Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 241 Flying

"We're having beef bone hot pot today! The fresh kind!"

Early in the morning, the cook shared this fantastic news with everyone. It was clear he was genuinely happy; the food conditions at sea had been unbearable for him for far too long.

"Huh? We've been at sea for a week, where would we get fresh beef bones?"

"I asked Naruto to bring it." The director, who was used to getting up early, passed by the deck and said with particular pride about his wise decision. "As expected of the Yellow Flash, he can come and go freely even from such a distance. If we could film his battle scenes, it would definitely be a huge hit!"

The assistant, forced to get up early, yawned as he passed by, splashing a bucket of cold water on the scene, "Are you sure you won't just capture a fleeting flash of light?"

"What do you know! This is called reality!"

At that moment, no one noticed that the person they were discussing was hanging upside down on the mast, quietly gazing at the misty sea.

"You went back to the mainland for such a trivial matter?" Both masts of the large ship were occupied, and the other person had a bright red scarf around his neck and his cuffs were tied tightly, making him look exceptionally warm.

"Food is the most important thing for people. This is no small matter, Sasuke." The long scarf swayed in the wind, its color also a vibrant red. "What, you're not thinking of going back already, are you?"

Sasuke let out a whimper to show his disdain, "I promised to complete the mission."

Naruto finally turned around, facing Sasuke instead of the sea. Sasuke was incredibly difficult to appease at this age, but his stubbornness masked his soft heart. So, he deliberately asked, "Is that all there is to it?"

What else do you expect?

"I wonder who insisted on following us..."

He was met with a threatening stare, but those eyes remained as black as ink, showing no sign of turning red.

Naruto suddenly severed the chakra flow beneath his feet, and gravity caused his body to plummet. In his vision, Sasuke almost instinctively followed him, his face still showing hesitation as he grabbed his hand. Naruto smiled and immediately activated the technique he had stolen from Iwagakure, abruptly pulling them upwards just before they were about to fall into the unsuspecting crowd below.

"How about it? My new technique is pretty good, isn't it?" It's not easy to see Sasuke's expression change so drastically in such a short time, and Naruto found it extremely interesting. He even considered letting go a little high in the air to see Sasuke's reaction. But instinct had already made Sasuke hold onto his wrist tightly, and even if he let go, he probably wouldn't be able to shake him off.

It must be admitted that Naruto is the most unpredictable guy.

Sasuke was genuinely startled by his good friend's antics, initially thinking it was some side effect of his injury from that day. Turns out, this guy was just showing off his new technique? Couldn't he be a little more careful?!

"How high can this technique make you fly?" Sasuke, not wanting to reveal his amazement, calmly assessed the technique's value. He'd gone to great lengths to capture an eagle as his summoning beast just to fly. So far, only a few ninjas from Iwagakure could fly, right? How did Naruto learn it? He couldn't have stolen Iwagakure's secret scrolls, could he?

"Hmm... I haven't tried it yet." The busy guy had already forgotten about this auxiliary ability and didn't even think about testing its limits.

"..." Sasuke gave Naruto a look, and although he didn't say it aloud, Naruto was sure he understood what he meant.

"Don't you dare call me an idiot in your mind!" Naruto shouted, clenching his fists and stopping in his tracks.

It felt fine when they were flying, but once they stopped, gravity kicked in again, and Sasuke could only hang in the air by relying on Naruto's arm, which looked strangely funny. Cool Guy refused to accept this situation, grabbed Naruto's shoulder, and then climbed up onto Naruto's back with a perfectly justified air.

"Whoever thinks the word 'idiot' is an idiot."

The scene of Sasuke clinging to him felt so familiar that Naruto even forgot he wanted to continue the argument. There was a time when Sasuke, who couldn't fly, could only cling to him when he could. Back then, he was grabbed by the ankle, and the situation was extremely urgent. At that time, he only felt a huge sense of relief, fearing Sasuke would die at Kaguya's hands. Back then, he could openly create a Truth-Seeking Ball for Sasuke to land on; now, it seemed he truly had no choice but to carry him like this.

He realized he was indeed an idiot, always unable to distinguish between the two Sasuke worlds. But that world was precisely the one he should never forget.

A thousand emotions flashed by, and Naruto's lips curled into a smile again. "Want to try it now?" he asked.

"How high can we fly?"

As it turns out, stupidity is contagious. Sasuke, almost against his will, agreed to this impulsive test, and the two boys, completely unprepared, rushed out of the clouds, only realizing how reckless they had been when they started having trouble breathing.

The fourteen-year-old boys were far from possessing the superhuman physical abilities of those who had survived World War IV. They couldn't overcome the challenges of oxygen deprivation, sudden drops in air pressure, and extreme temperature, and their plane crashed on the spot.

"Idiot! Moron! Fool!! Are you two out of your minds?! You want to fly out of Earth like that?!" Kurama's roar was deafening, and Naruto, who had been unconscious for a short while, immediately woke up. Fortunately, Sasuke hadn't let go of his hand even though he was unconscious, so the situation hadn't reached the worst point yet.

He gripped Sasuke's arm tightly around his neck, gradually slowing them down until they resumed a smooth flight.

"Sorry, sorry, I got a little carried away..." Naruto said, scratching the back of Kurama's head in the mental world, trying to appease the angry Kurama.

"Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty~" Naruto swayed his shoulders in the real world, transmitting warm chakra to Sasuke to confirm that he was not hurt.

Sasuke couldn't believe he had fainted. When he opened his eyes, he saw a breathtaking view.

The sun rose through the clouds, and the first rays of sunlight fell precisely on the man's face. His smile was no less radiant than the sunlight, as if two suns were rising before him.

"I didn't sleep." Sasuke felt a slight discomfort in his eyes, and a strong stinging sensation rushed into his nasal cavity, causing him to frown.

"Yes, yes, our test has successfully concluded. It seems this is the only altitude we can fly to at this stage." Naruto seemed genuinely happy, speaking in a tone used to coax a child: "Shall we return, Captain Sasuke?"

Sasuke buried his face in the soft, bright red scarf and mumbled, "Go back."

"Order!"