A Place to Return to
Oww!
Try to bear with it.
This should ease the pain a bit.
Thank you, Sakura...
The wound is deep. I'll do what I can here...
Sakura...
How is Yuukimaru doing?
Shizune Senpai and the others are tending to him now.
This is terrible. His Chakra Network is...
Yes, he's suffered a lot of damage...
Even with treatment,
it'd be impossible to restore him to normal completely.
It seems the power to control the Three-Tails took quite a toll
on Yuukimaru's body.
The Jutsu reduced his life...?
Yes.
I can't be certain until we conduct a thorough examination,
but it's likely that Yuukimaru no longer has the powers he once had.
We've now lost our only chance of controlling the Three-Tails...
Perhaps, for this child, it's better that way...
Shizune, how is Yuukimaru?
He'll live. He's still asleep...
Thank goodness he made it.
Yeah...
But...
I wasn't able to help him at all in the end...
What?
I foolishly told him "wherever someone thinks about you is the place to return to..."
But right before his eyes, he lost that very place to return to.
That wasn't your fault.
But still...
You are the one I should return to, after all...
And I'm the one you should return to, Guren.
I promise you... I will never leave your side.
I will always think of you.
Uh-huh... And I will always think of you, Guren.
From now, and forever...
Naruto...
I'm sorry. Yuukimaru...
And that is the situation, Lady Tsunade.
I see... I understand.
Katsuyu, order everyone to return.
Are you sure?
We have no choice.
It would be impossible to have them continue their mission.
Now that the child has lost his powers,
Orochimaru can no longer do anything to the Tailed Beast.
We'll pull back for now, regroup, and come up with a new plan.
But Orochimaru is not the only one who is after the Three-Tails...
I'm perfectly aware of that.
But the Three-Tails is an adversary that has given us
a great deal of trouble up to this point.
Even the Akatsuki won't have an easy time.
I'll send Ninja to replace them immediately.
Once they arrive, have them tell everyone to withdraw!
Right away.
Those are Lady Tsunade's orders.
Understood.
We'll inform everyone immediately.
We have new orders from Lady Hokage.
We will abort our current mission.
Our orders are to return to the village immediately.
- What? - Huh?!
That was sudden.
Hey c'mon, is it okay to leave the Three-Tails?
We won't have to worry about that.
They're sending Ninja to replace us and maintain the watch.
But still...!
There's nothing we can do even if we remain here.
Everyone has suffered too many wounds.
Lady Tsunade has decided that it would be more effective
if we brought back the information we've gained this time around
and apply it to our next plan instead.
We'll move out tomorrow morning.
I want you all to get a good night's rest before we move out.
Guren...
Gozu?
Why're you...
Why're you saving me...?
Do you remember...that day?
I was placed in solitary after losing control during Orochimaru's experiment...
I was hardly given any water or food to speak of.
I was on the verge of dying from thirst.
Then you came and kindly gave me a ladleful of water.
Because of that, I was able to survive.
Ever since that day, I...
I don't even remember. I must've been feeling generous.
Even if that were so, I've always admired you since then...
Guren...
O-Ow...
Huh?!
Yuukimaru?!
Damn!
Senpai.
Damn! Where could he have gone?!
His body's...
in no condition to...!
Yuukimaru...
Damn!
A grass whistle?
Could it be Yuukimaru?!
Come back! Yuukimaru--!
Yuukimaru! Where are you, Yuukimaru?!
Damn! It's my fault...!
Yuukimaru...
This is...!
Why would he leave behind something as important as...?
There isn't even a single crack...
I see. So that's it...
Yuukimaru disappeared?
How could he even move in his condition?
Hey, Naruto. You were in the room with him.
Didn't you notice?
No, I guess not.
Huh?! How can you call yourself a Ninja?!
Just what you'd expect from a Genin!
Shut up! You were asleep, too, you know!
Why you...!
Don't put me in the same league as a stamina freak like you!
Arguing won't do any good!
But I'm worried about Yuukimaru.
He has nowhere to go, and...
We can't just ignore him! Let's all look for him!
I agree!
That won't be necessary.
The reason is...
because a child who lost his power to control the Three-Tails
is no longer a threat to us.
That's not the issue here!
No, Shino is right.
We're under no obligation to look for a child who ran away.
And besides, we've been ordered to return.
But that's...!
Are you okay with that, Naruto?!
Yeah, there's nothing to worry about.
He can handle himself.
Naruto...?
We'd better be on our way.
Sorry to keep you all waiting, Kakashi.
I was hoping we could have shaken up the Akatsuki...
I'm sorry. I didn't count on the Leaf Ninja interfering.
And so, did that woman...
Guren die?
Regretfully, yes.
She possessed very interesting powers...
Like you mean that...
Maybe you were the one who killed her?
Heaven forbid.
Well, never mind.
We can find any number of replacements for someone of her ability.
But Yuukimaru...
Leave it.
At this point...
Lord Orochimaru!
I'll bring your medicine right away!
That host body has reached its limit...
At this point, it has lost all meaning...
Because soon, I will possess his body...
What's the matter, Naruto?
No, it's nothing...
Is that the regular report?
Yeah...
A fog is forming.
According to the unit we're taking over for,
it's apparently created by the Three-Tails.
It induces hallucinations, so be careful.
That's news to me, hmm...
You! That costume...
Dam--!
Humph...
Oh wow! Deidara Senpai, that was awesome!
That's the last of the lookouts.
Your info was way off.
"A force separate from the Leaf Ninja was engaged
in a vigorous clash over the Three-Tails."
Wasn't that what you said?
Well, that's how it was supposed to be... That's odd.
But oh well, it's good that we got rid of the ones in our way.
Let's make our quota right now while we have the chance!
You're a hundred years too young to be giving me orders, hmm...
H-H-Hey, Senpai!
Weren't you listening to the story about the hallucinations?
Who do you think you're speaking to?
Don't underestimate my art.
Sheesh, he's got a short temper...
That's a huge lake to find the Three-Tails in.
It'd be faster if it appeared on its own.
Oh! On closer inspection, it looks something like a huge turtle.
A powerful one...
So that's the Three-Tails...
I think I'll leave it for you to handle, Deidara Senpai.
Tobi, you formally became a member of Akatsuki, right?
You take care of the rest, hmm!
No way...
It's coming!
If it's a water creature, shouldn't we have let Kisame handle it?!
I'd say they assigned the wrong person for the job!
Pitiful, I'd say.
Now!
Is something the matter?
No...
It appears everyone has entered the Land of Fire safely.
I see. Good work.
You may now return, Katsuyu.
Yes.
I did it! Banzai! Banzaai!
Deidara, did you see my Jutsu?! Just one time, and bam!
You can understand why I was given this important assignment
right after formally becoming a member of Akatsuki, can't you?!
No... It was probably my clay bomb doing its artistic work.
You have my artistry to thank, hmm.
Don't get so carried away that you forgot that I lent you a hand!
If you're a member of Akatsuki, don't talk so much and act more cool.
In other words, "cool = art"!
Listen, art is a passionate moment coming from cool emotions--!
Senpai, you talk a lot.
I was joking...!
What is it?
It's just that...
contact from the unit that headed for the lake is rather late, don't you think?
Let's file a report, just in case.
Listen, Tobi.
You shouldn't press your luck!
The Three-Tails was just weak because it didn't have a Jinchuriki host.
It didn't have a mind to control its power.
Hey, Tobi.
You don't have to be so cool as to stop talking altogether.
At least answer me...
Hmm?!
Oh that's the spot...
Oh my...
This is the perfect wake up for you, I'd say. You bastard!
Wow, it feels like I hadn't been back in ages.
We had one mission after another...
Dinner tonight is at Ichiraku!
Say, Naruto.
Huh?
About Yuukimaru... Are you sure it was best that way?
You used to worry so much about him.
That's okay.
Besides, even if we went looking for him, he wouldn't be easy to find anyway.
What do you mean?
The Pervy Sage's words were true, after all.
He said wherever someone cares about you is the place you return to.
If you believe, and keep thinking, about that person...
your feelings will surely get across, he said.
What? Is this...what I think it is?
So...we should keep thinking, too.
We need to create a place that Sasuke can return to.
Right.
So that's your move... Just as I expected.
You are weaker than me...
There's no longer any need for me to give you my body.
You Uchiha fledgling...!
If I hadn't been a fledgling, you'd have had no chance at me, right?
Silence!
I don't like the way you do things.
You continue to toy with others for your own pathetic reasons...
You make me sick!
Next time: "The Serpent's Pupil"
Tune in again!