"Jūgo, Jūgo...!"

  Team Taka followed the riverbank and found Jūgo lying unscious on the ground, his form reduced to that of a child.

  "Ugh..." Jūgo groaned, clutg his throbbing head as he sat up.

  Sasuke asked, "What happened?"

  Jūgo's expression was bnk, his memory hazy. Before leaving, Naruto had tampered with Jūgo's memories. Naruto wasn't ready to reveal himself to Sasuke just yet.

  Although Jūgo had been ambushed, Sasuke chose not to pursue the matter for now. His mind reoccupied with trag down his enemy.

  Sasuke said, "Fet it. It's enough that you're alive. We'll iigate this ter. Right now, we have more important matters to attend to."

  "More important matters?" Jūgo asked.

  Sasuke's six-pointed Mangekyō Sharingan gleamed with a sharp light. "Our target has ged. The Land of Iron. The Five Kage Summit. Team Taka will hunt down Danzō of the Leaf there!"

  And so, Team Taka set out for the Land of Iron.

  Meanwhile, Obito, wearing his mask, and White Zetsu observed from the treetops in the distance.

  White Zetsu asked, puzzled, "Why don't you let me inform Sasuke about Naruto's movements? Wouldn't it be better to use him against Naruto?"

  Obito, after some thought, replied, "Naruto took Nagato's body. This s the Rinnegan and the Gedo Statue, two of hest secrets. It's best not to involve Sasuke... Besides, the current Naruto is likely beyond Sasuke's ability to handle."

  White Zetsu nodded. "Fair point."

  Obito tinued, "Through battles with the Five Kage, we cultivate Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan as a backup pn. That's the safer approach. Speaking of which, have you found Naruto's whereabouts?"

  White Zetsu replied, "Not yet. However, one of my es retly went missing. It was likely eliminated by someone."

  "Oh?" Beh his mask, Obito raised an eyebrow. "To take out one of your es before it could rey information... intriguing. Tell me where the e disappeared."

  *Whoosh!*

  Seds ter, Obito appeared at the site of Naruto's earlier battle with Orochimaru, his Kamui vortex transp him there.

  Kamui's teleportation required spatial markings. Over the years, Obito had marked much of the Land of Fire. While it wasn't exaggerated to say he had marked the entire region, he certainly had enough ce to move freely within a hundred-mile radius of the Hidden Leaf Vilge.

  About a mier, White Zetsu arrived, slightly te.

  Surveying the se of destru, Obito's voice was low. "There's no mistaking it. Only those eyes could cause such devastation. Naruto has mastered the power of the Rinnegan."

  White Zetsu remarked, "Unbelievable. Back then, it took Nagato years after Akatsuki's formation to reach this level of mastery."

  Obito responded, "Not surprising. Naruto is a te bloomer. His potential now likely surpasses Nagato's."

  White Zetsu hesitated. "So, what do we do now? We've been put on the back foot."

  Obito's gaze darkened. "o fear. As long as I trol the Gedo Statue and the Tailed Beasts, Naruto 't gain the upper hand. And even if the worst happens, I still have a trump card—a st resort I've avoided using all these years."

  ...

  In the Hidden Leaf Vilge, the popuce, apart from a few Jonin led by Shikaku, had fully accepted Danzō's leadership. This was the result of Danzō's smear campaign against Naruto—a strategy that had proven highly effective.

  Now, all that remained was for the Five Kage Summit to clude successfully and for Sasuke, the rogue ninja, to be eliminated. With that, even the Jonin would have no choice but to aowledge Danzō as Hokage.

  Ihe Hokage's temporary tent, Danzō sat upright, three Root members kneeling before him.

  Danzō spoke, "This way, I leave for the Five Kage Summit without worry."

  "Given the current situation, we must ensure everything proceeds without error."

  "Deploy more personnel. Capture Kabuto at all costs," Danzō thought to himself. Kabuto might possess knowledge of his dealings with Orochimaru—a e that could destabilize his newly secured position as Hokage.

  "Also, retrieve Orochimaru's research data from Kabuto. It might prove useful for my right eye and arm..."

  Danzō revealed his iron-cd right arm and pressed his bandaged right eye, his expression grim.

  After issuing his orders, he addressed the three Root members. "Fū and Toruay here. Terai, you're in charge of Kabuto. Go."

  "Yes, sir!" Terai vanished, leaving Fū and Torune behind.

  Danzō tinued, "Now, it's time for me to attend the Five Kage Summit. By agreement, only two guards are allowed to apany me. As two of Root's fi, you'll e with me. However, masks are not permitted. Remove them."

  The two plied, revealing their faces—Yamanaka Fū and Aburame Torune.

  Yamanaka Fū asked, "As guards, what ons should we prepare?"

  Danzō replied, "That’s up to you."

  "Uood."

  Danzō added, "Torune, have your men locate Uzumaki's whereabouts. The ails must remain under our trol. Also, keep an eye on Sai. He may betray Root. Be cautious."

  ...

  "Elimihe rogue ninja Uzumaki Naruto!"

  "Destroy the ails demon fox Naruto!"

  "Restore our home!"

  The vilgers of the Leaf, ed, marched in protest against Naruto. Some eve fire to his house, redug it to ashes.

  The situation had spiraled out of trol.

  Kakashi and others, deeply troubled, found themselves uo defend Naruto in the face of seemingly irrefutable evidence.

  Danzō, now Hokage, had issued a kill-on-sight order for Sasuke, branding him a rogue ninja. Meanwhile, Naruto's reputation as a hero had been utterly destroyed.

  The appearance of these twue ninjas was a heavy blow to their peers.

  Near a makeshift ben the vilge, Naruto and Sasuke's former cssmates gathered to discuss the matter.

  Neji Hyūga and Shino Aburame remained silent, their expressions heavy. After all, the deceased lio Naruto included members of both the Hyūga and Aburame s.

  Ino Yamanaka sat on the bench, g. To her, Sasuke had once been the prince of her dreams.

  Sakura Haruno, too, looked pale. Her vilge was in ruins, her mentor atose, awo teammates had bee traitors. One had been her pilr of support, the other her deepest longing.

  Without Naruto and Sasuke, could Team 7 still be called Team 7?

  But no one was more heartbroken than Hinata Hyūga. Everyone said the boy she loved most had killed members of her .

  Shikamaru Nara, always the most rational, broke the oppressive silence. "It's too early to viaruto. The three corpses were brought back by Root. Knowing their methods, there's likely more to this thahe eye."

  The group fell into deep thought.

  After a long pause, Sakura hesitantly asked, "What about Sasuke?"

  Shikamaru sighed. "Sasuke's crimes are undeniable. No one defend him. His situation is even more precarious than Naruto's. While Naruto's as threaten only the Leaf, Sasuke is now a global enemy. The Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron was vened specifically to discuss his elimination."

  Sakura bit her lip, her heart ag. "Naruto, why? As a hero, why would you do something so reckless at such a critical moment? You're the only one who save Sasuke..."

  A soft yet firm voiterrupted her thoughts. "I'm going to find Naruto!"

  The group turned in shock. "Hinata...!?"

  Hinata's determination was unwavering. "Naruto must have had no choice but to leave the vilge. There's no way he killed Tokuma. There must be more to this!"

  ried to sole her. "Lady Hinata, I uand how you feel, but as shinobi, we 't let persoions cloud our judgment."

  But Sakura interjected, "Hinata's n!"

  "Sakura...?"

  Sakura thought, "Naruto... If you've lost your way, I'll bring you back myself!"

  Rock Lee excimed, "There's no other way. Youth means charging forward!"

  Kiba Inuzuka chimed in, "Trag someone is what we do best. Isn't that right, Akamaru?"

  "Woof woof!" Akamaru barked in agreement.

  Neji finally relented. "I don't believe Naruto would do such a thiher. Let's iigate."

  Shino added, "t me in. If you must ask why... I was excluded from the mission to retrieve Sasuke. This time, I won't be left out. Besides, I need answers about Tokuma's death."

  Shikamaru sighed and stood. "Troublesome. Oer another, all of you... including me."

  Hinata was deeply moved. "Shino, Kiba, everyone... Thank you."

  And so, as the clouds of flict gathered, the Five Kage Summit began as scheduled.