**Chapter 7: Carried Away**
In that instant, a black shadow materialized before the Cloud Hidden Jonin. A swift straight punch followed by a solar plexus strike sent the Jonin crashing to the ground.
Naraku glanced at the shadow and immediately recognized the crimson, three-tomoe Sharingan eyes. The owner of those eyes was none other than Uchiha Shisui.
"Naraku-chan, are you alright? How did you get so badly injured?!"
Another figure sprinted from the depths of the forest. Without even glancing at Shisui's battle, he leaped directly to Naraku's side.
It was Uchiha Itachi, who had been traveling with Shisui.
His eyes widened as he saw the blood-soaked fabric covering Naraku's abdomen. His pupils turned crimson, his concern palpable.
Seeing the familiar young man, Uchiha Naruko felt a sudden, inexplicable panic.
She clutched the tattered remains of her chest covering, shielding her exposed pale skin, while pressing her other hand against her still-bleeding abdomen.
*That damned Cloud Ninja! What a pervert!*
*Why aim for my chest? If this leaves a scar, what will happen later...?*
*Huh? Wait a minute... What "future" am I even worrying about? I'm going to turn back into a man sooner or later anyway.*
Just as Naraku was mentally wrestling with this dilemma, Uchiha Itachi swept her into his arms in a horizontal carry.
"Ah! What are you doing... Wait!"
Your favorability with Uchiha Itachi has increased. You have gained 20 currency.
"Brother Shisui, about the report..." Itachi's voice was firm, completely ignoring Naraku's struggles as he began communicating directly with Uchiha Shisui.
"Oh, so this is the... friend... you've been mentioning these past few days, Uchiha Naruko?" Shisui's eyes crinkled with amusement. "Don't worry, reporting to Lord Hokage is my responsibility. You should get her to the hospital right away."
Itachi nodded curtly, abandoning all other concerns, and vanished into the jungle.
"Uchiha Naruko, huh?" Shisui gazed at the snapped trees and the mangled corpse of the Kumogakure Chūnin. "Judging by these marks, she specializes in taijutsu? Impressive. It seems our clan has produced another exceptional genius ninja!"
***
Konoha Hospital.
"Don't your parents care about you? How could you be so careless? Next time you play ninja games, know when to stop. You're too young to be handling swords, kunai, and the like. How did you get such a deep wound? This is just reckless."
Uchiha Naruko: ...
Hearing the medical ninja's scolding from outside the room, Itachi let out a sigh of relief.
If she still had the energy to scold Naraku, the injury couldn't be too serious.
Relaxing, Itachi recalled Naraku's earlier embarrassed expression and, for some reason, a faint smile crept across his face.
Your affinity with Uchiha Itachi has increased. You have gained 30 currency.
Just as Naraku finished getting bandaged up and stepped out of the room, she saw Itachi standing there with a smug smile on his lips.
*That smile... it's just begging to be punched!*
At that moment, she recalled how Itachi had forcibly carried her to the hospital when her chakra was depleted, and her anger flared anew.
Uchiha Naruko glared fiercely at Itachi, her face darkening.
"What are you laughing at? Stop laughing!"
"Alright, alright, I'll stop."
But Uchiha Itachi only laughed harder.
Your affinity with Uchiha Itachi has increased. You have gained 10 currency.
"I..."
Seeing Itachi's reaction, Uchiha Naruko felt utterly helpless.
*Forget it. In my current state, any attempt to act tough would only embarrass myself.*
*Let him do as he pleases.*
*But just you wait, Uchiha Itachi. Once I've drawn enough lottery tickets and my strength surges, the day will come when I'll beat you so badly you'll be crawling on the ground looking for your teeth.*
*For now, let him enjoy his smugness. Hmph!*
After this mental victory, Uchiha Naruko straightened her shoulders and followed Itachi out of Konoha Hospital.
***
The Hokage's office.
Even at night, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, remained diligently at work in his office.
His desk was piled with seven or eight stacks of documents, each nearly a meter tall.
Lord Hiruzen sat hunched over, his gaze fixed on something below.
Despite his advanced age, he remained the passionate inheritor of the Will of Fire.
"Heh heh, oh oh oh, that figure is truly remarkable! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it curvaceous. This nude form is simply breathtaking."
"As expected, the Telescope Technique remains the most practical ninjutsu!"
The Third Hokage let out a lecherous chuckle.
Well, what else would you expect from the man who was defeated by the Sexy Technique?
Just as the Third Hokage was thoroughly enjoying his crystal ball viewing...
*Knock, knock, knock.*
A knock echoed through the room.
"Ahem, come in," the Third Hokage's voice called out, filled with weariness and concern for Konoha Village's future.
It was a stark contrast to his earlier lecherous tone.
"Yes, sir."
As the voice from outside faded, the door creaked open.
"Shisui, it's you."
The Third Hokage wearily rubbed his *qingming* acupoint—the very spot you massage during eye exercises.
"Third Hokage, you're working so late. You must be exhausted."
Shisui gazed at the Third Hokage's aged face, his heart filled with solemn respect.
"This is my duty. But you, Shisui, coming to see me so late must mean something important has happened, right?"
The Third Hokage knew this descendant of his most trusted comrade well. Having inherited Kagami's Will of Fire, Shisui was someone he could absolutely rely on.
Shisui knelt on one knee and immediately reported:
"Just now, Kumogakure shinobi were detected in the Uchiha clan compound. Two teams, totaling eight members, were identified. Seven were killed in a joint effort by myself and two other Uchiha clan members. One was captured alive and has already been sent to the interrogation room."
After a moment's thought, Shisui added:
"Given the urgency of the situation, I couldn't determine how many other Kumogakure forces might be deployed nearby. I'm reporting this immediately."
"Kumogakure, huh? *Sigh.*"
Ever since the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, died sealing the Nine-Tailed Beast last year, Kumogakure had believed Konoha to be weakened beyond repair and initiated war. Even now, the two great nations continued their relentless border conflicts, so the presence of Kumogakure shinobi within the Land of Fire wasn't entirely unexpected.
However, the sudden appearance of Kumogakure ninja within Konoha Village was highly unusual.
Their true motives remained unclear, but fortunately, Shisui had discovered their presence. Had they been allowed to carry out large-scale destruction within Konoha, the consequences would have been disastrous.
"You did well, Shisui. Was Fugaku with you when you eliminated the Kumogakure ninja? Or perhaps another Uchiha Jonin?"
Hearing the Third Hokage's words, Shisui flashed a momentary smile before calmly replying:
"Neither. It was Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Naruko."
"What? Uchiha Itachi? Uchiha Naruko?"
The Third Hokage was visibly surprised. He knew Uchiha Itachi well—the eldest son of Uchiha Clan Head Fugaku, rumored to be a genius on par with Shisui himself. But he had never heard of this Uchiha Naruko.
"Very well, Shisui. I'll immediately dispatch the Anbu to investigate Kumogakure's infiltration of Konoha. Wait here a moment and give me a detailed account of the entire incident."
No amount of vigilance was excessive when it came to the Uchiha Clan.
This was the Third Hokage's most sincere conviction.
........
Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Here are a few titles of recently uploaded fanfics on my patreon shop:
" Naruto: Silver Wolf of Konoha (18+) "
" Naruto: Traveling with Beauties (18+) "
" Naruto: As a Transmigrated Uchiha, How Could I Choose to Be a Girl? "
" Konoha's Super Saiyan "
" Naruto: I Don't Want a Harem, But They Keep Falling Into My Bed (18+, Rape) "
" Naruto: Dark Naruto Looks Super Cool "
" Naruto: The Innately Evil Uzumaki Naruto "
" Konoha's Super Saiyan "
" The Heaven-Defying Hokage System "
" Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou "
" Naruto : "Do You Call This Medical Treatment?" many more are available for you,
Your support means a lot—thanks in advance, legends!
Patreon.com/AniFic
(End of Chapter)