Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 27 "Gambling"

Are you really sure about this?

"Yes, this is the safest way."

Tobirama's brow remained furrowed, his face clearly showing disapproval, but he offered no further advice. Naruto was a stubborn person; once he made a decision, it was difficult to change it, and besides, they had no effective way to stop him, so they were completely powerless to dissuade him. Thinking of this, he cast a disappointed look at his older brother, making the God of Shinobi look so guilty that he looked away.

Regarding the application of the Mind Transfer Technique, the three leaders and Naruto held a closed-door meeting and selected several promising talents from the team. Unfortunately, only a few people had mastered both the Mind Transfer Technique and chakra connection, making widespread coverage impossible. The final conclusion was that at least one person with a massive amount of chakra and proficiency in both techniques was needed as a relay to ensure communication for all those out in the field. The First Hokage was initially a strong contender, however… his Wood Release chakra was simply unreasonable; even a simple connection would leave the opponent feeling the terror of being drained of its power. Therefore, Hashirama Senju was eliminated.

So, after sifting through the entire "Hui" group, only ten-year-old Naruto was found to be the most suitable candidate.

As a descendant of the Uzumaki clan and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto's chakra reserves are already the highest after the First Hokage. However, the prerequisite for obtaining this is to break the seal.

There has never been a perfect ten-year-old Jinchuriki in the world. No one knows whether the massive amount of chakra will burden Naruto's current body. Furthermore, their actions are carried out in secret, and they must remain hidden from Konoha's eyes and ears, which means that once the seal is broken, it must be sealed back in its original state. Such a back-and-forth risk…

"Think about it again, Naruto. This is no joke. Even if Kurama cooperates the whole time, there are still parts that are beyond our control." Hashirama clasped his hands together, pleading with Naruto to give up the idea, but Naruto was always unmoved by either persuasion or force.

“I’m the best choice. Tobirama needs to focus on his research; he can’t keep getting disturbed. As for me, I’m usually in the fairly safe village of Konoha. Besides training and going to school, I don’t have much else to do. And the material I’m learning is already familiar with, so there’s no need for me to listen so attentively.” Naruto countered logically, “I used to be troubled by communication issues. I could only come to the base at fixed times, so I couldn’t report Konoha’s movements to you in a timely manner, and I couldn’t know the situation at the base in a timely manner. As a result, I missed a lot of things and caused losses. Moreover, by becoming the communication hub, I can make use of my daytime and won’t have to worry about the situation here every day.”

"Anyway, this is a rare vacation for me. Kakashi-sensei is away from Konoha on a mission, and we're about to start school. I've been catching up on my vacation homework every day and haven't been going out much. We only have a few days to do our first attempt."

Izuna had been listening quietly for a while, then stepped forward, patted the child on the shoulder, and said, "I think we can give it a try. One of you should know how to use the seal, right?"

Tobirama looked like he was about to explode, but he still managed to squeeze out a single word through gritted teeth: "Yes."

"Then I'll go set up a barrier to shield my chakra. Watch out, Naruto~" Izuna said playfully, then dragged Tobirama away, leaving Hashirama and Naruto, both in a slump, staring at each other in bewilderment.

"He might die." Tobirama's hoarse voice rang out as soon as he stepped out the door. As the first reanimated being awakened, he had spent the most time with Naruto and cared most about the child's safety, though he didn't show it on his face.

Izuna stopped, his dark eyes calmly staring into the red eyes, even though he was the one with red eyes. "You saw his eyes, Tobirama. Hashirama Senju's judgment was indeed excellent. He was the most determined among us, and death could not stop his determination to fulfill his ideals."

Tobirama's brows remained furrowed, and his expression towards Izuna shifted, no longer solely one of anger. After a long silence, he finally managed to speak with difficulty: "So, back then, you also risked your life?"

Since Izuna's return, the two have avoided discussing their past. Caught in the vortex of history, they were powerless to escape until Naruto pointed out the culprit behind the ninja tragedy, finally bringing them to their senses. Since they've all died, what's the point of talking about who owes whom? Why not turn their remains into firewood and fulfill their unfinished wishes?

They were both rational people who understood the importance of looking forward. Therefore, the meaning behind Tobirama's question was self-evident. He was a nostalgic person who never moved on with a carefree attitude.

"Tobirama, if I said... I was actually persuaded by my brother, would you believe me?" Izuna gave an answer that Tobirama found hard to accept.

Tobirama's blood-red pupils widened suddenly, and he stepped forward as if to grab Izuna, but stopped himself. However, Izuna reached out his hand, and the two hands clasped tightly together, almost cracking each other in the palm.

“It’s not your fault, Tobirama. You always hit me with such nasty force, it hurts, it’s hard to heal, but it’s not fatal.” Izuna said this with a smile, but then his smile vanished, and he said blankly, “After my brother got my promise, he finally went to rest, leaving Setsuna to watch over me outside the door. You know how loyal he is to me and my brother. But that night, my wound reopened, and I couldn’t stop the bleeding. I called Setsuna’s name with all my might, but I saw him standing outside the window watching me, just watching, until I bled to death.”

Tobirama took that step anyway, embracing Izuna tightly. His impure body couldn't sense temperature, but the embrace was warm—the warmth of two souls.

"I don't know... I'm sorry, Izuna, I didn't know..." If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have just imprisoned that guy; he would have used all eighteen techniques of torture!

“It’s all in the past. Besides, didn’t you take care of that guy?” Izuna patted Tobirama’s back lightly. Illusion is illusion; it can’t even simulate the feel of cotton. What he touched was still the hard nail plate, and his chest felt uncomfortable.

"He certainly knows how to pretend." This statement was uttered with a hint of resentment.

Izuna had come to terms with it and advised, "Actually, thinking about what happened that day, I still feel something is strange. But the moon was too dark that day, and I could only barely make out Setsuna's outline and one Sharingan. That guy is straightforward and has no guile at all, so how could he have betrayed us so secretly without leaving a trace?"

"Forget it, that guy is already dead. I didn't intend to drag him out and interrogate him. Let him be. Our priority now is to set up the barrier."

Izuna struggled a couple of times before Tobirama finally let go, but he only loosened his arms around her waist, still holding Izuna's hand. Unfortunately, the guy immediately ruined the atmosphere with his words.

"Wasn't this the job you volunteered for?"

"Isn't my job your job? Don't even think about slacking off."

Tobirama finally smiled, letting Izuna pull him toward the undeveloped forest.

He finally caught that elusive gust of wind.