The Global Effect
The storm unleashed by Naruto's revelations had not passed. It was only beginning.
Across the nations, those who had plotted against the Uzumaki, those who had bargained in shadows with Danzo, and those who had bathed in betrayal for power found their names burning in the public eye.
In Konoha, the civilian council members implicated in the Hyūga conspiracy abandoned their posts and vanished into the countryside, hounded by whispers and hunted by clans whose honor they had disgraced.
In Kumo, officials linked to the Hinata deal fled before the Raikage's wrath, some even exiled by their own kin.
In Iwa and Kiri, records of Danzo's manipulations shook the foundations of their leadership. The leaders denied involvement, but the truth carved through their words like kunai.
Even the survivors of the attack on Uzushiogakure — those few who had hidden their guilt — could not stay in their homes. They slunk into the shadows, planning to wait until the heat died down. But no shadow was safe anymore.
Because Naruto's truth had lit every corner of the shinobi world.
🏔️ The Five Kage Summit
The storm reached its peak in the Land of Iron, where the Five Kage Summit was called.
The air was sharp with snow, banners of each great village fluttering in the cold wind. Inside the great hall, the five leaders sat:
The Raikage, fists clenched.The Tsuchikage, his back bent but his eyes sharp.The Mizukage, silent fury on her lips.The Kazekage, stoic and watchful.And in the center, the Land of Iron's leader, Mifune, presiding as mediator.
The room was already tense when the doors boomed open.
A massive figure strode in, armor creaking, scrolls clutched in his giant hands. His presence silenced even the Raikage.
Without a word, he hurled the scrolls onto the table. They unfurled with seals that burned crimson and gold.
Every secret Naruto had exposed was laid bare before the Five Kage.
The Hinata plot.
The Uchiha theft.
The Uzumaki betrayal.
The Root experiments.
The hall was filled with chains of proof — glowing seals projected into the air, names, signatures, diagrams.
The Mizukage's hands shook.
The Raikage's jaw cracked with fury.
Onoki swore under his breath.
Even Gaara's calm eyes narrowed.
Mifune (grim):
"The shadows of Konoha have been dragged into the light. Now, tell me — which of you will claim innocence?"
No one answered. Because none of them could.
🦊 Kurama's Liberation
Back in the Library, Xavier approached Naruto with a grave look.
Xavier:
"You have shaken nations, Naruto. But if you are to walk the Ladder of Cultivation, you cannot do it chained. Not by lies. Not by fear. Not by seals."
Naruto blinked.
Naruto:
"You mean Kurama."
Xavier nodded.
Xavier:
"The Nine-Tails is bound inside you. If we attempt higher cultivation while your soul is shackled, it may tear you apart. He must be freed. But freed without killing you."
Kurama's voice rumbled inside Naruto's chest.
Kurama (snarling):
"About damn time."
Naruto swallowed hard.
Naruto:
"If he's released… I'll die. That's what everyone says."
Xavier:
"Normally, yes. But knowledge is power, and power bends rules. We will create a seal network strong enough to anchor your life even if the beast leaves you."
It took six months of preparation.
Naruto drew thousands of seals across the Library's training hall. His clones practiced, failed, corrected, and rewove them until every flaw shone golden.
At last, he stood ready.
Xavier placed glowing tags across Naruto's chest and back, forming an anchor net.
Xavier:
"This will hurt. The extraction will tear body, chakra, and soul. But if you endure two days, the anchors will restore you."
Naruto exhaled.
Naruto (quietly):
"I've endured worse. Do it."
The ritual began.
Chains of fire and gold ripped outward. Kurama roared, his chakra flooding the room. Naruto screamed, body convulsing as the seal tore open.
For two days, Naruto hovered at the edge of death. His chakra dimmed, his breath shallow. But Xavier's anchors held.
And when the light finally faded, Naruto woke on the Library floor, drenched in sweat, his body trembling…
And Kurama stood before him.
Not in a cage.
Not behind bars.
Free.
Kurama (smirking):
"Took you long enough, brat."
Naruto grinned weakly through tears.
Naruto:
"Guess we're partners now, huh?"
Kurama's growl rumbled, but it wasn't angry.
Kurama:
"Partners. Brothers."
🌌 The Jinchūriki Oath
Naruto sat with Kurama, Xavier watching silently.
Naruto:
"If I could free you… then I can free the others. No more cages. No more chains. No more Jinchūriki treated like weapons."
Kurama's ears twitched.
Kurama (softly):
"Then start with my kin. Eight-Tails. Gyūki. The others."
Naruto nodded.
Naruto:
"One by one, I'll bring them here. I'll free them all. And I'll protect their hosts the way no one protected me."
The Library glowed in approval. Golden shelves expanded, already carving wings for the other Tailed Beasts.
A new mission had begun.
🪨 Foundation of Power
With Kurama free at his side, Naruto turned back to Xavier.
Naruto:
"So what's first? How do I start climbing this Ladder?"
Xavier conjured a glowing ring, inscribed with runes of body and blood.
Xavier:
"You begin at the Fighter Realm. Body Tempering. Nine sub-levels. Each one forges your flesh into flawlessness. You will break your bones, tear your muscles, burn your veins—and rebuild them stronger."
Naruto grinned fiercely.
Naruto:
"Good. Pain's something I know how to handle."
Xavier's eyes narrowed.
Xavier:
"This will be pain beyond battle. The first stage strips weakness from marrow. The second reforges muscle fiber. The third rewrites your blood. It is not survival of the fittest. It is survival of the flawless."
Naruto looked at his fists. At Kurama. At the Library glowing around him.
Naruto (gritting his teeth):
"Then I'll make myself flawless. For my clan. For the Jinchūriki. For the world."
⚡ The Vow
That night, Naruto collapsed onto a training mat, his body aching from the first trial of Body Tempering.
Kurama sat nearby, silent but watchful.
Naruto stared up at the ceiling. Lightning flickered faintly across the Library's sky, as though mocking him.
Naruto (quietly):
"Twenty-one bolts of heavenly judgment, huh? Fine. Let them come."
He closed his eyes, determination sharper than any kunai.
Naruto:
"I'll climb every rung of this ladder. Even if I have to drag the whole world with me."
The Library pulsed.
The foundation had been laid.
The climb had begun.