Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

Naruto initially thought Sasuke could gradually control the Cursed Seal, but now, it was clear that he had overestimated Sasuke's control.

Once the battle started, Sasuke's chakra consumption accelerated the Cursed Seal's corruption, especially after spilling blood, which entirely threw his mind into chaos.

At this point, Sasuke looked like a revenge-driven avenger entirely under the Cursed Seal's control.

If this continues, Sasuke will be completely consumed in a short time, turning into nothing but a mindless fighting machine.

Bang!

Without hesitation, Naruto delivered a swift chop to the back of Sasuke's neck, causing Sasuke's eyes to roll back as he fainted on the ground.

With his Chakra Flow disrupted, the fiery patterns slowly faded, and the Cursed Seal returned to its original three-tomoe form.

Looking at the carnage around him, Naruto couldn't help but vomit. Even after he vomited out all the residue in his stomach, he still couldn't stop the nausea.

It can't be helped. Despite possessing great power in this world, Naruto was still, at heart, an ordinary person from the modern life. Although he understood the dangers of this world, he subconsciously treated it all as a game.

In a game, death was just a figure lying on the ground, motionless.

That kind of death didn't faze Naruto.

But seeing heads burst open, bodies charred by fire, and limbs torn apart was not something any normal person could accept… it was far too gruesome.

The intense and violent imagery triggered a strong physical reaction he couldn't suppress.

In the original work, Sasuke had others around him who controlled the Cursed Seal's influence, preventing it from manifesting such violent tendencies. Naruto had assumed the Cursed Seal would be manageable, never expecting it to have such horrifying effects.

'Being in this world and experiencing it firsthand was indeed worlds apart from watching it from a distance.'

Rustle, rustle!

Just then, another sound came from the bushes.

Naruto's Danger Sense also flared up immediately.

'Who would come here now? How tactless.'

"Stop hiding… come out already!"

Naruto snorted coldly. He was affected by the scene and he was not in a good mood now.

Soon, three people emerged from the bushes.

Seeing who they were, Naruto let out a sigh of relief. The people who came were people he knew, namely Kiba, Shino, and Hinata.

'It was likely that Akamaru and Kiba had smelled the blood and come to investigate.'

"Hinata, close your eyes! Don't look this way. Kiba, Shino, come here!"

Naruto called out, keeping his tone stern.

There was no way he was letting Hinata see this gruesome scene.

As for Kiba and Shino, they were at least boys. Since they were here, they could help clean up the scene.

Akamaru trembled in Kiba's arms.

Kiba wasn't much better, visibly shaking as he stood there.

With his heightened sense of smell, Kiba could detect scents far more acutely than most people. Given the blood-soaked air here, not throwing up was already impressive.

"Shino, get some of your insects to take care of these bodies. Kiba, you have a sharp nose, if you know of a way to mask this stench, then clear the air around here."

After assigning tasks, Naruto picked up one of the Heaven and Earth scrolls from the ground and tossed it to them, "Once you're done with the cleanup, consider this complete Heaven and Earth scrolls as your payment."

Shino, maintaining his calm demeanor, accepted the scroll and quickly got to work.

From the cracks in the rocks, the bushes, and the trees, countless insects swarmed out, completely enveloping the three Amegakure's Genin's corpses. Within mere seconds, the bodies disappeared without a trace… even their bones were devoured to nothing.

Watching this, Naruto couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine.

'Shino is really a scary guy. His adaptability and methods for covering up evidence were nothing short of astounding, especially considering he was just a twelve-year-old boy.'

Beside him, Kiba seemed more shaken, but he and Akamaru managed to start masking the blood scent once the area was cleaned up.

Naruto noted that Kiba handled it better than he had, at least he hadn't thrown up.

'As expected, everyone who became a Shinobi had to have significant resolve.'

Seeing that the scene was restored to normal, Naruto kicked Sasuke into the river.

Sasuke still had bloodstains on him, and a good wash would also help him calm down.

Blub, blub!

Bubbles rose to the surface before Sasuke sat up in the shallow river, almost choking to death.

He looked around in confusion, his face full of questions, 'Who am I, where am I, what am I doing?'

Seeing that Sasuke had calmed down, Naruto waved his hand and said, "Kiba, Shino, Hinata, don't mention what happened here to anyone. Just pretend none of this took place, and take the scrolls with you."

Akamaru was still trembling while clinging to Kiba. Kiba, who is too worried about Akamaru's condition, left without saying much.

Shino seemed to be thinking about something, but he followed suit and left.

Only Hinata lingered, asking with concern, "Naruto-kun, why don't we all leave together?"

"Hinata, you go on ahead. I have a few things to sort out. Don't worry, I'll be fine. After all, I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto said with a bright smile.

Seeing him unharmed, Hinata didn't press further and quickly caught up with Kiba and Shino.

Once the three had left, Sasuke climbed out of the shallow river, still confused.

"What exactly happened just now?"

Hearing this, Naruto frowned and asked, "You don't remember anything?"

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto's frown deepened, 'Even if the Cursed Seal had corrupted him, Sasuke should still retain some memory of it. What was going on?'

"So what do you remember?" Naruto probed further.

Sasuke thought for a moment, "I just remember you told me to attack. When I saw it was those three Amegakure's Genin from the first test, I felt a surge of anger, and then I couldn't control the Cursed Seal. My head filled with a single thought, telling me to kill them. I couldn't resist, so I followed that impulse, and then... everything went red. I don't remember anything after that."

"So you don't remember killing those three Amegakure's Genin?" Naruto asked, his brow furrowing tighter.

Sasuke was stunned, "I killed... those three Amegakure's Genin?"

He strained to recall, but his mind was a blank, and even the attempt made his head throb painfully. Finally, he couldn't bear it and started writhing on the ground.

"Alright, alright, stop thinking about it."

Naruto stopped him and said, "It seems the Cursed Seal's power is even greater than I thought. At this stage, you're nowhere near ready to handle it."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

Sasuke was puzzled. As long as he released his Chakra, the Cursed Seal would be activated.

'Was I supposed to stop using Chakra altogether?'

Naruto comforted him, "As I've told you before, it's like water wearing down a rock, slow and steady. You just need to keep accumulating experience, and you'll get through this safely. But remember one thing: until you have a basic control over the Cursed Seal, you absolutely can't fight anyone. If you lose control again, who knows what might happen."

Sasuke nodded solemnly and fell completely silent.

Naruto had no idea what Sasuke was thinking, but at that moment, all he could do was step forward. He placed a reassuring hand on Sasuke's shoulder, and offer some comfort.

"The Cursed Seal doesn't just make you stronger, it's mainly here to strengthen your mind. As long as you can overcome this challenge, you will definitely undergo a qualitative leap. Trust me, the suffering you endure now will be worth it. And don't worry too much… after all, you still have me..."