Chapter 227: The Valley of the End
"Brat, traveling so slowly, aren't you afraid someone will catch up?" The Nine-Tails couldn't help but remind Naruto, seeing his leisurely appearance of admiring the scenery along the way after leaving the village.
"Big Brother Kurama, since we're out, we might as well enjoy the scenery along the way," Naruto said, his hands behind his head, whistling as he spoke. "Besides, my escape plan is flawless. They won't discover we're gone for a while."
"What's so good about the scenery here," the Nine-Tails pouted. But thinking about how this kid had grown up in Konoha and never had a chance to properly see the outside world, he decided not to say more. He just said before lying down to sleep, "If you get caught, don't blame me for not reminding you."
"It's fine. We'll just run then. With the power you lent me, Big Brother Kurama, as long as Teacher doesn't come after me himself, no one else can catch me," Naruto said with a laugh.
...
Konoha West Gate. Sasuke rushed to the village exit checkpoint. Without much pause, he just told the Guard Unit members at the gate that it was an emergency mission and he would file the exit paperwork upon his return. Then he left the village and headed directly west along the main road.
At this time, in the Hokage's office, Uchiha Douhuan had also received the news of Naruto's suspected disappearance. No, it wasn't suspected anymore.
Uchiha Douhuan looked at the limited-edition ramen taken from the scroll on his desk and a note inside it, feeling a massive headache.
[Teacher, the world is so big, I want to go and see it.]
Looking at this sloppily written note, and the report of the genin being attacked on the other side, Uchiha Douhuan couldn't help but sigh.
This silly kid. If he wanted to go out and play for a while, couldn't he just come and file a report with him? Did he really think he would lock this silly kid in the village? If it were two years earlier, Uchiha Douhuan might not have agreed to the kid's request. But now that this kid already had the ability to protect himself in the ninja world, if he wanted to go out and see, Uchiha Douhuan had no reason to object. Uchiha Douhuan still understood the principle that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Besides, wasn't it already a Konoha tradition for a Hokage's disciple to wander the world instead of staying in the village? But for this kid to pull a stunt like this now, was he tired of his easy life and wanted to become a rogue ninja?
"Teacher, Naruto, he..." At this moment, Neji hurriedly pushed the door open and entered. However, he was stunned when he saw the things on Uchiha Douhuan's desk.
"You can go back first. I already know about the situation," Uchiha Douhuan nodded. "I will have someone look for that kid."
"Teacher, Sasuke has already gone after him," Neji said.
"Is that so?" Uchiha Douhuan nodded. "I understand. Remember to tell those who know about this to keep it quiet."
"Understood," Neji nodded.
After Neji left, Uchiha Douhuan also shook his head helplessly, looking in the direction of the village's west.
"So, even with things being like this, these two brothers still can't escape the fate of a battle at the Valley of the End?" Uchiha Douhuan shook his head.
...
"Brat, someone's catching up from behind," the Nine-Tails' voice sounded in Naruto's mind.
Naruto jerked his head back and saw a figure stepping on lightning, rushing towards him at high speed.
"So fast?" Naruto was first stunned upon seeing Sasuke's figure, then said with some disbelief.
"With those tricks of yours, it would be strange if you weren't discovered," the Nine-Tails said. "What are you spacing out for? Are you planning to fight him?"
"Alright," Naruto nodded. A trace of golden light appeared on his body, then wind stirred at his feet, and he turned and ran.
"Naruto! You bastard, where do you think you're going!" Sasuke's angry roar sounded from behind Naruto.
Naruto said nothing, just single-mindedly sped up.
"Stop for me!" Seeing Naruto's speed increasing, Sasuke gritted his teeth and threw out a string of shuriken and steel wires.
A sky-blotting net of shuriken descended upon Naruto. Naruto glanced back and hurriedly adjusted his direction, trying to escape through the gaps in the shuriken rain. However, Sasuke's movements were even faster than his. With a slight twist of the steel wires in his hands, the shuriken collided in mid-air, changing their flight paths.
Seeing this, Naruto prepared to take a few shuriken with his body.
However, just as he accelerated, his legs were suddenly entangled by the steel wires. He instantly lost his balance and fell to the ground.
Sasuke took the opportunity to arrive in front of Naruto, looking down at him and asking coldly, "Idiot, where do you think you're going?"
"You still caught up to me, Sasuke. I don't want to fight you," Naruto sighed, breaking the steel wires wrapped around his legs with his chakra.
"Answer my question first. Where are you going?" Sasuke said coldly. "Do you know that everyone is very worried about you?"
"I want to travel around the ninja world," Naruto said. "And then, find my own ninja way."
"For a reason like that?" Sasuke's brows furrowed tightly as he looked at Naruto. "I believe you can also understand the current situation in the ninja world. The village is about to face a war, a time when your power is needed, yet you want to leave the village for such a reason?"
"This is the reason I'm leaving," Naruto said. "The ninja way I seek cannot allow me to use my power for the slaughter of war."
"You are also Teacher's disciple. Have you forgotten that Teacher said our future war of unification is to end the years of strife in the ninja world and bring about ultimate peace?" Sasuke only felt that the current Naruto was being incomprehensible.
"I know," Naruto nodded. "I also know that Teacher and everyone are working hard for this goal. But the scene I saw on the battlefield that day also made me understand that regardless of the purpose, what slaughter brings to people is only the purest pain. So, I want to try to lessen this pain as much as possible, at least not let this pain befall the civilians."
"Is this what you thought of on the battlefield that day?" Sasuke took a deep breath, looking at the Naruto who seemed somewhat different from before, and asked.
"Yes. So, can you let me pass? I don't want to fight you," Naruto said.
"From the sound of it, you seem to think you've got me all figured out, right?" Sasuke took a deep breath. "As for letting you pass, I'm sorry, I can't do that. I can't watch my friend become a rogue ninja. So, even if I have to break your legs, I will take you back to the village."
A silence fell between the two. Only the gurgling sound of flowing water could be heard.
The two of them looked almost simultaneously in the direction the sound of water was coming from.
"Is that place... the Valley of the End?" Naruto muttered to himself.
(End of chapter)
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