In the arena, there was no progress in the discussion about Temari's victory for an hour, until a commotion arose in the distance, and the three Sand siblings jumped as if it were a signal. Naruto jumped behind them.
"What are you doing, Naruto?" Sakura asked, jumping behind him.
"They are invading, look for Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke; I will take care of Gaara. He is the biggest threat to the village," explained Naruto, looking at Shino and Shikamaru, who had jumped alongside Sakura and Hinata. "The two of you follow that pair; I don't want you wandering aimlessly," Naruto said, looking at Temari and Kankuro. "Hinata, go to the village; I left clones there to support you," Naruto said, and without further ado, the Kyubi's chakra enveloped him, activating the Sage Mode at the same time as two of the Eight Gates.
Thus, in the blink of an eye, Naruto caught up to Gaara even before he left the coliseum and entered the forest.
Naruto dragged Gaara along with him in a lightning-fast movement, leaving Temari and Kankuro behind, who could only watch as they ventured into the forest.
"Let me go, release me!" Gaara shouted, trying to entrap Naruto with his sand.
Naruto had the Kyubi's mantle, combined with Sage Mode and two of the Eight Gates. Gaara was like a small pup in his hands. In just a minute, Naruto covered several kilometers, releasing Gaara in the middle of the forest.
Now, both of them were on a large tree branch.
"Brother panda, I believe we can now talk calmly," Naruto said calmly. They were five meters apart from each other.
Gaara's response was to send a wave of sand towards him, which Naruto effortlessly dispersed with one of his nine tails.
"Brother panda, don't underestimate my power. If you intend to fight me, you must use Shukaku's power," Naruto said, gesturing for him to take his time in summoning Shukaku.
Gaara glared at him but encased himself in his sand sphere to unleash Shukaku.
…
"What's the point of this?" Kurama asked. "Shukaku is not my rival, and with us together, he can't do anything. That boy isn't like you either," he added.
"If I capture him now and explain everything, he'll understand, and I think Shukaku will cooperate too. But if I do that, Gaara would be seen as a traitor to his village, so I must defeat him first. When he can't make any offensive moves, then we'll talk. That way, his honor and reputation will be preserved," Naruto explained as they waited for Gaara.
"Humans make life too complicated," Kurama said with a sigh…
Some memories that appeared in Naruto's mind interrupted the conversation. One of the clones Naruto had left behind was destroyed by a huge snake, but it didn't matter because four other clones were already approaching it with Rasengan in their hands. Naruto had left thousands of clones in the city, so he wasn't worried about the invasion.
In addition to his thousands of clones contributing physical power, Sakura was there. Naruto had taught her the healing jutsu based on Kurama's chakra, which she could now use. This jutsu could heal almost any wound and anyone, as long as they had at least a thread of life and weren't affected by some poisonous jutsu or something similar.
To add more assistance, there were Sasuke and Hinata, although Naruto doubted that Hinata would dare to use her Lightning Needle, which would kill anyone unfortunate enough to be hit by it. Using regular needles would be sufficient.
…
A few minutes later, Gaara completed his transformation, becoming a giant, chubby raccoon. Naruto joined him, creating an avatar of the same size with the chakra mantle to begin a tailed beast battle.
Some enemies managed to reach them, but upon seeing the battle of tails, claws, and tailed beast bombs, they ran for their lives. Naruto had brought Gaara there to unleash his full power without harming anyone.
…
Gaara endured for an hour before losing control of Shukaku, who barely showed his face. Kurama put a paw on his head, and they all appeared in an illuminated circle, about a hundred meters in diameter, surrounded by darkness.
"Kurama!" Shukaku exclaimed.
Kurama greeted Shukaku coldly.
"Brother Panda, I think we can talk now," Naruto said with a smile. He was facing Kurama, and Gaara was facing Shukaku.
Gaara gritted his teeth, and behind him, images from his past began to flash in rapid succession.
"Brother Panda, it seems like your life has been tough, but that doesn't mean you can't build a future," Naruto said and began to explain his plan for the tailed beasts.
…
"How the hell does this benefit me? If you extract the tailed beast from me, I'll die, and the Sand will lose its main weapon," Gaara asked with a growl after Naruto explained everything.
"I'm not a weapon!" Shukaku growled.
"You don't function like one either, even though you've had some influence. Nowadays, most jinchurikis are renegade ninjas, and I believe that if you can't protect your village with your own power, you need a different system," Naruto said.
"The tailed beasts are that system," Gaara snarled contemptuously.
"No, the tailed beasts were created for a different purpose, and they have already proven ineffective in maintaining peace. Using them as they do now only endangers this world," Naruto explained, and images of the Ōtsutsukis appeared behind him. Kurama and Shukaku were surprised.
"How do you know about them?" Kurama asked.
"Are there more of those guys?" Shukaku asked in surprise. They only knew of Kaguya.
"There are more, and in addition to these, there may be many more. Though these are likely the strongest," Naruto said and explained everything he knew about Kaguya and the Ōtsutsukis.
…
"Are you saying we're doomed?" Gaara asked. "Also, if the tailed beasts aren't useful, why release them?" he added.
"The tailed beasts are beings of chakra. Hagoromo created them that way because he believed it would be enough, or perhaps he couldn't turn them into flesh and blood creatures. After all, they were the chakra of the Ten-Tails.
»I believe I can give them physical bodies, and that way, they can fulfill the purpose of protecting our world from destruction," Naruto explained. "As for peace among the ninja villages, that's simple: unity, whether by force or through alliances," he explained. Gaara looked at him with doubts.
"You have a lot of confidence in yourself," Gaara said.
"In part, yes, but I have more confidence that there are more people who value peace and don't want their loved ones to die in a war," Naruto said.
Images of Gaara's brothers appeared behind him. Naruto smiled, and Gaara turned red with anger.
"I didn't think about them," Gaara snorted.
"As you wish, Brother Panda," Naruto said. Kurama snorted, and Naruto extended his hand to Gaara.
"Gaara, as I said before, you have the power to create your own future. And there are people who will accept you and extend a hand, myself included. In my case, it's because I know you have the determination to not give up if you become my ally," Naruto said.
"I know nothing about leadership," Gaara argued without taking his hand.
"Then learn. Now all you have to do is take a step and take my hand. Our friendship won't depend on how well you do or whether you succeed or not," Naruto proposed.
Gaara hesitated for a minute, but then took a step forward and shook Naruto's hand. Kurama moved one of his tails and placed it over their hands. Shukaku growled with doubt, but Kurama exerted chakra pressure on him, and he quickly put his tail as well.
"Shukaku, before you go, I'll need something from you," Naruto said with a smile that displayed all his teeth.
…
A minute later, Shukaku screamed in anguish as Naruto cut off a quarter of his tail. While Shukaku disappeared, leaving an exhausted Gaara exposed, Naruto returned to his normal size and took out a sealing scroll to seal the tail he had cut before it dispersed and turned into chakra.
Naruto was still wearing the Kyūbi's cloak, Sage Mode, and had two of the Eight Gates open, and he still didn't feel any fatigue.
…
"Naruto, the Hokage needs help. An enemy has created a seal around the combat arena, and we can't interfere," an Anbu said, appearing at Naruto's side now that everything was secure.
"Then let's go," Naruto said, while one of his tails wrapped around Gaara, who growled but couldn't do anything. The Anbu tensed as another tail enveloped him.
"You're too slow," Naruto said and shot off toward the village, leaving a trail of toppled trees due to his speed.
…
The arena was not inside the city, and getting there was not difficult for him. In a matter of seconds, Naruto arrived with five other Anbu who observed the situation alongside Kakashi and Gai.
The stadium had been almost entirely covered by Orochimaru's seal, but the people had escaped earlier, and those who remained were prisoners, watched over by twenty of Naruto's clones, all wearing the Kyūbi's cloak. The prisoners consisted of around fifty Sand ninjas, and there were also the corpses of Sound Village ninjas.
"Naruto, is that you?" Kakashi asked, seeing that Naruto was holding Gaara in one of his tails. Naruto released the Anbu and handed Gaara over to Kakashi.
"Orochimaru has killed the Kazekage. I believe that, with that, the Sand won't be willing to go to war," Naruto said.
Gaara grimaced, being held by Kakashi, as using his tailed beast form had left him unable to move.
"That's why you haven't killed his ninjas," Gai remarked. Naruto nodded.
"Do you think you can break that seal?" an Anbu asked.
"It depends. Do you think the Kyūbi can be contained by that seal?" Naruto asked.
Naruto jumped and transformed into the Kurama avatar, landing with his claws on the seal. It resisted for five seconds against the combined strength of Kurama, Sage Mode, and two of the Eight Gates.
Ten of his clones arrived to deal with the five guards of Orochimaru while Naruto shrank down and created over a hundred more clones. These activated four gates and sped toward Orochimaru, who had used the Edo Tensei to revive the First and Second Hokage, or at least to bring them back to some kind of half-life.
The location was a wooden forest, but the clones moved easily and caught the First and Second Hokage with their tails, infusing their chakra into them and preventing any movement or jutsu. Then they began to seal them.
"Hiruzen, it seems you haven't done everything wrong," the Second Hokage said while the clones applied the Eight Trigrams Seal to him and the First.
"The jinchūriki," Orochimaru said as ten clones dragged him over. "Master, it seems you're not entirely senile," Orochimaru said and then screamed miserably when the clones infused a large amount of red chakra into his body.
Naruto extended his hand while Orochimaru screamed, and he reached into his throat to pull out a sword.
"I'll keep this. Now you can die," Naruto said as a Tailed Beast Ball formed between his nine tails, and the clones holding Orochimaru leaped into the sky.
"No!" shouted the elderly Third Hokage, trying to intervene, but five clones immobilized him before he could make the first move.
"Elder, you're old. I hope you resign after this. You're no longer qualified to be Hokage," Naruto said with a sigh as the Third Hokage looked away, unwilling to watch as the Tailed Beast Ball ascended into the sky behind the clones and Orochimaru, who was struggling to break free but was being sealed and couldn't perform any jutsu.
Two hundred meters above them, the Tailed Beast Ball reached the clones and Orochimaru, erasing them from existence. Naruto nodded, as his Sage Mode and the Kyūbi's intention perception confirmed it.
The third Hokage shed tears as everything around him trembled.
"Well done, kid. Don't doubt your path," Tobirama said as the Edo Tensei unraveled, and his body began to turn into sand.
"Little one, don't forget that your heart is the most important," Hashirama said, also turning to dust.
"I'll take both pieces of advice but follow my own path," Naruto said, bowing to both Kage, who smiled before disappearing. In their place were the bodies of two of Orochimaru's servants, who were used as sacrifices for the Edo Tensei.
Naruto looked at their corpses and then at the elderly Hokage, who turned his face away in embarrassment while the clones released him.
"Elder, if I ever act in the same way, don't dare to doubt," Naruto said.
In Naruto's memories, Orochimaru was a perfect villain, though he would later become a joke. Now he was a fearsome figure, and he had also left behind the means to resurrect him through his cursed seal.
After the explosion, six Anbu, Kakashi, and Gai arrived at the scene.
"Orochimaru?" Kakashi asked, looking at the pair of corpses on the ground.
Naruto didn't respond; he just looked up, and Kakashi, knowing of Orochimaru's connection to the Hokage, nodded silently.
The Anbu looked tense and didn't seem to want to be there, but in the end, one of them knelt before the Third Hokage, who appeared to be waiting for bad news. Nevertheless, the Anbu lowered his head to deliver his report.
"Hokage-sama, our preparations were insufficient, and the enemy forces were larger than we thought. Fortunately, the jinchūriki intervened in our favor, and the Sand's attackers were captured, while Orochimaru's renegade sanin helpers are all dead. We have no casualties or injuries; the jinchūriki took care of everyone, even reviving some people," the Anbu reported, looking stunned.
"I can't revive people; they weren't truly dead. Their organs had stopped working, but their cells were still alive. I just restarted their organs," Naruto explained. "I haven't killed all of Orochimaru's helpers either. His four personal guards are being taken to the Root to obtain information about their hideouts. An army like his doesn't appear out of thin air."
"To the Root? Naruto, do you have some agreement with Danzo?" the Hokage asked with an alarmed tone.
The Anbu tensed up, and Kakashi and Gai made grimaces. The Hokage looked at everyone, not understanding.
"Danzo is a traitor and was also captured when I caught him trying to flee during the battle. Temporarily, the Root is under my control," Naruto explained, as no one else seemed willing to break the news.
"What!" reprimanded the Third Hokage.
"Hokage-sama, the traitor Danzo was caught using forbidden jutsu to implant parts of other ninjas into his body," the Anbu giving the report said, not daring to say more.
"Danzo implanted parts of the First Hokage's body into himself, as well as Uchiha Sharingans and Hisui Uchiha's eye. He attempted to use them against me when I tried to capture him, but it was futile as he was only fighting my clones, and he was eventually apprehended.
"I then took control of the seal he held over the Root Anbu, and at this moment, he and his Anbu are my prisoners in the Root headquarters. I suppose he'll want to keep it in his hands, though if that's the case, I'll also keep the parts he implanted from other ninjas. I don't believe those things should leave the Root headquarters," Naruto said.
The Third Hokage clenched his teeth, but the information left no room for doubt.
"I want to speak with Danzo. There's no need to bring him out of the Root," said Hiruzen, who didn't want Danzo to be mutilated, and he also couldn't order him to be exposed in public with the implanted parts of other ninjas. That would be a severe blow to the village, as it would mean its leaders were using the fallen as a resource.
"Naruto, we will discuss your position in this in a council," said the Third Hokage, but he looked as though the news had devastated his soul.
First the death of his favorite disciple and now the downfall of his best friend, who would undoubtedly receive the death penalty for his crimes. And Naruto knew this was just the tip of the iceberg, as Orochimaru and Danzo had been accomplices for a long time.
"Let's go," Naruto said.
…
Ten minutes later, their group arrived at the entrance to the Root headquarters, where they found Danzo guarded by two of Naruto's clones.
Danzo was an older man who appeared younger than the Third Hokage due to the Hashirama cell grafts. Now he was on his knees and was missing an eye on his face. His body was also sealed, and his chakra couldn't circulate, but he was conscious.
One of Naruto's clones uncovered Danzo's right arm, which was covered by a cloak, revealing a pale arm filled with Sharingans and Hashirama's face on one shoulder.
"Danzo! How dare you!" growled the Third Hokage, but more than anger, his words were filled with helplessness and dejection.
Naruto's clone covered Danzo's arm again to prevent any onlookers from seeing it accidentally.
"Hiruzen, what I've done, I've done for the village," Danzo said without appearing remorseful. "Now, tell your pet to release me and return control of the Root to me," Danzo ordered.
Naruto could see that he had already surrendered; now, he only wanted to preserve his dignity. The Third Hokage also realized it and looked at Naruto.
"Please keep Danzo alive," the Third Hokage said.
"The Root won't undergo any changes or carry out any sentences because I'm just a guardian now," Naruto said. "Furthermore, Danzo isn't like Orochimaru, who had already been judged," he added. He had a lot of information to extract from Danzo's mind. The Third Hokage nodded.