A maelstrom of emotions swirled as every ninja stared, transfixed, at the god-like figure of Uzumaki Naruto standing in the sky.
That power, that pressure… even my hands can't stop trembling. Naruto has surpassed the Kage level. It's possible that even I am no match for him, Jiraiya thought, his heart pounding with shock.
Disbelief, fear, astonishment.
These were the emotions in everyone's heart.
"Impossible! That's not the gentle Naruto I know! It's impossible!!" Iruka covered his face in agony, his own face a mask of disbelief. Once, Naruto had been the student he was most proud of. Now… he was a missing-nin who would bring harm to Konoha!
"The Uzumaki Naruto I knew was a kind boy who would always look out for and protect others, who inherited the Will of Fire. Why did he become like this?" Kakashi murmured, his eyes devoid of light, his face ashen. His entire life had been a failure. He had been powerless to do anything as he watched his father and his comrades die. And now… he could only watch as his student stood on the opposite side of Konoha. Kakashi's heart was filled with pain. What was the difference between the genius Copy Ninja and a piece of trash?
"Naruto!" Sasuke's eyes were filled with rage. His last shred of hope had been utterly shattered. He couldn't believe Naruto had truly gone this far.
You were the one who pulled me out of the abyss, so why are you leaving now! Damn it!!! Uchiha Sasuke will break all four of your limbs if I have to, but I will keep you here, he vowed, clenching his fists, the Mangekyo Sharingan spinning wildly in his eyes.
"Farewell, everyone. The next time we meet, we will be enemies," Naruto said, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the faces below.
In the next instant, space twisted. A massive black hole tore open in the clear blue sky. Several Menos Grande poked their heads out, their cold eyes staring down at Konoha. A vast amount of negative emotion brewed within them, and the entire sky seemed to darken several shades.
The Nine-Tails, Minato, Shion, and Haku all stood within the Garganta, quietly looking down at the prosperous village of Konoha, respectfully welcoming the return of their king.
A torrent of brilliant blue light poured down, pulling Naruto, Rock Lee, and Aburame Neri slowly upward.
Everyone stared at the Garganta, a cold fear rising from their very souls. The grotesque faces of the Menos Grande reawakened the terror in the hearts of countless ninja. These were the same monsters that had appeared in Konoha before, impervious to weapons, slaughtering indiscriminately!!!
Then everything became clear.
So… Uzumaki Naruto was the true culprit behind it all. He had been plotting this from a long time ago.
The laughable thing was that no one had noticed. They had all foolishly believed he was the Uzumaki Naruto who loved Konoha.
And what terrified them even more were the humans standing in the Garganta. Though the bright sunlight made it difficult to see their faces clearly, the pressure they exuded was no less than that of a Kage-level powerhouse.
Many sharp-eyed ninja even caught a glimpse of a familiar shock of blond hair. They squinted, trying to make out the face.
"Is that the Fourth? Is that the Fourth Hokage?" someone cried out in shock. That brilliant blond hair and gentle face perfectly matched the Fourth Hokage they revered, Minato Namikaze.
"Minato!" Jiraiya's face was a picture of shock, his eyes filled with disbelief. Minato was his student; he was naturally familiar with everything about him. To him, the man floating high in the sky, within the Garganta, was the Fourth Hokage who had sacrificed himself on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, Minato Namikaze!!
"Why is Minato there?!!" Tsunade muttered to herself, unable to hide the horror in her eyes. It was an indisputable fact that Minato had died performing the sealing jutsu. But how could he be standing there, alive, in the sky? What was even more bizarre was that he was standing on Naruto's side.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was also standing against Konoha?
The information was too shocking, too ironic. It would be an unprecedented blow to Konoha's morale!
"Impossible. That must be the Transformation Jutsu," Jiraiya said to himself, swallowing hard as if trying to comfort himself. But he knew. Given the arrogance Naruto had displayed, he wouldn't deign to have someone use the Transformation Jutsu to look like Minato just to provoke the Konoha ninja.
"Sensei…" Kakashi looked at Minato's familiar face, and a wave of guilt washed over him again. He looked away, unable to bear the sight. In that moment, he felt like a stray dog with nowhere to go.
"Long time no see, Konoha," Minato's gentle voice sounded from the sky, as if greeting an old friend.
Hearing that familiar voice, the eyes of countless ninja welled up with tears.
"Lord Fourth Hokage!!"
Minato retracted his nostalgic, reluctant gaze and said no more. He understood that he was not the main character today.
Seeing Minato's expression and actions, all the ninja understood. The Fourth Hokage had once sacrificed himself for Konoha. Now, he stood with his family. He had become an enemy of Konoha.
It was logical… and heartbreaking.
"It seems you've made your decision, Minato," Jiraiya suddenly said with a relaxed smile, the gloom that had settled over him swept away. He smiled up at the morning sun. "To be able to see you alive in another form… even if your identity is that of an enemy of Konoha, I'm still happy."
"Hehehe," at that moment, the Nine-Tails stepped out from behind Minato with a cold laugh. His one-point-six-meter-tall frame had been blocked by Minato and the others, which had annoyed him greatly.
The moment the Nine-Tails appeared, Jiraiya and Tsunade's expressions changed drastically.
"Nine-Tails!!!" they cried out, which in turn caused the other ninja to gasp in shock and fear.
"When did the Nine-Tails make peace with Naruto and even join their side?!" Tsunade stared at the smirking Nine-Tails, her eyes filled with apprehension.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato, plus the super Kage-level powerhouse Naruto, plus the Nine-Tails.
A lineup like this was enough to make anyone despair. If they had a mind to destroy Konoha, the current village had no way of stopping them. Furthermore, there were two other mysterious powerhouses standing beside the Nine-Tails, seemingly on equal footing. This meant that, not even counting Naruto, there were four Kage-level powerhouses.
"Haku? Is that the Jonin from the Land of Waves?!" Sasuke recognized Haku's face and couldn't help but gasp in horror.
"White hair… that looks like the priestess from the Land of Demons, doesn't it?" another voice said from the crowd.
The identities of all the powerhouses who appeared in the Garganta were almost all guessed. Jiraiya and Tsunade couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. How had Naruto amassed such a terrifying force without them knowing? A sense of unease suddenly bloomed in Jiraiya's heart.
The morale of the Konoha ninja hit rock bottom. They could only watch as Naruto continued to ascend, his condescending gaze filled with contempt.
"Damn it! Boys!! I don't believe you've truly abandoned your youth!! I don't believe it!!" A green figure suddenly shot up from the ground, rapidly approaching Naruto and the others, his face filled with unrestrained anger.
The newcomer was Might Guy. Unable to accept reality, he attacked directly, hoping to stop Naruto and Rock Lee.
But he was destined for disappointment.
"Hado Number 90: Kurohitsugi."
A black coffin with faint, turbid patterns materialized out of thin air, directly enveloping Might Guy. The aura of death it exuded was chilling. Even though Might Guy had trained his body to its absolute limit through countless hours of training, he couldn't stop the sudden appearance of the Black Coffin and was instantly swallowed by it.
Trapped inside the Black Coffin, Guy felt his body go limp. A piercing pain spread across his skin; he could feel it burning. Not only that, but his very soul seemed to be frozen. A violent energy entered his body through his skin, severing the connection to his chakra. Guy was like an ant caught in the ocean, completely powerless. He could only quietly await his end.
A few seconds later, the Black Coffin dissipated. The Might Guy inside had already lost consciousness, his entire body emitting black smoke as he slowly fell from the sky.
Jiraiya quickly caught Guy, only to find in horror that there wasn't a single patch of intact skin on his body. His breathing was weak; he was on the verge of death.
"It's time to write the ending," Naruto said, looking at Rock Lee after defeating Guy in a single move.
Lee immediately threw the Third Hokage from his shoulder.
Swish. The Kido binding the Third was released, and he fell toward the ground, his face ashen. His mind was still replaying the sight of Minato. The moment he saw his successor, his heart had already been filled with guilt. He felt he had failed Minato, and he had failed Naruto. He had failed Konoha even more. In that moment, he had already lost the will to live.
Just as the Third was about to hit the ground, a white beam of light shot from Naruto's fingertip, piercing his heart. Blood sprayed into the air.
The light in the Third's eyes gradually faded.
So, I'm dying after all… I've made so many mistakes in my life. To die for Konoha… it's a good ending.
Where the leaves dance, one shall find flames. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew.
I will become a withered leaf, nourishment for the new generation.
The Will of Fire will be passed on, forever.
My death, too, has found its purpose.
"Sensei!"
"Lord Third!" The ninja below were filled with grief and indignation. Many already had tears streaming down their faces. Perhaps the Third had made mistakes, had hurt Naruto. But… he had worked diligently for the village for most of his life!! He didn't deserve to die!!
Uzumaki Naruto, do you have no feelings for the village at all? Are you really so heartless?
"Naruto, why did you do this! Have you been consumed by hatred?" Jiraiya demanded, his disappointment in Naruto complete. The moment Naruto killed the Third, his relationship with Konoha had become one of life and death. Killing the Hokage was equivalent to trampling on Konoha's dignity. And Konoha would never be merciful to a ninja who shamed it!
"Konoha may have brought you pain in the past, but it raised you! It's your home! Even if you left, you didn't have to be so cruel!" Jiraiya said, his heart aching.
"There's no need for more nonsense, Jiraiya. Uzumaki Naruto has lost his humanity," Tsunade said through gritted teeth. She saw the shadow of the Uchiha in Naruto. The same coldness, the same paranoia!
"Hatred? That's right. One of the reasons I killed the Third was hatred," Naruto said, his face expressionless.
His words caused an uproar.
"Just because of what you suffered in your childhood? That's terrifyingly petty," Jiraiya said with a bitter laugh.
"But… it's not the hatred you think it is." Facing all the misunderstandings, Naruto chuckled softly, his tone full of disdain.
"Konoha has been at peace for too long. It was once a cradle of geniuses, but now it's bullied by everyone. Under the Third's rule, Konoha lost its former bloodlust. It's like a sleeping lion."
"But even so, Konoha is still the strongest ninja village."
"The great ninja villages seem to have reached a delicate balance, but they are constantly clashing in the shadows."
"And the price is paid by the civilians."
"A ninja world like this is too disgusting…"
"A Konoha that has lost its bloodlust will eventually be slowly devoured. The once-cradle of geniuses will completely fall into the abyss."
"But! The death of the Konoha elder Danzo, the death of the Third Hokage…" Naruto raised his palm, and a red Rasengan suddenly appeared, continuously expanding. The Reiatsu it contained terrified everyone. The scorching heat even distorted the air.
"Will be the starting point of Konoha's transformation."
"For the weak, hatred is the best catalyst."
"On this day, Konoha will experience unprecedented pain."
"And I will bear all the hatred…"
"I look forward to the day you can catch up to my back…"
"And prove to me that Konoha's dignity will not be offended!"
"I think that day will be the most interesting day."
"This is the hatred I speak of."
"It is the hatred of the entire village of Konoha for me, not my hatred for Konoha…"
"Because for Konoha…"
"I have no hatred."
Naruto gently tossed the red Rasengan downward.
The giant red Rasengan suddenly expanded, and the heat and light it emitted dyed the entire sky above Konoha red. It then exploded, and endless light and heat burst forth, falling on every corner of Konoha like fireworks.
Boom, boom, boom. Konoha was instantly engulfed in continuous explosions. Fires burned everywhere, and smoke filled the air, mixed with the terrified and pained screams of the villagers.
The entire village of Konoha… was on fire.
The flames burned endlessly, and the scorching light illuminated everyone's faces, reflecting Naruto's calm expression.
His indifferent tone echoed in the sky: "The Will of Fire burns eternally. I will become the flame that ignites Konoha."
He looked down at the angry and disbelieving eyes below and chuckled softly.
"This is my purpose."
"The Uzumaki Naruto you thought you knew never existed in the first place."
"What I want… is to awaken a sleeping Konoha…"
"And nothing more."
Everyone looked at Naruto in disbelief. Jiraiya and Tsunade's minds even went blank for a few seconds. They had come up with countless hypotheses about Naruto's goal. It could have been hatred for Konoha, it could have been to sever his bonds with the village, it could even have been Danzo's instigation. But they had never once imagined that Naruto's goal was simply to ignite the dormant bloodlust within Konoha.
It was undeniable that after the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had indeed lost its former bloodlust in the peace that followed. Both its geniuses and its core strength had declined significantly. Compared to the ninja of the past, the new generation could even be said to have grown up with a silver spoon in their mouths. And the various assessments of the other ninja villages were cruel and realistic. Even if their number of geniuses was small, under a more brutal training system, the powerhouses they produced were no worse than Konoha's.
What Naruto had done would undoubtedly awaken the Konoha of the past. In just a few short years, the awakened Konoha would surely nurture more terrifying powerhouses.
Before confronting the ninja world, he first strengthened his opponent.
Just because the current ninja world was too weak?
What kind of arrogant thinking was this?
What kind of domineering philosophy was this?
Everything suddenly became clear.
No wonder Naruto hadn't killed Kakashi and Sakura. It was completely unnecessary! His goal was only to anger Sasuke, to make Sasuke grow stronger through hatred, to completely unleash his potential. And whether it was releasing the Nine-Tails, killing Danzo, or capturing the Third, it was all in preparation for this final scene.
The final performance, as Naruto called it!
Gather all the ninja, tell them the truth about his killing of Danzo. Show them his ambition and his determination to defect. Then, kill the Third in front of everyone. Every step would push the emotions of the Konoha ninja. Fear, anger, or sadness. When all the ninja's emotions reached their peak, hatred would be deeply rooted in their hearts. They would yearn to become stronger, to kill Naruto.
And in the end!
Ignite Konoha, awakening the fear and anger of everyone, including the villagers!
All these extreme emotions could only be vented on Naruto.
Naruto would become the devil in their minds!
In this way, for the next twenty, no, even fifty years, Konoha would see Naruto as its greatest enemy. An endless stream of geniuses would aim to kill Naruto!
Hatred…
This was Naruto's true goal!!!
He did not fear any genius; he even encouraged and promoted the birth of geniuses.
How confident and arrogant was that!
Was he not afraid of personally creating a monster far stronger than himself?
Jiraiya was baffled, shocked. For the first time, he understood the real Naruto. So, his gentleness was all a facade. His ambition and vision were something no one had ever anticipated.
Sasuke stood there, his mouth agape, his eyes full of shock. Though they were the same age, Naruto was far ahead of him in both strength and mindset.
A Naruto like this… could he really bring him back?
"All units, attack Uzumaki Naruto!!" Unable to contain her anger, Tsunade took a step forward and roared. She understood that she couldn't let things continue according to Naruto's rhythm. Otherwise, all the Konoha ninja would lose control. Now, they could only let them vent their hateful anger!
The ninja, pent up with anger, immediately used their strongest jutsu.
Jutsu of different colors intertwined, shooting toward Naruto's team in the blue light. The sky was filled with a brilliant display of ninjutsu, exploding upon hitting the blue light, bursting into beautiful colors. But they couldn't shake the blue light that was pulling Naruto upward in the slightest.
They were below, their expressions angry and fearful.
He was above, his expression indifferent and confident.
The gap was clear at a glance.
A sense of powerlessness welled up in the hearts of the ninja. They were actually enemies with such a god-like person.
It was truly… too despairing.
A confident smile remained on Naruto's lips. His eyes met Jiraiya's. He could see the fire of anger in his cheap teacher's eyes.
"Farewell, everyone. To be able to witness the birth of Konoha's anger, this trip was not in vain."
Naruto's indifference formed a sharp contrast with the anger below.
Soon, under the pull of the blue light, Naruto entered the Garganta. As the Garganta closed, the sky returned to its clear state, and the terrifying pressure quietly dissipated into the air.
The ninja looked at the sky, lost, a sense of confusion rising in their hearts.
"Even if we all attack together, we can't break that jutsu. Is an enemy like this really someone Konoha can defeat?"
They doubted, they feared. But at the same time, a fire of anger to become stronger was brewing in their hearts.
Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at the blue sky, speechless for a long time. They collected themselves and quickly ordered the ninja into action. At the very least, they had to put out the fires in Konoha first. Under this great fire, Konoha would definitely suffer heavy losses. The coming days would be difficult. Once the other ninja villages found out that the Nine-Tails was gone, they would likely make a move against Konoha.
"List Uzumaki Naruto as an S-rank missing-nin," Tsunade said gravely. "Do not leak any information about the Nine-Tails."
The fact that Uzumaki Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was not yet known by most ninja villages, so declaring Naruto an S-rank missing-nin didn't mean the information about the Nine-Tails would be exposed. But it couldn't be hidden for too long.
"Prepare for war. We in Konoha don't start trouble, but we're not afraid of it either!" A cold light flashed in Tsunade's eyes.
Just as Naruto had hoped, the giant lion of Konoha had awakened. Under Tsunade's iron-fisted leadership, it would surely take on a different appearance.
After most of the ninja had dispersed, a few people remained, their expressions lost.
"How could Naruto really betray the village?" Iruka's eyes lost their focus as he murmured. This dedicated Konoha teacher was in a deep state of confusion, even beginning to doubt his own professional competence.
"Was there something wrong with my teaching that led to Naruto's betrayal?"
"If I had given him enough care, perhaps he wouldn't have walked this path."
"It's all my fault."
"It's not your fault. If anyone is to blame, it's me," Kakashi said in a low voice, coming to Iruka's side.
"Damn it." Sasuke clenched his fists, his eyes full of unwillingness. Even after awakening the Mangekyo, he was completely unable to stop Naruto. All he could do was watch as Naruto walked the path of a missing-nin.
How could he get stronger now? Kakashi had taught him almost everything.
Sasuke's gaze soon fell on Jiraiya. His eyes flickered, and finally, having made up his mind, he walked over.
"Pervy… Lord Jiraiya, please guide my training."
Looking at the determined Sasuke, Jiraiya was somewhat dazed. "Why do you want to become stronger?"
"I want to protect the things I want to protect, and find Naruto."
Sasuke's words made Jiraiya's nose tingle.
"I understand," Jiraiya nodded.
"Wait a minute," Tsunade suddenly said, giving Jiraiya a look. Konoha had also been involved in the Uchiha massacre. If Sasuke found out the truth, he would inevitably harbor resentment toward Konoha. For Konoha, Jiraiya taking Sasuke as his student was not a good decision.
For this, Jiraiya sighed deeply. He turned to look at Sasuke seriously.
"Your talent is enough to be my student, but I hope you don't indulge in hatred."
"Hatred?" Sasuke's expression was slightly dazed. He knew that Tsunade and Jiraiya probably still thought he wanted to kill Itachi.
He shook his head and chuckled softly. "I do carry the glory of the Uchiha, but I have no hatred."
Seeing the suspicious gazes of Jiraiya and Tsunade, Sasuke continued, "I will find out the truth of Itachi's massacre, and I will make him atone for the Uchiha."
"But for me, my goal now is to have the strength to catch up to Naruto. I will bring him back to Konoha."
"He is my best friend. I can't watch him fall into the abyss."
Looking at Sasuke's determined eyes, Jiraiya nodded to himself. He decided to trust Sasuke.
"I will take Sasuke to Mount Myoboku for training, to improve his strength in a short period of time. That way, the next time we face Naruto, we in Konoha won't be so helpless."
"We have no other choice. Sasuke is the best candidate."
Sasuke, who possessed the Sharingan, was Konoha's future hope. Tsunade also understood this, and in the end, she could only reluctantly agree. But she still couldn't help but complain, "Just don't raise a second Naruto."
But in reality, the truth of the Uchiha massacre had always been a weight on Tsunade's heart. She only hoped that under Jiraiya's guidance, Sasuke would not go astray, and that in the future, after learning the truth of the massacre, he would still be able to fight for Konoha.
Once Sasuke mastered the Mangekyo and Sage Mode, she believed he would have a chance of victory even against Naruto. Jiraiya thought so too.
At this time, the fires in Konoha had almost dyed the sky red. With the coordinated efforts of the various ninja, the fires began to subside. After much effort, the dense sparks that could have started a prairie fire were finally extinguished.
All the Konoha ninja looked at the village, which had been reduced to ruins, with tears in their eyes.
As the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade's eyes were filled with deep sorrow. She took a deep breath and stood up, shouting loudly, "Today, we in Konoha have suffered unprecedented pain."
"But… from destruction comes rebirth!"
"Today will also be the new beginning for our Konoha!"
Tsunade stood up, and in her capacity as the Fifth Hokage, she completely took over all the power in Konoha. From a certain perspective, it wasn't a bad thing. Her prestige reached a peak, and all the clans expressed their loyalty to her. The entire village of Konoha was mobilized, and the speed of command transmission and the efficiency of execution were unimaginably high.
The great clans also realized that Naruto was now the greatest enemy of the entire ninja world.
After taking Sasuke as his student, Jiraiya stayed in Konoha for a few more days. Finally, one morning, he decided to take Sasuke to Mount Myoboku for training immediately.
Jiraiya had also thought about contacting Naruto through Mount Myoboku, to try to find out his possible subsequent plans. But even Mount Myoboku couldn't contact Naruto. The two toad sages were shocked and couldn't believe Naruto's betrayal. After all, Naruto's gentle and elegant image was deeply ingrained in their hearts.
Perhaps to deliberately draw a clear line, Naruto did not go to Mount Myoboku to explain anything.
What shocked everyone even more was the appearance of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, in the Garganta.
"Has Minato fallen? Has he also chosen to stand on the opposite side of Konoha? The former Fourth Hokage has also chosen to betray the village. This is too ironic," Tsunade couldn't help but rub her forehead, a headache coming on.
Jiraiya's eyes were complex. In this whole incident, he was the one in the most pain. Because both Naruto and Minato were his students.
"Once, they both dedicated themselves to Konoha…"
"Whether it was Minato or Naruto, all they wanted was to grow up peacefully in Konoha…"
"But in the end…"
"The ones who pushed them away step by step, who made them suffer, were precisely us."
"What reason do we have to complain?" Jiraiya said sadly, his eyes filled with tears.
The Konoha of the past had done too many heart-chilling things. It was precisely because Jiraiya understood this that he had chosen to escape. But in doing so, he had unintentionally hurt others. Indulgence was also a sin.
"Are you feeling guilty? Jiraiya, are you feeling guilty for the enemy? Remember, you are a ninja of Konoha!!" Tsunade noticed Jiraiya's emotions and couldn't help but say coldly.
"No matter what Konoha has done wrong in the past, now, they are our enemies!" She took a deep breath, her eyes filled with boiling killing intent and determination. "Don't let these emotions bother you. Now, we are the pillars of Konoha." After so many things, Tsunade, the princess of Konoha, had finally shed all her fear and confusion, becoming a true Hokage of Konoha.
Konoha was in ruins, but various stories about Naruto and Minato were circulating among the people.
"The Fourth Hokage isn't dead. He's become an enemy of Konoha."
"Naruto is actually the Fourth's son. Because we didn't take good care of Naruto in the past, now they've both betrayed the village."
"Impossible. The Fourth was so gentle. He wouldn't betray the village."
"But that's the truth. The Third made a mess of Konoha, and now the chickens have come home to roost."
"We can only believe in Lady Fifth Hokage now. Our Konoha can't afford a second tragedy."
The villagers all expressed their own opinions, all showing their nostalgia and disbelief for the Fourth. At the same time, under Tsunade's arrangement, rumors about trust in the Fifth Hokage also began to spread among the people.
"Since we are enemies, then let's fight! Our Konoha and Uzumaki Naruto are now irreconcilable!"
"That's right! Lady Fifth Hokage's performance this time was outstanding. She perfectly saw through all of Uzumaki Naruto's conspiracies, so the losses were minimized."
"Although our Konoha is in ruins, there were actually no casualties!"
"I believe that under the leadership of the Fifth Hokage, our Konoha will definitely rise again."
Guiding public opinion is far more powerful than controlling it. Under a series of measures, the Konoha ninja and villagers showed unprecedented vitality and resilience.
The day of departure finally arrived.
Sasuke and Jiraiya said goodbye to various familiar faces.
"Good luck, Sasuke. You can do it," Kakashi said, looking at Sasuke with a strange meaning in his eyes. The once-genius of Konoha had fallen to the point where he could only place his hopes on his student.
"Sasuke." Sakura took a step forward. Her wounds had healed a few days ago. But after healing, she had been like a lost soul, staring out the window like a walking corpse. She had only recovered her spirits after some counseling.
"Sakura." Sasuke looked at Sakura with a complex expression, his lips moving. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her to pull herself together. But he couldn't say a word. Naruto was like a great mountain pressing down on their hearts, a taboo. No one would mention his name.
Tears streamed from Sakura's eyes. She looked at Sasuke and sobbed, "Sasuke, I'm begging you. Please, you have to bring Naruto back… This is my lifelong request."
Sasuke stared into Sakura's eyes, his expression more serious than ever before. "I will. I will definitely bring Naruto back!!"
"I won't lose a comrade again. That is my ninja way."
In the crowd, Hinata held Hanabi's hand. After hearing the conversation between Sasuke and Sakura, a faint smile touched her lips.
"Let's go, Hanabi. Let's go home."
"Oh, okay, big sister," Hanabi said obediently, holding Hinata's hand as they walked back the way they came.
Hinata's eyes were still vacant, and she walked carefully. Several members of the Hyuga clan guarded her side.
"Big sister, from now on, I will be your eyes," Hanabi said in a clear voice.
Hinata nodded and smiled. Even if she had lost her sight, life was still full of light.
Everyone has to bear something. Their choices will determine their future destiny.
From this moment on, the silly Hinata who was in love with Naruto was dead.
I will become the clan head, revitalize the Hyuga clan, and find the path to evolve the Byakugan, Hinata vowed in her heart.
After seeing Sasuke off, Tsunade returned to the Hokage's Office. The once-bustling office was now deserted. She closed her eyes, rubbing her temples as she quietly thought about the future development of Konoha.
Konoha had suffered unprecedented destruction, directly set on fire. This news quickly spread throughout the entire ninja world. The ninja villages that were hostile to Konoha were gloating, but also trying to find out which ninja was responsible. They knew that the current Konoha had Tsunade and Jiraiya, and its strength was definitely at its peak in the last decade. A ninja who could set Konoha on fire definitely had super Kage-level strength.
And was also skilled in fire-style jutsu…
Could it be the Uchiha clan? But wasn't the Uchiha clan massacred?
The various ninja villages were very wary, constantly trying to find relevant information. Finally, they learned that the S-rank missing-nin was named Uzumaki Naruto, and he was thirteen years old.
A thirteen-year-old super Kage-level powerhouse. The various ninja villages were shaken, even feeling a sense of fear. As everyone knew, in the ninja world, talent could almost determine everything. Uchiha Itachi, who possessed the Sharingan, had also become a Kage-level powerhouse at the age of thirteen. The Sannin of Konoha had also become famous throughout the continent at a young age. And the user of the strongest Kekkei Genkai, Wood Release, the First Hokage, had once dominated the ninja world.
In the ninja world, talent was almost everything.
But now, a thirteen-year-old super Kage-level powerhouse had thrown the leadership of all the ninja villages into chaos. A super Kage-level powerhouse could walk sideways in any ninja village. One person could be worth a whole village.
The good news was that Uzumaki Naruto had defected from Konoha. The bad news was that no ninja village could underestimate Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto was enough to cause unprecedented damage to any ninja village. These ninja villages used all their resources to collect information about Naruto, but unfortunately, Konoha's security work was done very well, and their intelligence organizations almost all returned empty-handed.
Although Konoha had suffered great losses, it still had many Kage-level powerhouses, and even a Nine-Tails, so the other ninja villages did not dare to make any moves for the time being. But they didn't know that the Nine-Tails had also left Konoha.
In Sunagakure, Gaara received the news and showed a relaxed smile, happy for Naruto from the bottom of his heart.
"It seems Naruto already has the power to control his own destiny. That's great."
"Tch, it seems the Nine-Tails has also escaped. He should have obtained the Shinigami mindset by now," Shukaku pouted, muttering to himself unhappily. "That dog was already strong. Now he's probably mastered a Zanpakuto. Damn it!!! Where is this cat's Bankai?!"
Shukaku rolled around on the sofa in frustration. Although he didn't want to admit it, he had definitely been left far behind by the Nine-Tails again. He was so frustrated that he wanted to tear apart a few Akatsuki members for fun.
"Gaara, we're here." At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and Kankuro and Temari walked in.
Shukaku immediately jumped up as if he had seen an oasis in the desert. He excitedly grabbed their arms and dragged them outside, muttering, "Let's go, let's go, take me shopping."
Kankuro's face instantly turned green. Although the two of them were unwilling, they didn't dare to provoke this little ancestor, Shukaku. He was a monster who could easily abuse Kage-level powerhouses.
Gaara watched the three of them leave, a smile unconsciously forming on his lips. He was very satisfied with his current life.
"Someone, send this scroll to the Land of Demons," he called a subordinate and handed him a scroll. The scroll contained a letter written to Naruto. Gaara knew that in Naruto's plan, in just a few short years, the ambition of the Land of Demons would be exposed, and Sunagakure would become its ally.
To provoke a war with the entire ninja world. Just thinking about it was exciting!
Within the Akatsuki, Pain and the others soon received the intelligence that Uzumaki Naruto had defected from the village. After Deidara and Sasori were repelled, he had planned to move up the plan to capture the Tailed Beasts. But he never expected Naruto to give him a surprise first.
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has defected from the village? And even directly destroyed Konoha?" When he received this news, Pain was shocked. According to the intelligence, wasn't Naruto only thirteen years old? What was wrong with this world? A thirteen-year-old could stand against a whole village?
"Konoha… was destroyed?" Receiving the news, Uchiha Itachi's eyes were filled with killing intent. Whether it was the massacre or his defection, his goal had always been to protect Konoha and Sasuke.
"Gather all intelligence on Uzumaki Naruto. Find his location." The Nine-Tails was an indispensable part of the plan, Nagato immediately ordered.
"Uzumaki Naruto actually has that kind of strength?"
Uchiha Obito, hiding under the identity of Tobi, was even more horrified. Naruto's sudden change had affected the entire plan.
"Uzumaki Naruto…" he repeated the name, his eyes dangerous. "Sensei's son? His talent is really not bad. It seems it's necessary to go and meet him."
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