"Hiruzen, do you really want him to keep hanging out with that little Uchiha?!"
Koharu was clearly not in agreement.
"…"
Danzō remained silent, reflecting on the implications of the event.
Why had Jūzō, a missing-nin from Kiri, acted alongside Kiri's shinobi?
And that boy, Naruto... He had unleashed the Three-Tails without losing control?
Not even Kushina had managed that. Yakushi needed to speed up his research...
---
The next day, at the hospital…
In the hospital room, Sakounderwent another examination.
The results confirmed she had no injuries.
Her body, temporarily weakened, had even been revitalized by the awakening of her Sharingan.
In short, after a day of hospitalization, she was healthier than before!
"Sasuko, wait for your brother to come pick you up before leaving."
The note left by her mother lay on the bedside table.
Her family, her brother and her mother, had already visited.
But...
Naruto had been missing for two days now.
"I'm coming in."
An ANBU entered the room.
Her long purple hair cascaded down her back, giving her an elegant look.
Her strikingly pale skin drew admiration.
"What a beautiful person…"
Even without seeing her masked face, Sakowas sure she was stunning.
"Who are you...?"
"I'm a member of the ANBU."
Yūgao Uzuki closed the door behind her.
"I've come to give you a warning... Don't talk to anyone about Naruto Uzumaki's identity."
You understand?
Naruto is the vessel of the Kyūbi.
Having witnessed the release of the demon's chakra, Sakomight reveal this information.
"It's a state secret of 'Extreme Confidentiality', classified as 'S-Rank'."
Yūgao emphasized the gravity of the matter.
"So Naruto is someone so important…"
According to the Kiri ninja, Naruto was likely the only jinchūriki in Konoha, host of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
"Okay... I understand."
"Good." Yūgao nodded, satisfied. "And… I wanted to thank you."
Sakoblinked, surprised.
"Thank you for helping Naruto fend off the enemy… and for helping protect my boyfriend."
Her boyfriend... Hayate Gekkō.
The face of the young man with dark under-eyes came to mind.
"I-It's normal... As a member of Konoha, it was my duty... And Naruto did most of the work anyway..."
Sakowaved her hands, embarrassed.
"So... where is Naruto?"
"He's under protection."
Yūgao had considered telling her the truth, but decided to tease her a little.
"We don't know when he'll be back…"
"Ah... I see." Sakosuddenly felt sad. "He... Did he leave me a message?"
"No." Yūgao shook her head. "Goodbye."
She left as quietly as she had entered.
"…"
Sitting on her bed, Sakostared at the white sheets.
She thought about her moments with Naruto.
"Under protection... that means he's locked away, right? Maybe they're even experimenting on him, like a lab rat… Even if not, he must still be suffering the hatred of others. Because everyone sees him as the demon fox…"
Tears began streaming down her cheeks.
She pitied Naruto and felt guilty for having led him into this situation…
"He could die at any moment…"
"Huh? Who died?"
The door opened again.
Naruto entered, his usual cocky grin on his face.
"Naruto, of course! Naruto Uzumaki!"
Sakoimmediately understood what was happening.
"What?!"
"Something wrong?" Naruto tilted his head.
He held a bunch of wildflowers he had picked on the way.
He tossed the expensive flowers left by other visitors and replaced them with his field bouquet, even adding some pebbles to the vase.
"This is ridiculous!" Sakocouldn't help protesting.
"Such ingratitude! I put all my heart into choosing them… They're way prettier than those cultivated flowers..."
Naruto defended himself.
The words "It's my fault, I'm sorry…" burned on her lips, but she couldn't bring herself to say them.
In the end, she shouted:
"Where were you for the past two days?!"
Despite her scolding, a joyful smile lit up her face.
Seeing Sasuko—whose affection he had finally won—Naruto was convinced of one thing:
He could save the Uchiha.
So...
The third round begins.
Itachi, you don't like me getting close to your sister?
Sorry, but I'm going to do it even more.
And… I'll make Sakobecome mine.
---
That night...
A blood-red moon hung in the sky.
Its crimson light bathed the Land of Fire.
Glittering reflections, characteristic of Hyōton, betrayed the presence of a supposedly extinct clan.
"A monster from the Yuki Clan…"
Jūzō, injured, growled.
That clan had been wiped out by Kiri... So why were they resurfacing now?
Worse still... working with Kiri shinobi.
"Master Zabuza, he's no longer a threat…"
A masked young man spoke with a soft, almost androgynous voice.
Then, he violently tore the Samehada from Jūzō's hands.
"Hahaha... Well done, Haku. From now on, I, Zabuza Momochi, am the new owner of the Samehada!"
Zabuza, with wild black hair and a bandaged lower face, admired the sword with a cruel smile.
"Tch... If I weren't injured…"
Jūzō spat blood.
After being wounded by the boy with the Kyūbi, he had escaped by going with the current.
But once outside, he was pursued by a Kiri tracking unit.
That didn't surprise him. That's how Kiri shinobi were.
"Go on... Finish me."
Jūzō challenged Zabuza.
That former brat had become a fearsome assassin.
Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist, master of Silent Killing.
I'll be waiting for you in Hell…
As Jūzō braced for death, Zabuza turned away.
"Kill you? Normally, every new wielder of the Samehada must kill the previous one… But me, I'm different. I'll let you live."
Taking the sword from a living opponent was far harder than stealing it from a corpse.
"It'll boost my reputation… Haku, let's go."
"Tch…"
Jūzō coughed again.
"You're not meant for Kiri either…"
"Shut up." Zabuza growled. "One day, I'll overthrow Yagura and make Kiri my kingdom!"
With those words, Kiri's pursuers vanished, leaving Jūzō to bleed out.
Losing the Samehada meant losing his title as one of the Seven Swordsmen.
How could he go on living after that?