Woosh…
Space bent again, and once more Sukuna appeared. However, this time it wasn't the instant transmission of the Flying Thunder God technique but rather the swirling portal of Kamui.
The world was unlike any other place on this earth. This was his Kamui world.
"Bunch of idiots, haven't seen a helpless civilian and they are ready to help out." Sukuna said with disdain.
Besides his earlier anger at them using the Hiraishin kunai he gave them only for emergencies like this or calling him when he was fighting an Akatsuki member, he was also a bit disappointed in their judgment.
He understood they wished to help out that girl. Children who haven't seen the real world are optimistic like that, and there wasn't really that big of a problem being optimistic either.
Being helpful is fine too. However, not like that. If that princess herself wasn't interested in liberating her country, then why should they care.
Sukuna knew that he was the last person who should say that since he himself had helped out many people since he came here.
But there was a difference. He did it when he saw there was a need. And of course, his own benefits.
He didn't just help Karin back then because he wanted to, which he did since the girl was quite pitiful. But he also had his benefit. Karin was an Uzumaki; he'd rather not let someone like Orochimaru have her.
Same goes with Mangetsu Hōzuki back then. He could have killed him if he wanted to. However, doing that would have left Suigetsu alone, once again pushing him to Orochimaru.
Not to mention, he wasn't losing anything since Mangetsu didn't know his real identity.
He helped Izumi to save Kiyomi back when Danzō kidnapped her not only since he wanted to help, but he also was getting something in return. Help in killing Danzō and a legit way to learn Genjutsu directly from Izumi.
Being helpful is fine. However, one must seek out their benefit as well. 'When will these brats learn that.'
Was it the wrong thing to teach little kids, perhaps. However, that's how the world works. He'd rather they grow up mean and bad than die good.
And another reason he was disappointed in them was that they didn't even try to solve the problem by themselves.
They didn't wish to abandon that girl, and they didn't wish to go against the Hokage and village's order either. Wasn't the answer simple, do it without others knowing it. What's so hard in it.
'Perhaps it's my fault…' he pondered.
'Training them sure has made them strong, however, they lack a ninja's mindset…' Sukuna sighed to himself as he made his way forward in his Kamui dimension.
He could have helped them. It was pretty easy for him. However, it was their mission. They would never grow if he helped out.
"Whatever they choose, they just have to learn how to grow up with the outcome of their own decisions." He muttered and finally shook his head to focus back on the matter at hand.
He saw the lying corpse in front of him.
It was Kakuzu.
Completely battered and broken. He was covered in blood, but technically not his own since all blood that existed in his body was from the hearts he had stolen from others. Besides that, it was only those tentacle-like threads.
'Man,… what a missed opportunity.' He sighed.
The moment he got that Flying Thunder God signal, he had to make a decision on the fly. Either to kill the Akatsuki and then go, or leave them behind.
He could have just run away. However, he didn't feel like leaving the chance to erase one of his future problems while he could. Especially when he was already in combat with one of them.
Intrusive thoughts of killing won over, not like it would have taken long with his genjutsu and cleave.
Since it was a time-sensitive spot, he didn't even bother thinking twice and went for the kill.
Killing, or at least restraining Hidan was possible as well. However, that would have taken too much time, which he didn't have. So he just sent Kakuzu's body into Kamui under a smoke screen and teleported out of there.
'Sigh… I shouldn't have done that.' Only now he felt that he was a bit too hasty. This at least gave Akatsuki and Zetsu a clue that Ryomen might have a space-time jutsu in his arsenal.
'The next time they come after me, it will be a big fight.' Sukuna muttered. It should be, since now they knew Ryomen was strong. Strong enough to kill Kakuzu.
"I better not use this disguise for a while." He murmured and started changing clothes, now just planning to go back to the village.
—-<>—-
[In Land Of Snow]
"What do we do now?" Naruto asked, panicking. Without Sukuna's help, he couldn't think of anything else that could help them now.
Sakura also didn't say anything, hands clenching. She was a bit irritated at Sukuna, but more than that, she felt helpless at their condition.
"We do exactly what he said?" Sasuke was the one who finally spoke, making both snap their heads at him.
"What you mean?"
"What did he say? He told us to either give up or go against the orders. We can't do both. Or are you thinking of abandoning Yukie-Chan, Sasuke-Teme…" Naruto chipped in.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, not even bothering to acknowledge Naruto's retort. He instead turned his head towards Sakura, who too was expecting an answer from him.
"Just as your brother said, there is no third option. Rather, we have to create a third option for ourselves." Sasuke spoke.
Unlike either Sakura or Naruto, he understood exactly what Sukuna meant.
Sukuna meant to say that they have to find a way out by themselves. And honestly, he wasn't quite onboard with calling for Sukuna for help for their mission in the first place.
"Deception is the core of a shinobi." He repeated what Sukuna said and finally exhaled before continuing.
"I don't want to say it, but that bastard is right. We can't expect help from anyone else for our mission. Whichever path we choose, we have to accept it.
If we are not ready to abandon Yukie Fujikaze or go against Hokage's order, then the only way out is to do it in a way that Hokage didn't realize it was us.
Our only third option is to follow the path of deception like Sukuna told. But only this time, we have to fool Kakashi and Hokage, somehow infiltrate the Land of Snow and Doto's castle.
We take him out as swiftly as possible and then make Koyuki Kazahana the new daimyo of the Land of Snow…
And we have to do all that without Kakashi finding out." Sasuke spoke, bringing complete silence to the room.
Both Sakura and Naruto looked at him like he had grown a second head.
"That's impossible, Kakashi-Sensei will find out immediately the moment we try to move against Doto." Sakura chided, shaking her head rapidly.
"Yeah-yeah… how are we gonna fool Kakashi-Sensei. There is no way, right!" Naruto scrunched up his face, thinking hard. His 2G brain speed outright refused to process that request.
Sasuke sneered at this. "This is our only way… either we find a way out or we forget it."
Another silence spread between them. All three looking at each other's faces for any sort of reaction from either of them. However, nothing.
"Sigh… it's all Sukuna's fault. How can he be so mean." Sakura pouted. If only her useless brother didn't suddenly decide to show them attitude and help them out, they didn't have to be in this condition.
"He is not wrong, Sakura. Sukuna in his place is completely right!" Sasuke spoke, taking both Naruto and Sakura aback.
"Eh! How can you say that. Didn't you hear him, he completely refused to help…." Naruto was saying, but Sasuke intervened midway…
"I heard what he said, idiot. And he is right. This is our mission. And whatever the outcome of this mission ends up being, that will be ours to create.
Your brother never told us not to help Koyuki Kazahana. He said he refused to take part in this mission. Meaning he wishes us to solve this mission by ourselves.
We can't rely on him. In fact, we shouldn't even expect him to solve our problem for us. What kind of ninja does that make us.
Just like he said, no matter what we choose to do in the end, it will be on us. And we have to live with that." Sasuke firmly stated.
Both Sakura and Naruto were quiet.
Earlier, when Sukuna told them in a roundabout way, they didn't quite get it. They felt that it was just Sukuna being selfish.
However, now as Sasuke put it, it did make sense.
It was their mission. Expecting someone else to solve their problem for them was wrong.
Hell, now that they thought about it, it's not that hard either. The difficulty entirely depended on which path they chose to follow.
Abandon the snow princess. Go against the Hokage's order. Or forge their own third option by their hand.
If they couldn't even choose one of the options in front of them and stick with it, then they were indeed not suitable for being a shinobi.
"If anything, he gave us the answer before leaving. If we wish to do it, then only deception is the way…" Sasuke added.
"Yeah… I get it now. I knew Sukuna wasn't that kind of person. This must be a test. We have to show him that we can complete the mission without others' help." Naruto beamed suddenly, now hyped up.
Both Sakura and Sasuke didn't bother listening to the idiot's nonsense. They just looked at each other, wondering what they could do…
xXx
A/N : Sometimes I find even 1500 words not enough to complete what I wished to convey in a chapter. If time allow I'm sure I can make every chapter around 2500 words. Sigh...
Sorry for the slow moving plot, I know many of you guys things its pointless but its not. This is slowly building up the character development and relationship between them. Though I'll can skip pass this all if you guys wish for. Tell me in comments.
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