As dawn broke, the rising sun slowly climbed the horizon, gradually bathing the land in its golden light.
Early-rising birds had already begun their day's hunt for food—after all, the early bird catches the worm.
At Konoha's gates, Team Seven exchanged greetings with Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki—the "Six Paths-level" gatekeepers, as fans in their previous lives jokingly called them—signed the departure log, and entered the village.
"Finally home!" Sakura exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy as she stepped into Konoha, her entire being resembling a joyful butterfly.
It had been nearly twenty days since they last saw Konoha—the longest time Team Seven had ever spent away from the village.
"This mission has been upgraded to A-rank!"
In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage, his face etched with wrinkles, puffed on his pipe as he listened to Kakashi's report.
He beamed at Team Seven with a warm, chrysanthemum-like smile and offered words of encouragement.
"Well done, you little rascals!"
This mission had involved the Land of Waves and even drawn out two former members of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen: Zabuza and Kurosuki Raiga.
Given the circumstances, upgrading it to S-rank wouldn't have been an exaggeration.
However, the Third Hokage didn't want Team Seven to become too prominent.
After all, while other teams were still catching cats and dogs or, at best, escorting clients, Team Seven was already handling A-rank missions.
"Team Seven has already completed an S-rank mission! What are the other teams supposed to think? This will crush the morale of the new recruits!"
"Third Hokage, I told you entrusting this mission to Team Seven wouldn't be a problem!" Naruto grinned, wiping his nose with a smug look.
Though Naruto might seem thick-headed, slow to react, careless, and brash—prone to impulsive actions, led by emotions, headstrong, dim-witted, and acting without thinking (or even with thinking, for that matter)...
He wasn't actually stupid!
Let him emphasize again: he really wasn't stupid!
Naruto had keenly sensed the overwhelming strength of their recent enemies.
'It's a good thing our team took on this mission,' he thought. 'If it had been any of the other teams from our class...'
The consequences...
Naruto shuddered to imagine it. He knew all too well the capabilities of his classmates.
As Sasuke often said during their sparring sessions:
"You're just throwing yourselves at them! Understand?"
The Third Hokage chuckled, watching the exuberant Naruto before him.
Unconsciously, he was reminded of a young man with the same golden hair and boundless spirit from years past.
The Third Hokage nodded in agreement with Naruto's words, then said, "You all performed exceptionally well on this mission. Speaking of which, you've been on continuous missions for over a month without proper rest. After this mission, I'm granting you half a month of vacation. Go home and get some well-deserved rest."
"Of course, remember to review on your experiences and don't neglect your training!"
"Of course not! You can count on it!" Naruto declared, pounding his chest confidently.
After finalizing the mission's aftermath and submitting the report, Team Seven finally emerged from the Hokage Building.
As Team Seven departed, the smile slowly faded from the Third Hokage's face. He reread the report in his hand before pulling another one from his drawer and examining it.
While Team Seven's mission in the Land of Waves was complete, the Hokage's responsibilities there were far from over.
From the outset, Konoha had planned meticulously for this mission. Publicly, they dispatched Kakashi, one of their top Jonin, while secretly deploying an elite Anbu squad led by Yamato.
Although they anticipated Gato might employ a powerful ninja, Konoha was surprised to learn that Gato's hired assassin was none other than the Demon Zabuza.
Even more unexpected—a true wild card—was the sudden appearance of Kurosuki Raiga.
Fortunately, everything turned out to be a close call but ultimately without harm.
In addition to these details, the Anbu report also mentioned Sasuke's awakening of the Sharingan. Although the distance made it difficult to clearly discern the number of tomoe, confirmation of his Sharingan awakening was undeniable.
The Third Hokage was mildly surprised but also found it entirely reasonable.
Even with Sasuke's Jonin-level strength, he couldn't have defeated a formidable opponent like Kurosuki Raiga without the Sharingan's assistance.
'It seems the sheer strength of his opponent triggered the Sharingan's awakening,' the Third Hokage concluded internally.
He didn't concern himself with the number of tomoe Sasuke had awakened.
As long as it wasn't the Mangekyō Sharingan—even if Sasuke had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan on the spot—he wouldn't have given it a second thought.
Rather than dwelling on the details of Sasuke's Sharingan awakening, the Third Hokage was far more concerned with the impending power struggle against Kirigakure in the Land of Waves.
The Land of Waves' decision to name their newly built bridge "Konoha Bridge" clearly indicated their alignment with Konoha.
Moreover, Sasuke's brazen appropriation of the spoils after killing Kurosuki Raiga revealed that Kirigakure's strength was weaker than they had anticipated.
'If Sasuke had killed Ao as well, I doubt Kirigakure would have dared to protest,' the Third Hokage mused.
The Third Hokage thought with a touch of malice. He disliked war and, these days, even feared it.
Yet, as Hokage, he adhered to the principle of seizing every advantage, believing that missing such opportunities would be a loss for both the nation and the village.
Moreover, the Byakugan rightfully belonged to Konoha!
"Alright, since Lord Third has granted us a half-month's leave, let's head back and get some rest!"
After leaving the Hokage Building, Kakashi first summarized the lessons learned from their mission before smiling and bidding farewell.
"Wait, Teacher Kakashi!" Naruto shouted. "Didn't you promise to treat us to a celebratory meal after this mission?"
Before he could finish, Kakashi's figure dissolved into a puff of smoke, vanishing from sight.
"That jerk Teacher Kakashi!" Naruto cursed, clenching his fist and throwing a punch that whistled through the air.
Sakura sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Give it up, Naruto. Don't you know what Teacher Kakashi is like by now?"
"Hmph!"
"Fine, then let's have a feast ourselves!"
"I won't be joining," Sasuke said coolly, shaking his head. "You guys go ahead. I have things to do."
"What things?" Naruto grumbled, his face twisted in annoyance.
"After this mission, I feel like my strength has improved. I'm going to use this time for training by myself to review my progress."
Sasuke offered a brief explanation, and before his words had even finished echoing, he vanished in a blur, leaving Naruto and Sakura staring after him.
"His strength has increased again?!" Naruto's expression tightened. He had been planning to ask Sakura out alone, but Sasuke's words instantly sent his heart racing.
"Sakura, I'll see you later!" Abandoning any thoughts of a private date, Naruto dashed off, desperate to find a place to train even harder.
Whoosh!
Naruto vanished in a gust of wind, leaving Sakura standing alone, slightly disheveled.
"What a bunch of weirdos," Sakura muttered in exasperation, but her complaint was half-hearted.
Seeing her teammates pushing themselves so relentlessly, she naturally felt the pressure as a member of Team Seven.
And so, the trio dispersed, each returning to their own paths. Though it was supposed to be a holiday, their training only intensified.
___
Uchiha Clan Compound!
Returning home, Sasuke immediately descended into the basement and created a Shadow Clone to take his place at home for the time being.
The Shadow Clone technique was both extraordinary and incredibly practical!
Not only did it create a tangible, physical clone that could divide the caster's Chakra equally according to their will, but it also possessed an exceptional concealment property: it was utterly indistinguishable from the original!
In the original timeline, neither Zabuza nor Kaguya Ōtsutsuki could see through Naruto's Shadow Clones.
That's right, even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Moon Eye and Byakugan were unable to penetrate the illusion.
Though the Byakugan is renowned for its unparalleled insight, boasting abilities such as clairvoyance and the ability to see Chakra flow, it still couldn't discern the true body from a Shadow Clone.
During the Chūnin Exams in the original timeline, Neji faced Naruto in a fierce battle.
Naruto, of course, employed his Shadow Clone Technique.
Yet Neji's Byakugan couldn't discern the real Naruto among them.
He was forced to rely on his Eight Trigrams: Heavenly Rotation and Gentle Fist to systematically shatter each one.
Even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, who possessed both the Moon Eye and a Six Paths-level Byakugan, couldn't see through the Shadow Clone Technique during the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Naruto repeatedly outmaneuvered her using this technique.
'(Here's a plot inconsistency: During their first battle at the Valley of the End, Sasuke claimed his Sharingan could see through Naruto's Shadow Clones. Similarly, Madara recognized Naruto's clone the moment he saw him. Apart from these two, Kakuzu, Nagato, Itachi Uchiha, and others failed to discern the true body.)'
'(It can only be speculated that Sasuke's insight stemmed from his deep understanding of Naruto, while Madara's came from his vast combat experience.)'
Sasuke infused this Shadow Clone with a relatively large amount of Chakra. Based on his calculations, if the clone avoided combat, it should be able to sustain itself for at least half a month.
He needed to leave for a while and didn't want anyone looking for him to find him absent during that time.
"Summoning Technique!"
With a poof and a cloud of smoke, a palm-sized lizard materialized in the room.
"Lord Sasuke!"
Sasuke nodded slightly, his voice deep and serious. "Shiromari, I need your true form to perform a Reverse Summoning Technique and bring me to the Grass Lizard Swamp."
The summoning beast Sasuke had summoned was the Kubisaki Great Lizard, a creature with whom the Daimyo clan of Kubisaki Country had maintained a Blood Contract for generations.
Over fifty years ago, when Kubisaki Koza, the then-Daimyo, and Kishimoto Masashi, his teacher and military advisor, faced the crisis of their nation's destruction, they summoned it.
Driven by the summoner's final wish, the Kubisaki Great Lizard had guarded Kubisaki Castle for fifty years after Kubisaki Koza's death, devouring any enemies who dared to breach its walls.
The Kubisaki Great Lizard was colossal; its stomach walls alone had swallowed Kubisaki Castle, a structure no smaller than Gamabunta in size.
Although the Iwasuku Great Toad had never made a formal appearance in the original timeline, Sasuke theorized that the Kubisaki Great Lizard's size rivaled it closely.
The Kubisaki Great Lizard possesses exceptional camouflage abilities, akin to those of a chameleon in the natural world.
In the original timeline, even Hinata's Byakugan couldn't penetrate the Kubisaki Great Lizard's disguise.
The small lizard clone Sasuke summoned now represents the Kubisaki Great Lizard's third unique ability.
As a lizard-type summoning beast, the Kubisaki Great Lizard inherently possesses the survival trait of geckos and lizards: the ability to detach its tail to escape danger.
The Kubisaki Great Lizard can also transform portions of its body into constructs similar to the Slug Sage's clones.
The Kubisaki Great Lizard served as a backup plan in Sasuke's Land of Waves strategy, in case he failed to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan during a life-or-death battle.
If that happened, Sasuke would resolve to merge with his dark personality, which had been locked away in his inner world's metaphorical prison for over two years.
Sasuke had no idea what might occur during this fusion process, but he assumed a period of unconsciousness was inevitable.
Therefore, he needed an absolutely secure and secluded location for this crucial step, especially when he eventually fused with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
After much deliberation, Sasuke decided to target the Kubisaki Great Lizard, a creature that had only made a single appearance in the original timeline.
The Kubisaki Great Lizard possessed extraordinary camouflage abilities.
Moreover, in the original timeline, it ultimately canceled its Summoning Technique and vanished without a trace, suggesting it had its own Summoning Realm, akin to Mount Myōboku, Ryuichi Cave, or Shikkotsu Forest.
Some time ago, after considerable effort, Sasuke successfully forged a Blood Contract with the Kubisaki Great Lizard, earning its recognition.
Through communication, Sasuke confirmed that the lizard indeed had its own Summoning Realm called the Grass Lizard Swamp.
This mysterious realm was a marshy, miasma-filled land inhabited solely by the Kubisaki Great Lizard. There were no other members of its kind, let alone any clans, nor any legacies of Sage Techniques or secret arts.
For centuries, since the Kubisaki Great Lizard first gained consciousness, it had lived in isolation within the swamp until members of the Kubisaki clan inadvertently stumbled upon Grass Lizard Swamp through the Summoning Technique.
It was only then that the Kubisaki Great Lizard learned that other living creatures existed in the outside world, and that it had its own name: Shiromari.
Notably, Sasuke had once mischievously asked it who Kishimoto Masashi, the first two contract holders, was.
Though Sasuke knew this Kishimoto Masashi wasn't the same as the one from his previous life—merely a small Easter egg designed by the game developers—he couldn't help but wonder if things might be different in this newly real world.
However, the Kishimoto Masashi of this world proved unremarkable—neither a hidden boss nor the author's real avatar.
He was Kubisaki Koza's teacher and strategist, who perished alongside his disciple in the nation-destroying war over fifty years ago, sacrificing himself for his country.
"Yes!"
The moment the words were spoken, the small lizard dissolved into a puff of smoke and vanished. Sasuke waited silently in place for a moment, when suddenly he felt a pull in his heart, as if the surrounding space was stretching.
With a mental command, Sasuke followed the sensation with a light step, transforming into a cloud of smoke and disappearing.
___
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