Naruto frowned and shook his head.
"I'm not mad," he said. "That might sound weird to you... but I really don't feel angry, even after what he did to Ero-Sennin. He's still alive, and knowing that doesn't weaken him. Also, I've never seen this as a personal grudge. No matter how big of an asshole Pain is, he has his own goals, and we have ours too. Me and Ero-Sennin... our goals just happened to clash. That's the meaning behind a ninja's existence, right? Getting angry changes nothing. It won't make me stronger or him weaker. It won't grow Ero-Sennin's arm back or make me feel any less guilty about our failure. It won't help me control more Nine-Tails Chakra either—it'll only make things worse."
"What about fear?" Fukasaku asked.
"No fear..." Naruto replied, slowly standing up as pain shot through his injured bones. "What's there to be scared of? I already know he can beat me, so now all I need to do is find a way to become stronger than him. I know it's possible, and that way, I won't have to worry about seeing someone like Ero-Sennin getting hurt protecting me again. He must've given that bastard one hell of a fight."
Fukasaku chuckled softly.
"That he did. He destroyed one of that bastard's bodies and sent it to your Hokage. It won't be long before they figure out how to defeat him, kid." He looked at Jiraiya. "So, what should we do now?"
Naruto started pacing back and forth in thought.
"Uh… I can't return to Konoha like this. It'd be too dangerous. Now that Pain knows I can't beat him and even Ero-Sennin couldn't stop him, he'll come after me with everything he's got. If I go back to Konoha, he might even launch a direct attack on the village... especially after I caused massive damage in Amegakure with a single attack. I can't go back with you guys. I can head to the Land of Fire with you or straight to Sunagakure—it works either way—but until I'm sure I can beat Pain, I won't set foot in Konoha ever again."
Fukasaku considered these options.
"I've got a better idea... Didn't you have your girl send a message to Tsunade? Well, Shima should still be with her. If you can get Shima to summon me back to Konoha, I can bring Jiraiya with me, and then we can heal him."
Naruto stared at him in shock.
"Can you actually do that? I thought only humans could summon you, not the other way around."
Fukasaku laughed.
"That's true. You've been learning how to work together with that troublesome fellow Gamakichi, haven't you? You have to sign a contract with the toad you partner with. We frogs can summon each other, but only humans with contracts can summon us. There's nothing we can do about it now—blame Gamakichi for not signing a contract with you yet."
"Dammit, Gamakichi…" Naruto muttered under his breath while started composing a message for Tamako.
"She should receive the message within minutes. Tamako will get the message quickly. Listen, this should be enough to wake him from his coma—at least until Lady Tsunade arrives at his bedside." He scratched his head. "Tell everyone not to worry—I'll be fine. I'll stay in contact through Tamako, but right now they need to understand that I can't go back. It's for their protection."
Fukasaku nodded.
"You're really planning to go off on your own like your master did?"
Naruto injected Jiraiya with the medicine and gave a bitter smile.
"No, I don't think I'll travel as far as Ero-Sennin (the Pervy Sage). I still have a mission—to become strong enough, strong enough to defeat Pain... and protect Konoha. Tell Lady Tsunade not to waste resources searching for me. I wouldn't have done this unless I was certain."
"Once Gamakichi formally bonds with you as your summoning partner, we can summon you to Mount Myoboku anytime." He smiled knowingly. "I believe Jiraiya will want to take you on a proper tour soon enough."
"I'm looking forward to it," Naruto said as he walked out of the room. "Please make sure he takes it easy and rests well. No matter whether he has that arm or not, I believe Konoha still needs him. And please don't tell anyone else what you've seen here today. That would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. If Lady Tsunade gets angry because I didn't come back, just tell her I'm currently on an active mission that hasn't concluded yet, and that I've chosen to continue it at this time."
Naruto shut the door and let out a sigh.
"You're really planning to go off on your own, Senior Naruto?" Naruto turned around and saw Sai leaning against the wall next to the room he had just left. "Are you sure this is the wisest choice?"
Naruto shrugged.
"Let me put it this way: I could stay in Konoha training like I used to, basically sending Pain a beacon telling him exactly where I am so he can attack anytime, letting Konoha get destroyed during our fight. Or I can leave without telling anyone where I'm going and do the same thing. Trust me—I've got options." He looked curiously at Sai. "And how exactly did you save us back then? We were flying mid-air."
"I can paint giant birds large enough to carry multiple people. Don't you remember?" Sai gave him an odd smile. "Anyway, Danzō-sama wishes to speak with you now that you've regained consciousness."
Naruto stopped in his tracks and turned toward Sai.
"Lord Danzō is here already?" Sai nodded. "How long has he been here? He never leaves Konoha. All his business is handled there."
"After I brought you back to our base from Amegakure, I informed him immediately," Sai said while guiding Naruto down the hallway. "He arrived shortly after I informed him. You were still unconscious at the time—your injuries almost killed you. It was difficult for Maki to heal you."
"I can feel it," Naruto replied. "I feel completely drained." Finally, Sai led Naruto to a rather ordinary-looking door marked with the kanji for Root.
"Good grief, it's like déjà vu all over again."
Sai rapped on the door, and after hearing a stern "Come in" from inside, he pushed it open and entered with Naruto.
Danzo sat in his modest office at the base, calmly observing Naruto with that almost severe expression—a look Naruto had remembered since childhood.
It had been seven years since he'd last seen that look up close—and oddly enough, it felt comforting—because, despite everything that had happened, some things remained unchanged.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>