As Sasuke just got to his feet, Sakura suddenly lunged out, brandishing a kunai and stabbing towards him.
Even injured, Sasuke was not someone Sakura could easily handle. He immediately activated his Susanoo to block, while simultaneously cloaking it with black flames.
But suddenly, Sasuke's eyes ached, his Mangekyo Sharingan instantly shut off, and both Susanoo and Amaterasu vanished.
Kneeling on the ground, Sasuke clutched his eyes, motionless, watching helplessly as Sakura drove the kunai towards him.
However, Li Xing suddenly appeared before Sasuke with a flash step, grabbing Sakura's hand with one hand, letting the kunai pierce his palm.
Li Xing had actually intended to beat up Sasuke, so he found an excuse. After all, Itachi's Amaterasu had almost burned him last time, and Li Xing didn't want Sasuke dead.
"Hey! Haruno Sakura, do you really want to sever the bonds of your Team 7? I know for a fact that in your room, you have plush toys of Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke, placed next to photos of you all by your bedside. If you break these bonds like this, perhaps in the end, you won't even be able to keep your bond with Naruto."
Sasuke stubbornly stood up, drew his Kusanagi sword, and plunged it into Li Xing's abdomen, along with Sakura.
"Mind your own business! Then I'll kill you too!"
Seeing himself stabbed, Li Xing didn't even look and delivered a kick backwards, sending Sasuke flying far away.
"Aren't you going to take Sasuke and leave? His eyes are about to go blind. I'm a medical ninja, I can tell."
Li Xing said this to Obito. Obito could also see that Sasuke's frequent use of the Mangekyo Sharingan was causing him to go blind. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been unable to maintain the Sharingan earlier. With that, Obito absorbed the half-dead Sasuke lying on the ground into his Kamui space and departed.
After Obito left, Karin and Yugito arrived beside Li Xing to examine his wounds.
"It's fine, it healed in an instant, like a mosquito bite."
Knowing Li Xing's constitution, Karin and Yugito didn't linger on it. They found a place to sit and watched to see how Li Xing would handle these messy relationships.
Sakura's hand was still tightly held by Li Xing. She couldn't pull it free and could only watch as Sasuke was taken away.
"Li Xing! Let go of me, Sasuke's already gone!"
Only then did Li Xing release Sakura's hand. Looking at the stab wound Sakura had inflicted on him, he figured she shouldn't blame him.
Then, Hinata and Kiba, who had been hiding in the shadows, jumped out together. They helped Sakura to the side. Hinata activated her Byakugan, ready to fight, while Kiba and his ninken Akamaru also glared fiercely at Li Xing.
"What's wrong? Are you two going to fight me? Forget it, last time a light kick from me left you both heavily injured. Another fight and you might die!" Li Xing took off his clothes, intending to scare the two of them.
Seeing them still in a fighting stance, Li Xing suddenly felt mischievous. "Hinata, can your Byakugan spy? Have you already seen me naked?"
He then said to Kiba, "And you, I heard your living habits are similar to dogs, to build rapport with your ninken. So, do you eat poop on a regular basis?"
Upon hearing this, Hinata's face turned crimson. She lowered her head, afraid to look at anyone, and dared not activate her Byakugan. Kiba and Akamaru, on the other hand, became furious, as if they were about to tear Li Xing to shreds the next second. However, man and dog were not fools. Knowing they were outmatched, they chose to observe for the time being.
After Li Xing changed into new clothes, Sakura had also finished treating herself. She then stood in front of Hinata and Kiba, telling them to step back, as she had something to say to Li Xing.
"What did you mean by what you said earlier?"
"Huh? Which part are you asking about? The part where I know about the plush toys in your room? Or about the bond with Naruto?" Li Xing wasn't sure which part Sakura wanted to ask about. But since they were going to talk, Li Xing quickly produced a table, chairs, and wine, preparing for a long conversation.
Seeing this, Karin and Yugito also came over to sit, poured wine for Li Xing, and poured themselves a glass. The three of them started drinking together.
Sakura, seeing the three of them so nonchalant and not taking her seriously, walked directly to Li Xing and slapped the table. "I want to know the full meaning of what you said just now."
"Don't be so hot-tempered. The Byakugan girl and the ninja dog user over there, come and sit down for some tea." Karin acted very amiably, inviting the Konoha ninjas to join them for tea and a chat.
Li Xing took out three more chairs, three cups, and some black tea. He was a master at brewing tea; he used to study it with Miss Tamayo when he had nothing to do.
Initially, the three of them didn't intend to sit, but the tea Li Xing brewed was too fragrant, and with Karin egging them on, the three of them sat opposite Li Xing. On one side was red wine, and on the other was black tea, a rather harmonious scene.
"Do you want to know why Naruto is so determined to bring Sasuke back? It all started when Naruto was a child..."
Li Xing took a sip of red wine and continued, "Naruto, as the child born on the day of the Nine-Tails' attack, became a Jinchuriki at birth."
"Originally, the Fourth Hokage wanted Naruto to live as the son of a hero, but the Third Hokage, Danzo, and the Konoha elders concealed Naruto's identity."
Sakura frowned. "Wait, what's Naruto's relationship with the Fourth Hokage?"
"Don't interrupt. Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage. The Konoha elders concealed Naruto's identity but exposed the Nine-Tails within Naruto, causing the villagers to intensely dislike and fear Naruto. You should be well aware of this. At that time, Naruto had no friends."
"It wasn't until your generation, with comrades from the same year as Naruto, that Naruto gained hard-earned bonds. Lonely people often cherish these feelings more than others, coupled with Kakashi's teachings to you."
"'Ninjas who can't complete missions are trash, but ninjas who don't cherish their comrades are even worse than trash.' Naruto firmly believes in and upholds this belief. Sasuke is his friend, his comrade, and his hard-earned bond."
"If you kill Sasuke today, what will Naruto think of you when you return to Team 7? A sinner who killed a comrade? Or a villain who doesn't cherish companions? More importantly, you don't want to kill Sasuke either, right? I'm nagging you so much because I'm afraid you'll regret it. Some roads, once taken, cannot be turned back. Don't mind my nonchalant appearance; I'm also someone who values feelings."
After hearing Li Xing's words, Sakura fell silent. Hinata and Kiba were also silent, unsure of what to say.
Then, Sakura looked up at Li Xing. "Then, if Sasuke tries to attack Konoha, what should we do? Should we let Sasuke destroy Konoha?"
Li Xing pulled out a ruler and lightly struck Sakura's forehead. "Are you an idiot? What's your monstrous strength for? Strength is meant to protect what and whom you need to protect. Isn't Sasuke within your scope of protection? Isn't Konoha the same? Can't you capture Sasuke alive? You'd be protecting both Sasuke and Konoha. I truly don't know how Tsunade educated you; you're as stupid as an idiot."
"Ignore him, this guy has a lecturing obsession. He's being ridiculous!" Yugito poured Sakura a cup of tea, suggesting they just listen and not take it to heart.
"Hey, Yugito, how can you undermine me like that? What did I say wrong?"