"Hmm… Ah~!"
Konan's graceful face flushed red in an instant.
Just as she was about to leave, Naruto stopped her.
"Perfect timing—Mei Terumi just arrived. Obito's assignment—"
Before Naruto could finish, Konan cut him off.
"We can discuss it later... You two talk. I won't intrude."
Only in private did Konan reveal her more vulnerable side.
In front of others, she still had to uphold the image of an angel.
As far as she knew, only Ajisai had ever caught a glimpse of this side of her.
And now, Mei Terumi had become the second.
Blushing furiously, Konan's body dispersed into a flurry of white paper that fluttered away in the blink of an eye.
Leaving Mei Terumi standing awkwardly in place.
She stole a glance at Naruto.
But Naruto, calm as ever, acted like nothing had happened.
He gestured to the seat across from him.
"Please, Godaime Mizukage—have a seat."
Hearing the formal title, Mei Terumi's heart twinged with unease.
Just a moment ago, he was calling her by name. Now... formalities?
No—calm down. I can't come off as too desperate. But Kushina's eyes earlier… Nooo, how embarrassing~!
Trying to recover, Mei sat beside Naruto, cheeks still warm.
Naruto blinked. That wasn't the seat he had pointed to.
Mei hesitated, debating whether to get straight to the point.
The reason she came was about Amaru.
But instead, she blurted out something else.
"Ahem… Naruto, I found your apprentice unconscious just outside the village. She's at Konoha Hospital now."
"Really?" Naruto asked, immediately serious.
"She said it herself. She was clearly panicked… Something serious happened in her village."
Mei paused, wondering if she should have just brought the girl directly.
Naruto waved his hand. "That can wait."
"Let's talk about something else... like Hoshigaki Kisame."
At that name, Mei's pupils narrowed.
She took a slow breath and turned to face Naruto fully.
"I've heard rumors that nothing escapes your notice."
"I didn't believe it before. Now… I do."
She nodded and continued, voice dropping to a serious tone:
"Kirigakure has long sealed off the surrounding sea area."
"Recently, there have been sightings of a creature—upper body of a man, lower body of a fish tail."
"When I heard about it, I checked our village's sealed archives."
"Buried in Hoshigaki Kisame's file, I found the earliest record."
"Apparently, he was discovered by an old fisherman, washed up on the beach."
Her expression hardened—but unconsciously, she was leaning closer to Naruto.
"Before coming here, I received an urgent report from Kirigakure's Anbu."
"There's been another sighting. A new creature appeared in the restricted zone."
She reached into her robes and pulled out a photo.
"Here. Look—doesn't it resemble Hoshigaki Kisame?"
She handed him the photo.
Naruto: "…"
Mei Terumi: "…"
"Who gave you this one?"
Without answering, Mei moved with the fastest hand speed of her life, snatching the photo back and stuffing it into her robes.
She fumbled for a second one and handed it over.
This time, the image showed a distant figure emerging from the sea—tall, humanoid, shark-skinned. Only the side profile was visible.
And from Naruto's angle, it mirrored the view he now had of Mei's profile.
Red as a ripe apple.
In that moment, Mei turned into a steam princess—blushing fiercely.
As expected of the Mizukage of Kirigakure.
Mei covered her cheeks with both hands, unable to speak, her eyes spinning like tangled spirals.
Naruto examined the photo for a while, then asked calmly:
"Is that the Kurama?"
Mei Terumi nodded, nearly burying her face in the abundant valley of her own embarrassment.
Naruto didn't push the topic further.
He asked, "The sea is still sealed off?"
Mei nodded again.
"Alright. For now, leave it to me. I'll go there shortly—wait a moment."
Naruto closed his eyes, extending his sensory perception outward.
His brows furrowed.
"If I'm not mistaken… outside the Land of Water, across the sea—there's an island."
"The Shikkotsu Forest."
Hmm… The Three Great Sage Realms: Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and the Shikkotsu Forest.
They shift—sometimes over sea, sometimes sky.
Their locations are transient.
Mount Myōboku shifts the most often.
Ryūchi Cave moves once every thousand years.
The Shikkotsu Forest… its movement is controlled by the Slug Sage.
Just as he was sensing its position, a rush of warm breath washed over him.
At the same time, something soft looped around his neck—
Arms.
…
At the Konoha Hospital, Amaru slowly opened her eyes.
A white-haired man stood beside her bed.
"Sensei!"
Amaru sprang up with urgency.
"Sensei! Something terrible has happened in our village!"
The white-haired man gave a calm nod. "I already know."
"Then let's go now!" she urged, hurriedly reaching for her shoes.
A new voice interjected from the doorway, "Leaving the hospital already... are you sure you're in any condition to go?"
Startled, Amaru responded without thinking, "Teacher Shinnō is heading to our village—how can I rest easy?"
"Is that so?"
Amaru stiffened, finally realizing the presence of the newcomer.
A gentle-looking woman stood just beyond the threshold.
Shinnō's expression didn't change.
"A Konoha ninja?" he asked flatly.
Before anyone could answer, a massive slug slithered aside to reveal Naruto, calmly approaching. Mei Terumi followed behind him.
It seemed the issue with the Sky Ninja had been resolved.
As for Shinnō...
Naruto glanced toward Amaru.
Her skin had a dusky hue, a small mole at the corner of her eye. A delicate face—yet there was something unnatural within her.
"Zero-Tail, huh?"
He activated the Rinnegan.
Within her... he saw it.
The chakra of the Zero-Tail—a parasitic entity of negative emotion.
He stepped forward and cast a glance at Shinnō.
Kotoamatsukami.
Buzz—
Shinnō's pupils contracted violently. His entire body trembled.
Amaru didn't notice. She stared at Naruto, murmuring:
"Blond hair...handsome face...three whisker-like marks on his cheeks..."
Naruto could have removed those birthmarks with ease.
But he chose not to.
They were a symbol—of his bond with Kurama, the Nine-Tails.
They also helped others distinguish him from his father, Minato.
So alike.
Amaru's gaze lingered before she lowered her head, trembling.
"You're... you're Uzumaki Naruto, aren't you?!"
Naruto deactivated the Rinnegan, then turned to the tomboyish kunoichi who was clearly hiding something.
"You only just recognized me?"
The moment he spoke, Amaru dropped to her knees.
"Lord Naruto!"
"Please... save our village! Sensei Shinnō... and you... you're the only ones who can help us!"
Naruto's gaze turned to Shinnō, the man once considered the leader of the Sky Ninja.
He was a master of medical ninjutsu, versed in forbidden techniques, and had pioneered Sky Ninjutsu—a blend of chakra control and flight.
His forbidden technique, Body Activation, enhanced his physical capabilities by stimulating his cells.
He could even perform Flesh Regeneration—allowing him to reconstruct himself even if torn apart.
Combined with the Eight Gates, physical modification, and the corrupted chakra of the Zero-Tail, he could even survive the full release of all Eight Gates.
That was why Naruto hadn't killed him on sight.
The Sky Ninja problem could be dealt with.
This one... had other uses.
"It's on the way," Naruto said simply. "Let's go."
He turned around.
Outside the doorway, Mei Terumi leaned against the wall, her cheeks red.
Thankfully, the slug beside her offered support.
Amaru, still kneeling, blinked in disbelief.
Did Lord Naruto really agree... that easily?
She hurriedly slipped on her shoes and looked toward Shinnō.
He had finally snapped out of his trance.
"Let's go, Amaru. With Lord Naruto with us... nothing is impossible."
He was the first to step out.
As he walked behind Naruto, his narrowed eyes slowly softened into genuine reverence.
The group of five moved quickly.
Before long, they had left the Hidden Leaf Village behind.
"Amaru's village lies deep within the tropical jungle, upstream along this river," she explained.
"There's an ancient ruin nearby."
Onboard the airship, Naruto stared silently ahead.
Behind him, Shinnō spoke with respectful calm.
Before long, a figure appeared in the sky—an airborne shinobi wearing a Sky Ninja Flight Harness.
"Lord Naruto, that's one of the Sky Ninja."
"Would you like me to summon the others? They still follow my command."
Shinnō offered.
Amaru, who had been mentally preparing to discuss her village's crisis, froze mid-thought.
Naruto's answer was simple.
"Unnecessary."
"The Sky Ninja... harbor hatred toward Konoha and the rest of the shinobi world."
"It would be better if they simply disappeared."
With those cold words, Naruto sentenced them to death.
Hatred that deep... cannot be reasoned with.
And Naruto was done showing mercy.
Naruto suddenly said, "When you return, have them scatter their battle lines and launch a feint attack on the Five Great Nations."
"Remember—it's just a diversion."
"I'll arrange contact with the other villages so we can counter the true enemy together."
"A strategic use of discarded forces."
Even as Naruto spoke so coldly, the respect in Shinnō's eyes didn't waver—it only grew more fervent.
"Yes!"
Shinnō dropped to one knee.
Amaru's mind went blank.
She wasn't stupid. As a trained medic, she was both observant and thoughtful.
Unconsciously, her eyes settled on the man before her.
At that moment...
Above them, a squad of Sky Ninja in aerial gear noticed the airship approaching.
The lead ninja frowned at first—but then, recognizing someone onboard, his expression lit up with relief.
But just as quickly, that relief turned to horror.
A ripple of spiraling space appeared in front of him.
In the blink of an eye, his body twisted and collapsed into the void—erased by Kamui.
Shinnō turned toward Amaru, speaking softly.
"The little girl who was once shunned by her village…"
"…Now hailed as a hero who saves lives with a scalpel."
"Even with wounds all over your body, you came back to report your village's crisis."
"You've truly grown."
He smiled gently.
But to Amaru, that smile felt cold—merciless.
"…I'm sorry."
"I was the one who ordered the Sky Ninja to attack your village."
Boom. Boom.
Amaru stared at him in disbelief.
Her beloved teacher—the kind, gentle doctor who'd guided her all this time—was the mastermind behind the destruction of her home?
Why…?
"This... this has to be a lie," she whispered, shaking her head as her eyes filled with tears.
At that moment, their airship arrived above her village.
Smoke.
Flames.
Ash.
Blackened rooftops and charred wood.
Amaru rushed to the window, her breath catching in her throat.
The village... her home... was burning.
"No... Why?!" she screamed.
Shinnō glanced at Naruto, nodding faintly.
This was exactly what Naruto had arranged: trigger the chaos, activate the Zero-Tail, and extract it.
Using the turmoil, Naruto transferred the Zero-Tail into his own body.
The Sky Ninja's purpose was now fulfilled. Next, he would return to Konoha… and confront Orochimaru.
Shinnō stepped behind the weeping girl.
"Because," he said softly, "you were my favorite student."
Naruto walked to the edge of the ship, overlooking the wreckage below.
On the ground, Kakashi and Might Guy, having completed their objectives, raised their hands with OK signals.
Next to them stood a woman, holding Kakashi's hand.
When she spotted Naruto above, she saluted instantly.
Naruto returned a faint nod.
Then, turning back toward the devastated Amaru, whose emotions were spiraling out of control, he spoke:
"After this… we'll go straight to the Shikkotsu Forest."
...
TN:
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