Sasuke was drowning in deep guilt for failing to bring Naruto back.
Since waking up from a three-day coma in the Konoha hospital, her mind was filled with that day — Naruto's cold face and his final, resolute farewell.
She kept wondering, if only she were stronger, could she have brought Naruto back?
But unfortunately, there is no "if" in this world.
As Sasuke was surrounded by feelings of self-blame, guilt, and regret, the hospital room window suddenly opened.
A tall figure crouched on the windowsill — a man wearing a forehead protector with the character "油" (oil), his messy white hair flowing wildly like a lion's mane.
He wore a red outer robe, and his eyes were marked with two stripes of paint.
He looked deeply at her and said, "Are you Uchiha Sasuke?"
"You are...?"
Sasuke snapped out of her daze and looked at the strangely dressed man who had suddenly appeared in the room.
Unexpectedly, those words seemed like a trigger.
The tall man jumped into the room, clacking his wooden clogs as he shook his head and danced in an odd manner.
"Well asked, listen carefully!"
His voice rose and fell like he was singing in a play, his exaggerated movements shouting:
"I am the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, known to all from east to west and north to south.
One of the famed Three Legendary Sannin,
The white-haired youth,
The toad messenger,
The great Jiraiya-sama!"
...
Uchiha Sasuke was silent for a full thirty seconds.
Jiraiya held his pose for the same amount of time, until he grew a bit stiff and tugged at the corner of his mouth:
"Hey, young lady, at least give me some reaction!"
"Are you really the legendary Sannin, Lord Jiraiya?" Uchiha Sasuke's eyes were full of doubt.
"Hey, hey, hey! What kind of look is that? Are you doubting the Toad Sage?!" Jiraiya immediately got annoyed and angry.
"Standing right in front of you is the genuine Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, one of the Sannin — Jiraiya himself!"
Sasuke's eye twitched slightly. Such an unreliable guy — could he really be the legendary Sannin?
"Tch, what an annoying brat."
Feeling awkward, Jiraiya had no choice but to stop the exaggerated pose and cleared his throat twice.
"Let's get to the point. Kakashi told me to take you out of the village to carry out a mission."
"Take me? Why?" Sasuke was confused.
She clearly knew her own strength and didn't think she was qualified to go on a mission with one of the Sannin.
"It's called a mission, but actually it's for me to guide your training."
Jiraiya got straight to the point, looking at the downcast Sasuke.
"Actually, you and I are quite alike. Back then, I also wanted to bring Orochimaru back, but unfortunately, I failed. So... I hope you succeed and bring Naruto back from Orochimaru's side."
"You…"
Sasuke was slightly stunned. Her eyes became moist, a little red.
"So, what do you say?"
Jiraiya grinned widely.
"Will you come with me? My training is pretty tough, you know!"
Sasuke wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, bit her lip, and nodded firmly. "Yes, please, Lord Jiraiya!"
The Hidden Sound Village, secret experimental base.
After Naruto came out of the wooden barrel, he followed Orochimaru to this base.
Inside the base were complicated tunnels, twisting like the intestines of a living creature.
The walls were carved with countless mysterious runes, which caused the structure to change drastically at certain times. Without specific guidance, it was easy to get lost inside.
After resting for three days, Naruto finally couldn't hold back anymore. He went to Orochimaru's room and demanded, "Orochimaru, when do you plan to tell me the truth you promised?"
Orochimaru's room was large, filled with various experimental tools and human test subjects.
Seeing Naruto burst in, Orochimaru didn't get angry. He stayed focused on his experiment and said calmly, "At least not now, Naruto-kun. Your power is too weak. The truth would only be a disaster for you."
"So when do you plan to train me?"
Naruto was anxious. He came to Orochimaru to seek strength and the truth. But these three wasted days were hard for him to accept.
"Hehe, no need to rush, Naruto-kun."
Orochimaru put down his tools and turned to Naruto with a smile.
"Before formal training begins, you still lack one thing."
"What thing?" Naruto asked, confused.
"Here."
At that moment, Orochimaru stood up from his chair and looked toward the door.
A figure stepped into the room, and with the flickering candlelight on the wall, Naruto could clearly see who it was.
An old man, probably around eighty or ninety years old, with deep wrinkles on his forehead like mountains and rivers, showing a life full of hardship.
But his bright eyes held a sharp glint. His body was still strong, dressed in a colorful shirt and wooden clogs, looking like he was just traveling.
"Where's what I asked for?"
Orochimaru looked at the man with a somewhat expectant gaze.
"Here. It took me quite a bit of effort to get this." The mysterious old man tossed over a box.
Orochimaru raised his hand to catch the box. He opened it a little, and after seeing what was inside, he smiled in satisfaction.
"Not bad. Very fresh. This is exactly what I wanted."
"You paid too little. You'll need to add more money."
The mysterious old man rubbed his hands together, looking a bit hopeful.
"Alright."
Orochimaru picked up a vial from the table full of experimental equipment and tossed it over.
"After taking this, you'll suffer bad luck for an hour. It's something refined from the Monster pathway. It should be enough to balance out what you gave me."
"Not bad, not bad. I like this."
The mysterious old man put the vial into his clothes, his face full of smiles.
"If there's a next time with a good deal like this, remember to come find me."
Then, the old man glanced faintly at Naruto beside him before turning and leaving the room.
"Who was that?" Naruto asked, frowning with curiosity.
"It's not important, just a mercenary."
Orochimaru slowly approached Naruto and handed him the box.
"This is the power I promised you. Take what's inside. You will become a poor soul constantly hunted by madness, but from now on, you will completely break free from being ordinary and walk a great path."
Naruto took the box, feeling confused but also hopeful. He opened the lid.
Inside the box was a fat white worm, glowing faintly.
"What… what is this thing?!"
Naruto felt a bit disgusted and looked at Orochimaru.
"Power. This is the power you want," Orochimaru said calmly.
"This worm is a special characteristics from a mysterious extraordinary creature. You don't need to understand what the special characteristic is, just know this: eat it, and you will gain power and begin the path of a god!"
"Power… the path of a god…"
Naruto stared at the disgusting, bloated white worm. He took a deep breath and then, without hesitation, swallowed the worm whole.
"From now on…"
Orochimaru watched Naruto with spiritual sight. Seeing him digest the special characteristic, a smile appeared on his face. "You are no longer a ninja. You are now a Level 9 Apprentice of the Door Pathway!"
*******
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