There was nothing human left in Naruto. His mind was drowned in the roaring flames of hatred.
In the Shinobi world, there were no laws protecting against one's own strength. The sphere of space-distorting chakra that grew in his hands was a double—edged weapon - it could not only incinerate Konoha, but also tear apart its creator.
"Shut up, Fox! GIVE ME STRENGTH! — he growled, and this growl was no longer human. All his rage, all his despair poured into the Bomb of the Tailed Beast without a trace. He didn't just want to destroy Konoha, he wanted to erase the very memory of it from the face of the earth.
To hell with the Hokage. To hell with the village that Sasuke had taken from him. His faith in Konoha died with his friend. There was only one goal left — to burn this lying, rotten place to the ground.
—Jiraiya, it's not good! The voice of Sage Shima on Sannin's shoulder rang with undisguised fear. "He needs to be stopped!" Immediately! This thing is going to kill us all!
The great sage toad watched as the lump of pure death pulsed in Naruto's hands, and felt the air itself vibrate. Shima had no doubt that if this ball of hate exploded, Konoha would disappear. And they're with her—even the reverse summoning technique won't have time to take them to Mount Myoboku.
There are only two ways left: kill jinchuuriki or... strengthen the seal.
Kill him? In this form? Madness. If they had the power to suppress him, the battle would have ended long ago.
It means a seal. The one that allowed him to draw on the Fox's power, the one that was the key to his legacy... But now, this force was surging in an indomitable torrent. Will Jiraiya, who is not the best fuinjutsu master, be able to calm this storm? It was a slim chance. But there was no other option.
Tsunade and the rest of the Shinobi understood his plan without words. Their attacks doubled in fury—every punch, every technique was a desperate attempt to buy him at least a second.
— Hee-hee-hee… I'll kill you all! Ha ha ha ha! Naruto's insane laughter echoed across the battlefield. The Tailed Beast's bomb in his hand swelled to monstrous proportions, ready to turn everything into nothing.
And then Jiraiya's voice broke into the cacophony of battle, desperate and loud:
"Stop it, Naruto! You should know! You're not just the orphan you thought you were. You have a father. His name was Namikaze Minato! He was my student. And he was the Fourth Hokage!
Jiraiya stepped forward, right under the demon's withering gaze.
"The one who gave his life to seal the Nine—Tails in his own son's body!" He sacrificed himself for this village! Do you want to destroy everything that your parents defended with their lives?! Stop it!
Jiraiya's words hung in the air, causing even the most desperate Shinobi to freeze. But there was no shock in their eyes. There was no sympathy either. Just a cold calculation. They didn't care whose son he was. In front of them stood a monster, a traitor who raised his hand against the Hokage and his comrades. And while he's distracted, we need to strike a decisive blow.
Jiraiya could see it in their eyes. That was his plan.
"I'm sorry, Minato,— he said in his mind, and his heart sank with bitterness. "I'm sure you would have done the same." You would have killed him yourself to save the village."
However, to his horror, Naruto's face did not flinch. Not a shadow of doubt, not a glimmer of recognition. Only icy contempt and inhuman thirst for blood. The words bounced off him like a stone wall.
Does he really not care?
No. He didn't care. If it were true... he might have hesitated.
But he knew the value of Jiraiya's words. He knew what lies the top of Konoha was capable of in order to drive the beast into a cage. They had already lied to him about Sasuke, presenting the abduction and torture as a voluntary choice.
The news about the parents? Another manipulation, a cheap trick to catch him off guard.
What if the truth is even uglier? His parents are not heroes. They are the same victims, experimental rats in the laboratories of Danzo or Orochimaru. The unfortunate ones who were abducted, used, and then disposed of, creating the perfect vessel for the Nine-Tails.
The thought burned his mind. So he was raised as a weapon from birth. Isolated, despised, so that he, starved for recognition, saw the Hokage as a god and was ready to die for the village that hated him!
The blood in my veins began to boil. The urge to kill, momentarily subdued, flared up with monstrous force.
To kill. Them. All of them.
"Damn it!" Jiraiya exhaled, seeing that his words had no effect. He dug this hole for himself when he lied the first time. Now Naruto won't believe a single word he says.
On his shoulders, Fukasaku and Shima exchanged heavy glances.
How could such a bright child turn into this monster? The answer was obvious, and it made me feel bitter. Konoha is to blame for everything. First, they drove Uchiha, a god-like genius, to madness. Now they've broken their own jinchuuriki, turning his devotion to ashes.
Had they killed his family?
No... he didn't even have a family. Just a dream about her. And boundless, blind faith in the village and its Hokage.
A faith that they themselves trampled on.