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Finding Sasuke proved to be easier than Naruto believed it to be, not because the Uchiha wasn’t hiding. He was well aware of where the other man had been all along, but he also knew that he didn’t want to come back to Konoha.
Not when they met again on the streets of some little town while he had been traveling with Jiraiya - the way the Toad Sage greeted Orochimaru made him aware that something had been going on behind the scenes that he and most of Konoha weren’t aware of.
Their conversation had been civil, with Sasuke eventually coming clean that Oroshimaru had been the one to tell him that Danzo had been the one behind the Uchiha massacre, vilifying Itachi because he - Danzo - had too good of a name to be even considered as the reason as to why this had all happened.
Scowling as he appeared in the clearing, most of the people in it looked up - all of them, either rejects from their own village, or from Konoha - taken in by Orochimaru which was why they were so loyal to the Sannin instead of the village they hailed from.
“Naruto? What are you doing here?”
The blond scowled a little harder, “Danzo took the opportunity to take over with Baa-chan out of commision, I don’t even know if she’s still alive. The reason I’m here is because our new esteemed Hokage banished me until such a time when I bring you back to the Village - because of course we need the esteemed Uchiha back before they even need their Jinchuuriki.”
Sasuke rolled his eyes, “And you didn’t just tell him where I was?”
Naruto blinked, “Why should I? I’m with you, you know that. After everything I know he did I am kind of glad to be out of there. I do worry for the rest of them, but if Danzo is anything like we know he is, he’ll show his real face soon enough.”
Sasuke hummed at that, “Will you be staying here then?”
Naruto nodded, “If you’ll let me.”
Scoffing, Sasuke grinned, “As if I would let you leave now you’re here with me. I heard about Jiraiya, sorry for your loss.”