"If you're sleepy, just keep resting. I've already healed your injuries."
Under Karin's gentle reassurance, Haruno Sakura gradually woke up.
She gritted her teeth, suddenly stood up, and rushed out of the room.
Seeing this, Karin became a little nervous.
After all, she knew Naruto kind of liked Sakura.
What if Sakura lost her mind and jumped into the sea or did something rash?
But when she followed her out, she found that Sakura was simply training.
Sakura murmured to herself, "When I become stronger, I'll crush you."
It seemed she had really taken the blow hard.
Hearing her words, Karin subconsciously hugged her chest, feeling a sudden sense of crisis.
Naruto definitely wouldn't like it if she got beaten up.
After all, compared to that figure, hers was just a little more curvy and comfortable to hold.
So Karin also began practicing some of the basic ninjutsu that Naruto had taught her.
Under the moonlight, two young and beautiful kunoichi trained fiercely together.
Inside the cabin, a group of current and former Konoha shinobi gathered around.
"As a kid, it's better not to drink," Jiraiya said, staring at Naruto, who was tasting sake.
Naruto took a small sip, shook his head, and set the cup down.
Compared to the alcohol from his previous life, the wine here wasn't all that good.
After all, this world was focused on war—most people spent their energy training, researching jutsu, and fighting.
Few had the luxury to develop a real brewing culture.
The difference was understandable.
Regarding Jiraiya's warning, Naruto replied casually, "What's the problem? I'm not a Konoha shinobi anymore. I have no mission."
Kakashi, looking through the window at the two girls training outside, asked lazily, "Is it really okay for them to go at it like that?"
Since he was on a mission, Kakashi couldn't drink.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, did—because for him, drinking with his apprentice counted as "experience."
"It's fine," Naruto said calmly, though a little nervous inside. "As long as they don't attack me."
"Hahahaha~" Jiraiya burst out laughing. "Serves you right, being such a carefree pervert!"
Naruto clicked his tongue. "Says the man who peeps at the women's bathhouse."
Jiraiya coughed and turned away, pretending not to hear.
Tsunade and Kato Dan were indeed lovers once—but it ended badly. Maybe that was why Tsunade had little patience for Jiraiya's bad habits.
"Right," Naruto suddenly remembered something. He turned to Sasuke, who was quietly eating. "How's your training going lately?"
Maybe it was out of habit, but Naruto and Sasuke didn't interact like equals—they acted more like instructor and student.
Though in truth, they were also close friends.
So when it came to training, they naturally slipped into that dynamic.
Sasuke looked up at him and said coolly, "I can show my strength, but I won't spar with you."
"Oh?" Naruto raised a brow. "Where's our fearless Second Pillar gone?"
Sasuke's face darkened. He remembered how many times he'd challenged Naruto—only to lose miserably each time.
After following Jiraiya and learning more, Sasuke had gained perspective.
Naruto was strong enough to defeat four Kage-level opponents.
He was already among the top fighters in the entire ninja world.
Sasuke, meanwhile, was still just an ordinary Uchiha.
According to Jiraiya, Sasuke might reach Naruto's level someday—but that was still far away.
Right now? No way.
Sasuke activated his Three Tomoe Sharingan.
Naruto rubbed his chin and nodded approvingly.
Not bad.
It seemed Sasuke had learned a proper training method for his Sharingan somewhere.
Otherwise, by this point in the original story, he would've still had only two tomoe.
The third tomoe didn't awaken until later—after defecting from Konoha, being influenced by Orochimaru's curse mark, and fighting Naruto at the Valley of the End.
"You're still a long way from Uchiha Itachi," Naruto reminded him. "Don't think about challenging him just yet."
At the mention of his brother, Sasuke lowered his head, unable to hide his hatred.
He whispered, "That's what Jiraiya-sensei keeps telling me too."
Naruto then asked about the Nine Tails.
But Sasuke and Jiraiya knew nothing about that.
Naruto's seal was far too strong—the little Nine Tails couldn't even make a ripple.
And neither of them had paid much attention to the fox's power anyway.
Naruto sighed softly. It seemed he'd have to handle that later.
According to his plan, once he defeated Doto Kazahana, the Snow Country's ruler, he'd trigger the Nine Tails' power in front of Sasuke.
Once Sasuke saw it, his curiosity and ambition would ignite.
Then he'd come to Naruto for answers—and that's when Naruto would use genjutsu to guide him, helping him face his inner self and learn to control the Nine Tails' chakra.
With both Uchiha blood and the Nine Tails' power, Sasuke's strength would skyrocket.
After gaining more battle experience, he could even reach Kage level.
And at that level, Sasuke could challenge Itachi.
Not to defeat him—but to be acknowledged by him.
Because Itachi would never truly kill Sasuke.
He'd always intended to let his brother win—to free him.
In the end, Itachi's love was his curse.
He was a successor of the Will of Fire, but to Sasuke… he was also the beast who loved him most.
The Land of Snow was under the rule of Doto Kazahana and his subordinates.
When the film crew arrived with Princess Koyuki Kazahana, Doto's spies quickly learned of it.
But because Naruto had disrupted the timeline, events no longer followed the original sequence.
The crew reached the Land of Snow and began filming a day before the Snow Ninja arrived.
On the icy shore, as the snow ninjas attacked, the crew fled toward the ship.
Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura rushed forward to protect them.
Standing on the ship's deck, Naruto looked down at the attackers and recognized them as minor enemies—nameless ones who hadn't even appeared in the original story.
He turned to the red-haired girl beside him and said, "This is your chance, Karin."
Karin clenched her fist, a spark of excitement flashing in her eyes. "I've always been the one getting beaten up. This time, I want to see how strong I really am."
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