Naruto: Different Path

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Naruto had not been away for too long, and upon returning to the base, he found that there hadn't been any emergencies in his absence. 

Hinata was happy to see him return, though she was too shy to express it openly. 

Naruto approached her and asked, "Hinata, while I was gone, did the base receive any messages?"

Before Hinata could answer, Hyuga Kenta, one of the other ninjas present, spoke up, 

"Lord Naruto, during your time away, we haven't received any distress calls. It seems the entire Leaf Village is quite peaceful at the moment."

However, just as he finished speaking, the communicator suddenly sounded. Looking embarrassed, Kenta quickly ran to check the message. 

After receiving it, he returned and awkwardly reported, "Lord Naruto, we've just received a message from Asuma's side. It seems there's some trouble over there."

Naruto sighed, "Looks like we won't be getting any rest. Sweetheart, let's go." 

He gestured to Hinata and prepared to leave, taking her with him. The two quickly arrived at Asuma's location using the Flying Thunder God technique.

There was no immediate enemy threat upon their arrival, but Naruto noticed the tense expression on Asuma's face. 

Asuma handed Naruto a scroll, saying, "It's good you came quickly. You need to see this."

Naruto opened the scroll and was surprised to find it was a challenge letter. 

The sender had explicitly demanded a duel with the Leaf Village at a border village in the Land of Fields.

If no one from the Leaf came, the sender threatened to launch a large-scale attack on their outposts. The letter was signed with a name that shocked Naruto: Orochimaru.

Naruto closed the scroll and asked, "Who delivered this letter?"

Asuma shook his head. "We don't know. It was tied to a kunai and thrown into the camp. So far, we haven't been able to identify the sender."

Naruto frowned. "And the Hyuga members on guard didn't detect anything?"

Asuma sighed again. "Whatever technique they used, it was flawless. We couldn't find a single trace of them."

Naruto thought to himself. To pull off something like this would require a significant force. But this doesn't feel like Orochimaru's style. 

If I had to guess, this seems more like what Kabuto is doing. But what's his motive? Despite his suspicion, Naruto couldn't determine Kabuto's intentions.

Seeing Asuma deeply worried, Naruto reassured him, "Don't overthink it, Asuma. Just focus on guarding the base. Leave this matter to me."

Asuma hesitated. "Shouldn't we form a four-person team to handle this? It might be safer."

Naruto waved him off. "No, just Hinata and I will handle it. The base is more vulnerable and needs all the strength it can get."

Understanding Naruto's logic, Asuma reluctantly agreed. "Alright, I'll leave it to you two. I'll do my best to keep the base secure."

Naruto nodded and set off with Hinata for the designated location. 

Because of Hinata's presence, they travelled slightly slower but still reached the site within two hours. 

Upon arrival, Naruto noted how strategically chosen the location was—it wasn't too far or too close. 

It allowed for a swift response but prevented reinforcements from arriving too quickly.

Naruto created two shadow clones to hide in the area while activating Sage Mode. 

Meanwhile, Hinata used her Byakugan to scan the surroundings for traps or ambushes. 

"Hinata," Naruto said, "you don't need to search. This is a wide-open grassland, the least favourable place for an ambush." 

"The enemy wouldn't play such cheap tricks. Against powerful shinobi, such tactics are meaningless."

Hinata looked at Naruto and replied, "Even so, I can't shake this uneasy feeling. It's far too quiet here, and the enemy hasn't shown themselves. I fear they're up to something."

Her gentle voice revealed her worries, which Naruto shared, though he kept them to himself. For now, all they could do was wait. 

Suddenly, Naruto sensed two chakras approaching steadily, unhurriedly, almost as if the two individuals were strolling.

Naruto immediately recognized the chakra signatures. "Kabuto... and Uchiha Sasuke!" he murmured.

Hinata, still using her Byakugan, exclaimed, "That's Sasuke! But his chakra seems much stronger than before."

Naruto turned to Hinata and instructed her firmly, "Hinata, no matter what happens, follow my lead. And whatever transpires here, you must keep it a secret from everyone, including the Hokage."

Startled by Naruto's serious tone, Hinata nodded solemnly, indicating her full compliance. 

Naruto drew the Thunder God Sword and focused on the two figures approaching.

Kabuto arrived first, stopping in front of Naruto. He smirked and said, "The Black Flash of the Leaf, you've come, as expected. But today, your opponent isn't me."

From behind Kabuto stepped a figure with jet-black hair, wearing a loose white outfit. 

His sharp, handsome features and perpetually calm demeanour immediately stood out. 

Most striking was his Sharingan, with the three tomoe spinning lazily in his eyes.

He drew a Kusanagi sword and said indifferently, "Kabuto, is this the strong opponent you promised? Let's hope he doesn't disappoint me."

Kabuto chuckled darkly. "Just don't forget to wrap this up quickly. We're out here behind Lord Orochimaru's back. We don't want him finding out." 

With that, Kabuto disappeared from the scene. The young man didn't even glance at Kabuto, letting out a slight scoff, clearly showing his disdain. 

Naruto sensed Kabuto retreating at high speed. Removing his mask, Naruto revealed his face and addressed the figure before him. 

"Sasuke. It's been a long time since the Valley of the End. I never imagined our reunion would be under these circumstances."

Hinata was startled. According to the protocols of the ANBU, removing a mask without proper reason was forbidden. 

However, what shocked her even more was Sasuke's reaction. For the first time, his calm exterior showed a flicker of emotion—excitement masked as indifference.

Sasuke tilted his head slightly in his characteristic manner and said, "So it's you, Naruto. No wonder I sensed such powerful chakra. Tell me, how far has your strength come?"

Seeing Naruto remove his mask, Hinata followed suit, revealing her face. 

She said, "You're Sasuke, the one Naruto always talks about, aren't you? Although we've hardly interacted, I've heard about you. Naruto and Sakura have always hoped for your—"

Before Hinata could finish, Sasuke interrupted, disinterested in hearing such sentiments.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're Hyūga Hinata, the one who used to team up with Kiba, right? I didn't expect Konoha to assign you to the Anbu." 

"I've always been curious to see the capabilities of the Byakugan, one of the Three Great Dōjutsu."

Sasuke slowly raised his Kusanagi Sword as he spoke, signalling his intent to challenge Hinata. 

She glanced at Naruto, her confidence wavering against such a prodigy. Naruto simply nodded at her, offering silent but unwavering encouragement. 

That simple gesture seemed to fill her with newfound resolve. 

Activating her Byakugan, she dashed toward Sasuke, knowing that close combat was where her advantage lay.

Sasuke, his Sharingan active, closely observed Hinata's movements. Their initial exchanges were merely probing attacks, neither unleashing their full power. 

Despite her notable improvements in taijutsu, Sasuke's skill had advanced significantly during his time away from Konoha. 

His Sharingan allowed him to effectively predict and counter her movements, dodging and parrying her Gentle Fist strikes with precision.

As the battle progressed, both fighters began to read each other's patterns. Identifying Sasuke's weak points, Hinata launched her Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. 

Her hands moved with blinding speed, aiming to seal his chakra points. 

But just as she was about to land a decisive blow, a surge of Lightning Release chakra enveloped Sasuke's body, crackling like a miniature Chidori. 

The energy shield repelled Hinata's strikes, and Sasuke seized the opportunity to counterattack with his Kusanagi Sword from her blind spot.

Thanks to Byakugan's 360-degree vision, Hinata detected the attack and quickly spun, releasing a torrent of chakra. 

"Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation!" she cried. The rapid rotation deflected Sasuke's attack and pushed him back several meters. 

Sasuke halted his retreat and remarked, "So you can use a technique like that, creating a defensive barrier with high-speed chakra rotation? It's like an absolute defence."

Sasuke sheathed his Kusanagi Sword and began forming hand seals. 

A surge of Lightning Release chakra concentrated in his hand as he prepared to unleash Kakashi's famous jutsu: Chidori. 

Moving at incredible speed, he dashed toward Hinata. Although her Byakugan allowed her to track his movements, she struggled to match his velocity. 

At the last moment, Hinata activated Rotation again, meeting Sasuke's Chidori head-on. The clash between the two techniques created an intense standoff. 

Hinata's improved Rotation, honed through rigorous training, held its ground against Sasuke's Chidori, which began to falter in the face of her relentless chakra defence. 

After a few moments of deadlock, they separated once more. However, the prolonged fight had drained Hinata's chakra significantly, leaving her breathing heavily.

Naruto stepped forward, holding his Thunder God Sword. "That's enough warming up." 

"Now it's time for a fight between men!" he declared, positioning himself between Hinata and Sasuke. 

Sasuke, recognizing Hinata's chakra was nearly depleted, did not press the attack. Instead, his attention shifted entirely to Naruto.

Sasuke activated his Curse Mark, causing a pair of wings to sprout from his back as his chakra surged. Lightning flickered along the blade of his Kusanagi Sword. 

"If I'm fighting you, Naruto, I have to use my full strength. Show me yours as well!" Sasuke challenged.

Naruto's Thunder God Cloak activated, enveloping him in an aura of crackling Lightning Release chakra. 

The Thunder God Sword in his hand transformed into a massive blade of pure energy, arcs of electricity dancing along its edge.

Sasuke's Sharingan flared, allowing him to gauge the immense chakra emanating from Naruto. The sheer intensity of the chakra left him momentarily stunned.

Wasting no time, Sasuke poured more chakra into his Kusanagi Sword and charged. 

Despite his speed, Naruto moved faster, closing the distance before Sasuke could strike.

Sasuke barely dodged a sweeping slash from Naruto's electrified blade, which left a deep scar on the ground. 

Though Sasuke's Sharingan tracked Naruto's movements, the sheer speed of his attacks made them nearly impossible to counter.

The two exchanged blows in a flurry of movements, their attacks colliding with such force that shockwaves rippled across the battlefield. 

Sasuke, realizing the widening gap in their abilities, took to the air, his wings propelling him high above. 

He abandoned his disdain for aerial combat for the first time, feeling the need to create distance to analyze Naruto's movements.

In the air, Sasuke performed a series of hand seals. "Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" he shouted, unleashing three massive fire dragons toward Naruto. 

Amplified by the Curse Mark's power, the flames roared as they barreled toward their target. 

However, Naruto stood his ground, the Thunder God Cloak nullifying the fire attacks entirely.

Seeing his fire attacks fail, Sasuke growled in frustration. "Not even flinching against this level of Fire Release?!" he shouted.

Naruto looked up calmly. "Are you referring to your Curse Mark? That's a flawed power, Sasuke, and it comes with risks. It's not your true strength."

Sasuke clenched his fists at Naruto's words, their meaning cutting deeper than he cared to admit. The question lingered in his mind: What is my true strength?

Naruto pointed the Thunder God Sword at Sasuke. "Let's get serious now. Prepare yourself, Sasuke!"

Sasuke's wings flapped as he ascended higher, attempting to maintain his distance and study Naruto's weaknesses. 

In response, Naruto created two shadow clones, each hurling kunai imbued with Lightning Release chakra. 

Sasuke countered by throwing a Wind Demon Shuriken to intercept the kunai. 

But to his surprise, the chakra-infused kunai sliced through his shuriken and continued toward him.

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