Gurgle.

Mmm...it tastes good!

Bai, having washed his training clothes, also came over and got a bowl of soup: "It's delicious! I can ask Lin Fan how he made it later. I'll make it for Lord Zabuza then."

Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki, who had been forcibly lifted up, returned home after miserably chopping a pile of firewood: "Brother Lin Fan already has Wood Release, why do I still need to chop firewood? Isn't this destroying the forest?"

The group enjoyed a rather sweet and savory lunch. It was a pity they hadn't brought any rice; otherwise, with this bowl of soup, served with fluffy white rice and some stir-fried vegetables... slurp! How delicious that would be!

Meanwhile, Team 7, consisting of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura Haruno, had been wandering around the Forest of Death after escaping from Orochimaru the previous day. Naruto and Sasuke were both unconscious due to their injuries, though they didn't have high fevers, just low-grade fevers. After all, Sasuke had a large gash in his thigh, and Naruto had also suffered considerable injuries while fighting Orochimaru to save Sasuke.

Sakura Haruno cared for the three in a tree hollow until dawn the next day. Even then, her two companions remained unconscious. Sakura knelt before them, holding a kunai, and set up numerous traps around them. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes. She swiftly threw her kunai as something flew out of the bushes, embedding it in a squirrel. An explosive tag was stuck to the squirrel's fur, but because the squirrel was fast, Sakura didn't have time to see it clearly. Thinking everything was alright, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, on a tree not far away, the trio wearing Sound Ninja headbands were already standing there; the squirrel's explosive tags were their doing.

Sack: "Have we been discovered?"

Qin: "It seems we underestimated this little girl?"

Toss thought for a moment and said, "It shouldn't be. But we'll find out when we go down."

When Team 7 was being targeted, Rock Lee followed the Sound Ninja's trail, pulling off a stunt by picking up twenty falling leaves the moment they landed, and incidentally saving a squirrel with flames on its back: "These are explosive tags that detonate automatically after a certain time? Who's so mean!"

Rock Lee looked around and quickly locked onto a spot a few hundred meters away where a figure with pink hair was walking in the open space: it was Sakura! ...Wait, could the Sound Ninja we were tracking be...?

Rock Lee guessed something and quickly headed towards the tree hole area:

Meanwhile, Shikamaru's team was also staking out some weaker teams in an attempt to obtain the Heaven and Earth Scroll to complete a quest at the tower. However, after staking out for a day and a night, they found nothing. Then, just now, the three of them actually managed to snag last year's top student, Hyuga Neji:

When Hyuga Neji saw these three people, he seemed to realize something and immediately abandoned his plan to attack them: his power was not meant to be used against weaklings.

When Neji returned to the location where he was supposed to meet Tenten and Lee, he suddenly discovered that Lee's message had been left there: "Lee seems to have headed in this direction."

"Does that guy even know what he's doing?"

Despite his fierce tone, Neji still took Tenten to find Lee.

While the two were looking for Lee, Shikamaru's team stumbled upon Sakura Haruno's tree hollow area, where a battle was taking place nearby: "What a nuisance."

"Is that Sakura? She seems to be in trouble."

"...Let's go take a look."

Upon hearing Ino's words, Shikamaru and Choji followed in her footsteps, heading towards the tree hollow.

At this moment, the combined efforts of Zaku and Tos have rendered Lee almost unable to move. Then it's Sakura's turn to fight Gin. When Gin grabs Sakura's long hair, Sakura finally wakes up and realizes that she is too obsessed with her long hair and love, but has forgotten her original intention to become a ninja: I will not fall behind the two of you!

This scene can be considered the climax of Betsuten Sakura's story.

I cut my hair to show my resolve!

Sakura Haruno first tricked Jean with the Substitute Technique, then used the Substitute Technique to dodge Zaku's attack. After that, she formed the Substitute Technique again in Zaku's sight, making Zaku think that she was going to use the Substitute Technique again. Despite the damage from the kunai stuck in her body, she punched Zaku in the face and even bit him with her teeth.

The Shikamaru trio, hidden in the shadows, had been watching, but because Ino and Sakura, formerly best friends, had fallen out and their discord prevented Shikamaru and Choji from making a move. After all, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio are strongest together, and teamwork is crucial.

In the end, Ino decided to go into battle, and the three members of Shikamaru's team all went together:

Shikamaru controls Tos:

Choji suppresses Sak:

Ino takes control of Koto's body:

However, just as Ino threatened the other two to give up, Zaku didn't hesitate and used a sonic attack to send the "harp" flying. This attack also hit the "harp" itself, causing Ino to cough up blood: "Damn it! You guys won't even spare your own people?"

Shikamaru gritted his teeth; his control was almost gone. "The shadow control only lasts five minutes?" Tosu slowly broke free from Shikamaru's shadow's grasp, his tone flat. "We have absolutely no interest in this exam. As for our teammates... hehehe, we've always been ninjas born for missions, even if it means sacrificing our lives..."

'

"Mission?" Shikamaru asked, puzzled. "Isn't your mission to seize the Heaven and Earth Scroll?"

"Heh, how could something like that be worthy of our mission..."

Tosu stared coldly at Shikamaru and the others: "Our mission from the very beginning was Sasuke!"

Everyone: Sasuke?!

"Hey, it's getting lively here." At that moment, Hyuga Neji's voice suddenly rang out.

Those present heard Neji's voice, Choji exclaimed that he was saved, and Shikamaru couldn't help but relax a little:

Neji then spoke up again: "However, I probably won't need to do anything."

Naruto and Sasuke emerged from the tree hollow. Due to this experience, their strength had increased slightly, although not as quickly as the increase from the cursed seal Orochimaru had given them. However, Sasuke felt that if he faced Orochimaru again, he would definitely dare to slap Orochimaru across the face.

"Sakura, who hurt you?" Sasuke's voice was somewhat cold as he spoke upon seeing Sakura injured.

Upon seeing Sasuke's appearance, Zaku sneered, "Yo, the guy hiding behind the woman has finally shown himself."

Sasuke looked up at Zaku, then instantly appeared beside him, casually throwing a left fist that struck Zaku in the face. With a thud, Zaku rolled over, and before he could react, he heard the "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique" and countless footsteps approaching.

Look up and open your eyes:

Countless Naruto Uzumakis rained down from the sky: "So this is the Sakura you bullied!! Naruto Barrage!!!"

Naruto wanted to emulate Stephen Chow and reward Zaku with a stomp attack:

However, Sak raised both hands, each palm revealing a black hole. After a brief moment of concentration, the holes emitted a sonic attack.

With a deafening boom, countless shadow clones clattered and exploded. Amidst a cloud of smoke in the sky, only one Naruto remained, throwing out his fist: "Take this punch!"

Zaku was too late to block Naruto's attack and could only cross his arms:

With a loud bang, a large crack appeared on the floor behind Sack, and Sack spat out a mouthful of blood: "Looks like I'm too late."

Suddenly, a voice rang out, and everyone looked over to see a giant Naruto with golden hair appear:

He first targeted Zaku, who was bullying Sakura... Well, he was killed by his younger self... Wait a minute? At this time when I was a child, wasn't I under some kind of seal, and Sasuke under some kind of curse, and then we both fell into a coma? How come Sasuke doesn't have those strange black markings on his body now that he's awake... He's so ugly, to be honest.

Upon seeing the arrival of a young man, Tosu scrutinized the white cloak on Naruto's back, on which fluttered the word "Justice": "Justice?... Heh, if justice truly exists in this world, then this thing will surely be late, just like you."

The larger Naruto wasn't angry. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Dosu. He vaguely remembered that Dosu had been killed by Gaara, but he didn't know exactly how. He only remembered Gaara saying that he didn't quite remember how the other person died either: "Dosu, right? You're the one who bullied my Sakura, me, and my Sasuke?!"

Sasuke: "?"

Sakura Haruno: ? ? ? Who's yours?! You idiot!!

Naruto: Sakura is mine!! You bastard, you already have Sakura in your own world, and you still want to take her from me!!!

Toss: "So what if I bullied you?"

Naruto: "Very good. Kurama!"

Naruto entered the spiritual space. Although he didn't have a key, the Nine-Tails inside was able to release relatively clean chakra to Naruto, allowing him to adapt to the Nine-Tails' chakra. "Only one minute."

Hearing Kurama's arrogant words:

Naruto replied, "That's enough."

Chakra flowed across Naruto's body, and the unstable, half-red, half-gold golden chakra form was emerging. This form had previously appeared in the "Power Arc."

Shikamaru, seeing Naruto like this, exclaimed: "Hey bro, we went to the same ninja academy? How many years have you been waiting to come back?"

Choji saw Naruto like this: Wow! This mode is kind of cool! But not as cool as me.

Ino saw Naruto like this: ...For the first time, I think Naruto is actually pretty cool...No, my goal is Sasuke!

When Hyuga Neji saw Naruto like this: Is this the power of the future Naruto? Wasn't he a loser?

Seeing Naruto like this, Xiao Li exclaimed: "So Naruto also has hidden power! I'm really looking forward to the next match!!"

Sakura Haruno, seeing Naruto like this: ...It seems Naruto has surpassed me again...

Sasuke saw Naruto like this:

...Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could this kid possess such power after only three years?!

Little Naruto saw this side of Naruto: So cool! Just like me!!

After transforming, Naruto calmly asked Dosu, "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Tos nervously took a step back: "Don't think you can scare me just because you used some unknown secret technique... Whoosh!"

In an instant, Naruto, the Golden Man, appeared next to Tos. Before Tos could turn his head, he was struck by Naruto's casual punch. Tos flew through the air, his body forming a straight line as he crashed into tree trunks, causing several large, thick trees to collapse.

Wow... such a fast speed!

Sak looked nervously at Naruto the Golden Man, who glanced at Sak and raised his hand: "I've heard your sound waves are amazing. How about I try them out?"

Seeing the Rasengan that was even bigger than himself, Zaku, terrified, aimed his two hands, powered by sonic attacks, at the golden-armored Naruto: "Die!!"

Before Zaku could unleash his sonic attack, Little Golden Naruto managed to give him the Rasengan in time.

Dayama Rasengan!

With a deafening boom, the sonic attack and the physical energy collided in mid-air. The terrifying collision also created a powerful gust of wind, whipping up sand and stones, making it difficult for people to open their eyes.

This state lasted for less than two seconds. The sonic attack disappeared, and the Giant Rasengan struck Zaku's body without hesitation.

With a loud crash, Sac followed in Tos's footsteps, and several large trees collapsed as a result.

There was only one koto left. Naruto glanced at her, but he couldn't quite remember who she was, since she didn't seem to have participated in the preliminary rounds of the third Chunin Exams.

At the same time, his little golden figure went offline at the appointed time, and the pale golden chakra disappeared: "Take your companions and go. I don't hit women."

"Really...really?"

Qin looked tremblingly at the powerful figure before her.

Naruto nodded: "Of course, I'm a man of my word. If I say I won't hit a woman, I won't hit a woman."

Upon hearing that Naruto was such a kind person, Koto immediately expressed her gratitude to him with tears in her eyes:

Just then, Neji glanced around, realizing that he seemed to have overlooked something, and that overlooked thing suddenly reappeared at this moment: "Naruto doesn't hit women, so are you guys going to? If you don't, she's leaving."

Lin Fan smiled and said to Shikamaru's team and the six-member team of Class 7:

Hyuga Neji: ...This guy is absolutely a shameless pervert.

Shikamaru: ...Is there any possibility that if you gave her to me, I wouldn't even bother to hit her?

Choji: Hitting a woman doesn't seem right... How about I ask her to buy me a few bags of potato chips?

Sasuke naturally disdained hitting women, especially after witnessing Naruto's unprecedented techniques and the extent of his power, which was far greater than before, making him unfathomable.

Most importantly, he was worried that in the future he might become a useless person because he couldn't compare to Naruto, and in the end, he wouldn't even be able to take revenge.

Ino and Sakura exchanged a glance: It's our turn to make a move!

The two best friends fought fiercely, and Qin's face swelled up in no time. It was obvious that the two had deliberately hit Qin's face. After all, Qin had made Sakura cut off her long hair and reminded Ino of the wonderful memories of becoming best friends with Sakura. Of course, reminiscing is a good thing, so to celebrate, Qin was rewarded with a "not pretty punch".

After the incident, the group didn't actually kill the Sound Ninja trio. After all, as everyone knows, Naruto is the protagonist of a shonen anime, and shonen anime protagonists never kill people.

Naruto wasn't going to kill anyone, and Lin Fan wouldn't bother to finish off the three seriously injured kids either. After gathering, the group was initially eager to find a scroll, since apart from Lin Fan's team, no other team had gotten a second one. However, they wouldn't steal from someone from the same village they knew, so they had no choice but to go looking for one.

At this time, Lin Fan noticed it was time for afternoon tea, so he had Naruto and Haku set up the grill. The area was surrounded by trees, making it a nice place to sleep at night, with a great atmosphere—much better than the barbecue at the cave entrance yesterday.

When the nine people saw Lin Fan set up a barbecue grill, they were completely dumbfounded. They thought, "Weren't we here to participate in the Chunin Exams? How come you can barbecue? What do you take the exam for?!"

Neji was the angrier. Although he always said that fate was predetermined, he participated in the Chunin Exams to prove himself. However, some people didn't take the Chunin Exams seriously at all: "This guy is really lucky. He actually has a Naruto from the future helping him win."

Neji wasn't stupid; he guessed it from the close relationship between the older and younger Naruto, and their similarity.

Neji's taunts had no effect on Lin Fan. He found a clean branch to lie on and enjoy a nap. Lin Xiaobai had been sent hunting by him; after all, Lin Xiaobai was now a Jonin-level ninja and it was time for him to gain some experience, and the Death Forest was the perfect place for that.

Did they abandon their companions and leave?

Lin Fan heard the two Sound Ninja leaving; although their movements were slow, he still heard it.

Meanwhile, their teammate Qin lay unconscious on the floor near the tree hole, her face bruised and swollen.

Sack had both arms broken and was dragging his exhausted body.

Tos stood to the side, his left arm deformed from blocking Naruto's attack.

Their eyes were filled with endless fear, especially since they had failed the test and didn't know what kind of punishment Orochimaru would give them when they returned.

The two then found the examiner hidden in the forest and chose to give up the assessment.

soon.

The two returned to their guesthouse.

Seeing the two return empty-handed, Orochimaru, wearing a Sound Ninja headband and a Chunin vest belonging to the Sound Village, looked at them with a forced smile and said, "You failed?"

"I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru. This time, a ninja who can use powerful secret techniques has appeared. This ninja's strength... may have already surpassed yours!"

Hearing Tosu's words, Orochimaru was not surprised: "You're talking about a young man with black wolf-tail hair, right?"

Black wolf tail hair? Wasn't that person blond?

Tos and Sack quickly explained.

Upon hearing that it was a blond-haired boy with a fox-like mustache, Orochimaru paused for half a second: Naruto? That kid actually reached that level in a few years? I don't think Kushina knew that move either.

"Visible golden chakra...it's so fast...interesting...this is so interesting!!"

Spalashi!

Seeing Orochimaru so excited, Tos and Zaku also felt that they had finally proven their worth and could survive.

However, after Orochimaru finished his excitement, he remembered that he still had two crippled guys to deal with. After all, his own medical ninjutsu was not high, and the people he brought were not skilled medical ninjas either. Moreover, in order to keep the plan from being exposed, useless people had to die: "You guys go back to the inn to rest first. I will have someone treat your injuries later."

"yes!"

Seeing Orochimaru smile, Tos and Zaku responded excitedly before returning to their rooms.

Orochimaru's smile was tinged with cruelty. He then arranged for a Jonin from Otogakure to keep an eye on the two of them. Afterward, he changed his clothes and left the inn.

night.

Konoha Hospital.

Itachi Uchiha's injuries had long since healed to the point where he could move freely.

However, because his eye power was greatly depleted during his fight with Lin Fan, even if he chose to return to the Akatsuki organization, his current eye power would likely be insufficient.

I suppose I won't be able to hold on for very long before I go blind, or... die out there.

This is different from his long-term mission philosophy.

Suddenly, he sensed a very familiar chakra entering the hospital:

He stared at the ceiling, waiting for the sensed chakra to arrive in the corridor of this floor:

He looked at the ANBU member lying dead by the door, and at the scene of the door being pushed open:

A long-haired young woman in a nurse's uniform pushed a cart in. If you ignored her snake-like, bright yellow eyes and the hand lying unconscious in the corner by the door, you might think it was just a routine ward round: "Orochimaru."

Itachi's voice rang out.

Hearing Itachi recognize him:

Orochimaru smiled and said, "It's been a long time, Itachi."

The two had last met several years ago, when Juzo Biwa died in Kirigakure during a mission. With a vacancy left for Itachi, Orochimaru voluntarily left his comrades with Sasori to join Itachi's team. However, after a mission, noticing Itachi's tired appearance, he attempted to ambush him.

The result, naturally, was failure. Not only did they fail, but they also violated the Akatsuki's rule against killing comrades.

Therefore, he became a wanted criminal by Akatsuki and was hunted down by Akatsuki for several years afterward.

During one of his studies on the Impure World Reincarnation technique, Sasori "coincidentally" discovered his location:

He fought against the scorpion:

Both of them used the Third Kazekage at the same time:

The Third Kazekage was merely a puppet.

One of the Third Kazekage was an immortal resurrected using the Impure World Reincarnation technique:

The Third Kazekage was furious. He was already dead, yet the very person who killed him was being used as a puppet, and another person had summoned him from the Pure Land to see him, only to have him fight him instead.

It's unbearable to repair!

Thus, the Third Kazekage, through his own strength, broke free from the control of the Impure World Reincarnation:

Of course, Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation technique was still incomplete at this point, but even with an incomplete Impure World Reincarnation, the Third Kazekage was able to break free using his own strength. So much so that later on, even Kabuto Yakushi didn't actively use Impure World Reincarnation.

This alone is enough to demonstrate that the Third Kazekage's strength is not simple:

Because of the Third Kazekage's obstruction, Orochimaru successfully escaped from Sasori and Deidara. He then fled all the way from the Land of Wind to a place called the Land of Rice Fields, where he cooperated with the local daimyo and established the Sound Village.

Over the years, Orochimaru has come to realize that to defeat Itachi, he must possess the Sharingan.

Snake actually has his own petty thoughts.

Imagine someone has cultivated for over a hundred years and finally reached the Golden Core realm, only to have a 15-year-old boy from their sect arrive. They think he's easy to bully and want to take advantage of him, but the boy defeats them with a single glance, completely overwhelming them... Who could withstand that?

In reality, imagine someone who has worked hard for over fifty years, building their career, even facing near-death experiences at the height of their success, only to encounter a 15-year-old orphan who simply wants to bully them. The boy, with a mere gesture, summons countless henchmen who subdue them, and it's later revealed that he built a business empire single-handedly in just a few years… Just thinking about it is incredibly heartbreaking.

Moreover, what Itachi possesses is neither the kind of cultivation that cannot be forcibly taken, nor a commercial empire that requires troublesome means to intercept:

Itachi possessed a body with the Mangekyou Sharingan:

Coincidentally, Orochimaru possesses the ability to possess bodies, conduct research, and maximize the value of Itachi's body: "Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

Itachi's voice rang out, laced with sarcasm.

Orochimaru smiled, but his eyes were already slightly narrowed, clearly showing his anger:

However, considering Lin Fan's and Naruto's future strength, he decided to let bygones be bygones: "Itachi, you really want Sasuke's eyes, don't you?"

The weasel remained silent.

"I know you have a terminal illness. Back in the organization, I learned from White Zetsu that your condition was almost incurable... It's Bloodstain Disease... I originally thought that someone with Bloodstain Disease would fall into exhaustion after a mission..."

'

Itachi interrupted impatiently: "Just say what you have to say, stop beating around the bush."

Bloodstain disease is a condition caused by abnormalities in one's own blood and is considered incurable.

However, ninjas with bloodstained diseases are generally stronger than ordinary ninjas and have more control over their bloodstained abilities:

Orochimaru currently has a ninja subordinate with a blood disease under his command:

That ninja's strength was beyond doubt; when he unleashed his full power, Orochimaru was certain that his opponent's strength had reached the Kage level.

Itachi is also a sufferer of Bloodstain Disease:

He wanted Itachi's body not only to study the Bloodstained Disease, but also to cure Itachi and possess him: "Let's cooperate."

"Your body probably can't take it anymore."

"Every time you use blood, it will hasten your death."

"And this time, I heard that you fought with that ninja named Lin Fan."

When Lin Fan was mentioned, Orochimaru's expression changed slightly: "Lin Fan is indeed very strong; he is definitely not someone that you or I can handle alone."

...As you can tell, I've already used all my ultimate moves, and now I'm lying in a hospital bed.

"How do you want to cooperate?"

"Sasuke is yours, Lin Fan is mine."

"plan?"

"You'll find out in the third round of the Chunin Exams."

Itachi pondered: Very cautious... But that's to be expected of you, otherwise you wouldn't have so decisively chosen to escape from Akatsuki...

Pain of the Akatsuki was a leader who deeply hated the idea of ​​his comrades being killed by their own.

Kakuzu once had a companion who died during a mission. Kakuzu didn't dare to say directly that he intentionally killed the person, but instead said that the person was too slow and didn't have time to dodge.

Kakuzu was affected by a bug, so nothing happened.

However, Orochimaru, who deliberately ambushed Itachi after the mission ended, could not be blocked.

"make a deal."