Chapter 95: Naruto, Why Are You Staying in Konoha?

Seeing Sasuke fall silent, Naruto spoke meaningfully.

"Kakashi’s taijutsu isn’t weak, but he’s a ninjutsu-type and tactical Jonin.

"Using only taijutsu, while being suppressed by the three of you working together, he didn’t even display one-tenth of his actual strength."

"One-tenth?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

Without using his Sharingan or ninjutsu, Sasuke was certain he could still display at least thirty percent of his strength.

How could Kakashi have used less than one-tenth of his strength?

Sasuke clearly didn’t believe it.

Seeing this, Naruto secretly sighed.

He had no choice but to say,

"Kakashi’s Sharingan is a Mangekyo Sharingan. Don’t underestimate him."

Of course, Kakashi still had many abilities he hadn’t used.

Forget the Mangekyo.

Even with an ordinary Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Kakashi would completely overwhelm Sasuke.

Naruto simply couldn’t be bothered to explain all of that.

He might as well throw out a bombshell and let Sasuke slowly digest it himself.

Hearing that Kakashi possessed a Mangekyo Sharingan, Sasuke’s pupils suddenly contracted.

"Is it really a Mangekyo?"

The Uchiha had produced only a handful of Mangekyo Sharingan users throughout all these years.

Yet Kakashi, an outsider, had awakened one!

Sasuke found that extremely difficult to accept.

Naruto nodded.

Sasuke’s expression became solemn.

"How strong is Kakashi really?"

Naruto thought for a moment.

Kakashi’s true combat strength was difficult to judge.

He could only make a rough estimate.

"He can probably rank among the top five in all of Konoha."

"Top five in Konoha?"

Sasuke was slightly surprised.

Then he suddenly thought of something.

He gritted his teeth.

"Then compared to Uchiha Itachi?"

Hearing this question, Naruto smiled.

Then his expression turned serious.

"One glance."

Sasuke clenched his fists.

He remembered Naruto saying that no more than three people in Konoha could defeat Uchiha Itachi.

Possibly only two.

So Sasuke understood exactly what Naruto meant by "one glance."

Uchiha Itachi could defeat one of Konoha’s top five, a Mangekyo Sharingan user like Kakashi, with a single glance.

Then what would it take for him to catch up?

How could he become strong enough to kill that man?

Sasuke stared directly at Naruto.

"I want to awaken the Mangekyo."

Naruto shook his head.

"You don’t have anyone important left."

Sasuke, consumed by hatred, wouldn’t awaken the Mangekyo even after killing Itachi.

Unless, just like in the original story, he learned after taking his revenge that Itachi had actually done everything for him.

Only the regret and remorse he felt after killing Itachi could allow Sasuke to successfully awaken the Mangekyo.

Hearing this, Sasuke’s heart sank.

That was true.

He no longer had anyone important left.

As he thought this, his eyes unconsciously shifted toward Naruto.

Naruto smiled.

"Then kill me. I won’t resist."

He couldn’t die anyway.

It was merely a test of Sasuke.

Hearing this, Sasuke’s heart warmed.

But he only snorted coldly.

"Hmph! Even if I killed you, I still wouldn’t awaken the Mangekyo."

Revenge was his dream.

He wouldn’t allow his humanity to be destroyed simply for the sake of power.

If obtaining the power of revenge required him to kill someone who had always helped him, then how would he be any different from Uchiha Itachi, who had slaughtered his own parents?

Since Sasuke refused the opportunity, Naruto simply patted him on the shoulder.

"All right. Your Three-Tomoe Sharingan only evolved recently.

"Wait a little longer. I’ll think of a way to help you."

Sasuke’s heart stirred.

"You have another method?"

Naruto smiled.

"Yes."

"What method?"

Naruto spoke meaningfully.

"For example, let me kill you?"

Sasuke’s face instantly darkened.

If Naruto killed him, he would be dead!

What would be the point of awakening the Mangekyo then?

Could awakening the Mangekyo bring him back to life?

As for whether Naruto was secretly trying to figure out how Sasuke could awaken the Mangekyo, Sasuke never considered it.

He had never been able to see through Naruto’s true strength.

But Sasuke had a certain understanding of Uchiha Izumi’s strength.

Even Uchiha Izumi, who possessed the Mangekyo, had admitted that she wasn’t Naruto’s match.

How could Naruto possibly need to pry into Sasuke’s still-uncertain ability to awaken the Mangekyo?

Sasuke simply assumed that Naruto deliberately refused to tell him the real method and was joking about killing him.

Sasuke also understood that if Naruto told him the method in advance, he would be mentally prepared.

The shock and stimulation would be weaker, and the effect wouldn’t be as good.

So Sasuke kept his expectations buried in his heart and stopped dwelling on how to awaken the Mangekyo.

Instead, he suddenly asked Naruto,

"Naruto, why are you still staying in Konoha?"

This had always puzzled Sasuke.

Even Sasuke himself had considered abandoning Konoha and simply staying in the Sound Village.

He couldn’t understand why Naruto, with his current strength, would remain in Konoha.

There was no family here for him.

He was even subjected to the disdain of others.

Sasuke had always thought Naruto must have some kind of plan involving Konoha.

But he couldn’t figure out what it was.

Sometimes he even wondered whether Naruto wanted to destroy Konoha.

Yet whenever he observed Naruto and Uchiha Izumi’s attitude toward Konoha, they seemed completely indifferent toward it.

Almost as if they looked down on the village.

As if Konoha could be destroyed whenever they wanted.

That only made Sasuke even more confused.

If that was the case, why continue staying in Konoha and enduring everyone’s disdain?

Naruto patted Sasuke on the shoulder again and spoke meaningfully.

"Sasuke, killing someone is easy. One swing of the blade and it’s over.

"After they die, they might even be remembered as heroes.

"They could appear in historical records, perhaps even in textbooks, and be remembered and revered by generation after generation.

"So wouldn’t simply killing them be too easy on them?

"Some people deserve to stink for eternity after they die, to be cursed and despised by generation after generation."

Sasuke’s pupils contracted.

Kill the person...

And destroy them psychologically as well?

Not even allowing them peace after death?

How deep must the hatred be to make someone think like that?

Sasuke didn’t know.

In his mind, Naruto had always been a carefree and optimistic person.

He had never noticed, much less imagined, that such deep hatred could be hidden within Naruto.

Once again, Sasuke realized that he didn’t understand Naruto at all.

Every time he thought he had finally seen through Naruto, Naruto would inadvertently reveal another layer of fog.

Something that made him impossible to see clearly.

And then Sasuke would realize that all his previous judgments had been wrong.

He had never truly understood Naruto.

Who exactly did Naruto hate so deeply?

The Hokage?

That was the first person Sasuke thought of.

And the only person he could think of who would be important enough for Naruto to hold such deep resentment toward.

Could an ordinary person be treated as a hero?

Could they enter history books?

Could they become infamous for generations?

No.

Only someone with enough prestige and status could receive such treatment.

"Hoo..."

Sasuke slowly exhaled.

He stared at Naruto.

"What are you planning to do?"

Naruto spoke with a meaningful smile.

"A grand performance needs to open its curtain at a moment when everyone is watching."

"A moment when everyone is watching?"

Sasuke murmured softly.

Then he narrowed his eyes.

"Can I help?"

Naruto had already helped him so much.

This time, Sasuke wanted to help Naruto as well.

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Of course.

"I’ll leave one of the people behind the Uchiha massacre for you."

Sasuke was being so cooperative that Naruto didn’t mind revealing a little more.

Sasuke’s pupils contracted.

His fists instinctively clenched.

He said it!

He actually said it!

So there really was something hidden behind the Uchiha massacre!

"Hiss... Hoo..."

Sasuke forcibly suppressed his excitement and took several deep breaths, calming himself down.

After spending so much time with Naruto, Sasuke had learned how to regulate his emotions and conceal what he truly felt.

Once he had calmed down, Sasuke spoke indifferently.

"I’m looking forward to it."

He didn’t ask who it was.

Sasuke knew that until he possessed enough strength, Naruto wouldn’t tell him.

But Naruto had just said those words.

And that was enough.

Sasuke now knew that when the time came, he would definitely be strong enough to personally kill his enemy.