49 Chapter 49 Sai's Calculations

Orochimaru's base.

Dust wafted out from the destroyed base, rubble and big rocks everywhere, some smoke from the explosion also covering the blue sky.

"Naruto…"

Seeing the blonde hair kid arriving, Sasuke couldn't maintain the poker look over his face, as he spoke lightly, gazing intently at Naruto.

"Sasuke…"

Naruto also woke up from the stupor, speaking while looking back at Sasuke, past like a fast forward movie, going through his head.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you are stronger than I expected, to think you would survive my attack without even an injury"

There was a strange silence which Sai broke, a regretful look in his black eyes, as his sneak attack on Sasuke, didn't complete the mission.

"It seems I failed Danzo-Sama" Thought Sai clenching his fists, the only reason he had cooperated with Orochimaru was to figure out the whereabouts of Sasuke.

This was all a game set by Danzo, cooperation with Orochimaru was just a farce, Danzo wanted him to kill Sasuke and bring his Sharingan back to him.

But it seems the target was beyond their expectations, after Fu and Torune, he is the strongest in Root Organization, yet he still failed to kill Sasuke.

"Is he my replacement?

Hearing Sai's words, Sasuke's expression didn't change as giving him a light look, he asked looking at Naruto.

"Sai you bastard! You tried to kill Sasuke!!" Sai's words stunned Naruto for a moment, followed by a raging look appearing in his eyes, his words clearly expressing that he wanted to kill Sasuke.

"Why shouldn't I? he is a rouge who betrayed the village, this the mission I received!"

Sai didn't seem bothered by Naruto's anger, as with a fake smile on his face, he asked back, talking with facts.

Sasuke was a rogue, it was the duty of every Leaf Shinobi to eliminate him, was he doing anything wrong.

"Mission? Don't tell me all that cooperation with Orochimaru was…?"

Sai's words made Sakura's mind work frantically, as adding all the pieces together she came to a guess, as she looked at him, a shocked look over her face.

"You are quiet smart Sakura-San, Yes, all that cooperation was a farce, I'm trained to protect the village, I would never betray it,"

"Cooperating with Orochimaru I was able to gouge out the location of Sasuke Uchiha, but with Orochimaru's presence, killing him was nearly impossible"

"So I…"

"You purposely let Orochimaru follow you to Tenchi bridge, and let him fight us, so that you can deal with Sasuke-Kun while Orochimaru was busy"

Sai praised Sakura for her intellect and while doing so, he began to tell his plan, which only mid-way, Sakura figured out.

"Not you, don't overestimate yourself" said Sai giving her a disdainful look and continued: "Just Azuma-San, I wanted him to fight Orochimaru, you are too weak, think about it, do I look so naïve, to believe that with just poison I can deal with someone who can defeat four S class Rogue Shinobi"

"The moment I attacked Azuma-San, that was all just an act to make Orochimaru believe that I'm truly by his side, and my plan worked, Orochimaru did appear to save me, this way I was able to keep two strong shinobi away, making my work easy"

"But the only thing out of my expectations was the strength of Uchiha Sasuke, he is far stronger than I had imagined"

A bitter smile appeared on the face of Sai, as his plan failed at the last moment, making all that effort go to waste.

"What a terrifying plan!"

A shiver went through Sakura's body, as to calculate so much, it seems Sai and the guy named Danzo that Azuma mentioned, had thought about this plan for a long time.

"So Orochimaru is fighting someone, no wonder he still hasn't arrived!"

Sasuke who heard the whole thing was enlightened as well, no wonder even after such a big explosion, Orochimaru still hasn't appeared.

"Sasuke, come back to the village, I have been looking for you all these years"

Naruto was also terrified by such a deep plan but for now all he wanted to do was bring Sasuke back to the village, nothing else is more important.

So gazing at Sasuke, who stood above, he shouted, a hopeful look in his blue eyes.

Swish…

Tap…

But a shadow flashed, and the next moment Naruto found a hand on his shoulders, Sasuke who was above was right before him.

"So fast…"

Sai and Sakura on the side were terrified, as they weren't able to capture the silhouette of Sasuke at all, such speed.

"Rather than looking for me, you should have trained instead and your dream wasn't it to be a Hokage?"

With his hand on the shoulders of Naruto, Sasuke whispered near his ears, a calm look over his face, his other hand holding the hilt of the sword on his waist.

"If I can't even save a friend, how I can be a Hokage?"

Clink…

Naruto who was also stunned by Sasuke's speed, hearing his words calmed down and a self-mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Sasuke-Kun…"

To his words, Sasuke stayed silent, a slight emotion appearing in his eyes, before a greater hate suppressed it and he pulled out the blade from the scabbard, terrifying Sakura on the side.

"I won't back down today…farewell my one and only… friend…"

Naruto stayed motionless on the spot as Sasuke raised the blade high pointing it towards the back head of Naruto, and said his last words.

Swish…

"Stop it Sasuke-Kun!!!"

The next moment, Sasuke whizzed the blade towards the back neck of Naruto, Sakura beside shouting in despair but it was already too late to do anything.

Keng!!!

But just when the edge of the sword was about to pierce the neck of Sasuke, a black blade appeared between it, Sasuke's sword colliding with it, bouncing back.

Swish…

Sasuke who had a calm look over his face, was left stunned before he hurriedly let go of Naruto and jumped back.

Moving back a few steps from Naruto, Sasuke looked ahead and found another figure beside Naruto, a huge black blade in his hands.

He had short black hair, a small slash mark on his left cheek, he wore the standard Konoha Jonin Green Vest, a blue shirt underneath it, black pants, with white strips on his left thigh, wearing shinobi sandals.

(Two chapters today)