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.[ADVANCE CHAPTER IN PATREON]
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Naruto was slammed into a tree, his body aching as he looked up to see Choji standing there, glaring at him with anger burning in his eyes.
Damn it… Naruto thought bitterly. First Sakura, then Kiba and Akamaru… and now Choji too? What the hell happened to all of my friends?
He tried to steady himself, but before Kiba, Akamaru, and Choji could attack again, a shadow stretched across the ground and bound all three of them in place.
"Shadow Paralysis… complete," Shikamaru muttered, stepping out from behind the trees.
Choji's glare softened slightly when he saw his best friend, but Kiba's eyes only burned hotter. His rage was unrelenting, and Akamaru growled furiously at Naruto, teeth bared.
"Release us, Shikamaru!" Kiba shouted, struggling against the shadow's grip. "That demon doesn't deserve to live another second!"
Akamaru barked in agreement, straining against the jutsu.
Shikamaru shook his head, his face stern. "You two need to stop this. Right now."
But Kiba wouldn't listen. His glare locked on Naruto, hatred dripping from every word. "I'll never let you go, Uzumaki Naruto. No matter what, I'll take your head. You hear me?!"
Naruto stood there, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his face. His chakra was nearly depleted—he hadn't fully healed from his last battle, and every step burned through what little energy he had left.
"So that's it then, huh?" Naruto muttered, his voice rough. His blue eyes, usually filled with determination, now carried a heavy sadness. He looked at Kiba, at Choji, then at Shikamaru. "You… don't believe me either?"
Shikamaru's expression tensed. He was used to reading people, and in Naruto's eyes he saw something that unsettled him—a flash of raw anger and hatred. It wasn't the Kyuubi's influence, nor the red glow of the fox's chakra. This was Naruto's own suppressed rage breaking through, something he'd been holding back for far too long.
How long has he been bottling this up…? Shikamaru thought grimly, tightening his hold on the jutsu.
But Naruto quickly forced it down, masking it beneath the same heavy loneliness he'd carried since childhood. Without another word, he turned his back and began walking away, ignoring the curses Kiba spat at him and the threats that echoed across the training ground.
"You hear me, Naruto?! I'll take you down myself!" Kiba roared, struggling against the shadows.
Naruto didn't respond. He just kept walking.
Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome…" he muttered under his breath, glancing at his restrained friends. "You guys don't get it… not yet." He did his best to reason with them, even as Choji's anger lingered and Kiba continued to rage.
Meanwhile, Naruto's solitude was cut short when an ANBU landed in front of him, wearing a blank porcelain mask.
"Uzumaki Naruto," the ANBU said coldly, "your presence is demanded at the council."
Naruto grit his teeth. Demanded. It's always demanded. Never requested.
He gave a small nod, saying nothing. The ANBU placed a hand firmly on his shoulder, and in the next instant, both of them vanished in a swirl of leaves.
reappearing inside the council chamber.
The sudden shift left Naruto a bit surprised, his thoughts racing. Why am I being summoned this time? he wondered. Is it about Sasuke? Or the mission report? He shook his head. He already had too many things crowding his mind. The trauma of everything that had happened still weighed heavily on him, and yet—after Sakura's visit—something had awakened inside him. Something he had tried to bury for years: a burning rage and hatred that refused to stay hidden.
As he stepped into the chamber, Naruto's blue eyes swept across the room. The civilian council members sat with smug grins plastered on their faces. Among the clan heads, some wore the same smugness, others anger, while a few had pity in their eyes when they looked at him. That only made the pit in Naruto's stomach grow deeper. He had already lost the trust of his friends, but part of him still clung to Shikamaru's words—that maybe, after some time, they'd understand.
Then his gaze landed on people who should have been his pillars of support. Kakashi-sensei, standing there as unreadable as ever, hadn't once come to see him in the hospital. Jiraiya, his godfather and mentor, hadn't visited either. That betrayal hurt most of all.
Finally, Naruto's eyes turned to the front, where Tsunade sat at the Hokage's seat. The Godaime Hokage—his Hokage—wasn't even looking at him. Instead, her head was lowered, her hands covering her face, staring at the floor as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
The tension in the air was suffocating.
Danzo, expression cold and calculating, broke the silence. His voice echoed through the chamber:
"Uzumaki Naruto, do you know why you have been summoned before this council?"
Naruto looked toward Danzo, his instincts already telling him this man was nothing but bad news. But at this point, he was too emotionally drained and traumatized to think too deeply about it.
"Well… I honestly don't know," Naruto said flatly.
Danzo's voice carried a cold authority as he spoke. "Uzumaki Naruto, you have been summoned here so that we may announce the decision of this council regarding your punishment… for injuring Uchiha Sasuke and using unnecessary force during your mission."
Naruto's eyes widened. Punishment? This was the very mission where he had nearly lost his life bringing Sasuke back. He had believed that accomplishing it would finally earn him recognition from the villagers and the entire village. Yet here he stood, accused instead.
"What do you mean, punishment?!" Naruto shot back, anger mixing with disbelief. "I completed the mission. I brought Sasuke back!"
Koharu's shrill voice cut through the chamber. "Your mission was to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke, not to brutalize him. You used unnecessary force! You fractured two of his ribs, one arm, and his leg."
Naruto stared at her as though she had lost her mind. His fists clenched at his sides.
Danzo continued, his tone colder than before. "Furthermore, you recklessly unleashed the Nine-Tails' chakra in battle against Uchiha Sasuke. This proves you have no control over your emotions or the beast within you. You are a danger to this village and must be… dealt with."
Naruto gritted his teeth. His voice trembled with rage as he glared at them all. "So that's it, huh? I fractured a few of his bones, and you're ready to brand me as a criminal? And what about me?!"
With that, Naruto yanked up his shirt, revealing two scars on his chest. Gasps echoed across the chamber. Even though most knew the Nine-Tails' healing had saved his life, the scars remained as proof of what had been done to him.
"He shoved two Chidori straight through my chest!" Naruto shouted, his voice breaking with fury and pain.
The clan heads widened their eyes in shock. They all recognized the assassination technique—Chidori. They knew very well the lethality behind that jutsu.
Danzo, however, remained unmoved. "It matters little. Uchiha Sasuke was under the influence of Orochimaru's cursed seal. He was not in control of himself. You, however, acted of your own free will."
Naruto's fists trembled. His nails dug into his palms until his hands shook. His heart pounded with rage. No matter what I do… no matter how much I bleed for this village… they'll never see me as anything but a monster.