Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

"My Uchiha name... doesn't belong here."

Sasuke's declaration was, in essence, a complete rejection of the surviving Uchiha before him.

Yet Izumi showed no reaction.

Instead, it was as if she had expected this answer all along.

"Then..."

she asked softly,

"What about Uchiha Itachi?"

"I'll kill him."

After a brief silence, Sasuke finally answered the question she had asked from the very beginning.

"I've figured it out."

"Not for the so-called Uchiha Clan..."

"But for my own family."

As though emphasizing his resolve, his gaze shifted to the ruins behind Izumi.

"That much will never change."

"But I don't need these weaklings, who have only disgraced the Uchiha name, helping me."

"They only need to worry about themselves."

"This revenge..."

"...belongs to me alone."

There wasn't the slightest hesitation in his voice.

"So..."

Izumi looked at him quietly.

"Is that your answer?"

Unlike the other Uchiha, whose faces darkened after being called weaklings, Izumi's surprise came from somewhere else.

Sasuke...

He's not lost.

He's already prepared himself to shoulder everything alone.

"Uchiha Sasuke..."

Shinji, still sitting on the ground, seemed about to say something.

But Sasuke ignored him completely.

Instead, he suddenly looked toward the empty sky.

"...How long are you planning to hide?"

"Come out."

The moment those words left his mouth...

A blond figure flashed down beside him.

Compared to everyone else present, his expression couldn't have been more out of place.

While the atmosphere was heavy and tense...

He wore the same carefree grin as always.

Dangling casually from one hand...

Was an unconscious Sand shinobi.

It was none other than—

Naruto Uzumaki.

Seeing the Konoha forehead protector on Naruto's forehead, Shinji froze.

He exchanged stunned glances with the other Uchiha.

None of them had realized Sasuke had someone secretly watching nearby the entire time.

Their ambush suddenly seemed even more ridiculous.

"Sister Izumi! Long time no see!"

The moment Naruto landed, he cheerfully greeted the mistress of the settlement with a bright smile.

Izumi wasn't surprised by his appearance in the slightest.

She had clearly noticed him long ago.

Within the barrier that enveloped the entire settlement, she could perceive every movement inside it.

From beginning to end...

She had neither exposed Naruto's presence...

Nor revealed Shinji and the others' pointless ambush.

Because only this way...

Could she truly see the choice Sasuke would make.

The instant she saw Sasuke, Izumi had already understood something.

Compared with herself...

Compared with every other surviving Uchiha...

Sasuke was astonishingly strong.

Strong enough that he reminded her of Itachi.

No...

The depth she sensed from him surpassed even Itachi's.

Which made her wonder...

What had made Sasuke become this powerful?

And...

Why couldn't she sense the loneliness that should have accompanied such strength?

The moment Naruto appeared...

She understood.

"Naruto-kun..."

"It's been a long time."

Looking at the young man who had grown much taller than the boy in her memories...

Izumi smiled from the bottom of her heart.

Thank you...

For staying by Sasuke's side.

"So you really were spying on me the whole time."

Sasuke twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Huh?"

Naruto scratched his head awkwardly.

"You figured it out by bluffing—"

"...Wait, no!"

"Don't frame me!"

"I promised I'd witness your choice."

"So of course I had to stay nearby."

"Besides, I was quietly dealing with any troublemakers."

"I wanted to give you more time with your clan."

"But you called me out."

"So what did you need me for?"

Sasuke glanced at the unconscious Sand shinobi in Naruto's hand before looking back at him.

"...My reunion with the clan is over."

"You can come out now."

"And..."

"I need your help with something."

He paused before pointing at the unconscious prisoner.

"But first..."

"What's with him?"

Originally, Sasuke had assumed Naruto was simply hiding nearby to keep watch.

He hadn't expected him to bring along an extra guest.

During their investigation into Akatsuki's movements, they had spent quite some time carrying out missions in the Land of Wind.

Naturally...

Sasuke immediately recognized the attire.

This was a Sand Village jōnin.

"I don't know."

Naruto shrugged innocently.

"I sensed someone sneaking in with hostile intent."

"Then he started hiding nearby acting all suspicious."

"So I went over to ask what he was doing."

"But before I could even open my mouth..."

"He attacked me."

"So I had no choice."

"I knocked him out."

"Then you called me over."

"So I just brought him along."

"The Sand Village has never stopped investigating this place."

Izumi explained.

"And recently..."

"The shinobi they've been sending have become increasingly capable."

"They've probably begun noticing traces of our activities."

"As for him..."

She glanced at the unconscious Sand shinobi.

"He most likely followed Shinji and the others here."

Hearing that, Shinji's face turned even darker.

He might not have been strong...

But he wasn't stupid.

He hadn't even realized he was being followed.

Worse still...

He had unknowingly led outsiders straight here...

All while smugly believing his ambush had gone unnoticed.

The more he thought about it...

The more reckless and pathetic his actions seemed.

Especially because Izumi's tone made one thing abundantly clear.

She had known about everything from the beginning.

She had deliberately allowed Sasuke to shatter them.

As fellow Uchiha...

How could they possibly accept that?

"Even though Sasuke showed mercy..."

Izumi frowned as she looked at their unwilling expressions.

"You still couldn't even lay a finger on him."

"If he hadn't held back..."

"You'd all be dead already."

She looked at them coldly.

"And you still aren't ashamed..."

"...calling yourselves 'avengers'?"

There wasn't the slightest attempt to hide the ridicule in her voice.

Every word pierced straight into their hearts.

None of them could offer a rebuttal.

Nor did Izumi seem interested in comforting them any further.

Instead, she turned toward Naruto and Sasuke.

"If you don't mind..."

"Let's go somewhere else."

"There are still a few places..."

"I'd like you both to see."

Before leaving, Sasuke looked once more at his parents' memorial stones.

Then silently withdrew his gaze.

Naruto noticed the small gesture.

After Minato confirmed within Naruto's mind that the two memorials belonged to Sasuke's parents...

Naruto wisely chose not to ask any questions.

"...Shinji and the others awakened their Sharingan after surviving that night."

Izumi explained as she led them onward.

"They believed those eyes represented the Uchiha Clan's final mission."

"That the clan had entrusted them with power so they would never forget their hatred."

"So from that day onward..."

"They've clung to this obsession with revenge."

"My position made it difficult to crush those beliefs."

"I've tried talking to them several times..."

"But it never accomplished anything."

She sighed softly.

"The truth is..."

"They're all good people."

"So after having their convictions broken by you today..."

"I hope they'll calm down from now on."

"Oh, right."

"You met Tarō and the others earlier, didn't you?"

She smiled.

"...The Future Uchiha Squad?"

"So?"

"You two didn't bully those children too, did you?"

Naruto laughed sheepishly.

"Of course not!"

"I'm not like someone who enjoys showing off in front of kids just to crush their confidence."

"I even taught them the Clone Technique."

"It's just..."

"They're not as talented as I am."

"So none of them managed to learn it."

"...The Clone Technique?"

Izumi blinked in surprise.

"I've already arranged lessons for all the basic techniques."

"They should all know it already."

Naruto's answer genuinely caught her off guard.

Still, she didn't think much of it.

Smiling helplessly, she shook her head.

"Perhaps they're just rusty after not using it for so long."

"I'm afraid they've made fools of themselves in front of you again, Naruto."

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