Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Sasuke! You Hid a Woman Behind My Back, Sakura-Bro!
"Idiot! Calm down!"
"Naruto, let go! Today, I'm chopping this guy down!"
Sasuke, growing angrier by the second, grabbed the Heavy Sword from beneath his bed, aiming to strike Kakashi. Luckily, Naruto's sharp reflexes prevented Sasuke from committing such a rebellious act.
Naruto wrestled Sasuke back onto the hospital bed, pinning him down. Seeing the commotion, Kakashi decided it was best not to stick around. He immediately followed Jiraiya and slipped out of the hospital room.
The situation had become complicated. S-Class rogue ninja Itachi Uchiha had appeared in Konoha Village, accompanied by another rogue ninja from Kirigakure. Judging by their identical attire, they were likely part of a mysterious organization.
Things were escalating fast.
Outside the hospital, Kakashi recounted the entire incident to Jiraiya, leaving no detail untouched. Meanwhile, inside the hospital room, Sasuke sat silently on his bed, his face dark with anger.
Naruto wanted to tease him—maybe throw in some sarcastic jabs at the two "lucky fools" in this mess. But after some thought, he decided against it. Provoking Sasuke now might sink their fragile friendship boat.
He sighed and decided to save the mockery for a few days later when Sasuke cooled down.
---
Swish—
Sasuke picked up the cloak from his bedside, flicked it onto his shoulders with one hand, and strapped the Heavy Sword to his back. Without hesitation, he stood and made his way to the door.
"Sasuke!" Sakura called out, her voice tinged with worry. She reached out, trying to grab him, but after hesitating for a moment, her hand fell back.
"Your injuries… Are you sure you're okay?" she asked softly.
"It's just a scratch," Sasuke replied coldly. "Nothing serious."
Sakura was at her wit's end. Is this guy for real?!
She wasn't blind, nor was she a novice in medical ninjutsu. She knew perfectly well Sasuke's injuries weren't severe. What she was asking about was his mental state! But of course, this clueless boy missed the point entirely.
In fairness, Sasuke's reasoning wasn't entirely wrong. Even if the injuries had been more severe, with Naruto and Karin around, recovery was never an issue.
As for his mental state… Sasuke blamed half his failure on Kakashi's so-called leadership and the other half on his own lack of strength. He hadn't yet perfected the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus. If he had, one massive firestorm would have been enough to obliterate those two guys—no need for Kakashi to even lift a finger.
The setback wasn't a crushing blow for Sasuke. In fact, he found solace in imagining how miserable Itachi must've been after getting hit in the face with that lime powder. If untreated, it could even lead to blindness, or so Naruto claimed.
"Heh…"
The thought made Sasuke chuckle darkly. Itachi Uchiha… If you lose those precious eyes of yours, you're nothing.
Naruto, observing Sasuke's smirking face, immediately understood. Yup, he's fine. He's probably already strategizing how to use the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus to take down Itachi next time.
Looks like that "Tsukuyomi" didn't mess him up too badly.
Naruto figured as much. After all, Sasuke and Kakashi had been freeloading off his meals and supplements for ages now. If they couldn't even withstand Tsukuyomi, it'd be downright embarrassing.
---
"Hey, Naruto," Sasuke called, stopping at the door. "Give me a recovery potion."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you just say it's just a scratch?"
Sasuke, ignoring the sarcasm, glanced at Sakura. After a brief hesitation, he gestured for Naruto to step outside.
"Come here. I need to talk to you," Sasuke said, his tone oddly secretive.
"Huh? What's with the cloak-and-dagger act?" Naruto followed, puzzled. "Why can't you just say it here? Don't tell me… You're hiding something from Sakura-Bro?!"
Naruto's teasing tone quickly escalated. "Don't tell me… you've been hiding a woman behind Sakura-Bro's back?!"
---
The two walked to the stairwell, Naruto peppering Sasuke with incessant questions. Finally, Sasuke turned to him, his expression a mix of guilt and awkwardness.
Naruto's grin faded. "Wait… Are you serious?"
"Uchiha Sasuke! Did you really—"
Before he could finish, Sasuke clamped a hand over his mouth. "Keep your voice down!"
After a pause, Sasuke finally said, "I have a friend…"
Naruto burst into laughter. "A friend? Really? You think I'm buying that?"
"Come on, Sasuke. There's no one else here. Just admit it—it's you, isn't it?"
Sasuke fell silent, his expression unreadable. But after a moment, he sighed. "During the second round of the Chūnin Exams… I saved a girl."
"Karin?! You brought her back to Konoha?!"
"It's not like that," Sasuke replied sharply. "I rescued her."
Naruto stared, his expression frozen. He vaguely remembered Sasuke mentioning something about saving someone during the exams. But still…
"You seriously kept her here? Without anyone in the village knowing?!" Naruto exclaimed. "What is this—some kind of romance novel plot?!"
"Come on. Take me to her," Naruto demanded, his curiosity getting the better of him. He couldn't wait to see how this mess unfolded.
Sasuke nodded, leading the way. The two passed through a portal, disappearing from the hospital stairwell.
---
Meanwhile, Sakura, oblivious to her betrayal, had gone off to train in medical ninjutsu. Little did she know her "home base" had been invaded.
As Naruto stepped through the portal and into Sasuke's house, a cheerful voice greeted them from inside.
"Sasuke? You're back so early!"
A moment later, a red-haired girl came bounding out, her steps light and eager. When she saw Sasuke, her eyes lit up with joy.
Naruto stared at Sasuke, his expression twisted with disbelief. He pointed an accusing finger. "You've really done it this time, haven't you?! No wonder you've been skipping training—your house is practically a honeymoon suite!"
"Calm down. She's just staying here temporarily," Sasuke said flatly.
But before he could explain further, Karin leapt toward him like a tiger pouncing on its prey. Sasuke dodged effortlessly, leaving her to stumble and fall to the ground.
"Can you act normal for once?!" Sasuke barked, his tone impatient.
Karin, biting her lip and on the verge of tears, looked pitiful as she picked herself up. Naruto, meanwhile, was too stunned to comment. His gaze fell on the bite marks covering Karin's arms. The reality of her tragic past hit him like a ton of bricks.
The Hidden Grass Village… Those people are monsters, he thought grimly. I should visit that place someday.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
Support the Translation! 🌐✨
20+ Advanced Chapters are currently available in Patreon, make sure to visit and support our team.
patreon.com/Immortal_author
https://ko-fi.com/immortalauthor
https://discord.gg/KscfBegBPT
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Immortal_Darkness_
Immortal_Darkness_ Join Patreon for advance chapters and support our underpaid translators and writers!!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone