Hancock's gift pack contained the two types of Haki.
Seven's gift pack restored his strength and included a technique.
Taichi's gift pack also contained various strange and wonderful things.
This made her very curious.
Why did the gift packs sent by the Group Owner have the same name, yet contain completely different things?
[Dark Group Owner: The Newcomer Gift Pack is a reward tailored to the characteristics of your respective worlds, forming what is most suitable for you.]
[Dark Group Owner: This is a benefit I bestow upon you. Each person only has one chance.]
'So that's how it is.'
Hancock nodded her little head, typing with admiration.
[This Queen Is So Beautiful: Group Owner, can I bring all the female warriors of Amazon Lily into the group and give each of them a gift pack?]
[Dark Group Owner: You must be dreaming.]
Hattori had three black lines on his forehead.
'This Empress really came out with shocking statements. She actually wanted it all.'
[Dark Group Owner: Those who can enter this group must have strong potential and carry a darkened past. Don't recommend just any Tom, Dick, or Harry to me!]
[The Dead-Last Jinchuriki: Um, Group Owner Mister, on my side... there might be someone I could recommend.]
Naruto scratched his nose, looking rather awkward.
…
Half an hour earlier.
In a corner of Konoha, Naruto, draped in his stealth suit, was trying to sneak away.
But a cold voice interrupted his steps.
"What kind of technique is that? Why can it conceal your form?"
A handsome youth with his hands in his pockets and an aloof expression was calmly watching him.
The youth's eyes swirled with a tomoe, emitting a crimson glow.
"Sa... Sasuke?"
Naruto was flustered.
He and Sasuke didn't actually have any deep-seated grudge.
If it weren't for Sakura, they might even have become friends, given their similar experiences.
But…
Running into this cold, handsome youth on the verge of defecting from the village was really awkward.
"Oh? It's you, the dead-last. It seems your results at the Academy were all an act. You've actually mastered such a powerful technique."
Sasuke's eyes focused, and he quickly started overthinking.
His Sharingan could see that the Chakra within Naruto's body was immense and extremely violent.
That was also how he detected the invisible Naruto.
The Sharingan, even the one-tomoe Sharingan, could perceive the flow of Chakra in a person's body.
"Uh, is there something? If not, I'll be going first."
Naruto felt uncomfortable all over. He wanted to slip away and leave Konoha as soon as possible.
But Sasuke frowned, and blocked his path.
"Where are you going alone so late?"
"Judging by your direction, it's outside the village, right?"
"Could it be... you learned this powerful technique from a Shinobi outside the village?"
Naruto had to admire Sasuke's ability to overthink.
From just a stealth suit, he had deduced so much.
"No, you're thinking too…"
"I get it! The reason you're sneaking around invisibly and so afraid I'd find out... the teacher who taught you this technique must be a Konoha's Missing-nin, right?!"
Sasuke's Sharingan flashed as he exclaimed in sudden realization.
Invisibility was, to some extent, a type of Genjutsu.
The Konoha's Missing-nin skilled in Genjutsu... there was only that one person…
"It's Itachi, right? The one who taught you this Genjutsu must be that man!"
Sasuke's voice was icy cold, filled with a hoarse hatred.
Naruto looked bewildered.
'What is he saying?'
'Who was Itachi?'
'What did that guy have to do with me?'
"No, I don't know any Itachi at all. I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Hah, if it's not Itachi, then explain, who taught you this invisibility Genjutsu?"
"This..."
Naruto froze on the spot.
'I couldn't exactly reveal the Group Owner, could I?'
"I really can't say. But I swear, it definitely wasn't Itachi who taught me."
Naruto raised his right hand to the sky, making a vow.
"If it's not Itachi, then why can't you say?"
Sasuke frowned, full of suspicion.
"Because... because he's just too powerful. If you want to know his name, you must pledge yourself to him, become a Missing-nin."
In his panic, Naruto made up a reason on the spot.
At this point, if he didn't quickly brush this off, he wouldn't be able to get away.
'He dares to take in someone from Konoha to become a Missing-nin, and he invented an invisibility technique even the naked eye can't see through... This person is definitely not simple...'
Sasuke's eyes shifted, and he actually felt tempted.
Naruto's intention was to scare Sasuke off.
But in Sasuke's mind, Konoha, as the leading ninja village, was incredibly powerful.
How confident must someone be to declare that joining him required defecting from the Shinobi Village?
Moreover, not just Konoha…
He wanted all the Missing-nin from the Five Great Nations' Shinobi Villages.
One person, against the whole world.
Such audacity… without sufficient strength to back it up, how could he dare to say such a thing?
"For the sake of revenge, a mere Konoha identity is nothing."
Sasuke laughed coldly.
He took out the Genin's forehead protector he had just obtained a few days ago and drew a glaring line through the center.
"This should do, right?"
"I, Uchiha Sasuke, voluntarily defect from Konoha and pledge myself to that master of yours."
"Ha???!?!?"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
'This outwardly cold and aloof, edgy youth... his internal monologue was way too detailed!'
'Just how much did he overthink?!'