"Bingo~ You got it!" Karin snapped her fingers, wearing an approving look as if Sasuke had finally caught up.
"So I've decided—my main goal from now on is to drag that hiding coward out into the open and figure out what it is and what it wants!"
She stepped in front of Sasuke, smiling brightly—though to him, it looked mildly terrifying.
"So… for this interesting objective, we might need to 'cooperate' again. I'll be in your care, Sasuke-kun~"
"After all, you don't want some ancient fossil constantly eyeing your body, right?"
Sasuke's expression darkened to near pitch-black.
Karin had once been part of his team.
Then he discovered she had followed him mainly to secretly study what was inside him.
And now—
She wanted to team up again?
Every rational instinct in Sasuke screamed:
Stay away from her. This woman is dangerous. Nothing good comes from getting involved with her.
But—
His mind replayed the key detail in her words.
There was still someone behind the scenes.
A being capable of intervening between Karin and Indra and Asura—then retreating unscathed.
That unknown entity might be even more dangerous than Karin.
Facing that level of threat alone—just him and Naruto—would be nearly impossible.
Karin was unstable.
But her goal was clear: she wanted fun.
And for now, she seemed less interested in experimenting on them.
More importantly—
Her strength was undeniably monstrous.
After a brief but intense internal struggle, Sasuke's eyes sharpened with resolve.
He gave the slightest nod.
"Fine. But remember—you're still a member of Taka. Everything that happened—about what's inside us, about your abilities, about that mysterious being—stays secret."
"From everyone. Even the rest of Taka."
He needed cooperation.
But he would not allow these core secrets to spread. That would only put him and Naruto in greater danger.
"Relax~" Karin waved dismissively. "Secrets are more fun anyway. Once you spill them, they lose their charm."
She agreed.
For Karin, this was just part of the game.
Naruto stood with his head lowered, silent.
He had not fully processed the shock.
But he heard their exchange.
Asura inside him—gone?
Another enemy watching them?
Cooperating with Karin?
For the first time, Naruto felt genuine confusion and doubt.
If even his power and thoughts might not truly be his—
Then what was the meaning of everything he had fought for?
At that moment, Kabuto—who had been standing at a distance, face shifting constantly—tilted his head slightly as if listening.
His expression changed.
"Konoha shinobi… they're coming."
His tone was urgent.
"The commotion was too big. They couldn't have missed it. My identity and appearance aren't suitable for being seen here."
He gave Karin a long look.
Then a complicated glance at Naruto and Sasuke—who, even after awakening, seemed subtly different.
"I'll be leaving."
"Karin… take care of yourself."
Without hesitation, Kabuto vanished into the forest shadows, moving with blinding speed to avoid crossing paths with the approaching Konoha forces.
Moments later—
Voices rang out in the distance.
Shouts.
Footsteps.
And then—
Cheers.
"Naruto—!!!"
"Sasuke—!!"
"Heroes!!"
"They're here!!"
Konoha's search teams had found them.
The earlier battle had been witnessed.
It was Naruto and Sasuke who defeated the enemy and saved the village.
And the miraculous restoration of the fallen—though unexplained—had also been attributed to them.
Hidden in the shadows, Kabuto listened to the rising cheers and allowed a complex smile to form.
Mockery.
Amusement.
Anticipation.
"Heh… Heroes?"
His voice was cold.
"Naruto Uzumaki—the hero who saved the village. Yet he just experienced the separation of Asura and the forced infusion of Indra's power. Doubts about strength… about identity… must already be festering."
"And now he faces the very villagers who once shunned him."
"Will he truly ignore that past so easily?"
"I'm looking forward to it."
"And Uchiha Sasuke—also hailed as a 'hero.' Yet his hatred for Konoha's leadership remains."
"His target of vengeance still lives."
"Can he coexist with this village?"
"And yet…"
"There's Asura's power inside him—compassion, forgiveness, warmth."
Kabuto's smile deepened.
"This won't drive him into psychological collapse, will it?"
"And standing beside these two conflicted 'heroes'…"
"…is Karin. A ticking time bomb."
"The future of Konoha… will be interesting."
"Perhaps it's best I distance myself from the village for now."
He could already envision ideological clashes, fractures of trust, and internal unrest brewing beneath the surface.
For someone like him—
Turbulence was opportunity.
Back on the battlefield—
Konoha shinobi rushed toward Naruto and Sasuke, cheering wildly.
Karin quietly stepped back, fading into the crowd's shadows.
Naruto forced a smile.
But it looked strained.
Sasuke's gaze was cold.
Searching.
Watching.
Across the shinobi world, nearly everyone understood.
These "heroes"—
Carried far heavier burdens than anyone cheering could imagine.
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