Chapter 19: On Edge, Leaving a Way Out
Naruto's Shadow Clone looked at Uchiha Itachiand said with a smile, "I was a bit surprised that Uchiha Shisui dared to meet me while heavily injured; it turns out he had an escort!"
"Answer me! What did you mean by what you just said!"
Uchiha Itachi completely ignored Naruto's attitude towards him, anxious to know the answer.
Naruto's Shadow Clone looked calmly at Uchiha Shisui and spoke to Uchiha Itachi, "Isn't the meaning clear? With the cunning of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, they will surely deepen the rift between the Uchiha and the Village. When the time comes, they'll force you, the Young head of the Uchiha, to choose between the Village and the Uchiha. Which one will you choose then?"
After saying this, Naruto's Shadow Clone used the Flying Thunder God and left.
Uchiha Shisui still wanted to ask Naruto some questions, but Naruto's Shadow Clone left decisively, leaving Shisui feeling troubled.
Uchiha Itachi was silent for a long while before saying, "Is what he said true?"
It was unclear whether Itachi was asking himself or Shisui beside him.
After Naruto's Shadow Clone reached his original body, it dispelled itself.
After receiving the memories, Naruto looked at the Ninja tool bag for a while, shook his head, and said, "I said a bit too much! If Uchiha Shisui reports my situation to Hiruzen Sarutobi, I'll have no choice but to run away."
Since things were finished, Naruto used the Flying Thunder God to return home.
The first thing Naruto did upon returning home was enter the Spirit Spring Space. He placed Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan in a teacup and ladled some spirit spring water to soak it.
"Well, this will have to do! It's not like I have any Nutrient solution. If it works in the future, it's a win; if not... I'll just consider it effort wasted."
After saying that, Naruto dispelled all his Shadow Clones again, then created new ones before returning to his room to rest.
This had become his daily routine: dispelling and recreating Shadow Clones in the morning, and doing the same at night.
The next day:
After washing up and while eating breakfast, Naruto signed in.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for a successful sign-in. You have received: Kagura Minds Eye!"
Naruto paused mid-breakfast, thinking to himself, 'I got something good.'
Naruto quickly closed his eyes to learn the operation method of the Kagura Minds Eye.
Naruto soon learned how to use the Kagura Minds Eye.
Through the Kagura Minds Eye, Naruto quickly discovered the positions of the four people monitoring him.
However, Naruto soon noticed a problem and quickly deactivated the Kagura Minds Eye.
Because when he discovered the four, they seemed to have also noticed someone was peeking at them.
Immediately after, Naruto felt all four of them looking warily into his room.
After he finished breakfast, the four sensations of being watched finally vanished.
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief to himself; fortunately, he hadn't been caught.
After leaving the house, Naruto practiced Body tempering as usual, but his route changed slightly today.
Since he had said a bit too much to Uchiha Shisuilast night, he now had to prepare for an early escape.
So, Naruto's running path today veered slightly at an intersection, heading towards the Konoha Main Gate.
At this time, there were usually caravans or travelers leaving Konoha, so it was the perfect opportunity to leave a Flying Thunder God Formula on a carriage.
Although the four people monitoring him were a bit surprised by his detour, they continued their surveillance when they saw him turn back to resume his training.
The four monitoring Naruto thought he had simply taken a wrong turn out of carelessness and didn't think much of it, continuing their watch.
Naruto felt that his watchers hadn't left and breathed a sigh of relief. Upon reaching the main gate, he casually left a Flying Thunder God Formula on a carriage and quickly departed.
After finishing his Body tempering, he went to the river to grill fish. He had no choice; the Third Hokage still only gave him five hundred ryo a month, so publicly, this was the only way he could fill his stomach.
Fortunately, most of the sign-ins yielded daily necessities and supplies. One time, he actually signed in for just a single needle—yes, exactly the kind of Embroidery needle you're thinking of—which left Naruto somewhat speechless.
After eating the grilled fish, Naruto returned home and released a Shadow Clone, letting it rummage through things in the house.
Meanwhile, Naruto quickly sensed for the Flying Thunder God Tag outside the Village.
Naruto felt that the Flying Thunder God Tag was at least fifteen kilometers away from the Village, so he immediately used the Flying Thunder God.
Fortunately, there were no other carriages following this one. Naruto watched the carriage depart and immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to hide behind a large tree.
He left a Flying Thunder God Tag on the tree, then used Shadow Clones, instructing them to leave a Flying Thunder God Tag every ten kilometers until their Chakra was exhausted.
Naruto's true body quickly returned home, dispelled the Shadow Clone, took an axe out of the Spirit Spring Space, and headed out.
Naruto decided to build a Wooden Hut in the place where he often caught fish; if he had nothing to do in the future, he would stay there.
On his way to the river with the axe, Narutooverheard two members of the Uchiha Guard Squad discussing Uchiha Shisui's death.
Naruto slowed his pace slightly, listening carefully to their discussion.
The general content was similar to the original story: Uchiha Shisui's body had been found by the river near the Uchiha Clan Compound, with both eyes gouged out. Uchiha Itachi was suspected of killing him.
As for whether Uchiha Shisui had gone to see Hiruzen Sarutobi, it was still uncertain.
After all, the Uchiha Clan was definitely in an uproar now. Regardless of whether Shisui had told Hiruzen about his situation, Hiruzen had to stay at the Hokage Residence to oversee things and wouldn't have time for him.
The news of Naruto chopping trees by the river was quickly reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hearing about Naruto's actions gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a bit of a headache, so he had to send a Shadow Clone to find him.
"Little Naruto! What are you doing chopping trees?"
Naruto's heart tightened when he saw it was Hiruzen Sarutobi, but he still pretended to be nonchalant and said, "I want to chop some wood to build a Wooden Hut here. I'll live here from now on."
"Why? Is living in the Village not good?"
Naruto shook his head and said, "There's nothing wrong with the Village; I just think it's more convenient to live here."
"More convenient? What are you planning to do?"
Naruto sighed and said, "I've finished reading the books in the Konoha Library. All I can do now is practice Taijutsu and undergo Body tempering. If I practice Taijutsu and Body tempering in the Village, it will inevitably disturb the villagers. So, I might as well move here so I won't bother anyone