Context :
After his confrontation with Seijuro, Naruto returns to Konoha to find that the situation has worsened. Seijuro's continued attacks and manipulations have managed to sow discord, and some of the population begins to doubt Naruto.
Naruto leapt towards his doppelganger, Kurama's chakra emanating from him. Seijuro, still transformed into Naruto, skillfully dodged and counterattacked with invisible wind blades, forcing Naruto to activate Sennin Mode to keep up with his movements.
Seijuro burst out laughing.
— "You are fast, I grant you that. But what does your strength matter if your own people reject you?"
Naruto gritted his teeth.
— "I'll unmask you in front of everyone!"
Seijuro activated his Meiunogan, anticipating Naruto's movements. He used a blast of wind to create a thick cloud of dust and debris, masking his escape.
Naruto, frustrated, tried to follow, but a sudden pain in his abdomen—a residue of chakra disrupted by Kurama's aura—slowed him down. When the dust cleared, Seijuro was gone.
Naruto returned to the village, accompanied by Kiba and Ino. The atmosphere in the streets was tense. Murmurs rose among the inhabitants.
— "Is that him?"
— "They say he attacked another village..."
— "Why would he do that? Maybe he's become like those old jinchurikis, uncontrollable."
Naruto walked straight ahead, ignoring the accusing looks, but every word he heard was like a blade stabbing into his heart.
Naruto abruptly entered Kakashi's office. Shikamaru, Hinata, and Sakura were already there, their expressions serious.
— "He escaped again," Naruto said, frustrated. "That guy is pretending to be me and destroying everything in his path. We have to find him and capture him!"
Kakashi sighed, placing a hand on his chin.
— "Naruto, the situation is more complicated. Since the attacks began, the Council of Daimyos of the great nations has begun to worry. Some are asking that you be closely monitored."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
— "What?! You know it's not me!"
Shikamaru, ever pragmatic, intervened.
— "We know that. But you must understand that the evidence against you is compelling. Most people do not know the intricacies of chakra or transformation techniques. To them, you are the one attacking villages."
Hinata spoke timidly.
— "Naruto-kun, you have to be patient. We will find a way to prove your innocence."
Naruto looked away, his fist clenched.
— "I can't just stand here and do nothing while this guy sullies my name and puts innocent people in danger."
As he walked out of the office, Naruto was confronted by a group of villagers gathered near the main gate. An elderly man, visibly angry, stepped forward.
— "Naruto! What are you going to do to protect us? Or should we protect ourselves from you?"
Naruto stood there frozen, taken aback.
— "Listen, it's not me who..."
A woman in the crowd interrupted him.
— "So why do witnesses say they saw you? Why can't anyone else confirm what you say?"
The crowd's murmurs grew louder, and Hinata came to his side, placing a reassuring hand on his arm.
— "Naruto-kun, let's go. This is not the time."
But Naruto raised his hand, looking at the crowd with determination.
— "I know I've asked you to trust me in the past. And today, I'm asking you again. I've done nothing to betray you, and I'm going to prove my innocence. Please believe in me."
A heavy silence fell over the crowd, but no one answered.
Back home, Naruto sat on his bed, his face buried in his hands.
In his mind, Kurama growled.
— "You can't let yourself get down like this. This isn't the first time people have doubted you."
Naruto raised his head.
— "But this time it's different. They believed in me after the war. I saw them smile, hope... and now it's all falling apart."
Kurama sighed.
— "That's exactly why you have to get up. You're Naruto Uzumaki. The whole world is watching you. If you give up now, it will be over."
A soft voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
— "He's right."
Naruto tensed.
— "Kaguya? Are you still here?"
She appeared in a corner of his mind, arms crossed.
— "If you want to prove your innocence, find a better strategy. You can't face this enemy with just your brute force. He's too smart for that."
Naruto nodded, a new fire shining in his eyes.
— "You're right. I'll prove that I'm innocent, and I'll stop him."
End of chapter.
Chapter 16.2: The Gaze of the Goddess
Context :
Ever since she began observing Seijuro's actions and Naruto's reactions, Kaguya has been meditating in her mind on the complexity of humans.
In Naruto's inner world, Kaguya stands in his mental sanctum. She observes fragments of Naruto's memories: his training with Jiraiya, his laughter with his friends, his suffering in ignorance and loneliness.
She whispers to herself, her tone icy but tinged with curiosity.
— "They are so weak... and yet, they get up again and again. Why? What is the secret of this resilience?"
Kurama, nestled not far away in this inner world, growls.
— "You suddenly have an interest in humans, Kaguya? I thought you looked down on them."
She turns to him, her eyes piercing.
— "I despise them. Their fragility, their ignorance... But I can't deny that they have something I've never understood. A strength that doesn't come from chakra or ninja arts. Naruto is the perfect example."
In the real world, Kaguya, in her spirit form, floats next to Naruto, invisible to others. She watches him as he walks through the streets of Konoha, his shoulders slightly slumped under the weight of the accusations leveled against him.
She comments in her mind.
— "He is weak... and yet he carries the burden of an entire world on his shoulders. Why doesn't he let himself be broken? Why doesn't he turn against those who betray him?"
Naruto stops in front of a bakery, watching a little girl feed a stray cat. He smiles softly, as if this simple act of kindness eases his torment for a moment.
Kaguya clenches her fists.
— "A smile... for so little? It's really incomprehensible."
Back in the Mind Sanctuary, Kaguya stands in front of a mirror of water reflecting her past.
She sees the faces of the first humans she met, greedy men who worshipped her as much as they feared her. She sees herself betraying them, fearing their greed and violence.
— "They haven't changed," she whispers. "Even now, they turn on their hero whenever they feel fear. How can this boy trust them?"
But another memory emerges: that of her sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, reaching out to her when she was cornered. Their gazes full of determination and sadness.
She closes her eyes, troubled.
— "Maybe... maybe I misunderstood something."
In the inner world, Kurama stands up straight, staring at Kaguya warily.
— "You're just watching. You're observing Naruto like a predator would its prey. But don't think I don't see what you're doing. You're slowly absorbing his chakra, aren't you?"
Kaguya doesn't deny it, but her expression remains impassive.
— "This chakra is mine, Bijuu. This world was built on my power, and I will take it back. But..."
She pauses, her eyes wandering into space.
— "This boy disturbs me. He reminds me of what I lost and what I never understood."
Kurama growls, his fangs glinting in the golden light.
— "You mean love? Loyalty? Things you trampled on to gain power?"
Kaguya answers curtly.
— "These are illusions. But I must admit that these illusions are powerful."
As Naruto sits on the roof of his apartment, staring up at the night sky, Kaguya appears beside him, still invisible to him.
She stares at him for a long time, his face filled with an emotion she doesn't quite understand.
— "You're an idiot, Naruto Uzumaki. But... maybe it's that kind of idiotism that saves this world. If I'm to survive in this world, I have to understand why you are like this."
She reaches out a spiritual hand towards him, but stops before touching him.
— "For now, I will observe you. And when the time comes... I will decide whether you deserve to live or disappear."
Naruto, unaware of her presence, mutters to himself.
— "I have to keep moving forward. It doesn't matter what other people think of me, as long as I know what's right."
The words echo in Kaguya's mind like a distant echo. A shadow of doubt passes through her eyes.
End of chapter.