Chapter 277 — "No, My Friend… Are You Actually This Dense?"
Even if something truly went wrong, even if Naruto and Sasuke somehow died on a mission, Fugaku believed the Sage of Six Paths would intervene in the Pure Land and drag their souls right back.
That was their biggest cheat code—
aside from their reincarnated lineage.
They were simply… impossible to kill.
And Yakushi Kabuto?
People underestimated him only because his screentime felt like that of a side character.
But his plot armor was protagonist-tier.
He had survived under Danzō, under Sasori, and under Orochimaru—
any normal person would have died at step one.
Not only did he survive all three,
he later flipped the entire Fourth Ninja War on its head.
Honestly… Fugaku could only say one thing:
"Kabuto, you terrifying little monster."
At the breakfast table, Uchiha Itachi raised his head and found Sasuke and Naruto staring at him with bright, sparkling eyes—
the kind of eyes that screamed: Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!
Itachi composed himself.
"It's a secret."
The sparkle in their eyes died instantly.
Itachi smirked.
"Itaaachi~"
Mikoto glanced at him gently, and Itachi instantly surrendered.
"Fine, fine. I'll tell you, alright?"
The disappointment on Sasuke and Naruto's faces vanished like it had never existed.
They cheered in perfect harmony:
"Long live Kaa-san!"
Fugaku stared at them, speechless.
He wanted to say A doting mother spoils the children,
but—
Well, he was currently trying very hard to help Mikoto get pregnant again.
This was not the time to annoy her.
They were relying on luck, timing, and a good mood.
Mikoto had already given birth to Itachi and Sasuke without any health issues.
Itachi was twelve now.
Mikoto had been nineteen when she gave birth to him.
Which made her…
A perfectly youthful, beautiful thirty-one-year-old woman.
That was all that mattered.
Fugaku's own body—reborn into this world—was in its prime.
There was no reason they shouldn't conceive again.
Therefore, if he hadn't succeeded after so many tries…
Clearly, the problem was bad luck.
Only bad luck.
Uchiha Itachi cleared his throat.
"Our mission today is to escort a wealthy merchant from the Land of Hot Springs back to the Land of Hot Springs."
Naruto immediately asked,
"Itachi-aniki, is that the same Land of Hot Springs we went to before?"
"Yes."
Naruto leaned forward.
"The same one with the really, really comfortable hot springs?"
"Yes."
"The same Land of Hot Springs where that uncle lost millions at the gambling hall?"
"Yes. That one."
Itachi continued answering calmly, without a hint of annoyance.
Sasuke, however, finally snapped.
"Idiot Naruto! How many times do you need to repeat the same question?! Kaa-san already said it's the same place! Are you deaf or just stupid!?"
Naruto blinked at him with wide, innocent eyes.
His clueless expression made Sasuke clutch his head.
Naruto was going to give him a migraine one day.
Sasuke quickly changed the subject.
"Kaa-san, I don't get it. The Land of Hot Springs was peaceful and lively last time. Why do we need to escort someone there?"
Naruto nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, that's what I wanted to ask too! Nothing happened last time!"
Sasuke stared at him.
Then he rolled his eyes so hard he could've seen his brain.
(Not Byakugan—actual eye roll.)
Uchiha Itachi asked mildly,
"You two didn't hear about the conflict between Iwagakure and Kirigakure recently?"
Sasuke slapped his hands together.
"Oh! Right! I remember now."
He quickly connected the dots—
The Land of Hot Springs sat directly on the route between the Land of Earth and the Land of Water.
If the two villages clashed, the region would be affected.
Naruto… did not connect any dots.
He scratched his head.
"But Itachi-aniki, what does that have to do with the Land of Hot Springs?"
Sasuke stared at him like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I told you to read books! But nooo, all you do is play games with Father! Now look—your geography is trash! You don't even know where the Land of Hot Springs is!"
Itachi ignored Sasuke's rant and explained patiently:
"The Land of Hot Springs is on the exact route Iwagakure's forces would take to reach the Land of Water. When their fleet docks, they'll need food, water, and other supplies."
Naruto nodded excitedly, clearly understanding absolutely nothing.
Itachi continued:
"If a large number of Iwagakure shinobi enter the Land of Hot Springs, there's a high chance of conflict with the local authorities. It won't be peaceful anymore."
"For example, the merchant who hired us is wealthy but not a shinobi. He cannot guarantee his own safety. He needs to return home urgently, so he sought reliable escorts."
"And at the moment," Itachi added with a small smile,
"the whole world is talking about only one village—
Konoha, the strongest village in the ninja world."
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