The situation at the Five Kage Summit was critical. The initial plan had been simple: unite the ninja forces from every village and crush the Akatsuki in one decisive blow. But no one expected the sudden appearance of Uchiha Madara, who declared war and upended everything.
Back in the Land of Fire, Tsunade remained composed but firm. For the sake of stability among the ninja villages, she kept her tone patient and respectful during discussions with the Fire Daimyo.
"The villages and their respective countries support each other. When the Daimyo implies that Konoha is merely an extension of the Land of Fire, does he truly understand the balance of power?" she said, staring straight at him.
The Daimyo was briefly speechless. He waved his fan and replied, "Fine, fine. I understand. You're dismissed."
As she turned to leave, he added, "Make sure to assign a team to protect the Daimyo's mansion during wartime."
Tsunade's hand slammed against the conference table with a loud bang.
"If the Daimyo understands the gravity of this war, then he must also understand the consequences of withholding resources. Should we lose due to a lack of funding or supplies, he must be prepared to face those consequences himself."
With that, she snorted and exited the reception room.
Watching her retreating figure, the Daimyo waved his fan dismissively and muttered, "I still don't get why the people of Konoha made such a hot-headed woman their Hokage. Though... she does look capable."
His attendant leaned in. "My lord, what about Konoha's funding?"
The Daimyo sighed. "Transfer it. It's war—we have to pay what's owed."
Outside the room, senior advisors Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were waiting. Seeing Tsunade approach, Koharu asked, "Did the Daimyo approve the funds?"
Homura, glancing at Tsunade's stern expression, answered before she could speak. "You can already guess. Every year, the Fire Nation profits from commissions on Konoha's missions, yet now they hesitate to fund a war? Typical."
Meanwhile, on a remote island far from the main continent, Morkel and Naruto had been staying at Fish Island for two days.
The island was beautiful and filled with exotic animals—a paradise for any traveler. Morkel enjoyed himself immensely. Naruto, however, appeared unusually troubled, a stark contrast to his usual carefree demeanor.
"We'll start the Tailed Beast Control training tomorrow," Morkel said to reassure him. "There's no need to rush."
Naruto nodded. "I know... But I can't help it. I want to grow stronger as fast as possible. Maybe the war will still be raging by the time we're done."
"If we improve our strength, we can make a real difference," he added with determination.
Morkel's expression shifted slightly as he remembered the prophecy given to him by the Great Toad Sage. Though the words had been vague, one thing was clear: the Sage had warned him against joining the Fourth Ninja World War.
"What exactly will happen if I do join?" Morkel murmured, troubled.
Naruto blinked. "Huh? Morkel, what are you mumbling about? You're acting weird."
Morkel decided to share his experience from his trip to Mount Myōboku. After hearing the story, Naruto was stunned.
After thinking for a while, Naruto offered his opinion. "I think we should listen to the Great Toad Sage. He's been alive for more than a thousand years—why would he lie?"
Morkel nodded. "I have no intention of joining the war anyway. Besides, with the Five Great Nations uniting, defeating Akatsuki should be easy."
"Of course!" Naruto replied confidently.
Elsewhere, at the Cloud Shinobi Village's hidden Turtle Island base, Killer Bee was pacing around his room in frustration. He yanked off his sunglasses and ruffled his messy hair.
"Man, I can't get this rhyme right! How am I supposed to drop bars if the lyrics won't come?!"
The next day, Morkel, Naruto, and Might Guy were led by the Cloud ninja Motoi to a sacred site: the Waterfall of Truth.
Naruto stared at the flowing water. "Is this really the waterfall Killer Bee talked about? It just looks like a regular waterfall."
Suddenly, Killer Bee emerged from the woods, looking like he hadn't slept in days. His hair was wild, and his clothes disheveled.
"Yo! Don't be fooled by appearances, kid. This waterfall shows you the truth—the real you!"
Morkel was taken aback by Killer Bee's appearance. "You look like you need a break. Get some sleep."
Killer Bee shrugged. "I'm fine! Just haven't slept for a couple days. I'm the mighty Killer Bee—I'll manage!"
With that, the training began. Killer Bee saw Naruto's desire to grow stronger and instructed him to sit before the waterfall.
As Naruto settled down, his expression started to twist strangely.
From his point of view, another Naruto emerged from the curtain of water. He looked identical—except for his eyes. The doppelgänger's eyes glowed red, giving him a more sinister and dark aura.
Red-Eyed Naruto smirked. "The people in the village annoy you, don't they?"
"They ignored you when you were weak, and now that you're stronger, they want to be close to you."
"And look at Morkel. He used to be just like you—weak and overlooked. Now he's strong, a hero, and the Hokage's chosen successor. Why him and not you?"
Naruto's face darkened. "Who are you? You look just like me—but I didn't use Shadow Clone Jutsu."
The red-eyed figure responded, "You know exactly who I am. I am your darker half—the real you. The Falls of Truth allowed me to take form."
"I represent all your negative thoughts. And guess what? The Nine Tails prefers me."
Naruto knew the Nine Tails fed off negative emotions. If he allowed these feelings to dominate, he could lose himself.
"I have to beat you here!" Naruto declared with resolve.
The two Narutos began their fierce inner battle.
Outside the waterfall, Morkel watched Naruto's expression change with concern. "Is the waterfall attacking his mind?"
Killer Bee, half-asleep, woke up and lazily explained, "Sort of. He's fighting himself... You'll see what I mean if you try."
Then he looked Morkel over skeptically. "Let's see how long this kid lasts. Bet he can't beat my record."
Soon, Naruto emerged from the trance, clearly exhausted. Morkel asked, "You sat there less than ten minutes. What happened?"
Naruto groaned, "You'll understand when it's your turn."
He then imagined two Morkels fighting each other—what a wild sight that would be.
Morkel took his place on the rock. Everyone watched, curious.
"How long do you think he'll last?" a Cloud ninja whispered.
"No way he's faster than Killer Bee," another replied.
Killer Bee grinned. "The stronger and more thoughtful someone is, the harder it is to face their true self. Morkel's too strong... he'll take time."
But before he even finished speaking, Morkel opened his eyes.
Killer Bee blinked. "That was quick. Are you giving up?"
Morkel stretched casually. "Nope. I think I already completed the training."
Naruto jumped up. "Wait, did you fight your other self? Did you win?"
Morkel shrugged. "Why fight? He's me. I just accepted him."
Killer Bee gulped.
The essence of the waterfall training was to accept your darker self. Most people struggled. Even Killer Bee had taken over half an hour.
But Morkel? He finished in under a minute—with just two sentences.
Incredible.
Morkel stood and added, "It was nice talking to myself. No misunderstandings. He knew exactly what I was thinking."
Naruto suddenly slapped his forehead. "I get it now!"
He returned to the waterfall, determined.
Red-Eyed Naruto appeared again.
"Still want to fight? There's no point. I'm you."
Naruto smiled. "I know. And it's true—I was jealous of Morkel. I resented the villagers. But that's okay. I have people I care about now. The village trusts me."
"I was a little sad Morkel was chosen as Hokage... but I'm also happy for him."
"Ye—uh—Morkel once said that a person should be judged by their actions, not their thoughts."
Then Naruto stepped forward and embraced his red-eyed self.
"Thanks for carrying all that darkness for me."
The other Naruto faded into light and vanished.
When Naruto opened his eyes, he smiled. Morkel grinned in return. "Looks like you figured it out too."
Killer Bee blinked. "What is going on with these Konoha kids?! When did Naruto get so smart?!"
He frowned. "Nah... He still acts like a hot-blooded idiot. Guess I worried for nothing."
Still, not wanting to be overshadowed, Killer Bee boasted, "Don't get cocky. This is just the beginning. My training was way faster than yours!"
A nearby Cloud ninja whispered, "Sir, you took 30 minutes. Morkel finished in under one, and Naruto in twenty."
Killer Bee growled, "If you don't speak, no one will think you're dumb!"
Fuming, he stormed toward the waterfall and passed through the curtain of water.
Morkel blinked. "Did he just disappear?"
Inside Morkel, the Four Tails snorted. "Water Curtain Cave? Now that's familiar."
Six Tails chimed in, "Not your excuse for a cave again. This place is the real deal."
Three Tails nodded. "Strange chakra readings behind that curtain. Very unusual."
"Why is Morkel even here? He's strong enough already," Six Tails added. "He doesn't need our power."
Four Tails scoffed. "Because it's borrowed power."
"Shhhhhhh," Six Tails hushed.
Inside the cave, Naruto stared in awe. "Whoa! This place is huge! Who built it?"
Killer Bee shrugged. "Beats me."
Morkel studied the ancient rock murals on the walls. "These creatures... are these supposed to be tailed beasts? Kind of abstract."
Killer Bee dismissed it. "Probably something worse."
Naruto pointed at one. "This one looks like your octopus form!"
Killer Bee growled, "Eight Tails isn't that cartoonish!"
Morkel examined the headless statues lining the path. "Why are they all decapitated? And the cuts... they weren't sculpted like this."
"Maybe someone chopped the heads off?"
Killer Bee turned serious. "You ask too many questions. Come on, we're almost to the power."
They followed him to a giant beast-head relief.
"Place your head inside its mouth," Killer Bee explained. "If you're pure, it opens the door. If not... well, it closes. On your neck."
Naruto paled. "Wait... it bites people?!"
"Exactly!" Killer Bee confirmed.
Morkel raised an eyebrow. "It can read people's hearts?"
"Didn't you wonder about the missing statue heads?" Killer Bee said smugly. "Those statues? Those were the ones who failed."
Now it was time to find out who was worthy.
--