"I'm… I'm fine."
Himawari's eyes shimmered as she looked at the boy standing so close to her.
"I remember you… you're Wind, the contestant from the Hidden Dark Village during the Chūnin Exams."
"I thought your team had already left?"
Wind smiled gently.
"Thank you for remembering my name."
"Yes, we did leave. But because of certain reasons… we came back."
He carefully set Himawari down from the princess carry.
Himawari looked worried.
"But… why did you save me?"
"That beam was so dangerous. If something went wrong, even you could've—"
Wind smiled calmly.
"It was nothing."
"I simply won't stand by and watch someone die if I can help."
Wind's sudden appearance shocked both sides of the battlefield.
Naruto (thinking):
That kid… the Sharingan boy from the Hidden Dark Village!
Why is he here?!
But thank goodness… Himawari is safe! Thank you…
Koji Kashin's thoughts raced.
That boy…
I sensed absolutely nothing.
He appeared like a ghost.
Was that a space–time technique… like the Flying Thunder God?
Then his gaze sharpened.
Wait.
The mark on his chin…
Karma.
Just like Jigen's.
Who exactly is this kid?
He glanced at Kawaki, who was kneeling nearby, clutching his burned arm.
Suddenly realization struck.
So that's it.
Kawaki's Karma awakened earlier because it resonated with the boy's Karma.
Which means…
He didn't teleport here.
He was here the entire time.
And I didn't sense him at all…
A drop of moisture landed on the back of Obito's hand resting on Koji's shoulder.
"Rain?"
He looked up.
The sun was beginning to break through the clouds.
"…No."
Obito turned his gaze to Koji's face.
The answer was obvious.
"Not rain."
"…Sweat."
"Who the hell are you, brat?!"
Delta roared in fury.
"How dare you ruin my plans!"
Flames blasted from her heels as she shot into the air.
Karma or not…
As long as you're not Jigen—
I'll kill you!
Purple light gathered in her eyes again.
Two beams of Destruction Laser shot toward Wind and Himawari.
"Hurry—watch out!"
Himawari cried.
Wind stepped forward, shielding her.
"Don't worry."
His Mangekyō Sharingan flashed.
— Amatsu Kishiki
Golden light enveloped his body.
Wind raised his hand and casually swung it.
SMACK!
The laser beam was deflected, changing direction and blasting into an empty building.
The structure exploded into dazzling fragments.
Delta froze midair.
Like an atheist child seeing a ghost.
What did I just see?
He deflected my destruction beam… with his bare hand?
Even Jigen wouldn't do that!
There must be something strange about that brat.
Capture him.
Amado needs to examine him!
Delta leaned forward in the air, knees bent.
Her rocket-like heel jets blasted again as she dived toward Wind.
But suddenly—
A figure appeared above her.
Someone who should not have been able to stand anymore.
Naruto.
His abdomen was still impaled by Delta's broken foot spike.
Blood dripped down.
But his eyes burned with fury.
"I won't allow you to attack children again!"
"Not my child—"
"Or anyone else's!"
"Die!"
— Ultra-Ultra-Ultra Big Ball Rasengan
A gigantic Rasengan expanded nearly ten meters wide in Naruto's hand.
He slammed it down onto Delta.
BOOM!
"Pointless struggle."
Delta's right eye glowed, frantically absorbing the Rasengan.
Naruto squeezed out every remaining drop of chakra.
The Rasengan continued expanding against the absorption.
BOOM!
He smashed Delta into the ground.
Delta's internal energy meter screamed warnings.
Not good!
He figured out my eye has an absorption limit!
Naruto roared through clenched teeth.
Just a little more!
If I maintain this output—
Her limit will break!
"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!"
Delta's eye system reached critical overload.
Her face went pale.
"…I'm finished."
Then suddenly—
The gigantic Rasengan rapidly shrank.
Like a balloon losing air.
It vanished completely.
"Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!"
Delta burst into wild laughter.
"So you ran out of fuel?!"
Naruto collapsed.
Kurama's golden cloak scattered into fading sparks.
"…So close."
"I was so close…"
He couldn't even move a finger.
Delta floated upward again, murderous intent boiling.
"That was close."
"You almost overloaded my eye."
"Hokage."
"Now I'll use your own technique to turn you into dust."
Her left eye glowed.
The absorbed Rasengan energy formed a massive sphere.
Like a meteor.
It shot straight toward Naruto.
Naruto stared quietly.
"…So this is the end."
Then suddenly—
His eyes widened.
A familiar black robe floated down in front of him.
Like a god descending.
Uchiha Akira.
Akira flicked his finger lightly toward the incoming Rasengan.
"Divine Reflection."
CRACK.
The meteor-like Rasengan shattered instantly.
It scattered into countless blue particles across the sky.
Akira glanced at Naruto.
The broken spike still lodged in Naruto's abdomen disintegrated into dust.
Akira's right eye focused.
— Toyoke Kebi no Mikoto · Life Restoration
A bright green healing light ignited over Naruto's wound.
Naruto trembled.
"Uchiha… Akira… you…"
Akira turned away coldly.
"Don't speak."
"I know what you want to ask."
"I just don't feel like answering."
Kurama muttered urgently.
Naruto… endure it.
Survive first.
Naruto exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah."
Delta was beyond furious.
She just wanted to kill someone before leaving with Kawaki.
Why was that so difficult?!
Her mood resembled someone about to reach the climax of a reward bath—
only to have three people repeatedly barge into the bathroom.
The frustration was unbearable.
Delta shouted.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Akira looked amused.
"What?"
"Didn't you want to shoot me with your destruction laser?"
"Don't you even know what I look like?"
Delta's eyes widened.
"…You're Uchiha Akira."
"Correct."
Akira tilted his head slightly.
"So?"
"Are you planning to fight me here?"
Delta clenched her fists.
Uchiha Akira…
Ever since the rumors that he defeated Kinshiki and Urashiki, Jigen had treated him as a potential threat.
Amado even wanted to test him using Ao.
Why bother?
Even if the rumors are true…
So what?
I still have spare bodies back at Kara.
Even if this one dies…
I can at least gather intel.
Akira asked calmly.
"That look on your face…"
"Should I assume you intend to fight me?"
Delta snorted.
"No."
"You chose to stand in front of the Hokage."
"You chose to oppose us."
Akira shrugged.
"If that's what you want to call it."
"I don't really care."
Delta roared.
"Prepare to die!"
Her chakra core ignited again.
But this time—
She didn't rush forward like she had against Naruto.
Instead she waited.
Watching Akira carefully.
Koji Kashin lowered his arms.
So we finally get to see it.
The man rumored to rival the Ōtsutsuki.
Akira raised his hand slowly, covering his right eye.
"In battle, I always show my opponents respect."
"The respect owed to a human being."
"So there's one application of my ability I normally never use against people."
He lowered his hand slightly.
"But Delta…"
"You don't really count as human, do you?"
"So I don't need to grant you that dignity."
His voice grew colder.
"I'll never forget it."
"As a fan who grew up watching Naruto Shippuden, I waited excitedly for Naruto to crush you."
"Instead I watched you step on him and humiliate him."
"That feeling…"
"Like swallowing a fly."
"I'll never forget it."
"Consider this personal revenge."
"For Naruto."
"And for the death of my youth—"
"Naruto Shippuden."
"I'll return that humiliation to you tenfold."
His right eye focused through his fingers.
The pupil trembled.
— Divine Illumination · Strip the Enemy
CRACK!
Under Akira's overwhelming gaze—
Delta's clothing shattered instantly.
Completely disintegrating.
Yes.
Before Akira's Divine Illumination—
If he wished it—
His enemies didn't even have the right to keep a single piece of clothing.
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