Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 116 Towards the Future

Naruto landed deep in the dense forest. He took a few steps blankly, then lay down stiffly on the grass.

The spacetime fluctuations here haven't completely dissipated. Although they're invisible to the naked eye, perception can discern the cracks that haven't fully closed. If he exerts all his strength, he could indeed break open that opening, but... then what? Before Sasuke and Boruto arrived, no one had ever returned unharmed from the turbulent flow of overlapping spacetime.

If he were thirty years younger, he might have had the courage to just go for it. But growing into that annoying adult, there were so many things to consider, one reason after another preventing him from escaping. Even Sasuke, shedding tears of blood, couldn't make him abandon his crumbling rationality.

This is the fourth time.

This time, his perspective was more complete, and he even "dreamed" out the psychological activities and life stories of the characters. What truly sent chills down his spine was the perspective of the last person.

At that time, only two Uchiha clan members were still alive and capable of using Susanoo. Since Sarada had no siblings, and it was impossible for her to obtain the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan in such a cruel way, she was frequently hospitalized due to the Mangekyou Sharingan before receiving the Otsutsuki cells. Naruto had seen Sarada's medical records; headaches, eye pain, and blurred vision were all symptoms of Mangekyou Sharingan overuse. In his dream, he truly experienced all of these symptoms, even vividly portraying the girl's heartache for her father and the tension and fear she felt under immense pressure.

He could no longer ignore those memories that shouldn't belong to him. Those emotions, those lives, the fear of facing death, the will to live, the deep-seated hatred—they were all so real that they terrified him.

How can one obtain a person's complete memories?

He didn't know, he really didn't know. No ninjutsu in his mind could do that. Even the Sharingan could only see the scenes and sounds that had happened, it was impossible for it to see through complex psychological activities.

"You were unconscious for sixteen hours. Tobirama looked for you during that time because he sensed an abnormal chakra reaction. Then there was the report on the location of the Akatsuki members. The Immortal Duo appeared in the Land of Grass; they probably weren't going back to visit family." Kurama's voice spread out slowly, more peaceful than ever before. He didn't know what kind of "dream" Naruto had, but the turbulent waves brought about by his "unconsciousness" had already said it all. He wanted to distract Naruto, at least to prevent him from using his power again.

"Also, are you going to replace this seal?" Kurama knocked on the dilapidated cell door. This thing had indeed done its best to protect him; it would crumble at the slightest touch.

Naruto, who was lying on his back in his consciousness space, rolled over and sat up, but his eyes remained lifeless. His hair had grown long enough to hang down his temples, and he was becoming more and more like his reflection in his sea of ​​consciousness. His heart was extremely rejecting this possibility, as if... something terrible would happen.

"No need to fix it, just leave it as is."

"Thank you for your hard work, Nine-Lama."

Only by finding a way to travel through time and space can he save that world. And before that, this world should never be abandoned.

A pearl diver, who toiled his entire life, lost his mother to illness because he couldn't afford medicine. They had spent their lives harvesting pearls, yet they couldn't afford anything related to pearls. On the other hand, a wealthy merchant would summon a whole roomful of doctors and nurses for even the slightest ailment, yet still be unsatisfied. The inequalities of the world cannot be smoothed out overnight; the most impactful experiences are truly those we must encounter firsthand.

He wants to witness as many lives as possible so that he can find a better way out for the world.

Naruto returned to the hospital just in time for lunch. Thankfully, he hadn't forgotten Jiraiya's search throughout Konoha and had sent a clone to inform him. With a little probing, Naruto knew he didn't have that incredible memory anymore. Sasuke, being a cautious person, had definitely erased everyone's memories; they only remembered Naruto casting two new jutsu into the air, alarming most of Konoha's guards and high-ranking officials. Naruto accepted the blame, after all, he had indeed cast two extremely dangerous jutsu.

"Naruto, you can't go to the hospital again because of meridian problems, understand?" Jiraiya said, holding a lunchbox in one hand, his expression extremely serious.

Sakura chimed in from the other side, "Exactly! This is a very dangerous condition. If it gets serious, you might never be able to be a ninja again! Your master is even considering sealing some of your chakra."

"I understand! This was an accident, and it will never happen again." The little girl couldn't understand the adults' hints yet, but Naruto understood perfectly. It's likely that the higher-ups felt he was too difficult to control as a Jinchūriki, and the meridian problem could be used as an excuse to limit his power.

"Hmph, when have you ever kept your promises!"

"This time, definitely!"

Jiraiya ate a few mouthfuls of rice, then suddenly asked, "Naruto, would you like to go for a walk outside of Konoha?"

So, it was originally a choice between two options? If their power wasn't restricted, Jiraiya would have to take him away from Konoha. Knowing that Akatsuki's target was a Jinchūriki, his safety was entrusted to Jiraiya alone. While traveling extensively made it difficult to track their whereabouts, Akatsuki had the powerful intelligence operative White Zetsu; with a diligent search, they would eventually be found. If they returned safely, everything would be fine, but if not, they would not only lose their lives but also implicate Tsunade, their guarantor. Furthermore, Naruto was clearly having a significant influence on Konoha's new generation of ninjas; they dared not leave him in the village to continue wielding such influence.

Tsk, what a fool I was at thirteen!

"I'd like to," Naruto said, not wanting to let the group have their way. "It's fine to take a stroll while on a mission."

Jiraiya was confident his seduction plan would succeed, after all, Naruto's house had so many books on various topics, so he must be someone who yearned for a life of adventure. But then the kid actually decided to stay in the village and be a dutiful ninja, which immediately put him in a difficult position.

"Really not at all? This isn't just a trip, it's a training program to become stronger."

Naruto tilted his head, looked at him and smiled, his face practically screaming "How much stronger do I need to get?"

This... does seem to be... a problem...

Jiraiya felt inexplicably frustrated and fell into deep thought.

"I think I've become a Chunin, which means I can lead a team on missions. Isn't that awesome?!"

...Wouldn't it be cool to travel with him?

Jiraiya shrank into the corner and started drawing circles.

What should I do if my apprentice is too strong? I need help urgently! (Awaiting your reply!)