Chapter 236: The Mist Hidden Abyss That Has Been Missing for Most of the Book Is Online
Really,
Naruto had only said a few simple words, yet Uchiha Sasuke, who had been trembling with emotion, suddenly calmed down.
The pressure around him faded,
Even the gritted teeth and tensed jaw relaxed into a composed expression.
"Using someone else's hand to avenge your family?"
Sasuke took a deep breath and shook his head, rejecting the idea.
"You must be joking. I want to take revenge with my own hands!"
"You're right. I can't defeat Uchiha Itachi yet. There's no point in getting so worked up."
Although the hatred surged inside, he forced himself to rein it in.
Over the years, not only had Naruto grown, but Sasuke had as well.
Even though he didn't have the same kind of luck as Naruto—finding a good teacher or catching the eye of a legendary figure—he felt that his own personality had gradually matured.
Whenever he thought back to his childhood, to the petty fights for classroom seats when he first enrolled, or to the arrogant looks of those clan members, Sasuke felt fortunate.
Fortunate that he hadn't become like them.
The Uchiha arrogance might run in their blood, but the prideful, pretentious attitudes? Those weren't necessarily innate.
Back in school, he had two rivals who liked to conceal their weaknesses.
One was Hyuga Ryosuke. His strength now was unfathomable—no longer someone Sasuke could call a competitor.
The other stood right before him: Naruto. He too always hid his shortcomings.
Whether as a student or now—with a powerful teacher backing him—Naruto rarely showed his full strength.
Even when fighting Sasuke, he often held back.
Even after graduation,
Kakashi was the same kind of person. Despite his terrifying power, he always acted like a lazy uncle buried in romance novels.
These experiences subtly taught Sasuke something.
To be patient. To conceal one's true self.
"Although our clan has deep roots and the Sharingan is powerful, maybe... I need to find something else to help me."
Once calm, Sasuke began analyzing the situation.
"What I have, Itachi has too. And because he's older, he's had more time to train."
"Since defecting from the village, he's worked for the underground exchange. He has more combat and mission experience than I do."
"I need to find something he's never encountered before. Abilities he doesn't understand..."
He briefly considered medical ninjutsu, then dismissed the idea and moved on to the tailed beasts.
The more he spoke, the deeper his thoughts became.
And the more Sasuke talked, the more Naruto frowned.
In the nearly deserted forest, only two guards sat chatting atop the trees.
It was quiet, peaceful—an unexpected backdrop to such an intense conversation.
Sasuke was perhaps Naruto's only real friend in the village.
And likewise, Naruto was the same to Sasuke.
Though they had teammates, the burdens they'd carried since childhood kept them apart from others their age.
They could never truly relate to the carefree conversations and ordinary worries of their peers.
Their shared obsession with growing stronger, the fierce competition between them—that was something no one else could understand.
This mutual reliance also made it easier to talk to one another.
There were things Naruto wouldn't even share with Tsunade, his own teacher. But he would share them with Sasuke—like that time he'd nearly left Konoha just to follow Hyuga.
The same was true for Sasuke.
After so many years of rivalry, he knew just how much knowledge and insight Naruto had.
So he often brought his thoughts to him, hoping for help in making choices.
But the deeper that trust grew, the heavier Naruto's heart became.
"Ryosuke, my chakra control is still terrible. That's why I became Tsunade's apprentice—to learn medical ninjutsu and improve my control. That way, I can better use the power of the tailed beasts."
"Even though I'm a Jinchūriki and my body recovers faster than normal, mastering medical ninjutsu would give me greater stamina in battle."
"Grandpa Sarutobi already taught me the theory. What I'm lacking now is physical combat experience—and luckily, Tsunade is a master of that..."
...
Facing Sasuke, who was explaining his future training plans in detail and without hesitation, Naruto felt a heavy melancholy settle in his chest.
He saw himself reflected in Sasuke.
Once upon a time, on an afternoon like this, he and Ryosuke sat on Hokage Rock, gazing down at Konoha and talking about the future.
Back then, he had been just like Sasuke was now—eagerly explaining his training plans and asking for Ryosuke's thoughts.
Because he could empathize, Naruto knew how much he meant to Sasuke—and how much trust had been placed in him.
Compared to Ryosuke—who had never lied to him and even saved him from that cursed cage—he felt painfully inadequate.
All these years, he hadn't even been able to make Sasuke truly notice.
As a trusted friend, all he could do was watch as Sasuke remained trapped in the nightmare of hatred—unable to do anything to free him.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto couldn't help but interrupt, the words slipping from his mouth before he could stop them.
He wanted to say something—something important.
When Sasuke turned to him with a puzzled look, Naruto hesitated. The words caught on his tongue.
After a while, he forced a smile and asked,
"Have you ever thought about what you'll do after you get your revenge?"
Naruto wasn't part of this tragedy. He couldn't claim to understand, nor could he judge right from wrong.
From different perspectives, the truth looked different. Right and wrong were illusions.
Just like Ryosuke once guided him to understand and accept his own past, Naruto knew—this kind of question couldn't be answered by anyone else.
Only Sasuke could choose.
But there was one thing Naruto was sure of:
The truth that waited for Sasuke—the one who had built his entire reason for living around revenge—would be unimaginably cruel.
Even more cruel than the truth Naruto had once faced about his own identity.
"...After revenge?"
As if he'd never considered the question before, Sasuke froze.
His mind, previously racing with plans, came to a sudden halt. He looked down.
He remained silent for a long time,
As if grappling with a puzzle far more difficult than any battle strategy.
Finally, after nearly ten minutes, Sasuke looked up at Naruto again.
"...I don't know."
His answer made Naruto's chest tighten with disappointment.
"I've never really thought about it. Other than getting stronger and getting revenge, I don't think about much else."
Sasuke said it plainly, almost offhandedly.
"After I get my revenge... maybe I'll revive the Uchiha clan? Or maybe I'll set a new goal—like defeating you."
His tone was casual.
He had no idea how terrifying that answer truly was.
No idea that he was walking down a path that would consume everything.
"Then… have you ever thought about how Uchiha Itachi was able to do that on the night of the genocide?"
Facing Sasuke, who was so deeply immersed in hatred, Naruto tried to speak with caution.
"Do you think there's a possibility that he actually—"
But before he could finish,
his senses picked up something—dozens of figures rapidly approaching from several kilometers away.
"Someone's coming. Let's check it out."
Sasuke didn't even have time to process Naruto's words. His attention immediately shifted to the disturbance in the distance. Without hesitation, he vanished into the forest, moving like a shadow.
With the threat of war looming, any sudden movement warranted attention—especially one so blatant.
"They're not even trying to hide… probably from another country. Don't engage recklessly."
Naruto followed close behind, frustrated that he had finally summoned the courage to speak, only to be interrupted again.
The distance wasn't short—but it wasn't far, either.
Sasuke and Naruto moved swiftly, but so did the incoming group. Both sides were converging quickly, and within minutes, the gap between them had almost closed.
As they drew nearer, the outlines of the approaching figures became clearer.
"It's Kirigakure shinobi."
Standing at the edge of a cliff, Sasuke peered into the dense forest below.
His three-tomoe Sharingan had already activated, allowing him to see with perfect clarity.
"They're all Mist ninjas. A woman is leading them. Karatachi Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, isn't among them."
"The Mist ninjas… are they here for the summit?"
Naruto arrived beside him and looked down. His vision wasn't as sharp as Sasuke's, though he could sense the approaching chakra.
His perception was decent, but not enough to make out distant details.
"But if they're coming for a diplomatic reason, why didn't they go through the Land of Iron's neutral channels? Why head toward our territory instead of the Hidden Mist headquarters?"
To prevent conflict, the Five Nations' alliance talks were being held in a temporary, neutral site.
The Land of Iron had arranged for each delegation to stay in designated areas, spaced apart for safety.
Even though the Land of Water had arrived late—when the talks were nearly concluded—their reserved spot had remained untouched.
"Send a flare. This isn't something the two of us can decide."
Naruto, despite his high standing in the village as the Hokage's son, held no official authority. He wasn't in a position to receive foreign envoys.
Sasuke didn't argue. He immediately pulled a temporary flare from his ninja pouch and fired it.
The flare soared into the sky, bursting with a loud crack and a thick plume of smoke—enough to alert anyone nearby.
The sound echoed across the forest, alerting not only Konoha's stationed shinobi but also the Kirigakure group still making their way through the woods.
Perhaps to prove they had no hostile intentions, the Mist ninjas slowed down and came to a stop within the forest, making no further advance.
But Naruto and Sasuke remained cautious.
No more friendly chatting—just focused vigilance.
A few minutes after the signal went up, they sensed familiar chakra signatures approaching.
Soon, Kakashi arrived with Might Guy and Asuma in tow.
"They're Mist ninjas. So far, no signs of hostility."
Since they were among comrades, Sasuke went straight to the point.
"After we launched the flare, they stopped to rest and waited for contact."
Kakashi gave a silent nod. He lowered his mask slightly and activated his single Sharingan, staring at the distant figures.
From their uniforms and forehead protectors, they did appear to be from Kirigakure—but appearances could be deceiving.
"No… they're too far away. I can't confirm if they're really from the Mist."
He narrowed his gaze, but the distance still made clear identification impossible.
"Then let's get closer."
Asuma offered the obvious solution. "If only the Hyuga were still here..."
His voice carried a touch of regret, but no one responded. There was no point in mentioning the Hyuga family—especially given their departure from the village. Whether they would fight alongside Konoha again was uncertain.
"You two stay here and keep watch."
Naruto and Sasuke were ready to follow, but Kakashi turned and stopped them.
"If anything happens, report back to base immediately."
Even though their combat strength now rivaled that of elite jonin, they lacked official rank—and more importantly, their identities were sensitive. Bringing them along could create complications.
Kakashi, Guy, and Asuma moved forward.
Meanwhile, the Mist ninjas remained where they were, showing no signs of alarm.
Even as the three Leaf shinobi drew near, the Mist shinobi did not adopt a defensive posture.
"Mei Terumi?"
As they got within range, Kakashi called out the name of one figure.
The woman at the forefront had a striking presence—elegant features paired with an imposing aura.
A beautiful woman always drew attention. But this woman wasn't just beautiful—she was clearly the leader of the Mist squad.
"And… Zabuza, Ao?!"
Kakashi's expression shifted as he recognized more faces.
Then his eyes fell on an elderly man at the center of the group—his reaction was immediate.
This man was from the same generation as Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.
The oldest living member of Kirigakure.
Though officially a village elder, his authority rivaled the Mizukage's—some would even say it surpassed it.
"What is someone his age doing here? He shouldn't even be able to move freely at this point…"
Kakashi and the others froze in place, visibly shaken by the presence of such a legendary figure.
Even more shocking—
"Didn't Momochi Zabuza defect from the village? Why is he traveling with Kirigakure's team now?"
So many questions.
Among the group were no low-ranking shinobi.
Even the weakest were elite Mist chunin with battlefield experience.
The sheer scale of their combat power was enough to force Kakashi's team to halt.
If things went wrong, even retreat would be difficult.
"Hatake Kakashi!"
Just as they recognized the Mist shinobi, they were recognized in return.
From a distance, Mei Terumi stepped forward alone, calmly separating herself from the group.
"I am Mei Terumi, the newly appointed Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure Village."
She stopped a short distance from them, her voice clear and steady.
"I've come to discuss the matter of eliminating the Akatsuki."
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