"What's this?" Sasuke asked, holding a strangely shaped sword hilt.
" Kusanagi Sword, haven't you heard what Itachi said?" Naruto replied, his tone tinged with annoyance. "You've been a bit distracted lately."
Sasuke didn't speak, silently clenching his fists.
A group of people was returning to the Land of Fire by boat.
After the strange green-haired Aoi died, Itachi ran to the finish line without any further hindrances and won the race.
Meanwhile, Naruto was imitating the way of death of the green-haired Aoi, hissing while licking a popsicle that seemed to appear out of nowhere. "I'm going to send you to hell with this poisonous popsicle!"
Sasuke instantly spit out the popsicle from his mouth.
"Naruto!" Sakura said angrily.
"Ah, peaceful days are here again," Naruto said as he took out a fishing rod and began fishing.
"So... that's how you got the Kusanagi Sword from the Second Hokage?!" Tsunade said, staring at the three with a constipated expression, before nodding. "There are still some tasks coming up, but for now, go take a break. Since Jonin are participating..."
Tsunade suddenly remembered something and stopped herself. "Ah, yes! This is an A-rank mission! Go get your reward," she added, addressing the three.
"Yay! A big meal is coming!" Sakura said, her eyes sparkling. "Let's go eat barbecue!"
"Yawn~" Naruto stretched his body. "Let's go. I haven't eaten barbecue in ages."
The group made their way to a barbecue restaurant, only to find Shikamaru and his team already there, eating.
"Yo, Shikamaru, have you become a Chūnin?" Naruto greeted.
"It's such a drag, why do I always end up becoming Chūnin?" Shikamaru muttered, slouching in his chair.
Sasuke looked at Shikamaru and frowned. "Damn it, even Shikamaru can become a Chūnin."
He glanced at Naruto again, and the frustration in his eyes deepened.
"Hey! Chōji! This is the last piece of meat!" Ino shouted suddenly.
"Hmph, only this last piece!" Chōji shoved the meat into his mouth with his chopsticks.
"Ah~! That's the last piece I grilled!" Ino yelled in fury. "That's why everyone thinks you're an idiot, you fat..."
"Ino! Don't say that!" Shikamaru interrupted, clearly annoyed. "This is such a drag..."
Asuma, sitting nearby, sighed helplessly. "Greedy food, poisonous tongue, lazy... this class isn't easy to lead."
"By the way, hasn't Kakashi come back yet?" Asuma asked.
"Who knows? I don't know where he's gone, and he didn't even leave a note for us, his cute little students," Sakura said, irritated.
"Okay, let's order food," Naruto said slyly. "Shikamaru, you're Chūnin now, so work hard. Let's go, bye, Ino!"
"Ah, Naruto-kun~" Ino blushed as she watched Naruto walk away. Then she turned to Chōji, yelling, "It's your fault! I didn't even get a chance to talk to Naruto!"
"Nympho Ino!" Chōji yelled.
"What did you say?!" Ino snapped.
Shikamaru muttered, "Ah~ this is troublesome."
"Hey, Sasuke, why do you think Chōji wears his forehead protector like that?" Naruto asked with a mischievous grin.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Doesn't it look like he's wearing underwear instead of a forehead protector?" Naruto continued.
Sasuke turned to look at Chōji. "Tch. Now I can't unsee it."
"What are you two talking about? Let's order already!" Sakura said impatiently.
---
Otogakure
"The time is ripe!" Orochimaru said to the four strange figures in front of him. "Go to Konoha and bring Sasuke back."
"Hi, Orochimaru-sama!" The four Otonin immediately disappeared.
---
Back with Naruto's Group
"Fight me, Naruto," Sasuke said, standing behind Naruto on the deck chair.
"You said the same thing to me six years ago," Naruto said lazily.
"Six years!" Sasuke snapped. "Do you have any idea how I've lived these six years?!"
Naruto's mind flashed to a certain actor...
"Ahem, just lying down?" Naruto said cautiously.
"Raikiri!" Sasuke charged, swinging his Raikiri straight at Naruto.
The attack pierced Naruto's body fiercely, and blood started to spill.
"Sasuke!" Naruto stretched out his hand, trying to support Sasuke, who backed away, activating his Sharingan and looking around.
"Sas..." Naruto, struck by the Raikiri, tried to say something, but with a bang, he turned into a puff of smoke.
---
Naruto's voice came from behind a tree. "Hey~ hey! Sasuke, you're too cruel. Don't you see me bleeding?"
Sasuke looked at Naruto with veins bulging in his face. "Are you treating me like an idiot?"
Sasuke took off his training clothes, and his Chakra aura spiked. "Come on, Naruto. Let me see how far I've come in these years!"
Sasuke's power exploded, and his clothes were blown straight by his aura.
Naruto, his head full of black lines, was struggling to keep from laughing. "Really now, you're gonna show off?"
Sasuke attacked quickly, throwing punches while following the Taijutsu formula Naruto had taught him. "Oh! Oh! Oh!..."
Naruto dodged, barely able to hold in his laughter.
Sasuke's fist connected with Naruto, sending him flying backward. "Fire Style—Great Fireball Technique!"
A huge fireball shot toward Naruto!
"Sharingan, activate!" Sasuke immediately threw several shurikens. "Sharingan—Windmill Technique!"
The shurikens scattered, their transparent threads weaving together as they homed in on Naruto.
"Fire Style—Dragon Flame Technique!" Sasuke commanded, and a dragon-shaped flame rushed toward Naruto, following the silk threads.
Naruto's voice echoed faintly, "Earth Style—Earth Flow Wall!"
An earthen wall rose between them, blocking the attacks and shattering the threads.
Sasuke panted, his eyes focused. The two of them formed hand seals simultaneously: "Water Style—Water Dragon Bomb!"
The two water dragons collided in mid-air, falling down like rain.
Sasuke, out of breath, looked across at Naruto, who stood with an umbrella to keep the water out.
Sasuke withdrew his hands. "Ka~ me- ha~ me- ha!" He shouted, launching a Kamehameha-like blast toward Naruto.
Naruto, unfazed, kicked the blue blast into the sky with one powerful motion, causing a massive explosion.
Sasuke stood tall, his frustration growing. He looked at Naruto, who was still standing there with an umbrella, his posture calm and unbothered. Sasuke remembered what Itachi had told him: "You are too weak. Why are you weak? Your hatred is not enough!"
The curse mark on his left shoulder pulsed painfully as the black mark began to spread.
"Huh?" Naruto frowned and started moving forward.
But then, he saw the curse mark on Sasuke's body recede slowly.
Sasuke stood up straight, silent, before turning around and walking away.
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