The reason Naruto brought Mei Terumi along wasn't just because they were headed toward the Land of Water—it was also due to her mastery of Water Release techniques.
Naruto had already pieced things together in his mind, allowing him to make a clear judgment of what had to be done first.
Naturally, Mei Terumi didn't reject the proposal.
As for the Sage of Six Paths from the Pure Land, Naruto had decided to give him some time—to see exactly what he intended.
Just then, Mei Terumi and Katsuyu approached Naruto.
Summoning her courage, Mei Terumi clung to Naruto's arm.
"I… I can even control the sea itself."
Meanwhile, Amaru bowed her head and whispered:
"Shinnō-sensei saved my life… I was an abandoned infant, stricken with a strange, fatal illness. No one in the village dared care for me."
"But Shinnō-sensei… he treated me at the risk of infection."
"When I finally woke up, he smiled brightly and told me…"
Her voice trailed off, tears streaming down her face.
She slowly removed her scarf, revealing her long, dark red hair.
Suddenly, her body trembled.
Her eyes glowed a sinister red.
"I am the Zero-Tail. The world is steeped in war."
"When hatred takes root in people's hearts… I return."
"I devour that darkness… and from it, I am born and grow endlessly."
As she spoke, her voice shifted—distorted and otherworldly.
"To let this world fall into shadow."
Then she raised her head.
In an instant, her form twisted into the terrifying shape of the Zero-Tail.
A grotesque creature formed of dark chakra, its serpentine body writhed in the air.
It had no face—only a mask bearing a single kanji on its forehead: 零 (Zero).
Its body could shape itself into myriad limbs.
Zero-Tail turned, staring directly at Naruto.
"You… You harbor something fascinating."
"The power within you… It's what I seek!"
With those words, countless tentacles erupted from its body and lashed out at Naruto.
Naruto gently moved Mei Terumi aside.
In the blink of an eye, the tentacles ensnared him.
"Then show me that power!"
"The darkness within you…"
"What?!"
A look of shock surfaced on the mask of the Zero-Tail.
It tried to siphon Naruto's chakra—but failed.
The tentacles clinging to him were like vines trying to strangle stone.
Naruto smirked.
"If you want it, take it."
He took a single step forward.
Snap—
The tentacles cracked and fell away.
Every step Naruto took caused more tendrils to break off.
Fear—genuine, human-like fear—began to creep onto the creature's featureless face.
"My power… Why… you…"
Naruto reached out and tapped its mask.
"You're not absorbing it?"
"Then I guess… it's my turn."
Inside the cocoon of flesh, Amaru could now be seen curled up, seemingly unconscious.
Her body was growing translucent as the Zero-Tail's form began to collapse.
Boom. Boom.
The ruins trembled violently.
At the same time, the underground fortress of the Sky Ninja began to rise, emerging from the earth and hovering in the air before the massive airship.
"Lord Naruto, this is the ultimate weapon the Sky Ninja have spent decades developing."
A voice rang out respectfully as Shinnō arrived at Naruto's side and bowed.
Amaru stirred slightly, awakening as the Zero-Tail's power rapidly drained away.
"In order to obtain the Zero-Tail's technique… I traveled across the nations, pretending to be a wandering healer."
"I found the scroll of resurrection in Konoha."
"And with it, I gained the Zero-Tail's power…"
"The power of dark chakra."
"No…" Amaru gasped, waking fully.
But the Zero-Tail had already been absorbed.
Naruto glanced at her calmly.
Then he raised a hand.
Shinnō moved forward, kneeling once more.
"Naruto-sama."
Naruto nodded and infused the extracted power of the Zero-Tail into Shinnō's body.
"Don't forget your mission."
With a single push—
Whoosh—
Shinnō flew toward the Sky Ninja fortress, where several ninja awaited his arrival.
From afar, he turned and bowed deeply once more.
The power of the Zero-Tail—naraku no chakra—could become a weapon to balance the hatred that plagued the shinobi world.
Now completely devoid of Zero-Tail's influence, Amaru knelt in silence.
Naruto turned to her.
"Let's go. This path isn't for you."
He opened a rift to Yomotsu Hirasaka and took Amaru by the hand, stepping through.
"Na… Naruto~!"
"I'll be back soon."
Only then did Mei Terumi stop herself from chasing after him.
Through the portal, they arrived at the outskirts of Amaru's Village.
Amaru stood stunned.
"It's alright. You understand the truth now."
"Whether you step forward… is up to you."
Amaru looked up, her face wet with tears.
"Shinnō… He's under my control. I can still use him."
"..."
Naruto's next words didn't reach her.
Instead, the words she'd once heard as she left Konoha echoed in her mind.
Standing before her was Uzumaki Naruto.
He, too, was human. But compared to him… her struggles seemed small.
"…How did you do that?"
Amaru asked quietly.
Naruto paused.
"…I don't know."
Then he turned, stepping back into Yomotsu Hirasaka.
Bang—
"Youth~!"
Might Guy burst onto the scene.
"Huh? Where's Naruto?"
He looked around, scratching his head.
"Oh well! Since Naruto's returned, there's no need for everyone to stay hidden anymore~!"
He shouted toward the villagers.
"You've got energy to spare, Guy," came a voice.
Guy turned—Kakashi stood behind him.
Guy smiled, ready to strike a pose—until he saw Karin beside Kakashi.
His enthusiasm instantly deflated.
"I've got to prove myself in front of Naruto!"
"Unlike some people… Hmph!"
Amaru looked at the trio and noticed the headbands they wore.
"Konoha… Yes, Konoha."
"Let's wait until Naruto comes back."
The airship picked up speed, cruising smoothly through the skies.
Mei Terumi looked out the window, her eyes tracing the coastline as familiar terrain came into view.
"I didn't expect… this is what the Land of Water looks like from above."
Indeed, the trio had already crossed the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.
Naruto lounged on a recliner, Slug resting behind him and gently massaging his shoulders. Surprisingly, Mei Terumi was seated beside him, mimicking Slug's actions by massaging Naruto's legs.
Naruto wasn't quite sure how to react. Slug, being Tsunade's long-time partner, didn't raise any alarms. But Mei Terumi... it felt less like she was serving him and more like she was enjoying it.
Was this what people meant when they said someone was boy-crazy?
Come to think of it, Karin often acted like this too…
Soon after, the airship arrived above Kirigakure, the Hidden Mist Village.
Mei Terumi peered down. A small smile played on her lips, and she couldn't help but glance sideways at Naruto.
Below, the elders of the village looked up at the airship streaking across the sky. Their old, wrinkled faces were full of contentment.
Before leaving Konoha, Mei Terumi had sent a simple message back home:
[Marrying!]
The elders who had watched her grow up understood what those words meant—and who they were meant for.
Naruto swept his senses over Kirigakure. Almost every household had put up celebratory banners and couplets.
It was a festive scene... almost overwhelming.
But if that was the biggest spectacle, Naruto's thoughts drifted to something else entirely.
A hundred thousand White Zetsu used to exist. Now? Only a few hundred remained—second-stage White Zetsu.
He exhaled slowly.
Still doing fine. Not bad.
Little did they know, one man on this airship already held power beyond any other in the shinobi world.
Slug, who had remained quiet throughout the trip, continued observing silently.
She'd long been aware of the world's changes, but witnessing them with her own eyes was something else entirely.
Raising a hand, she pop split off a small clone and placed it on Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto blinked slightly at the cold, damp sensation.
"Naruto-sama, we're nearing the Shikkotsu Forest."
Naruto gave a small nod, eyes lifting to the horizon.
At that moment, the airship passed beyond the borders of the Land of Water, flying over the vast ocean that lay beyond the known world of shinobi.
Under Slug's guidance—and Naruto's own sensing ability—they approached an unnaturally calm stretch of sea.
A large, hazy island appeared ahead.
The sheer size of it was staggering—it rivaled the landmass of any of the Five Great Nations.
Mei Terumi's eyes widened in awe.
"That... is that the Shikkotsu Forest? One of the three great sacred lands?"
Slug nodded slightly and stopped massaging Naruto's shoulders.
"Naruto-sama, we've reached the barrier. I'll need to return to my true form to take you inside."
Naruto slowly guided the airship to descend near a smaller island.
The protective barrier surrounding the Shikkotsu Forest wasn't something he couldn't force his way through—but doing so would damage its integrity. Better to follow protocol.
Once they landed, Slug hesitated only briefly before she began to change.
Her small form wriggled and swelled, expanding outward in waves. In just a short moment, she grew into a massive slug—though still only about one-tenth her actual size.
She needed to keep part of her presence inside the forest, after all.
Naruto and Mei Terumi stepped onto Slug's broad head.
"Hold on tight," Slug warned softly.
She took a deep breath—
Whoooosh—
A gust of wind roared as the giant slug surged forward, gliding across the water with surprising grace and speed, heading straight toward the Shikkotsu Forest.
Mei Terumi gazed at the towering silhouette of the island growing ever closer.
Boop—
The moment they passed through the invisible barrier, the atmosphere shifted.
They had officially entered the Shikkotsu Forest.
A thick mist hung in the air, but with Slug's presence, it parted easily. The haze that would usually distort vision now dispersed smoothly in their path.
Step—
The trio crossed from sea to land.
Mei Terumi stepped down and blinked. The ground beneath her feet was soft—almost like walking on sponge.
She looked out over the vast, mist-shrouded forest, her expression stunned.
"This... this whole place..."
Naruto remained calm. He'd already sensed it beforehand.
Slug continued moving, picking up speed once more—eventually reaching the velocity of an airship again.
Half an hour passed.
Mei Terumi, startled by the sudden stop, stumbled and accidentally leaned into Naruto's chest.
Before them stood a colossal tree—towering into the sky, its trunk wide enough to fit a castle inside.
"Is that the sacred tree that supports the Shikkotsu Forest?" Mei whispered.
Naruto exhaled slowly.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear: these weren't ordinary trees.
They were formed from dense, living chakra.
The slug slowed to a crawl.
"That's your true body, isn't it?" Naruto asked, glancing at the enormous tree.
"Yes, Naruto-sama... Please, you and Mei Terumi-sama should step down now."
Naruto gently held the dazed Mei Terumi as they landed on the soft, almost sponge-like ground.
The massive slug—currently only one-tenth of her full size—squirmed and returned to her original form.
"Apologies for the wait, Naruto-sama."
Naruto gave a casual wave. "Let's check things out first."
Still carrying Mei Terumi in his arms, Naruto tapped the ground lightly with his foot and began to float upward.
Behind him, the slug raised her body high, stretching further and further—like a living, towering staircase ascending into the mist.
Bo——
They pierced through the dense fog layer hanging over the Wet Bone Forest.
Naruto's brow furrowed.
The Mori-Mori no Mi within him was being suppressed by some unknown force. It wasn't painful, but it created an odd sense of resistance—like trying to move underwater.
Still, once the Mori-Mori power circulated again, the discomfort eased slightly.
Mei Terumi, on the other hand, was completely overwhelmed.
Seeing the massive, circular, translucent barrier hovering above the forest, she instinctively clung tighter to Naruto.
"C-Can we pass through that?"
Naruto glanced upward. "Will we make it through?"
Slug paused for a moment before answering, "Yes… but I won't be able to accompany you, Naruto-sama. I must remain here to help stabilize the barrier."
Naruto nodded in understanding and looked skyward.
Beyond the barrier was an entirely different world.
A deep, blue expanse stretched endlessly above them—an inverted ocean above the sky.
Whoosh—
A massive, otherworldly creature—fish-like in shape but larger than any known sea beast—glided silently through the water above the barrier.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, watching it with caution.
And then—
Boom. Boom.
The muffled echo of cannon fire rang out.
Above the watery ceiling that covered the sky, dark warships loomed just above the "ocean." Their cannons fired black shells downward toward the island below.
Whoosh—
A golden blur shot through the sky, landing atop one of the incoming shells.
BOOM!
The shell struck the forest floor, detonating in a violent burst of flames and debris.
Shouts, screaming, and chaotic footsteps echoed in the distance.
Thick black smoke billowed into the mist.
"Oh~!"
A lazy, singsong voice called out from the smoke.
"I've arrived already~!"
"Hmm~!"
"Would someone care to respond~?"
"Moshi moshi~? I'm Kizaru~!"
...
TN:
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