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Naruto: The Chosen Undead

Reader mode
Think since lordran is in the soul of seals it might tie into hashiramas wood style, and narutos mix of energies that he was subconsciously releasing created life in a similar way. Kinda ties into how lore wise how kekkei genkai pass down like dojustsu, but wood release vanished. Have to have a mix of energies from narutoverse and lordran? or maybe hes more closely tied to nature as an everlasting dragon.
 
Naruto canonically has alot of girls to pick from if he hadn't gone with Hinata. So it wouldn't be a surprise if he gained the heart of Dragon-Waifu-Snuggle-Tail.

As for Jutsu.

Lean into that wind element with Wind Clones. Self moving blenders that can explode with concussive pressure and razor wind shrapnel.

Follow up with an Earth Jutsu of diggy diggy since he's part Dragon now, on top of having a fox in him who are all about diggy diggy. Then he can chase Oscar when he tries to dig to escape.

Then a fire Jutsu, because it never hurts to have more fire.

The wind one is the only one I'm serious about.

Speaking of the Fox, the hell he think of everything going on?
 
Chapter no.52 Naruto New
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    • Chapter no.52 Beneath the Mist, A Knife in Every Hand

    Naruto took a deep breath and gave the best explanation he could manage.

    He told them that a hollow Havel had attacked him and that during the chaos, the knight had turned his blade toward Oscar. Out of fear for the lizard's life, Naruto made a desperate decision.

    He grafted the dragon scale directly onto his soul.

    "I'm not even sure how it happened," Naruto admitted. "I just… felt it. My soul was tearing open, and the scale answered. The rest..." He trailed off, glancing at the floor. "I don't remember. Maybe the cursed pyromancy flame reacted to it and made something... else. Some kind of demonic dragon. I think Havel came back to himself, at least for a moment, and fought it. Maybe even saved me."

    He looked down at his hands.

    "I remember exploding. And then I woke up… like this."

    There was a pause.

    Andre silently reached for his flask and took a long, heavy swig.

    Siegmeyer said nothing at first. Instead, he reached up to the sides of his great helm and pressed two small notches with gloved fingers. The upper half of the helmet cracked open, parting like the shell of a bisected onion, and slowly lifted.

    Naruto blinked in surprise. It was the first time he'd seen the man's face.

    Siegmeyer's features were rugged and expressive. His face was broad and square-shaped, with a strong jawline covered in a short, thick beard. It was neat, more the beard of a well-traveled knight than a wildman. His cheekbones were prominent, his skin sun-weathered and lightly tanned, etched with lines from age and laughter. His lips were full, curled into a soft, knowing smile, like he had just delivered a quiet piece of wisdom. His eyebrows were thick, slightly arched, lending gravity to a gaze that was calm and steady. His eyes, a warm shade of chestnut brown, shimmered with quiet confidence and kindness. Dark brown hair framed his face, medium in length and swept back loosely, with a few errant strands falling forward. Tousled but not uncared for. Like the rest of him, it carried the look of a man who had seen much and still chose to hope.

    Siegmeyer drank from his mug, then exhaled contentedly.

    Naruto and Oscar both stared.

    Andre shrugged and took another sip of his own. "Yeah, this is a bit out of my range. I'm just a poor old blacksmith, lad. If you ever need me to knock the lizard outta you with a hammer, I'd be happy to try." He gave Naruto a playful grin. "Free of service."

    Naruto laughed under his breath, shaking his head. "Thanks, Andre."

    There was comfort in knowing the old man hadn't changed, even if everything else had.

    "Mmm… Hrmmmmm… How do you feel, my young friend?"

    Naruto glanced at Oscar beside him, the crystal lizard chirping softly in support. The young knight smiled, placing a hand gently on his companion's head.

    "I feel… fine. Not normal. I don't feel human, not completely. But when I remember why I did it. I feel like I can manage."

    Siegmeyer's eyes gleamed with a thoughtful light. "Mmm… To be human… What does that mean, really?"

    Naruto frowned slightly. "I… don't know."

    "I've heard," Siegmeyer said, "that hollows are the true face of mankind. That to be human is to be full of desire, noble or not. And when I died, mm! When I returned as undead, I searched for meaning, as all lost souls do…"

    He looked Naruto in the eye, calm and steady.

    "But I found something better."

    Naruto blinked. "Better?"

    Siegmeyer nodded. "Mmm! It doesn't matter. Whether you are human, or lizard, or something yet unnamed… what makes you you are your actions, your ideals, and your memories."

    He straightened his back with pride. "Tell me, Naruto. Are you still the brave knight who once asked me to train him in the art of the blade?"

    Naruto didn't hesitate. "Yes."

    "Hah hah hah! Then what does it matter, hmm? Human, half-dragon, or polished gemstone. You are still Naruto Uzumaki."

    "Thank you, Sir Siegmeyer. That… really helps me see it differently."

    Oscar gave a nod.

    "Well," the blacksmith muttered, standing with a groan and wiping his hands, "being human's overrated anyway. All I need to feel alive is a hammer in my hand and strong drink in my gut."

    He gave Naruto a sideways glance and pulled a large crate onto the table. "And speakin' of feeling better, I've got just the thing."

    He opened the crate, revealing the Elite Knight Armor, cleaned, reforged, and gleaming with soft iron-blue.

    Naruto's eyes lit up.

    He immediately began equipping the armor piece by piece, each plate clicking into place with a satisfying clunk.

    "I missed you," he whispered to the gear as he tightened the last strap, then stepped forward and jabbed the air.

    BOOM.

    A shockwave cracked the air, and the sound barrier shattered like glass. Wind tore through the smithy, rattling chains and knocking the items off Andre's workbench.

    Oscar squawked.

    Siegmeyer blinked, helmet rattling.

    Andre took another drink.

    "Mmm… Hrmm," Siegmeyer muttered as the dust settled. "I see you've yet to get a grip on your new strength."

    Naruto glanced at his trembling gauntlet. "Yeah…"

    He pulled up his interface, reading the glowing status windows that flickered across his vision like ghostly runes.

    [Strength: 24 → 30]

    "Right. Gotta fix that fast."

    "Then let us correct it. Mmm! As I once told you: control without restraint is destruction, but restraint without control is stagnation. One must learn to channel, not contain."

    Naruto gave a crooked smile. "Of course. That's why I bullied those Balder Knights for their rapier style. Good practice, bad company."

    Siegmeyer laughed. "Hah hah! Very good! Shall we head to the courtyard?"

    "Lead the way, onion sensei."

    As they walked toward the open training yard beneath the forge tower, Andre called after them, "Don't punch any more holes in my walls, you two. I've only got one hammer and zero patience."

    Andre glanced over.

    "So," he said, leaning on the table. "I heard from Naruto… you've got a girlfriend."

    Oscar blinked.

    Then, without a word or a chirp, he slowly curled up on the bench, closed his eyes, and decided it was the perfect time for a nap.

    Andre glanced at him, muttered, "Smartest one in the room," and took another long swig from his flask.

    That peace lasted about ten seconds.

    Then came the sound.

    BOOM.

    A violent crack tore through the forge, followed by a deep rumble and a cloud of dust shaking the ceiling beams. Tools clattered. The anvil vibrated. Andre nearly dropped his drink.

    "The hell was that?"

    The blacksmith bolted down the stairwell into the training courtyard, his boots hammering the stone.

    What he saw made him stop mid-step.

    Naruto was on one knee, gauntleted fist buried in the ground. Around him, the courtyard had caved inward, stone fractured in a perfect crater at least ten feet wide. Dust swirled, and small pebbles rained down like it had just stopped raining fists.

    Naruto looked up, sheepish. "At least I didn't destroy the walls."

    Andre stared at him.

    Then looked around the yard. Then back at the smoking crater. Then took a sip from his flask.

    Andre stared at the smoldering crater, then at the two armored maniacs responsible. "Since you two've decided to spar down here," he muttered, rubbing his temple, "give me five minutes to draft my will, or move the hell out."

    "No worries, Master Andre," Siegmeyer replied cheerfully, giving a dramatic thumbs-up. "We shall take our knighthood elsewhere."

    "Yeah, let's just go beat up those Stone Knights in the Garden," Naruto said with a grin, brushing the dust off his gauntlets. "They make excellent punching bags."

    And with that, the duo of knights floofed away toward the woods, footsteps echoing as they vanished into the Basin.

    Andre exhaled slowly and turned back toward his forge. "I'm going to drink myself to sleep," he muttered. "Maybe I'll dream of customers who don't crater my courtyard."

    He glanced at Oscar, who had peeked one eye open from his napping position.

    "You want a drink, lizard?"

    Oscar chirped once, noncommittally.

    Andre raised his flask. "Good lad."

    Then he shuffled back into the forge, the doors closing behind him with a groaning creak.

    Peace, for now until the next boom.

    Zabuza Momochi never knew the luxury of idealism.

    His life was forged in the cold bite of steel, tempered in silence, and drenched in the blood of others. He was born to no clan, just another nameless brat clawing for air in the fog-choked gutters of Kirigakure. And utterly forgettable in a land where names were everything.

    The Land of Water had always bled status. At the top sat the Founding Families, whose power traced back to the Warring States. Below them were the loyalists. And far beneath them… were the rest. Stray dogs like him. Dragged into the academy not by pride, but policy. Stripped of choice, forced to bow beneath flags they never believed in.

    Zabuza grew up in that system.

    Under the Third Mizukage, in the era they would later call the Bloody Mist, graduation meant slaughter. Kill your classmates or die. Simple arithmetic. And Zabuza? He didn't hesitate. He wasn't even supposed to be in that class, just a boy watching from the sidelines.

    But he stepped forward anyway and killed them all.

    That massacre broke the system. Or at least cracked it.

    From that day, they called him The Demon of the Hidden Mist.

    He rose quickly. Earned his stripes in blood. Took up the blade and joined the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Carved his name into the bones of the old world. But nothing changed. The system that made him still stood. Still devoured the weak. Still crowned cowards in noble silk.

    So he plotted a coup.

    Not out of duty. Not for justice. Not to "save" his village.

    Zabuza didn't believe in things like that.

    He wanted power.

    The kind that would let him burn down the pedestals others stood on. The kind that meant never bowing again, never taking orders from men who wore their bloodlines like armor.

    It failed.

    The Mizukage was no mere tyrant. He held the Three-Tails inside him, a monster bound in flesh, made worse by whatever darkness whispered behind his eyes. Zabuza fought, lost, and escaped. Branded a traitor. A ghost in the shinobi world.

    And like all missing-nin… he became a mercenary.

    He drifted through battlefields, took contracts, spilled blood quietly and efficiently. Built a network. Stockpiled ryo. Waited.

    The job in the Land of Waves?

    Just another paycheck. Kill the bridge builder and get paid. The money would fund a second attempt. Maybe. Or maybe he'd disappear for good.

    But then something changed.

    The Wave began to shift.

    It started with whispers. Gato's men slaughtered in a single night. No witnesses. Just corpses. They called the killer The Archer of Providence.

    Zabuza scoffed until he saw it.

    He saw how the villagers began to stand taller. How fear left their eyes. How hope crept back into their voices. It was annoying. Hope was dangerous. Hope made people brave, and brave people got killed. But it also did something else.

    It made him wonder.

    What if… killing didn't have to be hollow? What if, for once, it could mean something?

    For a brief second, Zabuza imagined what it would feel like to not be a weapon. To cut for something greater than coin or survival.

    He nearly turned back.

    Nearly.

    But he was still a practical man. A dead man couldn't fund a revolution. The bridge builder would die. But not for Gato. No. Zabuza would take the job, then turn it on its head. Finish the mission. Get the money and then kill Gato. Take everything the bastard had and leave the Wave standing free.

    "Guess I'll play the hero," Zabuza snorted.

    "What's so funny, Zabuza?" came a voice from behind him.

    Aoi Rokusho.

    The green-haired traitor from Konoha, now flying under Amegakure's banner. He strolled in with that smug swagger and his sleeveless purple jumpsuit, with an umbrella slung casually over one shoulder and the Sword of the Second Hokage strapped to his hip like he'd earned it.

    "Just thinking it's funny. You're fighting the same village you ran from. You really think they'll forgive you if you kill a few of their own?"

    "Forgiveness? Please. Konoha's a pit of hypocrites choking on their own pride. I'd rather see what's left of it burn."

    Zabuza didn't care about the speech. He wasn't here for morals. He liked Aoi for one reason only: utility. The plan was simple. Aoi would stall one of the genin teams. Meanwhile, Zabuza and Haku would handle the bridge builder. Then, once the job was done, they'd regroup and sweep up the survivors, including Kakashi Hatake.

    And after that? Aoi would die.

    Gato, too.

    Maybe Zabuza would let Haku keep the Second Hokage's blade. It'd suit him better than the clown holding it now. Unfortunately, Zabuza's plans didn't last long before something felt… off.

    He had barely stepped into the hideout when he heard voices, more than there should have been.

    Haku opened the door before Zabuza could knock. "Zabuza-sama. You're back."

    Zabuza walked in and saw three figures seated around the low table. A man in his late thirties. Two teenagers. All three with hair the color of snow and eyes like carved amethyst.

    Hōzuki. Zabuza's eyes narrowed. Why the hell were they here?

    Before he could speak, Haku offered the answer, tone neutral. "They were hired by Gato. Reinforcements."

    Liar, Zabuza thought immediately. Gato had already called in Aoi through his name. Bringing in more backup—especially this kind—wasn't efficiency.

    It was insurance.

    Gato didn't trust him. Which meant these three weren't here to help. They were here to make sure he didn't go off script. That no one did.

    Aoi strolled in behind, spotted Haku, and flashed his sleaze. "Hello there, beautiful. What's your name?"

    Haku didn't blink. "A boy."

    Aoi choked. "Wh—?"

    The resulting spit-take was spectacular.

    One of the Hōzuki twins clutched his chest, howling with laughter. The other collapsed sideways, face buried in a pillow to muffle the noise.

    The eldest of the three, still seated calmly, just chuckled and met Zabuza's gaze. "Been a while."

    "Kazan?"

    He hadn't seen that face in over a decade, but it was burned into memory. Kazan Hōzuki. A former Mist shinobi of considerable renown before the bloodline purges.

    "I thought you were dead."

    Kazan smiled faintly. "Most people did."

    "I sent you a message," Zabuza said. "Back during the coup. Asked you to stand with me."

    "I got it," Kazan replied. "But I had a family to move before the Mizukage's purge reached my doorstep."

    "So what brings you crawling out now?"

    Kazan shrugged. "Man's gotta eat. Gato's name's been floating around. Rumor said he was offering a fortune."

    Zabuza's eyes narrowed. "How much?"

    "Five million ryo."

    Zabuza whistled low. That explained a lot. Gato wasn't just funding a hit. He was bleeding money. Desperation… or something worse. A last move. Or a hidden one.

    Zabuza didn't care.

    He looked around again. Aoi, still coughing. Haku, quiet as always. The Hōzuki twins grinning like they were waiting for a signal. Kazan, seated like a war general ready to flip the board.

    Every man in the room had their role. And not one of them was planning to follow through with it.

    The conversation that followed was dry and tactical. Names. Targets. Who would shadow which genin team. Who would strike at the bridge builder. Who would engage Kakashi. No one raised their voice. No one asked more than they needed. Every shinobi in the room was playing their part...

    …and planning who to kill after.

    Morning brought no warmth, just a gray stillness clinging to the sea air.

    Team 7 and Team 8 had split at dawn. One team stayed behind to protect the safehouse. The other escorted Tazuna and the bridge laborers to continue construction.

    Kurenai Yuhi sat beside the open kitchen, sipping tea with Tsunami as the jōnin shared stories from her time in the Earth Nation. Team 8 stood guard in various positions around the house. There was tension in the air, they could feel it. The enemy was waiting for the right moment to strike.

    Thick mist began to seep through the forest. It rolled into the yard in sheets, curling around the wooden walls, slithering through the gaping hole Naruto had blasted open the day before.

    Kurenai was on her feet in an instant.

    Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu, she realized. Her fingers curled into a defensive sign as the air turned cold and the world bleached white. Visibility dropped to inches. The temperature with it.

    Even Tsunami stiffened.

    Hinata was already in motion, pale eyes igniting with the veins of the Byakugan. "Three signatures," she said quickly. "Two with chūnin-level chakra. One… jōnin."

    Tsunami jolted upright. "Inari's still on the rooftop!"

    Kurenai didn't answer. She vanished in a burst of motion. The rooftop came into view, the fog parting for an instant to reveal a tall, broad-shouldered man standing in front of Kiba, while Akamaru barked and shielded Inari with bared teeth.

    Kazan struck first.

    His kunai drove straight into Kiba's skull. A clean kill. Only for Kiba to melt away like wax.

    A genjutsu.

    Kazan narrowed his eyes, already focusing to dispel it but not fast enough.

    Kurenai appeared in front of him, her eyes cold, her arm thrusting a kunai directly into his sternum. His chest liquefied around the weapon.

    "Sorry, doll," Kazan said, unfazed, his body bubbling as it reformed. "You can't hurt me."

    His arm bulged, fingers elongating into watery claws that lashed across Kurenai's body only for her to vanish again. Then a tree grew behind him, wrapped its tendrils around his throat.

    "Then tell me…" her voice whispered by his ear. "Do you feel pain?"

    Kazan's body convulsed as a searing wave of agony coursed through him. Kurenai's genjutsu was precise, forcing his brain to believe his nerves were aflame. He roared, chakra pulsing as he forced himself free.

    But even that was part of the trap.

    From above, Kurenai was in the air holding Inari as they landed on the ground.

    "Water Style: Piercing Lance!"

    Spear-like javelins of compressed water screamed through the air, impaling them both. Or so it seemed.

    They faded.

    Another layer of genjutsu.

    Kazan finally broke free.

    The real battlefield came into focus. Team 8 stood across the clearing. Shino cradled Tsunami in a bridal carry. Kiba held Inari in his arms. Tsunami and the boy both lay unconscious under a gentle genjutsu.

    Better asleep than screaming and becoming liabilities.

    Kurenai opened a scroll and with a puff of chakra flared, Naruto clones sprang forth.

    "Kurenai-sensei, what's going on?" one of them asked, eyes immediately scanning for threats.

    "Take Tsunami and Inari," she ordered. "Get them far from here. Alert your team. Tell them the enemy has engaged."

    "Got it!" the clones said in unison.

    They each took a person and flickered away in bursts of movement. Then the lake behind Tazuna's house exploded. A colossal dragon of water rose from the depths, crashing through what remained of the structure. Its body shimmered with eerie purpose, twisting like a sentient beast.

    "Sensei!" Hinata's voice rang out. "It has a chakra network inside!"

    Team 8 broke into a sprint, weaving through trees as the dragon chased.

    Hinata reached into the lining of her jacket, pulled a bow and arrow. With one swift motion, she notched the arrow outside the bow using a Hyūga grip technique designed for horseback but just as effective on the run. She fired high, angling the shot.

    The arrow curved downward.

    The explosion tag on its tip detonated on the water dragon's spine, sending it reeling and breaking apart into roaring mist.

    From the dispersing fog, laughter echoed as Shōka and Enka, the Hōzuki twins emerged.

    "Did you see that, brother?"

    "I saw it, brother."

    "The prey can actually fight back," said one.

    "Oh, how fun," said the other.

    They giggled in sync, their joy sounding like funeral bells in the mist.

    "Children," Kazan said calmly as he stepped through the thinning fog. "Your father is going to need you to prepare."

    Shōka and Enka pouted in sync.

    "But we wanna..."

    "Go!"

    The twins couldn't argue against their father. So, they vanished into the trees with the unsettling grace of predators pretending to be children.

    Kazan's smile returned.

    He drew a short, hooked dagger from his belt. The blade was blackened from years of use, the edge recurved like a karambit but longer as if built to hook into muscle and tear out chunks.

    Kurenai didn't flinch. She dropped into a stance, knees bent, kunai reversed in her hand, blade running along her forearm.

    Silence then motion.

    Kazan struck first with his left foot forward, dagger slashing in a tight arc aimed at her liver. Kurenai pivoted off the line, parried the inside of his wrist with her left hand, and countered with a rising elbow aimed at his chin.

    Kazan leaned back, the strike grazing his lip, and stepped into her blind spot. She rotated with a spinning heel kick, but he ducked low, sliding beneath the arc and popping up behind her.

    Kurenai spun just in time to block a stabbing thrust.

    The kunai and dagger locked.

    Both pushed.

    She did a foot sweep, pivoted off her shoulder torque but Kazan shifted his weight and rolled over her ankle, twisting midair to land in a crouch. His follow-up was a snapping backhand aimed at her temple. She ducked, twisted into a low stance catching his wrist under her armpit while her heel slammed downward toward his ankle.

    He snarled, let go of his dagger, and trapped her leg with his own then headbutted forward. Her forehead cracked into his, both of them recoiling. Blood ran down Kurenai's brow, but her grip didn't loosen.

    Kazan grabbed her wrist with both hands, spun, and flung her over his shoulder.

    Kurenai rolled with it, absorbing the fall on her back and kicking up her legs. He leapt over her heel just in time, but her second leg twisted into a scissor grip and yanked him down.

    They hit the ground in a scramble.

    Dagger and kunai forgotten.

    Kazan's fist drove for her throat. Kurenai caught it mid-thrust, fingers digging into the tendons. She jabbed with her palm into the side of his jaw, dazing him for half a heartbeat.

    She rolled into top mount. He headbutted again, sending Kurenai flying.

    Fang Over Fang!

    A whirling blur of teeth and fur tore through the mist as Kiba and Akamaru launched toward Kazan like a living drill, chakra spinning off them in violent bursts.

    Kazan's arm flexed. His biceps bulged grotesquely as chakra flowed through his forearm. Ready to swat them like flies.

    But then thwip.

    An arrow embedded into his shoulder with a sharp thunk. Hinata had fired it from the shadows.

    It would have disabled a normal shinobi. But Kazan Hōzuki wasn't normal. His shoulder liquefied, the arrow passing through a gel-like mass of water before being ejected whole. He caught it mid-air and, with a sneer, hurled it straight back.

    It slammed into Shino's torso, pinning him to a tree. The attached explosive tag detonated, engulfing the Aburame in fire.

    Kazan twisted toward Kiba and Akamaru as his hand flared.

    "Water Style: Water Pressure Prison."

    A translucent orb of condensed water formed in an instant around the duo. They stopped mid-spin. They tried to move but couldn't.

    The sphere vibrated with violent pressure.

    Inside, oxygen depleted rapidly. Their limbs slowed. Eyes bloodshot. Akamaru scratched against the walls but couldn't break through. Blood vessels ruptured as flesh strained. Their bodies twisted under the internal crushing force like lungs imploding and bones compacting under an invisible vice.

    Kazan didn't even glance back.

    He was already charging forward.

    "Water Style: Senbon Barrage!"

    Dozens of high-pressure water needles exploded forward, piercing the clearing like a net. Hinata screamed then crumpled as three needles struck her shoulder, thigh, and abdomen. Blood sprayed.

    Kazan leapt high.

    Kunai flashed. He sliced through Kurenai's neck, her body slumping. But the world fractured. His surroundings twisted. Reality itself melted away like a reflection rippling across water.

    Kazan crashed down, not onto victory, but onto stone spikes. Pinned through the gut. He gasped. "…I'm in a genjutsu."

    "Always have been."

    "When?"

    "The moment you and I engaged in hand-to-hand," she replied coldly. "I layered you in illusion after illusion. Everything you experienced was just you dancing in the palm of my hand."

    Kazan strained to move, but his limbs were sluggish. He could feel the pain. Not just mental. The genjutsu was so refined it projected sensory feedback into his nervous system.

    "As expected of a Konoha jōnin," Kazan muttered. "You're tricky. But it doesn't matter. You can't kill me. And my sons… your little genin can't hope to stop them. They've already killed chūnin before."

    "Chūnin, huh? That's cute."

    Then Kurenai gave a half-smile, more like a warning. "My kids? They're in the same generation as Naruto Uzumaki."

    Kazan blinked. "Is that supposed to mean something?"

    "It will." Kurenai leaned in, voice dropping to a razor's whisper.

    "That name is going to shake the world."

    She placed a hand on his forehead.

    "Shame you and your sons won't live long enough to see it."

    The fog churned while trees trembled.

    Kiba landed on all fours, claws extended, lips pulled back in a feral snarl. His breath misted in the cold air, every muscle tensed. Across from him, Shōka Hōzuki stood lazily balanced on a tree branch, grinning like a devil in a boy's skin.

    "Nice dog tricks," Shōka said. "Where's your mutt?"

    Kiba didn't answer. He was already moving.

    Four-Legged Technique.

    His muscles flexed and fur bristled across his skin. His pupils narrowed into sharp slits. With a sudden boom, he launched off the ground.

    Tunneling Fang!

    Kiba spun into a bladed spiral, nails sharpened by chakra, tearing up the forest floor as he barreled toward Shōka who began to liquefy. Kiba passed through harmlessly, slamming into a tree. Bark exploded. He landed, skidding, blood dripping from his shoulder where a branch had sliced him.

    "Tch…"

    "Did you think I'd stand still for that?"

    Kiba spun but was too late.

    Shōka's liquefied body surged from the base of the tree like a wave and slammed into Kiba's side. The Inuzuka was flung like a ragdoll into the underbrush, crashing through a bush and coughing blood.

    Shōka reformed beside him, water dripping from his fingers, forming into razor-like needles.

    Water Gun.

    He fired a burst of pressurized water bullets.

    Kiba rolled, barely dodging, one shot grazing his thigh. He sniffed once, twice and locked in. Then vanished.

    Shōka looked around.

    Kiba burst from beneath the dirt with Fang Over Fang! This time, he slammed partially through Shōka's liquefied body, his scraping flesh even as water dispersed around him.

    Shōka reformed mid-air, now clutching his torn shoulder. He laughed. "That's more like it!"

    Suddenly, Akamaru burst from the side with a bark, bloodied but alive, his fur singed from the earlier explosion. He slid next to Kiba. The boy grinned. "Ready?"

    Bark.

    Double Impact Wolf Fang!

    They split—one left, one right—blitzing Shōka with a flurry of crossing slashes. Kiba slashed from the left. Akamaru bit from the right.

    Shōka staggered, half-reformed, his body pulsing with steam as he pumped water through his muscles. "You're not bad, mutt!" he snarled, veins bulging. "But I've got tricks too!"

    He slammed his fists into the ground.

    Water Style: Calling Flood.

    Water erupted in geysers beneath Kiba's feet. The water came from Shōka's body itself, traveling through roots and capillaries like a living flood.

    Kiba leapt... too late.

    The geyser struck him full in the chest and slammed him into a boulder, shattering it. Blood poured from his mouth.

    Shōka moved in for the kill, forming a spear of water along his arm like a jagged lance. "Say goodbye."

    But Kiba smiled through bloodied teeth as he trusted his teammate to take the shot.

    Hinata knelt a hundred meters away, hidden in the dense forest, her breathing calm, her eyes locked onto her mark through the Byakugan. She loosed the arrow. It arched like a falling star, slicing through mist and silence, landing just inches from Shōka's foot.

    The Hōzuki boy laughed. "Missed..."

    FLASH.

    The arrowhead burst into a searing light. A flashbang hidden in the shaft exploded with a thunderous crack, blinding the world in white.

    Shōka staggered, then came the sound.

    Fang Over Fang: Final Revolver!

    Kiba and Akamaru, cloaked in spinning flame, shot through the fog like a blazing comet. Their chakra spiraled around them in a drill of molten heat, fire dancing like a serpent down a tornado's spine.

    Shōka's body began to liquefy, too slow. The fire-drill slammed into his torso. Steam exploded. Water hissed. Shōka's form distorted violently as his body reformed mid-collapse.

    Again.

    The flaming vortex twisted in the air, curving like a predator with a second wind.

    Again.

    It struck from the side, shredding Shōka's shoulder as the boy howled, barely keeping his cohesion.

    Again.

    From above. From below. From every angle, Kiba and Akamaru became a storm of death. Each impact forced Shōka to liquefy, each reformation weaker than the last.

    At last, he collapsed into a trembling puddle, his consciousness fading. And then Shino's kikaichū descended. Thousands of insects swarmed over the steaming remains, draining the chakra out of the sludgy water form. The puddle thinned… then dried.

    The unconscious body of Shōka Hōzuki remained, gasping weakly in the mud.

    Kiba landed beside him, panting, covered in sweat and steam. His eyes stared down; not in triumph, but in grim silence.

    He stabbed him.

    Kiba watched the life leave them and he didn't celebrate.

    Elsewhere.

    A tremor shook the fog.

    Shino stood with his hands in his pockets, surrounded by insects. Opposite him was Enka, face twisted in rage.

    "Your brother," Shino said simply, "is dead."

    Enka's face cracked into a snarl. "LIAR!"

    Water surged around him, forming two massive fists the size of tree trunks. They swung down with earth-shaking force as Shino exploded into bugs. The fists struck only air and mist.

    Shino reformed behind him.

    "Stop hiding behind bugs, coward!" Enka spat. "They're useless! They can't hurt me!"

    "Is that so?"

    An arrow shot from the tree line, piercing Enka in the back. He blinked. Blood, not water, trickled from the wound as Enka crumpled to his knees. "W… What did you do to me?"

    Shino stepped forward, adjusting his glasses. "The insects you so kindly absorbed into your water body were carrying larvae. Bred to function in moisture-rich environments."

    Enka's eyes widened.

    "They drained your chakra slowly. Silently. You never noticed."

    Shino nodded toward the trees. "And when your defenses dropped, Hinata took the shot."

    "You monsters…" Enka choked.

    "Be glad you didn't face Team 7."

    "W-what?"

    "They're the real monsters."

    The kikaichū swarmed the boy. Enka screamed once before being drowned in a tide of chittering death.

    Water Style: Grudge Rain.

    The sky split open with a roar.

    Rain poured like a curse, not droplets but thick, heavy sheets that stung the skin and soaked the earth in seconds. Chakra thinned in the air like breath in winter. The mud swelled. The trees groaned. And through it all, Kazan laughed.

    "You should feel honored," he bellowed, his voice a booming echo through the storm. "Not many shinobi are worth this."

    Kurenai gritted her teeth.

    Her boots slipped in the muck as she darted through the thinning canopy, the downpour sapping her chakra with every second. She could feel her chakra draining like blood from an open wound. Her breath came faster. Her limbs felt heavy. But she didn't stop.

    Behind her, the rainwater surged as Kazan's body rose from the soaked battlefield, merging with the flood. He became a pillar of writhing water, tendrils forming like serpents above the column, each one snapping in the air, seeking her like living whips.

    Kurenai ran.

    Her form blurred through the trees. Each step a calculation. Each twist a gamble. Tendrils slammed down where she'd been moments before, shattering bark, cratering the soaked earth. She flipped over one, slid under another, and rolled through the mud.

    Thunk!

    She slammed an explosive tag kunai into a trunk. Another. Then another, marking her path like a trail of sparks.

    Boom. Boom. Boom.

    The forest shook behind her as the tags detonated, momentarily breaking the rhythm of the tendrils. But it wasn't enough. The rain healed Kazan. Her chakra leaked away with every breath.

    She knew.

    She was losing.

    What do I do? she thought, heart hammering. I can't keep this up…

    CRACK.

    A sound like thunder shattered the air, but it wasn't thunder. It was too fast, too sharp, the kind of noise that rattled your bones a second before your brain understood it.

    Kazan's water-body jerked violently as something massive hit it from above. A colossal arrow moving at Mach speed.

    The impact was cataclysmic.

    The water exploded outward in a geyser, spraying vapor in every direction. Shockwaves rippled through the rain, trees bent with the force, and the tendrils collapsed mid-motion. The sonic boom rolled through the trees like the roar of a beast.

    Kurenai stared. And spotted the arrow half-buried in the earth, humming with residual chakra. She let out a breathless chuckle. "I owe you one, Naruto."

    Poof.

    A storage seal near the arrow's notch burst open in a puff of chakra mist and out rolled Oscar, chirping gleefully, shaking his scales from the ride.

    Kurenai blinked. "Of course he also stores summons in arrowheads…"

    From a puddle behind her, Kazan reformed, dripping and furious, a snarl on his lips. "What the hell was that?"

    "That?" Kurenai answered, spinning with a bloody kunai in hand. "That was Naruto."

    Kazan's fury flickered. For the first time… doubt entered his eyes. This job? It wasn't worth it. Too much chakra spent. Too many surprises. He turned. "I'll get my sons. This place isn't worth the trouble..."

    Oscar chirped and aimed. A blue glow lit up around his cannon.

    Kazan scoffed. "Please. I'm a Hōzuki. My liquefaction will make that useless..."

    BOOM.

    The laser fired.

    Kazan was slammed to the ground as a cluster of blue crystals formed and detonated on his chest mid-liquid state due to the chakra coming in contact with magic, piercing straight through.

    The man coughed.

    He reached out, arm trembling, blood mixing with rain.

    Boys… run… Your father… won't be there to protect you…

    He didn't know, but they were already dead.

    Kurenai stared at what was left of Kazan Hōzuki and said nothing for a long while. She knew why Kazan had died so easily.

    Overconfidence.

    The Hōzuki always thought their liquefaction technique made them untouchable. Most of the time, they were right. But not against a lizard with a gun strapped to their back.

    She turned slowly to Oscar, still humming faintly from the shot, his cannon venting warm air like a beast exhaling.

    "…How did you do that?" she asked, still blinking rain from her lashes.

    Oscar chirped proudly, a melodic series of pulses and trills.

    "…Did you just say, Everyone has a plan until they get shot?"

    Oscar gave a chirp that definitely meant yes.

    Kurenai exhaled, dry amusement playing on her lips. "You're terrifying."

    She reached into her pouch, pulled out a kunai, and held it out. "Here. Have a treat."

    Oscar happily crunched it in his jaws, tail wagging slightly as the metal shattered between his crystal teeth.

    The silence returned.

    Kurenai turned her gaze toward the forest where Naruto's clones had gone, escorting Tsunami and Inari to safety. The mist was clearing now, slowly peeling away to reveal the damage.

    It hadn't even been a proper battle. It had been a lesson.

    She glanced back at Oscar, who was pawing curiously at Kazan's remains. And she realized something chilling.

    This wasn't even Naruto at his prime. This was just… a whisper of what was coming.

    Kurenai closed her eyes and whispered, "God help anyone who tries to take that boy lightly."

    A few minutes earlier, on the nearly completed bridge, Naruto was seconds from dying of boredom.

    For the others, it had only been a couple of weeks since they arrived in the Wave. And with only fifteen days to prepare for Gato's next move, tensions were high. But for Naruto, thanks to Lordran's warped sense of time, it felt like he'd been stuck here for two months.

    The waiting was unbearable.

    And since Gato was still hiding like a cockroach under a floorboard, there was nothing to do but stand around and wait for someone to try to kill them.

    So Naruto did what any reasonable shinobi would do under the crushing weight of tedium.

    He started messing with pebbles.

    He focused his chakra. A few small stones rose from the planks beneath his feet, floating like lazy sparks before zipping toward his favorite target.

    "Hey, Sasuke," Naruto said with a grin. "Check this out."

    A pebble arched past Sasuke's head and froze mid-air.

    "...Naruto," Sasuke muttered, tone dangerously flat. "Stop."

    "Stop what?" Naruto asked innocently, moving another pebble between his fingers.

    "Don't."

    "Don't what?" Naruto flicked the pebble toward Sasuke's forehead, stopping it just before impact.

    "I swear, if you hit me with that, I will punch you."

    "I'm not doing anything," Naruto said, arms stretched in an exaggerated pose. "Just standing here. Like this."

    "Do it," Sasuke growled.

    Naruto stared.

    "Do it!"

    Naruto flicked the pebble toward the Uchiha.

    "Naruto," Kakashi's voice interrupted, smooth and patient. He reached out and plucked the stone out of the air without even glancing up from his book. "How much chakra does that trick use?"

    Naruto pouted. "I told you, it's not a trick. It's a technique. A very real, very legitimate jutsu."

    "Does this very real, very legitimate jutsu have a name?"

    Naruto lit up. "Yes, actually. I call it... Gravity-Based Chakra-Enhanced Kinetic Redirection Vector Manipulation!"

    There was a moment of silence. Even the seagulls seemed confused.

    Sakura blinked. "You made that up just now."

    "Nope." Naruto shook his head proudly. "I've been workshopping it for three days."

    "It's literally just moving pebbles with chakra."

    "It's magic," Naruto said.

    Kakashi chuckled. It seemed Naruto was just as bad at naming jutsu as his father.

    "Magic or not, pick a different name," Sakura said.

    "Fine," Naruto muttered. "I'll call it... Chakra Push-and-Pull."

    "Better," Sakura said.

    "Worse," Sasuke corrected.

    "I vote for Power of Ramen-Eating Dragon," Naruto said quietly.

    "No," all three of them answered at once.

    Kakashi's gaze shifted then, sharp and focused. The lazy amusement drained from his expression.

    As a mist began to roll in, curling low around the bridge like a creeping tide. Through the haze came three figures.

    Zabuza, Haku, and Aoi Rokusho.

    The moment they stepped into view, fear washed over the bridge. Tazuna and the laborers instinctively backed away, their bodies reacting before their minds caught up. The killing intent in the air was overwhelming, enough to stir the urge to flee in any sane person.

    Naruto, of course, was not sane.

    "Finally!" he shouted, throwing up his hands like he had just spotted an old friend. "No-Brows is here!"

    Zabuza's brow twitched, which only made Naruto's nickname sting that much more. His eyes locked onto the blonde boy and narrowed dangerously. "You've changed, brat."

    Naruto beamed, brushing a long blond strand out of his face. "Thanks! Still not sure if I should cut my hair or keep it like this. Kinda makes me look cool, right? Like, imagine I beat your ass and then take off my helm, revealing my long hair."

    Everyone behind him sweatdropped.

    Zabuza's expression didn't change, but his eyes flicked toward Haku. The boy had warned him that Naruto wasn't the same kid they fought weeks ago. But what kind of strength had this brat gained to joke so casually in front of him? Was he bluffing? Or was this some kind of mind game?

    Then Naruto clapped once.

    "Anyway! I'll take Zabuza. You guys can pick between the umbrella dude and mask guy."

    "No," Kakashi said, stepping forward with finality in his voice. "You're strong, Naruto. I know that. But you're not taking on Zabuza alone. This isn't a spar."

    Naruto pouted. "C'mon. I've gotten so much stronger since then."

    Before another word could be said, something silver flickered through the mist.

    A senbon needle sliced through the air, aimed for Naruto's throat. Aoi Rokusho had launched it, not interested in banter or theatrics. He wanted the annoying kid dead before he said anything else.

    But the needle never made it.

    It halted mid-flight, hovering just inches from Naruto's neck. Trapped in an invisible force, suspended like a bug in amber.

    Naruto calmly plucked it from the air, his fingers casual and unbothered. With a subtle flick, he infused it with wind chakra. The steel began to hiss and crack.

    Aoi didn't hesitate.

    He unsheathed the Sword of the Thunder God. Lightning surged to life, crawling across the glowing yellow blade. He swung. The wind burst met the blade and was torn apart, cut through with a shriek of power.

    Naruto let out an impressed whistle. "Ooooh… now that's a cool sword."

    Kakashi's voice was low and grim. "It's the stolen sword of the Second Hokage."

    "Oh, well now I have to fight the green-haired guy. I need that sword."

    "You'll have to get my blade from my corpse," Aoi snapped, his grip tightening around the hilt as the lightning intensified.

    "Yeah. That's exactly what I meant. I kill you, then loot your corpse. Standard procedure. Hey, what size is your jumpsuit? Doesn't matter, I'll loot that off your corpse anyway."

    Without warning, water exploded from the sides of the bridge. Half a dozen water clones emerged in a rush, all armed and moving in coordinated formation. Zabuza's sneer had barely taken shape when Sasuke vanished from his place beside Naruto.

    A blur of motion, steel whistling through the mist. Sasuke's claymore cut arcs of light as he tore through the clones. One by one, the water constructs collapsed into puddles, steam rising in the wake of his strikes.

    Zabuza watched closely now.

    This wasn't the same team of rookies he had fought before. No openings. No hesitation. Things were going to be very different this time.

    Haku moved like a whisper, materializing beside Tazuna with a hand already raised. His fingers hovered just inches from the old man's throat. Then he stopped.

    Naruto had his wrist in a casual grip, holding it as if catching a falling cup. His expression was calm, almost tired.

    "Oh," Naruto said. "Guess I'm fighting you then."

    "Yes. And unfortunately for you, it seems I have the advantage."

    His free hand blurred into motion, weaving one-handed signs with practiced speed.

    Naruto smirked and performed his own one-handed signs even faster than Haku. A cluster of shadow clones burst into existence around them, each one snatching up a worker or pulling Tazuna to safety as they flickered the civilians out of harm's way.

    Ice Style: Hail Jutsu!

    From above, the clouds convulsed and split open. Shards of dense, compact ice rained down in a punishing storm. Each chunk of hail slammed into the ground with the force of thrown kunai but worse still, every piece of ice carried a hidden bite: a subtle chakra-draining property that sapped energy on contact, pulling from reserves with every strike.

    It was Haku's Ice Style variation of Water Style: Grudge Rain.

    Normally, Haku wouldn't pull out his strongest card, but he knew that unless he gave it his all against Naruto, they couldn't win.

    For Naruto, the chakra drain was negligible. His monstrous reserves made it feel like nothing more than a dull pinch. His armor also made sure that the hail literally never hit his body.

    But the temperature was the real threat.

    His cold blood responded poorly to the sudden drop. Muscles tightened. Reflexes dulled. His limbs felt just a bit heavier. Every movement came with a moment of resistance.

    Naruto was a cold-blooded individual, and Haku knew this. He took advantage of it to debuff the boy. The knight launched a kick straight at Haku's midsection, but the ice ninja twisted away.

    Naruto stumbled slightly, the cold biting deeper now. His hand found the Estus Flask at his belt. He drank without hesitation.

    A wave of golden warmth surged through him. It was like drinking sunlight. The cold melted from his nerves, burned away from his joints. His senses sharpened again. He could feel his fingers. His breath no longer misted in front of him. For now, he was whole. And then came the memories of his shadow clones.

    His pupils dilated as the Hawkeyes activated.

    He zoomed in toward the direction of Tazuna's house, where Kurenai was locked in a desperate battle against a water monster.

    "Kurenai-sensei needs help," Naruto murmured.

    A sound sliced through the hail as Haku flew toward him with senbons ready in hand.

    Naruto reached into his inventory and tossed a storage scroll across the icy floor. A new squad of shadow clones sprang to life instantly, already in motion. They didn't wait for orders. They charged at Haku, a blur of steel against the white storm. Then, carefully, Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled Oscar out. The crystal lizard was still asleep, curled tightly.

    "Buddy," Naruto whispered, cradling him gently. "You're going to Hinata and the others, okay?"

    Oscar chirped groggily. His tail flicked, and he gave a slow, sleepy blink.

    A rush of air. Haku appeared again, too fast for most eyes to follow.

    "I can't let you do that," he said. He lunged, but the clones intercepted, wind bullets firing in bursts and forcing him back into the storm.

    Naruto planted his greatbow on the bridge with a thunderous thud, the sound echoing across the water like a drumbeat of war. The sheer weight of the weapon made the concrete beneath him groan, and for a moment, the entire battlefield paused.

    All eyes turned to him.

    In a fluid motion, Naruto used the storage seal etched onto his arrow. A soft poof of chakra smoke curled outward as Oscar vanished into safety. He loaded it—no wasted motion.

    A breath in.

    His fingers tightened on the bowstring. Muscles pulled taut. He adjusted his stance and angled the greatbow not straight, but at a long arc; calculated by eye, measured by instinct.

    A breath out.

    The arrow vanished in a single heartbeat. A crack split the air. A sonic boom followed, trailing in the arrow's wake as it tore across the bridge like a meteor shot from the heavens.

    Haku moved on reflex. One-handed signs flickered. An ice mirror erupted in its path but too slow.

    Naruto's hand twitched.

    The arrow curved. Mid-air, the arrow veered upward, spinning violently. Telekinesis twisted it in a spiraling dance. Each rotation left behind a ripple of sound, low and thunderous. It wasn't just fast. It was overwhelming.

    Sakura gasped audibly. "What the hell is that?"

    Sasuke didn't even answer. His eyes were wide, reflecting the arrow's light as it spun overhead.

    Zabuza didn't wait. Kakashi didn't hesitate. Both men locked eyes for a heartbeat and then vanished, diving off the bridge and plunging into the lake's depths. Their chakra flared as they disappeared into the mist below.

    The sound of the arrow roared behind them like a vengeful god.

    Aoi Rokusho stood unfazed. His eyes sharpened as he raised the Sword of the Thunder God, the air around it buzzing with ozone. He wasn't impressed. He was bored.

    "Great," Aoi muttered, his grip loosening. "I get to fight the two weak genin."

    "I'll attack. You defend," Sasuke said quietly, stepping forward with his claymore resting against his shoulder. Sakura gave a short nod, fingers already slipping a kunai into her grip.

    Aoi grinned. Lightning danced along the edge of his weapon. "Let's see what Konoha's little genin can do."

    He moved first.

    A sharp step forward. A clean, diagonal cut from shoulder to hip. Sasuke met it with a powerful block, the broad claymore bracing against the slash. The moment of impact sent a jolt down his arms. The Sword of the Thunder God hummed with built-in voltage, trying to crawl down the metal like a snake. But Sasuke had prepared for that. Blue sparks arced off his hands as he forced lightning chakra through his own weapon, creating a barrier of matched polarity. The charge canceled out barely, and Sasuke shoved Aoi back.

    "You've trained?"

    Sasuke didn't reply. He took a low stance, grounding his feet. With a short breath, fire chakra followed the lightning through his blade. The edge shimmered faintly, a layer of superheated air enveloping the claymore. Sparks jumped. Heat rippled.

    Their next exchange was brutal.

    Steel met plasma in a thunderclap of force. Sasuke struck high, then low, the weight of the claymore turned into controlled swings powered by short bursts of chakra. Aoi sidestepped one blow and ducked another, answering with rapid jabs from his lightning blade that hissed through the air.

    Each time they clashed, the energy crackled across the bridge.

    Aoi's movements were elegant, meant to outmaneuver. He slipped inside Sasuke's reach with a sudden spin, slashing at the midsection. But Sasuke dropped his stance, dragged the claymore up from below, and caught the strike on the flat of the blade. Their feet scraped across the stone as the pressure mounted.

    Then Sasuke stepped in, shoulder-checking Aoi. The older man slid back, smirking as he twisted into a low cut aimed at Sasuke's ankle.

    Sasuke jumped, flipping once in the air, then came down with a two-handed strike. Fire flared from the claymore just before impact. Aoi raised his sword to meet it, but the heat forced him to retreat, boots skidding across the bridge's damp surface.

    Sakura made her move.

    She tossed a kunai, not at Aoi, but in front of him. A smoke bomb detonated midair, obscuring vision.

    Aoi didn't panic. He stepped out of the cloud and turned straight into a shoulder slam from Sasuke. The boy had circled through the mist. His next strike was clean and vicious, fire-laced, aimed for Aoi's weapon arm.

    Aoi caught it. Barely.

    The two swords clashed again. Sparks exploded between them. This time, the lightning from Aoi's blade surged harder. Sasuke's blade vibrated, metal groaning from the sheer voltage. But Sasuke gritted his teeth and channeled his chakra natures through his arms and into the claymore.

    The blade ignited.

    For a second, both weapons locked, howling against each other in a collision of raw power.

    Sakura, from behind, hurled another kunai with an explosive tag. Aoi saw it too late. He deflected it, but the blast threw off his balance. Sasuke capitalized. One step. A twist of the hips. A final overhead cleave, chakra bursting from his core into his blade.

    Aoi raised the Sword of the Thunder God again.

    The two weapons met, and the explosion of elemental force rocked the bridge.

    When the light cleared, Sasuke was crouched low, breathing hard. His claymore was intact, smoke curling off the blade. Aoi stood opposite him, the edge of his own sword flickering, unstable for the first time.

    "You're better than I expected," Aoi said, his grin gone.

    "And you talk too much," Sasuke replied coldly.

    His Sharingan spun faster.

    Aoi shifted his stance, one foot sliding back as he prepared for another heavy exchange. His eyes stayed locked on Sasuke's hands, reading the tension in the boy's posture. He was expecting an attack.

    He wasn't expecting Sakura.

    The kunai flew, not at Aoi, but at Sasuke.

    Aoi's eyes flicked toward it in confusion for only half a second. But Sasuke didn't hesitate. He caught the blade and plunged it into the ground at his feet.

    A pulse rippled out.

    Sakura's hands flashed through a final sequence of signs, the chakra network in her body lighting up as her sealing technique activated. A cube of energy erupted around Aoi in shimmering walls. A trap, anchored by every kunai she had thrown earlier. Each one a calculated placement.

    A plan only the two of them had known.

    Aoi's expression tightened, amused but wary now. He ran his hand along the inner wall of the barrier. The surface sizzled against his skin. "What's the point of trapping me in a barrier if it will last you only a few seconds?"

    "That's all I need."

    Outside the cube, Sasuke weaved signs quickly. His chakra surged, brighter and wilder than before, lightning flickering like a storm condensed into a single point.

    Chidori.

    He launched forward. The bridge cracked beneath his feet, energy screaming from his arm like a comet in full burn. He closed the distance with terrifying speed.

    Sakura deactivated the barrier at the precise instant he struck.

    Aoi met him with a step into the opening and a raised blade.

    Chidori met plasma.

    The sound was deafening.

    Sparks screamed across the bridge. Sasuke strained against Aoi's strength, but the older shinobi absorbed the blow, sliding back only a few inches. His sword hissed with controlled lightning. The ground beneath his feet glowed faintly.

    "You've got power," Aoi said. "But power without mastery is nothing. Your form is off. Your focus is split."

    Sasuke's teeth clenched. His Sharingan spun, trying to read the next move. Too late.

    Aoi twisted his sword, sending a pulse of lightning directly through the clash point.

    Sasuke cried out as the surge tore through his arm and shoulder, smoke rising from his skin. His Chidori sputtered out, and he dropped to one knee.

    Sakura's hands blurred again. The barrier flared back to life, this time thinner and faster, sealing Aoi before he could finish Sasuke off. He stepped back into the shimmering cube with a calm expression.

    "Interesting," he muttered, tapping the edge of the barrier with a knuckle. "You made it thinner for speed. But that makes it fragile, doesn't it?"

    He smirked.

    "And I planned for this."

    Sakura's eyes widened as she realized, too late.

    Before the barrier could seal shut, Aoi had already made his move. His umbrella twirled through the air like a glinting coin. With a click, it opened mid-flight, catching the wind and the trap had been sprung.

    A moment later, the hissing began.

    Dozens, no, hundreds of senbon needles rained from the sky in a spiraling storm of death.

    Sasuke knelt at the center of it all, body still twitching from the voltage Aoi had pumped through him. His limbs refused to move. His eyes could only watch as death fell.

    And Sakura stood frozen, hands still locked in the seal keeping Aoi trapped within her barrier. If she dropped it to protect Sasuke, they would both be exposed. If she held it, he would be torn apart.

    Her jaw clenched, and then she moved.

    Sakura threw herself between Sasuke and the storm.

    The senbon struck her almost immediately. Thin metal needles slammed into her shoulders, her back, her arms. Several embedded deep in her thighs. One drove straight through her bicep, punching out the other side. Another sliced her cheek open. Blood sprayed from the gashes in tight arcs, glistening in the cold light.

    The worst wasn't the blood.

    It was the poison.

    Within seconds, her limbs burned with numbness. The agony was a dull roar behind her eyes. A thousand needles tearing and freezing her all at once.

    But she didn't fall.

    Sakura stood her ground, trembling, knees buckling but unyielding. Sasuke looked up at her, his voice barely a breath. "Why...?"

    She gave him a strained smile, blood streaking her chin. "My body moved before I could think."

    "A noble act," Aoi murmured. "Tell me, was it because you realized the Uchiha's the stronger one? Because you wanted to keep me caged? Or was it some pitiful crush you mistake for love?"

    Sakura didn't answer.

    Aoi stepped forward inside the cube, his movements slow and deliberate. He raised the Sword of the Thunder God and pressed the glowing edge to the inner barrier wall.

    Sakura's eyes widened in horror. "No—"

    The blade slid through the barrier like smoke through a crack. The plasma didn't clash with the chakra. It bypassed it.

    The illusion of safety shattered in an instant.

    Aoi didn't hesitate.

    He drove the blade straight into her stomach.

    Sakura jerked violently. Her body went rigid, every nerve lighting up in white-hot agony. Her lips parted but no scream came. Only a gasp. Air. Blood.

    The Sword of the Thunder God didn't slice.

    It invaded.

    Aoi leaned close, his voice low and cruel. "This isn't a blade that cuts," he whispered. "It burns. It sears everything it touches. Your nerves, your stomach lining, your lungs are boiling from the inside. This is no bleeding. Just pain."

    Then he twisted the handle.

    The scream tore from Sakura's throat at last. Sasuke lunged but he was too slow. The barrier shattered into fragments of light as Aoi stepped back, the damage already done.

    Sakura collapsed into Sasuke's arms, her breath shallow, her hands limp. Blood gurgled in her mouth, spilling past her lips as her eyes began to glass over.

    Aoi stared down at her, eyes blank, tone devoid of care. "That's one name I'll never remember," he said. "Not worth it."

    Sasuke didn't speak.

    He simply knelt beside Sakura, his eyes fixated on the cauterized hole in her stomach. Her skin was pale. Her breathing, faint. Her expression... empty.

    With trembling fingers, he reached into his palm. A storage seal etched there by Sakura herself unfurled with a flicker of chakra. From it, he drew a single Estus Flask, Naruto's gift for emergencies.

    He wasted no time.

    He pressed the flask to her lips and tilted it gently. Golden light spilled from the mouth of the bottle, cascading over her like sunlight through mist. The glow seeped into her wounds, knitting torn organs, softening the burns. Her breathing stabilized, faint but steady.

    Sasuke exhaled. Just once. Then he leaned in, gently closed her eyes, and whispered, "I'll handle the rest."

    Across the bridge, Aoi made no move because he couldn't. The moment Sakura collapsed and Sasuke's gaze met his, the genjutsu had snapped into place. A simple illusion, but timed perfectly.

    Aoi thought he was standing over their lifeless bodies. He didn't notice the shift. The genjutsu veiled reality just long enough for Sasuke to act.

    But the Sword of the Thunder God didn't tolerate weakness. It shocked Aoi with a snap of voltage, jolting him back into reality just in time to see Sasuke rushing toward him. The Sharingan spun faster than ever. Red veins pulsed across Sasuke's face.

    The first blow came like a hammer.

    Sasuke's claymore crashed down, exploding in sparks as it struck Aoi's blade. Lightning met steel, and the bridge trembled.

    Aoi gritted his teeth, parrying, but Sasuke didn't give him time to breathe.

    A savage follow-up, then another. Each strike came with fire. Literally.

    Sasuke's chakra flared, and his next swing was wrapped in flame. The blade screamed through the air, the heat distorting the space around it.

    Clang.

    Aoi blocked again, but the fire licked his arm, scorching his sleeves.

    Sasuke spun, drove his foot into Aoi's ribs, sending him stumbling. Before Aoi could recover, Sasuke launched back, hands forming signs with violent speed.

    Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!

    Meanwhile…

    Sakura heard only fragments.

    Voices that were warbled and distant, like echoes underwater. Her body lay still, motionless, the agony long since replaced by a cold storm coursing through her veins. She should have been unconscious. Dying, even.

    Instead, she was standing.

    The world around her stretched into a vast, endless void.

    Beneath her feet: rippling water, impossibly black. Above her: her reflection was staring back with piercing eyes.

    Only it wasn't just a reflection.

    "Shannaro! Looks like we finally meet."

    Sakura blinked. "You... I know you."

    "Of course you do," the reflection replied, leaning closer. "I'm the voice in your head. The one you've been ignoring for years."

    "Wh-what's going on?"

    "Oh, you're dying," Inner Sakura said bluntly. "Your organs? Liquid soup. Mind? Hanging by a thread. Heart? Slowing like it's stuck in molasses. And that green-haired, glowstick-swinging bastard?" Her grin vanished. "Officially my least favorite color now."

    Sakura let out a weak chuckle. "Sasuke-kun will save us... Naruto gave us those Estus things..."

    Inner Sakura rolled her eyes. "Why don't you save us, bitch?"

    "Hey!" Sakura flinched, but the bite in her voice faltered.

    Inner Sakura's expression didn't change. If anything, the anger beneath it sharpened. "I'm tired," she said. "Tired of waiting. Tired of you standing on the sidelines, praying someone else will win your battles. You want to survive?"

    A pause.

    "You want strength?"

    Sakura hesitated.

    Inner Sakura's smirk returned... wider, wilder, unstoppable. "Then switch."

    A hand shot up from the dark waters and grabbed her by the collar, yanking her down with a splashless pull.

    As the void swallowed her, a voice echoed through her mind: Let me show you what we can do.

    Sasuke panted heavily, lungs burning as he lowered his guard just a fraction.

    Then Aoi stepped through the flames.

    The fireball had struck him head-on, and the damage showed. His jumpsuit was charred and smoldering, melted into his skin at the shoulder and chest. Blistered flesh cracked as he moved, the burns angry and raw, oozing beneath blackened, warped fabric. Steam hissed from his body as chakra tried to cauterize and heal the wounds mid-battle. And yet... he smiled.

    "You think this is pain?" Aoi growled, voice warped with agony and hatred. "I'm going to boil you from the inside out, Uchiha. You'll pay in screams."

    He raised the Sword of the Thunder God and swung.

    A bolt of searing lightning exploded forth, streaking toward Sasuke like a divine judgment.

    BOOM.

    A chakra barrier surged up, crackling with radiant light, blocking the bolt midair. Sparks flew across the bridge.

    Sasuke blinked, turning sharply.

    Sakura was standing. Her skin glistened with steam as chakra pulsed visibly beneath it. She held an Estus Flask in one hand. Her other gripped a war axe freshly unsealed from her storage seal.

    "I said don't stand there looking pretty," she called, her voice hoarse but alive. "Charge up the Chidori. I'll give you the opening."

    Then she tossed him the flask. "Let's fuck this bastard up. Shannaro."

    Sasuke stared, stunned, as he saw her sclera had turned ink-black. Her pupils burned a brilliant white, and her chakra rose around her in waves of angry violet. It shook the air and made Sasuke's hair stand up.

    "You okay?"

    Sakura tilted her head, smirking. "I mean... you could kiss me to make me feel better."

    Inner Sakura had properly taken over as she stepped forward. "But I'll ask for that after we finish this."

    Sakura vanished in a flicker of chakra.

    The war axe came screaming down like a falling guillotine. Aoi raised his plasma blade just in time to block, sparks and light shrieking into the air. But she didn't pause. Didn't reset.

    She cackled. And swung again. Harder. Uglier. More chaotic.

    Her arms blurred in erratic, unnatural arcs like a marionette with severed strings. No form. No stance. Just speed and hatred. Each strike came from an angle no normal fighter would use. From behind her back, under her armpit, and even while mid-air twisting sideways.

    She was dancing, if the dance was performed by a lunatic with bones made of glass and rage.

    Then her fingers twitched.

    Chakra threads, almost invisible, snapped out like spidersilk. Kunai ripped from the ground—four of them. They spun midair in unnatural formations and hurtled toward Aoi from behind as she pressed the axe forward. He ducked one. Blocked another. The third grazed his thigh. The fourth embedded into his shoulder.

    He stumbled.

    And she laughed again.

    From behind her, the kunai flipped back on their own. Sakura yanked them with her chakra threads and whipped them forward again. They were her claws. Her fangs. Then came the boom.

    A kunai tagged with a paper bomb, hurled between her own legs mid-spin, detonated.

    Krakoom.

    The fire swallowed both of them. But only one emerged.

    Sakura burst from the smoke and fire like a demon torn from myth. Her skin glowed behind a net of violet chakra threads, like cracked glass fused to muscle. Her lattice barrier hissed with the strain, thin lines of red oozing where needles and heat had scorched her.

    She was bleeding.

    She didn't care.

    Her right leg swung up mid-run. Her heel slammed down like a sledgehammer into Aoi's kneecap.

    Crack.

    He screamed.

    And she was already moving.

    Her chakra threads reeled in her half-melted axe from the ground, slamming it into his ribs mid-return.

    Whump.

    He staggered, blood spraying from his mouth, the wind ripped from his lungs. He swung wildly.

    She jumped on him, war axe floating beside her like a loyal beast, chakra strings coiled around its haft.

    "You wanted a sword fight, asshole?!" she roared in his face, hair wild, sclera black, pupils glowing white. "Try surviving me!"

    Aoi activated a chakra pulse. The Sword of the Thunder God spun in his grip, and lightning erupted in all directions.

    Sakura didn't flinch. She tore herself backward with her chakra threads attached to the bridge mid-swing, leaving a paper tag on his chest. Then whispered, "Kai."

    Boom.

    Aoi roared, smoke enveloping him. He ripped off the half-burnt tag and tossed it, only to look up and see Sasuke. Chidori shrieked, causing the man to raise his sword to block. But his wrists froze.

    Chakra threads wrapped from behind.

    Sakura stood back up, panting hard. Pulling on Aoi like a puppeteer yanking strings from a broken doll.

    "Go," she hissed.

    Sasuke's hand punched through Aoi's chest with a crack of bone and lightning.

    The light died.

    Aoi spasmed. His sword clattered to the ground. Blood leaked from his lips in slow drips. "Wha... the hell... are they feeding you freaks in Konoha...?"

    Sasuke didn't respond.

    Aoi chuckled weakly. "This is... so unfair."

    And then, he collapsed.

    "Now that's done," Sakura panted, wobbling slightly on her feet, "kiss me."

    Sasuke blinked. "What?"

    "Come on, read the room, Sasuke," she huffed, her black sclera fading back to normal. Her breath was heavy, but her smirk stayed wild. "I saved your ass. Don't be stingy."

    "We're... outdoors," Sasuke muttered, "and we just killed a man."

    "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shy boy trying to play cool. Look, I'm the reason you even won this fight. Shannaro. Do something nice for Sakura."

    Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly, noting the way she said Sakura like she was referring to someone else. Like there were two people in there. A split.

    He nodded.

    "Good boy," Inner Sakura said with a grin, then reached out, slapped Sasuke's butt, and immediately passed out in his arms.

    Sasuke caught her with a sigh.

    "Team7..." he muttered, "at this point is just different shades of insanity."

    But as he looked down at the half-laughing, half-broken girl in his arms, a tired smile found its way onto his lips.

    He wouldn't have it any other way.

    Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.

    A sound like shattering glass echoed across the mist-drenched bridge.

    Twelve perfect mirrors bloomed into existence, rising out of the frozen mist like lotus petals made of ice. They spiraled around Naruto, forming a dome of crystalline death. Each one catching and reflecting not just his form, but Haku's as well.

    The air hissed as the temperature plummeted.

    Frost curled along the Elite Knight pauldrons hugging Naruto's shoulders. His breath steamed, and the mist turned to rime beneath his boots.

    Naruto exhaled slowly, murmuring a quiet thanks to Sasuke for teaching him fire chakra manipulation. Sasuke had intended for him to use it for the Fireball Jutsu, but the young knight had repurposed it, channeling a steady stream of heat around his armor. The warmth insulated his body, helping his cold-blooded system function properly in the freezing air.

    "I'm sorry," Haku's voice rang out, gentle as snowfall. "But I'm going to have to kill you."

    Naruto didn't respond immediately. His eyes flicked from mirror to mirror. The Way of Focality hummed behind his hawkeyes, whispering something was off. The motion between attacks, the position resets... there were discrepancies.

    Then, a blur.

    Haku's image launched from the left mirror.

    Naruto tried to sidestep, but it was too late. A kunai screeched across his breastplate, scraping sparks over the enchanted metal.

    Shit.

    Haku vanished into another mirror and performed another strike.

    Naruto pivoted, fist flashing, but there was nothing there. "What the hell?" he muttered, pulling a black-edged rapier from his inventory with a snap of compressed space.

    "You're a greatsword user," Haku said from everywhere at once. "Why the switch?"

    Naruto slid into a low duelist's stance, one arm back, tip forward. "If I use the Zweihander," he said calmly, "you die in three seconds."

    The ice quivered.

    "I've spent a long time preparing for you. If I fought seriously, you'd be dead before the first breath left your lungs. And honestly? That'd be boring. So let's play a little. I want to see what you can do before I take your soul."

    Haku didn't laugh. He didn't think it was arrogance. He just moved.

    Attack. Attack. Feint. Attack.

    Each Haku launched forward in a staggered rhythm. Not quite simultaneous, but enough to disorient. Wind-infused kunai sliced toward Naruto's head, hips, neck. Each cut intended to bleed or blind, not kill.

    Naruto leaned just enough for each strike to glance. He could feel the wind chakra wrapped around Haku's kunai. To counter it, Naruto began channeling his own wind chakra into the Elite Knight armor itself, reinforcing the metal so that the moment Haku's blades struck, the energies would clash and cancel out.

    It worked.

    But it also meant his body had to deal with the stupid cold.

    Naruto's eye twitched. I need to figure this jutsu out quickly and counter it...

    A kunai grazed his thigh.

    He lunged forward and stabbed a mirror, and Haku was gone before the blade even reached the surface.

    He frowned.

    You're not teleporting. You're transmitting... like light.

    Haku appeared again, this time behind him.

    CLANG!

    Naruto parried blindly over his shoulder, sparks screaming as rapier met kunai. Then he spun with dancer's grace, stabbing mid-spin at a second angle. The tip of his blade nicked Haku's sleeve.

    Haku vanished back into the mirrors.

    The boy inside the dome wasn't grinning. He was calculating.

    "I'm tracking your moment of exit," Naruto said, slowly. "There's a delay between the strike and your return. Not much. But enough."

    Haku hesitated.

    For the first time, there was a gap between attacks.

    Naruto used it. He plunged the rapier into the ground. The blade hummed with chakra. He'd laced it with wind.

    A pulse.

    A sonic hum exploded through the frozen mist, rippling into the mirrors like a radar ping. Naruto's eyes sharpened. A single mirror vibrated too long. Too late.

    "There."

    He threw a kunai at a mirror.

    BOOM.

    The kunai detonated with an explosive seal as shrapnel splintered upward, catching Haku mid-transition. One shard tore a line down his thigh before he fell back into the mirror. Blood hit the ice.

    Naruto's armor hissed with fire chakra, burning off frost before it could sap his mobility. He surged forward. No wasted movement. Rapier stabbing straight into the mirror.

    Haku phased out.

    But Naruto was learning. He feinted. Let the blade glide past the next mirror, then twisted, reversed grip, and stabbed behind him.

    Haku yelped as the edge grazed his hip.

    "You're not fast," Naruto said softly. "You're predictable."

    "You... figured it out so quickly," Haku whispered, now breathing harder. His kunai dripped with chakra, but even they were starting to dull from Naruto's reinforced armor.

    Haku launched another strike, this time with three wind-infused kunai at once, weaving them in a spiral pattern meant to blind and skewer.

    Naruto deflected one. Let the second bounce off his hip. Then he moved into the third, shoulder-first.

    It hit him dead-on.

    But his reinforced armor didn't even have a scratch left behind.

    Naruto strangely threw the rapier back into his inventory. In its place, he summoned a new weapon.

    The +5 Uchigatana.

    A black blade shimmered under the mirrored dome. It hissed faintly, as though remembering every soul it had cut through. Naruto exhaled slowly and shifted into a defensive stance with his feet shoulder-width apart, sword low, angled, edge pointed slightly forward.

    Haku surged forward, vanishing in a blur of motion.

    Ting.

    Naruto's arm didn't move more than a centimeter, but the edge of his blade deflected Haku's kunai cleanly, sending the boy skidding across the dome. Another blur at another angle.

    Ting.

    Again deflected. Then another. Then another.

    The sound of metal-on-metal echoed like wind chimes in a graveyard. Every time Haku struck, Naruto met it with minimal movement and maximum precision, cutting only where he needed to, never more.

    Haku was no longer attacking. He was watching, slack-jawed behind his mask.

    "I figured out your mirror technique," Naruto said casually, not even winded. "You use the reflections between the ice panels as a light channel, bouncing images and chakra through them to project your presence from one surface to another."

    Haku's eyes widened behind the mask.

    "But it's more than that," Naruto continued. "You don't just send a clone. You send a chakra apparition, which acts as a medium for your mass to reattach once it reaches its destination. Very efficient."

    Haku's breathing grew heavier.

    "But…" Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Since your body moves at relativistic speeds, you can't track your own position once you initiate. Your eyes can't keep up. Your attacks all come in perfectly straight lines. Linear. No mid-course correction."

    Haku was stunned. He had trained for years. No one—not even the elite of Kirigakure—had cracked the true principle behind Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. But this boy had read it in battle.

    "W-Why are you telling me this?" Haku asked, shaken. "You're not supposed to explain how you beat someone."

    Naruto smiled, tapping his temple. "I figured if I showed you how smart I am and dismantled your jutsu, you'd reveal something new. Something better."

    "And if I can't?" Haku asked, voice brittle.

    Naruto vanished.

    Every mirror lit up simultaneously with an afterimage. Then the blade came down.

    Wind Style: Vacuum Blade.

    A swirling vortex of slicing air surged along the length of the Uchigatana. Then a second surge of deep red wind spun around it. The Nahr Alma's Sigil had activated, turning the wind chakra into a blood-colored spiral. The blade howled.

    SHHRRKKKK!

    It cut through the mirror like it was made of paper.

    Haku jumped away just in time, but the tip nicked his thigh.

    A shimmer erupted beneath his skin. A burning sigil branded itself across his body, pulsing like molten wire. Haku gasped as a dozen hair-thin gashes opened across his body, blood spurting from nowhere.

    [Name: ?]
    [HP: 50/300]

    Naruto glanced at the HUD. Huh. Mask must be interfering with your name readout.

    He looked back at the bleeding shinobi.

    Naruto raised an eyebrow, briefly wondering if the enemy's name wasn't displayed because of the mask. A minor curiosity. He didn't care enough to press it. What mattered was the bloody mess collapsed on the bridge, barely clinging to consciousness.

    "I hope that's not all," Naruto said coldly. "Because if that's your best…"

    His gaze hardened.

    "…I'm going to be very disappointed."

    Behind his silence, memories replayed every torment, every trial, every monster he had clawed past in Lordran to get this strong.

    And if this... if this was all his enemy had to offer, then it wasn't just disappointing.

    It was insulting.

    Meanwhile, Haku's eyes quivered in fear, doubt, and dread. He had faced powerful shinobi before, but this wasn't a shinobi.

    This was a monster.

    And if this monster marched beside Kakashi… Zabuza-sama would die. Haku's hands clenched. His resolve hardened. I won't let that happen.

    With shaking fingers, he pulled a black capsule from inside his sleeve. A chakra pill used only by Mist ninja during suicide missions. Once ingested, it would flood his body with chakra… but at the cost of cell stability, heart strain, and possible total organ failure.

    He bit down.

    Crack.

    The air exploded.

    A freezing shockwave of chakra burst out of Haku's body, tearing through the snow around him like a gale. The frost deepened. Crystals formed midair. His breath came out in clouds thick as smoke. Even the shattered remains of the earlier mirrors started reforming into jagged ice pillars from the sheer ambient chakra.

    [Name: ?]
    [HP: 200 / 300]

    Across the bridge, Naruto grinned behind his helmet. "Now that's more like it."

    He sheathed the Uchigatana and flickered forward, thrusting a straight jab at Haku's core.

    Crack!

    An ice mirror surged into existence mid-punch. Ripples traveled outward from the impact like a gong had been struck.

    Naruto's smile widened beneath his helm. "Not bad."

    He channeled chakra into his arm. Bracing, grounding, and shattering the mirror with a second burst of strength. But Haku had already vanished into the swirling mist of his next jutsu.

    Ice Style: Yuki-Onna.

    A blizzard erupted inside the dome. Howling winds and biting snow enveloped Naruto from every direction. It was more than just disorienting, it was maddening. The wind pressure cut visibility. The chill numbed reflexes. It twisted sound. Shapes became illusions. Motion was smeared.

    Naruto raised a gauntleted arm as a blade of ice slammed into him.

    Ting!

    The Grass Crest Shield shimmered into being, blocking the strike.

    When the smoke cleared, Haku stood before him wielding a massive ice greatsword—its edges curved like fangs, the spine serrated with glacier ridges.

    Naruto exhaled and finally summoned the Zweihander.

    "You can use a greatsword," Naruto muttered. "Zabuza must've trained you himself."

    Then they clashed.

    Haku attacked first, his ice greatsword rising overhead as he brought it down in a vertical cut.

    Naruto moved cleanly, stepping off the line at a diagonal deflection. The massive blade crashed down just inches from his shoulder, kicking up frost and mist. With the momentum already flowing, Naruto swept his Zweihander low in a crooked cut, aiming to buckle Haku's knees.

    Clang!

    Haku blocked with the flat of his sword, sliding back. Then the wind rose. The blizzard wailed through the bridge. The air warped. Snow whipped in dense, shifting patterns. Naruto's visibility dropped to mere inches.

    It didn't matter. He advanced.

    But Haku used the cover brilliantly. From behind the blinding veil, Haku unleashed ice kunai, timed precisely. Naruto intercepted the first—ping!—with a short parry, but three more came from odd angles. One grazed his vambrace. Another shattered against his helmet. The third clipped his thigh.

    A flicker of motion to Naruto's left.

    He turned too late.

    Haku darted in, using the mist to mask a horizontal cut aimed at Naruto's ribs.

    CLANG!

    Naruto caught it with his blade's flat and shoved back, creating space. But even as he advanced to retaliate, the snow swirled violently. A mirror briefly flashed; not from jutsu, but ice bent by light. Haku's silhouette split into two, then three.

    Naruto's eyes narrowed.

    "Clever," he muttered as he reached into his inventory and pulled out a massive tower shield, the steel slab glinting despite the howling blizzard.

    "Turtle Formation," he said lowly, forming a cross sign.

    In a burst of chakra, twelve clones shimmered into existence, each one conjuring their own reinforced shield and locking into a protective phalanx. A shell of interlocking defenses taught to him by Siegmeyer during his training in Lordran.

    "Shields high! Lock tight!" the clones shouted in unison.

    The dome clicked together with audible thunks as steel met steel. Their formation was perfect. A wall of unbreakable resolve, unmoving even as the wind screamed around them.

    Haku, hidden within the blizzard, knew he needed force. A clever tactic met with clever defense. But overwhelming power crushed cleverness. His hand blurred.

    Ice Style: Ice Dragon Jutsu.

    From the storm itself, a serpentine behemoth burst forth. An enormous dragon of pure ice, its body formed from river water and frozen using ice release. Its mouth opened in a shriekless roar, and it slammed into the turtle shell like divine punishment.

    CRASH!

    The first wave cracked the outer shields. The second shattered three clones instantly, their bodies bursting into steam. The final impact detonated through the phalanx, sending the remaining clones flying.

    The original Naruto was launched into the sky, limbs splayed, his body spinning above the bridge like a ragdoll. But even as he rose, his eyes locked onto something in the storm.

    Mirrors.

    Hundreds of ice mirrors now spiraled vertically, forming a twisting tower that rose into the sky beside the bridge. They'd been hidden, camouflaged by the blizzard.

    This was Haku's final gambit.

    Ice Release: Blade Against Heaven.

    From the base of the spiraling tower, Haku launched upward, flickering from mirror to mirror, each movement faster than the last. The space between jumps compressed, velocity stacking with every phase. The mirrors weren't just reflections. They were railguns.

    And Haku was the projectile.

    Naruto's pupils narrowed, tracking the blur of motion. "He's not just moving," he murmured. "He's accelerating. Compounding speed. Using chakra, gravity, and angle like a slingshot..."

    His gaze sharpened.

    "He's turning himself into a blade. A single, perfect strike meant to cut me clean in half."

    The thought excited him.

    A weaker shinobi would've panicked. But Naruto? He smiled as he created a handsign. "Genius."

    Boom.

    From below, chakra surged. A colossal spiraling column of shadow clones rose into the air, forming a counter-tower. Each clone held the one above it with their left arm, balancing with core strength and reinforced chakra. With their right palms extended forward, they synchronized.

    A thousand red eyes opened.

    CRACK.

    The structure shuddered violently as each clone began to pull at the tower of mirrors with raw telekinetic force.

    Cracks spiderwebbed through the delicate formation. The mirrors began to twist out of alignment.

    Haku felt it instantly. The precise rhythm of his movement, the seamless transitions from mirror to mirror, was collapsing beneath him. He tried to compensate, correcting his trajectory with ice platforms, but it was too late.

    The mirrors vanished beneath him, pulled apart and torn free by Naruto's clones, leaving nothing.

    Only open sky.

    Haku's body was carried upward by sheer momentum, but he could no longer guide it. He couldn't reach Naruto, who remained above them all like a dragon sitting upon heaven's throne.

    Naruto clenched the talisman. An orb of white energy began to form, rippling with compressed shockwaves.

    "Emit Force."

    The orb pulsed once, then launched like a divine projectile. A cannon blast of pure miracle energy slammed into Haku mid-air.

    BOOM.

    The explosion rang out across the bridge. Haku's mask shattered into fragments. His body jerked violently in the blast, sent tumbling in slow, painful spirals through the smoke.

    [Name: Haku Yuki]
    [HP: 1 / 300]

    The clone tower puffed away, dispelled as Naruto descended gently.

    Haku; broken, bloody, and limp fell through the sky, a bloody comet trailing mist. He closed his eyes.

    I'm sorry… Zabuza-sama… I can't win.

    But he never hit the ground.

    At the last second, Naruto's palm eye flared red as telekinesis catching Haku mid-fall. The force slowed him gently, cradling him before setting his body down softly on the bridge.

    A mercy.

    "...You," Naruto whispered, recognition dawning as he floated down. "You're that nice girl from the forest."

    Haku just chuckled. "Just for that… you spare my life?"

    Naruto tilted his head slightly, eyeing the broken ice mirrors, the melting frost at their feet, the cracked mask lying like a broken identity between them. "Call it… a moment of curiosity."

    "Then… will you kill me after that curiosity fades?"

    Naruto didn't answer right away. It wasn't even clear if Haku was asking or requesting.

    "You are already dying?"

    Haku turned his face upward. The smile that met Naruto's question wasn't joyful. It was resigned, fragile, like the last snowflake before spring.

    "That should be my fate. I'm a failed tool. A weapon that couldn't serve its purpose is cast aside."

    "So being a tool for Zabuza… that's your life's purpose?"

    "...Yes."

    "That's pathetic," Naruto said, but not unkindly. "Because when we met in that forest, you weren't a tool. You were a person. You talked about precious people… about getting stronger to protect them. Where's that person now?"

    Haku's gaze fell to the ice at his feet, cracked and slowly turning back to water. "Precious people…" he murmured, almost too quietly to hear. "I used to think… my parents were mine. I loved them. I trusted them."

    Naruto leaned in, attentive.

    "And yet…" Haku went on, his voice like glass. "My father murdered my mother… just for her bloodline. And he tried to kill me too."

    Naruto's eyes widened.

    "The Land of Mist," Haku continued, "has been a graveyard of war for generations. And we, those born with kekkei genkai, we're seen as curses. Monsters. Abominations."

    His voice trembled, but only barely. "Even after the wars ended, the hate didn't. People like me had to hide, afraid our blood would betray us. My mother did. My father found out. And then… before I could even think... I killed him."

    Naruto didn't speak. The weight in Haku's voice wasn't something you interrupted.

    "I remember that moment more vividly than any other. Not because of the death. But because it was when I truly understood. I was alone. Superfluous. Unwanted. I wasn't a person... I was a mistake."

    Naruto closed his hand into a fist.

    "And then Zabuza found me." Haku's lips curled; not quite a smile, not quite pain. "He saw what I was. My bloodline, the thing that made me hate myself… he didn't just accept it. He needed it. He needed me."

    Tears traced his cheek, but his voice didn't break.

    "For the first time… I was something someone could use. I wasn't invisible. I wasn't a mistake. I was a tool, but I mattered. That's all I ever wanted."

    Naruto swallowed. "You call that love?"

    Haku didn't answer at first. His breathing was shallow. Frost still clung to his eyelashes.

    "I don't know," he said finally. "But it felt like it. He gave me a reason to live. Even if that reason was just to die for him… it was still something."

    "...And what if he never saw you as anything more than a tool?" Naruto's voice was quiet but firm. "What if Zabuza only ever valued your usefulness? What if the person you'd give your life for wouldn't even flinch if you died?"

    "Then I would still be grateful. Because a tool doesn't feel the cold of being alone."

    "That's messed up."

    Haku looked up, startled.

    "Really messed up," Naruto repeated. "I get being loyal. I get wanting to protect someone you care about. But what you just said? That's not love. That's giving up on yourself."

    Haku didn't speak.

    "Why are you telling me this?"

    "Because," Haku said slowly, "I think you'll understand what I say next." He looked directly into Naruto's eyes. "Did I give you the kind of fight you were hoping for?"

    "Yeah. You did."

    Haku's shoulders sagged with relief. "Then… please. Save Zabuza-sama. I know it's a selfish thing to ask. But if I'm going to die anyway, let it mean something."

    "No."

    Haku blinked. "What?"

    "I'm not going to save him."

    "...I see." Haku looked down again, voice barely audible. "That's fair. You have no reason to."

    "I didn't say it because I hate him," Naruto added. "I said it because I won't make promises I'm not sure I can keep."

    Haku stood there, quietly trembling.

    "Then," he whispered, "please kill me. If I can't protect him… if I can't even slow you down… then at least let me die with some dignity."

    There was silence.

    Then Naruto spoke, and his voice shook with something Haku couldn't name.

    "I know what that's like."

    Haku's head snapped up. "What?"

    "I know what it's like to want to be useful… to be needed so badly you'd give up everything." Naruto looked away, like he was remembering a different life. "Before Team 7. Before Kakashi-sensei. Before Oscar… I didn't matter to anyone. No one looked at me like I was real. Not even to use me. I was just… there. A ghost."

    Haku stared at him, stunned.

    Naruto looked back. "So yeah, I get it. That kind of desperation. That kind of pain. I understand why you think dying for Zabuza is the only thing left for you."

    Then he stepped closer, slowly. "But I won't kill you."

    Haku's breath hitched. "Why… not?"

    Naruto's voice was quiet. Strong. "Because you're not a tool. And if you really are, then let me be the one who breaks that part of you."

    Thunder cracked across the river.

    Chidori.

    A flash of light, somewhere distant.

    Zabuza and Kakashi were reaching their conclusion.

    Haku turned his head. The chakra signatures told him what was happening. Zabuza was losing.

    "Please," Haku said. "You don't understand. If Zabuza-sama dies… then none of this meant anything. I have to fight. I have to protect him. He saved me. I owe him…"

    "No." Naruto cut in gently. "You don't owe him your death."

    "But I don't have anything else!"

    "You could." Naruto pointed to his own chest. "You could live for something else. You don't have to be someone else's weapon."

    "But what would I even be without him?"

    "You'd be Haku. And maybe that's enough."

    Haku's body trembled.

    "I'm not going to make the choice for you," Naruto said. "But maybe… maybe it's time you asked yourself if dying for someone is really the same thing as living for them."

    And then, warmth.

    Haku gasped softly as a golden light wrapped around him. The Heal miracle had taken hold.

    "...Why?"

    Naruto looked at him. "Because someone healed me back then. So I'll be that person, for you."

    A beat passed.

    Then Haku turned his gaze toward the mist, toward Zabuza's fading chakra.

    "...Thank you," he whispered.

    And then, in a blur of frost and breath, Haku vanished into the mist.

    A Few Minutes Ago

    Zabuza and Kakashi landed with practiced ease atop the cold waters of the bay, ripples echoing outward with every step.

    "You either a fool or suicidal for fighting me on water," Zabuza growled, shifting his stance. The Kubikiribōchō rested heavy against his shoulder, mist beginning to coil around his feet.

    Kakashi simply stared at him, calm and unreadable. Then he raised his forehead protector, revealing the dull red glow of his Sharingan.

    "I think you're the fool who forgot who almost killed you last time on the water," Kakashi said. His voice was casual, but cold. "You know my Sharingan can see into the future, right? And in that future… you don't live to see tomorrow."

    Zabuza gave a rasping laugh. "Cute bluff."

    He pressed his hands together. Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu.

    Thick fog exploded across the water like a suffocating blanket. But this time, it wasn't normal mist. It was denser, chakra-packed, almost gelatinous in how it clung to everything.

    "You like it, Kakashi?" Zabuza's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "I developed this version just for you. It blinds your Sharingan's ability to read hand signs."

    There was silence for a moment until Kakashi's low chuckle rolled over the water.

    "You really don't get it, do you?" Kakashi murmured, hands forming a seal. "I'm Kakashi Hatake. The man with a thousand jutsus."

    He inhaled.

    Wind Style: Wind Breakthrough!

    A concussive gust blasted outward, shredding the mist like tissue paper. The wind slammed into the water's surface, parting the fog and flattening waves as the battlefield became clear once more.

    Zabuza leapt forward, Kubikiribōchō coming down like a guillotine.

    Clang!

    Kakashi raised his gloved hand, stopping the blade with his arm. The impact rang like a bell. Then he vanished in a flicker of movement.

    Zabuza's eyes widened too late.

    A foot slammed into his ribs, hard enough to make him cough blood. He was airborne before he even knew he'd been struck. He twisted midair, sword spinning, but Kakashi was already there.

    Another flicker. Another blow. Another fall.

    Zabuza tried to turn his body into a slide as he landed on the water, but Kakashi didn't give him the chance.

    It was a dogwalk.

    Zabuza swung again, wild and wide, but Kakashi stepped into the arc, trapped Zabuza's wrist, and headbutted him straight in the bridge of the nose.

    Blood spurted.

    Zabuza stumbled back, gasping.

    "Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!" Zabuza shouted, trying to regain distance as he formed rapid seals.

    But Kakashi was already ahead of him.

    "Water Style: Great Waterfall!" he said a half-second faster.

    The lake heaved. A massive cascade of water erupted like a tsunami, dwarfing Zabuza's half-formed wave and obliterating it. Zabuza barely leapt clear before the wave struck, his landing awkward and uneven. The water churned beneath him like a boiling sea.

    That's when he saw the eye.

    Kakashi's Sharingan glowed, and suddenly everything felt wrong.

    Zabuza blinked, and chains erupted from the water.

    Genjutsu Art: Four Cardinal Chains.

    Black iron chains lanced up like spears, piercing through his limbs and shoulders, coiling around his chest, dragging him down. He screamed inside his own mind as the illusion tightened. His body couldn't move. His chakra felt sluggish.

    He growled. "How… how did you get this strong?"

    Kakashi raised one glowing hand. The Chidori crackled in his palm, bright as a star, high-pitched and shrieking like a thousand birds.

    "Let's just say a miracle happened to me," Kakashi murmured with a rare smile. His Chidori crackled in hand, illuminating the water's surface in flashes of blue lightning.

    He stepped forward to finish it when suddenly...

    "Kakashi-sensei, dodge!"

    Naruto's voice thundered across the bay. Kakashi turned just in time to see the sky filled with arrows, dozens of chakra-tipped projectiles fired in unison by hundreds of clones stationed along the bridge. They weren't just aiming blindly. They were tracking something fast.

    Before he could move, Kakashi felt an unseen force grab him. His body was yanked violently back, skimming the water like a skipped stone under Naruto's telekinesis. And then, his Sharingan caught it, just barely.

    Haku, moving faster than any normal shinobi, appeared behind Zabuza, inserted a needle into his neck, and with the ice of his mirrors blooming around them, the two vanished into an ice mirror.

    The arrows landed where Zabuza once stood. The air burst with chakra shockwaves. The water roiled beneath the power, but the targets were long gone.

    Kakashi exhaled slowly, letting the Chidori fizzle out with a faint crackle in his palm. He pulled his forehead protector back over the Sharingan with a practiced tug.

    "...Damn," he muttered, surveying the bridge through the thinning mist. "Got away."

    Naruto dropped beside him a moment later, crouched low, wind tugging at the hem of his cloak. He looked up toward the sky, squinting like a kid whose firework fizzled too early. "Aww, shucks. They slipped through."

    "You say that like it wasn't on purpose."

    Naruto grinned, tilting his head with exaggerated innocence. "Me? Let the enemy escape? Perish the thought."

    "Uh-huh." Kakashi crossed his arms. "So why'd you let them go?"

    There was a pause.

    "You're too smart for your own good, old man."

    "I'm not that old," Kakashi said flatly.

    Naruto didn't reply at first. He just sat back on his heels and finally explained what had happened between him and Haku. He didn't dramatize it. He just told it as it was.

    When Naruto finished, Kakashi stood in silence for a long moment, then slowly pinched the bridge of his nose. "Good grief, Naruto…"

    "I know, I know."

    "After you wiped out Gato's entire gang like a divine executioner, I thought you'd start acting a little more… ruthless. You know. Pragmatic. Controlled."

    Naruto shrugged, calm. "I killed Gato's men because I decided they needed to die. They were scum. Abusers. Killers. That decision was mine."

    "And Haku?"

    "I looked at him," Naruto said, his tone shifting, more grounded. "And I didn't see someone who needed to die. I saw someone who didn't know how to live."

    Kakashi frowned. "...And if he comes back to haunt us?"

    "Then I'll deal with it. If it was a mistake, it's my mistake. I'll take responsibility."

    He tapped his chest with two fingers. "That's what it means to be a knight. Not just fighting, but choosing what kind of world you want to protect."

    Kakashi sighed again, deeper this time, as if the entire bridge weighed on his shoulders. "What am I going to do with you…"

    Naruto smirked. "Love me. Feed me. Let me stab people."

    "Great," Kakashi muttered.

    "Just think of it like this," Naruto added, holding up a finger. "A heroic knight saves a beautiful, tragic girl trapped in a life of darkness."

    Kakashi blinked at him. "...Naruto. Haku's a boy."

    There was a beat of silence.

    Naruto stared at him. "Surely… you jest."

    Kakashi's expression didn't even flinch. "ANBU captain, Naruto. Trained medical knowledge. Sharingan. Trust me. I know what I'm seeing."

    Naruto's face crumbled like wet clay. He dropped to his knees on the water, arms limp at his sides.

    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!"

    His voice echoed off the mist and mountains like some kind of mythic heartbreak. Naruto sat up suddenly, water dripping from his sleeves. "Alright. I'm over it."

    Kakashi sweatdropped.

    "Haku… what the hell is the meaning of this?"

    Zabuza's voice was rough but not angry.

    Haku stood a few paces away, head bowed. His hands were shaking, slightly.

    "I'm sorry, Zabuza-sama," Haku said quietly. "But… the situation was unsalvageable."

    Zabuza slowly turned his head, only one eye visible behind matted hair. There was no fury in that look. Just calculation.

    "You left the field," Zabuza muttered. "You never leave the field."

    "I had to. If I hadn't…" Haku hesitated. "I wouldn't be standing here. And neither would you."

    Zabuza was silent.

    The only sound was the soft creak of the hideout's ceiling and the gentle crackle of the nearby oil lamp.

    "Zabuza-sama… it wasn't Kakashi. It wasn't the numbers. It wasn't a tactical disadvantage. It was him."

    Zabuza blinked. "Him?"

    "Uzumaki Naruto."

    Zabuza sat a little straighter, his eye narrowing. "You're telling me a loudmouth genin was the threat?"

    "No," Haku said, shaking his head slowly. "Not a loudmouth. Not anymore. He was… something else. I don't even know how to explain it. The way he fought… the way he thought. He dominated me in everything. The only reason I live is because he decided it."

    Zabuza stared. His lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out.

    "And Aoi…" Haku hesitated. "He's dead."

    "You're sure?"

    "I saw his body. Naruto's teammates took him down. And since the Hozuki family isn't back, it's fair to say they have been eliminated."

    There was a long silence.

    Finally, Zabuza leaned back and let out a breath like the air had been knocked from his lungs.

    "Well, shit."

    He lay down again, throwing an arm over his eyes. "Guess you made the right call, after all."

    "What's the next step?"

    Zabuza didn't answer for several seconds.

    "We pull back," he said at last. "Regroup. Go back to the main hideout. Lick our wounds and figure out who we want dead next."

    "And the mission?"

    Zabuza snorted. "Abandoned. To hell with it. Gato wants miracles for pocket change. He can shove it."

    There was a rare stillness after that for the next hour as the duo rested. They didn't speak. But something in the air gnawed at them. A creeping feeling, cold and formless, like the moment before the mist turns red.

    And then the world exploded.

    A deafening roar ripped through the roof as a crystal dragon burst downward like a divine hammer, its jagged pink body spiraling through timber and stone like paper.

    Zabuza and Haku flickered away on instinct, narrowly escaping the crash.

    When the smoke cleared, they stood amid the wreckage, weapons drawn, eyes scanning the destruction.

    And then they saw them.

    A group of shinobi watching them from the shadows.

    From the darkness emerged a woman.

    She wore an outfit that split the line between elegance and death: a flowing coat like an executioner's robe. Her spiky blue hair was tied neatly. Her face powdered pale. Lips blood-red.

    She brought a radio up. "Zabuza. Haku. I'm disappointed."

    That voice on the radio was Gato's.

    "You know," the radio continued, "I invested quite a bit into you two. A lot. I even held up my end of the deal, gave you men, supplies, safehouses… and for what? You lost. Worse, you ran away."

    Zabuza's grip on his sword tightened.

    "And let's not forget," Gato added with oily smugness, "you let your little boyfriend fall to some brat in armor."

    "Careful what you say next," Zabuza growled.

    "You think you're scary, demon boy? You're a relic. Washed-up. I've already found someone better."

    The blue-haired woman gave a polite wave. "Hello, boys."

    "Meet Guren," Gato said. "Your replacement."

    "Say that again. To my face, you cowardly little parasite."

    "I'm not interested in words anymore," Gato replied, the malice bleeding through the static. "I'm here to collect the debt you owe me."

    A pause.

    "Zabuza… your head will fetch a fine price. But Haku?" Gato chuckled darkly. "That body's got potential. I've already arranged buyers. They're very interested in what a pretty little ice-user can do."

    The radio clicked off.

    Silence fell.

    Zabuza stood like a statue. Haku said nothing, but the stillness in his expression was no longer calm.

    Guren stretched her arms over her head like she'd just woken up from a nap. "Well, that's enough preamble. I'll make it quick. Try not to scream too loud."

    She cracked her knuckles.

    The mist grew heavier.

    And Zabuza, still staring into the fading static of that radio, said only two words.

    "He dies first."

    Haku didn't ask who.

    He already knew.

    Zabuza rolled his neck with a sickening pop. Every muscle screamed, joints aching from the bruising blows he'd taken, but his grip on the Executioner's Blade never wavered.

    "Tch. Been a while since I felt this banged up."

    Across from him, Guren flicked her wrist like a painter preparing her brushstroke. In an instant, a storm of razor-sharp crystal shuriken shimmered into being, mid-air, refracting moonlight in fractured rainbows. They hissed toward him with deadly grace.

    Haku moved before Zabuza could lift his sword. Senbon snapped through the air, intercepting the crystals with pinpoint precision. Each shuriken shattered into harmless dust before it reached its mark.

    "Zabuza-sama," Haku said. "You need to go. Now."

    "The hell are you saying? You think I can't handle some kunoichi?"

    "No," Haku replied. His tone held no insult, only certainty. "I know you could. If you were at full strength. But you're not. You spent most of your chakra fighting Hatake. You're still bleeding internally from my senbon during the last mission. Right now, staying means you die. And if you die… everything dies with you."

    Zabuza scoffed, but it was weak.

    Haku turned slightly, just enough for Zabuza to see the faintest, bittersweet smile curve his lips.

    "Do you remember what you said to me? When you found me in the snow? You said you didn't need loyalty. Or companionship. Just a weapon. One that could never betray you. One that would kill when ordered."

    The words hung heavy.

    "I tried," Haku whispered. "I really tried to be that. I killed for you. I bled for you. I let go of everything else so I could stay at your side. I smiled too much. I hesitated when I shouldn't have. I know I was never the perfect tool. But… I hope I was good enough."

    Zabuza looked at him.

    For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, slowly, he stepped forward. His hand trembled as he reached out and placed it on Haku's shoulder.

    "You weren't a good weapon."

    Haku flinched.

    "But you were a great partner."

    Haku's breath hitched. That word landed harder than any punch. Not tool. Not pawn. Partner.

    "Buy me time. I swear to you, this won't be the last time we see each other. You better be alive when I get back. That's an order."

    "Yes, Zabuza-sama."

    Zabuza leapt into the trees.

    A moment later, movement in the mist. Guren's men charged to pursue.

    They didn't get far.

    Ice Mirrors bloomed, stretching from mist and moonlight. Haku flashed through them like a ghost. His senbon were no longer gentle. They struck with surgical violence.

    One by one, Guren's men fell.

    Guren watched, interested rather than alarmed.

    "Fascinating," she said. "Such elegance in your murder. That kekkei genkai of yours... it's even more stunning in person. Orochimaru-sama will adore you."

    The curse mark on her neck pulsed. Black lines slithered down her throat, writhing like snakes.

    "Let's not waste time. You have so many experiments to be part of. And I am not a patient woman."

    Haku didn't respond. His fingers were steady. His senbon were ready.

    He was not afraid.

    Meanwhile, Zabuza ran.

    Branches tore at his arms. The wind howled past his ears. Every leap through the canopy was a heartbeat closer to what, he didn't know. Redemption. Forgiveness. Maybe just the chance to say one last thing before it was too late.

    He wasn't fleeing. He was chasing the one thing he never admitted he needed.

    Haku.

    "How long…" he muttered under his breath, teeth clenched against the cold. "Since the moment I picked him up off that snow-covered street? Did I ever see him as anything but a tool?"

    The weight of the Kubikiribōchō on his back was nothing compared to the truth pressing against his ribs.

    "I hated the Mist," he snarled, voice rough. "Swore I'd burn that cursed system to the ground."

    And yet...

    "I became it. I took a boy with kind eyes and made him sharpen them into needles. I broke him before the world could. And I told myself it was mercy."

    His pace didn't falter.

    "No more."

    He launched off a thick branch, landing hard atop a sloped ridge. The village shimmered in the distance, faint and clouded by mist.

    "If I have to crawl through the dirt… if I have to beg the Konoha shinobi for help… then so be it."

    Pride had always been his armor. Now it was a chain he ripped off without hesitation.

    "I don't care what it costs me."

    Zabuza didn't slow.

    "Please," he whispered to the silence, to the ghosts, to anyone listening. "Just let me make this right."

    And the darkness swallowed him whole.

    Author's Note:

    Well, wasn't that an exciting chapter?

    Let's take a moment to address a few recurring questions. But I'm sure you all have one burning question regarding this chapter.

    Q: How the hell did Inner Sakura take over Sakura's body?

    The answer is simple: humanity.

    Remember the whole "Naruto used a piece of humanity to help Sakura survive"? And when she was unconscious, she had a dream of Inner Sakura? Well, during that dream, Sakura received a humanity buff, and when Naruto looked at Sakura's soul, he saw a second face—like Tomie Kawakami's second face from Junji Ito.

    Long story short, those were the hints that Sakura now has another entity inside her body. Inner Sakura. Her darkness. Her humanity.

    Now, before I dive into my thoughts on this, I want to give a shoutout to a user who made a very well-educated guess about this whole darkness gets humanity debacle.

    User Wolf07 from SpaceBattles commented:

    "I would honestly say that humanity has both a benefit and a price to its use; you can see the healing aspect without whatever else you cook. But the negatives would be the pygmy, and the ties to the abyss now finding a new world to grasp onto. For example, her negative Ying grows from said use of humanity, which leads to chakra control slipping slightly, along with her inner self being able to control her when asleep or even when knocked out at times. It would be a great use of Inner Sakura since she gets forgotten after the timeskip."

    Honestly, Wolf07 was the closest to this whole thing, and I just thought it was cool to shout him out. Some of you readers have had really good guesses for the future, and when a giant reveal happens, I'll definitely be shouting you out in the author's note.

    Now onto my thoughts.

    Honestly, darkness, humanity, and the abyss are some of the most vague things in Dark Souls lore. And that's saying something, considering it's Dark Souls.

    Despite all that, we know that humanity is a fragment of the Dark Soul and is a key component of identity and existence.

    Humanity can also be given willpower. We know this from the Pursuer's spell:

    Sorcery of Manus, Father of the Abyss.
    Grant a fleeting will to the Dark of humanity, and volley the result.
    The will feels envy, or perhaps love, and despite the inevitable trite and tragic ending, the will sees no alternative, and is driven madly toward its target.

    Now let me point you toward Inner Sakura.

    Who is she?

    Inner Sakura is a manifestation of Sakura Haruno's inner emotions, representing Sakura's true opinions when she outwardly displays something completely different. And you can sort of see my thought process.

    Humanity + the will of Sakura (Inner Sakura) = the formation of a new entity.

    Makes sense, right?

    Now why did I do it?

    Because this is a crossover fanfic, and I thought it would be cool to explore what Naruto does when blending both worlds.

    Why specifically make Inner Sakura a thing?

    Because I honestly really like Inner Sakura. It adds an interesting layer to Sakura's character in canon. It shows why she hides her true feelings behind a fake smile. Inner Sakura was a great way to explore Sakura's inner turmoil and conflicts—something Kishimoto really hinted at. And yet, by the time the series hit Part II, Inner Sakura all but disappeared.

    The reason behind this is that Sakura no longer needed to hide behind a false image of herself. She had fully come into her own.

    Which, honestly, was disappointing to me.

    It felt like Kishimoto erased so much of what made Sakura interesting, leaving her as just a "Tsunade clone" without the interesting trauma, personality, or depth that she could have had.

    Anyway, let me know what you think of Inner Sakura being a thing, and her more primal, hyper-aggressive fighting style. Does it make her more interesting as a character? Or do you think it takes away from the original version?

    Q – Is Dark Souls Naruto Overpowered?

    Yes. He is. Let's not kid ourselves.

    But here's the thing—when I say he's OP, I mean it. This isn't one of those fanfics where the author claims Naruto is overpowered, but then he struggles more than canon Naruto ever did. You know the ones where the story insists on his strength, but he still gets clowned by Sasuke or random Chunin.

    In this fanfic? I've written Dark Souls Naruto to be overpowered. That's the point.

    Dark Souls Naruto is actually OP. And the fact that this is coming up so often in the comments just proves I'm writing him that way successfully.

    Now, just for fun, let's break it down:

    Who Would Win: Wave Arc Canon Naruto vs. Wave Arc Dark Souls Naruto?

    Feats:

    Canon Naruto defeated Haku. With a rage-boosted Nine-Tails amp, sure. But that was his big moment.

    Dark Souls Naruto defeated a stronger version of Haku—one who took a suicide soldier pill, used more advanced jutsu, and fought at full intent. And DS Naruto still won, without getting bailed out by the fox.

    Stats:

    Smarter: DS Naruto figured out Haku's mirror mechanics within a minute.

    Stronger: He's shown lifting strength, AOE damage, and high-speed movement.

    Skilled: He uses multiple elemental jutsu, sword styles, miracles, magic, and hybrid combos that canon Naruto would not survive.

    Equipped: His armor literally no-sells most of what canon Naruto could throw at him—even if he was amped.

    This isn't just "a stronger Naruto." This is a trained warrior with experience, strategy, and gear far beyond anything twelve-year-old Naruto ever had.

    Q: But... Haku Was Stronger Than Kakashi?

    Let's unpack this.

    Zabuza says, "Haku is stronger than me." Kakashi immediately calls BS. So why does the Naruto powerscaling community cling to this statement like it's gospel?

    Kakashi literally refutes it in the story. Zabuza was hyping up Haku to psych them out. That's it. It wasn't fact. It was bragging.

    Q: Isn't Haku Lightspeed?

    Ah yes. The databook statement.

    It claims Haku moves at "light speed" in the Demonic Ice Mirrors. But let's be real:

    These are the same databooks that say Temari can blow away the universe.

    And that Madara's Susanoo can cut anything in the universe.

    So no. That's not literal. That's flavor text.

    Also, if Haku really was lightspeed, then:

    Sasuke with a one-tomoe Sharingan would be lightspeed too, since he was tagging Haku mid-mirror.

    And if Genin Sasuke is lightspeed, why is Kakashi cutting a lightning bolt later considered a big deal?

    It doesn't hold up.

    Dark Souls Naruto low-diffs canon Kyuubi-amped Naruto. It's like Arima vs. early Kaneki in Tokyo Ghoul. Calm, controlled execution versus raw, chaotic power.

    And honestly? That's the point. This is a Dark Souls Naruto story. It's an RPG. He's been grinding. He's earned that power.

    So yes. DS Naruto is overpowered. I'm pretty sure I tagged the story that way. And even if I didn't… come on. You knew what this was.

    But let me flip the question back to you:

    What version of canon Naruto do you think could beat current Dark Souls Naruto—without using Everlasting Dragon mode (his second phase)?

    Seriously. Let's make this fun.

    Q – Doesn't Naruto Being So OP Break the Story?

    No. And here's why:

    It only "breaks" the story if you think this is just a slightly modified version of canon Naruto.

    It's not.

    In Naruto: The Chosen Undead, Naruto's entire journey is different. The tone is different. The scaling is different. The threats he faces aren't designed for a genin squad with basic missions and filler arcs. They're designed for a dark fantasy world where survival is never guaranteed.

    Yes, my Naruto could probably no-diff most of early canon.

    But that's not the story I'm writing.

    This is a different Naruto story. That's why the Wave Arc is so long in this fanfic.

    I've put a ton of time, detail, and tension into it—not because I'm padding, but because I'm building something bigger. Something earned.

    In The Chosen Undead, Naruto doesn't break canon.

    He rewrites it.

    Q – Let's Talk About Dark Souls Lore (and Why Naruto Is Still Screwed)

    A lot of you think Naruto being OP makes future fights boring.

    But if you actually look at Dark Souls lore, you'll realize he's still very much in danger.

    Let's go over a few bosses.

    Early Game Bosses:

    Gaping Dragon:     Lore-wise, this is an Everlasting Dragon. Think tailed beast level. Naruto fights it early.

    Chaos Witch Quelaag: Not just some sexy spider lady. She's a warrior who's slaughtered dragons, commands lava and chaos magic, and survived the collapse of Izalith. She's a walking apocalypse.

    Mid-Game Bosses:

    Ornstein and Smough:     Literal dragon slayers with millennia of battle experience. They are what Havel could've become if he hadn't gone off the deep end.

    Havel: As strong as a Seventh Gate Guy tier character, and that's before magic enhancements.

    Late-Game Bosses:

    Artorias the Abysswalker:     Stronger than Havel. Fought the Abyss alone. Has feats of resisting mind-corrupting horrors.

    Black Dragon Kalameet: One of the strongest dragons in franchise history. The gods fear him.

    Manus, Father of the Abyss: Arguably the most broken being in DS1 lore. So powerful he pulled the protagonist backward through time.

    And that's just Lordran.

    You don't even want to know what I'm cooking up for Naruto's future enemies in the Elemental Nations.

    I'm building a world where Naruto being strong doesn't spoil the story. It escalates it.

    Because just like in any good Souls game... the stronger you get, the worse the world becomes.

    So yes, Naruto is powerful. That's by design. But trust me when I say…

    He's going to need every ounce of it.

    Q – Big Question: The Team-Up

    So, I left you on a cliffhanger for a reason. I need your help deciding:

    What kind of Konoha + Zabuza team-up would you love to see most?

    Full Team 7 + Team 8     backing Zabuza against Guren and Orochimaru's agents?

    Mixed reactions among the Leaf ninja—some support Zabuza, some don't, leading to tension and conflict?

    Stealth mission: just Naruto and Zabuza going into the shadows together to take Guren down?

    Comment your favorite idea below. Or pitch your own if you've got a twist in mind.

    That's It… For Now.

    And if you can't wait for the next update, the next chapter drops on July 14th! You can read ahead to Chapter 95 on Patreon.

    Thank you all for your support—you make writing this story such an incredible journey! As always, thanks for reading.

    —Adam
     
  • New
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    • I'm perfectly fine with a writer taking some liberties with the source material in order to tell an interesting story. If canon is so sacrosanct then why are we reading fanfiction?

    Great to read more from this story. I like seeing this story have good heart to heart moments between characters but also being able to have some light-heartedness.

    Adamos_Amet said:
    So why does the Naruto powerscaling community cling to this statement like it's gospel?
    Click to expand...
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    Because powerscalers (and fandom in general) seem to forget that characters are capable of exaggerating, understating things, or just strait up lying. It also boils down to "my favorite character could beat up yours" and cherry picking evidence.

    It can be a fun thought experiment, but some people get really serious about it.
     
    Reading about Naruto versus quelaag is going to hurt because the other Dark Souls fic I'm reading is Queen of nothing, and and Taylor becomes a goddess hero over the course of all three games. She also becomes friends and eventually more with the chaos witches. Man, I wish Naruto would become friends with them too.
     
    KaiKolo said:
    I'm perfectly fine with a writer taking some liberties with the source material in order to tell an interesting story. If canon is so sacrosanct then why are we reading fanfiction?

    Great to read more from this story. I like seeing this story have good heart to heart moments between characters but also being able to have some light-heartedness.

    Because powerscalers (and fandom in general) seem to forget that characters are capable of exaggerating, understating things, or just strait up lying. It also boils down to "my favorite character could beat up yours" and cherry picking evidence.

    It can be a fun thought experiment, but some people get really serious about it.
    Click to expand...
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    Exactly! You nailed it.

    Canon's a foundation, not a prison. If we were all rigidly sticking to canon, we'd be writing transcripts, not stories. Fanfiction is about exploration, emotional depth, and creating what-if paths the original series never dared to walk. And if liberties are taken with care, purpose, and love for the source? That's where magic happens.

    I'm really glad you're enjoying both the emotional moments and the levity because I think both are essential. Especially in a story like this, where Naruto is going through actual hell. You need those character moments to breathe between the chaos, to make everything feel real.

    Also, 100% agree, powerscaling discussions can be fun as long as they don't become the entire point of the story. Not everything has to be a death battle stat sheet. Characters lie. Author's exaggerate. A story places the narrative first rather than some kind of powerscaling meta.

    Funny enough, your comment reminded me of something I said to another reader who brought up how Dark Souls characters don't really have hard "feats" to go off of. And this was my response:

    Okay, I get where you're coming from with the Warhammer fan comparison, but I have to push back because that's not what I'm doing here.

    Let me explain something: Dark Souls doesn't work the way other franchises like Naruto or Dragon Ball or Warhammer do. It's not built around clean, flashy power-scaling or big "planet-busting" statements. Most of the lore is vague, abstract, and heavily interpretive. You don't get clear "Gwyn can destroy a country" statements, because that's not what Dark Souls is about.

    But that doesn't mean Dark Souls characters are weak either. It just means the threat level is conveyed through tone, atmosphere, and narrative challenge, not raw stats.

    And that's where fanfic comes in.

    If I write Naruto as he is in canon, with clones and he can literally speedrun the entire Dark Souls world in a week. Drop some Kage Bunshin, camp at a bonfire, and blitz every boss with a broken straight sword hit by hundreds of clone. That might be accurate to power scaling, but it completely breaks the narrative weight.

    So if Naruto is going to have a challenge, then by necessity the Dark Souls world must scale up. It's not about power-scaling accuracy. It's about making the world threatening enough to mean something.

    Otherwise, why bother with the crossover at all?

    Take the Capra Demon, for example. I had it survive a city-block level attack of Naruto's drake sword. That doesn't mean I think canon Capra Demon can survive something like that. It means the story needed this version of Capra to do so. It's about narrative tension, not lore purity.

    Also—yes, Naruto has more "canon" powerscaling to work with. I know his feats. I can work with his stats. But Dark Souls doesn't have that kind of data. So to make Naruto struggle, to create actual stakes, I have to extrapolate and elevate what exists in Lordran.

    That's the entire premise of this story.

    Dark Souls threats are vague. They're sometimes lore-hype and sometimes just game design. But in this fanfic? They're scaled up to challenge a Naruto who is already way beyond what Haku, Zabuza, or even early wave arc canon Kakashi could deal with.

    And honestly? That's the fun part.

    I'm not saying DS characters have canon power that rivals Naruto characters. I'm saying that in this crossover, for this narrative, they must.

    Otherwise, the entire concept falls flat.

    Hope that clears it up.
     
    Had a couple thoughts.

    1. How are the future Dark Souls/Fromsoft games going to be handled (That is if they end up being used at all)? Because if the future Dark Souls ones are going to be using the run he is going through now as reference… things are going to be whacky in terms of events because that First Flame ain't getting fed shit if my read on Naruto is anything to go by (I might be wrong though). And he is probably going to breeze through most of them except the bosses just due to being effectively over leveled for them.

    2. If he does get the to the First Flame in DS1 and decides to do something like make the Will of Fire literal and absorb the First Flame, how will this be handled? Because I could see this effectively making him a god considering while it isn't exactly a world sustaining force anymore it is still intimately linked to the world's concepts like Time, Space, Life, Death, Heat, Cold, Dark, and Light to the point that as it fades and the Dark soul is the only thing left unburned and returned to it Dark is the only thing that survives to rule the world. This is probably something like an end game thing.

    3. …. I'm gonna take a guess and throw my hat into the ring if Hinata being the Angel and Rock Lee being the Giant. Just feels like it fits. One person from 3 teams, each with something that feels quite appropriate.

    4. I am absolutely looking forward to seeing him fight High Lord Wolnir and then get to Yhorm and be like 'I kicked your great great grandad's ass and I'll kick yours too!' (Based on certain descriptions there are implications that Yhorm, said to be the descendant of a giant who conquered the Profaned Capitol, is one of Wolnr's, an ancient conqueror who was a giant, descendants)
     
    You went full retard with this dragon stuff. You never want to go full retard.
     
    VincentFS said:
    You went full retard with this dragon stuff. You never want to go full retard.
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    Click to shrink...

    If you're going to say I "went full retard with this dragon stuff," at least explain what you actually mean by that.

    Because from where I'm standing, the dragon arc has been extremely well-received across every platform: Comments, reactions, feedback, even DMs. So if you're the only one calling it that, maybe the issue isn't the writing.

    Criticism is welcome. Empty insults? Not so much.
     
    Was eight beers and five shots of clear into the night when I wrote that. Either I was meaning to insult you, or was referencing Naruto going full retard. Genuinely could not tell you. Was watching Tropic Thunder, so there's that.
     
    Chapter no.53 Naruto New
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter no.53 The End of Gato

    The woods were quiet.

    Not peaceful, just quiet. The kind of quiet that comes after something breaks.

    With Tazuna's house now a pile of rubble, Team 7 and Team 8 had relocated deep into the forest. The camp they made wasn't much. Just tarp-covered tents and string-bound tripwires surrounding a clearing barely wide enough to stretch in. But it was defensible. That was enough.

    A modest fire cracked in the center. Tazuna sat beside it with Inari curled against him, the boy finally asleep, his breathing soft and uneven. Sakura slept nearby, smiling faintly in her dreams. Somehow, her sleep remained undisturbed even as the firelight flickered across her cheeks. Tsunami stirred a pot over the fire, the scent of stew drifting on the air.

    Away from the warmth and quiet conversation, the shinobi stood in a separate ring of trees. Four bodies lay before them. The Hōzuki Family and Aoi Rokusho. Their features were sealed beneath preservation cloths, each wrapped in bands and marked with talismans.

    Oscar circled the tarp once, then stopped and jabbed a claw at the hole in Kazan's chest, still faintly steaming in the cold.

    Naruto gave him a half-smile and a thumbs-up. "Getting cocky now, huh?"

    Oscar gave a soft snort, puffed out his chest like a proud little dragon, then trotted off to pounce on Akamaru's tail.

    "How much bonus is this gonna get us?" Kiba asked, rubbing his hands with a grin.

    Naruto blinked. "What are you talking about?"

    "You probably don't know this," Kiba said, glancing at him, "but the Inuzuka clan supplies a lot of Konoha's hunter-nin."

    "Hunter-nin?" Naruto turned to Kakashi.

    Kakashi nodded. "The Hunter-nin Corps, also known as the Corpse Processing Team. They're part of the ANBU. Their job is to track down missing-nin and eliminate them. Haku wore the uniform of a hunter-nin from Kirigakure."

    Naruto and Sasuke both made thoughtful sounds.

    "Anyway," Kiba went on, clearly excited, "my sister told me that when a regular ninja brings in the body of a missing-nin or even an enemy shinobi, they get a bonus. And we've got three bodies for the Konoha Forensic Division."

    Sasuke frowned, glancing at Kakashi. "Isn't that different from what you taught us before? With Gōzu and Meizu, we had to behead them, bury them deep, layer the grave with animal carcasses to mask the scent."

    "That method works for ordinary ops," Kakashi said, snapping his book shut. "But when clan shinobi are involved, the rules change. These bodies are preserved with a sealing jutsu and stored in scrolls. They're shipped back to Konoha for analysis."

    "Analysis?" Naruto echoed.

    "The Konoha Forensic Division studies the corpses for chakra signatures, herbal traces, unique ninjutsu, even genetic traits," Kakashi explained.

    "The teams study the bodies to understand enemy techniques and develop counters. And if we're lucky, they might even be able to rework the Hōzuki Clan's Liquidation Technique for our own use."

    Everyone fell silent.

    "You mean..." Hinata started, eyes wide.

    Kurenai stepped in. "Yes. Thanks to Team 8's kills, Konoha might be able to replicate the Hōzuki techniques. Maybe even create a new Hōzuki branch within our village."

    That hit hard. The idea of a new clan, born from a single mission, settled over the group like a weight.

    Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Is that why the ANBU has a special division to hunt missing-nin? To keep village secrets from leaking?"

    Kakashi nodded. He saw the fire in Sasuke's expression and knew exactly who he was thinking about. Sasuke was already imagining the hunt for Itachi.

    "Looks like you're finally getting your first paycheck," Naruto said, nudging Oscar with a grin.

    Oscar, the crystal lizard, closed his eyes and let out a pleased chitter, his crystals glinting in the sunlight as he swayed gently side to side. He was already imagining the shiny things he could hoard or maybe trade for snacks. Who knew what lizards liked to buy?

    "Too bad you guys won't be getting the big bonus," Kiba smirked, folding his arms behind his head.

    Before he could say more, Naruto flicked him hard on the nose. "Doesn't matter, dog breath. Money isn't everything."

    "Says the guy who's literally broke," Kiba snapped back, rubbing his nose.

    Naruto raised his hand, clearly ready to retaliate again.

    "Alright, cut it out. No fighting," Kurenai said, stepping between them. "And Team 7 will be getting a separate reward for recovering the Sword of the Second Hokage."

    "Wait, what? We have to give the sword back?" Naruto cried, visibly annoyed. "But Sasuke killed the guy who used it. That's called finder's keepers, no?"

    Kakashi sighed, already feeling the headache forming behind his eyes. "Naruto, the man stole the sword. It was never his to begin with. That blade is a village treasure."

    Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. "What's the point of a weapon if you're just gonna stick it in a museum and never use it?"

    "Tell that to the Hokage," Kurenai said with a shrug.

    "Oh, I will," Naruto said defiantly, then turned to Sasuke. "Don't worry, teme. I'll make sure the old man hands over that sword to you."

    Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't matter. I already have the claymore."

    Naruto stared at him. "Bullshit. That claymore melted when you channeled both fire and lightning chakra through it. You fried it."

    Sasuke didn't respond.

    "Also," Naruto continued, "wasn't your whole deal about power? The Lightning Blade of the Second Hokage is practically made for you. You'd be stupid not to take it."

    "And how exactly are you going to convince the Hokage to just hand over a Senju relic?"

    "I'm gonna talk to him. Calmly. Persuasively," Naruto said with exaggerated patience. "And if that doesn't work... I'll guilt trip him until he cracks."

    He broke into a devilish grin, laughing to himself while the others exchanged a collective sweatdrop.

    "And if that doesn't work?" Sasuke pressed.

    "Then stop whining. I'll get your claymore reforged and reinforced. You'll be able to run fire and lightning through it without turning it into a liquid."

    "Hn," Sasuke said, clearly tempted.

    "Or better yet," Naruto added with a shrug, "I'll just get you a better sword from Lordran."

    Everyone turned at once.

    "Naruto, the Sword of the Second Hokage is a masterpiece," Kakashi said, unusually serious. "It was crafted by the finest smiths of the era. It allowed a chūnin to fight on par with a jōnin. That's not something you just replace."

    Naruto tilted his head, unimpressed. "And? My Drake Sword came from Lordran. That thing's tougher than any blade this village's ever seen. And that's not even one of the top-tier weapons. You've seen the Black Knight arsenal, right? And don't get me started on the legendary stuff that Andre always says he wants to make..."

    He trailed off into a full-on monologue, rambling about cursed blades, divine-infused axes, magic swords, and the nameless blacksmith deity.

    No one could keep up..

    "Hn," Sasuke said again, unsure whether to be annoyed or impressed.

    Naruto clapped a hand on his teammate's shoulder. "So relax, teme. Whether it's the Hokage's prize sword or something even better from Lordran, your big brother Naruto will make sure you're armed like a damn boss."

    "You're younger than me," Sasuke said, his eye twitching.

    Naruto grinned wider. "Details."

    Oscar chittered approvingly and tried to climb onto Naruto's shoulder, possibly voting in favor of the Lordran option.

    "Anyways, give me back the claymore," Naruto said, holding out his hand expectantly.

    Sasuke pulled the weapon from his storage seal. What he produced, however, was no longer a proud greatsword. The hilt remained intact, but the blade had melted off in a twisted, jagged mess that was charred and warped, like it had barely survived a volcano.

    "Yikes. Yeah, that thing's cooked. I'm pretty sure Andre could work his magic on it. If he doesn't laugh at us first." Naruto casually tossed it into his inventory. "But until then, you're gonna need a replacement."

    As Team 8 sealed the corpses in their respective scrolls, Naruto turned his eyes to the sky, humming to himself like he was thinking of lunch. Then he snapped his fingers.

    "Oh! I've got just the thing."

    From his inventory, he pulled out a longsword. It wasn't flashy, but it had weight, presence, and clean craftsmanship.

    The blade was straight, double-edged, and tapered to a lethal point. The crossguard was a no-nonsense bar of steel, gently curved to catch and deflect strikes. The grip was long enough for a two-handed swing, wrapped in dark leather for a firm hold, while the round pommel at the end provided perfect balance and could knock a guy out cold if used right.

    Naruto held it up with both hands. "Ya know, I made this sword myself."

    Everyone turned.

    "You what?" Kiba said.

    "Made it myself," Naruto said proudly. "Andre, the old blacksmith I trained under, told me to forge a proper battle-ready sword as my final test... well, here it is."

    Sasuke stepped forward and took the sword from Naruto. He gave it a test swing. The balance felt right. The arc was clean. It cut through the air with a crisp whoosh.

    "This is... better than the claymore," Sasuke admitted, surprised. "The swing feels stronger too."

    Naruto puffed out his chest. "I don't wanna brag, but yeah... it kinda is."

    Sasuke gave him a look. "This shouldn't be a substitute. A blade like this deserves to be used."

    Naruto waved his hand. "It doesn't matter if a sword is weak or strong, flashy or plain. If it does its job, if it cuts when it needs to, it's a real sword. Use it if you want. Or maybe we'll get lucky and the old man will hand over the Second Hokage's sword after all."

    There was a pause.

    "...Thank you," Sasuke said quietly, his voice almost too soft to hear.

    Naruto blinked. The others exchanged glances. Even Kiba stopped chewing on his protein bar.

    Then Naruto smiled wide and clapped Sasuke on the back. "Aw, don't get all sentimental on me, teme. We're teammates. Brothers in arms. Partners in crime. Buddies who cover for each other when stuff explodes."

    The warmth in the air was real until Naruto opened his mouth again.

    "Oh, by the way," he added casually, "I named that sword the Bastard Sword. So it's totally appropriate. A bastard wielding a bastard sword."

    Sasuke's expression froze. His grip on the sword tightened. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you."

    "It's just a name!" Naruto shouted, laughing as he ducked the swing Sasuke aimed at his head.

    "You named it that on purpose!"

    "You're damn right I did!"

    Team 8 burst into laughter as Naruto took off running, with Sasuke chasing him at full speed, red in the face and ready to commit violence.

    "Come back here and fight me like a bastard!"

    Naruto shouted over his shoulder, "Come on! I named it after you out of love, you ungrateful bastard!"

    Kiba nearly fell over laughing. Hinata covered her mouth, giggling. Shino adjusted his shades but even he looked amused.

    Kurenai sighed. "This is what happens when you don't separate them."

    Kakashi, still unfazed, flipped a page of his orange book and muttered, "Thank god Sakura's not here. One more idiot and we'd legally qualify as a circus act."

    Around dinner time, Sakura stirred from her rest. She sat quietly by the fire, her eyes fixed on the flames, but her mind somewhere far away.

    "Here you go, Sakura," Naruto said, walking over with a steaming bowl of stew in his hand.

    She took it with a faint hum, then flinched as the hot bottom of the bowl burned her fingers. She didn't complain, just held it in her lap and stared at the food like it was a puzzle she couldn't solve.

    "I noticed your axe got wrecked in the fight," Naruto added as he sat down beside her. "Don't worry, it's an easy fix. I'll even reinforce it, make sure it can handle your freakish strength next time."

    He grinned at her, waiting for some kind of reaction. A joke, a glare, a shut up, Naruto. Anything.

    But Sakura said nothing.

    Naruto's smile faded. "Something wrong?"

    Still no answer.

    Sasuke sat down across from them, folding his arms. "Staying quiet isn't going to fix it. Naruto might be an idiot, but he's probably your best bet at figuring out what's happening."

    Sakura glanced between them, unsure where to even start.

    "One step at a time," Kakashi said gently, handing her a cup of water. "We all felt that… presence at the bridge."

    Sakura gave a small nod and drank slowly. After a long moment, she spoke.

    "Okay, so… you know how sometimes you have a voice in your head? That little voice that whispers the stuff you don't want to hear? Like… doubts. Fears. The parts of you that suck?"

    "Hn," Sasuke muttered.

    "Yes," Kakashi said calmly.

    "Nope," Naruto said, honestly.

    Sakura's eye twitched, but she moved on. "Well… I've always had that voice. I called it Inner Sakura. My private self, the one who screams when I'm too scared to. But after the fight today… it's like that voice isn't just in my head anymore. It feels separate. Like another person living inside me."

    The campfire crackled.

    Naruto blinked. "Is it... because of the humanity I gave you?"

    Sakura slowly nodded. "I think so. I don't know for sure. But she's real. And when I saw her fight... she was a berserker. Wild. Uncontrollable. She laughed while ripping people apart. She didn't feel like me at all. But what if that's the real me?"

    "No, she's not," Sasuke said firmly.

    "How do you know that?" Sakura asked. Her voice cracked. "What if I've been pretending this whole time? Pretending to be composed, kind and helpful. What if I'm just a fake wrapped around something ugly? Something violent. What if I'm just playing the role of the good kunoichi and I've been doing it so long, I forgot it's not even real?"

    Her hands tightened around the bowl. "What if… I don't deserve to be part of this team? A cog that is too unpredictable."

    The silence was heavy. Then Kakashi leaned forward.

    "Sakura," he said quietly, "everyone has shadows inside them. Feelings we don't like. Impulses we pretend we never had. That doesn't make you a fraud. It makes you human. You're not fake. You're conflicted, and that's a sign you're still fighting for who you want to be."

    Sasuke gave a nod.

    "Plus, the role of the unpredictable wild card is Naruto's."

    Sakura snorted a little, the tension in her shoulders loosening.

    Naruto scratched the back of his head. "You know... when I woke up after the dragon thing. When everything changed. I felt the same. Like I wasn't... me anymore. Like I'd lost something important and didn't even know what it was."

    He grew quieter, more serious.

    "But someone helped me. My senior in Lordran, Sir Siegmeyer... he told me something that stuck."

    Naruto looked up, eyes calm now.

    "What makes you who you are... isn't your body, or your blood, or even what's inside your head. It's your actions, your ideals, and your memories."

    He leaned toward her.

    "So tell me, Sakura. Are you still the brave kunoichi who swore to be the cog that keeps Team 7 running?"

    She hesitated, then slowly nodded.

    "Are you still Sakura, who swoons over Sasuke for no damn reason?"

    A tiny smile tugged at her lips. "...Unfortunately."

    "Are you still Sakura, our frontline seal barrier specialist?"

    "I'm... not on that level."

    Naruto squinted at her. "Sakura."

    "Okay, okay," she said, rolling her eyes, "I'm working on it."

    Naruto grinned. "There we go."

    Sakura sighed and looked into her bowl. "Yeah... that helped. It really did clear up my mind."

    She paused, then glanced at him again, more hesitantly this time. "Still… why did the humanity I got give shape to her? Why that side of me? The rage, the brutality, the part that didn't hesitate?"

    Naruto didn't answer right away. Neither did Sasuke or Kakashi.

    Because that was the real question, wasn't it?

    What did it mean when the part of you you always thought was just a voice… became a person? What did it mean when the part you kept buried turned out to be real?

    "Don't worry," Naruto said, waving it off. "I'll ask around in Lordran."

    "You didn't think of doing that before giving it to me?" Sakura said dryly.

    "I did ask," Naruto said defensively. "But most of the people I met didn't know much about humanity. This time, I've got someone smarter to ask. Griggs. He's a real nerd. Probably reads books for fun."

    "Thank you," Sakura said sincerely.

    She looked down into her bowl. "Is there a spoon?"

    Suddenly, Oscar waddled over and gently dropped a spoon at her side.

    Sakura blinked. "Thanks, Oscar," she said, patting his head before digging in.

    The stew wasn't anything special. But for the first time since waking up, she didn't feel alone. Whatever was happening inside her, Team 7 wasn't going anywhere.

    Not now. Not ever.

    After dinner, the night shift was up.

    Normally, it would've been Kiba's turn... part of his punishment for getting into a fight with Naruto at the start of the mission. But the Inuzuka had argued loudly again that his punishment only applied to guarding the house, not the camp. After much groaning and a very dramatic straw draw, Naruto and Hinata were stuck with night duty.

    The stars winked high above them through the breaks in the trees. Their campfire crackled softly in the distance, casting dancing shadows against the tents. But out here, just past the ring of light, it was quiet. Only the night breeze rustled the leaves, and the occasional soft chirp came from Oscar, who nestled against Naruto's shoulder.

    Naruto had deployed shadow clones around the perimeter, each one alert in a different direction. That left the real him and Hinata time to kill, so they decided on a quiet game of archery, taking turns with the longbow.

    "You know," Hinata said as she drew the bowstring and let her arrow fly, "I still can't believe this mission is almost over."

    The arrow thudded into the target. Solid hit. She exhaled.

    Naruto stood a few feet away, eyes on the sky as he gently tossed Oscar into the air with both hands. A moment later, he used subtle bursts of telekinesis to slow the lizard's descent and float him back down, to the creature's visible delight. Oscar chirped happily and curled his tail, already squirming to be tossed again.

    "Things always come to an end, Hinata-chan," Naruto said softly as he set Oscar down. Then he picked up the bow and fired as his arrow split Hinata's cleanly down the middle. "But yeah… feels weird, huh?"

    Hinata laughed softly and scooped up Oscar, tossing him skyward. "Weird doesn't cover it. This mission... I don't know what to even call it. I feel like I've changed so much."

    "You have," Naruto said with a grin. "At least you're not stuttering every time I say your name."

    Hinata flushed bright pink. "N-N-Naruto-kun...!"

    They both burst into quiet laughter, the kind you have to bite back so you don't wake the others. Oscar landed gracefully in Hinata's hands, tail flicking.

    Hinata drew the bow again, eyes narrowing with focus. She fired, and her arrow split Naruto's dead center.

    "Nice shot," Naruto admitted, blinking.

    Hinata handed the bow back and exhaled deeply. "I'm glad for everything that's happened. Even the hard parts. I feel stronger now."

    "You are stronger," Naruto said, his voice more grounded now. "It shows. You've come a long way, Hinata."

    There was a beat of silence between them, peaceful but weighty.

    Then, as if summoned by the mood, Oscar climbed up onto Naruto's shoulder.

    Hinata smiled at the sight. "You know, Naruto-kun…"

    "Hm?"

    "I really am thankful. For a lot of things. But mostly… for showing me that I don't have to be afraid of moving forward anymore."

    Naruto blinked, scratching the back of his head. "I mean… I didn't really do anything. I just ran my mouth. You're the one who actually listened and put it into practice."

    "Maybe," she said softly. "But sometimes… hearing it from someone else makes all the difference. You gave me something I couldn't find on my own."

    Naruto gave her a warm, lopsided smile. "Well… I'm glad it helped, then."

    They fell quiet again. The stars glittered above them like pinpricks in the black sky.

    Hinata looked over, eyes gentle. "Can I ask you something?"

    "Yeah?"

    "Do you think… we'll stay like this? Even after the mission ends? Team 7, Team 8, everyone?"

    Naruto didn't answer right away. He looked out into the forest, the breeze brushing his face.

    "I hope so," he said finally. "But even if we change, even if life pulls us apart... I think what we've got here? It'll always stick. Even if we're not together, it doesn't mean we're not still connected."

    Hinata nodded quietly. "I hope so too."

    Naruto leaned back, looking up at the stars again.

    "Besides," he said, "when things get crazy again, which they will, you'll probably be the one dragging my butt out of whatever fire I threw myself into."

    Hinata giggled. "Deal."

    Oscar chirped in agreement.

    Suddenly, the air shifted.

    She stepped closer to Naruto, eyes narrowing. "Zabuza is approaching the camp," she said quietly.

    "I know," Naruto replied. His hawk-eyes locked on a shadow moving through the trees. "Two hundred meters. Coming in slow. He's alone."

    "I'll wake the others."

    "No."

    Hinata looked back at him, unsure. "Naruto..."

    "Let's check it out. Just us," he said, already moving toward the trees. "I've got a plan."

    Hinata hesitated for only a second. The intensity in his expression silenced her argument. She nodded. "Alright. I trust you."

    The trio moved quietly, stepping into the dark forest. Leaves whispered underfoot. Oscar, sensing the tension, clung tightly to Naruto's back, unusually quiet. Then, from the shadows ahead, a figure emerged.

    The Demon of the Hidden Mist stumbled into view, dragging one foot behind him, shoulders slumped. His massive blade wasn't on his back, it was dragging behind him, the tip carving a shallow line through the dirt. He was breathing hard, blood streaking down his arms and soaking through the wrappings on his chest. His eyes were unfocused, wild.

    Naruto stopped in his tracks, Hinata by his side.

    One glance, and Naruto knew. He's been in a fight. A bad one.

    Zabuza coughed, blood flecking his lips. He looked at them, and for a moment, there was something strange in his eyes. Not hatred. Not bloodlust.

    Just… desperation.

    "So…" Naruto drawled, resting a hand on the pommel of his blade. "You're not gonna attack us, no-brows?"

    Zabuza's voice was hoarse but steady. "No. I need help."

    Hinata's eyes narrowed. She didn't lower her stance, chakra still humming beneath her fingertips, but she stayed silent, letting Naruto take the lead.

    "Well, that's new," Naruto said, quirking a brow.

    Zabuza didn't waste time. Between strained breaths, he laid it all out: the ambush, the betrayal, Guren's sudden arrival, Gato turning on him, and worst of all, Haku's capture. When he finished, the woods were dead quiet.

    "Man... I don't know if I should laugh or pat you on the back."

    Zabuza bared his teeth. "You can do whatever the hell you want. Just get me to your sensei. I need backup."

    Hinata opened her mouth, hesitating. But Naruto raised a hand, just a slight gesture. I've got this.

    "Yeah, that's not happening."

    Zabuza's patience snapped. Instantly, the clearing flooded with murderous bloodlust, thick and suffocating. Hinata tensed, muscles coiled, ready to strike—but Naruto didn't flinch.

    He yawned.

    "Don't give me that look, no-brows," he said, waving lazily. "Let's think this through. You limp into camp, half-dead, and beg for help. You think Kakashi-sensei's just gonna roll out the welcome mat for the guy who tried to carve us up this morning?"

    Zabuza's glare could've split stone.

    "You want our help?" Naruto said. "You'll need more than a sob story. You need something impossible."

    "You offering that?"

    Naruto smirked. "Maybe. I'm offering me."

    "Just you? You think you are enough?"

    "I don't know, you tell me." Naruto shrugged. "I can convince Kakashi to actually listen. I can heal you. I'm technically a healer. I can get you back on your feet. Fast."

    Zabuza's eyes narrowed. "...Is that why Kakashi was that strong?"

    "Now you're getting it."

    Zabuza stared at him for a long beat. Then: "What's your price?"

    Naruto held up one finger. "First, you're going to lead me straight to Gato. I want him dead. Personally."

    Zabuza grinned despite the pain. "That, I can live with."

    "Second…" Naruto glanced at Oscar, who blinked like he already knew where this was going. "Hand over your sword. Kubikiribōchō. I think it would suit me better."

    There was silence.

    Zabuza studied him, expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he dropped the giant cleaver at Naruto's feet with a heavy thud.

    "I've come to learn what actually matters," Zabuza said, voice low but sincere. "A sword can always be replaced. Someone precious… can't. The blade is yours, if it means Haku lives."

    Naruto blinked. He hadn't expected that. He picked up the massive weapon and gave it a curious look. "So does this sword have anything special to it?"

    "It absorbs iron from the blood of its victims to repair itself," Zabuza said.

    Naruto made a face. "That's… gross."

    Then, with zero hesitation, he dropped it and kicked it back toward Zabuza like it was a bad birthday gift.

    "Changed my mind. Don't want it."

    Zabuza's eyes flared. "Then what the hell was the point of asking?!"

    Naruto shrugged. "Thought it was a cool blade. Turns out it's a creepy blood sword. Also, I wanted to test you."

    Zabuza's eye twitched.

    "I needed to know if you still saw Haku as a weapon," Naruto said, folding his arms. "Or as a person. Glad to see it's the latter now, no-brows."

    Zabuza stared at him. Then, for the first time all night, he let out a low, rasping laugh. "You little bastard. You remind me of someone I used to be."

    "Yeah? Well, I'm not interested in who you used to be. I'm interested in who you're gonna be next."

    Hinata let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Oscar chirped in approval.

    "Can we talk less and just move?" Zabuza grunted. "You talk to your sensei, heal me enough to fight, and let's go."

    Naruto didn't say a word. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a glowing talisman. Before Hinata could ask what he was doing, he slapped it against his palm. A burst of golden light exploded outward, washing over the clearing like a rising sun.

    Zabuza staggered, eyes wide, as the light surged through him. Cuts vanished. Blood rewound. His muscles steadied, breath came easier. Strength returned like a crashing tide.

    "What… the hell was that?" he muttered, flexing his fingers like he couldn't believe they still worked.

    Hinata stared, stunned. Her Byakugan flared, picking up the golden energy mending flesh, bones, and chakra flow at a speed that shouldn't be possible. "Naruto-kun…"

    "The part where the Archer of Providence patches up the Demon of the Mist," Naruto said, voice calm as his hair fell into his eyes. He turned, his grin lazy but dangerous. "And they team up to take down Gato."

    Zabuza hesitated.

    Everything in his instincts screamed that this kid was dangerous. More dangerous than any shinobi he'd faced in years. And now he realized why. It wasn't just the raw strength or the strange healing jutsu Naruto could perform. It was the way he thought.

    Zabuza wasn't stupid. He could see it now.

    The words Naruto had thrown at him during their first battle. Words Zabuza had dismissed then but now understood. Naruto was dangerous because he didn't live by the rules of shinobi. He lived by his own rules. His own ideology. And worst of all… he had the strength to back it up.

    Before Zabuza could answer, Naruto's face turned strangely solemn.

    Zabuza grunted. "What about your sensei and the others? You gonna convince them?"

    "I mean, we could…" Naruto shrugged. "But honestly? I'd rather not deal with Leaf politics right now. Unless you're scared to try it with just me and Oscar."

    Zabuza growled low. "I'm not scared. But it doesn't hurt to stack the odds."

    "Too late." Naruto jerked his head toward the treeline. "It's just me. You. Oscar. And maybe Hinata if she wants in."

    "Arrogant little bastard," Zabuza said, cracking his neck. "Fine. Let's see if Haku was right about you. That boy always saw something in people."

    In the blink of an eye, Zabuza's blade swung up in a vicious arc meant to cleave Naruto in two.

    But Naruto didn't flinch.

    He responded with a brutal, two-handed swing that collided with Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō with a deafening crack!

    The two blades stopped just short of impact, hovering centimeters from each other. A shockwave erupted from the clash, blasting leaves and dirt outward in a circle around them.

    Hinata gasped, bracing herself against the pressure, heart pounding. Naruto is on another level now.

    Zabuza clicked his tongue. Frustrated. Impressed. In that single moment, he knew: if they actually fought to kill, it wouldn't be an easy win. Not for either of them.

    "...Fine," Zabuza muttered, stepping back. "We'll do it your way."

    "Great!" Naruto turned with a grin. "Hinata, you wanna come?"

    "Hey, hey... we didn't agree on your little girlfriend tagging along," Zabuza snapped.

    "Hinata's Byakugan will help us spot traps, enemy placements, and maybe even Haku. You want him saved or not?"

    Zabuza growled but didn't argue. "Fine."

    Naruto looked at Hinata. "Up for a nighttime rescue mission?"

    Hinata smiled, her eyes steady and calm. "Someone's gotta pull you out of the fire, right?"

    While Naruto was glad Hinata had volunteered to come along, he couldn't shake the uneasy knot forming in his gut. He glanced sideways at her as they waited in the clearing. The moonlight reflected off her pale eyes, but her stance was calm and focused. She was ready.

    Still, he couldn't help himself.

    "Hinata," Naruto said seriously, his tone shifting as he formed a shadow clone beside him, "listen. If anything happens, anything, I need you to run."

    Hinata blinked. "And fire support arrows from cover, right?"

    "Sure," Naruto replied, already forming the clone. "But if it comes down to choosing between helping me or staying safe, you pick yourself every time. Got it?"

    Hinata gave a reluctant nod, even as the clone stepped toward her and unfurled a scroll. From the scroll, it produced a Lordran caliper compass. A tool used by blacksmiths to measure proportions with fine accuracy. The clone adjusted it with care, gently positioning it to measure her shoulders, waist, hips, and limbs while referencing the scroll like a trained artisan.

    Hinata stiffened, going bright red. "U-Um… is this necessary?"

    "Completely," the clone said, professional to the core. "Andre's work demands precise specs for optimal protection and comfort."

    "Trust me. By the time we run into enemies, you'll be wearing gear better than some jōnin."

    Zabuza narrowed his eyes at the whole process. "Wait a second...? You're having custom armor made right now?"

    Naruto nodded. "Yeah. The clone's gonna return to Lordran. Andre's the blacksmith there. Best I've ever met."

    Before Zabuza could process that, the clone shimmered in golden light and vanished with a flash of soul energy.

    Zabuza blinked. "Is Lordran some kind of summoning realm?"

    "Pretty much," Naruto said, already pulling out a pouch. "Now hold still."

    He sprinkled golden Repair Powder over the Kubikiribōchō. The worn, chipped cleaver hissed faintly as glowing particles seeped into its metal. The edge reformed. Scratches vanished. The blade looked freshly forged.

    Zabuza stared at it. Then at Naruto. Then back at the blade. "...Am I in a genjutsu?"

    "Nope," Naruto said.

    Hinata smiled softly.

    Zabuza held his sword up, turning it in the moonlight. "This blade was ruined in the Mist Purge. It hasn't looked this clean in years. I've reforged it six times and it's never come out like this."

    Naruto, already fishing through another pouch, said casually, "Don't worry. It'll hold. Still not a fan of the blood-drinking part, but hey."

    Zabuza blinked again. Just who was this kid?

    Then Naruto turned to Hinata. "Give me your hand."

    She obeyed quietly, her blush still lingering. Naruto slid a silver ring onto her finger.

    It was the Wolf Ring.

    Hinata gasped softly as the ring touched her skin. Because she felt it. This was different than chakra. Her breath slowed. Her balance shifted, as if the earth itself had anchored her. Curious, she activated her Byakugan.

    Her vision adjusted, then widened in silent awe.

    This energy wasn't chakra. It didn't flow through her tenketsu or surge along familiar pathways. Instead, it formed a layer of almost invisible armor that wrapped around her body like a second skin. It shimmered in strange patterns she couldn't read, woven like invisible steel.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Making sure she doesn't die," Naruto replied. "She's precious to me. Just like Haku is to you."

    Hinata's fingers curled around the ring, holding her hand close to her chest. She couldn't find the words, but her eyes said everything.

    "...Aren't you two a little young to be tying the knot?"

    Naruto blinked. "What?"

    Hinata, on the other hand, turned her head slowly, her expression darkening. Her chakra flared in a way Zabuza immediately recognized as dangerous.

    Zabuza took a tactical step back. "Right. Touchy topic. Got it."

    Naruto, as usual, remained blissfully unaware of the implication as he had slid the Wolf Ring onto Hinata's ring finger. He summoned several more clones, this time lining them up around the camp perimeter.

    Zabuza watched the scene unfold without breaking a sweat. He exhaled slowly. "...Kid."

    Naruto turned. "Yeah?"

    Zabuza looked at him, really looked at him. "I've been around shinobi my whole life. Fought jōnin, ANBU, and missing-nin. Killed more than a few. But I've never seen one genin pull this much weight alone. You're a walking logistics division."

    Naruto shrugged. "I do my best."

    "No," Zabuza muttered, more to himself now. "You're dangerous. And not because of your power. Because you're prepared. You're the kind of soldier that turns wars."

    Naruto blinked. "Cool."

    "And yet you're still an idiot."

    "Oh, by the way," Naruto said, casually pointing at Zabuza's face, "congrats."

    "...On what now?"

    "Your eyebrows. They grew back."

    Zabuza froze. His hand shot up to his face. Sure enough. Very faint, very thin brows had returned. "What? No. That's not... these were burned years ago. My whole forehead needed grafts."

    "I told you, I'm a healer," Naruto said with a grin. "Apparently even for eyebrows."

    "...So now I'm stuck with baby brows?"

    "Would you prefer thick catepillars?"

    Hinata snorted. She couldn't help it.

    "I swear," Zabuza muttered, gripping his sword, "if I wasn't morally obligated to get Haku back alive, I'd cleave you in half."

    Naruto smirked. "So would half the people I know."

    "Let's just go," Zabuza growled, turning toward the woods. "Before I start questioning reality."

    "By the end of tonight," Naruto whispered to Hinata, leaning in with a grin, "I guarantee Zabuza's gonna need a drink, a nap, and maybe a support group… all because of me."

    Hinata giggled, covering her mouth as Zabuza growled ahead of them, already regretting every life choice that led to this moment.

    With that, the group slipped into the forest's embrace, vanishing beneath moonlit branches and whispering leaves, completely unaware they were marching straight into a night so chaotic, bloody, and insane that even Zabuza would one day swear he hallucinated half of it.

    "So this was your hideout?" Naruto asked, stepping through the overgrown brush and onto what remained of the raised wooden platform.

    It had once been a sturdy treehouse. Now it stood shattered and torn apart. Thick wooden beams were split like matchsticks, and scorched fragments of kunai-studded walls littered the forest floor. Blood had dried in dark smears across shattered floorboards, and one half of the structure hung limply off a snapped support cable, creaking with every gust of wind.

    "This was one of Gato's safehouses," Zabuza said grimly, stepping over a broken plank. "He gave it to me to operate out of during the mission."

    The Mist-nin crouched beside a collapsed portion of the wall, running his fingers over a pink crystal shard embedded in the wood.

    "The fight ended fast," Zabuza muttered, eyes scanning the ruined hideout. "Too fast. I was still tied up dealing with Guren's lackeys… but from the damage here, I don't think Haku even stood a chance."

    Naruto hummed in thought, but his attention drifted toward Oscar, who was standing rigidly near a broken door. The little lizard's body glowed faintly under the moonlight, his glassy eyes locked onto a jagged pink crystal that had sprouted from the wood like a diseased tumor.

    Naruto raised a brow. "Oscar…?"

    Oscar chirped, crouching low as if preparing to pounce.

    Naruto smirked. He could tell the crystal lizard was more than eager to square up with Guren. Looks like someone wants to fight a fellow crystal user, Naruto joked under his breath.

    I wonder if Guren drops a special soul like Shisui and the Moonlight Butterfly.

    The idea intrigued him more than it should've. Would her soul give him something unique? Armor? A technique? Maybe even an upgrade for Oscar?

    He was mulling it over when a rustling in the nearby bushes drew their attention. Both Naruto and Zabuza shifted instinctively, hands moving to their weapons until a familiar voice called out.

    "Sorry for the delay," Hinata said as she stepped into the clearing.

    Naruto blinked.

    Gone was the cream-colored hooded jacket. Her upper body was covered in a sleeveless, dark brown tunic reinforced with overlapping square metal plates across the chest, each bordered in a faint golden trim. Lighter straps crisscrossed the torso for added support. Her shoulders were bare, but her arms were wrapped in shining golden bandages from biceps to fingertips that were flexible but durable.

    Around her waist, a thick leather belt held multiple pouches that were all wrapped in the same golden threadwork. Below, a split skirt hung down in patterned panels of deep black with diamond-shaped designs in muted gold and silver. The skirt split open slightly at the sides, revealing loose-fitting black pants tucked into dark, tightly-bound boots laced to her knees.

    Naruto whistled. "Wow."

    Hinata gave a shy smile and spun slowly on the spot. "How do I look?"

    Naruto gave a thumbs-up, a proud grin on his face. "Like a badass. Andre really outdid himself."

    Zabuza groaned loudly. "Can you two not flirt in a battlefield?"

    Naruto chuckled but nodded. "Right, back to business."

    Hinata straightened. "Actually… I've already been working. While you two were checking the wreckage, I've been using my Byakugan to track Haku's chakra."

    Zabuza turned sharply, eyes widening. "You what?"

    Hinata didn't hesitate. She unrolled a scroll across a flat stone nearby. With swift, precise brushstrokes, she sketched a topographic outline of the surrounding forest. Her finger traced several elevation marks and finally stopped on a cliff edge.

    "Two hundred meters southeast. There's an underground facility hidden in the cliffside near the shoreline," she explained. "I only caught it because Haku's chakra flickered briefly. There are other chakra signatures too—five, maybe six, moving inside."

    Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, why does Gato have so many secret hideouts?"

    "Because his entire empire runs off illegal smuggling, human trafficking, drug rings, you name it," Zabuza said bitterly. "These places? They're where the real money flows."

    Naruto sighed. "Figures. Alright. We move in, but not blind. We'll approach quietly, and Hinata scouts again before we decide how to enter. Sound good?"

    Zabuza paused, watching them with a critical eye.

    He had expected to be the leader. But here these genin were taking initiative, executing recon, coordinating tactics like seasoned professionals.

    "Hold up," Zabuza muttered. "Exactly how many missions have you two been on?"

    "This is our first one," they said in perfect unison.

    Zabuza stared at them like they'd just announced they were summoning the Sage of Six Paths. "What the hell are they feeding genin in Konoha?"

    Naruto said with a grin, "Mostly depression and instant noodles."

    It was 2:00 a.m. when the fog began to roll in.

    It hugged the coastline like a second skin and slithered through the rocks without a sound. The two guards outside the compound barely paid attention. Mist was common this close to the sea. Then they heard it.

    Thud… drag… thud… drag…

    Footsteps. Heavy. Deliberate. A rhythm of something ancient and unrelenting.

    Out of the gray emerged a figure, tall and hulking, dragging a monstrous cleaver behind him.

    One guard reached for his blade. The other snapped through hand signs, voice cracking: "Ninja Art: Banshee Wail!"

    A spiraling screech of chakra-infused sound blasted upward, shattering the stillness. It was a warning flare.

    Zabuza didn't slow down; not because it was his usual style, but because Naruto's plan called for noise. Chaos. He was the distraction, and his job was to make damn sure everyone in that compound knew the Demon of the Mist had returned.

    The first guard charged, and Zabuza's sword swung from the mist like a whispering guillotine. One clean arc. One body down. The second turned to flee. He didn't make it two steps before Zabuza's boot caught his spine and folded him over like paper.

    The bodies hit the ground together.

    And then, the real welcome began.

    From the walls of the compound, a dozen razor-edged crystal vines burst outward.

    Zabuza ducked, dodged, and vanished into the mist. The crystals sliced through air and struck nothing.

    "...So you really came back." Guren stepped out. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes burned with quiet malice. "I expected you'd die in the forest like a wounded dog," she continued. "Alone and out of chakra. Too proud to crawl."

    "I didn't come to fight you."

    "Of course not," she murmured. "You came for the boy."

    She stepped forward once, letting the crystal beneath her grow taller. "Haku was efficient. Loyal. Beautiful in form, even in defeat. It was such a shame you turned him into a failure."

    Zabuza's grip on the Kubikiribōchō tightened, but his expression remained still.

    "I'm not here to talk," Zabuza replied. "I'm here to take back what's mine."

    "Nothing here belongs to you. Not anymore. Not Haku. Not your pride. Not even your name."

    Zabuza's voice dropped an octave, low and heavy with intent. "Then I'll take it back by force."

    She raised her hand and made a lazy snapping motion.

    "Gozu," she said, almost gently. "Break him."

    Gozu flickered forward, his body already bulging with twisted muscle. His jutsu was grotesque—it was an unstable mimicry of Akimichi techniques warped through experimentation and forbidden medicine.

    Zabuza didn't move.

    Crack.

    A single arrow tore through the fog like a sniper's shot.

    The large arrow struck Gozu with the force of a lightning bolt.

    He didn't dodge. He didn't even try.

    Arrogant in the power Orochimaru had gifted him, Gozu believed his body could take anything. He'd crushed boulders barehanded. Torn through armor. A single arrow? He scoffed. But the moment it pierced his chest, a shrill whine cut through the air. A vibration, so fast it blurred to the eye, began to ripple through the shaft. The wind chakra embedded in the projectile cut on the molecular level. It destabilized the bonds holding his cells together.

    Gozu had time to widen his eyes.

    Then his upper half simply… vanished.

    Gone in an instant. The arrow tore straight through his torso, atomizing everything from the sternum up in a spiraling burst of force. Chunks of liquefied flesh sprayed into the mist like red vapor.

    Smoke still trailed from the gory mist.

    Guren stood motionless atop her crystal spire, expression unreadable. For a moment, she didn't speak. Then: "That wasn't you."

    Zabuza exhaled slowly, mist coiling tighter around his shoulders like a shroud. "No. That's the part you didn't account for."

    Guren's lips parted slightly but only to exhale as she twisted midair, narrowly dodging an arrow whistling straight for her head. She landed in a crouch, one hand slamming against the earth.

    Earth Style: Seismic Sense.

    The chakra pulsed outward through the ground like sonar. Guren's senses lit up. Every footstep, every breath, every subtle shift in weight around her transmitted through stone and soil. She smiled coldly.

    "This is your plan?" she called, voice echoing through the mist. "You and two genin? I was expecting the full Konoha circus. Not this. What did you do, Zabuza? Kidnap them? Threaten them?"

    Zabuza didn't respond.

    He moved.

    Not like the bloodied, stumbling wreck she remembered. This was the Demon of the Mist.

    Guren flew back through the air, twisting midair as she landed in a crouch, boots dragging a furrow into the ground. Behind her, in the cover of the impact and fog, two shadows slipped past the defenses.

    Naruto and Hinata were inside.

    The trap was working.

    Zabuza had drawn out Guren while selling the lie with just enough fatigue to be convincing. And now the real mission was already in motion.

    Zabuza stepped forward again, blade resting on his shoulder, mist curling around his boots like smoke from an old battlefield.

    "You should've fought me on the water," Guren snapped, rising to her feet. "Maybe then you'd give me a real challenge."

    The mist thickened.

    "You love the sound of your own voice..."

    His blade swung wide, slicing through fog and memory, and for the briefest moment, Guren's senses screamed.

    "...Let me show you how beautiful your screams can sound."

    WHAM!

    The Kubikiribōchō came for her throat but crystal flared across her body just in time. A layer of gleaming pink armor, jagged and smooth like diamond glass, caught the blade mid-swing. The force still launched her backward, boots tearing twin grooves through the dirt as she skidded to a stop.

    Hands flying through seals, she snapped her fingers.

    Crystal Style: Crystal Spiked Armor!

    Guren's body glowed briefly before jagged pink thorns exploded from her crystalline shell, launching in every direction like a storm of razors.

    Zabuza didn't dodge.

    He burst into a splash of water hitting the stones.

    A water clone.

    She didn't waste a breath. Spinning on her heel, she looked toward the entrance of the compound.

    The Zabuza standing there was real. She knew it instantly.

    The Kubikiribōchō swept upward with killing intent, aiming to cleave her in half. She twisted, just barely avoiding the blow, backstepping as the blade carved a trench in the ground where she'd been.

    "You know," Guren said as she regained distance, breath steady, eyes sharp, "those two genin you snuck inside? They're going to die in there if this is your grand strategy."

    Her voice was casual, but her tone was probing, deliberate. She didn't understand the plan, and it bothered her. No backup, no reinforcements, just two kids and him.

    Zabuza didn't answer right away. He simply lifted his blade and rested it on his shoulder, mist curling once more around his boots like a patient predator coiling to strike.

    Guren narrowed her eyes. "They're just genin. You're throwing them into a fortress full of my people and you're out here playing bait? What exactly are you trying to pull?"

    Zabuza gave a shrug.

    Guren's lips pressed into a thin line.

    Suddenly, from the mist, a piercing beam of concentrated blue energy cut through the fog, hitting Guren dead center. Her crystal armor shimmered briefly before exploding outward in a spray of fractured light and vapor. Zabuza blinked, squinting against the sudden burst.

    "What the hell was that?"

    Smoke billowed out across the water.

    From the haze, Guren emerged. Her dress was in tatters, her second crystal skin gleaming like refined diamond under the moonlight. Her chest heaved, but her footing was sure. That attack had power behind it. Chakra, yes, but something else too. Something foreign. Her eyes immediately locked onto the source.

    The lizard.

    One magic gun was still steaming from the last shot, the other humming with renewed charge. He fired again. Two rapid pulses of blue energy lanced through the fog, forcing Guren to twist and flip to avoid them.

    Guren landed on a shattered crystal platform, panting softly. Her thoughts churned despite herself.

    That thing... it's using some kind of crystal release. But it's not mine. The structure's different. The refractive pattern doesn't match any I've seen. Is it a bloodline? A mutation? A foreign variation?

    She clenched her jaw, forcing her mind back to the fight.

    Focus. You're a soldier of Orochimaru. Curiosity is for the lab. This is the battlefield.

    "Crystal Style: Crystal Clone."

    Two copies of herself burst out from her shoulders, sprinting to flank Zabuza as she launched into the air.

    Midair, she formed a new blade that was sleek, curved, and glowing with deep blue chakra. Below, Oscar locked onto her movement.

    The lizard's tail twisted and whipped upward, crystals rapidly forming into a spiked club, and launched it.

    CRACK!

    Blade and club collided. But the instant they touched—

    BOOOOM.

    The opposing energies of magic and chakra reacted violently, a pulse of pure force erupting from the clash. Guren was flung backward, skidding across the surface of the water, landing hard in a three-point stance. Water sprayed high around her.

    That wasn't normal.

    She rose slowly.

    His crystal energy destabilized mine. It's incompatible... and volatile. If they touch again, the blast might take us both out.

    The mist thickened as Zabuza moved through it like a silent ghost.

    Her heartbeat quickened. She turned slowly, forming a lance of crystal in her left hand, holding it low like a spear.

    CLANG!

    His blade came from the right. She blocked just in time, the impact shaking her bones. Zabuza disappeared again into the fog. She spun, eyes darting as she couldn't see anything in the Hidden Mist Jutsu.

    CLANG! From behind. Then the left. Then above.

    Each blow came without warning. His footfalls were silent, his strikes precise, aiming not for brute force but for weak spots in her guard.

    Zabuza was a hunter, and she was prey.

    He closed in again, but this time not swinging for her head. He faked high before pivoting low. She jumped back, barely avoiding a sweep meant to take her legs out from under her.

    Guren gritted her teeth. "You're relentless."

    Zabuza said nothing. His breathing was slow, even, as if the mist itself was sustaining him.

    Another beam fired from Oscar, this time from a different angle. Guren ducked low, the shot cutting clean through her previous position and disintegrating a distant stone.

    Damn it, she thought. That summon's using the mist like a cover. One hit and I'm dead.

    She slammed her palm into the water.

    Crystal Release: The Gods' Crossings.

    A series of sharp, vine-like crystals erupted from the lake's surface, forming a long path of piercing, needle-like growths.

    Zabuza leapt upward, then spun, using the flat of his blade to slice through the incoming barrage like a scythe through tall grass. But the attack was just to pin his attention.

    Oscar was the real target. He reacted instantly, firing a precise beam that intercepted the incoming crystal growth mid-flight, detonating it in a burst of shattering shards and chakra smoke. Suddenly a massive hexagonal shuriken made of crystal flew through the mist, spinning with deadly force toward the lizard. Oscar saw it coming, eyes narrowing, then fired.

    BOOM.

    The crystal projectile exploded midair, shattered by a perfectly timed beam.

    But Guren wasn't done.

    She curved around from the side like a viper.

    Crystal Release: Crystal Wheel!

    A disk-shaped formation grew beneath her, lifting her above the water. With chakra-enhanced speed, she zipped across the lake like a buzzsaw, closing in on Oscar.

    Crystal Release: Crimson Fruit.

    A red crystal orb formed midair, snapping shut around Oscar with near-instant speed in a perfect sphere. Inside, the lizard spun, slamming its tail against the walls. No cracks. The orb shimmered with reinforced layers.

    You blast it, Guren thought coldly, you kill yourself.

    "Let's see what Lord Orochimaru can learn from dissecting you," she whispered. She pressed both palms to the orb and began layering more crystal around it.

    WHAM!

    The Kubikiribōchō came down like a guillotine.

    Guren barely blocked with her crystal-armored arm, the impact sending a shockwave through her body. "You're starting to annoy me," she muttered.

    Before either could land another blow, the orb began to glow.

    "...You little shit," Guren muttered. "You're going to kill yourself."

    The orb detonated.

    White-blue light ripped outward, blasting both jonin backward in twin shockwaves. Guren tumbled across the water, armor cracked. Zabuza slid back, sword anchoring him. Smoke choked the air as both Zabuza and Guren prepared for their next clash. But then they felt it.

    A sudden ripple of pressure within their own chakra networks.

    ROOOAAARRR.

    The roar cracked the night wide open, shattering the silence and ripping the mist apart like paper.

    From the haze stepped something monstrous.

    Oscar was no longer a small lizard. His crystal mecha form stood tall on two digitigrade legs, a living sculpture of serrated crystal and thrumming blue energy. The Ravenous Crystal Lizard had fully awakened.

    Zabuza exhaled a low whistle. "Of course... Naruto would summon something like this. Like having a summon with a kekkei genkai wasn't ridiculous enough, now it's a walking fortress with a transformation sequence."

    Oscar didn't wait.

    BOOM!

    He charged, each step pounding across the surface of the lake so fast it was as if he were sprinting on solid ground.

    Guren's eyes snapped wide. She slammed a hand to the surface.

    Crystal Release: Tearing Crystal Falling Dragon!

    The lake itself shimmered and rose, crystallizing mid-motion into the shape of a massive serpent. The dragon's jaws gaped open, razor-sharp scales glittering. But Zabuza was already there.

    "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

    His dragon surged forward, crashing into the crystal serpent with a deafening explosion of steam, mist, and jagged shards. Amidst the chaos, Guren suddenly found herself directly in the beast's path.

    Her hands flew up.

    Crystal Release: Needles!

    Dozens of long, gleaming shards formed around her, shooting at Oscar like a storm of pink and white razors. But Oscar roared again and vaulted skyward, twisting midair like a predator with impossible agility.

    Above the battlefield, the mist began to reform.

    Zabuza had used the chaos to recast the Hidden Mist Jutsu, cloaking the area in a dense, suffocating veil.

    Guren narrowed her eyes, knowing neither she nor Oscar could see anything now. But Oscar didn't have a problem. He had Soul Sight.

    Guren moved silently, body low, taking careful steps—only to freeze. She felt something above her.

    Oscar's tail was already aligned.

    From midair, a blue beam of light screamed downward. It hit the water right beside her, detonating in a pulse of concussive force and instantly crystallizing the entire section into a domed shell around her.

    FWASHHH... CRACK!

    A massive crystal sheet erupted where Guren had stood, shimmering like a frozen lotus.

    Oscar landed hard on the lake, mist swirling around his claws.

    Zabuza grunted, blade resting on his shoulder. "So... what the hell are you?"

    Oscar growled twice. Low. Sharp.

    Before either could say more, the lake rippled as a new chakra wave surged through the battlefield.

    It was vile.

    And it was coming from the crystal shell Oscar had just created.

    Guren exploded upward.

    Chunks of scorched crystal and water flew in every direction as her body regenerated in real time, skin knitting itself back together, blood sizzling as it was reabsorbed. Dark markings slithered across her flesh like ink in water.

    The Curse Mark had activated.

    A few minutes earlier, Naruto and Hinata landed silently in the shadows of the stone corridor.

    The air was cold, the walls damp. Flickering lanterns cast long shadows across the floor.

    Hinata's eyes pulsed as her Byakugan flared to life, veins rising around her temples. "Ten chakra signatures," she whispered, scanning the area. "Haku's in the third room to the left… but he's covered in heavy suppression seals. He's not moving."

    Naruto gave a tight nod. "Then we move fast."

    Suddenly, a noxious gray smoke began to flood the hallway, seeping out from vents in the ceiling and floor.

    "Two incoming," Hinata said sharply, her tone shifting.

    Out of the haze came a stretching limb, whipping toward her like a slingshot. Hinata stepped aside, pivoting smoothly while deflecting the limb with a fluid strike. But the enemy flew toward her like a spring, feet-first.

    Double flying kick.

    Hinata blocked the blow with crossed forearms, her boots scraping against stone as she was pushed back.

    "Wow," the attacker said in a voice too casual for a fight. "That felt like kicking a wall. You always this sturdy, little girl?"

    He landed in a crouch. Despite his slender, androgynous build, his posture was confident. He wore a full-body slime suit, only his painted face visible, with eyes unnervingly wide and lips smeared with deep green pigment. A few tufts of pale pink hair poked out from his hood.

    [ Name: Nurari ]
    [ HP: 250/250 ]

    Naruto was already moving when a barrage of kunai whistled through the air from down the hall.

    [ Name: Kigiri ]
    [ HP: 255/255 ]

    Kigiri's gas mask gave his appearance an eerie silence. Dull purple hair framed his masked face, and his dark cloak rippled in the smoke.

    Naruto calmly raised his talisman.

    "Force."

    A sudden omnidirectional shockwave blasted outward from his palm. The kunai stopped in midair, then spun away like leaves in a storm. Nurari stumbled, hit by the miracle, momentarily stunned just in time for Hinata to strike.

    She surged forward, stance locked. "Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"

    Her palms shot forward in precise, rapid strikes of 2… 4… 8… 16… 32… 64!

    Each blow targeted specific chakra points, disrupting flow, shutting down mobility. But her hands hit a slick, sticky barrier.

    "What?"

    Her palms were coated in a mucus-like slime, thick and clinging, resisting her chakra penetration. It was like trying to strike through wet glue.

    "Gross," she muttered, grimacing.

    "Birdlime membrane," Nurari grinned. "A little gift from Lord Orochimaru."

    Before he could twist away, Naruto's Eye of Calamity snapped open.

    Nurari was yanked back mid-sentence. "Wha—?"

    Naruto caught him by the back of his neck. "Too slow."

    Shunk.

    A single thrust from his rapier pierced clean through Nurari's back and out his chest. The man's eyes widened in shock, then dimmed.

    [ HP: 0/250 ]

    Kigiri didn't hesitate.

    "Fire Style: Exploding Flame Shot!"

    He snapped his fingers.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    Three flaming orbs shot through the hallway, arcing toward Naruto.

    But Hinata was already moving. Her fingers glowed with chakra thread lines, like a puppet master. Her Byakugan tracked the trajectory of each flaming orb with mathematical precision.

    Flick—Flick—Flick.

    Each chakra thread struck a specific point mid-trajectory, changing the spin and velocity of the fireballs, redirecting them off course. They splashed harmlessly into the walls with bursts of flame.

    Kigiri blinked as Naruto was gone.

    A whisper of motion passed beside him, then silence.

    THUNK.

    Kigiri's body slumped.

    His head rolled away a second later. The last thing he saw was the reflection of his decapitated face in Naruto's gleaming Zweihander and the knight's back already walking away.

    [ Kigiri – HP: 0/255 ]

    "Thanks for covering my back," Naruto said as he absorbed the flickering soul fragments of the two enemies.

    Hinata gave a quiet nod, knowing full well Naruto didn't need help with them. Still, she appreciated his politeness.

    "Hinata, can you check on the others?" Naruto asked, slipping his rapier back into its sheath.

    She closed her eyes for a second, letting her Byakugan pulse once more. "Most of them are talking... relaxed or thinking. No one's alarmed."

    Naruto's eyes narrowed. "That means they think we're just regular genin. They assumed those two would kill us, and someone must've sensed our presence the moment we stepped inside."

    "They don't know what happened yet," Hinata added.

    "There's a guy with a bat summon," she continued. "It's using echolocation."

    Naruto nodded. "So the bat scouted us. Makes sense. Let me know right before it screeches again. I'm going to move before its next ping gives away that we're still alive."

    Hinata wasn't sure what he meant by move, but nodded anyway.

    Naruto quietly unequipped the Elite Knight armor, replacing it with the Steel Armor Set.

    A full-body metal suit encased him, gleaming in the dim corridor light. The steel was blue-silver, polished, heavy. His helmet had a narrow eye slit and a feather-like spike protruding from the top. The chestplate was layered, dense, reinforced at the joints. His arms and hands vanished beneath smooth metal gauntlets. A tattered black cloth hung beneath the metal skirt, brushing against his greaves. The armor groaned slightly as he moved like a juggernaut built for defense, not speed.

    Hinata tilted her head. "Isn't that too heavy?"

    Naruto didn't answer. He slipped on the Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring, and suddenly his entire body began to vibrate. A low hum filled the air as wind chakra flooded into the armor, dancing across the metal like ripples over water.

    With her Byakugan active, she could see it clearly. The chakra wasn't just flowing, it was vibrating, fast and unstable like a storm held together by sheer will.

    Wind chakra isn't supposed to behave like that, she thought. It's supposed to cut, not tremble. This shouldn't even be possible.

    The level of elemental control Naruto displayed wasn't just advanced, it felt unnatural. Like he was twisting the nature of chakra itself into something new. Something dangerous.

    "Hinata," Naruto said, his voice low. "The moment I move... close your Byakugan."

    She blinked. "Why?"

    "Because what I'm about to do will scare you. I'd rather you not see it."

    Hinata's face tightened. "No."

    He turned his head.

    "I don't want to look away anymore," she said, her voice clear. "I've spent too long avoiding the cruel side of the world. I need to face it. I won't live in ignorance."

    Naruto held her gaze for a moment longer. Then nodded. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

    A few seconds passed.

    Hinata gave the signal. The bat had just used echolocation.

    Naruto vanished and what happened next shattered Hinata's view of the world.

    She had seen punishment.

    She had endured punishment.

    Hinata had stood in the Hyūga compound's cold wooden corridors, the silence pierced only by the sickening thud of flesh against flesh as branch family members collapsed under discipline. She had been struck herself, pain flaring behind her ribs as the Gentle Fist stripped her of chakra and breath. She had watched her father glance past her like she was nothing. She had watched her mother fall into a coma, and lived with the weight of her cousin's hatred ever since.

    She thought she understood violence. She thought she understood fear.

    But this... this wasn't violence. This wasn't fear.

    This was annihilation.

    In an instant, Naruto exploded from the shadows, steel armor humming with raw energy. He wasn't running... he was tearing through space. The chakra around his body vibrated so violently her Byakugan blurred just trying to keep up. Wind chakra wasn't supposed to behave like this. It wasn't supposed to buzz like lightning or slice like diamond-tipped saws. It wasn't supposed to erase people from existence.

    But it did.

    The first man didn't scream. His lungs were gone. Naruto passed through him like a cannonball, and his body simply collapsed into slurry. Before the chunks hit the floor, Naruto had already moved on, just a blur of silver and velocity.

    The second guard raised a hand in warning. No time for defense, no time for jutsu. One second he was standing, the next his torso peeled open like wet paper, spine shattered, heart misted across the wall.

    A woman shouted. Steel flashed. The hallway echoed with a wet pop as her head gone, a crimson geyser spattering the stone ceiling.

    Hinata dropped to the floor behind him, eyes wide. Her breath hitched. Not from fear of him... but from awe. From disbelief. From witnessing something so far beyond what she thought possible that her mind struggled to process it. Her Byakugan picked up flickers of life ahead, then nothing. Gone. Naruto didn't fight people. He erased them. He shattered them at the molecular level.

    Every strike was a violent equation that ended in zero.

    And yet there was no joy in his face. No hatred. No bloodlust. Only focus. Calm. Like a butcher on the clock, cleaning the slaughter floor.

    Naruto glanced back.

    Hinata hadn't moved.

    "Told her to close her eyes," he muttered under his breath.

    The last of Guren's shinobi stood ahead of him, trembling. His partner had just been turned into paste between Naruto's armor and the wall. The only reason Naruto hadn't done the same to Rinji was because the Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring combined with Fist of the Peregrine had dropped his HP too low. One more impact, and he might've died along with him.

    [ Name: Rinji ]
    [ HP: 300 / 300 ]

    Rinji had dark brown hair, black eyes, and a loose-fitting purple vest that exposed his chest. Bandages wrapped around his midsection. A faded blue poncho draped over his shoulders, and tan pants tucked into dark brown sandals. Despite his usual laid-back, calculating attitude, the massacre had left him pale and shaking.

    "I don't know what kind of freak you are," Rinji barked, trying to steady his voice, "but you're not human. You're a damn monster!"

    Dozens of bats burst from the shadows behind him, screeching as they circled the room. Their bodies pulsed with chakra as they unleashed a wave of high-frequency sound.

    Naruto's vision wobbled. His balance slipped. "Oh..." he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "You're using sound to mess with my equilibrium."

    Rinji's fingers twitched, but a glimmer of something other than bloodlust sparked in his eyes.

    "Wait... wait, listen," he said quickly, eyes darting between the twitching corpses on the ground and Naruto's face. "I'm not with Guren! Not really! I didn't sign up for this, I was forced into this whole thing."

    He took a cautious step back.

    "They used me in sound experiments. I didn't want this, alright? I never wanted to hurt anyone. We can team up! You want Guren dead? So do I! I can help you... please..."

    Naruto didn't move.

    Rinji's breathing picked up. "I'm not your enemy! I'll tell you where the others are. I'll give you intel. I... I know stuff! I was just surviving, same as you!"

    Naruto blinked once. Then slowly, he started running.

    Staggering. Off balance. Listing like a drunk.

    Rinji's panic shifted into hope. "Yes! That's it—"

    Perfect.

    Rinji reached for a kunai.

    Schlik!

    A thin silver rapier burst through his eye socket and out the back of his skull. Rinji's body jerked once. Then dropped like a sack of meat. Dead before the neurons had time to fire.

    Naruto stepped forward, wiping the blood from his blade with a soft snort.

    "Equilibrium tricks might've worked on someone else," he said flatly, "but unfortunately for you… I was wearing the Rusted Iron Ring."

    The dull, unassuming band shimmered faintly on his finger. It anchored him, ensuring solid footing even on unstable terrain. Rinji's technique was clever, but in the end, it only gave Naruto an excuse to act.

    The stumble?

    All bait.

    Another fool, lured in by false weakness.

    Naruto's shadow clone emerged beside him with a puff. "Room's cleared. What now?"

    Naruto stared at Rinji's corpse for a second longer. "Bag the soul drops. Bring Hinata. We're almost done here."

    The clone nodded and vanished.

    [ Great Heal Excerpt has been attuned. ]

    [ Force Miracle removed. ]

    Moments later, the clone reappeared, cradling Hinata gently in a bridal hold. Her eyes were half-open, darting but unfocused. Her breathing was shallow. Her lips moved slightly, but no words came out. She looked like she was trying to speak or scream but couldn't remember how.

    The clone looked shaken. "What happened to her?"

    Naruto didn't answer right away. He stared at her face, the way her fingers twitched slightly, the way her pupils didn't quite track movement.

    "She was there," he finally said. "She saw all of it. What I did to those people."

    The clone looked back down at her. "Shock?"

    Naruto nodded once. "Her body's reacting, but her mind hasn't caught up. I think she dissociated. Her brain just… shut down. Like it's trying to protect her from what she saw."

    He exhaled, jaw tight.

    "She got her first kill just a little while ago. That alone messes with you. But what she saw after… that wasn't just death."

    The clone nodded. "So, what now?"

    Naruto exhaled. "While I was training in Lordran, I asked Sir Siegmeyer what the difference was between a regular heal, an Estus Flask, and a Great Heal Excerpt. He told me the Estus heals the body. A normal Heal miracle does the same. But the Great Heal... it can soothe the mind. The Church of the Way of White used it for warriors, paladins, nobles who came back from war with demons."

    Then he paused.

    "Wait. Why are you even asking me this? You're a clone."

    The clone smiled. "Maybe I just thought you needed to say it out loud."

    Naruto went quiet.

    "...Maybe. I've been wondering. If Hinata broke from seeing that, and I didn't feel anything, not even a flicker of guilt... what does that make me?" His voice lowered. "Has Lordran changed me so much? Or is this my draconic side leaking through?"

    "Maybe both," the clone said. "But you do feel guilty about Hinata. That means you're still you. Don't forget that."

    Naruto nodded slowly. "Thanks. Reminders help."

    He placed a hand on Hinata's forehead and cast Great Heal Excerpt. A soft, blinding white light enveloped her. When it faded, she blinked rapidly and put a hand to her head.

    "How do you feel?" Naruto asked.

    "...Weird," she said slowly. "Like something… huge happened. But now it's just fragments. I feel like I have memories of memories."

    "Probably just a side effect," Naruto said casually. "That smoke guy might've slipped something into the air. Toxin or genjutsu trigger. You just dozed off."

    Hinata stared at him for a second, then gave a small nod.

    "Anyway," Naruto said, standing up and turning. "Let's go free Haku."

    In the next room, Haku hung limp from thick chains embedded into stone. His body was a roadmap of violence. Bruises bloomed across his skin like dark flowers, and dried blood caked his mouth and chest. Dozens of talismans clung to his bare torso, pulsing faintly with sealing chakra.

    Still, his one visible eye cracked open, bloodshot and glassy.

    "...Na...ru...to...?"

    Naruto stepped forward, slow and steady, eyes softening despite the gore still wet on his boots.

    "You look like shit."

    "Naruto-kun," Hinata interrupted quickly, her Byakugan already scanning the trapwork. "There's a hidden network of fūinjutsu. If we just pull them out, he'll detonate. I can disarm it, but I'll need a minute."

    Naruto nodded. "It's all you."

    As Hinata knelt, placing her fingertips carefully near the seals, Naruto crouched beside Haku. The boy's chest rose in shallow breaths.

    "Why?" Haku rasped. "Why… are you… here?"

    Naruto shrugged,"You'll have to ask your boss. No-Brows came limping into our camp like a kicked dog. Practically begged us to help you."

    Haku blinked, confused.

    One of the tags shimmered under Hinata's hand, then hissed as it disintegrated into ash. She worked methodically, disabling each seal one by one. The room stayed quiet except for the soft burn of chakra unraveling.

    Once the last tag was gone, Naruto gripped the chains and snapped them like wet twine.

    Haku dropped forward, but Naruto caught him with one arm, gently easing him to the floor.

    "Still breathing. That's a good start."

    He pulled out a talisman, slapped it to Haku's chest, and activated a Heal miracle. Warm golden light spread across Haku's body. Cuts sealed. Bones reset. Bruises vanished. By the time the glow faded, Haku looked untouched, but wide-eyed and trembling. He raised a hand to his chest in disbelief. "...This shouldn't be possible."

    Naruto smiled.

    Then bonked him lightly on the head.

    "Naruto!" Hinata gasped.

    "What?" he said, shaking his hand out. "I healed him before the punch. That makes it fair."

    Haku blinked. "That was for...?"

    "For tricking me into thinking you were a pretty girl."

    Haku blinked again. "You thought I was pretty?"

    "You thought he was pretty?" Hinata snapped at the same time.

    "Irrelevant," Naruto said quickly, flustered. "So why'd you trick me?"

    Haku chuckled, voice hoarse but playful. "I like seeing people's reactions."

    Naruto gave a slow nod of respect. "As a fellow prankster... you have my respect."

    "Thank you," Haku said with a bright, almost unfairly beautiful smile.

    "Hey, fool me once, shame on you... wait, no..." Naruto paused, face screwing up as he realized he'd just admitted it again.

    Hinata sweatdropped. "This conversation is ridiculous."

    But the lightheartedness died the instant all three of them felt an enormous surge of chakra from outside, thick and oppressive.

    "Zabuza," Naruto muttered, his expression sharpening. "He's fighting Guren. And she just went all out."

    He reached into his inventory and pulled out a spare rapier. He tossed it to Haku.

    "That'll serve you better than acupuncture needles."

    Haku caught it smoothly, spinning it once in his palm. "I'll make it work."

    The three turned toward the exit, moving with purpose now, their steps steady and silent.

    Their mission had changed.

    It was no longer just a rescue.

    It was time to end this.

    The waves rolled beneath them like a living beast, black under the night sky, frothing silver where wind met water. Mist blanketed the ocean in a thick sheet, but it did nothing to hide the killing intent radiating between them.

    Guren stood on a floating crystal platform, her form outlined by the pulsing black veins of the Curse Mark's first phase. Her body shimmered with a protective lattice of pink crystal armor. Her lips curled into a smirk as she sent a clone to distract Oscar while she dealt with Zabuza.

    "Didn't think you'd actually meet me out here," Guren said. "I assumed you'd keep hiding in your fog."

    "I am the fog," Zabuza said darkly and disappeared.

    Guren instantly shot backward.

    Zabuza's blade sliced through the space her torso had occupied a second earlier. She twisted in midair, landing on a thin spear of crystal she conjured from the sea surface, then launched a crystal barrage in a wide arc. Dozens of needle-thin projectiles screamed through the mist, exploding on contact.

    Zabuza was gone again. Mist surged in unnatural waves. Guren gritted her teeth.

    Then the sea erupted.

    Water Style: Five Hungry Sharks tore from the sea like summoned beasts, their jaws snapping with chakra-fueled fury. They homed in on Guren from below.

    She didn't flinch.

    Her hands clapped together in a sharp seal.

    Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Blade Dance.

    Twin crystal scythes erupted from her forearms with a jagged gleam. As the sharks lunged upward, Guren spun midair like a cyclone of death, her blades cleaving through the water constructs one after another. Mist and spray exploded around her as she descended, straight toward the shadow of Zabuza.

    With a shout, she brought both blades down, aiming for his neck like a reaping goddess.

    SPLASH!

    Zabuza's body burst into water the instant her scythes hit.

    Water Clone Explosion.

    The clone detonated in a high-pressure column of water and chakra, catching Guren mid-fall and blasting her skyward. Her crystal armor splintered along her ribs and shoulder, hair whipping violently in the force.

    And the moment Guren's boots touched the ocean's surface, arms burst from the water, wrapping around her legs like iron chains.

    Water Style: Double Suicide Drowning Jutsu.

    Zabuza dragged her down beneath the waves.

    Darkness swallowed her.

    The water wasn't just cold, it was dead. Light faded instantly as she was yanked deeper, the sea pressing in from all sides. Her limbs thrashed, bubbles escaping her mouth as panic clawed at her mind. The deeper she sank, the blacker it became. No sound. No direction. Just the crushing weight of the abyss and the Mist-nin pulling her into oblivion.

    Zabuza had trained for this. Years spent mastering breath control, learning how to drown others long before he drowned himself. If this jutsu completed its course, she would die, and he would simply pass out.

    She knew it.

    And in that realization, fear turned to rage.

    Guren's armor responded first as long, jagged spikes of crystal erupted from her legs, slashing outward like sea mines. Zabuza was forced to let go, retreating as the needles cut through the water, breaking the hold.

    She surged upward.

    But she didn't even make it halfway to the surface before the sea around her hardened.

    Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu.

    Zabuza's chakra coiled around her like a snake tightening. The pressure was unbearable. Her limbs refused to move. Her lungs screamed. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't swim. Couldn't escape.

    The Demon of the Mist was waiting for her to go still.

    She was going to die.

    Unless the seal on her back ignited. Guren didn't hesitate. She welcomed it. Called for it.

    Version Two: Curse Mark Release.

    For one terrifying second, the sea began to boil. The water prison trembled. The entire black ocean glowed red as Guren's body was overtaken by Orochimaru's corruption. Vile chakra poured out of her like sludge from a broken dam, melting the jutsu around her.

    The prison shattered like glass.

    Guren exploded from the ocean surface, airborne in a spiral of steam and red mist.

    Zabuza surfaced as well, gasping, but when he saw her, he froze.

    Over the pitch-black waves, under the moon, Guren floated like a monster. Her skin had turned a cold, stone-gray. Her once-short hair now cascaded to her thighs, dark blue and alive with chakra. Her eyes were slate gray, and four curved, pink crystal rams' horns had sprouted from her skull like a crown.

    She exhaled, steam trailing from her lips.

    "Lord Orochimaru… I am honored to be your blade," she whispered, voice reverent and broken.

    Zabuza clenched his fists, fatigue eating at his muscles. Jutsu after jutsu made it so that he was almost out of chakra. And she had only just begun.

    But before the fight could resume, a sharp chime rang out behind Guren.

    A mirror of ice formed in midair, casting a cold glow.

    CRACK!

    Haku shot out like a bullet, rapier drawn, striking for Guren's throat. She twisted midair, narrowly dodging, and Haku landed in front of Zabuza with a calm grace, body lowered in a protective stance.

    Guren blinked in disbelief.

    "What the hell am I looking at?" she muttered. "How is this possible?"

    "Haku..." Zabuza said, voice rough with things he couldn't say yet.

    "We can talk later, Zabuza-sama. Right now, we finish this."

    Zabuza's tired eyes softened. Then he gave a short grunt and raised his blade.

    "You don't have to call me 'sama' anymore, partner."

    "Zabuza-chan?"

    "Don't push it, brat." Zabuza snorted.

    Crystal Release: Crystal Rainstorm Burial.

    Dozens of spears burst from the ocean beneath them as long, spiraling javelins of pink-tinted crystal that shot upward with incredible speed. Each one tracked with precision, aiming to impale the duo from below.

    Zabuza reacted instantly, slamming his Executioner's Blade down in a circular arc.

    Water Style: Water Encampment Wall.

    A massive dome of water burst around him and Haku, shielding them for a second.

    Then they moved.

    Zabuza charged. Haku vanished.

    Like a well-oiled machine, they danced around Guren's attacks. Zabuza went in first, blade gleaming, crashing into Guren with a series of brutal overhead swings. His movements were wild but calculated, forcing Guren to block and parry, not giving her the chance to weave hand signs.

    But Guren wasn't idle. With every clash, her arms gleamed brighter as the Jade Crystal Blade Dance activated again, her forearms edged with curved scythe-like extensions. Sparks flew as they clashed, blade against crystal, muscle against power.

    Ice Release: Thousand Flying Needles of Death.

    Haku appeared midair from an ice mirror, his rapier extended in one hand, the other casting his jutsu. Razor-thin needles shot toward Guren from every angle. She twisted, flipping backwards.

    Crystal Release: Shattering Prism Barrage!

    Dozens of jagged crystal shards burst outward in a shockwave, intercepting most of the needles. Haku dodged midair, launching himself into another mirror.

    Zabuza didn't let up. He ducked under her spinning blade, grabbed her by the arm, and slammed her into the water surface with bone-breaking force. But her cursed form absorbed the impact. She twisted beneath him, a spike bursting from her back and nearly skewering his neck.

    He rolled off just in time.

    Guren rose. Her chakra surged.

    Crystal Release: Adamant Dome.

    A dome of ultra-dense crystal encased her instantly, reflecting moonlight in rainbow glints. Zabuza backed up, raising his sword.

    "She's hardening up," he growled. "Haku!"

    "On it."

    Ice mirrors formed in a full circle around the dome. Haku zipped through them, building momentum. His rapier lit up with chakra.

    "Piercing Fang!"

    He drove the blade into the dome's weakest seam. It cracked. Zabuza followed up immediately with a Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!

    A tidal wave smashed the dome apart, sending crystal shards flying into the air like razors.

    Meanwhile, watching the chaos unfold from atop the cliffs, stood Naruto and Hinata.

    "Should we interfere?" Hinata asked, her Byakugan eyes tracking the movement below. "Zabuza and Haku are in sync as they've trained together for years. If we jump in now, we might throw off their rhythm."

    Naruto didn't respond. His eyes were locked on the floating system window in front of him.

    [ Name: Guren ]
    [ HP: 400 / 600 ]

    Without hesitation, he pulled out his massive greatbow with one hand and began weaving hand signs with the other. A dozen shadow clones puffed into existence, each equipped with identical bows. He turned to Hinata.

    "You're leading this unit. Pin Guren down. Keep her guessing."

    Hinata nodded sharply, slipping into a calm, focused state. She took a breath, but before she could speak again, Naruto unsheathed his Uchigatana and, without flinching, pressed it to the side of his neck.

    "Naruto-kun, what are you doing?!" she gasped, her voice cracking.

    "Preparing," he said flatly, and dragged the blade across the skin. Blood welled up instantly, but he was precise, avoiding arteries just enough to trigger what he needed.

    Hinata's hand shot up to her mouth as she choked on a gasp.

    A faint crimson aura burst to life around Naruto's body as the Red Tearstone Ring activated. Naruto used a clone to preserve the low-HP state, then chugged an Estus Flask. The golden light healed the wound, but the red aura remained, crackling around his body like rage given form.

    He clenched his fist.

    Perfect.

    "Naruto-kun…" Hinata said softly, stepping forward, her trembling hand brushing the newly healed skin on his neck.

    "Sorry for the scare," Naruto said, trying to sound light. "I just needed the ring to kick in."

    But as he looked at Hinata, he couldn't shake the feeling gnawing at his gut. Bringing her here might've been a mistake. Moments like this made him realize just how much Lordran had warped him. How far he'd drifted from being… normal.

    "I'll keep you safe," Hinata said, more to herself than to him.

    Naruto gave her a thin smile. "Well, if I've got the eyes of Hinata watching my back, what could possibly go wrong?"

    He raised his catalyst and, in a blur, flickered down to the battlefield.

    Below, Oscar was locked in battle with one of Guren's crystal clones. Naruto raised his hand and fired a Soul Arrow. The clone dodged only for the arrow to curve mid-air and slam into her head, shattering her into sparkling shards.

    Oscar turned, sniffing the red-tinged air, and gave a low growl.

    "Yeah," Naruto muttered, stepping onto Oscar's back, "I was thinking the same thing."

    In response, Oscar's crystals shifted, forming a hardened saddle and footholds. The lizard growled again, crouched, and prepared to charge. Naruto turned his head and shouted: "Haku! Get Zabuza out of here and use the flask! I'll continue this."

    Haku didn't hesitate. He flickered in, grabbed the half-conscious Zabuza, and disappeared in a swirl of mist.

    Naruto lowered the visor on his helmet with a heavy clang that echoed like a bell toll across the battlefield.

    Above the black waves, as the mist receded like a curtain drawn back by unseen hands, the sea stretched wide and silent beneath the pale gaze of the moon.

    At the center of it all, Naruto stood atop Oscar, whose crystalline scales glistened like fractured stars. The red aura of the Tearstone Ring flared around him, pulsing with lethal intensity. It painted his elite knight armor in bloodlight, making him look less like a shinobi and more like a harbinger summoned by the night itself. In his grip, the Black Knight Halberd caught the moonlight and drank it, the edge gleaming with a promise of death. Oscar's massive form shifted beneath him, the crystal beast silent and poised, forming a perfect silhouette against the endless sea.

    And for one suspended heartbeat, the entire battlefield stared in silent awe.

    A rider and his steed carved from a fairytale.

    Guren hovered over the water, her crystal armor fracturing from the pressure of the last exchange. Her breath came hard, fast. Below her, the surface rippled and then the tide surged.

    Oscar lunged left, and the halberd carved wide as Guren ducked under it.

    Crystal Release: Growing Crystal Thorns!

    The halberd's arc cleaved apart one of her growing crystal thorns before it reached full formation.

    A crack of displaced air as Naruto fired a Soul Arrow. The projectile curved unnaturally mid-flight, catching Guren off guard. It detonated as it connected with one of her shoulder-mounted crystals. The explosion shattered half her armor and sent her skidding across the water.

    She didn't hesitate. With a single breath, she kicked backward and formed a dense field of overlapping thorns behind her to slow Oscar's advance.

    Naruto dipped low, dragging the halberd behind him. Oscar feinted right, then pivoted hard. A claw slammed the sea. A burst of speed. The weapon carved upward in a brutal rearing swing.

    Crystal Release: Crystal Encampment Wall!

    Guren brought up a crystal wall to block. Too slow.

    The halberd slammed into it, cracking the surface. The kinetic force didn't break through entirely, but it disrupted the wall's repair function. A flick of Naruto's catalyst sent another Soul Arrow to the weakened spot.

    This time, the wall exploded.

    Guren was already midair, spinning.

    Her palms flared with chakra as she conjured five overlapping crystal prisons in the air, catching Oscar mid-leap.

    Naruto jumped off before impact, flipping through seals.

    The water hissed as Wind Bullet lanced forward, a tight compressed spear of air. It collided with the crystal prisons just as Oscar released a beam of magic, crystal spines erupting in all directions. The prisons burst in a hail of shrapnel.

    Naruto landed, one foot on Oscar's spine. The halberd twirled in his hand and swept out as Oscar charged again. Guren countered with a massive wall of red crystal from her labyrinth technique, but Naruto didn't aim to break it rather, he used the curved surface as a springboard, pushing off at blinding speed.

    Guren spun around, too late. Naruto was already behind her. The halberd swept low, forcing her to leap. Midair, her eyes flared as crystal thorns erupted from beneath, targeting Oscar.

    Oscar dropped beneath the waves just as Naruto flickered forward.

    Their clash was brutal. Halberd met crystal blades with sparks flying, screeches ringing out as steel scraped against hardened chakra. Guren spun with vicious grace, the edge of her blade carving a line across Naruto's armor. He didn't flinch.

    The shoulder slam landed with brutal force, cracking into her midsection and staggering her. In the same breath, Naruto brought the halberd up in a vicious arc. It tore through the air and through Guren's defenses.

    The blow sent her hurtling back, a gash stretching across her torso, blood splashing on the sea like paint across canvas. The only reason she wasn't cleaved in two was the reinforced, senjutsu-infused crystal armor that flared to life across her body, absorbing the worst of the damage.

    [ Name: Guren ]
    [ HP: 100 / 600 ]

    She rose slowly, breath ragged, shoulders trembling—but her eyes still sharp with fury. Behind Naruto, Oscar reared with a thunderous hiss, crystals along his back glinting in the pale moonlight. Naruto lowered his halberd, pointing it like a knight calling judgment.

    Guren spat blood and muttered through clenched teeth, "So this is the power of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki…"

    The sea beneath them lit up in eerie red as she clapped her hands together.

    Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Labyrinth Technique.

    Crimson crystal flowers bloomed across the water. One by one, they exploded into growth as walls of red crystal spiraled upward, twisting and spreading until the entire battlefield became a disorienting maze of mirror-like surfaces and shifting light. The labyrinth shimmered with clones, illusions, reflections so thick it could confuse even the Byakugan.

    But high above, on the cliff, Hinata gave a silent command.

    Archer-clones loosed their arrows.

    Hundreds of them.

    The sky turned black with steel-tipped bolts. A rainstorm of death fell from above, piercing the crystal canopy. Walls cracked. Reflections shattered. The maze fractured under the sheer volume and force, like stained glass under a hammer.

    Zabuza finished his hand signs.

    Water Style: Water Fang Bullet.

    The surface of the sea convulsed. A drill-shaped jet of water erupted, spiraling toward Guren with lethal speed. At the same time, Haku flickered between ice mirrors, a blur of silver and momentum, his rapier slicing the wind.

    Hinata exhaled as her arrow soared, aimed directly at Guren's blind spot.

    Naruto and Oscar surged forward, in sync.

    There were no illusions and no hiding. Just the end, drawing closer.

    No... not like this... Guren's breath hitched. Her body tensed. She felt like a cornered animal—and a cornered animal always bites back.

    "Lord Orochimaru… I won't fail you," she muttered, forcing chakra into every limb.

    She bit down hard. Blood spilled across her lip and then, she gambled everything.

    Pressure Points of Harm and Death.

    Two of her body's gates flared open. A toxic rush of life force surged into raw power. Her skin shimmered with energy as veins pulsed and her muscles bulged unnaturally.

    Crystal Release: String of Glory.

    A massive prism of jagged crystal enclosed her completely. The sea roared as the prism lifted into the sky, floating on raw force. It spun slowly, cold and radiant, untouchable.

    The wave of attacks collided as Hinata's arrow splintered, Zabuza's water drill fizzled, Haku's rapier bounced with a spark, and Naruto's halberd rang out uselessly. The prism was nearly invincible and it was rising.

    Naruto's eyes sharpened. Hawkeyes read the angles. He saw a gathering point of chakra at the prism's tip, a weapon being aimed. And it was locked on Hinata.

    "Oscar!" Naruto shouted.

    The crystal lizard reared, mouth glowing. Naruto threw his arm forward and channeled every drop of chakra into Oscar's crystal mech.

    Magic met chakra as the air cracked and pressure crushed down on the battlefield.

    The prism fired first.

    A beam of concentrated chakra and natural energy sliced downward.

    Oscar roared as a stream of soul-magic breath erupted upward.

    The beams clashed midair.

    Light split the sea as the sky turned red and violet. Neither beam gave ground. The sea churned beneath them, caught between titanic forces.

    Naruto gritted his teeth. He could push harder but Oscar would be the cost. His partner's crystal suit groaned, fracturing.

    Hinata stepped forward as her Byakugan saw the weak point in the prism. She loosed one arrow. It struck right at the fault line in the prism's flow. A sharp crack echoed. Then another. Then a web of them.

    The beams stopped.

    Oscar's suit finally gave out. Armor exploded in a thousand fragments as the true lizard within fell.

    Naruto caught him midair.

    "Good job, bud," he whispered, kissing Oscar's head. "Let's leave the rest to them."

    Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu.

    Zabuza's final hand seal locked into place. A serpent of water exploded from the sea, snarling through the mist. Haku followed, layering his own chakra into the technique—ice spreading like veins through water, crystallizing the beast mid-flight. The dragon wrapped around Guren's cracked crystal prism and hardened into a towering spire of ice.

    Ice mirrors formed in a spiral around it.

    Haku blurred between reflections, rapier jabbing precise, relentless holes into the tower's surface. Each strike chipped away at its stability like a ticking clock. Zabuza charged next. The aura of the Demon enveloped him. His blade swung wide, cleaving through the tower in a single, earth-splitting strike.

    Silence followed.

    The tower collapsed in a storm of shattering ice and shimmering pink fragments. No body. No scream. Just sparkles of broken crystal drifting across the shore.

    Zabuza exhaled. "...Is she dead?"

    Naruto clicked his tongue, scanning the field with Hawkeyes as he found no soul drop.

    Hinata landed beside them. "That kunoichi used a reverse summoning technique. Just before Zabuza's blade landed, I saw her bite her tongue. The seal flared. Space twisted. She slipped away."

    "Coward," Naruto muttered.

    "No," Zabuza growled. "That was smart. Faking your death to retreat? That's a shinobi who knows when they're outmatched."

    He turned to Hinata and gave her a nod. "But too bad for her… we had a real Byakugan user on the field."

    Hinata frowned. "What do you mean by real?"

    Zabuza looked her dead in the eye. "In the Mist, we once stole a pair of Hyūga eyes. Implanted them into one of ours. They worked but not like you. The difference is night and day."

    Hinata stood frozen. Her breath hitched. A cold weight settled in her chest. So even that can be taken… and still mean nothing.

    Haku landed beside them, silent until now. "What's next?"

    Naruto rubbed Oscar's head absentmindedly, then looked at Zabuza. His tone hardened. "Where's Gato?"

    Zabuza hesitated. "He stopped talking to me directly after that Archer of Providence torched his gang. Started using radio only. But..." he nodded at Haku, "I had Haku do some digging."

    "Just get to the point," Naruto said flatly.

    "He's hiding in the Daimyō's palace," Haku answered.

    Naruto's jaw tightened. His eyes darkened. "Of course he is."

    It was around three in the morning when Naruto and his group arrived at the Wave Country's Daimyō Palace.

    The moon hung low over the sea, silver light catching the edges of the great fortress nestled atop the terraced hill. Built like a citadel, not a home, the palace loomed over the landscape. White stone walls rose like cliffs, crowned with curved, black-tiled roofs stacked in tiers. Crimson banners hung from the corners, limp in the salt-laced wind. Lanterns flickered in alcoves, struggling against the creeping mist that licked at the earth below.

    And at the base of the slope, just before the drawbridge that led to the gate, was a crowd.

    Hundreds of them.

    Most wore rags and patched clothes. Some held pitchforks or sticks. Others bore signs made of planks with scrawled pleas like Justice for the Wave or Save Our Nation. A few just stood silently, carrying nothing but a child on their hip and a hopeful look in their eyes.

    They had come after the Archer of Providence had wiped out Gato's men in a single night. They came not in defiance, but in hope. Not hope in the Archer.

    Hope in their Daimyō.

    Hope that, with Gato's iron grip broken, the man who bore their flag and title would finally listen. That now, finally, he would speak for them. Act for them. That had been weeks ago and yet they stayed.

    Some from desperation. Some because they had nowhere left to return to. Others because, once they had begun waiting, they didn't know what else to do. What if leaving meant missing the one moment something might change?

    They slept in circles, backs to the wind, leaning on each other to stay warm. They boiled roots, shared fish, told stories in low murmurs.

    And they watched the palace above.

    "They've changed," Naruto murmured. "The first time I saw them, they couldn't even look Gato's thugs in the eye."

    Zabuza followed his gaze, one hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword. "Now they're standing outside a fortress they could never breach, waiting for something they don't even know will happen."

    "That's the thing," Naruto said. "They still came."

    Zabuza snorted. "Fools and hope. Same flavor."

    Behind them, further up the slope, Hinata—disguised with a perfect Transformation Jutsu—stood in quiet conversation with Lady Kiku and her son. Haku remained nearby, subtly adjusting the boy's collar.

    "How do you wanna do this?" Zabuza asked, glancing back at the civilians they had just saved.

    "We walk through the front gate."

    Zabuza blinked. Then scoffed. "You are the worst ninja I've ever met."

    "Why, because I don't sneak around like a rat?"

    "No," Zabuza said, straightening. "Because you're making a political statement. That's what this is. You're throwing off the whole shinobi thing just so you can say to the whole damn country, I don't answer to lords. They answer to me."

    Naruto tilted his head. "Am I wrong?"

    "Doesn't matter. It's stupid."

    "I'd say it's brave."

    "I'd say it's gonna get you shot."

    "I've been shot at before."

    Zabuza rolled his eyes. "I say we do this the old-fashioned way. Climb the wall, sneak through the shadows, take out the guards."

    Naruto hummed. "Yeah. But talking to the Daimyō and having him lead us to Gato… means Gato can't pull anything stupid like biting down on poison or blowing himself up."

    Zabuza raised a brow. "You think that old noble is gonna help us?"

    Naruto smirked. "He will. After I talk."

    Zabuza groaned. "If you're gonna talk, then at least don't sound like some brat from Konoha."

    "Got any tips?"

    "Actually…" Zabuza cracked his neck. "Yeah. You ever heard of Ghostmouth Technique?"

    Naruto raised a brow. "That's not ominous at all."

    "It's a low-level sound manipulation jutsu we used back in the Mist," Zabuza explained. "Basic principle: infuse chakra into your vocal cords, then adjust the tension and frequency. You're not just changing pitch, you're shifting how the sound leaves your throat. Makes it echo differently. Trickier than it sounds, but not too hard."

    Naruto's eyes gleamed. "Wait, wait... so I can change my voice?"

    "With practice. You start by channeling chakra along the airflow. Think of it like tuning a string. Too loose and the voice goes low, too tight and it goes high. Add pressure through your diaphragm and…"

    He trailed off as Naruto cleared his throat and said, in Zabuza's exact gravelly drawl: "We go in loud. Smash the gate. Make the cowards piss themselves."

    Zabuza blinked. "...You picked that up way too fast."

    "You picked that up fast," Zabuza muttered, genuinely taken aback. This brat… If Naruto could adapt this quickly, maybe he really was more of a prodigy than even Haku.

    Naruto grinned and shifted his tone again, perfectly mimicking Haku's gentle voice. "So… do I call you Zabuza-sensei now?"

    Zabuza gave him a deadpan look. "I don't care."

    Naruto dropped his voice low and just a little too deep. "Zabuza-chan."

    A chill went down Zabuza's spine. His eye twitched. "One more word, and I'm throwing you off this cliff."

    It was supposed to be a reign of peace.

    Daimyō Honda Tadakatsu stood in the high chamber of the Wave Country's palace, hands clasped behind his back, the sea wind seeping through the cracks in the shuttered windows. The moonlight cast long bars of silver on the polished stone floor, but it did nothing to soothe his nerves.

    A ruler should not tremble in his own hall. And yet...

    He had once believed he could outmaneuver men like Gato. That coin and compromise would be enough. That all it would take was a few delays, some hidden letters, a signal to the right village at the right time.

    But that was before Gato took his wife and child.

    It happened so fast, he thought, bitterness clawing at his chest. One night, they were on a ship to a diplomatic summit across the sea. The next, the vessel was declared lost. A storm, the reports said. A tragic accident.

    Only he knew the truth: Gato had staged it. He had intercepted the ship, taken his family, and left just enough wreckage to make the story believable. Then came the terms: comply, or the boy dies. Disobey, and his wife would be made an example of.

    The Daimyō had watched, powerless, as Gato's merchants turned to thugs, then slavers, then tyrants. Every week, new edicts were passed with his seal: taxes that broke backs, arrests that made mothers scream, and food diverted to criminal stockpiles. And all the while, the people suffered and whispered, not knowing their leader was chained by love and cowardice.

    He wanted to believe he'd done what he could. That the day the bridge was completed would be the day everything changed.

    But then he arrived.

    The Archer of Providence.

    No one knew his name. Only that in one night, Gato's gangs were annihilated.

    At first, Tadakatsu thought it was a miracle as Gato began to unravel. The crime lord had always been callous, but now he was unhinged. He ranted to shadows, accused his own guards of treason, refused food for days. He moved into the palace with a dozen retainers and slept with weapons under his pillow.

    It was clear, then: Gato's empire was a house of cards, and the Archer had kicked in the door.

    Tadakatsu hadn't slept the entire day.

    Not for lack of trying but because Gato hadn't, either.

    The old merchant had been pacing the halls like a rat in a collapsing ship, gibbering half-thoughts to himself and grinning like he'd won some game no one else was playing.

    He'd stopped carrying his sword.

    That worried Tadakatsu more than anything.

    The man who once held his wife and son hostage, who carved a criminal empire from the bones of the Wave's people, had suddenly stopped guarding himself. He spent his days muttering in the gardens. He hadn't touched a meal. He hadn't left the castle in a week. And yet, for the first time since arriving, Gato looked almost… happy.

    He's planning something.

    No doubt.

    Tadakatsu's thoughts churned. There are Konoha shinobi in the country; multiple teams, from what I've gathered. If I could just get word to one of them… maybe one squad could take Gato out, and another could save Kiku and our son. But it was a gamble. Gato had informants tucked into every corner of the castle. Every whisper risked exposure. Every slip could doom the only thing Tadakatsu had left.

    Still… he was close to acting.

    He had already begun drafting the message. The wax seal was half-pressed when it happened.

    A swirl of mist rolled through the grand hall of the castle like smoke from the underworld.

    Dozens of palace soldiers raised their muskets and then… they appeared.

    Honda Tadakatsu focused on the woman and child before him... and hesitated. "How... how do I know you are truly my wife and son?" he asked, voice brittle. "How do I know this isn't a genjutsu?"

    "Do you remember the night of our arranged marriage, my lord? You told me we'd be divorced by morning. That you had no interest in a stranger chosen for you."

    Lady Kiku took a slow step forward, eyes never leaving his. "That night, I sat by the window, telling a story to my maid. You were just outside, listening. When I stopped, you asked me to continue."

    She paused, letting the moment hang.

    "I said we could talk about divorce tomorrow, so why bother… but you wanted to hear the rest of the story."

    The Daimyō's breath caught.

    "You asked me what it was about," she said softly. "And I told you that it was the story of my life. You said…" Her voice trembled slightly. "You said if I'd let you, you'd listen to that story for the rest of yours."

    She stepped closer, and her voice lowered into something gentler. "So tell me, my lord… do you still remember how it goes?"

    Tadakatsu froze. For a moment, the months and burdens fell from his shoulders. Wordlessly, he crossed the courtyard in two strides and folded them both into a trembling embrace.

    As he leaned in, Kiku whispered sharply into his ear. "Be warned, my lord. The Archer is here. Do not challenge him. Gato tried… and now Gato has nothing."

    Tadakatsu's spine stiffened. He let go, signaled his guards with a sharp gesture. "Escort them to the royal physician. Now."

    The soldiers bowed and immediately led Kiku and her son from the courtyard.

    The Daimyō turned to Zabuza and, to everyone's shock, bowed deeply. A gesture rare for a man of his rank. "You've returned my family to me. For that, I owe more than thanks. You may have saved this nation."

    But before he could say more, a palace samurai stepped forward, half-drawing his blade.

    "My lord, this man is Zabuza Momochi. A rogue from Kirigakure. He worked for Gato. He attacked the bridge builder."

    Zabuza barely glanced at him. His voice dripped with disdain. "Yet here I am with the one who saved your lord's wife. What does that tell you, little samurai?"

    The samurai gritted his teeth, hand on his hilt.

    "Go ahead. Draw. Let's see if your head doesn't roll to your lord's feet."

    Tension coiled in the courtyard like a drawn bowstring.

    Tadakatsu stepped forward, raising a hand. "I believe the Archer of Providence is involved in this."

    Zabuza caught the cue instantly. "Yeah. We've come to deliver justice… and Gato's the target."

    The Daimyō exhaled, understanding the game now. "Then where is he? Where is the Archer?"

    He got his answer when the castle itself seemed to scream.

    Across the halls and towers, cries echoed as Gato's hidden spies and agents fell one by one, their throats cut. Shadow Clones moved like wraiths through the mist, guided by the commands of Hinata's Byakugan.

    And then, he arrived.

    Naruto dropped into the courtyard like a hammer from the heavens, clad in dark leathers and a porcelain mask. On either side of him landed Haku and Hinata. The soldiers froze. Even the monk beside Tadakatsu took an instinctive step back.

    The Daimyō swallowed, hard. He turned to his retainers, voice quiet but firm. "We go to the bunker. I'll guide them myself."

    The monk's brow furrowed. "My lord, your safety..."

    "If they wanted me dead," Tadakatsu said, voice thin, "I don't think I could stop it."

    No one argued.

    Not when death walked among them… and wore a mask.

    The group descended into the palace's underbelly. Lanterns guttered against the damp air, casting long shadows over ancient tapestries and empty suits of armor. Every step they took echoed like a verdict. The deeper they went, the quieter the palace became, as if the building itself held its breath.

    "I must say," the Daimyō ventured, his tone diplomatic, "I'm something of a fan of your work, Archer-sama."

    Naruto said nothing.

    The Daimyō tried again, forcing a laugh. "You know… normally, a man of my rank doesn't lead others through his own halls."

    "Normally," Naruto said without turning, "you don't let a crime lord take your wife and child while your people starve in the dirt."

    The words were flat.

    The samurai guards shifted. One, younger than the rest, reached toward his hilt. "I advise you to speak with respect..."

    A sudden shift. Naruto's next words rang out in a crisp, refined female voice, "Respect is not owed. It is earned."

    The samurai froze.

    Naruto stopped. "Your people were crying. You were silent."

    Then a young boy's voice, barely a whisper: "We asked you for help."

    Finally, he turned around. The porcelain mask gleamed.

    "And you turned away."

    Zabuza let out a low, half-snickering grunt. "Kid, you keep talking like that, I might start following you."

    The Daimyō's voice strained. "I was forced. Gato… he had my wife. My son. He made demands."

    "Then you were a man caught in a trap," Naruto said, his tone now matching the Daimyō's exactly. "That's fine. That's forgivable."

    He took a step forward, voice shifting again, this time mimicking the old woman from the village gates. "But what about after? After the Archer broke his armies?"

    He paused. The silence was deafening.

    "You didn't send word to Konoha. You didn't reach out to another village. You didn't even whisper to a courier."

    Now his voice was his own again. His next words hit like a knife.

    "You didn't try."

    The Daimyō's face flushed; not just shame now, but the cracking of pride. "You think it was that simple?"

    "It never is," Naruto said, stepping closer. "But you still had a choice. And when I wiped out his men and he slithered into your castle to lick his wounds, you let him."

    Another step. The mask was inches from the Daimyō's face now. The air between them charged.

    "Your nation was burning," Naruto said quietly, "and you warmed your hands by the fire."

    The silence afterward was heavier than stone. No guard moved. No one spoke. The only sound was the quiet crackle of a nearby torch and the slow beat of guilt settling in.

    Even the Daimyō, a man groomed for power, bred for dignity, could find nothing to say.

    Naruto broke the silence once more, softer now. "You wanted to be a ruler without having to choose. But choosing is the job."

    The Daimyō swallowed, his voice barely audible. "What would you have done?"

    Naruto looked at him.

    "Anything."

    And then he turned, walking toward the final set of doors, leaving behind only silence. Finally, they arrived at the core of the bunker. Gold filigree lined the doors, the air heavy with damp stone and old secrets. Hinata stopped before one of the rooms, her eyes scanning.

    "He's in there," she said. "He's pretending to sleep. The room's warded, but sloppily. No guards."

    Naruto and Zabuza stepped forward together, side by side, stopping just in front of the door.

    "I'm gonna kill the bastard," Zabuza muttered, cracking his neck. "For stabbing me in the back. And I'm getting my money."

    "I'm gonna talk to him. For every family he ruined."

    Behind them, Haku's voice broke in casually. "Why not take turns?"

    Naruto and Zabuza exchanged a look. "Rock, paper, scissors?"

    Zabuza gave a nod. "One... two... three..."

    The Daimyō and his guards sweat-dropped as Naruto threw rock and Zabuza threw paper.

    Naruto clicked his tongue. "Tch. Fine. You get first go."

    Zabuza grinned like a shark behind his bandages and pushed the door open. The sound of startled shouting, followed by several gunshots, echoed through the hallway. Then came the distinct, meaty thump of Kubikiribōchō carving through flesh.

    A scream followed. "AAHHHH MY HAND!"

    "You guys might want to wait outside," Naruto said to the Daimyō, who shook his head.

    "No. I want to hear every scream. That bastard deserves worse than death."

    Naruto shrugged. "Suit yourself."

    He reached into his pack and pulled out a small lacquered box, popping it open to reveal a worn but complete chess set.

    "Want to play something while Baby Brows is in therapy mode?" Naruto asked.

    Hinata and Haku both nodded, settling around the board.

    "What is this?" Hinata asked, studying the unfamiliar pieces.

    "Chess," Naruto said. "It's a game from Catarina that Sir Siegmeyer taught me during my training. He's terrible at it."

    "Is this shogi?" Haku asked, tilting his head.

    Naruto shrugged. "Never played shogi. This one's called chess." He started explaining the rules with casual hand gestures, moving pieces around the board when a blood-curdling scream tore through the door, followed by a heavy thud and the sickening sound of what could only be described as an avalanche of dismembered limbs hitting the floor.

    "OI!" Naruto shouted back. "Baby Brows! I swear, if you kill him before my turn, we're throwing hands!"

    Zabuza's only response was another wet, cleaving chonk.

    Naruto winced. "That sounded like a knee. Damn it, that was gonna be my opener..."

    He looked back at the board. "Anyway. Where were we?"

    Hinata moved her pawn. "Your move."

    From behind the door, Gato screamed again.

    Naruto smiled. "Man, this is the most relaxing game of chess I've ever played."

    Zabuza took his sweet time torturing Gato, really savoring it. "You can come in."

    Naruto opened the door without hesitation, completely ignoring the stench, which made a butcher shop smell like a candy store in comparison.

    He shut it just as quickly.

    "...Is he even alive?" Naruto asked after seeing what remained of Gato. The man looked like he'd been fed through a meat grinder and spat back out.

    Zabuza casually glanced at the clock. "For about ten more seconds."

    Naruto gave him a look. The man had clearly found some kind of loophole to prolong the torture without technically killing him. With a sigh, Naruto held out his hand and cast Heal. The glow washed over what remained of Gato, flesh and muscle knitting back together until he looked like a pathetic, shaggy-haired little man trembling on the floor.

    Naruto blinked. "Wow. You're... way less impressive than I thought you'd be."

    Gato's eyes bulged, twitching in every direction like a cornered rodent. Sweat poured down his face, soaking through his filthy collar. He whimpered something incomprehensible, mouth too dry to form words.

    Then, without warning, he lunged.

    His trembling fingers wrapped around a jagged shard of broken porcelain. Before anyone could stop him, he plunged it into his own throat with a guttural scream. Blood erupted in a wet spray. He fell to the ground, thrashing and gurgling, eyes wide, choking on his own blood. His legs kicked uselessly. His face twisted, not in pain, but in relief. This was escape. This was freedom.

    Naruto didn't move.

    He stood there, just long enough. He waited until Gato's heartbeat slowed to a crawl, until his skin turned clammy and pale, until the flicker of life behind those wide, horrified eyes was seconds from vanishing.

    Heal.

    Golden light surged.

    Flesh stitched back together. The bleeding stopped. The shard slipped from Gato's limp hand. He gasped violently, like a drowning man yanked from the depths. His eyes rolled, lips quivering, breath sharp and shallow. But it wasn't relief in his face now.

    It was terror.

    Pure, paralyzing terror.

    His gaze found Naruto, and the realization hit. He didn't even own his own death anymore.

    His final escape was denied.

    There would be no release. No end. Only more. More pain. More fear. More of him. And in that moment, Gato broke.

    "My turn," Zabuza said, stretching his neck.

    "What are you talking about?" Naruto asked.

    "You took your turn. Letting him die. Letting him feel that dread. That hopelessness." Zabuza cracked his knuckles. "Now it's mine."

    "That was just coincidence," Naruto replied flatly. He raised his hand and used telekinesis to yank Gato into the air like a ragdoll.

    "Well, technically..."

    "Technically, I saved your life and Haku's," Naruto interrupted. "So either shut up and let me have my turn, or we can fight for the prize: torturing Gato."

    Zabuza raised his hand in mock surrender. "Whatever. Doesn't matter. I already used one of the most forbidden torture techniques. You can't top that."

    "Can't I?" Naruto said, smiling.

    Zabuza's eyes narrowed.

    "Baby Brows," Naruto said, voice low, "what do you know about killing intent and its three stages?"

    Zabuza gave him a long, almost offended stare. The kind that said, Did you seriously just ask me that? This was Zabuza Momochi, master of the Silent Killing technique, the man who once paralyzed a full genin squad with nothing but a glare.

    He crossed his arms, sighing through his nose. "Of course I know. First stage: Sense of Danger where your presence alone makes the air feel heavy, skin crawl, instincts scream. Second: Illusory Killer Intent and that's when the mind starts seeing death before it happens, hallucinations of being torn apart. Third: the Intent of Death and that's the real one. It makes their body believe they're dying for real. Every cut, every scream, every second of pain your last victim felt... they live it too."

    Zabuza snorted, "Why? You planning to scare gato to death?"

    Naruto nodded. "And what would you say mine's at?"

    Zabuza let out a breath. "The last time we fought, it was Illusory Killer Intent. I have been meaning to ask, how the hell do you have that already?"

    Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly. "I've killed a lot."

    "Please!" Gato begged. "You're not like me! You're supposed to be a hero! You're the Archer of—"

    Naruto leaned in close. "I'm not a hero," he whispered, voice like steel wrapped in frost. "I'm the one who promised you something."

    He slammed Gato into a desk. Wood splintered. Bones cracked.

    "Remember what I told you?"

    Gato's broken face stared up, dazed and uncomprehending.

    Naruto pulled his mask off. The eyes of a dragon bored into Gato's soul. "I told you I'd find you."

    His voice dropped lower, colder.

    "And when I did..."

    Chakra began to flow in a dense cloud around Naruto.

    "I'd show you what a real monster looks like."

    Gato barely had time to think as Naruto released it.

    Chakra surged out of him like a storm breaking its cage. The floor cracked. The walls trembled. Zabuza flinched as the hair on the back of his neck stood up straight. And all that killing intent, focused like a blade, pressed down on Gato.

    The world changed.

    Gone was the warm flicker of lamps, the soft rustle of silk curtains, the polished floor of a tyrant's den. In its place, a grey sea that stretched into nothingness. There was no sky, only layers of oppressive fog that choked the senses. And above that, deeper still, something vast stirred beyond sight.

    Gato stood, if the word could be used, upon nothing. Stone that wasn't stone. Sea that wasn't water. A dreamscape, primordial and wrong.

    Then they came.

    First, the groaning rise of the Hollowed. A sea of the undead crawling from the fog like forgotten memories. Then, shadows above. The distant flap of colossal wings. The sky opened to reveal thunder of drakes. And at their head, fire. A scream of heat as the Hellkite Wyvern announced its arrival with a roar that shook the fog into shapes that should not be.

    The air shimmered. Graceful wings like stained glass folded open, revealing the Moonlight Butterfly, its alien song reverberating in Gato's chest.

    Rot came next.

    The Undead Dragon lumbered through the mists, trailing viscera and vapor. The ground quaked with its every half-dead breath. From the sea, the Hydra slithered into view, its heads rising one by one in silent, serpentine judgment.

    He turned to flee, but there was no escape.

    More came.

    The Taurus Demon stomped forward, eyes alight with smoldering rage. The Capra Demon followed, dragging its cleavers. Black Knights appeared beside them. And then the fog parted.

    The sea boiled.

    Something titanic stirred beneath.

    A shadow moved against the stars that were not stars, wings unfolding wide enough to eclipse everything. And from the depths, with a slowness that mocked all mortal time, rose the Everlasting Dragon.

    Its mere presence was absolute.

    It stood among the others and they knelt.

    Gato, a speck in this funeral procession of monsters, tried to scream. No sound came. His body was a vessel of static, a fractured husk of meat barely containing panic. The dragon's eyes locked onto him, and Gato understood. He was not a man. He was not a tyrant. He was not even prey.

    He was irrelevant. Forgotten. A blink of existence in an age he had no right to witness.

    And then the dragon spoke, not in words, but in soul.

    Let this be your judgment, Gato.

    The void accepted the decree and the monsters obeyed.

    The Hollowed surged first, clawing at him with broken fingers and shattered teeth. Gato screamed, but the sound came out wet and gurgling as they tore through flesh like paper. One crushed his legs beneath its weight. Another gnawed at his eye. He died choking on his own blood.

    Then he was whole again.

    And the sky screamed.

    The Hellkite Wyvern descended like a meteor, its maw wide with agonizing fire. The heat burned away thought, skin blistering and popping before the flame even touched. Gato ran, and then the fire took him. His lungs filled with liquid flame. He died screaming, his soul igniting inside his body.

    Then he was whole again.

    And the Undead Dragon reared above him, its breath a gust of rotted eternity. Flies poured from its chest cavity. Its half-rotten jaws opened wide, and the darkness inside devoured him. His bones cracked in places he didn't know he had. Its tongue coiled around his spine and snapped it like twine.

    Then he was whole again.

    The Capra Demon came next, its cleavers dragging through the fog with a sound that scraped the marrow. It didn't run. It simply appeared, swung once, and bisected him from shoulder to hip. He collapsed, trying to hold his insides in. Then the blade fell again.

    And again.

    And again.

    He lost count after seven deaths.

    The Hydra took him from behind. Teeth like blades pierced him from six directions. He was yanked into the air, limbs torn apart like boiled chicken. His heart still beat as he watched his own arms fall into the sea. The Black Knights came in silence.

    One blade split his skull.

    Another split his soul.

    Then the Everlasting Dragon moved. It did not roar. It simply breathed. And Gato unraveled. He became ash. Then thought. Then nothing. Then ash again. Each cell, each strand of his being, was rewritten into pain, torn apart by the sheer gravitational pressure of a being older than gods.

    He died a thousand deaths.

    Then a thousand more.

    Each monster claimed him. Each death taught him something new about suffering. The claws of the Hollowed. The fire of the drakes. The breath of dragons. The steel of knights. None of them gave him the mercy of finality.

    Time stopped being real because pain was eternity.

    The sun rose slowly over the Land of Waves, casting soft golden light on a village that had once lived in the shadow of a tyrant. But this morning was different.

    A crowd had gathered near the old docks, where the village square met the water's edge, where once, Gato's warship had threatened the people. Now, they stood shoulder to shoulder in stunned silence, staring at something impossible.

    Something vindicating.

    In the middle of the square stood a wooden pylon, and chained atop it in a crude iron cage was Gato.

    The once-proud merchant lord, the monster who bought lives like produce, who crushed spirits with gold and gangs, was now a wretched husk of a man. His fine clothes were torn and fouled. His fingers were bloodied and raw from clawing at the bars. His eyes, once shrewd and predatory, were now wide with madness and rimmed with dark bruises.

    He trembled constantly. Mumbled to himself in broken, terrified gasps. The dragon… the dragon god… he's still watching… oh gods, please, I didn't mean it… mercy… mercy…

    Carved into the base of the pylon, clear and cold as steel, were the words:

    Do not kill him. Let him suffer in fear.

    At first, the people stared in disbelief. Could this really be Gato? The tyrant who stole their dignity and silenced their cries? The devil who made fathers kneel and mothers sell everything but their grief?

    Some began to laugh, the sound hysterical and disbelieving. Others stepped forward with anger that had simmered for years. A stone flew. Then another. Soon, they pelted him with rotten old fruit, moldy bread, spit.

    But still, the sign remained. Do not kill him.

    Eventually, the frenzy ebbed and something worse took its place.

    Apathy.

    They stopped caring. Gato was no longer a monster. He was nothing now. Not a lord. Not a man. Not even a threat. He was just a pitiful thing that was quickly forgotten, ignored and starved of the fear he once thrived on.

    Children played in the square without glancing at the cage. Vendors set up their stalls, refusing to offer him food or even scorn. Day by day, the tyrant was slowly erased. And one morning, many weeks later, someone noticed the cage was silent.

    They peeked in.

    Gato was still. Dead. Curled in the fetal position, his eyes frozen open in terror. Mouth agape in a silent scream. No one held a funeral. No one marked his grave. The villagers simply burned the cage, wood and corpse and all, without ceremony. The ashes blew out over the water and into the vast, uncaring sea.

    Gato, the man who fancied himself a god, ended as nothing more than a stain no one would bother remembering.

    Fitting, really.

    The man who wanted to rule everything… wasn't even granted the dignity of dying on his own terms.

    Irony is a bitch.

    And justice, when delivered by dragons, is everlasting.

    Author's Note

    Wow. That was a tough chapter to write. Mainly because I had to rewatch the Guren filler arc from Shippuden. And let me tell you, my brain went numb. So much of it was just… boring. The animation looked rough, the pacing was glacial, and by the end, I was ready to strangle half the cast.

    Goddamn, I remember now why I hate filler arcs with a passion.

    Hope you guys enjoyed my suffering. Now let's get into it:

    1. Special Souls – What Should Guren's Give Naruto?

    In Dark Souls, special souls can be used to craft unique boss weapons. Like how the Moonlight Butterfly Soul can get you either the Crystal Ring Shield or the Moonlight Butterfly Horn. So it raises an interesting question:

    What would special souls from the Naruto world give our protagonist?

    If Naruto were to obtain Guren's soul, could he forge a weapon infused with Crystal Release? Or maybe an item that lets him use Crystal Release like a kekkei genkai of his own?

    I'm opening this up to you. What do you think Naruto should gain from Guren's soul?

    Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking.

    But Guren got away!

    Exactly. She's not dead. And that's because I've got big plans for her in the future. It'd be a total waste to kill her off in this arc when her potential hasn't even been tapped fully.

    Let me know what you'd want to see from Guren later on—story beats, rivalries, evolutions, anything.

    2. Guren's Power Level

    Let's not downplay it. Guren is a beast in the filler arc. In my opinion, she's absolutely Kage level. Her Crystal Release is one of the most busted abilities in the series. Here's a quick reminder of her actual feats in canon filler:

    She can crystallize literally anything, even moisture in the air, to create an endless arsenal—dragons, walls, weapons, clones, etc.

    She once sent out a chakra wave that instantly crystallized and shattered an entire squad of Orochimaru's subordinates.

    She temporarily restrained the Three-Tails on her own.

    She fought Kakashi, Yamato, Naruto, Shino, Sai, Kiba, Sakura, and Hinata all at once using crystal clones.

    Would've killed Kakashi if not for Shino's bugs adapting to her crystals.

    She could spar with base Rock Lee in taijutsu.

    Completely blitzed Kabuto and restrained him (he wasn't going all out, but still).

    Now, the Guren you saw in this arc is younger than filler Guren, about three years earlier. So she isn't quite on that level yet. But she's already ridiculously strong, especially considering she fought Zabuza, Haku, and Red Tearstone Ring–enhanced Naruto and Oscar.

    3. The Beam Clash

    Yeah, yeah. I know one of the biggest criticisms near the end of Naruto was that it started feeling too much like Dragon Ball. And now here I am… throwing in a beam clash.

    Why?

    Two reasons:

    A) It looks cool.
    B) It's actually canonically possible.

    In the filler arc, Guren uses Crystal Release: String of Glory, which is literally a laser made of chakra. And if we look at Naruto: The Last, chakra lasers are 100% a real thing in the universe.

    So, yeah. Guren has a chakra laser.

    Naruto and Oscar have their own soul-chakra laser.

    Beam clash. Boom.

    And in case you're wondering, almost every jutsu Guren used in this chapter is pulled from her filler arc. I didn't just make stuff up. These are "canon" techniques, even if filler canon.

    Anyway, I hope you guys liked Guren's various fights throughout this chapter. She's not done yet.

    4. Healing Miracles and Soul Damage

    In Dark Souls, you've got healing miracles like Heal, Great Heal, Estus, etc. They all do one thing: restore HP.

    But from a storytelling point of view? That's kinda boring.

    Then a reader on SpaceBattles hit me with a banger idea. What if advanced healing spells like Great Heal didn't just fix your body, but actually healed your soul?

    Not just cuts or broken bones, but trauma. Emotional collapse. The psychological wreckage war leaves behind.

    That stuck with me. Because it fits the tone of Dark Souls perfectly. A world where despair isn't just a feeling, it's part of the atmosphere. You don't just die over and over… you lose who you are, piece by piece.

    So what if Great Heal didn't just top off your health bar, but kept your mind and spirit from falling apart? That would make the Way of White way more important than people give them credit for.

    Maybe their miracles suck in gameplay… but lore-wise? They might be the only reason knights, paladins, and nobles haven't gone completely hollow after years of war.

    That makes healing not just helpful. It makes it political. Spiritual. Dangerous.

    It turns salvation into control.

    And that? That feels very Dark Souls.

    Now, about Hinata and how she's handling the trauma of what she saw Naruto do...

    Naruto used Great Heal Excerpt on her. Basically, a weaker version of the full Great Heal. It didn't erase her memories. They're still there. But the connections are fuzzy. Blurred. Like they've been buried under mental fog.

    She'll remember eventually. Once she's ready. Or if something forces her to face it head-on.

    Either way, that's coming. Be patient.

    Let me know your thoughts, as always.

    So… here we are. The end of the Wave Arc.

    Honestly, I don't have a massive Author's Note planned this time because I feel like most of this chapter (and this arc) spoke for itself. That said, if you have any questions about specific moments, decisions, or foreshadowing, feel free to ask in the comments. I'll be happy to respond and nerd out with you all.

    But now I want to ask you something.

    What did you think of the Wave Arc compared to canon?

    I know this arc has been a lot. I had so many threads, layers, and character moments I wanted to include. And yeah, I'll admit that led to some pacing hiccups here and there. But I genuinely tried to make this feel like something meaningful. Something different, without losing the spirit of Naruto.

    And trust me, the ripples from what happened here?

    They're going to crash hard into the Chunin Exams.

    Things will not be the same.

    To everyone who stuck around for this wild, bloody, soul-filled ride—thank you.

    Your support means more than I can say. I hope this chapter gave you a satisfying, horrifying, emotional payoff to everything we've been building.

    Now, let me know your thoughts down below.

    That's It… For Now.

    And if you can't wait for the next update, the next chapter drops on July 22th! You can read ahead to Chapter 96 on Patreon.

    Thank you all for your support—you make writing this story such an incredible journey! As always, thanks for reading.

    —Adam
     
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    • Huh. To be honest? This was an actually satisfying conclusion to this arc. It lasted for a while but the arc actually had a satisfying end. Gato got his comeuppance, a new antagonist has been set up, we got to see Ravenous Oscar in action, etc. Overall, I liked it.

    For what could be made from Guren's soul drop… Honesty? I don't think that there is all that much in Dark Souls that would align well with it and Naruto's fighting style and giving him gekkai genkai abilities at this point would probably set a very power escalating precedent where he just starts collecting tons of gekkao genkai. If you're open to it, you could use something from another fandom with I'd say similar vibes to Dark Souls and would be interesting for Naruto to use. The Crystal Heart from Hollow Knight, allowing him a very powerful movement ability to add a lot of momentum and thus power to his attacks and being open to more creative uses. It also fits with Guren's crystal and laser theme very well.
     
    Damn this is a chunky one. Fitting for the conclusion to a chunky arc. Loved every minute. Can't wait to see the fallout back in the leaf
     
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    In a set of years where I am Beyond obsessed with worm, I cannot believe that this is my favorite story. That's all. I don't even really comment much on stories. But here I am, leaving a comment that is over 40 words long.

    Edit: can I message you?
     
    Awesome finish to the arc, very cathartic. I get not wanting to kill guren off quite yet, especially with her character development in her OG filler. Curious to see if she has a moment of "theres more to life than orochimaru" like in the anime, also for soul drop since its from narutoworld think it could possibly evolve/advance oscar in some way due to her soul being altered by the curse mark/senjutsu.
     
    Chapter no.54 Naruto New
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    • Chapter no.54 The Aftermath!

    It was just before dawn. A faint golden blush crept over the horizon, bleeding light into the misty forest and brushing the world in pale fire.

    Naruto stood beside Hinata. Oscar dozed around his neck, crystal scales glinting like morning dew, his tail curling under Naruto's arm like a scarf. The boy's long blond hair drifted in the breeze, tousled and wild. Across the clearing, Haku helped Zabuza fasten a sack bulging with stolen ryo. The vault had been cracked, and now the weight of Gato's empire clinked and jingled in heavy coin.

    Naruto had wondered if they should even take it, surely the Wave needed it more but the Daimyo had waved the concern away.

    "We'll recoup our losses," the man had said. "Gato's shipping fleet belongs to us now."

    So they split the haul evenly.

    Naruto now had millions in his inventory. Hinata, for her part, hadn't even glanced at the gold.

    "Well," Haku said gently, his voice as soft as the breeze, "I suppose this is goodbye."

    "Not yet."

    Zabuza gave a grunt. "You've got something else up your sleeve, brat?"

    Naruto grinned faintly. "Yeah. You still owe me a favor."

    Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "Tch. What favor? I took you to Gato. That settles our deal."

    "No," Naruto said. "I asked for two. First, to help me find Gato. You did that. Second… was your sword. But I gave it back, which means one favor's still up for grabs."

    "Fine. What do you want?"

    Naruto didn't flinch. "Stop being a mercenary."

    Silence. Utter silence followed those words.

    Haku's expression faltered. Zabuza stared at Naruto like he was trying to decide whether to laugh or punch him.

    Naruto didn't flinch.

    Zabuza finally scoffed. "That's your condition? Are you insane?"

    "You asked," Naruto said simply.

    "Brat, it's the only damn thing I've ever been good at."

    "And look what it's given you," Naruto replied. "Betrayals. Scars. Blood on your hands. The only people you've ever cared about bleeding out in your arms. And for what? Coin? You think that's worth it?"

    Zabuza's jaw clenched. "Don't pretend you know me."

    "I don't," Naruto admitted. "But I know what it's like to be alone. To think the only way forward is through violence. And I know what it's like to find something or someone worth living for. You've got that. His name is Haku."

    Zabuza's eyes flicked toward Haku, then back. "Haku made his choice."

    "Yeah, and he'd die for you. Doesn't mean he should have to. Doesn't mean you keep dragging him through blood and mud just because you're too scared to try something else."

    "And what exactly are you offering?" Zabuza snapped. "A village full of people who'll treat us like bombs waiting to go off? Who'll never trust us, no matter what we do?"

    "I personally know the 3rd Hokage and can talk to him," Naruto said. "He listens to me. I can vouch for you."

    "Vouching won't make a difference. You know that. You of all people should know that." His voice dropped. "You're the kid with the beast in his belly."

    "How did you know that?"

    "Oh, please. You think I don't recognize the red aura of a Tailed Beast?"

    Naruto sweatdropped, realizing that Zabuza had misunderstood the red glow from his Tearstone Ring as the power of the Kyūbi.

    "Don't pretend you haven't felt the way they look at you. And you want to bring us into that?"

    Naruto looked away.

    "You're strong, brat," Zabuza muttered. "But strength isn't enough to fix something that's broken to the root. You've got ideals, dreams, a big damn heart but you'll learn soon enough: the world doesn't change just because you want it to."

    "I'm not trying to change the world," Naruto said. "I just don't want to lose the people in it."

    Zabuza stood still for a long moment. Then he turned away.

    "You'll regret this kindness one day," he said. "You'll reach for someone, and they'll cut off your hand. That's the world I know."

    He took a step forward, then paused.

    "Still… it's a nice dream."

    He didn't look back.

    "Until next time, Knight Naruto," Zabuza said, vanishing into the mist.

    Haku lingered. He gave a soft smile and a slight bow. "Thank you for everything."

    And then he, too, was gone.

    Naruto stood there, silent. The mist rolled in again. Beside him, Hinata slid her fingers into his hand. They turned, and together, walked back toward camp.

    A few minutes later, they stopped by a narrow stream, its quiet gurgle filling the silence between them.

    "…What do you think about that brat's offer?"

    Haku looked up. "You mean... going to Konoha?"

    Zabuza gave a grunt, neither confirming nor denying. "You'd be safer there. The kid's strange, but he knows the Third Hokage personally. Right now, you're a ghost to the world; no records, no history. Konoha could be a clean slate. A chance to live without fear or hate."

    Haku was quiet for a moment, watching the water dance over the rocks. "And what about you?"

    Zabuza didn't respond right away. He stared out across the stream, expression unreadable. "I don't think Konoha's the kind of place that forgives people like me. Even if they let me in, I'd always be the Demon of the Mist to them. Nothing more."

    "Then what will you do?"

    "There's still one thing I haven't tried. Another run at the Mizukage."

    Haku's breath caught. "That's suicide."

    "Yeah," Zabuza said quietly. "It probably is."

    Silence again.

    "…Is that an order?" Haku asked softly.

    Zabuza turned his head. The light caught the edge of his face just enough for Haku to glimpse something rare: hesitation.

    Haku looked down at his hands, his voice trembling. "Back then, when we left the Mist… you said I was just a tool. That I wasn't meant to feel. That you didn't need love, just something that killed when told."

    Zabuza flinched, his jaw tightening.

    "But I can't do that anymore," Haku said. "I know I'm not your son. I'm not your blood. But when I try to remember my father's face… I see yours. You were the one who shielded me when the world turned its back. You gave me purpose. A reason to live."

    He looked up, eyes shining with emotion. "And now I want to stay. Not as a weapon. Not as a shadow. But as myself. Just… Haku... beside you."

    Zabuza turned away, rubbing his face with the back of his hand. "Tch… damn brat. Always were too soft."

    But his voice cracked near the end.

    "I'm no good at this," he muttered. "Never learned how to protect the things that matter. Nearly lost you because I couldn't see what was right in front of me."

    He straightened, breathing deep, and met Haku's gaze.

    "There's a resistance," he said. "Old bloodline clans, outcasts, people who still have fight left in them. We'll find them. Offer our strength, our coin; hell, even our names. And when it's over, when the blood's been spilled and they've won…"

    He paused.

    "We ask for one thing. Amnesty. A corner of the world where no one remembers what we were."

    "A peaceful life?" Haku asked, almost disbelieving.

    "If such a thing exists," Zabuza murmured.

    Haku stepped closer, his voice soft. "Maybe it does. Maybe you just never believed you were allowed to have it."

    Zabuza didn't answer. But his rough, calloused fingers rested gently on Haku's shoulder. Not a master's command. Not a weapon's claim. But a father's touch.

    "Let's go," Zabuza said.

    "Where?"

    "To whatever life we can build. One that's finally ours."

    And so, through the thinning mist, they walked side by side. Just two broken souls in search of something they were never taught to believe in: peace.

    They would find it one day.

    In the castle of the dragon.

    In the shadow of the King in Red.

    The path stretched quiet beneath their feet, lined with swaying grass that whispered in the breeze. The cry of some distant bird cut through the lingering darkness as the first silver threads of dawn unraveled across the sky. Naruto and Hinata walked side by side, shoulders occasionally brushing, neither speaking for a long while.

    "I guess I didn't really need this," Hinata said softly, holding out the Wolf Ring.

    Naruto glanced at it, then took it wordlessly, tucking it into his inventory with the thoughtless ease of muscle memory. His mind was elsewhere, far behind them.

    Hinata watched him. "You've been quiet."

    "I was just wondering... if there was anything I could've said that might've changed Zabuza's mind. Maybe if I'd been stronger, like Kage-level strong... or if I'd just said something better."

    "You think words alone could've changed his path?" Hinata asked, stopping a few steps ahead.

    Naruto stopped too. "I don't know. Maybe not. But part of me believed that if I just... tried hard enough, said the right thing, things would turn out differently. I wanted to believe I could bring him and Haku back with us. Give them something better."

    Hinata stepped closer, reaching for his hand. "People make their own choices, Naruto. Zabuza and Haku chose theirs. That doesn't make your hope meaningless, it just means their path was different."

    He looked at their joined hands, then at the horizon. "I guess I'm more disappointed in myself than in them. Like... I really thought bringing them to Konoha would fix everything. Like that was enough."

    Hinata gave a small smile. "So what, are you going to fix the whole shinobi system now?"

    Naruto snorted. "Please. Cleaning up one corrupt merchant in a nowhere country doesn't exactly mean I'm ready to reinvent the world."

    "It's still more than most people ever do," she said, gently.

    He nodded, serious again. "If you want change, you have to have the power to do something about it and the strength to carry the weight of what comes after. Otherwise, it's just wishful thinking."

    The rising sun painted the sky in soft pinks and golds. Hinata looked toward the light and took a breath. "Then I want to make a promise. To myself. And to you."

    Naruto turned to her.

    "I'm going to change the Hyūga clan."

    He studied her face. She wasn't just saying it. There was fire in her voice, a clarity he hadn't seen before.

    Hinata didn't wait for a response. She went on, explaining the hierarchy: the division between main and branch family, the cursed seal, the weight of tradition that suffocated so many of her kin. Naruto didn't interrupt. He just listened, brows furrowed, lips pressed into a line. When she finally finished, he said, "So it's all about control. They're scared of losing power, so they break their own to keep it. That ninja who stole a Byakugan that Zabuza mentioned just makes their fear look pathetic."

    Hinata nodded. "Exactly. And watching what you did here, seeing how you changed something that felt unchangeable... it made me realize: if someone's brave enough, things can be different."

    Naruto met her eyes. "Bravery without strength is just self-destruction."

    "I know," she said, holding his gaze. "That's why I'm going to become strong. Strong enough to lead. Strong enough to stand in front of the elders and not flinch. Strong enough to end that system, no matter what they throw at me."

    Naruto let out a slow breath, then gave a crooked smile. "Looks like you've already taken the first step."

    "You think so?" Hinata asked softly.

    "I know so," Naruto said.

    The first light of the sun crested over the horizon, painting the world in gold. Naruto, Hinata, and Oscar stood in quiet awe, the moment stretching between them like a held breath.

    Hinata watched the sunrise and saw more than beauty. She saw a destination which was distant, but no longer unreachable. The disappointment in her father's eyes, the cold indifference of the elders, the resentment from Neji, and her own silent self-loathing, all of it dimmed in the face of that morning light. She remembered the faces of the Wave's people, lit with hope when they realized Gato was dead. That moment had changed her. It wasn't just about kindness anymore, it was about the courage to fight for it.

    Naruto glanced at her. The Hinata he'd known from the Academy, the shy girl who'd squeaked out her words and avoided eye contact, was nowhere to be seen. The girl beside him now had fire in her eyes. And as he looked at her, he couldn't help but turn that gaze inward.

    He used to have that same fire when he dreamed of being Hokage. But now… what was left of that dream?

    Ringing the Bells of Awakening? That was a promise to a teacher now gone. And truth be told, he was close. He could probably ring one of them if he really tried. But that wasn't the path he was chasing anymore, was it?

    His road ahead was a question mark. And that scared him more than he liked to admit.

    "Will the Archer of Providence help me with the Hyūga?" Hinata asked suddenly.

    Naruto blinked, then chuckled. "I don't know about the Archer… but this knight? Yeah. He's in."

    Their fists met in a quiet bump of solidarity. Then, like a tragic duet, both their stomachs growled loud enough to scare a few birds off a nearby tree.

    Naruto clutched his gut. "Okay, okay... world-changing can wait until breakfast."

    Hinata giggled. "Yeah! Let's eat, dattebayo."

    "Hey! That's my line!"

    The camp was just waking up, bathed in soft morning light. Birds chirped in the distance as steam from a boiling kettle drifted over the clearing.

    Kakashi sat cross-legged by the fire, already nose-deep in his infamous orange book. Kurenai shot him a look over her water cup. A silent reprimand for his choice of morning literature. He didn't even glance up.

    Kiba was brushing Akamaru, cooing softly to the puppy as tufts of white fur floated away in the breeze. Sasuke, bleary-eyed, was brushing his teeth by the water bucket, while Sakura helped Tsunami set up breakfast plates on a wooden slab they'd repurposed into a table.

    Inari sat beside his grandfather, swinging his legs and staring up at the sky, lost in thought.

    That peace didn't last.

    A sharp whistle cut through the morning air, turning every head. Kiba was grinning ear to ear.
    "Oi! Look who's back from their date!" he said, dragging out the last word like it was scandalous.

    Naruto walked into camp with a casual wave, but beside him, Hinata froze mid-step, cheeks exploding in red. She tried to shrink into herself as Kurenai gave her a proud smirk and Shino gave her a single approving nod and a rare thumbs-up.

    "Out of all the surprises this week..." Kakashi chuckled without looking up from his book, "...this one might be my favorite."

    "Playboy," Sakura muttered, shaking her head. "First Ino, now Hinata? What's next, Tenten over tea?"

    "I'm just glad someone's willing to look at your face for more than five seconds," Sasuke added, toothbrush still in his mouth.

    Naruto didn't even blink. With a twitch of his telekinetic power, Sasuke's toothbrush jerked forward, dragging the Uchiha half a step toward him before snapping back. Sasuke staggered, foam around his lips.

    Naruto's glare was flat. "Say that again, brush boy."

    Hinata blinked, confused. "Naruto, what's going on?"

    One of the shadow clones scratched the back of his head and called out, "Sorry! 'Date' was the only excuse we could come up with so nobody got suspicious!"

    Naruto sighed as he stepped into the middle of the camp, rubbing the back of his neck. He had left the clones in charge of guarding the area while he and Hinata carried out their mission. Apparently, when the guard duty rotated, the clones had to come up with something fast and 'date' was the first thing that popped into their idiot heads.

    The mood in the camp shifted instantly. Confused glances were exchanged. Some of the shinobi frowned. Whatever they had been expecting, it wasn't what came next.

    "I killed Gato."

    The silence that followed wasn't just quiet. It was deafening.

    It was Inari who broke it. The little boy ran up and clung to Naruto's leg, trembling, eyes full of tears.
    "Big bro! Big bro, is it true?! He's really gone?"

    Naruto gave him a tired smile, resting a hand on the boy's head.

    Behind them, Tsunami collapsed to her knees, her hands covering her mouth as sobs shook her frame. It was hard to tell what she was feeling. The man who had ordered her husband's murder… who had ruined their country and terrorized their lives… was gone. Killed. Just like that.

    Tazuna rushed to his daughter's side, kneeling and hugging her tight.

    "I can't believe it," he muttered, voice cracked with disbelief. "Is this… one of my drunk hallucinations?"

    Naruto shook his head. "It's real, old man."

    He gently nudged Inari toward his mother and grandfather. "Go. Be with your family. You earned it."

    As Inari ran off, Naruto felt it. A subtle shift. A pulse. The faintest ripple of chakra settling over the villagers. Kurenai had cast a genjutsu, sheltering the civilians in a trance so they could process this moment in peace, away from the politics and explanations.

    "Now that they're… occupied," Kurenai said, arms crossed, "let's hear it. The full story."

    Naruto explained how, in the dead of night, Zabuza had stumbled into camp, badly injured and bleeding. He told Naruto that Gato had hired a dangerous kunoichi named Guren with a team of other shinobi. Realizing he couldn't take her down alone, Zabuza asked for help. Naruto agreed. They teamed up, tracked Guren, fought her, rescued Haku from her control, and ultimately brought down Gato for good.

    A second wave of stunned silence followed.

    This time, it was Sakura who broke it. "You know what? I think we should stop letting Naruto out of our sight. Ten times out of ten, he comes back having done something insane."

    "Hn." Sasuke couldn't agree more.

    Kiba looked like he was about to explode. "Why the hell didn't you wake us up?! You really think we couldn't help?! You and Hinata could've been killed, Naruto!"

    "I wanted to finish what I started."

    Shino adjusted his glasses. "Meaning?"

    "Meaning," Naruto said, "this mission was simple at first. Just Zabuza. But I escalated it. I wiped out Gato's thugs, forced him to panic, and bring in more shinobi. I created the mess. I cleaned it up. That's justice."

    A long, collective sigh moved through the campsite. Of course it was Naruto. Of course his idea of responsibility involved solo infiltration and politically volatile assassinations.

    Naruto clearly followed a strong moral code, it was just that none of them could quite figure out what it was.

    Kurenai's voice was low but tight with disappointment. "Hinata. I expected better."

    Hinata flinched slightly but didn't look away.

    "You left camp without permission. You entered an active combat zone with a known missing-nin. Do you realize how reckless that was?" Kurenai's tone was anxious. "If something had happened to you, I wouldn't have even known where to begin looking."

    "She wasn't alone," Naruto interjected sharply.

    "I know that," Kurenai said, rounding on him. "But you're not her Jonin. I am. Her safety is my responsibility."

    "And Hinata's the reason the mission ended days ahead of schedule," Naruto shot back. "She didn't fight. She didn't even draw a weapon. She tracked, she observed, and she kept me alive."

    "That doesn't make it right!" Kurenai snapped. "It doesn't make her invincible! You think because she wore the gear you gave her and stayed in the shadows, she was safe? That's not how this works. She could've died, Naruto. And for what? Following you into a fight against enemy combatants and a war criminal?!"

    Hinata took a step forward. "Sensei… I'm willing to accept whatever punishment you decide. I broke protocol. I endangered myself. I won't deny that."

    She looked down briefly, then back up. Her voice didn't waver.

    "But I don't regret it."

    The camp stilled.

    Kiba's brows shot up. Shino tilted his head. Even Sasuke gave her a second glance.

    Kurenai's eyes narrowed, hurt and uncertainty flickering behind her stern expression. "Hinata—"

    "I know what I did," Hinata continued. "And I'm not proud of disobeying orders. But I made a choice. I didn't fight. I didn't interfere. I used what I had and I followed Naruto because I believed he was right. And because I believe in the kind of person he's trying to be."

    "You shouldn't have to be punished," Naruto said suddenly. "You didn't do anything wrong."

    Hinata glanced at him, but she didn't answer. She didn't need to.

    Kurenai folded her arms again, visibly wrestling with her next words. "You know without the jonin, this whole thing could be written off as… a folly of youth at worst. Or an independent intel-gathering operation at best. A Hyūga observing potential threats on the fringe. There are no living witnesses saying you attacked anyone."

    She exhaled. "But that doesn't mean I'm okay with it. Hinata… I'm proud of your growth. But I don't want that growth to cost you your life."

    Naruto stepped forward and gestured at Hinata's new gear.

    "I outfitted her myself. I knew what I was walking into. She didn't set foot near the battlefield without my guarantee that she'd stay out of direct danger."

    Kurenai's expression softened, but only a little. "Even so. She's not your soldier, Naruto."

    "No," Naruto agreed, his voice calm now. "She's something more important. She's the strongest Hyūga of our generation. The one who'll change everything the clan stands for."

    That stopped everyone.

    Everyone looked to Hinata. And she stood there, straight-backed, gaze unflinching, not apologizing for who she was or what she'd done.

    Kurenai stared into her student's eyes and saw not fear or shame, but resolve. A fire she hadn't expected. The same fire she once saw in herself, years ago, when she chose to be a shinobi in a man's war.

    "Regardless of how fast the mission was completed... we're not done talking about this."

    "Yes, sensei."

    Naruto's fists clenched at his sides. He opened his mouth to protest but a hand landed gently on his shoulder.

    Kakashi stood beside him, his usual lazy expression unchanged. "Naruto," he said, voice calm. "Walk with me. We could use some more wood for Tsunami's fire."

    Naruto looked between Hinata and Kurenai, his jaw tight. Then he gave a short nod and followed Kakashi into the trees.

    The path was quiet, aside from the distant murmur of waves and the crunch of boots on frost-hardened soil. When they were far enough that no one would overhear, Naruto spoke up.

    "It's not fair," he muttered, dragging a dry branch behind him. "Hinata's getting scolded like she broke a rule. But we all broke it. She didn't even fight anyone."

    Kakashi didn't answer at first. He reached down and picked up a fallen log, tossing it onto his shoulder.

    "Maybe," Kakashi said finally, "that's because Hinata isn't playing ninja like it's a hobby."

    Naruto flinched at that. He hated how the words landed because he'd said something similar before.

    "So what?" Naruto said, frowning. "I'm taking this seriously too. We did what needed to be done."

    "You're also in a... special position," Kakashi replied. "Whether you like it or not."

    "You mean the fox?"

    Kakashi gave a small shrug. "That's part of it. But also... I'm kind of a rebel myself. And maybe too chill for my own good. I let you get away with things because I trust you'll make it work. And because, deep down, I think the system needs to be challenged sometimes."

    "So that's it? Favoritism?"

    Kakashi chuckled. "Maybe. Or maybe I just know you're not built for our rules. Doesn't mean I think Hinata should've followed you into that mess."

    They paused at a dead tree. Kakashi handed Naruto a small hatchet and took one for himself. Together, they started chopping in rhythm.

    "She shouldn't be punished," Naruto said, swinging. "Even if it was against orders. It was the right thing to do."

    "And who decides what's right?" Kakashi asked, pausing mid-swing.

    Naruto didn't hesitate. "You do. I do. The person in the moment."

    Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "And what if the person in the moment is wrong?"

    "Then they learn. But at least it's their mistake."

    "Spoken like someone raised in chaos," Kakashi said softly. "That's not how things work here."

    Naruto gritted his teeth. "Lordran didn't work like this either. There were no rules, only survival. And I still chose to help people. I didn't need a village's approval to do that."

    Kakashi exhaled, resting his axe against the stump. "That's what makes this hard, Naruto. Here, right and wrong... it's shaped by the people. The village. The collective. Not just the individual."

    Naruto leaned on his axe, his eyes narrowing. "So we're just cogs in the machine?"

    "No," Kakashi said. "We're flames in a bigger fire. That's the Will of Fire."

    Naruto scoffed. "So what? Burn together even if the village is wrong?"

    Kakashi didn't respond right away. Then he said, "You remember what I told you? Those who abandon the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash."

    Naruto looked up at him. "Yeah. You really believe that still?"

    Kakashi's eyes turned distant for a moment. "I believed it because I saw what happened when people did both. But as I got older… I realized we all live by our own codes. I have mine. You have yours. The village has one too. And sometimes... they don't line up."

    Naruto turned back to the stump and started chopping again, harder this time.

    "So Hinata gets punished," he said, "because her code didn't match the village's."

    "She'll be fine," Kakashi said. "Kurenai's just doing her job. And honestly? She respects Hinata more now than before."

    "Could've fooled me," Naruto muttered.

    "You know what hurts a teacher the most?" Kakashi asked. "When someone they care about does something brave... and they weren't there to protect them."

    Naruto stopped chopping.

    "She's scared for Hinata. That's all."

    There was silence between them for a long moment. Then Naruto said, "Still doesn't feel right."

    "It rarely does," Kakashi replied. "But that's the world we live in."

    Naruto dropped the axe, picked up a bundle of wood, and slung it over his shoulder.

    "Well," he said, walking ahead, "maybe I'll just change the world then."

    Kakashi smiled behind his mask.

    "You wouldn't be the first."

    With the danger behind them, Tazuna and his workers were finally able to finish the bridge. It would still take a few more days, but without the looming threat of bandits or warships, everyone was more than happy to keep working. Team 7 stayed on guard duty, mostly as a formality.

    Naruto sat near the edge of the bridge, legs dangling over the water. His right hand was outstretched, palm-eye glowing a soft red. He was using telekinesis to save Oscar, who was repeatedly jumping off the side in what could only be described as lizard bungee jumping.

    "I can't believe it ended just like that," Sakura said, leaning against the guardrails beside him.

    "That's because you weren't involved," Naruto replied, not looking up.

    A second later, Sakura kicked him lightly in the side. "Hey!"

    Naruto grinned. "Just saying."

    "Next time, at least try to get us involved," she huffed. "We're Team 7, remember?"

    He gave her a short nod. "Fair."

    "On the bright side," Sakura said, stretching on the guardrail, "this mission's almost over. We'll be back in Konoha soon. Excited to see a certain someone?"

    "Obviously. I've been dreaming of it."

    Sakura perked up. "Really?"

    "Ichiraku Ramen."

    Sakura nearly slipped off the bridge. "Anyone else you're excited to see?" she asked, praying he'd say Ino.

    Naruto tilted his head. "Uhhh… maybe Iruka-sensei? He might treat me to ramen too."

    Sakura facepalmed so hard even Oscar winced. She made a mental note to beg Ino to make the first move. If she didn't, the universe would collapse into heat death before Naruto ever realized someone liked him.

    Sasuke walked up then, his expression intense. "Naruto. It's time."

    "You sure?"

    Sasuke nodded.

    "What's happening?" Sakura asked, glancing between them.

    "I'm trying the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu… for the first time," Naruto said.

    Oscar and Sakura both gasped.

    "Wait, so the dramatic buildup was necessary?" Sakura asked, picking Oscar like a football.

    "Yes," Naruto and Sasuke said in unison.

    Sakura and Oscar exchanged a slow, synchronized sweatdrop.

    Sasuke crossed his arms. "So. How's your fire manipulation training been going?"

    Naruto snapped his fingers. A small flicker of flame ignited above his thumb but as it formed, a strange heaviness pulsed from his chest. He clenched his teeth and snuffed the flame.

    "Something wrong?"

    Naruto shook his head. "No. Just… weird."

    Sasuke nodded once, stepping into lecture mode. "Alright. You knead chakra in your body, convert it into fire, and expel it from your mouth. The more chakra, the bigger the flame. It usually forms a stream, but if you control it well enough, it takes the shape of an orb. A fireball."

    "Got it," Naruto said.

    Sasuke stepped forward and gave a quick demonstration as his hands moved through practiced seals, and then a sphere of orange flame exploded from his mouth over the water, casting warm light across the bridge.

    Sakura clapped politely. Oscar clapped with his tail. Naruto gave a firm nod.

    "Your turn," Sasuke said, stepping back. "And don't worry if you fail. Took me a week to get it right."

    "When did you start?" Sakura asked.

    "When I was seven," Sasuke replied. "In the Uchiha clan, it's a rite of passage. We weren't considered adults until we could perform it."

    Naruto stepped forward. "Alright. Let's see."

    He took a deep breath and went through the same hand seals Sasuke had shown him… Chakra flowed into his lungs, but again, he felt that pulse. A reaction inside him.

    The stone heart…?

    He zeroed in on it. Let it guide him.

    Dragons breathe fire… right?

    He let the energy surge upward from his core. The warmth flooded his lungs and when he opened his mouth, he let it all go.

    A deep roar echoed from within his chest as a colossal sphere of fire erupted from his mouth. It hovered over the river, a perfect orb of flame whixh black-speckled with gold veins, encased in a glowing corona of sulfur-yellow light.

    Everyone froze.

    Wind blasted outward in every direction. Dust whipped across the bridge. Tazuna's workers dropped their tools and shielded their eyes. The air felt thick, hot, charged like a lightning strike frozen in time.

    Sakura's hair flew wildly behind her as she gripped the railing. Oscar clung to her like a scarf. Sasuke squinted, mouth slightly open, watching the way the fire warped the very air around it.

    No one spoke.

    Even the seagulls were gone.

    Then, the fireball gently dimmed and shrank until it vanished into a spiral of smoke.

    Silence.

    "…Okay, what the hell was that?" Sakura finally asked, voice barely above a whisper.

    "I think… that was his first try," Sasuke muttered.

    Oscar stared up at Naruto with round, unblinking eyes. "Grrrrk."

    Naruto placed his hand over his chest, feeling the heat slowly dissipate from his lungs. The embers from the fireball still shimmered in the air, casting gold-tinted shadows across the stone bridge.

    So that's what my dragon breath feels like.

    "That wasn't a normal Fireball Jutsu, Naruto."

    "No," Naruto said. He looked down at his open palm. "My stone heart... it reacted to it. Like it knew what to do. Like it wanted that jutsu."

    Sasuke hummed in thought. The fireball Naruto had created was unlike anything he'd seen. It hadn't just been massive; it had presence, as if it had gravity of its own.

    Naruto turned to him, a lopsided grin creeping across his face. He slung an arm around Sasuke's shoulder. "Thanks for teaching me, Sasuke. I couldn't have done it without you."

    Sasuke grunted. "Hn."

    He was happy. He was proud. And yes, he was jealous. Jealous in the way only someone who had once watched their older brother do the same thing, perfectly, could be. But the jealousy didn't cut him down. It pushed him forward. It reminded him what he was chasing.

    Then came the unmistakable grumble of Tazuna's voice. "Brat! I'm grateful you torched that bastard Gato, but do us a favor and try not to vaporize the entire coastline next time."

    Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "Heh. Sorry, old man. Didn't think the flames would be that strong."

    Tazuna grunted, waving them off. "Just don't blow up the bridge I worked my back out building, alright?"

    Naruto gave a casual thumbs-up. As the old man walked away, Naruto's gaze lingered on the horizon.

    "Okay, guys," he said suddenly, his tone shifting. "I think it's time I go."

    "Go where?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

    "Back to Lordran," Naruto replied. He pulled Oscar into his arms. "It's time I ring the First Bell of Awakening."

    Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Now? Just like that?"

    Naruto nodded.

    But before he could activate the homeward miracle, Sakura stepped forward. "Wait. Naruto... is it alright if we come with you to Lordran?"

    The question hung in the air.

    He froze mid-step.

    The talisman pulsed faintly in his hand, like a heartbeat out of sync with his own. He didn't turn around immediately.

    Behind him, he heard Sasuke's footsteps shift, subtle but alert. He was listening and waiting.

    Naruto took a deep breath, forcing his voice to stay level.

    "Yeah, uh… sorry, guys. That's, like... against the rules. Lord Gwyn and all. He's got laws about this sort of thing. Can't bring outsiders in. Some ancient promise, or... I dunno. Just how it is."

    There was a long pause.

    "Oh. Okay. Just… be safe ringing that bell thing, alright?"

    Naruto nodded again and turned away. He pulled his visor down, maybe to hide the twist of guilt on his face.

    Because if he was being honest, the excuses were real.

    Lordran was dangerous.

    Sakura and Sasuke did only have one life.

    The bonfires wouldn't bring them back.

    They didn't know the rules.

    He didn't know if the miracle would even work on them. Would a storage seal trap their bodies in transition? Would the miracle fail if they weren't chosen? Would Lordran let them in?

    He had no idea.

    He hadn't tested it. Hadn't tried. And that mattered.

    Because he could've.

    And he didn't.

    Maybe he didn't want to know the answer.

    He remembered times when he dreamed of exploring Lordran with them. Sakura laughing at how weird the Undead Burg was, Sasuke grumbling at the bonfires, all three of them fighting off hollows side by side. That dream had been warm once. But now? Faced with the real possibility? It chilled him.

    He told himself it was for their safety and it was.

    But if he dug deeper... was that all? He didn't deny the risks. He didn't dismiss the danger. But maybe the truth had less to do with them… and more to do with him.

    Maybe it wasn't just that they didn't belong in Lordran.

    Maybe it was that Lordran belonged to him.

    As the last flicker of golden light faded, Naruto vanished from sight.

    Silence lingered.

    Sasuke and Sakura stood still, eyes fixed on the space he'd occupied just moments ago, the light still echoing in their vision like an afterimage.

    After a long pause, Sasuke finally spoke. "...Why did you want to go to Lordran?"

    Sakura blinked, surprised. "Huh?"

    He didn't repeat himself.

    Sakura looked at him sidelong. "Honestly? I thought you would be the first to ask Naruto about it. Not me."

    Sasuke's expression didn't change. "Because I want power, to kill my brother."

    It wasn't a question. Just a fact.

    Sakura hesitated. "...That's not what I meant."

    "But it's true," Sasuke said.

    She opened her mouth, then shut it again.

    He looked out toward the sky. "That's not why I didn't ask."

    "Then… why?" she asked quietly.

    Sasuke glanced down. "Because I understand how Naruto feels."

    That made Sakura stop. "Wait, what?"

    "Let me ask you something. If Naruto came to me tomorrow… and asked for my Sharingan… should I give it to him?"

    Sakura blinked. "What? No! Of course not! That's insane."

    "Is it?" Sasuke asked. "Think about it. With that Estus flask of his, he could just regenerate my eyes afterward. I wouldn't even lose them. Kakashi's living proof that Sharingan transplants are possible. Logically, there's no real cost."

    "...That's not the point," Sakura said, her voice dropping.

    "Exactly," Sasuke said. "Because the Sharingan isn't just a tool. It's not just chakra and power."

    He placed a hand on his chest.

    "It's my legacy. My identity. Every time I use it, it's like I'm carrying a piece of my clan with me. If I gave it away… what does that say about what it means to me?"

    Sakura didn't answer.

    "Now ask yourself," Sasuke said. "What if Lordran is like that to Naruto?"

    "...You really think it's that important to him?"

    "Why else would he lie to us?" Sasuke said plainly. "Naruto isn't subtle. He's a terrible liar. If he said 'we can't go', and didn't even look us in the eyes when he said it, then something deeper's going on."

    He folded his arms. "Lordran shaped him. Changed him. Gave him something no one here ever could."

    Sakura looked down. "I never… I didn't think of it like that."

    "Yeah," Sasuke muttered. "I figured."

    They stood in silence again for a while.

    Finally, Sakura spoke. "I… I just wanted to go to Lordran to figure something out about myself."

    Sasuke looked over. "Inner Sakura?"

    "Yeah. I thought maybe… I could get rid of it. Or fix it. Or… I don't know."

    "Seems like the kind of thing Lordran would chew up and spit out."

    Sakura sighed. "You're probably right."

    They stood a while longer.

    "...When Naruto comes back, I think I'll apologize," Sakura said softly. "For putting him on the spot like that. He didn't owe us anything. He still doesn't."

    "Let's just respect his decision."

    She gave him a sidelong glance. "But if he did agree to bring us? Would you go?"

    Sasuke looked thoughtful. Then let out a soft snort. "It'd be stupid if I didn't."

    Sakura laughed quietly. "Well, now I'm curious when and how he even got to Lordran in the first place."

    "Kakashi says it's a summoning realm," Sasuke replied. "So maybe Naruto found a contract somewhere and signed it."

    "You know a lot about this stuff."

    "I read." Sasuke shrugged. "The Uchiha archives have scrolls on rare summoning contracts. Some of them we've collected over the years."

    "Like what?"

    "Crow clan. Hawk clan. Cat clan," Sasuke listed, ticking them off on his fingers.

    Sakura blinked. "Wait... cat clan?"

    Sasuke nodded.

    She giggled. "Okay, but if you signed that one, do you get cat ears? Like how Naruto's got his whole weird dragon schtick?"

    "Naruto is not a reliable example."

    "Well…" Sakura smirked. "If you did get cat ears, I think you'd pull it off."

    Sasuke looked away, the tips of his ears turning faintly red.

    Sakura laughed. "I'm serious. You'd be adorable."

    "Hn."

    "Aaah… young love blooming on the battlefield," came a deep, amused voice from behind. "If only Tsunade-hime and I had that in our reckless youth… maybe I'd have settled down, written a romance novel instead of smut."

    Sasuke and Sakura froze.

    They hadn't sensed a thing until the man spoke. Slowly, they turned, muscles tense.

    He stood at the edge of the scaffolding like a force of nature. He was a towering figure with white hair that was pulled into a thick ponytail, with two long bangs framing a rugged, lined face. Crimson markings dripped down from his eyes like war paint. A wart sat dead center on his nose, proud and unashamed. His travel-worn clothes didn't hide his presence: green kimono over mesh armor, red haori billowing behind him with two bold yellow circles stamped on the back. A massive scroll clung to him like a second spine. On his forehead protector, one character was emblazoned in bold ink: Oil.

    Sasuke's Sharingan spun to life.

    Sakura's kunai was already in hand.

    Then a silver blur landed behind them.

    "Stand down," Kakashi said calmly, closing his orange book with a soft snap. "He's not the enemy."

    Both genin hesitated. Sasuke's eyes dimmed. Sakura slowly lowered her kunai, though her grip stayed firm.

    Kakashi gestured toward the man. "This is Jiraiya. One of the three legendary Sannin."

    "Oh come on, Kakashi," Jiraiya groaned. "You ruined my grand entrance! I was gonna do a cool landing, maybe summon a toad, throw in a little razzle-dazzle…"

    Kakashi shrugged. "Force of habit. My students tend to stab first, ask never."

    Sasuke crossed his arms. "You're late."

    Jiraiya cleaned his ear with a pinky. "You got a stopwatch in that head or what?"

    "You were our backup."

    "Right, right… Look, I had to handle some extremely top-secret, definitely-don't-ask-or-I'll-have-to-kill-you stuff. Besides, two jōnin and two genin squads? I figured it was a babysitting gig, not a crisis."

    "It turned into an S-rank," Kakashi said flatly.

    Jiraiya blinked. "Say that again?"

    "Gato's gone. So is his army. Mercs, rogue shinobi, the Daimyō was involved. Also, unknown Kekkei Genkai user that led a squad that belonged to an unknown village. Naruto went off-script. The body count's… not small."

    Jiraiya's grin vanished. "Naruto went rogue?"

    "Not rogue rogue," Kakashi said quickly. "He took initiative. A lot of it."

    "He was protecting people," Sakura added. "He did what he thought was right."

    Jiraiya's face was unreadable. "Where is he now?"

    "Lordran," Sasuke and Sakura answered in sync.

    "Looks like he got bored waiting," Kakashi offered. "You'll have to check his seal later, Jiraiya-sama."

    "Seal?" Sakura asked, brow creasing.

    "Ah..."

    "My question first," Jiraiya cut in, raising a hand. "What exactly is Lordran?"

    The chamber pulsed with an eerie green glow, cast by sickly candles embedded in the stone walls. The air reeked of old blood and wilting herbs, heavy as a curse. Guren knelt in the center, bandages wrapped haphazardly around her limbs like a mummy pieced together too late. Sweat clung to her hair, her breath came ragged, but her posture was still soldier-straight because collapsing would mean weakness, and weakness around him was death.

    Orochimaru stood before her, silent, his golden eyes glimmering with a predator's patience. When he finally spoke, his voice was gentle. "...I'm disappointed, Guren."

    The words slithered across her skin like cold fingers.

    "You failed to protect Gato. Failed to eliminate a pack of genin. Failed to kill their jonin. Failed to retrieve the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Failed to bring me Sasuke Uchiha. And worst of all..." His voice thinned to a whisper, "You got your squad killed. You almost died yourself. All that effort, and you brought me nothing."

    Guren bowed her head lower, face nearly kissing the stone. "I have no excuse, Lord Orochimaru. I... I failed."

    A hiss of amusement curled from his throat. "You were to be my next vessel. My precious gem... years of carving, perfecting, polishing... now cracked and dull."

    He crouched beside her, his knees making no sound on the stone. His face hovered inches from hers, breath cool and snake-sweet.

    "Tell me, Guren... shall I peel you open now? Hollow you out and see if there's anything left inside worth salvaging?"

    She flinched, just barely. "If that's your wish... then I accept. But..." She raised a trembling hand, holding out a scroll. "Before that... please. Read the report."

    He snatched it from her fingers with casual grace, unrolling it with one long, pale hand.

    "I do so love obituaries," he murmured.

    But as his eyes moved across the parchment, the room seemed to still.

    "...Naruto Uzumaki?" His voice lost its silk, turning sharp. "What is this?"

    "Every word is true," she whispered. "If you doubt me... you may take my memories."

    "No need." His eyes didn't leave the scroll. "Your fear speaks louder than your mind ever could."

    He walked slowly to the far wall, rereading, muttering to himself.

    "Kyūbi chakra access... wind affinity mastered... blade and bow, both... unknown healing techniques... and you're telling me this boy has a summon with crystal release? A Kekkei Genkai?"

    He turned to her, mouth stretching unnaturally wide.

    Guren said nothing.

    He began to laugh.

    Low at first. Then higher. Harsher. His shoulders shook, and his voice echoed like cracking bones.

    "So, Mizuki's reports about the boy being a failure were false. Looks like the old man was growing a monster in the shadows."

    His smile was all teeth now.

    "Guren, Guren, Guren. You didn't fail. You brought me revelation."

    He knelt once more, placing a hand gently on her head.

    "...You may live a little longer."

    "Thank you for your kindness," Guren said, bowing so low her forehead nearly touched stone. "But... doesn't this change your plans for the invasion?"

    Orochimaru's smile faded into thought.

    "Yes. Originally, I intended to exploit the Sand's resentment, use their armies as a distraction while I slipped through Konoha's defenses... and reminded the Sandaime why I should never have been cast aside."

    "But now..." He trailed off, almost to himself. "Danzo is branded a traitor. The Third is finally acting like a Hokage again. And this boy shows that Konoha is no longer the stagnant husk I thought it was."

    Guren hesitated. "Then... the invasion is off?"

    Orochimaru's eyes snapped back to her, sharp and smiling again but colder.

    "No. The plan doesn't die. It evolves."

    He stood, looming, his voice gaining strength. "Send word to our agents across the Five Nations. Every whisperer, every snake in every crack of every village. Let the truth out."

    Guren blinked. "What truth?"

    "That Naruto Uzumaki," Orochimaru said, savoring the name, "is the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. That he carries the blood of the Uzumaki clan. That he holds the Kyūbi. That the Yellow Flash's legacy walks again... in the body of a twelve-year-old."

    Her eyes went wide. "But... my lord... that kind of revelation would..."

    "Would make him a target?" Orochimaru cut in, eyes gleaming. "Exactly."

    He began to pace slowly, like a teacher to a student. "Minato made powerful enemies. Enemies who would kill to see his spawn dead. Combine that with the fact the boy is a jinchūriki, and every hidden village will see him as a threat."

    "Won't Konoha protect him?"

    "They'll have to," Orochimaru hissed. "They'll pull their elite from the borders. Shift their priorities. The old alliances will fray under the weight of paranoia."

    "And while they scramble?"

    He turned, smiling like a corpse given voice. "A snake slithers through the chaos and strikes when they least expect it."

    Guren shuddered and bowed again, this time in awe. The man before her was not just a war criminal, he was a master of long games.

    "I'll carry out your orders, my lord. And... I'll make sure Naruto pays, one day. For everything."

    "Good girl," Orochimaru whispered. "We all have our roles. And yours is far from over."

    The wind howled through the peaks of the Stone Country, whispering down into Iwagakure's narrow alleys and watchposts. In the village square, unease rippled like a pressure wave. Angry voices barked accusations. Fists slammed into tabletops. And one name flared again and again like sparks on dry rock.

    Inside the Tsuchikage's tower, the tension felt no different. Reports lay scattered across Ōnoki's desk as intelligence from the Land of Fire, intercepted missives, witness accounts. Naruto Uzumaki. Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. Son of him.

    Ōnoki rubbed his temples and muttered, "I outlived your father, brat. I'd hoped that would be the end of it."

    A knock. The door slid open. One of his senior aides entered, eyes grim.

    "Tsuchikage-sama. The situation is escalating. Two jōnin squads intercepted a genin trying to sneak out of the village with explosive tags, said he wanted to 'finish what his grandfather started.'"

    Ōnoki scoffed. "Idiots. They think blood will fix this."

    The aide stepped closer. "Several clans are demanding action. They say we'll look weak if we let Konoha raise that boy into a weapon."

    "Of course they are." Ōnoki turned toward the window, watching a hawk circle over the distant ridge. "They don't understand the cost of war. I do."

    Silence lingered.

    Finally, the aide asked, "What are your orders, sir?"

    Ōnoki exhaled a long breath, the kind that came from years of seeing too much. "We don't retaliate. Not openly."

    The aide blinked. "Sir?"

    "I said not openly," Ōnoki repeated, voice edged with gravel. "If we move too fast, we look afraid. If we act aggressive, we invite war. And Konoha doesn't want that. Neither do we. Not now."

    "Then what's the move?"

    Ōnoki turned to face the window again, looking down at the shouting crowds far below. His gaze lingered for a moment then he smiled, thin and sharp.

    "He's a genin. And genin enter the Chūnin Exams."

    The aide's eyes widened. "You want to send a team?"

    "Not just a team," Ōnoki said. "Our best. I want genin with discipline, strength and the sense to understand what they're walking into. If they face him, they'll know what he is. And they'll be ready."

    The aide swallowed. "And Konoha… they'll just let us walk in?"

    Ōnoki chuckled. "No. But they won't refuse either."

    He reached for a fresh scroll and dipped the brush. "I'll send two letters; one to the Hokage, the other to the Daimyō of Earth. The moment the Fire Daimyō hears his peer is sending observers to Konoha, he'll lean on the Hokage to accept. Politics, appearances and benefits." He glanced over his shoulder, eyes sharp. "Even that old monkey can't ignore that kind of opportunity. If I make it about peace… he'll consider it."

    The aide nodded slowly, the plan starting to take shape.

    "What should I tell the genin?"

    Ōnoki's brush scratched across parchment as he wrote.

    "Tell them to prepare," he said quietly. "They may face the son of calamity."

    [ Raikage's Office – Kumogakure ]

    The room was quiet, save for the crackle of chakra-infused lightning humming faintly from the Raikage's forearm. A stood behind his desk, frowning at the scroll laid out before him.

    The scroll wasn't what troubled him. It was how it existed at all.

    "Too detailed..." he muttered, eyes narrowing.

    It was supposed to be just another field report—one of many gathered from Kumo's intelligence network. But this one? This one was surgical. Surgical and suspicious.

    The boy's full name: Naruto Uzumaki.

    Visual comparison: Near-identical facial structure to the Fourth Hokage.

    Date of birth: Matches the night of the Kyūbi attack.

    Testimonies: Civilian whispers. Shinobi rumors. Confessions from bitter Konoha villagers who had long treated the boy like a plague given form.

    And then there were the photos. That's what made A stop.

    The boy was clad in real armor, not the flak jackets kids wear to look tough. In one photo he carried a halberd, ornate and deadly, its blade shimmering with a light that wasn't natural. In another, a completely different sword. In another still, he stood on a crystalline creature unlike anything A had seen in any bestiary or Bingo Book.

    And yet in every image, despite the weapons, despite the changes, despite the unnatural air around him… the look in that boy's eyes.

    It was Minato's.

    A's hand clenched.

    "Where the hell did this even come from?" he asked aloud to the empty room. "And who benefits from leaking it?"

    Before the silence could answer.

    BOOM!

    The doors slammed open with enough force to make the windows rattle.

    Killer B swaggered in like he owned the place, spinning his notebook in one hand and grinning wide beneath his shades.

    "Ay, big bro, I got news with bite,
    Konoha's glowin' like fire at night!
    The Exams are lit, the tension's climbin',
    And the Kyūbi's song? It ain't rhymin'!"

    A turned, scowling. "Bee, what the hell are you talking about?"

    B tossed a sealed scroll onto the desk and kept going without missing a beat.

    "Eight-Tails says the Nine feels off,
    Like thunder coughin' through cotton cloth.
    Not rage, not hate... something new,
    Something freaky brewin' in that chakra stew!"

    The Raikage didn't respond right away.

    He stared at his brother, then down at the fresh scroll. Then back to the original one with Naruto's photo. The Kyūbi's container. The boy with the eyes of the Yellow Flash. Now even the Hachibi was saying something had changed.

    A exhaled through his nose, long and low.

    "Is this what they meant?" he muttered, half to himself. "That look in his eye like he's seen more than he should've. Like he isn't just some brat anymore."

    B tapped his notebook against his temple, rhythmically.

    "Yo, we gotta move or we'll be left in the dust,
    This ain't the time to just hope and trust.
    Send me in, lemme check the scene,
    I'll rhyme through the lies and keep it clean!"

    A grunted.

    "You're not going to spy, Bee. You're going to compete."

    Bee blinked. "Compete?"

    A nodded. "You'll join the Chūnin Exams and represent Kumogakure, officially."

    B's face split into a grin.

    "But on one condition," A said, holding up a finger. His eyes were pure steel. "You don't do anything stupid. No provoking Konoha. No trying to 'test' that kid. No getting fancy with your freestyle in the middle of a public arena."

    B raised a hand in mock salute.

    "Cross my heart and hope to spit...
    I'll keep it clean and full legit!
    But if that Fox goes rogue and wild..."

    "If the Kyūbi goes rogue, Konoha should handle it."

    He rolled up both scrolls and handed the new one to Bee.

    "Go. Watch him. Study everything. And find out what we're really dealing with."

    B grabbed the scroll and gave a low whistle.

    "Yo... big bro bringin' me in the ring,
    Guess I gotta clip these rumors' wings."

    He turned to leave, but paused at the door.

    Then, over his shoulder:

    "You ever seen a storm with eyes that burn?
    'Cause I think that kid's past the point of return..."

    And just like that, he was gone.

    The door shut behind him with a gentle click.

    A looked back at the photo on the desk one last time.

    Naruto Uzumaki.

    A storm dressed like a boy.

    And maybe, just maybe, something more.

    The desert wind howled through the jagged canyon leading into Sunagakure, carving along the cliffs and sweeping dust into the village streets. The red rock towers loomed like silent sentries, their shadows stretching across clay rooftops and sandstone domes. The air was dry, sharp, and pitiless like the man who ruled it.

    Rasa stood atop the Kazekage Tower, his white cloak billowing gently behind him. His gaze stretched out across the desert, to where the dunes blurred into a wavering horizon. In his gloved hand was a scroll with a wax seal marked not with the insignia of any nation, but with the scaled insignia of a snake.

    Orochimaru.

    The message had been brief. Clinical.

    Uzumaki Naruto. Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Son of Minato. Early signs of bijū synchronization. Attending the Chūnin Exams. Proceed with awareness.

    That was all it said, but that was all Rasa needed.

    Naruto Uzumaki. A boy, barely shinobi age but carrying the same monster that had decimated Konoha. Worse, he was improving and gaining control.

    And now the boy would be placed in direct competition with Gaara.

    Rasa's jaw clenched. Gaara was the key to Suna's survival. A trump card the other nations still underestimated. If Naruto's presence triggered something in Shukaku, if it exposed Gaara's instability during the exams, it could unravel everything. Suna's image. The invasion. The plan.

    He needed a solution.

    He turned and stepped back inside, the door sealing the wind behind him. The chamber was cool and dim, walls lined with missives and battle maps. Rasa approached his desk, pushing aside genin candidate lists and troop placements. His hand hovered over a separate file: older, worn, dog-eared at the corners.

    Pakura.

    The name was a bitter taste in his mouth. The Master of the Scorch Release. A war hero and a problem.

    She was too loud and too principled. She had spoken against council decisions, questioned leadership choices, and even dared to rally the families of the war dead behind her. The people still liked her. Too much. He'd considered exiling her. A diplomatic posting to the Land of Water turned into a convenient accident.

    But perhaps… she still had one use left.

    Rasa opened her file. Lethal. Loyal to the village, if not to him. Still obeyed orders, if reluctantly.

    If he gave her a mission—off the record—would she do it?

    He turned the scroll from Orochimaru in his hand, thoughts lining up.

    Naruto was a variable. A threat to Gaara. Pakura was a liability. A threat to him.

    Perhaps one could cancel out the other. Or maybe, if luck was on his side, they'd take each other out. That would be ideal.

    Either way, Rasa felt confident that he could turn this into an advantage. But the world doesn't deal in ideal outcomes. And as he would soon learn, nothing could've prepared him for the chaos and monsters that would walk into this year's Chūnin Exams.

    Somewhere in the Land of Water.

    The rain never stopped in this part of the country. It clung to the cobbled streets in thin sheets, coated rooftops in grime, and turned dirt into murky sludge. But Mei Terumī walked through it as if the heavens parted just for her.

    Her long auburn hair flowed down her back in waves, the crimson tips darkened slightly by the mist. Green eyes scanned the quiet village street with the calm poise of a woman who knew exactly where every exit was. Her lavender lipstick remained untouched by the weather, her heels clicking softly beneath the weight of her presence. Even in a faded travel cloak, she radiated a kind of beauty that drew glances and caution in equal measure.

    Trailing close behind her were two figures.

    Haku and Zabuza made no attempt to disguise themselves. In a village like this, there was no need.

    The three of them approached a run-down tavern with crooked signage and shuttered windows. Mei stepped in first. The smell of alcohol, wet straw, and boiled fish greeted her.

    The bartender looked up and froze. His gaze didn't linger on Mei, despite her beauty. His eyes shot past her to Zabuza, then Haku, then back again. The blood drained from his face.

    Mei smiled gently, almost sweetly.

    "It's polite," she said, brushing damp hair from her cheek, "to open the door for a beautiful woman."

    The bartender nodded stiffly and stepped aside, motioning toward a back corridor. He didn't say a word.

    Down a flight of stone stairs, behind a reinforced door, the tavern gave way to an underground chamber carved into the rock itself, lit with oil lamps that flickered against damp walls.

    This was no mere cellar.

    It was the hidden nerve center of the Rebel Alliance.

    A dozen shinobi were already gathered, seated or standing around a low, worn table. Veterans with missing limbs. Young faces hardened by war. Bloodline survivors. Each of them turned as Mei entered, flanked by the Demon of the Mist and his ghost-like apprentice.

    "Mei-sama, what is that demon doing here?"

    No one moved. No one raised their voice in support. But no one interrupted either.

    Mei didn't flinch. Neither did Zabuza.

    The former eyebrowless assassin stepped forward and dropped a heavy suitcase onto the center table with a dull thud.

    The lid creaked open.

    Stacks of ryo inside were clean, crisp, and heavy enough to make even Mei go quiet. Gasps rippled through the room. It was enough money to keep the rebellion alive for months.

    Zabuza watched the greed crawl across their faces like rats sniffing food. He didn't blame them. He just didn't care. His killing intent crashed over the room like a cold wave. Chairs scraped back. Fingers twitched toward weapons.

    "If any of you are thinking of stealing from me," he said, "try it. I dare you."

    A man stepped forward with blue hair, slicked and moussed back. One eye blue, the other hidden under an eye patch. His green haori barely swayed as he stood tall in his grey-striped uniform.

    "You think you can take on all of us?" Ao asked.

    "Can't say I'd win. But I'd take enough of you with me to cripple your sad little rebellion. That's a fair trade in my book."

    Tension flared. One wrong word and it'd be blood on the floor.

    "Zabuza-chan, can we go five minutes without you threatening someone?"

    Zabuza shrugged. "Just setting expectations." He jabbed a thumb at the money. "This? It's a quarter of what I earned from a single mission. Do something stupid, and you'll only be hurting yourselves."

    That shut everyone up.

    Ao's eye narrowed. "Then what the hell do you want, Zabuza?"

    Zabuza stepped forward, arms loose at his sides, voice low but sharp. "Let's not pretend this is about what I want."

    He paused, let the silence stretch.

    "I know exactly who I am. I know what I've done. But I also know what this village made me into. What it tried to turn all of us into. Tools. Weapons. Dogs that bite on command."

    His gaze swept the room with faces lined with anger, suspicion, old fear.

    "I'm not here for a cause. I'm not here for absolution. I'm here because I'm tired of watching children bleed in alleys while cowards in towers call it justice."

    More silence. More tension. It didn't faze him.

    "I didn't come to beg. I came to put an end to this slaughter. And I'll fight with whoever's still got the guts to take this village back from the tyrant who poisoned it."

    A few rebels shifted uncomfortably. Zabuza didn't care.

    But Haku did.

    He had seen the mistrust in their eyes. The unspoken judgment. They didn't see Zabuza as one of them. Not really. He had no bloodline. He hadn't suffered the same purges. In their eyes, he might never belong.

    So Haku stepped forward, and drew his silver rapier. The soft ring of steel broke the quiet. The air grew colder, breath visible in the lantern light as ice crept along the edge of his rapier.

    Whispers stirred.

    What kind of sword is that?

    Is that ice chakra?

    Yuki clan...?

    Haku nodded, his voice clear but heavy. "Yes. I'm one of the last."

    The frost thickened along the floor.

    "My mother had the kekkei genkai. She hid it. Until the day my father found out. He murdered her in front of me. Then came for me."

    He paused.

    "I killed him first."

    Gasps. Muffled curses.

    "I was just a child," Haku said quietly. "And I learned then—survival means becoming what the world hates, just to keep breathing."

    He lowered the blade, but the frost lingered.

    "Zabuza-sama found me. He didn't ask who I was. He didn't ask what I'd done. He saw someone broken, and he gave me a reason to live."

    He looked around at the room.

    "Maybe we don't have your bloodlines. Maybe we weren't hunted like animals. But we've been used, discarded, and betrayed by the same regime. The same system. The same man."

    He took a breath.

    "You want freedom? So do we. You want to walk in the streets without fear someone will slit your throat for your blood? We want that too. You want to stop hiding, stop running, stop burying your name? So do we."

    A beat.

    "If that's not enough, then say it. But don't pretend we're not on the same side."

    Zabuza let the silence linger just a little longer before turning to Mei, his voice rough with tired humor.

    "And your beloved leader here—who so kindly made me promise not to call her an old hag anymore—offered me amnesty. When this is over, I disappear. No bounties. No swords in the dark. Just me, Haku, and peace."

    Mei folded her arms, unreadable. "I said I'd consider it. In writing, if you stop pushing every button I have."

    Zabuza cracked a thin smile. "That's asking a lot."

    "Then I suggest you start practicing," she said coolly.

    There was no applause. No cheer. Just silence and then, the smallest shift in the room.

    Someone muttered, "They've bled. Like us."

    Another said, "Better to have them with us than against."

    And one old shinobi simply nodded. "Let them fight."

    Mei met Zabuza's gaze again. "Then it's settled. You're not the Demon of the Mist here. You're a soldier now. Fight for us, and I'll make sure no one comes looking for you again."

    The meeting had been long, grueling, and yet productive.

    With Zabuza, Haku, and the suitcase full of ryo now backing the rebellion, the tides had begun to shift. Routes for resupplying forces across the mist-shrouded archipelago were plotted out. Old black-market contacts were reactivated. And perhaps most importantly, families of bloodline survivors were promised shelter, aid, and a future. There were no illusions of immediate victory, but for the first time in years, hope began to take root in that war room.

    That is, until Ao broke the silence.

    "...So," he said, "what the hell are we going to do about that?"

    He tapped a sealed scroll that had been sitting on the corner of the table, ominously untouched.

    "The leak about Minato Namikaze's son. The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. That information's already out there. Yagura's going to act, and fast. If we don't get ahead of it, the whole damn war changes."

    "Oi, what the hell are you talking about?"

    The room stilled.

    Mei raised a brow, almost surprised. "You're out of the loop, huh?" She gestured to the scroll. "Go on then. Catch up."

    With a grunt, Zabuza dragged the scroll toward him and unfurled it with a flick of his fingers. His single visible eye scanned the content slowly, mouth moving faintly as he read through the intelligence briefing.

    By the time he reached the halfway mark, something unexpected happened.

    A low chuckle escaped him. Then it grew into a deep, raspy laugh from his chest.

    Chōjūrō blinked, startled. Then, tentatively, he chuckled too. "Heh… it does sound ridiculous, doesn't it?"

    "Brat, what the hell are you laughing at?"

    Chōjūrō winced and adjusted his glasses. "S-sorry! It's just… I mean, come on. Son of the Fourth Hokage, jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, killed a warlord in the Land of Waves, uses multiple swords like a master and rides a beast into battle… it sounds like something out of a drunken bedtime story."

    Zabuza slammed the scroll shut with a dull thwack.

    "Every damn word in there? True. Actually..." He tapped a finger on the parchment. "They missed a few things. That brat's the kind of monster who doesn't wait for history to remember him. He makes history choke on his name."

    A low murmur rippled through the room.

    "The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki," Zabuza added, his voice like gravel. "Looks like I guessed right."

    "You knew?"

    "I had a hunch."

    "I'd love to meet this cutie," Mei purred, twirling a lock of auburn hair around her finger as she stared at the mission report. Her emerald eyes lingered on the image of Naruto longer than necessary. "Such sharp features. And those eyes... Dangerous. Mmm, I do like danger."

    Zabuza gave her a deadpan look. "Mei... you do realize he's twelve, right?"

    "Twelve?" Mei blinked, then leaned in closer, squinting at the image with exaggerated innocence. "You're kidding. What kind of twelve-year-old looks like this? Are you sure Konoha didn't cook him up in a lab?"

    "Judging that brat by normal standards is a fool's errand," Zabuza grunted. "He's not normal. Not even close."

    "Mmm..." Mei dragged out the sound, biting her lower lip thoughtfully. "I love a prodigy. I can't wait to see what you'll become in a few years, Naruto-kun~"

    "Don't bother. Kid won't give you the time of day, you old hag."

    The temperature in the room dropped.

    Mei slowly turned her head toward him, her tone velvet smooth yet laced with venom. "What did you just call me?"

    "Exactly what you heard," Zabuza said flatly. "Back off the kid. He's already into someone."

    "Oh?" Mei purred, intrigued.

    Zabuza jerked a thumb toward Haku. "He likes her."

    "E-EH?!" Haku yelped as his face went nuclear.

    "Aww," Mei cooed, eyes twinkling. "She's adorable! I suppose I can try not to steal your boyfriend, dear."

    "M-Mei-sama, that's!" Haku sputtered.

    Zabuza leaned in and whispered, "Just go with it."

    "What? Why?!"

    "Because if you don't, she'll mark Naruto down as her next husband. And trust me, Mei doesn't date. She collects."

    "...Fine," Haku muttered, cheeks flaming. "I'll pretend to be Naruto's… girlfriend."

    Zabuza smirked. "That's for calling me Zabuza-chan, you little punk."

    "You're the devil."

    "Flattered."

    Haku groaned. "What if Naruto finds out?"

    "...We fake our deaths and flee to the Land of Iron. New names, new faces. You'll grow a beard."

    Just then, Mei beamed at Haku. "You're stunning, sweetheart. Get yourself a padded bra. Naruto strikes me as a boob guy."

    Haku stared. "She still thinks I'm a girl?"

    Zabuza doubled over, wheezing.

    Mei gave a confident nod. "Add a little bounce, and he's yours."

    "...Kill me."

    Author's Note

    Zabuza and Haku NOT joining Konoha

    Let's address the elephant in the fanfic room.

    I know this is a popular trope. Naruto spares Zabuza and Haku, they have a heartfelt moment, and boom, they move to Konoha, get matching leaf headbands, and start attending barbecues with the Rookie 9 like nothing happened. And while that's fun to read in certain stories, I don't think it reflects the reality of either the characters or the world they live in.

    Zabuza is a missing-nin. A former member of the Seven Swordsmen. Haku is a powerful bloodline wielder trained from childhood to kill. You don't just walk back into a military village like Konoha and expect sunshine and rainbows. Even if Naruto personally vouched for them, there would be heavy surveillance, distrust, political strings, and likely a long, drawn-out interrogation from the ANBU or the elders.

    So from a canon perspective, I genuinely believe Zabuza and Haku would go their own way. That's not them being ungrateful. That's them knowing exactly how the world works. And it makes their choice to walk away bittersweet, but also powerful. They're not villains anymore, but they're not heroes either. They're people trying to find a future in a world that only gave them pain.

    Now, in this story, where Naruto is more powerful, more politically connected, and has far more experience than his canon counterpart, it's entirely possible he could pull some strings. But even then, I feel like Zabuza and Haku aren't the type to be leashed to a system that tried to kill them. Their arc isn't over. I have plans for them down the line. They will come back. And when they do, it won't be as side characters. It'll be as people who have chosen their own path and are strong enough to stand by it.

    Hinata's Development

    Let's talk about my girl Hinata for a minute.

    I've always liked Hinata, not just as a romantic option for Naruto, but as a character who should have mattered more in canon. The groundwork was all there. A traumatized child from a broken clan system. An internal conflict between loyalty and identity. A girl with real potential to reflect the cost of being born into a legacy that treats you like a tool.

    The Hyūga clan is fascinating. You've got a rigid hierarchy between the main and branch families, a cursed seal system that is literally about control through pain, and a deeply ingrained fear of outsiders. And then you drop someone like Hinata into that environment. Gentle, kind, not suited for the emotional brutality of the ninja world. And you've got the recipe for one of the most compelling arcs in the series.

    But then… Kishimoto didn't do anything with it.

    Shippuden rolled around and Hinata became a background character again. Yes, she had her moments (the Pain arc still hits hard), but overall she was sidelined. Her issues with the clan? Barely touched. Her trauma? Brushed past. Her relationship with Neji? Never really developed post-exam. It was like she had all this setup and no payoff.

    So in this story, I'm giving her that payoff.

    I want Hinata to be a character who chooses to fight back. Not just physically, but ideologically. I want her to reclaim what it means to be a Hyūga. I want her to dismantle the broken system from the inside. And more importantly, I want her growth to feel earned. She's not just suddenly strong because I said so. She's growing through real pain, real decisions, and real consequences.

    In this chapter, you're seeing the start of that.

    So now I want to hear from you.

    What did you think of Hinata's development this chapter? Do you feel her goal to change the Hyūga clan was believable? Do you think she's heading in the right direction? Any moments in particular that stood out to you?

    Naruto not letting Team 7 come with him to Lordran.

    So let's break that down properly. I'll divide this into two parts:

    A) Out-of-universe (writing-based) reasons, and
    B) In-universe (character-based) reasons.

    A) Why I Made This Choice as the Writer

    Let me be totally honest here: I love the idea of Team 7 in Lordran.

    On paper, it sounds amazing. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura fighting through the decaying ruins, clashing with iconic bosses, interacting with the likes of Siegmeyer, Solaire, and Alvina. I've seen the comments. You guys are excited about the concept. So am I.

    But as a writer, it's a nightmare to execute well.

    Because it's not just a matter of copy-pasting their characters into the world. Once Team 7 enters Lordran, every single scene becomes ten times more complicated.

    I would have to balance three character arcs in a setting already dense with lore and thematic weight.

    I would need to flesh out realistic interactions between each member of Team 7 and Lordran's NPCs, many of whom are emotionally subtle, cryptic, or tragic in their own way.

    I would have to address power scaling and fight choreography across universes, which is already a constant tightrope walk.

    And on top of that, I would need to track Naruto's personal journey without losing it in the noise.

    That's not just difficult. That's burnout fuel.

    And let's be real. If adding cool ideas kills the momentum of the story, then it's not a good tradeoff. I want this fic to last. I want it to be something I enjoy writing and something you enjoy reading, not something I force myself to finish because I backed myself into a corner.

    So while I absolutely respect the potential of the Team 7 in Lordran concept, I had to make a call.

    Cool concept. Terrible execution burden. Not worth sacrificing the heart of the story. And I don't think you guys want me to drop this story just to see a cool idea done halfway.

    B) Why Naruto Said "No" — In-Universe

    You could explain Naruto's answer a dozen different ways, and honestly? None of them are wrong.

    Maybe it's because he's still twelve. Maybe he hasn't learned to let go yet, hasn't fully grasped what it means to share something that matters this much to him. He's just a kid who finally found something that made him feel like more than a vessel.

    Or maybe it's the dragon thing. You know the story; hoards gold, guards it fiercely, burns anyone who comes too close. Lordran gave Naruto strength, purpose, and pain that he survived. It's hard to watch others try to walk a path that nearly broke you and not feel territorial.

    Or maybe Lordran just means too much to him.

    You can call it selfishness.
    You can say it's fear.
    Or trauma.
    Or pride.
    Or just a kid who finally had something that was his and wasn't ready to let it go.

    Whatever you choose to believe, that's the truth for you.

    And maybe, for Naruto, it's all of them at once.

    Now Some Questions for You Guys

    Do you agree with Naruto's decision? Do you think his selfishness adds depth or makes him feel out of character? Would you have preferred Team 7 in Lordran? Do you think Lordran would have even allowed them to come? The place chose Naruto for a reason. Would it open its doors to others so easily?

    Let me know in the comments.

    And if you're wondering what Naruto's flames look like, check out Black Dragon Kalameet's fire breath.

    A lot of you were worried Naruto might just speed-blitz through the exams. Trust me, he won't. These exams are going to be wilder than canon, no question. Every major village is sending a genin team, and let's just say… not all of them have good intentions when it comes to Naruto. He's not walking through this one.

    I've got a lot of fun stuff planned for these arcs, but I'd love your input, too:

    Team Sand

    Canon gave us Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō. Should we stick with just them, or add another team? I was thinking of bringing in Pakkura as a squad leader for a second Suna team. Thoughts?

    Team Sound

    Orochimaru knows Naruto's not a pushover in this timeline. So, should he send stronger genin? Maybe even Kimimaro?

    Imagine a sword duel: Kimimaro's bone blade vs Naruto's rapier.

    Yes, it's as crazy as it sounds.

    Team Mist: Who would you want to see repping Kirigakure?

    Team Lightning (Kumo) :Who should represent the Cloud? Want to see younger versions of familiar faces or some new OC genin? Drop ideas!

    Team Earth (Iwa) Same deal: who should show up from Iwagakure?

    Summoning Clans

    You probably noticed it in the chapter—Sasuke is interested in getting a summoning contract.

    So here's the question: What animal summoning should he get?

    Cats? Hawks? Something brand new?

    Same goes for Sakura. What's a good fit for her personality, style, and growth path?

    Reader Jin_Kazuragi wrote: Thanks for the chapter! I don't mind that Naruto doesn't allow his teammates to come with him to Lordran. On the other hand, the fact that he's not frank or honest with his teammates doesn't fit his character, from my point of view.

    Answer: There are two reasons for it: one is plot and the other is character.

    Yes, Naruto isn't being fully honest with Sasuke and Sakura here. And yes, that can feel out of character if you're only thinking in terms of canon Naruto. But remember, this version of Naruto is being shaped by Lordran. And unlike Kakashi's lie (which was a clear betrayal of trust), Naruto's lie here isn't about deception, it's about attachment. It's about not wanting to give something up.

    It's more of a soft lie than a sharp one. One rooted in conflict, not cruelty.

    And that conflict? It will come back. This isn't the last time we'll touch on Naruto's internal struggle with sharing Lordran or not sharing it. I'm setting it up for deeper character development later on. There's going to be a very important conversation between Naruto and Solaire in a few chapters that touches exactly on this point: why doesn't he want to share this world? What's he really afraid of?

    To put it another way: think about the Sharingan.

    Would Sasuke give Naruto the Sharingan if Naruto asked for it? Logically, he could, as Naruto can use Heal or Estus to regenerate Sasuke's eyes anyway. So technically, everyone in Team 7 could end up with their own pair. But would Sasuke ever agree to that?

    Probably not. Because for Sasuke, the Sharingan isn't just a power. It's a part of his identity. His pain, his lineage, and his burden.

    Lordran is that for Naruto. A space where he isn't the jinchūriki. Where he isn't under anyone's shadow. Where his strength is earned, not inherited or bestowed. It's a personal thing.

    Reader Magma-Wyrm: I just want to know what classes would Team 7 choose? Naruto chose Pyromancer because he thought it looked cool, but Sasuke and Sakura would think differently.

    Answer: Oh hell yeah, let's get into it.

    Sasuke – Thief: Highest starting DEX. Fits the Uchiha's reflex-based combat. And it's poetic, right? The Sharingan is all about stealing jutsu. Thief just feels right.

    Sakura – Sorcerer: Canonically very book-smart. And you just know she'd be into the clean, noble-looking outfit. Plus, starting with spells? Huge appeal.

    Kakashi – Deprived: Jack of all trades, master of none? That's literally the Deprived class. Also, imagining Kakashi waking up in a dungeon with just a loincloth and a bonk stick is hilarious. Sorry not sorry.

    Since we're on a roll, let's go ahead and do the rest of Team 8:

    Shino – Knight: Not gonna lie, mostly chose this because Knight has the highest HP. I imagine his bugs would like the extra survivability. If you've got a better class idea for Shino, hit me up.

    Hinata – Hunter: Byakugan + bow = nightmare fuel for enemies. Clean synergy.

    Kiba – Bandit: High STR, big muscles, rugged vibe. Feels like Kiba would pick this just to flex on everyone. Literally.

    Kurenai – Cleric: This one was tricky, but hear me out. She's calm, composed, totally committed to the Will of Fire which is basically ninja religion anyway. So boom: Cleric.

    Now imagine Asuma trying to shoot his shot. "Hey Kurenai, dinner tonight?"

    And she just turns, dead serious, and goes: "I have sworn myself to the flame and the path of sacred attunement. Earthly attachments are... forbidden."

    Asuma stands there, heart shattered, while somewhere in the distance a church bell tolls and his dating life evaporates like mist at Firelink Shrine.

    May his love life rest in peace.

    Reader Phoenix_dreams: Thanks for the chapter! From a pragmatic point of view, them not having the curse of the undead would be concerning with all the God-level beings around and also not be able to benefit from reaped souls the way Naruto can. I'm also not convinced it should be that easy to bring them over without a connection to Lordran already present. Oscar being able to traverse using Naruto could be used for or against that point, depending on how you spin it. Narratively I understand why you would rather it stick to just Naruto and Oscar for now.

    As another stated, treating the Scroll of Seals as a summoning contract that could throw them into their own instance of Lordran could work, if you want to go that route later. If not, you could have it fail for natives of Naruto's world and keep that a pure Naruto adventure.

    Answer: Honestly, there's a lot I could say here, but I'll keep it short.

    Would Lordran even allow Sasuke and Sakura to enter? That's the core question.

    There's actually a major mystery at the heart of the story that ties into this. Naruto being able to go to Lordran and then return is something even Solaire finds weird. Normally, once you're in Lordran, that's it. No going back.

    So why can Naruto come and go?

    And if you know your Dark Souls lore, you know the Dark Sign doesn't work like a portal. It's a curse designed to trap the Dark Soul inside the Fire's cycle. So if Naruto arrived in Lordran because of the Dark Sign… does that mean he was born with the Dark Soul?

    That wouldn't make sense, because the Dark Soul is a fragment of a cosmic force from the Dark Souls universe. So unless something, or someone, set Naruto up, there's no logical reason he should even have access.

    Long story short: there's way more going on behind the scenes. And even if Naruto were emotionally or morally convinced to bring Sasuke and Sakura, there's no guarantee that Lordran would let them in.

    Or worse, what if it does... but it changes them in ways he can't predict?

    I'm glad you're enjoying the ride so far. Your suggestion about the Scroll of Seals as a summoning contract was actually super interesting. I'll keep that idea tucked away in case I ever want to play with alternate instances or timelines.

    Next chapter should be out in a few hours. I'll see you in the comments of that one too!

    Anyways, before I go, I wanted to share some fanart of Naruto: The Chosen Undead that I got on Discord. Link.

    That's It… For Now.

    And if you can't wait for the next update, the next chapter drops on August 1rst! You can read ahead to Chapter 96 on Patreon.

    Thank you all for your support—you make writing this story such an incredible journey! As always, thanks for reading.

    —Adam
     
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    • Adamos_Amet said:
    He stood, looming, his voice gaining strength. "Send word to our agents across the Five Nations. Every whisperer, every snake in every crack of every village. Let the truth out."
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Go big or go home, I suppose. It is a pretty great way for Orochimaru to sow discord for his own benefit.

    Rival villages now think that Konoha raised their jinchuuriki as a weapon against them and so they'll have to match the force or 'remove' this advantage. Konoha will be on the defense and this revelation would cause internal unrest.

    Basically starting a Cold War to distract from his own evil plans.
     
    KaiKolo said:
    Go big or go home, I suppose. It is a pretty great way for Orochimaru to sow discord for his own benefit.

    Rival villages now think that Konoha raised their jinchuuriki as a weapon against them and so they'll have to match the force or 'remove' this advantage. Konoha will be on the defense and this revelation would cause internal unrest.

    Basically starting a Cold War to distract from his own evil plans.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    The Jinchuuriki are already weapons... The only Jinchuuriki who aren't dehumanized or isolated (as far as I know) are B and Naruto. The rest are either in gilded cages, treated as dangerous weapons or are so insane they are given a wide berth and gently prodded towards their enemies in the knowledge that whether they succeed or die would be a win.

    And even that is debateable, as Naruto received pretty shitty treatment from a majority of the village, but the opposite argument would be that it was against the official order of the village.
     
    Makes sense why youd ramp up the chunin exams, current naruto mollywops canon exams low dif. Cant wait to see how B is utilized, him being in area for a possible invasion is game changing since hes a different level of shinobi.
     
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