Just as Naruto was about to be shot in the head, his blood spilling on the scene—
Itachi's hand slowly withdrew from Kakashi's shoulder. He knew that even if Naruto were to fall into a false death or even die, he would revive.
But Kakashi did not know this.
The chakra within Kakashi's body was on the verge of losing control.
Itachi had no reason to play the villain and tarnish the image Kakashi held of him.
However, just as Kakashi's figure was about to leave the tree trunk, the two froze in place.
---
At some point, an immensely powerful chakra burst out from Naruto's body, enveloping him in a dark, red-tinged chakra.
The leaves on the trees rustled violently; some dry, yellow leaves were instantly swept away, scattering like a whirlwind of falling leaves.
Thankfully, the trees in Konoha seemed to defy nature, and many green leaves stubbornly clung to the branches, concealing both Itachi and Kakashi's forms.
At the moment Naruto's heart sank into despair, filled with grievance and fury, and tears welled up as he prepared to embrace death— a sigh echoed within him.
The sound was faint yet resonated louder than thunder in the heavens.
"This world has always been this way... kid."
As the voice spoke, a surge of powerful chakra filled Naruto's entire body.
The wounds on his arms and the broken bones healed instantly.
Naruto felt his entire body brimming with strength.
The Nine-Tails had finally taken action, unable to sit idly by. It had sensed something amiss, its keen perception of good and evil compelling it to intervene.
---
Naruto's right hand moved slightly, twisting just a little, his bones cracking audibly.
Then, lazily, almost casually, he extended his hand toward the direction of the old man's attack.
With an exaggerated gesture, he pressed his thumb against his middle finger and flicked lightly, as though intending to tap the old man's forehead as a joke.
In the blink of an eye—
The sharp stone, along with the old man's hand, disintegrated into a spray of blood mist.
"So, this is how it always is, huh? This world always treats people like me, the unfortunate ones, like this?"
Naruto casually waved his hand, sending the old man who had pinned him down flying like a cannonball into the sky.
Mockery laced his voice as he responded to the mysterious voice echoing within him.
Hovering momentarily in the air, Naruto slowly descended and stood firmly on the ground.
His eyes had turned blood-red, his pupils nearly disappearing, and deep whisker-like marks etched his cheeks.
"Get lost!"
The blood-red eyes glared at the old man falling from the sky. Naruto could sense that the red energy was dissatisfied, trying to invade his mind and consume his will.
With a furious shout, the hidden, formidable energy within his body erupted, instantly subduing the rebellious red chakra.
"This energy…"
The voice in his mind was low and dissipated into silence.
The blood-red in his eyes gradually faded, returning to their clear, bright blue.
---
"Did you even consider the consequences?"
Naruto's youthful figure radiated overwhelming energy.
With a single hand, he gestured, and the old man froze midair, his throat gripped tightly by a massive, tangible red chakra hand.
The old man's face contorted in terror, his eyes wide with shock, the scars on his face turning crimson from blood flow, making him appear even more grotesque.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. His face flushed deeply red.
"Heh... heh... hahahahaha…"
Naruto gazed at the old man's pitiful state and the fear in his eyes.
He laughed—a hearty, carefree laugh that echoed as he threw his head back.
"So this is power… I like that look in your eyes. Are you afraid?"
Moments later, Naruto's laughter ceased, and a faint, almost unhealthy smile spread across his face.
---
"This feeling… Damn it! Naruto!"
While enjoying dinner with Sasuke, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly sensed the sinister, malevolent energy and stood up in alarm.
After briefly sensing the direction, his face turned pale with fear.
Other strong individuals around the village also turned their gazes in the same direction—toward Naruto.
Without hesitation, they rushed toward the source of the energy.
"Gather the troops and evacuate the civilians to the shelter!"
Hiruzen cast an apologetic glance at Sasuke before shouting his command and bolting toward the door.
In an instant, a heavy gloom settled over Konoha.
Everything felt eerily reminiscent of that night ten years ago.
Ten years, as though fate itself had brought it full circle…
But this time, Konoha had no Fourth Hokage to turn the tide.
---
Just as the villagers assumed Naruto had lost control, that the Nine-Tails had broken free, and another night of bloodshed was imminent—
The malevolent energy vanished as quickly as it had appeared, like an illusion.
"Heh…"
Noticing the approaching crowd, Naruto lightly clenched his fist.
The old man suspended midair was instantly reduced to a cloud of blood mist.
The spray of blood splattered across Naruto's face, and tiny shards of bone scattered on the ground. Naruto's expression grew complicated.
---
A complex mix of emotions—enjoyment, satisfaction, and intrigue—flickered in his eyes.
Then, he walked to a nearby tree, picked up his backpack, gave it a good shake, and brushed off the fallen leaves.
Hopping and skipping away, he moved toward the distance like a cheerful schoolboy heading home after class.
---
Up in the tree, Itachi and Kakashi exchanged confused glances. They couldn't make sense of Naruto's actions.
As they silently observed, Naruto suddenly noticed the person hanging in the tree and the pool of blood on the ground. He froze in shock.
There's someone here...
That meant everything he had just done had been witnessed.
He had planned to keep his disguise intact and carry out his revenge carefully, but now that plan was completely disrupted. His face darkened.
"Who's there? Come out!"
Naruto shouted loudly.
If today's actions were exposed, it would mean a major flaw in his plans, something he absolutely couldn't allow.
Standing under the tree, he was like a startled bird, tense and on edge. But the hidden observer didn't reveal themselves, and Naruto couldn't sense their presence at all, filling him with frustration.
As he noticed people from the village beginning to gather and head in this direction, Naruto could only cast one last furious glare around him before leaving in anger.
Still, as his mind cleared from the haze of power, he realized a bitter truth—he was far too weak.
If the hidden observer hadn't shown themselves, it likely meant they weren't an enemy—or perhaps they were waiting for the right moment to confront him with their demands.
Coming to this conclusion, Naruto resumed his carefree hopping and skipping, his figure moving like a phantom, vanishing swiftly into the distance.
Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails within him fell into deep thought.
The fox had sensed a familiar power and presence within Naruto—weak and fragmented, but undeniably real.
This power...
An image surfaced in its mind—a man who had once grabbed it with a single wooden arm and declared that it was too strong to control.
Even more overwhelming was the sight of that man's wooden arms, stretching endlessly behind him, blotting out the sky...
---
"We should leave as well."
Itachi spoke softly to Kakashi, whose gaze was filled with complexity. Itachi, however, remained outwardly composed.
But within him, things were far from calm.
The Hashirama cells he had long suppressed began to stir restlessly, like a bullied child suddenly spotting their protector, eager to run and tell.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing Itachi's unusual expression, Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts and asked.
"Nothing. Let's hurry and leave," Itachi replied, hiding the fluctuation in his aura.
"Alright…"
Seeing Itachi's demeanor, Kakashi didn't press further.
The two figures turned into blurs and disappeared from the scene.
All that remained was a mess of black sludge, three dried-out catfish corpses, pools of blood, shattered bones, various footprints of different sizes, and, in the distance, two bodies hanging from a tree.
---