Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the intellectual property associated with Naruto.
Hi all,
Here's the next chapter. This one fought me hard, and I am still not happy with it. I may return to make some changes to it at some point.
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Chapter 3
Naruto was back inside his mindscape.
The Kyuubi stood behind the cage in front of him. Naruto was already thinking about leaving his mindscape. If he had known what was going to happen before he came here, he may not have come in the first place. The Kyuubi was going to his sensei today, which is a weird notion to wrap his head around. Hadn't he already graduated from the academy? Didn't he have to suffer through the Root propaganda every afternoon? Why did he have to take more lessons?
He understood his own capabilities very well. Although he wasn't as dumb as he first appeared, he wasn't someone who learned best through structured lessons. He was a physically active learner, and retained information easier when his body and senses were engaged. He could not sit still in a classroom and listen to a teacher drone on. For him, it was torture.
"I believe your biggest problem with your inability to control my chakra comes down your lack of understanding as to what chakra is."
"I know what chakra is," Naruto said, repeating the academy definition verbatim. "It's a combination of a person's physical and mental energy. As we grow older, our chakra reserves increase naturally. However, we can further enhance our reserves through dedicated training."
Kyuubi sneered. "This is an overly simplistic interpretation of chakra."
"Then lay your infinite wisdom on me, Kyuubi sensei," Naruto said with a bow.
"Don't mock me human," Kyuubi roared, smashing his tails against the gate.
"Alright, I am listening. What do I call you anyway? Kyuubi doesn't sound right."
"I don't care."
"Nine tails? Oh, how about Foxy? Big Red? Hmm, that last one doesn't quite hit the mark. You're more orange than anything else. Why did you have to be the same as my favourite colour? Although let's be honest, Big Orange doesn't quite have the same ring as Red. Alright, I suppose I'll settle for calling you Big Red."
"Do you want to die?" Kyuubi opened his mouth and showed off his huge set of fangs.
"Big Red, what big teeth you have!" Naruto cried. "Too bad you cannot reach me from inside your cage."
"Stupid brat, stop calling me that."
"Nope."
"I demand it."
"How about calling you Kyuubi, the Big Red Fox?"
"Damn it. Call me Kurama!"
By the look on his face, Naruto could tell that he regretted blurting out that name. So it was his actual name?
"Alright, Kurama it is."
If Kurama could reach him at that moment, he was certain he would be dead. Naruto turned serious. "Alright, let's continue with the lesson.
Kurama reclined on his side, seemingly calm, yet his tails continued to lash about in agitation. "Pay close attention as I won't repeat myself. Chakra flows through the body in a network of pathways, much like blood coursing through veins. When harnessed correctly, it allows the user to perform jutsu."
"Where does the network end?" Naruto asked. "It has to travel somewhere right? Like the heart pumps blood throughout the rest of the body, feeding it oxygen."
"In most cases, it doesn't. The network circuits the body in an endless loop. It needs no other means to circulate through the body. A chakra circulates continuously until you die. Even if your chakra points are blocked, it circulates to some degree."
"You said usually?"
"You are different from others due to the nature of this seal. You may find it difficult to appreciate the exquisite design, even though my own understanding of it remains somewhat limited. Not only does it create a space to contain me, but it has several other functions. One of them is that it has created a Chakra Core, for lack of a better term. This allows you to store additional reserves of chakra."
"How am I supposed to store extra reserves of chakra?" Naruto asked. "That would have been useful to know beforehand."
"See those pipes?" Kurama pointed with his tails. "They are a physical manifestation of your chakra veins. I believe that your core lies just beyond the range of this mindscape. You have to find a way to access it. Do you see the channel of water in the middle of this sewer? This is a manifestation of my chakra being converted into your own."
"Wait a minute," Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "This is called my mindscape, right? So, I can understand that there is all this mind fuckery going on. But where exactly is this space located? Is it within my mind or my stomach where the seal is located?"
"The space exists within the seal, stupid human. Just because it does not reside within your brain does not imply that there is no link to it. I believe that this space not only has a physical aspect but also as a metaphysical construct."
"Metaphysical?"
"It means that something is not easily defined or with physical substance. Take your mind as an example; it is the part of a person that feels, perceives, thinks, wills, and reasons. But it is not something you can touch with your own hands."
"I see," Naruto said. "Does the seal have the same effect as the other jinchuriki?"
"Who knows? I suspect the seals are different because they were created by different seal masters," Kyubbi said. He muttered something under his breath. Naruto wasn't sure, but it sounded like 'damn Uzumakis'.
"Back to the lesson," Kurama said. "Chakra has six major characteristics: volume, shape, nature, signature, concentration and balance, as well as type and output. There are three major facets of chakra that directly correlate with each characteristic. Chakra reserves and volume are directly correlated. Chakra control is associated with shape, nature, and concentration. Finally, the chakra user influences the type, output, and signature characteristics.
"Chakra volume refers to the maximum amount of chakra available from the user's reserves. This does not imply that it is better since there are plenty of jutsu that require a high level of control. In your case, you have a difficult time controlling chakra because your reserves are boosted by my own Biju chakra."
"Biju chakra? Is that what it is called?" Naruto asked.
"It's what you humans call it, and that will suffice. Now stop interrupting," Kurama growled. "Now for chakra control. The concept of shaping your chakra is self-explanatory — the chakra needs to be controlled and reconstructed, which is often a requirement for some jutsu. By shaping your chakra, you can increase its power and versatility significantly rather than releasing it in a free-form state."
"Does that mean we shape our chakra when we use hand signs?"
"No. Hand seals were developed as elaborate training aids. They aren't required to do ninjutsu techniques, but they make the chakra manipulations involved in those techniques easier to remember and perform accurately. Once you have enough chakra control and familiarity with the jutsu, you can reduce the number of hand seals you need to execute the jutsu."
That's interesting. Naturo noticed that both Kakashi-sensei and Jaraiya still used hand seals. Did they have jutsu that could be used without them? And how long would it take to reach that level of mastery?
Kurama continued. "Nature transformation is simply applying a chakra nature to a technique. An example of this is the Chidori, which is your sensei's signature jutsu. It changes the chakra into a lightning nature."
"That's a powerful jutsu," Naruto said, clenching his fist. "Yet he only taught it to Sasuke. Only the best for the perfect Uchiha."
"Heh. Are you jealous of the baby Uchicha? Why not eliminate him when you get the chance?"
"What?!" Naruto cast a disdainful glance in Kurama's direction. "I may resent Sasuke for receiving special treatment, but I don't hate him."
"Well, I despise the Uchiha." Kurama let out a fierce roar, causing the fur on his body to stand on end. "Every last one of them. They are the bane of my existence."
"What do you mean?"
Kurama ignored him, continuing the lesson as if nothing had happened. "The final characteristic of chakra control is concentration. It is the recomposition of a chakra's strength, which is also crucial for the formation of jutsu.
"Just like how jutsu requires a specific shape and elemental recomposition, the same concept applies to balance recomposition; each jutsu has its own parameters, and if they're not met, the jutsu will not be performed correctly."
Naruto let out a sleepy yawn. "This is interesting stuff, but how long will this lesson take? I need to get some sleep or I won't be ready to deal with Fu's insane training in the morning."
"Where is the desperation?" Kurama growled. "Do you not want to escape? You should take advantage of every spare moment to find a way out of your situation. Do you think this is a game?"
Naruto grimaced. "Point taken."
"The last facet that determines chakra is the user. Chakra type is simply the type of chakra being used. A user's chakra usually rests in neutrality, but it can be changed to something else, like Senjitsu, which is the chakra that the user draws from nature."
"Is Senjitsu powerful?"
"Why don't you ask that toad spawn?"
Naruto blinked. "Jiraiya?"
Kurama ignored him and continued. "Additionally, chakra output is simply the rate at which you can produce chakra at any given time. This is advantageous because you can perform jutsu faster. However, it can also be detrimental. If you don't have a lot of chakra reserves, it is easy to use too much and suffer from chakra burnout.
"Chakra can also reflect the state of its user — this is often called chakra signature. It is not as important as other characteristics, but it can reveal something about the user. Such as their personality. An emotionless and ruthless person may give off a feeling of coldness. Or, if you are perceptive enough, it may reveal something about the chakra type they are inclined towards."
It took Naruto a while to absorb the information. The last point was of particular interest to him, as he wondered if the chakra signature was something he picked up when targeting others with his technique. He might be able to determine more about their chakra type if he practised more.
"Not that I have given you a basic understanding of chakra, it is time to work at controlling my chakra again."
Naruto groaned but sat on the ground. Although the ground was wet and soaked his pants, it would be completely dry when he exited his mindscape.
He had only attempted to control one tail of Kurama's chakra a few times, but it gave him a terrible feeling. It enveloped him with a sinister aura, exuding a malevolence so palpable that it seemed as if its sole intention was to consume him whole.
He sat in a meditative pose and took a few deep breaths to calm his mind. Even though he
"The jinchuuriki that harness the power of the Biju call it Tailed-Beast mode. It is a shape transformation," Kurama explained. "You shroud yourself in a cloak made from my chakra. I suggest you cloak yourself with your own chakra first before attempting to use my chakra."
"How am I supposed to do that?" Naruto asked with a frown.
"Do you recall the time when you encountered the jinchuuriki of the Sanbi? The moment when you let loose your chakra in a massive explosive release? The feeling is similar to that."
"I am not going to try that here. That is too risky," Naruto protested.
"Fine, then you will have to try the usual method."
"Last time I tried it, I almost succumbed to anger. Being this close to the source of your chakra makes it harder to control."
"You have to get used to what my chakra feels like, and avoid it affecting your own emotions. Get into the proper mindset."
"So, I have to avoid feeling like a grumpy fox with anger issues?" Naruto asked sarcastically.
"Watch it human," Kurama growled.
Naruto came up with an idea, but he was cautious about revealing his technique to Kurama. He wondered if the fox could detect his third chakra source. Up until now, no one else had been able to see it, not even the Hyuga clan with their Byakugans.
Raising a hand, he summoned chakra to his hand in the shape of several tendrils. Unlike his primary chakra, which was blue, this chakra had a golden color. Instead of spreading the chakra outwards, he turned it on himself.
There was something else about the chakra that he discovered by chance. Although he only used it twice, the ramifications of the ability were far-reaching. He first discovered its power during an academy class.
One day, Kiba was being particularly annoying, and wouldn't leave Naruto alone. He felt a sense of curiosity about why he behaved in that manner, prompting him to extend the tendrils of his chakra in order to read him. He realized that Kiba possessed the characteristics of an alpha male, with heightened senses that detected Naruto as a potential challenge to his dominance. It might have been amusing if it weren't so bothersome. Kiba was only slightly ahead of him in class, so he wasn't particularly dominant.
Despite knowing why he annoyed him, Naruto could not think of a way of getting rid of Kiba. At that moment, he discovered another use for his golden chakra. Naruto, in a fit of frustration, demanded Kiba leave him alone. He was astonished when Kiba stood up and walked away, without a complaint. Never would he have imagined that Kiba would listen to him.
At that point, he noticed that his chakra was still attached to Kiba. As soon as the range of his chakra reached its limit, the connection was lost and it withdrew back into his body. Kiba stopped and looked around in confusion as if wondering how he had gotten there.
It took a few minutes for Naruto to understand what had happened. He manipulated Kiba's mind using his chakra. There was no other explanation he could think of. Immediately, he thought of Ino, a girl in his class. Her clan was known for controlling others, although it worked differently than his own. Her clan's jutsu swapped minds with the target to manipulate them, leaving their physical bodies vulnerable to attack. It seemed like his ability was a different version of her clan's jutsu.
Naruto was so excited by the possibility that he decided to test it out on someone stronger. Could he control a Chunin or a Jonin with it? It just so happened that Mizuki was walking by at the time, which is why he targeted him. Since the man hated him anyway, he felt no remorse for using him for his experiment.
As soon as the tendrils touched him, Naruto whispered an order to Mizuki. Instead of jumping on the desk and doing an impromptu dance, the man stiffened. Naruto knew immediately that it hadn't worked and withdrew the chakra back inside himself. Fortunately, Mizuki didn't catch on to what he had done. Still, it scared Naruto and he hadn't tried it since then.
Back in the present, Naruto was disappointed when the chakra was absorbed back into his body. He shouldn't be surprised. It was a part of him, so there was only a slim chance it would work. He hoped to trick himself into summoning Kurama's chakra if he could manipulate his own body. Maybe he should try again, but take a smaller step.
He summoned more golden chakra into his hand and turned it on himself again. This time he focused on sensing his emotions instead. Right before the chakra was reabsorbed into his body, he had a fleeting sense of frustration. Was that his own emotions he felt?
"What are you doing?" Kurama demanded.
"Nothing," Naruto sighed. He would have to experiment later outside of his mindscape.
"Then get to it."
Taking a deep breath, Naruto flooded his body with his chakra.
Naruto settled down after another training session. It was a lot more difficult to consciously use Kurama's chakra than when he fought Neji in the Chunin exams. Using Jaraiya's method to access Kurama's chakra after draining his primary chakra reserves was easier. Kurama forbade Naruto from using it as he called it a crude method. He couldn't disagree. Waiting until his primary reserves were depleted was not practical and likely to get him killed.
The problem was that Kuramas' chakra was so dominant. Trying to channel it was like controlling a raging tornado within his body.
"This isn't working," Naruto said, lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling.
"Useless human," Kurama growled.
Naruto felt discouraged. He had to overcome the obstacle of making the Bijuu chakra manifest as a shape transformation. Instead of just flooding his body with Kurama's haphazardly, he had to actually shape it into a cloak that shrouded his body. This was hard when he was fighting the anger that tried to overwhelm his mind. He hated the feeling of being more aggressive and out of control. It was like a fog that shrouded his thoughts, robbing him of his reasoning and sense of self. He hated the feeling of being out of control.
How was he supposed to master this? Even one tail of the tailed beast's chakra was too much for him to handle. How would he escape this prison anytime soon if it was too much for him?
Kurama paced in front of the gate, grinding his huge teeth together in anger. He appeared even more frustrated than Naruto. After a few minutes of witnessing Kurama's restless pacing, the fox abruptly came to a halt.
"We will try something different," Kurama announced.
"Lay it on me," Naruto yawned.
Kurama looked around the sewer, with a pensive expression on his face. "Perhaps we have done this out of order. There is a rare opportunity we are overlooking."
Naruto sat up straight. "What do you mean?"
"We can explore the unique benefits of this mindscape. If I am right, then it is going to help you to control my chakra."
"Okay," Naruto sighed. "By the way, I was wondering how this seal could sustain itself. It must take a lot of chakra."
"Because the seal drains my chakra to sustain its power. Without it, the seal would have disintegrated ages ago. You would have perished and I would have found my freedom."
"Oh," Naruto said. "Makes sense. So, how can the mindscape help me with my training?"
"Before I explain, we need to do an experiment to see if it works." Kurama gestured toward the sewer as a whole. "First of all, I want you to make a physical change to this sewer."
"How do I do that?" Naruto asked sarcastically. "I left my construction tools at home."
"Don't be stupid, human," Kurama roared. "This is your mindscape. Visualise the change happening with your intent."
Naruto grimaced. "You mean I could have changed the layout of this place before now? Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"It wasn't important. Now, are you going to make an attempt? Or could it be that you prefer the way it looks now? "
"Not a chance," Naruto muttered. He stood up and approached an empty section on the wall. He wasn't going to touch the pipes until he had more practice. What if he did something to mess up his chakra?
He gathered his thoughts. What did he want the space to look like? In all honesty, anything would be an improvement on the current design. But he needed to start small and work his way up to renovating the entire space. After considering his options, he started working.
He focused on the sandstone wall and envisioned it changing into a craggy rock face with a bunch of hanging vines. Seconds passed, but nothing changed. Ignoring Kurama's grating laughter in the background, he carried on. Minutes passed, but the wall refused to change. Naruto felt like banging his head against the wall. Wasn't this supposed to be easy?
"Don't look at it," Kurama suggested. "Close your eyes and visualise it."
He didn't want to think about how wrong that sounded. Technically, he was already in his mind in a sense. So closing his eyes to imagine a space within his mind was extremely confusing. He closed his eyes and pictured the wall in his mind. To aid in transforming them, he decided to do it in baby steps.
Within his mind, he first imagined the walls first turning grey. Holding the image was challenging enough, but changing it was even harder. He couldn't picture the entire wall without the image breaking down, so he shrunk the image down further so he focused on a three-foot section of the wall.
"Open your eyes," Kurama said.
Naruto opened his eyes to see that the section of the wall had changed to a light grey colour. He raised his hands in the air and whooped with excitement.
"It was only a small part," Kurama growled. "It will take you a lot of time to change the entire space."
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto replied. "It's time for me to leave. It's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow night at the same time."
"It's not like I am going anywhere," Kuruma grumbled.
Sasuke's gaze fixated on the ceiling, his frustration mounting as he found himself restricted to the bed. He couldn't afford to waste time when he should be dedicating it to training. The fight with Gaara showed that he was still too weak. Instead of showing the results of his month-long training with Kakashi, he had to watch helplessly as he witnessed Naruto ultimately emerge victorious.
Where did Naruto obtain his strength? How was he able to make such significant progress in such a short period of time, especially considering that he graduated dead last in their class? What was the driving force behind his self-improvement? Did it exceed his own desire for vengeance? He needed to get stronger if he wanted to kill Itachi.
The door opened and the Hokage walked into the room, his cane tapping against the floor. He walked over to the bed and took a seat on the chair.
"You will be dismissed from your team," Danzo said bluntly. "I have much higher aspirations for you, and I can't risk you dying on a mission or your quest for revenge."
Sasuke remained silent, reflecting on the numerous occasions Danzo had visited him throughout the years. He couldn't pinpoint exactly why the man unsettled him so much. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like what the Hokage had in store for him.
"It is important to prevent the Uchiha clan from dying out. As a result, I will make every effort to find suitable partners for you to help continue the next generation. It's a shame your teammate, Sakura, is too young. I am confident that she would have eagerly accepted my proposal."
Sasuke was right. He didn't like the plans in store for him. His hands clenched into fists underneath the blankets.
"Don't worry, I'll find someone suitable to continue your training. There is still much for you to learn. If you want to face your brother one day, you must improve."
Danzo departed shortly after. Sasuke clenched his teeth in fury. He refused to be treated as a means to fulfill the Hokage's ambitions by becoming a breeding machine. Once he regained his full strength, he would depart from this place. He would forge his own path..
He heard a noise coming from the window. Sasuke turned his head and froze in shock as he spotted the familiar face before him.
"Foolish little brother."
"Where is Naruto, sensei?" Sakura asked.
"He is getting specialised training to get his shinobi skills to the level he needs," Kakashi replied, without lifting his head from the Icha-Icha book in his hands.
Sakura grimaced in disgust at his perverted behaviour. Why were so many powerful jonin in the village such weirdos?
They were on a mission outside Konoha, making their way on foot towards another village in the Land of Fire. Naruto had been removed from their genin team and Sasuke was still recovering, leaving her alone with Kakashi-sensei. While she would have preferred to spend time with Sasuke, she couldn't deny her excitement for the mission.
They had to locate Tsunade, who had been absent from Konoha for quite some time. She was regarded as one of the most formidable kunoichi in the entire Elemental Nations, someone whom Sakura deeply admired. If they were able to locate her expeditiously, Sakura wanted to ask for personalised training from her.
Sakura was no longer delusional about her own capabilities. Compared to Sasuke and Naruto, she was nothing. Time and time again, she found herself having to rely on their help because she lacked strength. While they continued to become stronger and make progress, she remained the same. After the latest incident with the invasion, she finally realised she couldn't carry on like this. If it wasn't for Naruto, she would have been killed by Gaara.
She was amazed by the remarkable progress the irritating blonde had made in such a brief period. Watching him battle against Gaara was both exciting and is why she found Kakashi's comments strange. He spoke of Naruto needing to increase his skills, but he had already faced off with the monster Gaara and won.
Sakura wasn't stupid. She had seen Kakashi's treatment of Naruto. It was only because of her own obsession with Sasuke that she ignored it, which made her feel guilty. Despite all the abuse she threw at him, he did not hesitate to risk his life to save her when she was in danger. Sakura realised she wasn't a good friend to Naruto. She had to be better. It was this feeling of shame that made her lash out at her sensei.
"Naruto defeated Gaara," she reminded him. "Something that Sasuke couldn't achieve. When will you finally acknowledge that Naruto is a strong shinobi?"
Kakashi stopped and lowered his book. "What do you mean by that, Sakura?"
"Please, it is obvious that you don't like Naruto," Sakura scoffed. "If Naruto needed training so badly, why did you focus all your attention on Sasuke? "
Kakashi snapped his book shut and tucked it into his vest. "You don't know what you are talking about. Besides, it is hardly fair to paint me as the villain, when you were hardly any better."
"I recognise my own faults, Kakashi sensei," Sakura replied, tears pricking her eyes. "But you are our sensei. You should be held to a higher standard than me. Jaraiya didn't hesitate to train Naruto when he needed it."
"You don't understand," Kakashi turned to continue walking. "The world is a lot more complicated than you can imagine. There is little room for sentiment. You need to grow up Sakura."
"Where is Naruto?" Sakura asked again. "He has disappeared. Even if he is getting personalised training, he should still be in the village."
Kakashi ignored her. Sakura wanted to scream in frustration. The mission didn't feel all that great anymore. She just wanted it to be over, so she could look for Naruto.
A few hours later, Sakura followed Kakashi into a village. Although it couldn't compare to Konoha, it was still a decent size. The streets were bustling with people, and there were street stalls set up alongside the road, selling all kinds of food. The incredible aroma filled the air, causing her to lick her lips uncontrollably. It was a stark reminder that she hadn't eaten anything since this morning, and her stomach growled in protest.
"We need to look for a casino in town first," Kakashi said. "Tsunade is well known for her gambling vices."
"It's an unhealthy coping mechanism," Sakura agreed. "But you would know all about that wouldn't you sensei?"
"Your claws are out," Kakashi remarked. "Maybe you aren't such a little girl after all."
Sakura poked her tongue at his back, contradicting his statement.
They discovered the bar and casino, nestled in the heart of the bustling business district. Sakura deftly avoided a man being forcefully ejected from the entrance. Vibrant music and boisterous laughter emanated from within. Sakura trailed behind Kakashi as they entered the lively casino.
"Is she here?" Sakura asked.
This was the fifth town they had visited since leaving Konoha. Tsunade was constantly on the move, trying to evade her debtors. She had accumulated a staggering amount of debt due to her consistent losses in various games of chance. It was evident that she was not skilled at gambling.
"It seems we are in luck," Kakashi gestured towards the bar area.
Sakura looked in the direction his finger was pointing and noticed two women seated there. One of them was a plain-looking woman with black hair, holding a small pig in her arms. There was nothing particularly remarkable about her. The second woman, however, stood out from the first.
This has to be Tsunade. She was hunched over the bar, wearing a scowl on her face. Her movements were erratic, indicating signs of intoxication. Suddenly, a man approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Tsunade swiftly spun around and delivered a powerful punch directly to the man's face. The impact sent him flying across the room until he collided with the wall. With a thud, he slumped to the ground, unconscious.
"There's no mistaking her strength," Kakashi said. "Stay alert. She's not someone you want to mess with."
Sakura and Kakashi approached the two women. Sakura approached her hero and took a closer look when they were just a few feet away
Tsunade was a woman with long blonde hair, and was known for her ample assets. She donned a grass-green haori adorned with the kanji symbol for 'gamble' in a red circle on the back. Sakura looked down at her own modest chest and pouted. Life was unfair.
"Tsunade," Kakashi greeted her.
Tsunade spun around and let out a groan at the sight of the person. "Kakashi brat, please tell me that we are meeting here by coincidence."
"I am afraid not," he replied.
"Kakashi," the black-haired woman greeted him.
"Shizune," Kakashi smiled at her. He turned and motioned Sakura forward. "This is Sakura, one of my genin students."
"Hello," Sakura stepped up and bowed to Tsunade. "It's an honour to meet you, Tsunade-sama."
"Yeah, I am beyond thrilled," Tsunade said, turning back to the motioned to the bartender, signalling for another drink. "Why are you here Kakashi?"
"The Hokage has ordered you to return to Konoha," Kakashi said.
"Who has replaced Hiruzen as Hokage?" Tsunade asked casually. She didn't appear too interested in the answer.
"It's Danzo. But you already knew that, didn't you?"
"Yep. I have no reservations in stating that I will never go back to the village as long as the warmongering freak is in charge."
"I was afraid you would say that," Kakashi replied. "Then, I'm sorry to say, I will need to bring you back forcefully."
Sakura felt a lump forming in her throat as she tried to digest the unexpected turn of events. What the hell was going on?
So, what do you think? Next chapter, Kakashi and Tsunade face-off, and Naruto continues to improve.
Thanks for reading.