With all of Konoha's top brass dead, the village was left leaderless.
For now, the heads of the various ninja clans and the Jōnin had formed a temporary governing body. The Konoha Conference Hall had become the center for all critical decisions regarding the village's operations, including missions and strategic actions.
One such decision was the exceptional approval to grant Sasuke the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Normally, this space-time jutsu was an S-rank secret of Konoha, far too advanced for a Chūnin to learn. However, Sasuke's overwhelming contributions in the recent battle and the urgent need to locate Tsunade justified the decision.
Even so, many elite Jōnin doubted Sasuke could master it.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was notoriously difficult to train, but more than that—it required talent in space-time ninjutsu.
Since the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama developed the technique, many had attempted to learn it, drawn by its power. Yet, aside from the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, none had fully mastered and improved upon it. Even Minato's personal guards—Shiranui Genma and his team—could barely grasp the basics, requiring three people working together to perform it.
Sasuke was not one of them.
At least, that's what they thought.
To Sasuke, difficult techniques that others struggled with were often nothing more than puzzles waiting to be solved.
After reading through the technique scroll multiple times, he had already grasped its fundamental principle:
The first step was simple—leaving behind a chakra formula at a target location.
The second step was the real challenge—shifting through space-time to teleport to that marked spot.
"This is somewhat similar to the Summoning Technique," Sasuke thought.
Both techniques utilized space-time manipulation, but instead of summoning another being, the Flying Thunder God Technique was a jutsu that summoned oneself.
The chakra formula functioned similarly to a summoning seal.
Marking a location was easy—many could do that.
But sensing and moving through space-time?
That required exceptional mental strength and perception. Without a natural talent for space-time ninjutsu, it was impossible to grasp.
Both the Second Hokage and the Fourth Hokage had been skilled sensor-type ninjas, which gave them a distinct advantage in mastering this technique.
Coincidentally, Sasuke's Five Forging Gods technique, combined with his mastery of the Zangetsu Arc, had significantly strengthened his mental energy—far surpassing that of most Jōnin.
More importantly, it had granted him a powerful sensory ability.
Sasuke sat cross-legged, calming his mind, extending his senses, and attuning himself to the flow of space-time.
He was going to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique.
---
Sound Village – Underground Stronghold
"Ahhh, damn you, Sarutobi! Damn you!"
Orochimaru's hoarse voice echoed through the dimly lit chamber. His snake-like eyes burned with venomous resentment.
"The old fool was already at death's door, yet he still managed to take all my jutsu with him!"
From the shadows, Yakushi Kabuto approached, carrying a bowl of medicinal soup.
Seeing Orochimaru's furious state, he attempted to console him.
"Lord Orochimaru, you are already one of the strongest shinobi. After all, your opponent was the most powerful Hokage in history..."
"Not to mention, you also faced the Kazekage—"
"Shut up!"
Orochimaru's head snapped up, his piercing glare locking onto Kabuto.
"Don't feed me meaningless flattery! What I need now are my hands back!"
A chill ran down Kabuto's spine. Orochimaru's eyes, filled with madness and bloodlust, reminded him of a starving predator.
He swallowed nervously. "L-Lord Orochimaru, what about your other target…?"
A sinister smile crept onto Orochimaru's face.
"Uchiha Sasuke…" he whispered, his voice laced with dark desire.
"His talent far exceeds my expectations. Stronger than Itachi… Once I obtain his body…"
Orochimaru let out a low, twisted chuckle.
Kabuto smirked. "Don't worry, Lord Orochimaru. With the Curse Mark you placed on him, he won't be able to escape…"
---
Land of Wind – A Canyon Near Sunagakure
A group of Sand Shinobi stood in grim silence, gazing down at a corpse.
The body belonged to Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage.
Baki's hands clenched into fists, his teeth grinding.
"Damn it… Damn Orochimaru…"
They had never imagined that their Kazekage had been dead for months, murdered in secret.
The impostor who had attended the Chūnin Exams and led the invasion of Konoha had been Orochimaru all along.
A Sand ninja stepped forward. "Baki-sama, based on the condition of his body, Lord Kazekage must have been dead for quite some time."
That meant Sunagakure had unknowingly aided Orochimaru in an attack against Konoha.
Baki's face darkened.
"Everyone, listen up! Immediately send word to the Five Great Nations—especially Konoha!"
"Orochimaru tricked both Konoha and Sunagakure!"
"This must be resolved before it brings disaster to the village!"
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, the information reached Konoha, prompting an emergency council meeting.
"Damn it! That bastard Orochimaru not only killed the Kazekage but also our Hokage and other high-ranking officials!"
The conference hall was filled with anger.
Nara Shikaku, maintaining his usual calm, spoke up.
"Sand Village has officially surrendered and is offering an apology. How should we proceed?"
Given Konoha's current state, the answer was clear.
"Considering our losses, we have no choice but to accept."
"Who would have thought Orochimaru could assassinate the Kazekage so silently?"
"Let's agree to negotiate peace with Sunagakure. They were victims in this as well."
And so, the decision was made.
---
As the sun rose over Konoha, Sasuke stood atop a building, deep in thought.
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Whoosh!
In an instant, he vanished.
A moment later, he reappeared in the forested training ground on Konoha's outskirts.
Before this, he had carefully placed his chakra formula in multiple hidden locations around the village.
Suddenly, his senses sharpened.
He could feel Yuhi Kurenai nearby, radiating sadness.
The loss of Asuma Sarutobi weighed heavily on her.
After some thought, Sasuke decided to approach her.
In the days that followed, Sasuke continued to expand his chakra formula network, marking various places throughout Konoha.
At the same time, he spent time with Kurenai, helping her gradually emerge from grief.
Finally, after proving his mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique, Sasuke packed his things and departed on a new journey—his mission to find Tsunade.
---
A remote forest outside Konoha.
Sasuke stood still as golden energy lines—his Immortal Body Pattern—began to glow across his body.
A surge of natural energy flowed into him.
With a thought, he vanished.
Kirigakure – Mizukage's Office
Terumi Mei sighed, staring at the pile of documents on her desk.
"That damn brat… No messages, no visits. Has he forgotten about me?"
Suddenly—
A pair of hands covered her eyes.
"Who—?!"
Her body tensed, but then a familiar voice whispered in her ear.
"Who was just saying they wanted to see me?"
Terumi Mei froze, then smiled seductively.
"You little bastard… If you don't visit me, I might get so lonely I'll have to seduce all of Konoha~."
Sasuke smirked.
"Not happening."
And just like that, documents went scattering to the floor.