Chapter 30: At Least as Strong as a Kage… Right?
Danzo didn't back down. He stood his ground, his single eye narrowing to a calculating slit, ignoring Hiruzen's outburst. For years, they'd been partners in the shadows, two sides of Konoha's tarnished coin. He saw this crisis not just as a threat, but as a prime opportunity. Naruto's display of power, however alarming, was a testament to the asset's potential—a potential he should be molding.
He let his voice drop to a slow, insinuating drawl, continuing his verbal siege. He knew Hiruzen's guilt, his sentimentality. He aimed to pry the Jinchuriki loose by exploiting both.
He'd been fantasizing about it for years. In his dreams, a younger, obedient Naruto stood before him, the perfect weapon, forged by Root. Through him, the Shimura clan would ascend, and he, Danzo, would finally step from the shadows onto the Hokage's dais. The dream was so vivid, so sweet.
Reality, of course, had delivered a stinging slap to that fantasy. But the desire remained, a ravenous hunger.
"That's enough, Danzo!" Hiruzen's roar was primal, fueled by fear for the village and fury at this relentless ambition. "I have tolerated you again and again! Do not overreach your station! GET OUT!!!"
SLAM-CRACK!
Hiruzen's palm didn't just hit the desk; it sank into the thick wood, embedding itself up to the wrist with a sound of splintering oak. The sheer, uncontrolled force was a shock, a display of raw power the aging Hokage rarely showed.
Danzo instinctively took a stumbling step back, a cold sweat breaking out on his bandaged brow. This… was unexpected. The fire in Hiruzen's eyes wasn't just anger; it was a possessiveness bordering on madness. Is it because he's old? Because he feels his grip slipping?
But Danzo Shimura was not a man cowed by displays of strength. He had Root. He had contingencies. He straightened, his face a mask of cold disdain.
"Hiruzen," he hissed, the name a final, venomous dart. "You… will regret this."
Without another word, he turned and stalked from the office, the tap of his cane echoing his seething frustration.
Alone, Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the hole in his desk, his chest heaving. My Jinchuriki, the thought was a dark, possessive pulse. Mine to guide, mine to control. You will never have him, Danzo. You are the Root. I am the tree. Remember your place.
Inside the Seal
"If that's settled," Naruto said, his blue eyes calm and resolute as he looked from Kushina to Minato, "then my plans can move forward. For now, you'll both stay here, in the inner seal space with me."
Minato nodded immediately. He owed his son a debt that could never be repaid. If staying as a spectral observer was what Naruto wanted, it was the least he could do. There would be no refusal.
Naruto's mind was already racing ahead. According to the timeline he knew, the Uchiha massacre was imminent—within the next two years. He hadn't been idle. His monstrous sensory abilities, honed by his Saiyan-enhanced physiology, made him a ghost in the village. He could feel malice like a shark scenting blood. Sneaking into the Uchiha compound, observing, listening—it was trivial for someone who could move faster than the Sharingan could track and mask his presence completely. The Uchiha clan was a key piece on his board, a powder keg of resentment that could be… redirected.
Seeing their agreement, Naruto turned his attention to the cage. Without a word, he focused, and a stream of the vibrant, golden-red chakra he'd borrowed began to flow back from him into the diminished form of the Kyuubi.
Minato and Kushina watched, puzzled but silent. They trusted Naruto had his reasons.
The Kyuubi felt the influx immediately. Its body, which had shrunk noticeably, began to plump back up, its fur regaining its luster. It whipped its head around, its single eye wide with pure, unadulterated confusion. What is this? A trick?
"Like I promised," Naruto said, a hint of a teasing smile on his lips. "Just a loan. You look a bit scrawny after all that. Wouldn't want you to get sick."
The Kyuubi huffed, turning its nose up with exaggerated disdain. "Do whatever you want. Just don't bother me." It flopped down, closing its eyes in a show of supreme indifference, though one ear remained subtly cocked in Naruto's direction.
Internally, it had to admit the little monster was right. That much chakra output had left it feeling… drained. And he actually gave it back, it mused, a strange, unfamiliar flicker of something that wasn't hatred stirring in its chest. He kept his word. A human… kept his word to me. The pervert's physical resilience was terrifying, but his honesty was… noteworthy.
Also, it grumbled to itself, I don't get sick! Hmph!
From a purely logical standpoint, while a Tailed Beast's chakra reserves were vast enough to be considered "infinite" to a normal shinobi, they were not literally boundless, especially when dealing with a receptacle as abnormally large as Naruto. The combination of Uzumaki vitality (which, as Kakashi had once noted, gave Naruto chakra reserves at least ten times a normal elite Jounin's) and the bottomless well of Saiyan stamina had created a container of staggering capacity.
More importantly, Naruto's own soul housed a sea of cold, focused hatred that resonated perfectly with the Kyuubi's own corrosive energy. It didn't corrupt him; it fueled him. His body didn't burst; it welcomed the tide. His mind didn't break; it saw the fox's rage as a kindred spirit.
"Alright then, friend," Naruto said cheerfully, breaking the fox's reverie. "Thanks for the help. I'll be sure to call on you next time I need a favor!"
The Kyuubi's entire body gave a full-body twitch. Its eyes snapped shut completely. Next time?! The very thought made its fur stand on end. With Minato and Kushina now also lurking in this mental space, the future looked… oppressively crowded. For a moment, the ancient beast contemplated the merits of simply willing itself out of existence. The fox-life ahead seemed bleak indeed.
"It's time I headed out," Naruto said, giving his parents a final nod. He closed his eyes in the seal space.
Reality – Training Ground 44
Naruto's physical eyes snapped open. He was still lying on the grass by the creek. Or rather, what was left of it.
The ground in a ten-foot radius around him was scorched black, reduced to fine ash. The vibrant green was gone. His clothes—the simple, comfortable set Hinata had given him (a gift he treasured, especially after the shy, blushing kiss she'd planted on his cheek when he'd given her a small trinket in return)—were completely incinerated.
Miraculously, his hair and shorts remained intact. Don't ask about the physics; some things just work on anime logic.
A pang of regret hit him. He'd liked those clothes. But the feeling was quickly overshadowed by the sticky, uncomfortable sweat and residual energy coating his skin. He turned and slipped into the cool water of the creek, letting it wash over him.
As he lay back in the water, floating, he let his awareness sink inward again, not to the seal, but to his own core. He felt it—the new, thrumming reservoir of power. It was vast, wild, yet perfectly integrated. He squinted up at the sky through the dappled leaves, a fierce, triumphant excitement coursing through him.
Now… the real work on Konoha can begin.
He casually glanced at his internal system readout.
[ Combat Power: 85 ]
His eyebrows shot up. (●°u°●) 」!
A leap of several points. Not just from the raw chakra, but from the intense, high-stakes "training" session within the seal. The Saiyan blood was singing. He felt denser, stronger, faster. At this level… he mused, a cold smile touching his lips. I should at least be on par with an average Kage now. Maybe more.
He stepped out of the water, his body steaming slightly in the cool air. He was naked, powerful, and utterly focused. The first phase—securing his power base and his parents' witness—was complete. The next phase, the careful, deliberate unraveling of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, was about to commence. And he would do it not as a mindless beast, but as a son with a grievance, a witness to atrocity, and the power to deliver a verdict.
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