LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 29: Found Him!
In the Land of Lightning,
After calming Hinata, Naruto released the shadow clone he had stationed earlier. With the chakra from the clone returning to him, he re-entered Sage Mode. Taking a deep breath, he used the Flying Thunder God technique to return to his comrades in an instant.
As he reappeared on the great bird soaring above the clouds, Konan looked at him with a sleepy expression. "You're back, junior brother."
Naruto gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I was delayed a bit... had to take care of some personal matters."
Nagato, who had been meditating, opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on Naruto. "I've deployed all Six Paths of Pain, spreading them in a line across the area. They've been searching diligently."
Naruto nodded in gratitude. "Thank you for your hard work, Senior Brother. I'll take over from here."
Nagato inclined his head slightly, recalling the Six Paths of Pain to the bird. He closed his eyes again, retreating into rest.
Naruto positioned himself on the bird's head, crossed his legs, and activated his sage perception. The cool morning breeze rushed past him as the first light of dawn painted the eastern horizon. For hours, he extended his senses across the vast expanse of forest, searching for any sign of Sasuke. Finally, as the sky began to glow with the gentle colors of morning, his eyes snapped open.
"Found him!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice tinged with excitement.
Nagato and Konan turned to him immediately.
"Where?" Konan asked.
Naruto closed his eyes briefly, pinpointing the chakra he had detected. "Southwest direction," he replied confidently.
Nagato nodded, his mind commanding the massive bird to veer toward the southwest. The great creature let out a sharp cry as it changed course, speeding toward their target.
***
Meanwhile, deep within a forest clearing, Team Sasuke was stirring awake.
Suigetsu stretched lazily, yawning as he grumbled, "Man, if we hadn't lit that fire last night, it would've been freezing out here."
Karin shot him a disdainful look. "That's because you're weak. Look at me—I'm perfectly fine. Right, Sasuke-kun?" She beamed at Sasuke, her tone sickeningly sweet.
Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "Could you stop calling him 'Sasuke-kun' like some lovesick fangirl? It's embarrassing."
Karin's face turned red with fury. "What did you just say, you water-brained moron?" she yelled, clenching her fists.
Sensing danger, Suigetsu quickly darted behind Jūgo, using him as a shield. "I'm just saying what everyone's thinking! Don't hit me!"
Sasuke stood up, his cold voice cutting through the bickering. "Enough. Stop wasting time. Everyone, get ready. Wash up, eat something, and prepare to move. We're heading to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning."
Suigetsu peeked out from behind Jūgo with a sly grin. "Did you hear that, Karin? Your Sasuke-kun wants you to fetch water!"
Karin fumed, but the mere thought of disappointing Sasuke made her swallow her anger. "Fine," she snapped, grabbing Suigetsu's arm. "You're coming with me."
"Why me?!" Suigetsu protested, dragging his feet as she pulled him along.
"Because you're a water-style ninja, idiot!" Karin retorted. "Who else is going to help me get enough water for Sasuke-kun?"
Suigetsu groaned. "I could just use a water-style jutsu..."
Karin shot him a deadly glare. "Sasuke-kun wants natural water, not some jutsu-made nonsense! Now hurry up!"
Grumbling under his breath, Suigetsu followed her to the riverbank. As he used his water-style jutsu to absorb water from the river, Karin suddenly froze, her eyes narrowing.
"What's wrong?" Suigetsu asked, noticing her tense expression.
"There's a powerful chakra signature nearby," Karin said, her voice laced with unease. "And it's not just one person. There's a group of them, and they're headed this way."
Suigetsu frowned. "No way. We've only been here one night, and we're far from Hidden Cloud Village. How could we have been found already?"
Karin's eyes remained locked on the horizon. "They're not from the Cloud Village... but whoever they are, they're strong. We need to warn Sasuke!"
The two rushed back to the camp, their sense of urgency palpable.
***
Back on the great bird, Naruto's sage perception remained locked onto Team Hawk. The familiar chakra of Sasuke, sitting cross-legged and calm, brought a faint smile to Naruto's lips. It had been so long since he'd seen his childhood rival and friend—so long since they had truly faced each other.
"Brother Nagato," Naruto said, his voice steady but eager. "We're close. They're just ahead. Let's speed up."
Nagato nodded. "Understood."
The giant bird let out a piercing cry and accelerated, slicing through the morning sky like an arrow.
***
At the same moment, Sasuke opened his eyes. His gaze drifted upward to the sky ahead, where a distant shadow loomed closer. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "So, you've come," he murmured, his voice barely audible.
Jūgo, standing beside him, glanced at Sasuke in confusion. "What is it?"
Sasuke's expression hardened, his Sharingan flickering to life. "We're about to have company."