Chapter 032: Preparing to Test-Fly the Aircraft

Spring was drawing to a close, and summer was just around the corner.

Sasuke hurried home, dropped off his schoolbag, and dashed toward Naruto’s laboratory. At this hour, he should have been attending the second morning class, so it was clear he’d skipped school. Mikoto, who stayed home, said nothing. Ever since Sasuke started spending time with Naruto, his abilities had soared, and he’d already mastered everything the academy had to offer—attendance hardly mattered anymore.

Today, Sasuke was particularly excited. He rarely played truant, but he'd done so just to witness a miracle at Naruto’s lab.

From a distance, Sasuke spotted Naruto, short-haired Hinata, and Uchiha Sei, whose long black hair hung straight, all bustling around a peculiar machine, calibrating it with energetic movements.

Beside the bizarre contraption stood two adult ninjas, their hands tucked in their pockets, watching with keen interest. Sasuke immediately recognized the white-haired ninja—Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi had been present the day Naruto defeated Itachi. His brother had said Kakashi was a senior member of the ANBU; his father had told him Kakashi was the lone surviving student of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and not to be underestimated.

Sasuke didn’t like Kakashi; the man always seemed too casual, constantly engrossed in a suspicious-looking book.

The other ninja was unfamiliar. He, too, had long, straight black hair, his complexion pale as a corpse, his frame gaunt and almost skeletal. Even from afar, Sasuke could make out the man’s yellow, vertical pupils—like a serpent’s. His attire was odd, more befitting a wealthy noble than a ninja. If Sasuke hadn’t noticed the worn ninja gear on his belt, he wouldn’t have guessed he was a shinobi at all.

“Who is that? Is he a ninja from the village?” Sasuke wondered as he approached Naruto and the others, still speculating about the stranger’s identity.

On the other side, Orochimaru noticed Sasuke coming closer and asked with interest, “Is that Sasuke? The other child Fugaku takes pride in?”

Kakashi nodded. “Yes. Though he’s not as outstanding as Itachi, he’s remarkable among his peers. Right now, there’s no one at the Leaf Academy better than him.”

“Really? Better than Naruto?”

“Orochimaru, please don’t joke around. How could I compare Naruto to anyone else?” Kakashi replied.

Orochimaru smiled, but then grew serious. “I’m not joking… Lately, news has leaked from the Land of Rain: Hanzo the Salamander is dead.”

“That demi-god Hanzo? He’s dead? Who did it?”

“No one knows, but the Hidden Rain Village is bound for turmoil. I have no intention of meddling with the Land of Rain, but there’s always some fool who might recklessly investigate.”

“You mean Lord Jiraiya? Why would he care so much about information from the Land of Rain?”

“There’s more to it than I can say. Just know that he’s deeply concerned about certain matters there. Kakashi, I need your help.”

“With what?”

“Pass information about the changes in the Land of Rain to the old man, so he can call that fool back. I don’t want to see him die.”

“Why don’t you… never mind, forget I asked.” Kakashi had considered suggesting Orochimaru approach the Hokage or Jiraiya himself, but given the current situation, it was a stretch for those two not to immediately attack him on sight. After all, since Orochimaru founded Ryuzokai and took full control of the Land of Fields, the interests of the Land of Fire and Konoha had suffered greatly. Who knows how much spit the Third Hokage had wiped from his face these days.

“Oh, and one more thing. I still need to meet with Fugaku. Lately, Danzo has gone mad, keeping an eye on the Uchiha so closely that even I… Kakashi, help me figure something out…”

Sasuke overheard Orochimaru mention his father and the Uchiha, so he glanced at Orochimaru, then turned to Naruto and asked, “Naruto, who’s the ninja with Kakashi?”

“A formidable one—an extremely outstanding powerhouse, renowned throughout the shinobi world…” Naruto replied without looking up, then pointed to the platform extending from the main body of the machine and called out, “Hinata! Check here carefully! And look inside for any hidden damage! I made some bold design choices this time, so I’m worried there might be some issues when we start it up.”

Hinata Hyuga formed hand seals, veins bulging beside her eyes as she activated the Byakugan.

“The surface is smooth, tolerances are within reasonable limits! Manufacturing is qualified! The interior is intact, no damage! Anti-icing system is functioning—wait, why is it emitting hot air now? Sei, did you flip a switch?”

Inside the cockpit, Uchiha Sei held up a manual and shouted, “I’m checking all systems for proper startup! No issues so far!”

Naruto nodded. “Excellent… The hydraulic system for the landing gear is working. Sei, adjust the shock absorber pressure later to suit different landing surfaces. Hinata, check the tire wear again; everything must be within safety standards.”

Seeing Naruto busy, Sasuke didn’t mind. He gazed at the massive machine before him and asked curiously, “Naruto, this thing you call an airplane—can it really fly?”

“Drop the ‘can’—it will fly!” Naruto declared confidently. “This plane uses a mature technique. I just pushed ahead to make a second model, not a second generation, so there’s no problem!”

“I’ve seen birds and bugs fly by flapping their wings. But your plane’s wings are completely fixed—can it still fly?”

“I can build an ornithopter, but riding one is so bumpy it’s unbearable.” Naruto tossed his wrench aside. “Besides, I already explained how this thing flies—you even pestered me back then to learn Wind Release, saying you wanted to use that principle to fly. What, did you forget?”

Sasuke’s cheeks flushed as he muttered, “You said I don’t have wind chakra, so I can’t learn Wind Release. If I can’t use it, why bother remembering?”

Naruto shook his head, at a loss for words. Sasuke was just like his brother—a pure pragmatist, yet not entirely practical, making decisions solely based on personal preference. If he found something useful, he’d study it with zeal; if not, he wouldn’t touch it.

Worst of all, the brothers shared that peculiar Uchiha logic—deeply believing in their own eyes, and always celebrating prematurely. As soon as things looked favorable, they’d think they had it in the bag, crack jokes and laugh wildly, only for it all to fall apart in the end.

“Final inspection complete!” After one last round of checks, Naruto announced, “Now, it’s time to see how well this baby can fly!”