Sasuke asked, puzzled, "Right hand, what do you mean?"

"Hu." Naruto took a deep breath and extended his left hand. "Do you remember what Iruka-sensei made us do back in the Ninja Academy?"

"..." Sasuke looked down, recalling.

They had been ordered to make a reconciliation seal after a fight in the schoolyard.

Sasuke had used his left hand for the seal back then.

"So this time, it's the right hand..."

Sasuke pondered, "You mean that if I destroy Konoha, not only will you not help me, but you'll break my left hand so I can never form seals again?"

"Pfft..."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh.

Sasuke pressed on, "Answer me!"

Naruto, with a mischievous glint, seemed to be teasing Sasuke. "Ah, yes, you got it right! I'll break your hand!"

Sasuke was furious. "So that's it! You arrogant fool! Remember the Valley of the End? Who was the loser then? If I had wanted to, your life would have ended long ago!!"

Indeed, Naruto had lost at the Valley of the End, and Sasuke had the chance to kill him.

But... many overlooked an important detail.

In that moment of close combat, Naruto's Rasengan had aimed upwards, striking Sasuke's forehead protector, leaving a scratch from Naruto's sharp claws in his tailed beast form.

Sasuke's Chidori, however, had aimed downwards, targeting Naruto's heart.

Had it been otherwise, Naruto might not have been the one to fall.

"..." Naruto reminisced, then smiled warmly. "Don't take it so seriously. Can't you see I was joking?"

"..." Sasuke's expression softened, but then he coldly said, "I'm not joking! You claim to be my friend, yet you mock me! Don't underestimate me! Do you think I don't know anything? You're Konoha's hero now, the darling of the ignorant masses. If I destroy Konoha, you'll be my number one enemy!"

Naruto pondered, "I've already betrayed Konoha..."

"What!?" Sasuke was stunned, finally noticing that Naruto's forehead protector was the one he had left behind, symbolizing a rogue ninja!

Sasuke turned to look at Tobi. In their earlier encounter outside Konoha, Tobi had only mentioned the Five Kage Summit and Danzō becoming Hokage, briefly mentioning Naruto defeating Pain, but not a word about Naruto defecting from the village!

"..." Tobi's masked face revealed nothing.

Sasuke turned back to Naruto. "What's going on?"

Naruto explained, "My goals contradict the village's ideals, so I had to leave its constraints to act..."

Sasuke's eyes flickered with a hint of inexplicable loss. "So, your attack on Danzō was for your own purposes, not to clear my path?"

Humans are complex. If it were for you, it would seem meddlesome. Knowing it wasn't for you, there's resentment.

Naruto sighed. "Not entirely. It's half and half. I thought if you killed Danzō, it might ease your hatred and prevent you from turning it towards the village. But you let him go out of spite. I underestimated your desire for revenge. This will cause trouble in the future..."

"..." Sasuke clenched his fists, Susanoo's chakra wavering.

Naruto's gaze turned serious. "Sasuke, if you seek revenge on Danzō again, I won't stop you. But I don't want you to harm anyone else..."

Sasuke's eyes turned cold. "What if I do?"

Naruto's tone was firm. "Then I'll stop you with all my might!"

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Sasuke's tone grew colder. "You mean you still have strength left?"

Naruto didn't back down. "At least, I haven't used all my strength!"

"Heh heh heh..." Sasuke chuckled. He was arrogant but not foolish, knowing Naruto spoke the truth. But he coldly said,

"Yes, your power has grown, but do you understand me? Do you know the real reason for my revenge on Konoha?"

Naruto's words were shocking. "Ah, I know... about Itachi's truth."

"What!?" Sasuke was stunned. "That's the highest secret! How do you know? Could it be..."

He turned to look at Tobi again.

"..." Tobi shook his head, indicating he hadn't told Naruto.

In fact, Naruto had learned it from Tobi in a previous timeline...

Tobi thought: I really underestimated this kid, Naruto...

Sasuke coldly said, "You know what Itachi went through, yet you still want to stop my revenge?"

Naruto said, "If Itachi were alive, he wouldn't want you to do this..."

"..." Sasuke's shoulders shook. Itachi was his reverse scale, touching it would anger him, even if Naruto was special to him. It didn't mean Naruto could judge Itachi, whether positively or negatively!

He didn't know that Naruto wasn't making things up. He had really interacted with Itachi, more than once.

"Don't act like you know Itachi!! And don't use his name to interfere with my revenge, Naruto!!!!"

Boom!!!

Responding to Sasuke's rage, purple chakra surged out, forming a mighty armor around Susanoo!

It was the ultimate form of 'half-body' Susanoo, the Tengu form!!!

Boom!!!

The powerful and cold chakra shook Team Taka's spirits and moved the onlookers...

Karin shivered. "He's no longer the Sasuke we knew..."

Tobi's eyes darkened: Oh? Activating Susanoo to this extent at once, indeed, for Sasuke, the best catalyst isn't the Five Kage, but you, Naruto...

Boom! Boom!

The Totsuka Bow was drawn again, but this time paired with the Blaze Release arrow, its scale and power on another level!!!

Sasuke's pupils reflected genuine killing intent. "Naruto, I'm done listening to your prattle!! You're in my way. I'll eliminate you here, then raze Danzō and Konoha to the ground...!!!"

Naruto's expression turned solemn: This form of Susanoo is a qualitative change, and that arrow can't be countered by ordinary means...

Whoosh!!!

The black flame arrow tore through the air...

"Enough..."

Naruto closed his eyes, then reopened them, his pupils glowing with power!

—Shinra Tensei!

Boom!!!

The repulsive force exploded, shattering the solid black flame arrow into falling embers...

Tobi's gaze darkened. "Finally using the Rinnegan's power..."

Sage Mode sensed something.

"The battle here has drawn attention. Many chakra signatures are approaching. Let's finish this quickly..."

Naruto formed seals, gathering unprecedented chakra.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...!!!

Hundreds of shadow clones appeared with white smoke, each forming a Super Big Ball Rasengan, attacking Sasuke's Susanoo...!

—Sage Art: Multiple Super Big Ball Rasengan Barrage!

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...!!!

The Rasengan piled on, covering Susanoo completely. The waves of explosions pushed Susanoo's armor to the brink of collapse!

Sasuke raged. "Where did he get this power...!!"

Slash! Naruto dipped his hand in the blood from his Amaterasu burns, forming seals.

—Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer Technique!!

The giant toad Gamabunta descended from the sky, the final straw that broke Susanoo...!!!

"Ugh...!!"

Before Susanoo collapsed, Sasuke used all his strength to leap out...

Naruto extended his hand.

—Banshō Ten'in!

Whoosh! The powerful pull drew Sasuke in.

Sasuke reacted quickly, forming seals as he approached, using the pull...

—Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!

"..." Naruto stood firm, maintaining Banshō Ten'in, activating the Rinnegan's protective barrier, blocking the flames while grabbing Sasuke's throat!

—Preta Path!

Whoosh!!

Sasuke's chakra flowed into Naruto's hand...

Sasuke: "Heh, so this is your left eye's power..."

Naruto: "Sorry, but this is the only way to calm you down. If you keep overusing your dōjutsu, you'll go blind early..."

Sizzle! As his chakra drained, Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan reverted to three tomoe, then faded to ordinary eyes...

Before losing consciousness, Sasuke murmured, "Heh, that doesn't matter anymore."

Seeing Sasuke lose consciousness, Naruto gently laid him on the snow, sighed, and stepped back.

"Sasuke!!!" Karin ran forward.

Whoosh!!

But Tobi appeared faster, picking up Sasuke, his right eye swirling, absorbing Karin too.

"Go restore Sasuke's chakra!!"

"Eek...!!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Konan and Orochimaru approached Naruto.

Konan asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

Naruto smiled. "Sorry, I overused my chakra. The situation might get tricky. I'll need your help..."

Konan smiled. "Of course..."

"Heh heh." Orochimaru grinned. "You still couldn't bring yourself to fully drain Sasuke's chakra."

Naruto didn't respond.

To the south, Mifune led the Land of Iron samurai, and the Five Kage, minus Danzō, arrived...

To the north, figures could be seen running through the snow, young and wearing Konoha forehead protectors…

Seeing this, Tobi’s expression under the mask was subtle: “Fine, this time I’ll remain a complete outsider. Think carefully about how to wrap this up, Naruto. Remember, protect the Rinnegan well; it’s my treasure…”

Whoosh!!

With a swirl, he and White Zetsu disappeared into the vortex…!

Crackle!!

The Raikage, A, and his two guards arrived first, moving like lightning.

Seeing the remnants of Amaterasu flames on the snow…

Kumo Jōnin C said, “The unquenchable flames of Amaterasu, Itachi’s exclusive dōjutsu. But Itachi is dead, so the only one who could use it is…”

Darui added, “The one who was here not long ago, Uchiha Sasuke?”

The Raikage, furious, shouted at Naruto, “Where is Sasuke? Where did he go!!!”

“…” Naruto ignored him, his entire focus on the group approaching from the north, young and wearing Konoha forehead protectors.

Hinata, leading the group, was filled with worry.

“Naruto-kun…”