Naruto: I Am Uchiha Sasuke!?

At Tazuna's home, relief washed over the family as they saw him return safely. His daughter and ten-year-old grandson, Inari, rushed forward with bright smiles.

"Grandpa, you're back! You're okay!"

Tears welled up in Inari's eyes as he hugged Tazuna tightly. His grandfather had told him how dangerous this mission was, that he might not come back. Seeing him alive was more than he had hoped for.

Tazuna's daughter looked past him at the group of young shinobi. "Father, who are they?"

"They're our benefactors," Tazuna said with gratitude. "These Konoha ninja risked their lives to protect me."

"Inari, go prepare a place for them to rest and call the doctor," he instructed.

"Yes, Grandpa!" Inari nodded before hurrying off.

Naruto and the others helped Kakashi into a room, laying him down so he could rest. Before long, a doctor arrived to treat his wounds. At that moment, Sasuke also returned, and upon seeing Kakashi in stable condition, he let out a small sigh of relief.

---

News of Tazuna's safe return spread quickly, and soon the island's villagers gathered at his home. When they learned that Gato had been killed, the entire town erupted in cheers.

"Finally! That bastard is gone!"

"The Konoha ninja are heroes!"

"With Gato dead, our lives will finally get better!"

"Tazuna, let's finish the bridge!"

"We should name it after these heroes!"

Overwhelmed with gratitude, the villagers brought out food—fresh seafood and local delicacies—to celebrate. Some even suggested pooling money to reward the ninja, but Sasuke and the others declined. With the bridge still unfinished, they knew the village needed every resource it had.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was resting, flipping through his ever-present copy of Icha Icha Paradise.

"You'll need a few days to recover, Kakashi," Sasuke remarked, glancing at him.

"Yeah, Zabuza gave me a bit of trouble," Kakashi admitted, rubbing his face.

"You should take this as a vacation," Sasuke smirked.

Kakashi chuckled but then looked around. "Wait, where's Naruto?"

Sasuke folded his arms. "After fighting Zabuza, he got really worked up about getting stronger. He ran off to train in the forest."

Kakashi's expression turned serious. "Sasuke, you saw it, didn't you? That chakra leaking from Naruto."

Sasuke nodded. "You mean that strange red chakra? It's the Nine-Tails' power, right?"

Kakashi was slightly taken aback. "You know about that?"

"Of course," Sasuke replied. "It's recorded in the Uchiha archives. Plus, my clan always kept an eye on major events in Konoha."

Kakashi didn't press further. The Uchiha had been deeply involved in Konoha's history, so it wasn't too surprising that Sasuke knew.

Sasuke changed the subject. "Speaking of training, during the battle, I had some ideas for refining my Chidori. I'm going to train for a few days before we head back."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Already developing a new jutsu? You really don't slow down, do you?"

He sighed. Compared to Sasuke, his own so-called genius seemed a bit underwhelming.

---

With everything settled, Sasuke purchased a map of the Land of Water.

"The five great ninja villages hold the true power of the shinobi world," he mused. "And Kirigakure… the infamous Blood Mist Village… Let's see it for myself."

Gathering his chakra, he stepped onto the water and dashed across the waves, moving toward his new destination.

The journey was long. Even after traveling at high speed, night had fallen, and he had yet to reach the Land of Water.

"Tch. Without a summoning contract for flight, moving around is too slow," Sasuke muttered.

Then, something crossed his mind—the Flying Thunder God Technique.

"Of course. That's the perfect way to travel."

Developed by the Second Hokage and mastered by the Fourth Hokage, it allowed instant teleportation to marked locations. If he could learn it, he'd never have to waste time running again.

"Another jutsu to add to my list," he smirked.

Spotting an isolated island, Sasuke stopped to rest. He caught a few fish, started a fire, and prepared a meal. The night sky stretched above him, the moon hanging bright and clear.

As he sat by the cliffside, Sasuke closed his eyes, sinking into meditation.

Almost immediately, he felt a shift.

The moonlight bathed him, and his mental energy surged. Deep within his mind, the image of a crescent moon, once shrouded in darkness, began to glow.

A breakthrough.

Sasuke's spiritual awareness expanded. Every insect crawling nearby, the rustling of the wind, the shifting of pebbles—it all became vividly clear within a hundred-meter radius. It was as if he had created a personal domain of perception.

Opening his eyes, Sasuke smirked. "Not bad."

With this new strength, his Sharingan-enhanced illusions would be even deadlier. Even against experienced opponents, his genjutsu would be near-unbreakable.

"Now, I just need to develop the right techniques to match."

Under the moonlight, Sasuke continued his quiet calculations, preparing for the battles to come.

Arrival at Kirigakure

The next morning, as the sun rose, Sasuke resumed his journey.

After hours of travel, he finally reached his destination.

Standing atop a towering cliff, he gazed down at the hidden village below.

Mist curled through the mountains, shrouding the circular buildings in a ghostly haze.

Kirigakure—the Village Hidden in the Mist.

"Let's see what this place has to offer," Sasuke murmured.

And with that, he stepped forward into the unknown.