People talking, "Interesting."
People thinking, "I think I'll kill you."
Nonhuman talking, "You don't deserve that power."
Nonhuman thinking, "Stopping him is paramount."
Jutsus / unknown names. "Mokuton Hijutsu Jukai Koutan!"
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters, Masashi Kishimoto does.
Chapter 39
"Make way!" a man, who was followed by several more, shouted. These people carried a more than weakened Karin Uzumaki on a stretcher.
These men and women were followed by Kitsune and Sai, who had arrived just a few moments ago to the hospital of the Land of Waves; it had been inaugurated a few months ago and was more than stocked.
The doctors didn't ask questions because they had recognized the powerful individual who operated under the direct orders of the man who in theory was their boss. Therefore, they ran as soon as possible to the emergency room.
During the trip, one of the doctors looked at the masked man. "Give me all the information you have on her."
"Name: Karin Uzumaki. Blood type: AB-positive. 13 years old. Weight: 40 kilograms. Height: 149 centimeters. Kyōfu-sama's protégée."
He knew that information because his boss had anticipated scenarios such as this one. Not because he was aware that he would lose reason at some point, but because he knew that they had dangerous professions, and his boss wanted Kitsune to handle such information. Besides, his ability to mobilize was extremely useful if one of his girls was wounded on the battlefield.
The final point dimly astonished the doctors, but they didn't lose concentration, and the one who was collecting the data added, "It's good to have you here. We will need some of your blood."
Kitsune had O-positive blood; therefore, he would be able to donate blood to the injured Uzumaki.
"I understand. But I don't think it'll be enough," Kyōfu's acolyte added, seeing the emergency room down the hall.
"Why?"
"She has an internal bleeding, in addition to the external one. At this rate, she's not going to make it; she has already lost too much blood."
"Then she will undergo surgery; we can't disappoint Kyofu-sama."
"You won't; there's another method."
The doctor had no chance to ask since the artist took the floor. "Karin-san has an advanced ability of regeneration; she just needs to suck her Chakra."
The medic was about to tell him that it wasn't possible because the patient was unconscious, but Kitsune stepped forward. "That's why you must wake her up. But first, I will give her my Chakra; this young man has informed me that she has exhausted almost all of her reserves."
The doctors nodded. "Okay, looks like we have a plan."
They opened the doors of the emergency room and quickly placed Karin on the operating table.
"I'll do what I can to close her wounds, and you will be responsible for waking her up," the masked man pointed out.
The doctors didn't need to hear more and rushed to make a cocktail of drugs powerful enough to wake up a dead person.
Kitsune did hand seals at breakneck speed and placed his hand on the floor, bringing forth a majestic closed flower that repeatedly rolled up to the table's height.
That man didn't stop there and did another hand seal, which caused an unusual reaction in the extravagant flower. It spun and slowly opened up, issuing a mysterious blue glow from its anthers.
It was a forbidden technique that Kitsune had developed when taking his Kekkei Genkai to its limit. It healed—to a lesser extent—and transferred his Chakra to the affected person.
The risk was significant since the transferring of Chakra was massive and the effectiveness of the healing ability wasn't that great.
However, the technique served its purpose, to give Chakra. He had developed it to give his life to Kyofu if he were in trouble.
And while this person wasn't him, she was an important person for him, and therefore, Kitsune would do everything within his possibilities to make her survive.
However, that didn't mean that he intended to sacrifice himself; the plan would only work if Karin did her part after waking up.
The flower continued issuing the brightness that seemed to restore some color to the tender skin of the young red-haired girl. Not so much, but enough to reveal that it was working.
Kitsune wouldn't be able to prolong this much longer, and for that reason, he told doctors to do their part.
The medical director stepped forward with a syringe in hand, gently pressing it so that there wouldn't be air inside.
He glanced at the masked man, checking his emaciated semblance; he had already spent much Chakra, and it wouldn't be surprising if he passed out soon.
The director slowly approached the syringe to the arm of the severely injured young lady, and once the needle made contact with her skin, he pressed the plunger and released the mixture inside.
The Uzumaki almost instantly opened her eyes, raising half of her body as she spread her lips, releasing such a powerful cry that those present covered their ears.
Sai, however, ignored that and approached her to hold her shoulders. "Karin-san, cure yourself." The artist had no idea what they had put into her, but it seemed to be painful because, in addition to the intense screaming, she was breathing hard and tearing up.
Karin didn't understand the situation; she couldn't remember what happened or how she came to this place. The only thing that crossed her mind was the intense heat that she felt in each one of her veins.
She recognized Sai, and almost as if what he had said was the solution to quell that unpleasant pain, she brought her right arm to her mouth and bit it so hard that, in addition to the mark, some blood had sprouted.
An invisible healing aura surrounded Karin, which conveyed the pleasant sensation that she craved to feel.
The physical pain became a memory that would quickly fade away, but as the physical pain disappeared, the emotional one increased at unexpected speed.
The breaking point was close, and there was nothing that she or anyone could do to stop it. The red-haired girl had bent her head while a flow of tears ran down her cheeks.
Once again, pain, a pain which she never thought she would feel. She took her right hand on her chest and pressed it with her weakened strengths.
She wouldn't be able to forget; that face; those eyes; those lips; that look that only reflected pain and hate..., hate to himself.
Yes, it was the expression she had seen on Naruto's face when he had become aware of his actions.
"It's my fault," she whispered so softly that nobody could hear her words.
Sai approached his ear and didn't need to ask because the Uzumaki raised her head and looked into his eyes with those tears that seemed to have no end. "It's my fault!" she cried out, releasing the chains that would have made her 'dear' proud.
The doctors ducked down, while Sai and Kitsune jumped to dodge those uncontrollable metallic objects that moved from one place to another, without any reason or purpose.
The girl fell to her knees—with both arms stuck to her forehead—, venting that feeling of guilt that tormented her in an unbelievable way.
Kitsune, questioningly, set his sight on the pale boy, but this one shook his head, not wanting to go into details of what had happened. Not because he didn't want to say it, simply because he thought that the girl could hear him, which would only increase her devastated state. He had read enough books and knew what to do.
He moved one foot forward, then the other one, and repeated this process until being close to Karin, being very careful not to get caught by the uncontrollable chains.
He crouched and brought his right hand toward Karin's shoulder.
He touched her about ten times while reciting her name with each thrust. But there was no response; it seemed that she didn't even notice him.
With the eleventh attempt, he alternated his speech. "Karin-san, listen to me." There was no response again.
Sai sighed, and in the twelfth attempt, he pulled Karin and forced her to raise her head. "Karin-san!" he exclaimed, bringing his left fist to her face and giving her a blow that knocked her glasses down and made her spit some blood.
Kitsune watched the interaction with interest, seeing the chains stopping and retreating until they disappeared. Karin kept silence, but her involuntary sobs continued.
"Karin-san, stop it," Sai requested.
Among her whimpers, the Uzumaki turned her head and picked her glasses up with her free hand—she put the other hand on her already swollen cheek.
She put on her glasses and looked at the pale boy before ducking her head. "You don't understand it... I was stupid," she sentenced, putting her hands on her crotch and pressing them strongly; the tears flowed again.
"Yes, you're right, it's your fault," Sai added, making the Uzumaki raise her eyes.
"But it's also my fault, and also Naruto-sama's. What happened was the result of multiple factors."
"But I thought that everything would be fine! I was arrogant! I made Naruto-kun hate himself!" she shouted between sobs, mumbling her fault in each of her words.
Sai, perhaps by the effects of the Apple, felt something strange, and it was tiredness that led to a determination of saying the following. "Let me ask you something."
Karin didn't respond, and Sai continued, "What will make Naruto-sama continue hating himself? The fact that you blame yourself for something that he caused, or that both of you share the blame? What will make him feel less miserable?"
"I… I-"
"Exactly, the only thing that you will achieve is that Naruto-sama continues blaming himself; he has enough with what he's done. But if he finds out that you are blaming yourself for what happened, don't think that he'll feel better. Naruto-sama is not that kind of person. When he returns, talk to him, let him know that it wasn't only his fault, let alone that it was only yours. Reach an agreement; don't torment yourself for it."
Kitsune nodded to himself, like the doctors. The last ones knew who Naruto was because he was the new hero of Nami no Kuni and they had studied such things after being hired to work in this place.
Karin bit her lips with moderation, but she finally wiped her eyes and breathed slowly to try to contain those involuntary spasms.
"O-Okay, I'll wait," she accepted.
Sai gave a fake smile and stretched out his hand. Karin did the same and received the help.
Once both stood up, they turned around and saw Kitsune coming toward them.
"By the way, what happened to Naruto-kun?" the red-haired girl questioned when the masked man stood beside them.
Kitsune and Sai briefly exchanged glances; they didn't want to tell her about the feeling they had felt before they left the village. Surely, that would afflict her too. Therefore, they didn't touch that point and just told her that he was busy dealing with Danzō.
"I see, I hope he kicks his senile old ass."
"He will," Sai replied with another of his fake smiles.
There was a momentary pleasant atmosphere in the room..., momentary.
Suddenly, and without warning, those present felt their shoulders so heavy that they fell to their knees.
It was an intimidating feeling that transmitted a lot of force; no, it was more than that.
They coughed as they struggled against that uncontrollable and suffocating feeling.
"N-N-Na-Naruto-kun," Karin whispered before running towards the exit of the hospital.
"Karin-sama!" Kitsune exclaimed and followed her, not wanting to see his boss angry because he left her alone and something bad happened to her.
Sai stood up and marched towards that direction too.
Once outside, the intimidating darkness and the stormy wind received them.
Their hair and clothes danced to the rhythm of that fleeting blizzard, and they covered their eyes so that the particles that the wind carried wouldn't get into their eyes.
Karin, fearful and afflicted again, tilted her head up, watching the furious atmosphere. "This is..."
"Karin-sama, we can only wait," the masked man pointed out with concern when feeling the message that the mark of the organization transmitted.
Meanwhile, a few kilometers from the border between Yugakure and Hi no Kuni, Karui and her team evacuated a Dango shop to witness the sudden climate change.
The first one to express her opinion was the young woman with the robust chest. "This is not cool," her words conveyed fear and insecurity.
"Hey, Karui, what do you think is going on?" the swordsman asked, turning to her.
His response was her yellow eyes that reflected great consternation.
The redhead girl felt that something was wrong; it felt like the impulse that drew her to Naruto, the difference was that this impulse did the opposite.
But no, the woman of amber eyes would ignore that annoying and unwanted impulse.
She wanted to return to Konoha; perhaps her Sensei and especially Naruto were in imminent danger.
But then again, what could someone like her do if people like them were in that hypothetical situation?
She could only wait and pray that nothing serious happened to both Jinchūrikis.
Meanwhile, in a hidden place already forgotten by the humans, a skinny man with red hair opened his eyes when feeling the same sensation that both young Uzumakis girls felt.
"Konan, can you feel it?"
His faithful female companion turned to him, nodding. "Yes, and so does the sky."
Nagato didn't mean that but wouldn't touch that issue again. Perhaps it was another annoying feeling, like the one that had disturbed him a few months ago before fading into oblivion.
It had resurfaced again, but this time, it said otherwise, and he intended to ignore it again.
Meanwhile, in a wooded area where one could observe a camp, Kurotsuchi was sitting on a wooden stool, pressing her right wrist as she watched the storm. She could also feel the same as Kitsune, and her concern was evident.
Despite that, she couldn't disappoint her 'boss', let alone Naruto. Therefore, she rose from her seat, gave a swing and looked at those men of Iwa who had gathered here.
One of them took the floor before the brunette could command anything. "Kurotsuchi-sama, what should we do? Something is happening to Kyofu-sama."
They were the people that Kurotsuchi had mentioned; they were responsible for reducing the effectiveness of Iwa when capturing several of the groups that would have been involved in the invasion.
For what reason besides being an order of Kyofu-sama? They didn't know, nor would ask.
The Kunoichi turned her head toward the man; her expression changed to a more severe one not to reflect her anxiety. "What Kyofu-sama has commanded us to do. His troops will arrive at any time, and they'll take the captives with them; we can't disappoint him."
She tilted her head toward the tents that contained the prisoners. Those present stood firmly and saluted her before returning to their previous duties.
Kurotsuchi finally sighed and shared the same thought as the previous females.
Meanwhile, a few meters from the walls of Konoha, Menma and company were forced to stop when seeing an intense glow coming from their village.
Their eyelids opened when the scenario of what had happened crossed their minds, but they were unable to utter a word because a powerful wind gust and a shockwave drove them several meters back.
They shouted and tried to take cover, but there was nothing to lean on because that blast was so vigorous that it had ripped the trees from their roots, throwing them back too.
The Genin had only one option, and it was to wait until the 'breeze' calmed down.
The seconds passed, and they didn't stop screaming; seconds in which they could only wonder what had happened in the village.
They all shared the same feelings: confusion and concern.
The shockwave lost power after several hundred of meters, and only then they could recover the mobility of their bodies.
There were no trees to lean on, only the ones that the blast had dragged.
Everyone but Menma managed to land without problems—though Sasuke had some difficulty because he still felt tired.
The blond kid tried to put the soles of his feet on a log, but he slipped because he was unable to channel his Chakra.
Hinata came to his aid, watching him rubbing his head after a light blow. She asked him if he was okay, to which the Jinchūriki replied yes but that he had a favor to ask her.
The Hyūga inquired in that request, noting that his expression changed to one of seriousness. "I need you to open my Chakra points... All of them."
A part of Hinata thought that Menma was joking, but she knew that the situation didn't warrant it. For that reason, she bowed her head and answered, "I... I c-can't. I'm not as good as Neji-niisan."
"But you have to, Hinata-chan! You must try," he protested, slowly standing up.
The white-eyed lady shook her head again; she was certain that she couldn't do it. Neji had closed one hundred twenty of his Chakra points; she couldn't even do the thirty-two palms; it was impossible.
Menma growled; he didn't want to raise his voice; he didn't want to scream. But he was desperate, terrified. The Namikaze just wanted to go to the village and see what was happening there; he needed to know.
Therefore, he approached Hinata, placed both hands on her shoulders and shook her slightly as he said, "Hinata, stop doubting, just do it already!"
They understood the reason for his outburst; they also were nervous and scared.
Sasuke decided to interrupt, not because he thought that his companion was being harsh with Hinata, but because he wanted the blond to calm down. "Menma, stop it."
The Namikaze did so, only to look at him with that helplessness expression. "What do you want?! Did you not see that our village was destroyed?! We have to go!" The tears almost flowed; that heartbreaking feeling was unbearable; he needed to confirm that everyone was okay. But in his current condition, it would be impossible; he couldn't even mold Chakra.
The Uchiha sighed and continued, "I understand; I also want to know what happened to my Nii-san. But what can we do? We are tired; we've spent much of our Chakra in our last battle, and besides, we're not at the level of the enemy. If he could destroy the village, what do you think that we'll be able to do? "
His deduction was more than correct, and Menma knew that very well. Still, he wanted to know, and above all, to help; he couldn't sit idly by.
Therefore, he clasped his hands as he looked toward the village. "I don't care; I'll go to protect my friends."
Without waiting for a reply, the Namikaze shouted as loud as he could in an attempt to use Kurama's Chakra to open the points that Neji had closed.
"Please, help me, Kurama; I have to help them."
Kurama sighed and slowly gave him some of his power. "I shouldn't do it, but it doesn't matter what I say, you'll just go to that place. So I can only wait for you to pass out. That would stop you from doing something imprudent."
"Then sit down and wait; I'll make sure that it doesn't happen." His words were filled with determination.
When the Kyūbi's Chakra flowed, the Namikaze felt an indescribable pain that he didn't think he would ever experience. He felt the tissues of his body tearing as his Chakra tried to find points from which to flow through.
He gritted his teeth, perhaps with the idea of mitigating the pain, but in vain, as it didn't make any difference.
Hinata begged him to stop and said that they would think of something else. Sasuke said something similar, but he could do nothing to convince someone like Menma.
Sakura and Shikamaru stood on the sidelines; they didn't know what to say; they felt divided. They wanted to go but didn't want either; both had loved ones in that place, but Sasuke was right.
None of them got a response; they only saw those intense blue eyes that wouldn't look away from his objective.
His screams increased, and when Menma thought that he wouldn't make it, his Chakra flowed like a river.
The Uchiha and the Hyūga covered their eyes at the sudden wind gust, backing away as they watched the Namikaze expelling that tremendous power.
The blond kid showed no happiness; his only goal was to advance and help those in need. For that reason, he moved his legs and proceeded to jump; however, he felt numb and fell to the ground.
The red aura disappeared, and everyone approached to see if he was okay.
Sasuke raised his teammate's head and saw him sweating and panting.
His eyes were closed; he couldn't open them because everything hurt him, and the Namikaze thought that opening them would be an unnecessary waste of energy.
Sasuke shook his head. "I told you; we should wait. Surely, your father and my brother are okay; they'll take care of everything."
The blond boy opened his eyes as he tried to stand up, only to fall back again. "N-No, I-I m-must help... My Nii-san, he is suffering." It was a weak voice that had a touch of desperation.
Maybe the guilt was speaking; the guilt of how he had behaved with Naruto when they were younger. The Namikaze felt that he must compensate it in some way, and helping him to overcome whatever his brother was enduring was the answer.
Menma didn't know what it was, but he could feel the feelings of hatred and guilt that had invaded his brother, but especially, he could sense something that told him to stay away from him.
But the blond Jinchūriki wouldn't listen to that warning; he would do anything to give his support.
With that in mind, the Namikaze moved with great difficulty and got to his feet, teetering on a few occasions because of his trembling knees.
Sasuke and Hinata quickly held him, and Menma could only thank them. Still, his intentions were clear, and he wouldn't take a no for an answer.
"We will go to the village."
When seeing the determination in his eyes, they could only nod and walk in that direction.
Before they could go far away, the blonde heard his Biju's voice. "Wait, get some rest."
"No, I must move forward."
Kurama sighed and continued, "Fool, I don't mean that. I've already noticed that you won't pay me attention, so I'll help you a little bit. Rest at least ten minutes; I'll heal you enough for you to walk on your own. Or do you want to put your friends in danger?"
The Biju was right: he couldn't endanger his friends. Therefore, he told the others to stop and wait until he caught his breath.
As they waited, everyone nervously swallowed. The reason? They had felt an impressive amount of negative feelings coming from the village, being the hatred that stood out among the other ones.
Menma didn't flinch and stood still to recover his energies.
Meanwhile, a few hundred meters away from them, two individuals were contemplating the devastated horizon.
One of these men was the Yamanaka of the Root, who had survived after fleeing from the place where that disgusting beast had been. He was sitting on the ground, hugging his knees as he whispered a few words.
The other person was the Root leader, who had escaped from the jaws of death with a unique technique: the Izanagi.
The senior man approached the only survivor of his former organization. He looked down and told him to stand up.
He saw him nodding and standing up awkwardly, showing him the face that seemed to have seen a ghost.
The Shimura didn't pay much attention to it because he had turned his head toward the village. "Oni-kun, what the hell have you turned into? What did Orochimaru do?" He was clenching his fists and trembling; keeping the blank stare was difficult.
He turned around when his acolyte spoke, "W-What do we do now, Danzō-sama?"
"Withdraw, and then get you back to normal."
His last words were a relief for the Yamanaka; he just wanted to forget what he had seen while he was in Naruto's mind.
Danzō would just help him because he needed Fu for the growing of the Root; he wouldn't be able to do it alone.
He could only withdraw and rethink his goals. Things in Konoha didn't look good, and everything indicated that they would get worse, especially for him.
Therefore, he turned around and ran along with Fu to the nearest town.
Stadium's Area
Devastation, desolation, and ruin were some of the few features that described the Hidden Leaf Village. Smoke and dust covered what once had been a thriving village. There were no streets, no alleys, and no corners that the powerful explosion didn't affect.
Buildings, plants, and animals, everything had been erased as if they had never existed. The stadium wasn't the exception, and those who were there were lucky enough to have the barrier that had protected them.
Moments Earlier
If Orochimaru could describe his current mood in one word, that would be 'happiness.' He was so happy, so euphoric, that he had a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
The fight had abruptly stopped after they felt those negative feelings. Orochimaru made the former Hokages stand beside him, chuckling as they did it.
"You can feel it, can't you, Sensei?! Can you feel this magnificent power?! This extraordinary power that someday will be mine!" the Sannin exclaimed in pure joy as he opened his arms and looked toward the darkened sky.
The Sound Four didn't see the funny side since they were experiencing an indescribable terror; they didn't know what that feeling was.
"Orochimaru, what did you do to Naruto-kun? Your greed has led you to commit a great mistake!" the old man exclaimed with a deep anguish in his heart.
That couldn't be Naruto, the child who once had been someone cheerful and with good feelings, but due to certain circumstances, his path had shifted radically.
Even though he became someone with deep negative emotions, those sensations that one could almost breathe wasn't something that Naruto would produce. They were the feelings of someone without any shred of humanity, someone who didn't care about anything or anyone, someone who would kill anyone regardless of who they were.
Hiruzen knew that Naruto could be many things, but never a person who would endanger those who were important to him. And that saddened him much; Naruto had become one of his worst fears, a person without a shred of humanity.
He had to stop Orochimaru before he continued corrupting Naruto; he had to give to his cherished and beloved son a parting gift.
He looked at his staff with a farewell expression, and Enma understood the wishes of his summoner. He didn't dare to argue since his anguish was almost palpable, and if what he would do next would give him peace and tranquility, then he wouldn't interfere with the good desires of his companion.
Hiruzen and his clones looked toward their objectives, and the three of them clasped their hands together. "Naruto-kun, I know you'll be sad once you hear that I died. But I prefer to die on my own rather by your hands in your current state. Besides, I'm sure that Minato will do his best to get you back to your senses. Goodbye, son."
He looked at his former student with great determination. "Orochimaru, I will kill you and correct my old mistake! You will stop being a danger to others!"
The pale man dismissed his words with a smile. "Sensei, it's too late. I won. Konoha will perish, and I won't be the one who will dirty his hands to achieve it! Kukuku!"
The Sandaime, annoyed, stepped forward. "I am the man who has inherited the will of the First and the Second..., the will of Konoha, I'm the Third Hokage!"
The Snake Master mockingly laughed but was unable to add anything since Hiruzen looked at him with such determination that it gave him a bad feeling.
"But above all, I am the father of Naruto-kun! And I won't allow you to continue playing with him. My next technique, which not even you know it, will make sure that you are no longer a problem for anyone else."
His last statement angered Orochimaru; he doubted that something like that could exist. However, he didn't want to take the risk and sent the two Hokages to end with the Sandaime, but his clones moved quickly and intercepted them both, holding them firmly by their shoulders.
Hiruzen started with the sequence to summon the Shinigami and put an end to the skirmish.
However, when he was just two seals away of finishing the sequence, an intense glow approached their position at a blistering pace.
Present
"God dammit," a female voice murmured in pain, followed by several moans and coughs due to the thick dust which diminished visibility at zero percent.
She glanced sideways, saying the name of her colleagues and Orochimaru's, and they gave grunts of pain in response.
The pain she felt was undeniable; she had broken several bones and had hit her head after the barrier had yielded to that explosion.
Miraculously, she had survived, but her condition was severe; perhaps she would be able to walk away, but no more than that. Although much of her survival had to do with the fact that she had managed to activate her Cursed Mark to the level one, just like her peers.
She stood up and wandered to where the groans came from, noting that the dust was settling down and therefore increasing visibility.
It seemed that the other Sound ninjas thought the same as they regrouped at the center, where a wounded Orochimaru was.
Although the Sannin didn't participate that much in the battle, keeping both Hokages under control was something that caused a massive Chakra consumption.
Therefore, he didn't have enough energy to protect himself from the powerful explosion. And since it had left him severely injured, he had been unable to keep the Hokage's 'alive,' and they had turned into ashes before disappearing.
Hiruzen wasn't the exception; he was lying on the ground, totally exhausted. Beside him was Enma, who knelt down to take his pulse—he was able to resist the impact thanks to his transformation.
He sighed in relief when feeling the beats. Then he turned his head toward the enemies and took a defensive stance, watching the young people helping Orochimaru to get to his feet.
"It seems that I am at a disadvantage... Who would have said it?" the Sannin mused with a smile.
"Don't worry, Orochimaru-sama," Jirobo spoke and continued. "We can finish him off." He was tired but also confident.
The Sannin laughed before getting serious. "No, you won't be able to fight against Enma. We will retreat; let Naruto-kun take care of them. I made a great decision to give him my mark."
"Don't think that I'll let you get away!" Enma exclaimed, rushing to the attack.
However, his enemies used Shunshins and escaped.
The Monkey King cursed and was about to hunt them down, but the Sandaime's faint voice stopped him. "No, Enma. Leave them; you will soon disappear; I'm running out of Chakra."
The primate crossed his arms and looked at him as he approached. "Okay, do you want me to take you to my land? You could rest there until the fuss is over. If the brat did this, then even you are in danger. I can still feel the terrifying presence."
Hiruzen contemplated the idea; staying in the village would be dangerous, and Naruto could do something that he would regret later, but leaving perhaps meant cowardice.
However, he preferred the second alternative before something that could make the Jinchūriki angrier happened.
Hiruzen whispered the answer as he closed his eyes. "Let's go..."
Enma vanished in a puff of smoke, and when arriving at his place of origin, he did a counter-summoning Jutsu to bring Hiruzen's unconscious body and give him the necessary care until things in Konoha calmed down.
Hyūga's Compound Area
Moments before the explosion, a clone had appeared and ordered the Hyūgas to group together if they wanted to survive.
No one objected as they were aware of the situation; their Byakugan allowed them to observe the events of the battle, and they knew that this man had been helping the Hokage. Moreover, those floating particles gave them a bad feeling.
The first ones to come close were Hanabi and Neji; they knew he was Naruto, not because they had seen the outfit before, but because he had told them about his role as a 'businessman.'
They tried not to talk to the clone, and Hanabi couldn't help putting an arm over his shoulder when those fragments hit the barrier.
She was scared like everyone else, but the clone's tranquility conveyed the safety she needed.
When the weather returned to normal, everyone extolled their savior.
Meanwhile, this man knew that things were far from being over, and for that reason, he decided to keep the barrier; he could now feel a very intimidating pressure.
Wise decision, since an intense light, which swept away everything with it, lit the whole area.
The clone did his best, and although he managed to resist much of the impact, he was unable to do it completely and faded because of the Chakra consumption, which made the Hyūgas receive the rest of the impact.
When those present understood what had happened, several of them came together to make sure that everyone was there.
"Are you alright, Hanabi-sama?" Neji asked, approaching with his right hand on his ribs.
Unlike the others, Hanabi didn't show any damage. "Yes, 'he' protected me."
Neji nodded and stretched out his hand to help her up. The brunette appreciated the help and shook her clothes.
She looked around, getting used to the new landscape that made her smile with some happiness. She kept her opinion to herself since some members of the Main Family were close.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" she inquired, looking at her cousin.
"We can only wait; he will surely find a way to defeat that thing."
Finally, both activated their Byakugan and looked toward the combat zone.
At the Hokage Rock, the situation took a favorable outcome. The Wood Clone managed to resist the impact more efficiently because it had more Chakra than the other ones. Still, the situation had left him exhausted, the reason why he had been unable to keep the rest of his clones.
Panting and sweaty, he looked around as he sat on the floor. The villagers had surrounded him and asked if he was okay as they thanked him for his efforts.
The clone didn't answer because he was busy catching his breath. He could see Ino and Tenten near him; Yugao was in another area of the refuge, keeping Anko some company.
The young women said nothing, even when they had a strong urge of showing him their support. But in situations like these, they knew that Naruto didn't need that; he needed concentration and not to have things that could concern him.
The Uzumaki was like that; he was raised in that way, and he had never met the antithesis to his ideals.
"You have to use my Chakra; you no longer have a choice," the beast inside of him finally expressed his opinion.
It was the most logical advice, but the riskiest; the clone didn't want to reveal his identity. "No, I'll find another way."
Kurama downplayed his decision and decided to pay attention. The Shinobi stood up, swaying slightly due to the fatigue, unable to fall thanks to the help of the villagers who had held him.
Kyofu appreciated the help, but inside he felt disgust and contempt for having saved their lives several times already.
He stared forward, stomped the floor a few times to get rid of the cramp of his feet and finally walked toward the hole he made when the explosion ended.
When he stood on the edge, Kyofu looked back to add, "You don't have to worry; we will be victorious. And once this is over, I'll replace everything you've lost."
Some people almost broke to mourn due to the generosity of this man, while others wondered how a so gentle and kind man could exist.
They were unaware of his true intentions and could only live deceived by those false statements.
"Do you have a plan?"
With a snort, Naruto mentally refused, "Plan? None. Any idea? One, but I don't know if it will work."
"It better work, or else, I, you, and anyone you care about will succumb."
Naruto's face could only reflect one thing, and that was determination. "That won't happen," he stated while looking at the two female Genin.
"I don't need to hear more. Now go there and put that idea down to work."
The clone looked forward and tightened his belt. "Consider it done."
Finally, he jumped to return to the battle zone.
Notes:
A short but necessary chapter.
The next chapter will be an Omake; it's extremely long (around 30k words). It's a must read; it'll be about Naruto's childhood. I'll explain a lot there (how he was before and his radical change).
A few of you may say that I already explained this, but you're wrong; you'll have to read it. I won't censor it since it's not graphic, but it's very emotional.
I don't have anything else to say.
Until the next time.