Many deaths later.
Naruto held Danzo by the throat, fingers locked tight around the old man's neck. Danzo dangled in the air, feet kicking uselessly, body limp.
Every Sharingan eye on his arm had gone dark—pupils shrunken to pinpricks, lids half-closed in permanent death. The grotesque limb hung like dead weight.
Naruto's other hand reached up. He pinched the single eye socketed in Danzo's right eye socket—Shisui's stolen Sharingan—and ripped it free with a wet *schlick*.
Danzo's scream tore through the ruined sanctuary—raw, guttural, echoing off the stone walls.
Naruto flicked his wrist. The eye arced through the air and splashed into the river with a faint *plop*, sinking beneath the surface.
"Any last words?" Naruto asked. He yawned—long, tired, like he'd just finished a boring chore.
Danzo's remaining eye stared down at him—blood streaming from the empty socket, mixing with tears and mucus. His breathing came in wet, ragged gasps.
'I can't die without taking him out!'
Suddenly Danzo's hands clawed at his own robe. Fabric tore open.
Black curse marks erupted across his chest—writhing, spreading like ink in water. The marks pulsed violently, chakra surging in a final, suicidal burst.
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
He vanished—body flicker so fast the air cracked behind him.
*BWOOOOOM!*
A massive black sphere exploded outward from Danzo's core—void-like, swallowing light, grass, river water, splintered wood, everything in a perfect radius.
The sphere devoured the sanctuary in seconds, pulling debris inward like a black hole before collapsing in on itself with a thunderous *snap*.
The explosion vanished as quickly as it came.
A deep crater smoked in the center of the field—perfectly circular, edges scorched black, river diverted into steaming pools. No trace of Danzo remained—no body, no chakra signature, no heartbeat.
Naruto stood far outside the blast zone, arms crossed, staring at the crater.
'Well… he's dead. I don't sense his chakra anymore. Don't even hear a heartbeat.'
He walked back slowly, boots crunching over charred grass. He bent down, picked up his black mask from the ground, and pulled it over his face again.
A moment later, two shadow clones emerged from the tunnel mouth—each carrying a limp Root operative over their shoulders. The bodies were bound, unconscious, masks cracked.
Naruto nodded.
"Good job, guys. Thanks."
The clones gave lazy salutes.
*Poof. Poof.*
Smoke clouds bloomed and dispersed. Memories flooded in—detailed intel from the underground base, sealed documents, hidden Root caches, names of sleeper agents, everything the clones had done.
Naruto's smirk returned beneath the mask.
'Wow… they really put the brakes on them.'
He turned, chakra flaring to his feet.
He sprinted up the sheer wall of the tunnel—vertical run, boots silent against stone—until he burst out above the village walls.
Outside, the night air hit him—cool, fresh, carrying the scent of pine and distant rain. The village lay quiet below, lights twinkling like stars.
He glanced back at the huge hole.
The entrance vanished completely; it was as if it wasn't there.
'Oh. Makes sense. Could have been a plot hole right there ' he thought.
Naruto turned away.
He reappeared in his apartment bedroom—candle still burning low on the table, sheets still faintly scented with Sakura.
He exhaled, shoulders dropping.
He peeled off the black jumpsuit—blood-spattered, grass-stained—and tossed it into the washing machine with a dull *thump*. The machine hummed to life as he padded to the bathroom.
Hot water hissed from the showerhead. Steam filled the small space. He stood under the spray, letting it wash away dirt, blood, sweat. Red rivulets swirled down the drain.
When he stepped out, towel around his waist, he felt clean—lighter.
He glanced at the clock.
'Time to go to the Gokage Summit.'
A small grin tugged at his lips.
He pulled on fresh clothes—black jacket, black pants, forehead protector gleaming—and headed for the door. The night was far from over.
But as he was about to go—
*POOF!*
Naruto vanished in a thick cloud of white smoke.
The next second he reappeared in Mount Myōboku—standing smack in the middle of Fukasaku and Shima's living room. The wooden floor creaked under his boots. The air smelled of damp earth, old moss, and the faint sweet tang of the insects crawling across the low table.
Ma and Pa sat across from him on their usual cushions—tiny, wrinkled, eyes wide but smiling warmly. A platter of wriggling bugs sat between them, glistening under the soft lantern light.
Naruto looked around slowly, then sighed.
'I never planned on meeting any of these people this early,' he thought.
"Yo, Naruto," Fukasaku said, voice gravelly but kind. "I'm sure you're wondering why you're here."
"Not really," Naruto replied, shrugging. "Probably has something to do with the Nine-Tails key or whatever, right?"
Pa blinked. "Oh, yes! It does. How did you know? Are you psychic too?"
"Nah. Just intuition, I guess." Naruto dropped cross-legged onto a cushion opposite them. "But honestly… I don't need it."
The table in front of him was covered in bugs—fat, shiny beetles, wriggling caterpillars, a few long-legged crickets trying to hop away. His stomach flipped. He stared at them for a long second.
Ma tilted her head, eyes sparkling with expectation.
Naruto swallowed. Then—slowly—he reached out, pinched a fat beetle between his fingers, and popped it into his mouth.
Crunch.
The texture was awful—crunchy shell, soft insides, burst of bitter juice. He forced a neutral face.
Ma clapped her tiny hands together. "Ohhh! He likes it! You're already my favorite of all our students!"
'The things I do just to see a cute old lady smile,' Naruto thought, shuddering internally as another bug popped between his molars.
Pa scratched his head, confused. "Wait… what do you mean you don't need it? Have you found a way to take the tailed beast's power with the seal?"
"No," Naruto said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I don't plan on taking his power. I plan on making him my buddy. In fact… we're already two peas in a pod."
"Huh?" Pa leaned forward, eyes wide. "You're telling me you've befriended the Nine-Tails?"
"He's not 'the Nine-Tails,'" Naruto corrected, smirking. "His name is Kurama. All the tailed beasts have names. I'm sure Grand Sage Toad can tell you that."
Fukasaku blinked again, then chuckled low. "Well… if that's the case, then you won't need the key your father made for you."
"Yep." Naruto stood, brushing crumbs off his pants. "Now I'll head back. Let me leave this here just in case I feel like visiting."
He knelt quickly, pressed two fingers to the low table, and left a small, glowing seal—orange lines flaring briefly before fading into the wood.
"See ya, Ma and Pa. Greet the toads for me!"
He vanished the next second.
Ma and Pa sat in the sudden quiet.
Ma smiled softly, looking at the empty spot where Naruto had been. "He finished the food. He's such a nice boy!"
Pa nodded slowly, still processing. "Yes… he really is. To befriend the Kyuubi—with all that rage and anger trapped inside it—is no easy feat."
Ma reached over and smacked the back of his head—*thwack*—not hard, but firm.
"Hey! You heard Naruto-boy. That's not his name."
Pa rubbed the spot, sheepish. "Oh… yes. I mean Kurama."
Ma nodded, satisfied, and picked up another bug for herself.
"Such a sweet child," she murmured.
Outside, the great trees of Mount Myōboku rustled in the night wind, as if agreeing.
TO BE CONTINUED