Naruto: Different Path

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Facing Naruto's barrage of kunai, Sasuke skillfully dodged each one. As an expert in shuriken techniques, evasion was second nature to him. 

With a series of high-difficulty manoeuvres, Naruto's kunai only grazed past him. 

Just when Sasuke felt relieved to have avoided the attack, Naruto suddenly appeared at his side, his Raijin Sword glowing as it slashed toward him. 

Sasuke reacted swiftly, raising his Kusanagi Sword to block. 

However, the chakra strength between the two was worlds apart—Naruto's strike sent Sasuke hurtling to the ground, leaving a large crater where he landed.

Sasuke climbed out of the dust, supporting himself with his wings. 

Though bruised, he wasn't severely injured as Naruto had held back. Naruto landed lightly on the ground nearby. 

Suddenly, Naruto moved like a streak of lightning, so fast that even Sasuke's Sharingan couldn't track him. 

When Sasuke noticed, Naruto's Raijin Sword was already on his shoulder. 

Sasuke, feeling defeated, muttered, "Is the gap between us only growing wider? I thought I had improved significantly, but it seems it's still not enough."

Naruto withdrew the Raijin Sword, shaking his head. "No, Sasuke. You're an exceptional shinobi of the Uchiha clan, and you've already awakened the Sharingan." 

"In terms of talent, you're not inferior to me. The difference lies in effort and the methods of our training."

Sasuke turned away, pondering Naruto's words. "Is that so? Maybe you're right, Naruto." 

"Then, what direction should I take in my training?" Lost in thought, Sasuke slowly walked away.

Hinata hurriedly asked Naruto, "Aren't we supposed to bring him back to Konoha? The Hokage explicitly instructed us to do so if we encountered Sasuke."

Watching Sasuke's retreating figure, Naruto replied, "Hinata, I know him better than you do." 

"Perhaps Orochimaru's domain is a better fit for him than Konoha at the moment."

Hinata looked at Naruto, puzzled. She had thought Naruto would go to any lengths to bring Sasuke back. 

Naruto smiled at her. "Hinata, you can't understand this now, but one day you will. Besides, we have a more urgent mission than retrieving Sasuke."

"A more urgent mission?" Hinata asked.

Naruto donned his mask and said, "It seems we need to return to the base immediately. If we're any later, it could be disastrous."

After Yakushi Kabuto escorted Sasuke away, he quickly departed with a four-man squad to carry out another task. 

When Naruto and Hinata arrived at their base, they found Asuma and his team intently monitoring the area. 

Though Sasuke and Naruto's battle had been brief due to their disparity in power, Naruto entered Sage Mode while Hinata used her Byakugan to survey the surroundings. 

Yet, despite their vigilance, no enemies appeared.

At that moment, a communication ninja ran over, shouting, "Sir! Urgent news—Yamato's base has come under attack and requests immediate support!"

Naruto frowned, caught off guard. "Did they identify the enemy?"

The communication ninja shook his head. "The situation is critical, and they didn't have time to report the enemy's identity."

Naruto considered the possibility of simultaneous attacks from multiple enemy factions, which would be disastrous. 

He told Hinata, "Sweetheart, stay here and assist Asuma in tracking enemy movements. If you find them, do not engage prematurely."

After giving his instructions, Naruto used the Flying Thunder God technique to teleport to Yamato's base. 

This base, designed as a covert outpost, was hidden with extreme care. 

The enemy would struggle to locate the base even if Yamato and his team were forced to fight outside. 

Despite this, the outpost was guarded by only a Yamato, a Jonin, and three Chunin—a four-man team.

When Naruto arrived, he found Yamato locked in battle with Kabuto. 

Meanwhile, the three Chunin were struggling against another enemy with a curse mark, and the situation looked dire. 

With his scalpel-like chakra blades, Kabuto expertly dodged Yamato's "Wood Release: Great Forest Technique," which sent sharp, interwoven wooden tendrils toward him at high speed. 

Kabuto retreated as Yamato's attack ceased, smirking. "I didn't expect Konoha shinobi here. It seems I was careless. No matter—I'll just have to eliminate you."

Kabuto charged at Yamato, his chakra blades glowing ominously. As a medical ninja, Kabuto excelled in close combat. 

However, Yamato's Wood Release was not so easily overcome. 

Numerous branches shot out from every direction, attacking and attempting to bind Kabuto. 

Kabuto dodged and slashed with his chakra blades, his agility making it difficult for Yamato to land a decisive blow.

Seeing that Kabuto's movements were too nimble, Yamato changed tactics. 

"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!" he shouted, creating a surge of mud that forced Kabuto to jump into the air to avoid being swept away. 

Yamato immediately followed with another jutsu, sending sharp branches shooting upward. 

In midair, Kabuto had no way to dodge. 

He used his chakra blades to break through the first wave, but more branches emerged from the broken pieces, ensnaring him.

With a sharp crack, the captured "Kabuto" turned into a log. 

"A substitution jutsu?" Yamato muttered, realizing that Kabuto had already escaped and was now charging at him from another direction.

"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!" Yamato crouched, forming a protective arc-shaped wooden barrier around himself. 

Kabuto's strike splintered the surface but failed to penetrate. 

Yamato retaliated with another wave of branches, forcing Kabuto to retreat again. Their battle raged on, evenly matched.

Meanwhile, the three Chunin were in dire straits. Despite their numerical advantage, their strength did not match their curse-marked opponent. 

Bloodied and barely holding on, they were on the verge of defeat. Yamato glanced toward them, deeply worried, as Kabuto sneered. 

"It seems your comrades are in trouble. Our target isn't you, after all. Why struggle so hard?"

Yamato ignored Kabuto's taunts, focusing on the fight. However, the desperate situation of his teammates weighed heavily on him. 

Kabuto smirked. "Are you waiting for reinforcements? Too bad—they won't arrive in time. Soon, this will be two against one. Just give up."

Yamato's brow furrowed, but he held his ground, refusing to yield to Kabuto's mind games. 

As the battle continued, he could only hope that Naruto's arrival would change the tide.

As Yamato furrowed his brows, a flash of lightning finally appeared. 

Accompanied by a powerful surge of chakra, a large sword infused with lightning pierced through the cursed-marked creature. 

The intense lightning chakra coursed through the creature's body, paralyzing it completely and gradually forcing it out of its cursed state. 

Naruto slightly increased the output of the lightning chakra, and the creature, wearing a look of disbelief, disintegrated into ash. 

Kabuto, who moments ago was brimming with confidence, was caught off guard—his ally had been eliminated in less than a blink.

Kabuto's original plan had been to discreetly bypass Konoha's defences. 

To this end, he intentionally used Sasuke as a distraction, believing that even if Sasuke couldn't defeat Naruto, their battle would drag on for a considerable time. 

Kabuto himself had spent significant effort identifying weaknesses in Konoha's defensive setup. 

He had only brought one subordinate for assistance for added stealth, thinking this was a foolproof strategy. 

Yet, to his dismay, he stumbled upon a hidden Konoha outpost guarded by capable shinobi. Most unexpectedly, Naruto had shown up unanticipatedly.

Despite this, Kabuto maintained his composure. "As expected of the 'Black Flash'," he remarked. 

"Your presence here signifies my mission has already failed. It seems I underestimated your abilities."

Naruto, now a flash of lightning, struck Kabuto with a powerful kick, sending him flying. 

The sheer speed and Naruto's precise sensory abilities left Kabuto no time to react. 

As Kabuto threw a smoke bomb to mask his retreat, a dark figure intercepted him. 

Kabuto's usual calm wavered for the first time, and a trace of fear crept onto his face. 

The shadow delivered another kick, forcing Kabuto further back, followed by a palm strike that slammed him to the ground.

Though injured, Kabuto immediately utilized his regenerative abilities. 

Yet, he instinctively knew that escaping from this opponent was unlikely—Naruto's strength was overwhelmingly superior. 

Naruto's voice echoed from within the smoke, "Kabuto, I despise your methods. But this time, you're lucky. I'm not here to kill." 

With that, Naruto sheathed his Thunder God Sword and turned to leave. Seizing the opportunity, Kabuto vanished into the smoke.

Emerging from the haze, Naruto gave Yamato a regretful look, silently signalling that the enemy had escaped. 

Yamato nodded in acknowledgement and said, "Your timely arrival was our salvation. A moment later, and we would have been in serious trouble." 

Yamato then approached the three injured Chūnin, who had suffered significant wounds but were not in life-threatening condition. 

Opening a medical kit, Yamato began treating their injuries.

Naruto spoke, "I'll notify other outposts to send reinforcements to escort them to the hospital. This area is now your responsibility." 

Using the Flying Thunder God technique, Naruto transported himself to Asuma's outpost, where tension hung heavy as the team scanned the surroundings. 

Naruto's sudden appearance drew their immediate attention, and Asuma, recognizing him, lowered his weapon. 

"Apologies, we're a bit on edge," Asuma said. 

Naruto smiled. "It's only natural to be cautious. The enemy is elusive and hard to predict. But you can relax now—the threat has been dealt with."

Asuma, puzzled, asked, "But the enemy hasn't shown themselves here. How can you say it's resolved?" 

Naruto explained, "They used a diversionary tactic. This outpost was never their real target." 

"The distress signal from the other outpost was part of their scheme, but it's been taken care of." 

Asuma sighed in relief. "Only you could resolve things so quickly."

Naruto suddenly remembered something and instructed, "There are wounded at the other outpost. Please send some people to assist them." 

With everything settled, Naruto returned to his outpost, bringing Hinata. 

Hyūga Kenta greeted them upon their arrival, saying, "Sir, you can rest now. Leave the outpost to us." 

It was evident Kenta was familiar with Naruto's habits.

Naruto shook his head. "Hinata has used a considerable amount of chakra and needs rest. You're in charge of the outpost." 

"As for me, I have more important matters to attend to." 

Though unsure of Naruto's intentions, Kenta nodded. "Understood, sir. Leave everything here to us." Naruto gave a final nod before vanishing.

Naruto reappeared at Konoha's main gates, presenting his identification to the guards. 

One remarked, "Ah, the famed 'Black Thunder.' It's an honour to meet you." 

Naruto acknowledged the comment with a nod before dashing into the village. 

His destination, however, was not the Hokage's office but the training grounds where Sakura was practising her jutsu. 

Naruto removed his mask and entered the training area, where Sakura was focused on performing hand seals and honing her medical ninjutsu under Tsunade's guidance.

Hearing footsteps, Sakura looked up and met Naruto's gaze. Fatigue from her training vanished instantly, replaced by a bright smile. 

"Naruto! I heard from Lady Tsunade that you were on a mission. How did it go?" 

Naruto smiled back. "The mission was a success. But there's something I need to tell you."

Sakura, expecting good news, was curious and eager to hear more. 

Naruto said, "I saw Sasuke." At the mention of Sasuke, Sakura's expression became complicated. 

Though she no longer harboured romantic feelings for him, the bond of camaraderie remained strong. 

Noticing her reaction, Naruto sighed. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I couldn't bring him back. His strength has grown considerably. Perhaps staying with Orochimaru is better for him."

Sakura looked puzzled. "Naruto, with your abilities, wouldn't it be easy for you to bring him back?" Naruto didn't deny this but shook his head. 

"Old friends now walk different paths in pursuit of their own goals. I don't want to resort to mutual destruction." 

Sakura didn't respond immediately but seemed to understand his perspective. 

The atmosphere grew heavy as they reflected on Sasuke's complicated situation.

Attempting to lighten the mood, Naruto changed the subject. "Sakura, with Lady Tsunade as your mentor, you must have learned some amazing techniques. I heard you're especially talented in medical ninjutsu." 

Sakura nodded and forced a cheerful tone. "I'll master medical ninjutsu and catch up with you and Sasuke!" 

Yet, the mention of Sasuke brought back the weight of their conversation, leaving both solemnly silent.

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