##That Evening - Naruto's Mindscape##
As Naruto approached the massive beast, it looked down at him from above.
They simply locked eyes in silence, neither uttering a word.
In truth, the Nine-Tails respected Naruto far more than any human being.
He neither resisted this power nor simply tried to hide it away—he sought to wield it as an advantage against his enemies, not as a curse.
This was the purest form of a ninja the fox had ever encountered, although it would never say that to Naruto's face.
The Nine-Tails crouched down, bringing its head to the ground so it could look Naruto directly in the eye.
"I guess you already know why I'm here. I just wanted to hear your opinion before making my final decision."
"That's not something I can answer for you, human. Ultimately, the choice is yours alone. If you really want to become the Hokage you envision yourself as, then you must be capable of answering these questions yourself. Because the choices ahead will only grow harder—and only if you survive long enough to face them."
Naruto nodded and turned to leave the mindscape. Just as he was about to disappear completely, he heard the Nine-Tails speak again:
"When the time comes to fight… do not use the Sharingan. No matter what choice you ultimately make. That's my only request."
Without looking back, Naruto kept walking forward, fading deeper into the mindscape.
"I'll think about it," he replied vaguely, giving nothing away.
The Nine-Tails gave another soft scoff, watching as Naruto faded from view—"What an insufferable brat."
******
##The Next Day - Konoha's Gates##
Kakashi was preparing to depart on a mission with his team when Jiraiya, Shizune, and Tsunade arrived to see them off.
Jiraiya approached his silver-haired companion and slapped him lightly on the shoulder with his remaining hand, speaking in his still-hoarse voice:
"Just make sure you find him while he's still unharmed, alright?"
Kakashi nodded once more.
"Don't worry, Lord Jiraiya. If the kid really told you everything he knows, he won't be hiding anymore. Finding him should be easy enough now."
Tsunade stepped forward.
"Good luck, Kakashi. And keep an eye on Sakura—don't let her do anything stupid." She glanced briefly at Sakura standing nearby.
Kakashi nodded again before turning to his team.
"Alright everyone, I chose each of you for a reason, but now isn't the time to explain. The teammates I've chosen are Neji Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Sakura Haruno, and Shikamaru Nara. Each of you carries strong resolve."
"Our primary mission is to locate Naruto. Our secondary objective is to assist him with whatever issues he's currently facing. It's also highly likely we'll run into Akatsuki members along the way. You've all been briefed on these individuals already. Once we find Naruto, he'll have answers to the rest of your questions. Any questions before we begin?"
He saw everyone shake their heads.
"Excellent. Let's go find that blonde-haired kid."
He finished speaking and rushed out with the others close behind.
Tsunade watched them go before turning to Jiraiya.
"Do you remember what I told you earlier—how I had an ominous feeling before you and Naruto left for Amegakure? I'm getting that same feeling again."
"I didn't know you had precognitive abilities, Princess Tsunade. Everything will be fine. Even if you really do have that feeling, he'll be alright. Look at me—I came back safely, didn't I? That kid's far tougher than me. He might get a few injuries here and there, but when has he ever ended up in a hospital?"
Shizune picked up Tonton from the ground and held her tightly:
"I hope you're right, Master Jiraiya."
"We all do, Shizune," Jiraiya replied before walking back toward the village.
******
With the arrival of a new day, Naruto once again led his team toward the northern regions of the Land of Fire, scouting for any sign of Sasuke or Itachi.
"Once we reach the next town, we'll need to start gathering information. I'll leave some Shadow Clones behind, then we can continue moving forward. By the end of today, we should have a good idea of what's going on in the area."
"I'll also leave behind some of my ink constructs," Sai suggested, flying beside them on an ink bird. "They can help your clones collect data."
Sai created two additional large ink birds, and the three soared once more above the forests of the Land of Fire.
Maki wrapped her arms around Naruto's waist from behind while Sai rode his ink bird beside them, leading the way.
"I really wish we had a Ninja Hound with us," Naruto said regretfully. "If Kiba were here, we could've found them much faster."
Maki sighed, resting her head against his back:
"That's impossible. Naruto-senpai, even Root doesn't keep dogs anymore since Danzo-sama disbanded it officially."
A thought suddenly struck Naruto.
"Wait a second, how are we going to explain their identities once we return? I can explain Sai, but Maki won't be easy to justify."
"I don't know," Maki answered. "But we mustn't tell anyone who isn't authorized about this." She stuck out her tongue, revealing a seal hidden beneath it—coalescing into three solid lines and two broken ones. "Senior Sai bears one as well."
Naruto snapped his fingers, remembering the seal. "Oh yeah! Lord Danzō tried to place that seal on me three times, but every time I removed it myself. I was nothing but a pawn to him, and that seal gave me nothing but trouble."
"Naruto-senpai is so strong," Maki thought as she asked, "So, what do we do now?"
"I'll search on the ground," Naruto said, gently unwrapping Maki's arms from around his waist. "Sai, look after Maki. If you find anything or can't find me, go back to the first village we passed through and wait for me."
With that, Naruto leaped off the ink bird, diving down toward the forest below.
"Naruto-senpai!" Maki and Sai shouted simultaneously as they watched their leader vanish into the trees.
As Sai was preparing to maneuver the ink bird to catch him, they heard Naruto cry out a jutsu.
[Wind Release: Air Bubbles!] Naruto's body steadied in midair, as if standing on a cushion of air, then began to fall again, repeating this motion until he had safely cleared the treetops. "I'll be back in a moment!" Naruto called before vanishing from sight.
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