Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 93 Pursuit

Orochimaru brought more than one person with him.

The power of the cursed seal is very special, and Naruto saw the four during the Konoha Crush plan; the only two survivors were lying at a distance. It's strange, he never saw those two make a move in his previous life, and Orochimaru didn't even show up when he was beaten bald by Tsunade.

why?

But then again... how do I solve this hemophobia problem? Oh no, against Kabuto now, I have no idea how I could possibly lose!

This was, after all, a town, not a place for unrestrained action. Orochimaru genuinely wanted to escape, Jiraiya was only half-heartedly pursuing him, and Tsunade wanted to let him go. All these parties were putting on an act, but Naruto, with his super-sensory abilities, simply waved his hand and pointed out Orochimaru's escape direction, even including his speed and distance. Given that Minato and Kushina were both sensory ninjas, Naruto's ability wasn't surprising to Tsunade; it just gave her a headache.

"You guys go after them, I'm going to have a drink." Tsunade openly began to slack off. Actually, she was somewhat tempted. If it could bring back the people she loved most, what did a little price matter? But... Orochimaru's goal was to destroy Konoha... After Nawaki and Danzan returned, how would she face them after trampling on their dreams?

"That guy just said he wanted to destroy Konoha! How can the future Fifth Hokage let such a dangerous element roam around!" Naruto, who was the most eager in the team to send Orochimaru back to his hometown, had to resort to some provocation.

Tsunade was indeed displeased and said, "I never agreed to become Hokage! Hokage is trash, no one but an idiot would want to be one!"

To everyone's surprise, it wasn't Naruto who retorted first, but Sasuke, who had been silent the whole way: "It's true that only idiots keep talking about wanting to be Hokage, but..."

"You're trash, you don't even have dreams, and you're addicted to gambling and alcohol all day long!"

Naruto's eyes widened. Almost instinctively, he stepped in front of Sasuke, ready to take the devastating punch. He wanted to increase the intensity, but this was Granny Tsunade; going too far might get him removed from the game.

Tsunade was indeed angry for a moment, but the brat was right. She had been listless and dejected for too long, and the word "dream" was too far removed from her.

"Hmph, kid, one day you'll realize the gap between dreams and reality."

Seeing that Tsunade had no intention of intervening, Naruto tentatively added, "Isn't it normal for dreams and reality to differ? That's just a goal to motivate us. As long as the process is exciting enough, it's okay to fail!"

...Tsk, how come kids these days are so good at talking?

"By the way, did Orochimaru just mention 'resurrection'? Is he going to use that technique again, the one that summons the dead Fourth Kazekage?"

“Most likely.” Jiraiya instantly understood Naruto’s intention and promptly continued, “In that battle, he used the Impure World Reincarnation to summon back the Kazekage and Raikage who had already died, completely erasing their personalities and using them as weapons. The activation condition for this technique also requires a living sacrifice, making it a rather cruel and blasphemous technique for the dead.”

Naruto, unmoved despite being hit by several boomerangs, continued to ask, "Then... how do we undo this technique?"

"Only the caster can undo the seal; others can only try to seal it... When the Third Hokage cast the seal, they briefly regained their senses. Despite being enemies, these Kage are grateful to their teacher."

Tsk, this guy did it on purpose! Just as she expected, Orochimaru is unreliable! And this kid, he actually knows how to cooperate with Jiraiya, just as clever as Minato. As for the Uchiha brat, he's inherited that rebellious streak perfectly... Is he in such a hurry to cause trouble for Orochimaru? Seriously.

"Is the information about the technique accurate?"

"Of course, I fought those battles myself."

"...Kid, lead the way."

"Ok?"

"That guy dared to use such despicable means to toy with me! Of course he has to pay the price!"

Our pursuit was seen as extremely tense by the enemy.

"The snake used for surveillance has been taken down. Naruto's sensory range is indeed terrifying." His ability to gather intelligence is beyond doubt. The fact that Naruto could appear at the East Gate and South Gate in time means that his sensory range can cover at least half of Konoha. With Orochimaru carrying a persistent high fever, they couldn't have run that distance so quickly.

"Tsunade agreed to pursue so quickly? She didn't even consider it carefully... cough cough." The complications from the necrosis of his arm were too severe. Orochimaru wasn't stupid; as soon as he heard that the pursuers were still there, he knew that persuading Tsunade was probably hopeless. He knew all too well that the Impure World Reincarnation only brought back the image of the dead, and that the technique was still in the process of being perfected. If a way were found to turn the Impure World Reincarnation into a living person, he would be happy to try it.

However, now is not the time to think about these things. If he can't shake off those people, he'll probably die here. Fortunately, Sasuke is here too. Perhaps he should let Sakon, Ukon, and Tayuya demonstrate the power of the cursed seal, making that confused child come to him. Although Naruto's body is also worth coveting, that kid is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki; he definitely needs to find a way to kill him. If he falls into Akatsuki's hands, the world might be doomed.

The hastily assembled pursuit team first encountered three strangely shaped, burly men who charged at them, puffing out long plumes of smoke from their mouths. They had just crossed the city wall and were still in mid-air, about to land in the forest. Naruto, having learned from countless mistakes, knew to keep anything he couldn't understand away, and naturally wouldn't give them any chance. He unleashed a torrent of water from the sky, like a small waterfall, washing over the trees below.

It was only at this moment that Tsunade truly took Naruto seriously, because she was certain that when he used Water Release, the child hadn't formed any hand seals at all!

The group landed safely and were not ambushed again, probably because the water escape technique was so effective that it washed away the people who wanted to ambush them.

"There are two chakra reactions here, around the level of Chunin, that have been pushed to the front."

"Never mind them, chasing Orochimaru is the priority." Jiraiya figured that an opponent who couldn't even stop Naruto's Water Release couldn't be that strong.

"If they keep getting in the way, it'll be troublesome. I'll stay and hold them back." Hearing the amount of chakra the opponent possessed, Sasuke's fighting spirit surged again. He had a clear understanding of his own strength level; only by finding similar opponents to fight to the death could he truly improve.

"Then I..."

“Naruto.” Sasuke interrupted him, turned around, and said with utmost seriousness, “This is my battle. Orochimaru is a dangerous opponent. You must preserve your full strength.”

Did he already guess Sasuke's intention to create a shadow clone before even finishing his sentence? Sasuke really understands him. It's rare to see Sasuke so determined in his fight; I can't be so clueless. As long as Orochimaru's goal remains unchanged, the Sound Ninja shouldn't touch Sasuke. I might as well let him off this time.

"I understand. You must win. I'll be waiting for you up ahead."