Naruto: Just Want To Be A Death God

A team composed of one jōnin and five chūnin greatly satisfied the noble who commissioned the mission.

In his words, it showed Konoha's sincerity.

The heiress of the Hyuga clan was among them.

And also that descendant of the Uchiha clan, who, according to rumors, was only dispatched for high-priority missions.

But Kurenai Yuhi didn't have a good impression of this noble.

Their team had made it from Konoha to the capital of the Land of Fire in just half a day.

Yet the noble, traveling by carriage for just a few hours, kept whining about being tired and insisted on resting in a nearby town.

Had he just endured a little and traveled through the night, they could have returned to the village before dawn.

Such a pampered weakling!

The noble rented the entire three-story inn, summoned singing girls, and indulged in debauchery. It was indecent and disgraceful.

The guards and ninja were housed on the second floor.

"Kurenai-sensei, I've finished the inspection," Hinata said softly. "There are six ninja on the first and second floors of the inn—four are from Konoha. The other two are of unknown affiliation, but they've already left and don't seem interested in conflict."

Kiba walked over, Akamaru following at his heels. He spoke casually, "Didn't find any dangerous items on the second floor either."

"Seems like a pretty easy mission."

Sakura also reported, "I've finished setting up the security traps on the second floor."

She looked around. "Where's Sasuke?"

The others shook their heads.

"Sasuke ran off," said a voice, short and direct.

Sakura turned toward the voice. It was a male ninja wearing sunglasses and a hoodie.

Huh?

Was there someone like that in Team 8?

His name was… Shino? Or something like that?

"Ran off?" Kurenai froze, her expression turning serious. Her voice rose. "What do you mean?"

"The mission you gave Sasuke, Kurenai-sensei, was to set up traps around the third floor," Shino Aburame calmly explained. "But just now, he abandoned his task and ran toward the outskirts of town. My insects are tracking him."

"He hasn't left the town yet, but it doesn't look like he's coming back."

Kurenai understood the implication and her expression hardened. "Sakura, Shino, stay behind and protect the mission target."

"Hinata, Kiba, come with me."

Sakura pleaded, "Kurenai-sensei, let me come too. Sasuke is my teammate."

Kurenai was silent for a moment and met her pleading eyes. "Kiba, then you stay."

"We're moving out."

It was a dark and windy night.

Sasuke fled quickly, without hesitation.

But just after leaving the town, he suddenly stopped and turned his head toward a tree ahead. "Come out. I saw you."

A red figure emerged from behind the tree. "Uchiha Sasuke, this isn't the order I gave you. What are you trying to do?"

"No surprise the sensory unit found me this quickly," Sasuke said calmly. "But don't play dumb."

"I'm leaving Konoha."

"You want to become a rogue ninja?" Kurenai raised her hand, her expression stern. "That's quite the unexpected decision."

"But…"

She formed hand seals.

Kurenai dissipated like smoke, and the tree beneath Sasuke suddenly came to life, its branches binding him tightly.

A kunai shot out from the trunk, pressing against his neck.

"I won't let you leave," Kurenai emerged halfway from the tree. "You'll return and be judged by the Hokage."

Sasuke lifted his head. His Sharingan spun—the three tomoe fully formed—as he locked eyes with Kurenai. "Still haven't learned your lesson, huh?"

"Didn't you fight that man before?"

"Don't you remember?"

"No genjutsu works in front of these eyes."

With those words, the situation flipped.

Sasuke took a step back.

Now Kurenai was the one bound within the tree.

Her heart sank. Sasuke had become this proficient at using genjutsu?

These eyes of the Uchiha clan were truly terrifying.

Without hesitation, she bit her lip and forced herself out of the illusion.

Just then—

Sakura and Hinata finally arrived, slower than Kurenai.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" Sakura gasped, staring in disbelief at Kurenai, who had blood at the corner of her lips.

Sasuke's gaze and voice were both cold. "I'm leaving Konoha."

"And she happened to stand in my way."

"If you're going to stop me, be prepared to get hurt."

Sakura looked like she wanted to draw a kunai but couldn't bring herself to face Sasuke. "Why are you leaving too?"

She wasn't surprised.

The premonition that had been lingering in her heart had now become reality.

"I want to become stronger," Sasuke said simply. "But Konoha can't give me what I want."

Sakura whispered, "Didn't Kakashi-sensei say that if you become a special jōnin, he'd teach you new jutsu?"

"But how long would it take to get stronger that way?" Sasuke clenched his teeth and shook his head. "Am I supposed to spend my whole life just trying to catch up to them?"

Sakura tried to say something more.

But Sasuke continued, "Sakura, did you see that noble?"

Sakura blinked.

"Just protecting a useless guy like him made this a B-rank mission," Sasuke sneered. "Haven't you realized Konoha's true nature?"

"They want obedient, well-trained tools."

"That's what a ninja is."

"A tool to serve the desires of some people in the village—and those nobles."

Sakura opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

She had never considered these things before.

"If I can gain power, I don't mind being a tool," Sasuke clenched his fists. "But there are people in Konoha who don't want to see this tool grow strong."

"They just want me to stay at this level."

"To have enough strength to match the Uchiha name, but never enough to escape their control."

"Staying in Konoha is just a waste of time."

Hinata spoke, "Are you going to find Naruto?"

Sasuke's expression darkened.

That blonde, radiant figure flashed through his mind.

Over the years, rumors about him had steadily surfaced.

"We're not on the same path," Sasuke shook his head firmly. "He has his own dreams, and I have mine."

"I'm not… someone who needs to be rescued by others."

"I'll become strong my own way."

"I'll take my revenge with my own hands!"

Sakura gritted her teeth and drew her kunai. "If that's the case, I won't let you leave."

"If you stayed in the village…"

"I'd help you take revenge with everything I have."

Sasuke's voice was soft but firm and cold. "Sakura, you can't do it."

He raised his hand and looked past them toward the town.

"A ninja is a tool."

"And tools aren't supposed to have a will of their own."

Kurenai watched him form a hand seal, her pupils contracting. "Uchiha Sasuke, what did you do?"

Sasuke didn't answer, only began channeling chakra.

A loud explosion echoed from the town.

It was the sound of explosive tags going off.

"Naruto saw this clearly from the start," Sasuke said, grinning mockingly. "That's why he left the village."

"It just took me longer to realize it… and I stayed in Konoha for so long."

"So now make your choice."

"Will you continue your duty as a tool…"

"Or abandon that identity and try to stop me?"

Kurenai gritted her teeth and glared at him. "Retreat!"

Sakura turned, stunned. "But Kurenai-sensei, Sasuke—"

"The mission target's safety is more important," Kurenai said firmly.

She dragged Sakura away, Hinata following.

Sasuke watched them leave, his gaze distant. After a moment, he vanished into the night.

By dawn—

Outside the Sound Village, Sasuke appeared.

He stood atop a tree, waiting. Then he turned suddenly and looked toward a shadowy spot. "Come out. Don't hide like a coward."

"Sasuke-kun's Sharingan is getting stronger," said a white-haired man who emerged with a grin. "Didn't expect you'd come here."

"Orochimaru-sama will be pleased."

Sasuke had his hands in his pockets. "Is Orochimaru still alive?"

"Take me to him."

Kabuto leapt down and gestured toward the Sound Village. "Then please, follow me."

Sasuke followed behind, emotions churning.

Meanwhile, at the inn—

Karin stared at the Kyūbi perched on the table, her eyes glowing. Her hands twitched in anticipation.

"This is the Nine-Tails?" she asked.

Naruto nodded.

"Doesn't look evil at all," she said, cautiously reaching out to pet it. "It's actually cute and fluffy."

The Kyūbi swatted its tail and growled, "Don't touch me, brat!"

"Come on, don't be so stingy!" Karin pulled her hand back in pain, rubbing the red mark.

The Kyūbi snarled, "I'm the strongest, most fearsome Tailed Beast—not a pet!"

"You Uzumaki brat, get that straight!"

Karin pouted and muttered to herself, trying several more times, even sneaking around to the back—but the Kyūbi's senses were too sharp.

She finally turned to Naruto. "Are we leaving tomorrow?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "Yeah, everything we needed to take care of here is done."

"Then where are we going?" Karin asked, still remembering Naruto's plan to find a place to live.

Naruto spoke softly, "First, to find Orochimaru."

"Need to borrow something from him."

Karin was surprised—they had just seen that guy.

Naruto shook his head.

He wanted to borrow some of Orochimaru's research equipment—and intel on extremely evil rogue ninja.

The "Reaper Death Seal: Release" technique required a sacrificial subject.

He couldn't use himself or Karin.

And Naruto didn't plan to tell Orochimaru that he had already cracked the technique.

(End of Chapter)