Ino wanted to chase after Sakura to comfort her, but she hesitated before speaking to Naruto:
"Naruto, I'm sorry. Right now, I need to stay by her side."
From Sakura's reaction, it was clear that her feelings for Sasuke ran deeper than those of anyone else.
Tears welled up in Ino's eyes. After apologizing to the others in the room, she hurried off to chase after Sakura.
At last, Naruto understood the truth behind the Uchiha clan massacre and the origin of the seal inside him.
The behind-the-scenes masterminds hadn't had time to consider every possible consequence. They could only make what they believed were the best decisions under urgent circumstances.
And those decisions inevitably brought unforeseen mistakes—mistakes that some people found unbearable.
At the time, those actions might have seemed like the best choice, but looking back, there would always be better solutions.
The cheerful atmosphere in the room had completely vanished, replaced by a heavy sadness.
Naruto knew the path toward becoming Hokage was full of thorns and trials. Simply discussing it with his friends made him feel unbearably burdened—as if a giant boulder pressed on his heart.
******
The Next Day, a special guest arrived at Konoha's main gates: the Mizukage.
She wasn't wearing her ceremonial hat or ornate robes. Surrounded by Ao and other elite Konoha ninja, she entered the village.
Mei Terumi enjoyed the glances cast her way, especially the astonished gazes from male passersby.
"My goodness, they must not be used to having a foreign Kage stand this close," she inwardly chuckled, secretly pleased with her own beauty, although she didn't voice these thoughts aloud.
"Konoha is truly beautiful," she remarked to the escorting Konoha ninja.
"Of course! Konoha is the shining beacon of the Land of Fire!" Might Guy enthusiastically introduced the village to the Mizukage. "Let us show the world the fire of youth! I believe, just like us, your village has emerged revitalized after the internal conflict."
Ao couldn't help but laugh at the eccentric Konoha ninja. From experience, Konoha always attracted its fair share of strange characters, but that didn't mean they lacked strength.
Even though Guy appeared amusing, if Ao underestimated him, his ninja career could very well come to an early end. Fortunately, their visit to Konoha was purely diplomatic, so no conflicts would arise.
"In the past few years, our village's reconstruction efforts have steadily progressed. I assume your leaders have already briefed you on this matter."
Guy barely held back from asking about Danzō's fate. If the Five Kage Summit needed to discuss this matter, there would naturally be opportunities later.
"I hope you enjoy your stay in Konoha. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to turn to Might Guy—Konoha's Blue Beast!"
"I will, Mr. Guy," the Mizukage replied with a soft chuckle before lowering her voice and shifting her tone, "Your physique really is impressive."
Ao couldn't resist chiming in with praise:
"Mr. Guy, I must admit, the Mizukage speaks the truth."
"Our village could really use more people like you."
However, the Mizukage only caught part of what was said:
"...needs someone like you..."
She turned sharply to Ao with a dangerous smile. "Ao, shut up, or I'll kill you."
"Eh?" Ao looked stunned. "I can't escape your pursuit! Not even in other countries! Wait, surely she wouldn't make a move in Konoha? I hope not..."
******
Meanwhile, back in the Land of Water, Suigetsu stood, knee-deep in a pool of blood, panting heavily as he gripped the blood-dripping Kubikiribōchō.
"You were strong... but today marks the end for you, my friend." He said smugly, looking at Chojuro's fallen body on the ground.
In his other hand, Suigetsu held Samehada, the massive blade that remained secured in its custom harness across his back.
One day, he would reclaim this blade. "Now, I already have three," he muttered with pride, bending down to retrieve a scroll from the enemy's body. Written on it were the words [Flying Thunder God].
"Finally finished him off?" Karin approached, a few drops of blood staining her clothes, though she herself remained unharmed. Looking at the corpse on the ground and at Samehada, she shook her head. "Took you long enough."
Suigetsu turned around and began gathering his things.
"That guy wasn't easy to deal with. His swordsmanship was truly impressive..." He smiled through a smirk while recalling the battle.
"So how'd you win?" Karin asked.
"He just didn't have the endurance." Suigetsu pointed toward Samehada resting above the sheath of the Kubikiribōchō on his back. "He kept switching weapons, trying to wear me down, but he wasn't fast enough—that gave me an opening."
Karin knew Suigetsu felt quite satisfied with his current state. He had now acquired three of the Seven Legendary Swords of the Mist, making this mission well worth it.
Now it was time to find Jugo.
They left Jugo to deal with Samehada's guard detail alone; Karin had no interest in getting caught up in that slaughter.
"Where to next?" she asked.
"You still haven't given up on tracking down Naruto Uzumaki, have you?" Suigetsu questioned, his voice growing bitter as he said Naruto's name.
"Then we keep training. A guy like him isn't easy to take down. Even if I end up with every Legendary Sword, I might still lose. You've fought him—you know best."
With nearly half of the legendary swords now gathered, Suigetsu was willing to temporarily set aside his personal goal to help strengthen his teammate.
"I'll finish him myself..." Karin murmured darkly. Naruto was the one person she hated above all others—a merciless killer. "I will never forgive that murderer! Never!"
"Do what moves you," Suigetsu replied, glad Karin had finally found some motivation instead of remaining so dejected as before. "Madara will issue new orders soon. Just need to wait patiently."
******
In a forest within the Land of Fire, Gaara was heading toward Konoha with his squad.
He had never enjoyed traveling with a large entourage.
As the Kazekage, he seldom left the village, but this time he had to go to Konoha personally for a meeting with the Hokage, Mizukage, and Raikage.
Except for Temari and Kankuro, Gaara brought no other attendants.
He had met Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, previously, but as for the two other Kages he was about to meet, he felt more anticipation than nervousness.
However, throughout the journey, an uneasy shadow loomed over Gaara's thoughts.
Temari noticed his distraction. She called for the group to stop and walked over to Gaara's side.
"Gaara, what are you worried about?" Most people couldn't read the thoughts of this expressionless young man, but Temari was his older sister. Having grown up with him since childhood, she could sense even the subtlest changes in his mood.
"Nothing," Gaara tried to ease her concerns. "I'm simply thinking that, as a leader, it's natural to feel some concern when leaving the village."
He knew Baki was a capable leader in Sunagakure, and village affairs should run smoothly during his absence. Yet he still couldn't shake his unease, as though something were about to happen.
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