"The Great Toad Sage! We've reached the border of Konoha!"
"Haa... haa... stop the Devil's Child… at all costs..."
"Yes, understood!"
Once the messenger toad departed, the Great Toad Sage collapsed into another deep slumber.
"The future… I can't see it… It's shrouded in darkness."
Pfft—
A mouthful of blood sprayed from the Sage's lips.
His spirit drifted back into his aged body. His clouded eyes opened slowly, and tears of blood streamed down his wrinkled face.
"Devil… the Devil's Child…"
His chest heaved with panicked breaths, fear carved deep into his ancient features.
"In the days to come… the Devil's Child will bring ruin to the Shinobi World. I see no light ahead… no dawn for the world of ninja..."
With a final whisper laced in terror, the Great Sage shut his eyes once more.
But just as his spirit began to drift toward the Pure Land, a powerful force—something spectral, like the grip of Yomi—yanked his soul back into his body.
Pfft—!
Another mouthful of blood.
He tried to speak, to warn Jiraiya and Fukasaku not to act, but no voice would come.
He wasn't merely blind to the future—he could no longer see Mount Myoboku's future at all.
Ssshhhkk—
"Water Release: Oil Transformation Jutsu!" cried Nohara Rin, her cheeks flushed as her body excreted a slick mix of oil and water.
Her soaked clothes clung to her, but in this form, breaking free from physical bindings was trivial.
Crash!
With a swift motion, she slipped free of her restraints and slid across the ground toward Naruto.
BOOM—BOOM!
Lightning lit the air. Oil shimmered like stars on the battlefield.
"Ninjutsu: Echo Reversal!"
It looked like a scissor kick—but carried lethal intent.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Rin? What the hell?!"
"Cut the crap, Uzumaki Naruto! I've had enough of you!"
Rin followed up, rapidly forming hand seals.
Her already flushed face deepened with red as her chakra surged.
"Ninja Art: Bubble Hell—Flooding of Golden Mountain!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
Naruto blinked. "…You serious?"
"Nice one, Rin!" Anko shouted from the sidelines, retreating with the unconscious Yūhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao in tow.
Despite her injuries, Kurenai managed a faint smile. She raised a trembling hand.
"Ninjutsu: Life Return."
Boom—
Her body convulsed, and she collapsed.
Back inside the room, the sounds of battle echoed.
Though Rin seemed like a common kunoichi, her chakra reserves were massive—easily on par with jōnin. It gave her the confidence to challenge even Naruto himself.
But her inexperience showed. The battlefield was small, the timing bad. This was her first true fight, and raw power meant little without execution.
"Ninjutsu: Time Rain!"
A trap! Rin froze, hesitating.
Naruto charged, his chakra spiking.
BOOM!
He formed the seals.
"Lightning Style: Kirin!"
BOOM—BOOM!!
The heavens roared as a massive bolt of lightning tore through the sky. Rin was hit directly.
Pfft—
Blood ran from the corner of her mouth. Trembling from the pain, she clenched her jaw.
But she opened her arms, trying to restrain Naruto.
He grimaced. "...Give up. Keep going like this and you'll die."
"No!" she screamed.
"I won't lose!"
"Let's go again!!"
Naruto's chakra continued to flood the area.
Rin, barely standing, forced herself into motion again.
"Ninjutsu—Secret Paper Release: River Carriage of the Scroll!"
Paper flowed from her hands like ribbons, aiming to entrap Naruto.
"You're out of your mind."
Naruto dodged instantly and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind her.
Rin spun around, fuming. "Don't underestimate a miko's wrath!"
But before she could act, Naruto had already grabbed her by the collar.
The alcohol she'd consumed earlier began to wear off—steam rising from her overheated body. Her skin flushed red.
The wild light in her eyes dulled, replaced by panic.
Yet she didn't want to lose. Not in front of him. Not now.
She gathered her strength again.
"Ninjutsu: Summoning Technique!"
Bang!
Smoke billowed as two large summoning beasts emerged from the cloud.
Whoosh—!
White smoke shot toward Naruto, but the small, rabbit-like creature barely fazed him.
ROOOAAAR—!!
The two larger beasts charged forward.
And the battle continued…
Naruto extended his arms and effortlessly restrained the two summoned beasts.
Rin's expression changed drastically. She moved to help them break free, quickly forming hand seals—but before she could finish, a shockwave struck her from behind.
With a startled cry, she was thrown to the ground.
"Water Style: Hidden Mist Technique!"
A dense fog rolled in, veiling her vision in heavy mist.
Refusing to lie there and wait, Rin formed more seals. "Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Crash—!
Chakra surged from her throat, and a massive torrent of water erupted from her mouth, blasting forward.
The two summoned beasts thrashed, still trying to shake free of Naruto's grip.
"Stay still already," Naruto muttered.
He raised a single finger—and in the next instant:
Boom!
He struck a vital point on each beast.
Rin gasped, stunned. "How… how do you know their weak spots?!"
"Damn it… If their vitals are hit, they lose all strength…"
As she spoke, one of the beasts let out a whimper and shrank back into a corner, trembling.
Rin felt her chakra drain rapidly, as if her lifeforce were being pulled away.
Just as Naruto assumed she would surrender, Rin suddenly broke free and spun around.
Boom! Boom!
A flash of lightning tore through the sky.
Somewhere far off, Obito clutched his chest in sudden pain and collapsed into the mud.
Impossible…
And yet—Rin smiled.
A genjutsu.
Illusion and seduction—Miko-class spiritual magic.
But casting genjutsu on Naruto?
Backlash!
The illusion rebounded.
Rin's mind went blank from the feedback.
"I don't believe this!"
"Secret Technique: Whirlpool Sea!"
Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, Naruto found himself submerged in a spiraling ocean of chakra.
There was only one way out. He narrowed his eyes, gauging the current.
He adjusted his chakra—speed and strength—to escape the whirlpool.
This isn't a fight to the death, he reminded himself. If her power goes out of control, Rin could die.
"So it's genjutsu, huh?"
"Then I'll go against the flow."
He plunged deeper into Rin's illusionary ocean.
The vortex intensified, pressure mounting. It was… impressive.
Naruto actually admired her strength.
Water beats fire… and earth beats water.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
A mud dragon burst forth from the earth, jaws gaping. Unlike the standard version, Naruto's technique was a high-level enhancement—bigger, faster, stronger.
It tore through the terrain, launching mud bombs.
But Naruto didn't target Rin—he used the attack to break the illusion's binds.
Rin, refusing to quit, formed seals again. "I can escape with Earth Release too!"
"Earth Style: Earthquake Core!"
Boom! Boom!
The ground trembled as it warped under her control—rising, falling, reshaping the battlefield.
Naruto shook his head, smiling. She really won't quit.
"Earth Style: Hardening Technique."
A layer of chakra-hardened armor coated his body, tougher than stone.
Then—
"Earth Style: Light-Weight Boulder Technique."
Followed by—
"Earth Style: Heavy-Weight Boulder Technique."
"Ahhh!!!" Rin screamed, overwhelmed by the weight pressing down on her.
She had no more strength to resist—but she still wouldn't surrender.
Drawing on her last bit of chakra, she formed seals one final time.
"Ninjutsu: Secret Technique—Life Return!"
Boom!
Naruto frowned.
He could feel the strain this technique put on her. If she keeps pushing, her body won't hold out…
Pfft—
Blood leaked from Rin's mouth. Her summoned Earth Dragon—still under the control of Naruto's earlier Earth Dragon Bullet Technique—twitched, bound and helpless.
Rin bit her lip, eyes full of desperation.
Naruto looked away with a sigh. "It's your call."
Boom—!
The earth dragon roared and spat mud bombs toward him.
"Lightning Style: Kirin!"
Szzzzhhhh—!!
Bolts of lightning surged from the heavens, striking with godlike force.
It was like Chidori Stream—but on a colossal scale.
Thunder exploded across the battlefield.
Rin collapsed, paralyzed, her entire body numb with shock.
"I… lost…"
Her voice barely rose above a whisper.
Her body twitched, chakra exhausted, unable to move another inch.
Naruto walked forward and gently picked her up from the mud.
"Why do you keep being so stubborn?"
"Forcing yourself to fight like this… your body can't handle that kind of strain," Naruto said gently, brushing Rin's forehead with his hand.
The Power of the Mori-Mori no Mi…
Life-giving chakra surged from his palm.
Warmth flooded Rin's body as her wounds began to heal. Nutrients flowed through her, restoring her strength at an incredible pace.
She closed her eyes and let out a soft hum. Her body felt light again. Her chakra… recovering rapidly.
She opened her eyes, defiant once more.
"I'm not done yet! Let's go again!"
From afar, Obito watched, heart breaking all over again.
The rain fell harder, each droplet soaking the battlefield as the storm mirrored the chaos between them.
Wind howled, ripping loose earth from the ground.
Fueled by Naruto's chakra and the healing energy of the Mori-Mori no Mi, Rin kept getting back up—launching technique after technique. Ninjutsu burst from her hands like a seasoned jonin.
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
Where's she learning all this…? Don't tell me she's been reading second-hand scrolls from that shady book peddler, Sasuke…
Still, he didn't push back too hard.
Instead of fighting with lethal intent, Naruto guided his chakra with care—gentle and precise, never cruel.
But each time he healed her, Rin came back for more.
Even as her limbs trembled, even when her chakra flickered, she refused to stop.
Only when the downpour finally lightened did Rin, after countless exchanges, finally slump to her knees, unable to go on.
Some distance away, Obito stumbled through the North Gate of Konoha, dazed.
"Just leave…" someone muttered behind him.
"…Hmm~"
"You're not going to look back?" another voice asked.
"…No."
Drip. Drip.
Rainwater traced down Obito's face, but it couldn't hide the hollowness in his eyes.
"This world… it's a lie…"
"A false peace… a fake reality…"
"…It should all be destroyed."
Whoosh—
Obito disappeared into the shadows, heading toward the Konoha border.
Suddenly, he stumbled.
"What… why can't I move properly…?"
His breath caught.
"White Zetsu… Black Zetsu!"
It hit him like a kunai to the gut—the White Zetsu body he'd grafted into himself… had been tampered with.
Black Zetsu.
He glanced down, alarmed.
"…It's gone."
The little acorn. The precious seed embedded in his chest—vanished.
So that's why… The new body felt stronger, but something was wrong from the start.
"…Damn it, Black Zetsu!"
Holding back rage—and something dangerously close to grief—Obito activated Kamui and warped away.
He reappeared in front of Jiraiya, who immediately dropped into a defensive stance. Beside him, the Toad Sages, Fukasaku and Shima, narrowed their eyes.
"Who are you?" Jiraiya asked, voice low.
"…Who am I?" Obito chuckled bitterly.
"I don't know anymore. But I can help you… bring down Konoha."
Shima's eyes blazed. "Help us? Why would we trust you, brat?"
Mount Myōboku had taken heavy losses—meteors, unleashed by some unknown jutsu, had torn through their sacred grounds. The old sage wasn't in a forgiving mood.
"Boss!!" a young toad suddenly leapt in, flippers outstretched.
BOOM—!
It slammed into Obito with all its weight.
Shima sneered. "That's your big plan? Pathetic."
But as the smoke cleared… Obito's form shimmered—empty, ethereal.
He stepped forward slowly, fury radiating from his body like wildfire.
The mask may have hidden his face, but his killing intent was unmistakable.
A storm was gathering.
And the drama about to unfold… would be a battle not just of jutsu and will, but of truths long buried.
...
TN:
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