Naruto: Different Path

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At the same time, Naruto created several shadow clones. Some continued to engage Sasuke, while Naruto and the remaining clones began forming hand seals. 

The clones fighting Sasuke in close combat were quickly taken down, but Naruto had already finished his hand seals. "Wind Style: Tornado!" 

A massive tornado formed, drawing in dust and debris with powerful suction. Even Sasuke struggled to escape its pull. 

Then, Naruto added "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu" to the wind technique, hoping not to fatally harm Sasuke and control the strength of his jutsu.

However, the power of the curse mark on Sasuke's body grew stronger, and a large wing appeared on his back. 

Though its shape was far from elegant, it held immense power. Protected by the wing, Sasuke remained unharmed by Naruto's combined jutsu. 

As Sasuke blocked Naruto's attack, another wing formed, and his chakra surged again. 

Sasuke started gathering more chakra, and the curse mark-enhanced natural energy drastically amplified his lightning-based jutsu. 

The intensity of the lightning chakra in Sasuke's hand grew terrifyingly powerful.

Naruto was shocked by Orochimaru's mysterious curse mark, which allowed Sasuke to reach this level of power. 

Naruto created more shadow clones and began gathering chakra for his strongest jutsu. 

As wind chakra continued to build, a large Rasengan formed in his hand—the Giant Rasengan. 

Meanwhile, the Chidori in Sasuke's hand now emanated a different kind of energy, its power driven by the curse mark.

Naruto could feel the immense energy within Sasuke's attack. "Come on, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted. 

Naruto said, "Let's finish this with one final strike, Sasuke!" They charged at each other, unknowingly meeting in the middle of the waterfall. 

Their techniques collided, and the sheer force of the chakra split the waterfall. 

Naruto could feel Sasuke's incredible strength, but in comparison, his Giant Rasengan was slightly stronger. 

However, at the last moment, Naruto held back and controlled his chakra.

On the other hand, Sasuke had exhausted a massive amount of chakra, and the curse mark also drained a significant amount of his stamina. 

He had essentially lost the ability to continue fighting. Naruto told Sasuke, "You can either come back to Konoha with me or go to Orochimaru." 

"The choice is yours. I won't force you, but no matter what, I'll always see you as my friend." Without saying a word, Sasuke turned and walked away.

Watching Sasuke's departing figure, Naruto sighed, "Maybe Orochimaru's place is where he belongs after all." 

Not long after Naruto allowed Sasuke to leave, Kakashi appeared. 

When Kakashi questioned him, Naruto remained silent, but Kakashi seemed to understand the situation without an explanation. 

The two of them returned to Konoha together. Sakura had deep feelings for Sasuke and was devastated by his departure. 

However, with Naruto's comforting words and embrace, she gradually recovered. 

Shikamaru, having just been promoted to Chunin, considered the mission a failure, but luckily, none of the team members suffered any major losses, aside from some minor injuries.

When Shikamaru and Naruto reported the mission details to Tsunade, who had just assumed the role of Hokage, they prepared to leave, but Tsunade said, 

"Naruto, stay for a moment." After Shikamaru left, Tsunade closed the office door and looked seriously at Naruto. 

"Naruto, I'm sure you're somewhat aware of the current situation within the Anbu. Danzo holds a high position in the Anbu, and as Hokage, my authority over it is limited." 

"Right now, Konoha is in a critical period." 

"After Orochimaru attacked the village, the other villages are suspiciously eyeing Konoha, especially the Raikage from the Hidden Cloud, who is the most aggressive." 

"Danzo has requested to handle the situation with the Hidden Cloud, but I'm concerned about his methods." 

"Although I haven't agreed to his request yet if we don't find a suitable candidate, I may have no choice but to let him handle it."

"Granny Tsunade, are you suggesting I handle this mission and resolve the issue according to your wishes?" Naruto asked.

Tsunade paused, her brow furrowing slightly before she responded, 

"You've just joined the Anbu; technically, I shouldn't be giving you such a dangerous mission." 

"But as the newly appointed Hokage, even the Anbu directly under me aren't all loyal to my orders." 

"It's possible that even if I send someone, Danzo might interfere with the mission later on." 

"Right now, aside from Jiraiya, there are very few people I trust, and you are the only one I can rely on within the Anbu."

"Granny Tsunade, don't worry. I'm not so easily defeated. Besides, the enemy doesn't know much about me. No matter the mission, leave it to me," Naruto replied with determination.

Hearing this, Tsunade nodded slightly. "We know so far that the Raikage is planning a large-scale operation against Konoha." 

"However, we don't yet know the specifics of this action." 

"Your mission is to stop the Raikage's plans against Konoha at all costs, and no one should know that Konoha's forces carried it out." 

"Avoid causing unnecessary bloodshed, as we don't want to escalate this into a conflict between nations. If it can be resolved peacefully, that would be best."

When Naruto heard Tsunade's instructions, he thought, "It must be that last part. That's why Tsunade doesn't want Danzo to handle this mission." 

Tsunade continued, "I'll assign three other Anbu members to accompany you on this mission. You will form a four-person squad and be the squad leader." 

"The other three will follow your command. The mission deadline is one month. If you succeed, you will be promoted to unit captain within the Anbu." 

"This scroll contains the information about your teammates. Head to the secret Anbu base to gather your team."

Naruto opened the scroll given to him by Tsunade. It listed the following:

Team members: Flash and Jōnin, skilled in stealth and assassination. He usually works with his brother, Shadow, and their combined sword attacks quickly end fights and allow for swift retreats.

Naruto thought their abilities would be useful for this mission's rapid strikes and joint attacks. As he read further, he saw a name that surprised him: Yamato.

Naruto couldn't believe that Tsunade assigned Yamato to his squad. 

The brief introduction said, "Specializes in Wood Style, capable of using various offensive, defensive, and support jutsu." 

Though the description was short, seeing "Wood Style" was enough to capture Naruto's attention. 

The First Hokage's mastery of Wood Style was legendary. Every ninja with any standing in Konoha had heard stories about the First Hokage. 

Although Naruto had never seen Wood Style in action, he knew about it, and he was a little envious of such a powerful kekkei genkai.

Naruto then asked Tsunade, "So, is this Wood Style user related to the First Hokage?"

Tsunade interrupted, "Are you asking how he compares to the First Hokage?" Naruto nodded. 

Although he had some knowledge of Yamato's Wood Style, he wanted to hear the Hokage's granddaughter explain it herself.

Tsunade sat down and said, "Yamato isn't a descendant of the First Hokage. He's an experiment created by Orochimaru using the First Hokage's cells." 

"While he can use Wood Style, his chakra isn't on the same level as the First Hokage and his control over Wood Style is far inferior." 

"He's much weaker than the First Hokage, but Wood Style is still more powerful than most kekkei genkai."

Naruto thought Tsunade's evaluation was fair and objective. Afterwards, he changed into his black Anbu gear and headed to the secret Anbu base. 

The other team members were already waiting for him, having been briefed by Tsunade.

"Flash, Shadow, Yamato, reporting to the squad leader. May I ask what your codename is?" Flash asked as the three introduced themselves.

Many members kept their identities hidden in the Anbu, so codenames were commonly used, and everyone wore masks. 

Team members also confirmed their identities using physical traits, jutsu, and codenames.

Naruto thought momentarily and replied, "My codename is Ryujin."

Then, Shadow asked, "What type of jutsu do you specialize in? It would be useful for us to understand each other's strengths for the mission."

Naruto knew Shadow's point was valid. 

Team members needed a certain level of familiarity with each other's skills, and as the leader, Naruto would need to prove himself to earn the respect of the Jōnin-level Anbu members. 

Otherwise, they might not fully follow his command. "I specialize in Water Style, Earth Style, and Lightning Style jutsu, with my best being Lightning Style," Naruto said. 

"To help us understand each other's strengths, Flash and Shadow, why don't you attack me together so I can assess your abilities?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Naruto activated his Lightning Style. Powerful lightning crackled around his body, making him resemble the Raikage. 

Seeing the chakra around Naruto, Flash and Shadow realize that Naruto has mastered the transformation and manipulation of the lightning chakra to a high degree.

The two brothers prepared their attack, with their ninja swords now enveloped in chakra. 

They coordinated their strikes using a specialized footwork technique, making it seem like a dozen swords were slashing at Naruto from all directions.

Naruto vanished in an instant, reappearing behind them. The brothers quickly reacted, launching an attack behind them. 

Naruto responded by releasing two lightning bolts from his "Lightning Blade" technique, sending them flying. 

Their swords struck Naruto, but his chakra cloak absorbed the impact. Throughout the fight, Yamato remained still, just as Naruto had expected from what he knew about him. 

The brothers got up from the ground and said, "As expected of our squad leader. Just as the Hokage said, your strength is impressive."

Hearing this, Naruto thought the brothers had likely accepted him as their leader. Now, the team was ready to head toward the Hidden Cloud Village.

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