Naruto exhaled slowly, letting the storm of emotions settle.
"I think that's enough for today," he said calmly, turning to the reanimated ones. "You all can go now."
There was a quiet rustle among the spirits—some nodding solemnly, others simply closing their eyes in understanding. But then—
"Wait," Mito called out, her voice soft but urgent. "Naruto… can't I at least see Tsunade? And Kushina?"
Naruto turned toward her with a small smile. "Yes," he said simply. "I never said you couldn't see them."
Mito let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Relief washed over her face like sunrise.
"I thought I'd be sent back before I got the chance…" she whispered.
Naruto turned to the edge of the chamber and gave a command.
"Orochimaru. Open the barrier."
Orochimaru gave a nod, his voice slick and obedient. "Yes…"
He raised his hand and sent out a silent signal to the others maintaining the barrier.
But nothing came back.
No response.
"…They're gone," Orochimaru said after a moment, frowning. "The ones holding the barrier… have been taken out."
A beat of silence passed.
Then, as if on cue—crrrrkkk—a sharp, splitting sound echoed through the chamber.
All eyes turned.
Thin cracks appeared across the walls of the shimmering barrier. Like spiderwebs. Like glass under pressure.
And then—
Shatter.
The barrier burst apart in a cascade of light and chakra, scattering into fragments like falling stars.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. Orochimaru's smile faded.
Someone—or something—had broken through.
From the shattered remains of the barrier, figures began to emerge—cloaked, sharp-eyed, and battle-worn.
At their flanks, masked ANBU stood silently, their weapons still bloodied. Behind them, seasoned jōnin moved with purpose, surrounding the chamber with practiced coordination.
Naruto took one step forward, gaze sweeping the gathered force.
"All here," he said with a slight smirk. "That's good."
A Few Minutes Earlier — Deep within the ROOT Base
Chaos had already passed. Every ROOT operative was either restrained, unconscious, or shackled in chakra-suppressing binds.
Uchiha shinobi—clad in dark armor and Sharingan aglow—stood victorious.
Fugaku Uchiha wiped the blood from his knuckles, calm as stone. Danzo Shimura lay slumped against the wall, his face beaten beyond recognition, barely breathing.
Shisui approached with a nod. "Fugaku-san, the area's secured. Should we move?"
Fugaku glanced at Danzo's broken form.
"Lock him up with the others. He's done for now."
"Yes, sir."
With that, the Uchiha forces turned, disappearing in a flurry of movement—headed toward the village. Toward the barrier.
Meanwhile — Within the Village Walls
Tsunade slammed her fist into the chest of the final Suna-nin, sending him flying into a collapsed building.
"That's the last of them," she muttered, shaking dust from her knuckles.
"Yeah," Kushina said beside her, crimson hair flowing in the wind. "They're done. Civilians?"
"All safe," Karin reported, panting slightly. "Secured in shelters and underground chambers."
Tsunade nodded, her eyes narrowing toward the distant energy.
"Then there's only one place left to go…"
Kushina grinned, that familiar spark in her eyes. "The barrier."
She looked up at the skyline, sensing something deep in her bones.
"...I know Naruto's there."
Without hesitation, they all launched forward—Tsunade, Kushina, Karin, and a wave of allied shinobi—cutting through rooftops and smoke, heading straight toward the epicenter.
Meanwhile, at the Epicenter—just before the barrier shattered
A low hum of residual chakra lingered in the air, the scent of ozone sharp on the wind.
From the shadows near the broken edge of the barrier, a figure in a dark cloak stepped forward, face hidden beneath a hood stitched with strange markings.
He turned toward the nearest ANBU captain, voice low, calm, but unsettling.
"Did you take out the Oto-nin who maintained the barrier?"
The ANBU captain immediately tensed, eyes narrowing behind his mask.
"Who are you?" he asked sharply. "Identify yourself. What's your purpose here?"
The cloaked figure raised a single gloved hand.
"Relax," he said smoothly. "We're not here to cause any trouble."
As if summoned by his words, several more cloaked shinobi emerged from the ruins, surrounding the ANBU squad like wraiths—silent, purposeful, and organized.
The chakra in the air shifted. Heavy. Uneasy.
Before the captain could issue a command—
CRACK.
A jagged fracture split through the last layer of the already weakened barrier. Then another.
KRSSHH.
With a burst of light and a wave of residual force, the barrier completely collapsed—shards of chakra glass vaporizing into the wind.
And without hesitation, the cloaked shinobis surged forward, vanishing inside.
The ANBU barely managed a transmission before they were gone.
"Unknown force entering the epicenter," the captain muttered into his comm, tone tight. "Multiple unidentified cloaked individuals. Proceeding with caution."
The ANBU Captain stepped through the collapsed barrier, his squad right behind him. His eyes scanned the battlefield with precision, searching for any signs of immediate threat—or for the Hokage.
He spotted them instantly—eight figures. Familiar chakra signatures.
Rasa of the Sand. Orochimaru. A handful of reanimated legends.
And then his eyes fell on Hiruzen.
Collapsed in a pool of blood. Barely conscious. Barely human.
The captain didn't hesitate.
"Hokage-sama!"
He rushed forward—but just as he was about to reach Hiruzen, a wall of cloaked shinobi moved in front of him, cutting off his path.
His squad drew weapons instinctively, standing at his flanks.
From behind the cloaked line, one figure stepped forward.
"Sorry, Captain," the voice said evenly, "your entry is restricted beyond this point."
The captain's fingers flicked in code, silently signaling his squad to prepare to engage and break the line.
But before they could make a move—
Naruto stepped forward.
He emerged from between the cloaked figures, walking alongside the reanimated Hokage, Madara, Mito, and Orochimaru like a young general with gods at his back.
The cloaked shinobi didn't stop him.
The ANBU froze in place as Naruto raised his hand, calm but commanding.
"Stand down," he said. "There's no need for violence."
The captain's voice was tight. "Naruto… what are you doing?"
Naruto looked down at Hiruzen, then back at the ANBU with steady eyes.
"I'm making sure he doesn't die before he faces the punishment he deserves."
Whispers echoed among the jōnin who had just arrived, forming up behind the ANBU. They didn't understand what was happening, but their loyalty made them instinctively align with the masked captain.
Tension cracked the air like lightning.
The ANBU captain narrowed his eyes. "On whose authority?"
Naruto didn't flinch. His words came without hesitation.
"Mine."
The air shifted.
A few jōnin exchanged uncertain glances. Others bristled, confused, caught between allegiance to the uniform… and the truth they hadn't yet heard.
The captain stood firm. "For what crime?"
Naruto stepped forward, slowly, his chakra steady and resolute.
"For betraying the Hi no Ishi (Will of Fire). For orchestrating atrocities against the very people he swore to protect. For allowing the extermination of clans, the destruction of bonds, and the suffering of children—all in the name of his own twisted idea of peace."
Gasps rippled through the newly arrived shinobi.
"And now," Naruto said, his voice like thunder wrapped in sorrow, "he will answer for all of it."