Aburame Torune's shout tore through the forest like a blade.
"The Nine-Tails broke the seal?!"
The cry echoed between the trees, sharp enough that even Sasuke—who was crouched some distance away, one knee on the ground as he checked Sakura's condition—heard it clearly.
Sasuke's hands paused.
His gaze snapped up, instinctively drawn toward the source of the voice.
The Nine-Tails…?
His dark eyes widened as he looked toward the battlefield, where the chakra-laced figure stood wreathed in pale red light.
Was that Naruto just now… not Naruto at all?
For a fleeting moment, shock dominated his expression. But buried beneath it—deep, where pride and fear tangled together—was something else.
Relief.
If the Naruto who had used the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique at the Academy was still someone Sasuke could one day surpass with effort, then the being now pressing Aburame Torune into retreat was on an entirely different level.
This existence wasn't something Sasuke could chase.
It was something he had to look up at.
And that meant—
Good.
It meant Naruto himself wasn't that far ahead.
It meant this terrifying power wasn't Naruto.
It was the monster sealed inside him.
A faint, unconscious smile tugged at the corner of Sasuke's mouth.
"Ugh… it hurts…"
A weak groan pulled him back.
Sasuke immediately lowered his gaze. Sakura's eyelids fluttered as she stirred, her brows knitting together as pain registered.
"You're awake," Sasuke said quietly, steadying her shoulder. "Don't move too much."
"S-Sasuke…?" Sakura's eyes slowly focused on him, relief washing over her face before confusion followed. "Did you save me?"
She struggled to sit up, wincing.
"What about that enemy? The one pretending to be our teacher—"
"Quiet," Sasuke said sharply, glancing toward the clearing. He pressed a finger to his lips, then pointed ahead. "Look."
Sakura followed his gesture.
Her breath caught.
The man who had incapacitated her with a single blow—who had moved so fast she hadn't even understood what had happened—was now on the defensive.
And the one forcing him back… was Naruto.
Or rather—
Something wearing Naruto's face.
Pale red chakra clung to his body like a living shroud, pulsing and writhing with barely contained violence. A single fox tail of condensed chakra lashed behind him, cracking the air with every movement. His posture was relaxed, almost casual—but there was nothing casual about the pressure rolling off him.
It felt wrong.
Oppressive.
Like standing too close to a natural disaster.
"That's… Naruto?" Sakura whispered, her voice trembling despite herself.
The smile on his face was familiar. The shape of it, the curve of his lips.
But there was no warmth in it.
Only cold amusement.
Tyranny.
A calamity barely wearing the mask of a boy.
Her heart pounded painfully in her chest.
"What happened to him…? Why is he so strong? So—so terrifying?"
Unbidden, a thought crept into her mind.
If it had been this Naruto earlier…
Her cheeks burned.
She wouldn't have dared to punch him until he was covered in lumps. Wouldn't have dared shout at him. Wouldn't have dared resist at all.
And worse—
There was something about him now that made her breath hitch. Something dark, sharp, compelling.
Handsome.
The thought shocked her so badly that she physically shook her head.
No. That's not it. It's just because he's cold and distant. Like Sasuke. That must be it.
"What are you muttering about?" Sasuke asked, frowning as he glanced back.
"N-Nothing!" Sakura blurted, flustered. She quickly pointed ahead. "Look—Naruto's moving again!"
Sasuke turned back toward the clearing.
The battle was shifting.
—
Lock tilted his head slightly, as if genuinely considering Torune's accusation.
"Nine-Tails. Nine-Tails. Nine-Tails," he repeated lazily, picking at his ear with one finger. "Honestly, you people are unimaginative."
His eyes curved with mockery.
"Can't you come up with something new? Try calling me the Fourth Hokage's lingering will. Or Kushina's vengeance. At least those would be interesting."
Torune Aburame faltered.
Just for an instant.
The idea slipped in uninvited.
Could it be…?
Chakra imprints left behind to protect a child weren't unheard of. Minato Namikaze had been a master of sealing techniques. Kushina Uzumaki had possessed monstrous chakra reserves and profound sealing knowledge.
But the thought collapsed under its own weight almost immediately.
No.
This presence used no Flying Thunder God. No Rasengan. No Uzumaki sealing techniques.
Only taijutsu.
And chakra.
Nine-Tails chakra.
Torune's eyes hardened.
"Tch. Almost fooled me," he snapped. "If you were them, I'd already be dead."
He straightened, forcing calm back into his posture.
"You talk too much. And you haven't killed me yet."
His gaze sharpened as he analyzed the battlefield.
"That means the power you can use is limited. One tail at most."
Lock's smile didn't change.
"You're stalling," Torune continued, confidence returning with every word. "Trying to buy time until the Hokage's Anbu arrive."
He exhaled slowly.
"I panicked earlier. That was my mistake."
His stance shifted, chakra flowing differently now—controlled, deliberate.
"I don't specialize in taijutsu," he said. "My strength lies elsewhere."
Lock laughed.
It wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
The sound itself seemed to scrape against Torune's nerves.
"Stalling?" Lock echoed. "That's cute."
The ground beneath his feet shattered.
Before Torune could blink, Lock vanished.
The fox tail scythed down from above, a vertical strike that split the air.
Torune reacted instantly.
He tore off his glove with his teeth, exposing skin that was an unnatural, vivid purple. Both palms snapped upward, catching the descending chakra tail between them.
Sizzle.
The sound was immediate.
Violent.
Purple spread across the pale red chakra like a disease, crawling and biting.
"Rinkaichū," Torune said calmly, pride seeping into his voice. "Nano-sized venomous insects. My life's work."
The chakra tail recoiled.
Torune's lips curved faintly.
"Even Kage-level shinobi hesitate when they touch these."
Lock glanced over his shoulder, examining the spots as they faded almost instantly.
"…That's it?" he asked, disappointed.
The purple vanished completely.
Torune's eyes widened.
Lock flexed his fingers, the chakra around him surging smoothly, seamlessly.
"I'm not borrowing this power," he said lightly. "This is my chakra."
He stepped forward—into Torune's range, into the danger.
"To you, this chakra is a barrier," Lock continued. "To me, it's my body."
Torune's composure cracked.
He inhaled sharply, cheeks bulging as he brought both hands together.
"Secret Technique: Poison Cloud!"
Purple mist exploded outward, swallowing Lock whole.
Torune poured chakra into the technique relentlessly, veins standing out along his neck.
Seconds passed.
Then ten.
Then thirty.
The mist churned—and a silhouette walked out of it.
Unharmed.
Smiling.
"That's really all?" Lock asked. "I expected more."
Torune stared.
"No… impossible," he whispered. "My insects should have penetrated any chakra coating."
Lock appeared in front of him.
Instantly.
A hand closed around Torune's arm.
Chakra surged.
A second, massive palm—formed entirely of Nine-Tails chakra—wrapped around Torune's throat and lifted him into the air.
Lock leaned in, eyes gleaming with cold amusement.
"I'm not dead," he said softly.
"But you're about to be."
---
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