Chapter 89: Leaving the Ruins
Uchiha Itachi—who had been so indifferent and aloof—had paid a heavy price. He lay on the ground in a pathetic state.
Looking at Uchiha Itachi, Naruto said calmly:
"Uchiha Itachi. You lost."
Even without Naruto's words, Uchiha Itachi knew that he had been defeated by Naruto.
That sword had been too terrifying.
Even Susanoo couldn't resist it. Uchiha Itachi couldn't argue.
Hoshigaki Kisame, watching from the side, was also horrified and speechless.
He knew that even he couldn't have stopped that strike.
Seeing that Uchiha Itachi didn't respond, Naruto didn't bother with him. Instead, he turned his head and called Sasuke over, leaving the rest to him.
This was a matter between the two brothers.
After Sasuke heard this, he was stunned for a moment, as if he hadn't yet processed the shock of Itachi's defeat. He walked slowly toward Uchiha Itachi.
Naruto didn't want to hear what the two of them would say to each other. He turned his head, exhaled, and looked at Konoha—now nothing but ruins in the distance.
The battle was over. Konoha had been destroyed by Naruto.
But Naruto knew that it wasn't over yet.
He still had many enemies. The Akatsuki, for one.
The Akatsuki's goal was to capture all the tailed beasts—including the Nine-Tails inside him.
Although the first wave of pursuers had been defeated by Naruto, he knew the Akatsuki would send even stronger opponents next.
As long as the Akatsuki wanted to complete their plan, they would definitely come after Naruto.
Thinking this, Naruto narrowed his eyes.
Moreover, Naruto's revenge was far from complete.
Although Konoha had been destroyed, there were still some people in Konoha who weren't present. For example, Konoha's elder—Danzō.
The dark childhood Naruto had suffered was inseparable from Danzō's influence.
Naruto would never forget him—and would never let him go.
But for some reason, Danzō wasn't in Konoha right now. That puzzled Naruto.
It seemed many things were not yet over.
Naruto exhaled. At that moment, Sakura and Kakashi also came over to him.
They looked at Naruto with complicated expressions, not knowing what to do.
Naruto had killed the Third Hokage and destroyed Konoha to this extent. By all rights, he was a traitor to the village. Konoha would never stop hunting him.
But at this point, almost all of Konoha's combat forces had been killed by Naruto himself.
Kakashi sighed, looked at Naruto, and asked:
"What are you going to do next?"
Naruto looked into the distance and said without hesitation:
"Leave Konoha."
Everyone was stunned. Sakura looked deeply at Naruto. Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes. Her small hand gripped the edge of her clothes as she said weakly:
"Naruto... don't go..."
Naruto didn't answer her.
Konoha had nothing left worth his nostalgia.
The next time he came back, this place would no longer be his hometown. It would be a battlefield.
He would personally execute the remaining leadership one by one.
"Are you going to stop me?" Naruto said calmly.
Everyone was stunned, but they remained silent.
Stop him? How could they stop him? Even if they wanted to, they couldn't.
Even the Third Hokage was no match for Naruto. How could any of them possibly keep him here?
At this moment, Naruto was beyond their reach—nothing but an elusive shadow.
Seeing that everyone was silent, Naruto turned around, stepped over the ruins of Konoha, and slowly walked away.
Everyone could only watch Naruto's back as it gradually disappeared into the distance.
—
A few days later, when news of Konoha's destruction spread, the ninja world immediately erupted into chaos.
Especially when the people of the other Four Great Nations learned that the one who destroyed Konoha was just a child—a thirteen-year-old boy.
What shocked them even more was that the Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been able to fight the First and Second Hokages simultaneously—had also died at Naruto's hands.
Everyone in the ninja world couldn't believe it.
This was Konoha, one of the Five Great Nations.
How could it have been so thoroughly destroyed?
Even the Third Hokage—known as the Professor of the Ninja World—had died at Naruto's hands.
It was incredible.
Immediately, the Five Great Nations sent people to gather information on Naruto, wanting to see who this Naruto truly was.
And after this battle, Naruto's name shook the ninja world. He became famous overnight.
The major ninja villages also realized that Konoha had suffered such a devastating blow that even if it could be rebuilt, it would never regain its former glory.
Konoha—which had just been recognized as the head of the Five Great Ninja Villages—had suddenly fallen from its pedestal.
At this point, it was uncertain whether Konoha could even maintain its position as one of the Five Great Powers.
After all, Konoha had suffered massive casualties this time. More than half of its ANBU had died. And the Hokage had fallen in battle.
It was utterly humiliating.
—
After leaving Konoha, Naruto headed directly to the Land of Waves.
Because the Land of Waves was where Zabuza's army was stationed. Next, it was time to reap what had been sown.
On the way, Naruto noticed that Sasuke was following him.
This surprised Naruto.
Sasuke had slipped away on his own. Kakashi and the others had been preoccupied with Konoha's devastation and hadn't noticed him leave.
After Sasuke caught up to Naruto, he said without hesitation that he wanted to go with him.
He believed that only by Naruto's side could he grow stronger more quickly—and have any hope of rebuilding the Uchiha clan.
Sasuke had realized this long ago.
After all, it was Naruto's guidance that had helped Sasuke improve so rapidly.
Naruto welcomed this, of course. So he took Sasuke along, and together they headed to the Land of Waves.
—
The Land of Waves had already transformed.
Naruto had previously sent Zabuza to lie low in the Land of Waves and cultivate a ninja army there.
Zabuza had lived up to expectations. He had secretly seized control of the Land of Waves and begun rapidly training and recruiting ninja. After some time, his forces had grown quite large.
So when Zabuza received word that Naruto was arriving, he immediately brought all his ninja to meet Naruto on the Great Naruto Bridge.
When Naruto arrived in the Land of Waves and saw Zabuza and Haku leading dozens of ninja on the bridge, he was slightly surprised.
Seeing that the one they had been waiting for had finally arrived, Zabuza and Haku smiled slightly. They stepped forward immediately and shouted respectfully:
"Welcome, Leader!"
Following Zabuza and Haku's loud shouts, the group of ninja behind them all knelt at once and shouted in unison:
"Welcome, Leader!"