Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade stared at the two living headaches in front of her.
One was carefree and grinning like nothing in the world mattered.
The other wore a dark expression, radiating low pressure from head to toe.
Tsunade felt her temples throb. A familiar urge—to throw in the towel and quit being Hokage altogether—rose up once again.
"This damn village… I really don't want to stay here another second…" she muttered, rubbing her forehead.
"Granny Tsunade!" Naruto said brightly, hands laced behind his head, grinning as if he'd just made an exciting discovery. "See? Sasuke's the same as me after all! We've both got weird chakra inside us!"
He sounded like he was sharing good news worth celebrating.
"Shut up." Sasuke's face darkened another shade. The words slipped through clenched teeth as the air around him grew heavier.
"What's wrong with saying it?" Naruto continued, completely unaware he was dancing back and forth across a minefield. He even tried to pat Sasuke on the shoulder in his usual blunt attempt at comfort.
"Everyone already knows! Sasuke, you really should relax. Look at me—it's no big deal! We're still ourselves!"
"I don't care what you think—I care what I think!" Sasuke snapped, slapping Naruto's hand away hard enough to make him wince.
He lifted his head, black eyes burning with stubborn fire.
"And you're wrong. We're nothing alike."
Sasuke could not accept being lumped together with the "dead last." Even more so, he could not accept that the will and identity he prided himself on might be tainted by something foreign.
"How are we not alike?!" Naruto shot back, bristling.
"That's enough!!!"
Tsunade finally exploded. She slammed her palm down on her desk, and the solid wood groaned as cracks spread across its surface.
She glared at the two of them, chest heaving.
"You two—shut up right now!!!"
The sheer force of her voice and killing intent instantly silenced them.
She opened her mouth, ready to lecture them—but stopped.
What could she even say?
Tell Sasuke that Karin must have been mistaken? That would be self-deception.
Praise Naruto's easygoing mindset? That didn't feel right either.
Explain the possible historical roots and terrifying implications of this chakra?
That would only burden them further—especially Sasuke.
In the end, all her thoughts dissolved into a long, exhausted sigh.
"…Forget it," Tsunade said, waving her hand wearily. "Arguing won't solve anything. Since we've identified a problem… we'll examine it first."
Her gaze settled on Sasuke.
"Though… it'll probably be the same as with Naruto. We won't find anything."
Sasuke nodded silently.
He didn't refuse.
Naruto could accept it easily—he could even treat it like proof of some strange bond.
But Uchiha Sasuke was proud. Sensitive. Almost obsessively protective of his own identity.
He would never tolerate the possibility that something hidden inside him could influence—or overwrite—his will.
Even if nothing showed up, he had to check.
Even if the hope was slim, he had to understand it. To control it—or drive it out.
Inside a sealed examination chamber, the atmosphere was heavy.
Advanced instruments hummed softly. Chakra-detection barrier arrays swept over Naruto and Sasuke again and again. Tsunade personally stepped in, using her most refined medical ninjutsu and sensory techniques to examine every inch of their bodies—especially their chakra pathway systems and the deepest layers of their spiritual energy.
Minutes passed.
The result was exactly as expected.
Nothing.
The "repulsive chakra" once pointed out within Naruto, and the "other presence entwined with the soul" that Karin had perceived in Sasuke—under every available method of detection—left not the slightest trace.
It was as if they simply did not exist.
Tsunade slowly withdrew her hand.
Looking at the flat readings on the instruments—and at the two boys, especially the faint trace of expectation still lingering in Sasuke's eyes—she felt a deep sense of helplessness and disappointment.
Even though she had prepared herself for this outcome, facing it still stung.
After a moment of silence, she waved them off, her voice slightly hoarse.
"…That's enough for now. You can go."
Naruto scratched his head, muttered an "Okay," and walked out, seemingly unsurprised by the result.
Sasuke, however, clenched his fist so tightly his nails nearly drew blood. A flicker of dimness passed through his black eyes.
But he said nothing.
He cast one last look at the unresponsive instruments before turning and leaving in silence.
After dismissing them, Tsunade immediately summoned Konoha's newly formed core leadership—including Nara Shikaku and other strategists—for an emergency meeting in the Hokage's office.
The atmosphere there was just as heavy.
After Tsunade detailed the examination results and everything revealed by the sky projection, a long silence followed.
"This is completely beyond our current knowledge and technical capability," Shikaku said gravely, rubbing his brow. "There's nothing we can do for now."
"The key issue is that we don't even understand how this chakra operates—nor its ultimate purpose. Is it good or evil? A blessing or a curse? We have no idea."
"Any rash or aggressive action could trigger unpredictable consequences—especially for Naruto and Sasuke."
After lengthy discussion, they reached a reluctant, conservative conclusion:
Maintain the status quo for now. Closely monitor Naruto and Sasuke's physical and mental conditions—but avoid any action that might provoke them or the unknown presence within them.
It was a passive decision, filled with uncertainty.
But without further information or effective countermeasures, it was the safest option.
"Right now…" Tsunade said, looking out the window as if her gaze could pierce the distance to Jiraiya's team out on assignment, "our only breakthrough may lie with that 'Demon Child,' Karin."
"If she can see the special chakra that even we can't detect, then finding her may allow us to study it more deeply through her ability."
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