The Beginning

A young blonde woman?

Naruto frowned as he received the memories from his Shadow Clone.

By now, he had already pursued his target into the Forest of Death.

As he moved at high speed, he began to organize the current situation.

His Shadow Clone had successfully notified Might Guy and the Third Hokage, as well as Hyuga Shinichi and the three Anbu members who were supposed to be monitoring him.

These were the reinforcements he had designated as his contingency plan; he had specifically sent the Shadow Clone to draft Hyuga Shinichi to ensure they could keep up with him.

After all, Naruto did not want to see his ambitions crumble before they had even begun. He still had family he had yet to see and blood feuds yet to be avenged... so he had to be cautious when necessary and never be arrogant or underestimate his enemy.

But the problem now was... the blonde woman of unknown identity ahead was running far too fast.

She was so fast that his Shadow Clone, possessing only a fraction of his chakra, couldn't keep up at all. His original plan had fallen through, but he was unwilling to let this woman, who might hold the answers to his questions, slip away. Left with no choice, he had to take the field himself.

Why couldn't that Anbu sense her chakra? Is it his problem or hers?

Naruto's brow furrowed tightly.

I should have confirmed it with Hyuga Shinichi through that Shadow Clone just now... to see if that woman actually has any chakra at all...

[Brat! Watch out!]

The very instant that thought flashed through his mind.

The Nine-Tails' roar in his heart and the sudden contraction of Naruto's pupils happened almost simultaneously! In the blink of an eye, a sickle-shaped wind blade slashed ferociously toward his face from directly ahead!

The opponent had actually turned back to attack!

Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!

The countless grueling training sessions aimed at shortening the pre-cast time of his ninjutsu proved their worth in this moment. In a reaction window of less than a second, Naruto completed his hand seals and jerked his head back, a compressed shockwave howling outward!

His target was not the incoming wind blade, but the air above his head!

Boom!

The recoil of the Wind Style: Vacuum Wave slammed his body—which had no leverage in mid-air—hard against the ground, the wind blade grazing past his hair by a hair's breadth!

The next instant, dozens of giant trees behind him collapsed with a roar, sliced cleanly in two, their surfaces as smooth as mirrors.

However, the moment Naruto's soles touched the ground, a massive, overwhelming force slammed into him from the front!

Naruto's instinctively crossed arms felt as if they had collided with a battering ram. He was kicked so hard he nearly flew backward, his feet plowing two deep furrows into the solid ground.

Before the sharp pain could even spread from his arms, the opponent's next wave of attacks followed like a shadow, descending upon him!

The woman had actually moved faster than her own initial strike, appearing like a phantom directly behind Naruto's flight path!

Her fair right index finger was held perfectly straight, its tip condensed with pure physical destructive power. She exerted sudden force, thrusting directly at the back of Naruto's head!

The air emitted a shrill, tortured scream at her fingertip; Naruto did not doubt for a second that it could pierce his skull as easily as poking through tofu.

In this barrage of attacks as relentless as a storm, Naruto had almost no room to breathe, yet there was not a hint of wavering in his eyes—only a flash of ferocity!

He kicked off the ground, using the momentum from being kicked back to charge toward the woman instead!

Advancing instead of retreating!

He twisted his waist in mid-air, his core erupting with power. The moment he turned to face his enemy, a violent blue chakra had condensed to its limit in his right palm, emitting a piercing shriek!

Rasengan!

Blindly dodging would only make his footing more unstable and leave him increasingly vulnerable.

Naruto's innate combat instinct told him that he must never be dragged into the opponent's rhythm!

The only way was to attack instead of defend and meet that finger head-on!

Rumble—!!!

The Rasengan and the fingertip collided head-on, without any tricks!

Violent air currents exploded outward, whipping up a sky full of fallen leaves. Blinding blue light flickered frantically, and the air erupted with a teeth-grinding, sharp friction, as if thousands of steel blades were scraping at once!

The stalemate lasted only for a heartbeat.

Naruto watched in shock as the form of the Rasengan in his palm began to fluctuate, pierced and dented inward by the mere touch of her physical fingertip!

The spiraling chakra lost its perfect spherical containment, and like a popped balloon, the energy instantly leaked and erupted!

Damn it, is that even a human finger?!

That was the only thought that could flash through Naruto's mind before he was sent flying by the massive, uncontrollable shockwave, crashing into a giant boulder like a kite with a broken string!

Thud!!

Smoke filled the air, accompanied by a few muffled groans, and gravel fell like rain.

Naruto struggled to pull himself from the indentation in the boulder, forcing himself to swallow the metallic tang of blood rising in his throat. He didn't even have time to check his injuries before standing firm, alert for the next possible attack.

However, the air fell into a deathly silence.

When the smoke cleared, the woman's figure, along with the heart-palpitating pressure she had exerted during the fight, had vanished abruptly.

It was as if she had never existed at all.

Naruto felt a chill in his heart and hurriedly asked.

"Kurama, has she left?"

[Hmm, she headed in the two o'clock direction.]

"...She doesn't want to get tangled up with me for too long, then."

Naruto understood immediately. They were still within the borders of Konoha, and for every minute the opponent delayed with him, her situation became one minute more dangerous. It made perfect sense for her to retreat immediately after realizing she couldn't quickly finish off a tail like him.

The dull, aching pain radiating from his arms began to constantly irritate his nerves. Naruto's sleeves were completely shredded, the soft tissue beneath his skin was bruising rapidly, and there was even a possibility that his bones had cracked.

It wasn't that Naruto was boasting, but if it had been any other ordinary ninja, their arm bones would have likely been shattered by that woman's kicks long ago. It was only because his physique was different from the average person that he had barely managed to hold on.

"From start to finish, it was all taijutsu. Bare fingers clashing against a Rasengan...? Aside from Might Guy, is there really anyone else in this world with such terrifying taijutsu mastery..."

Naruto's heart grew increasingly heavy.

He recalled the moment his Rasengan collided with her fingers; the erupting air currents had not only affected him but had also destroyed her disguise.

And in that brief gap, Naruto had indeed seen her face clearly.

She was a young woman with delicate features, waist-length blonde hair, and a mature, sexy aura. Naruto was certain he had never met her before, yet for some reason, a lingering, inexplicable sense of familiarity haunted him.

[Hey, brat,], Kurama suddenly said, [I'll tell you this: when that woman was fighting you... she didn't use a shred of chakra the entire time.]

[Whether it was those initial wind blades, her instantaneous movement, or the fingers that collided with your Rasengan, I didn't sense any flow of chakra. It was all pure... physical strength.]

Even after living for thousands of years and considering himself well-informed, Kurama could not hide the astonishment in his tone.

[I have never seen a ninja like this... This physical toughness is almost like that of us *Tailed Beast*s.]

"..."

Upon hearing this, Naruto's pupils shook violently. It was as if he had remembered something, his mind struck by a bolt of lightning.

After standing in silence for a full ten seconds, he said in a hoarse voice:

"Perhaps, she really isn't a ninja?"

[What do you mean?]

"Although this deduction sounds incredible and hard to believe... it is the only explanation I can think of right now."

Naruto struggled to calm his surging emotions; even though he was the one who had reached this shocking conclusion, he found it difficult to digest.

"I finally remembered where I saw her."

[Naruto, you know her?] Kurama was even more surprised. He had been with Naruto the whole time, so why did he have no impression of her?

"Kurama, you can still feel her malice, right?"

[Hmm? I can still sense it.]

"Remind me when she reaches the limit of your sensory range. I'll chase after her then. She might possess some form of Observation Haki... If her sensory range is smaller than yours, we still have a chance."

[Fine... but what exactly did you mean by what you said earlier?] Kurama pressed.

"..." Naruto hesitated for a few seconds before saying earnestly, "Kurama... can I trust you? And you must also trust me if you are to believe what I am about to say."

I don't trust humans.

The thought that had been repeated for countless years reached the tip of Kurama's tongue, but for some reason, he hesitated and could not bring himself to say it.

However, he was equally unable to frankly say, "Brat, you can trust me," or "I trust you."

Naruto's consciousness entered the seal space. Man and fox stared at each other across the cage in the gloomy void, the atmosphere falling into an inexplicable silence... and a stalemate.

Just like the sudden, brief battle that had just occurred, this showdown felt equally abrupt.

Although they had spent most of the last two months bickering, there was no denying that their relationship had undergone some subtle changes compared to the beginning—but it still hadn't reached the point of complete mutual trust.

Naruto looked at the silent Kurama, remembering a time during a lull in their arguments when he had proactively suggested a fist bump, only to be flatly rejected by this bastard with some bullshit excuse like, "You aren't qualified, I am the most badass in the world, who the hell are you, brat..."

Sometimes he was confused as to why, in those novel snippets about people transmigrating into Naruto that occasionally appeared in movie theaters, the Naruto of other worlds could easily reconcile with the Nine-Tails and fist-bump heart-to-heart, while when it came to his own turn, it was so difficult.

Yet, whenever he thought of this, he would think of himself.

Although he had once said he didn't want the power of the Nine-Tails, as a pragmatist, did he not know that having the power of the Nine-Tails would be more advantageous to him?

He knew. Therefore, he could not deny that deep down, he was no different from other humans; he, too, craved the power of the Nine-Tails.

So, what right did he have to complain about the Nine-Tails' lack of trust?

Mutual understanding was the most difficult thing in the world, and that was even more true for the Nine-Tails, who carried the long and painful memories of its interactions with humans. Its hesitation, its defenses, its hostility... were only natural.

Recalling these thoughts he had had while his mind was wandering, Naruto broke the silence in the stillness and took the first step.

"...A month and a half ago, my consciousness entered a strange movie theater."

He spoke softly to the Nine-Tails, sharing the secret he had originally thought would be buried in his heart forever.

"That is where I saw that woman. If I remember correctly, her name is Kalifa, and she is not a human from this world, which is why you couldn't sense any chakra..."

At this moment, Kalifa had already crossed the border of Konoha.

Before Tsunade took office, Konoha had not yet deployed a sensory barrier, so Kalifa bypassed the guards with ease.

At this moment, the order to heighten security was still in transit.

After carefully scanning with Observation Haki and confirming that the troublesome brat was not in pursuit, Kalifa felt a sense of relief.

However, she did not slow down, maintaining high speed as she put distance between herself and Konoha.

She pulled a Den Den Mushi from her robes.

"Brrr-brrr... Kalifa."

After only two rings, the Den Den Mushi was answered, and a low, reliable male voice came through the receiver.

"Lucci, I've been exposed."

Kalifa quickly and concisely explained the situation to Lucci.

"...That is how it happened. I don't know where I slipped up, but I suggest our people evacuate Konoha immediately. They will certainly launch a large-scale search now."

"Kaku has already gone to notify them," Lucci said. "So, you failed to kill that blond brat?"

"Yes. He... is different from those other fragile 'ninjas.' His bone density and muscle mass are far beyond the average for the natives of this world."

Recalling the look in Naruto's eyes when he turned back to clash his Rasengan against her Shigan, Kalifa's tone grew more serious.

"I can feel that despite his age, he is a difficult opponent. Even if I could eventually kill him, it would never be a quick task, so I chose to retreat after forcing him back."

"You were right. Barring any accidents, that child is likely a 'character' of significant weight in this world. People like that are usually very hard to kill."

"But if we do kill him, the reward upon returning will be substantial."

"Correct. I will note the brat's characteristics and inform them later." Lucci changed the subject. "However, what surprises me is that you were actually injured. Did you not use Tekkai?"

After the last World Conquest War, thanks to the strengthening from the World's Gift, the entire CP9 had mastered the technique of using other Rokushiki while maintaining the hardening of Tekkai. Normally, simple impact force would struggle to injure them.

"I had no choice. To end the fight quickly, I used Geppo, Rankyaku, Soru, Tekkai, and Shigan in rapid succession..." Kalifa's tone betrayed her frustration. "I left myself very little reaction time, so there was a lapse in the flow of the Rokushiki, and the Tekkai didn't fully engage."

At this moment, the middle joint of her right index finger was swollen, a mark left from when she had forcibly snapped her finger bone—which had been bent at a ninety-degree angle—back into place.

"It seems that brat's reaction speed is indeed astonishing," Lucci said calmly. "I understand the situation. Do not return to the base; divert to Supply Point Six... You aren't heading toward the base right now, are you?"

"I am not that unprofessional."

"Good. Based on current intelligence, while these ninjas are generally not strong in raw power, their other methods are treacherous and varied. We cannot be certain if you have any other undetected tracking devices on you."

Lucci issued his instructions:

"Just in case, you will not participate in the operation the day after tomorrow. Once you have your supplies, go into hiding and maintain radio silence. After the operation is complete, I will use a Vivre Card to find you."

"Understood."

The call ended.

Inside a hidden cave, Lucci picked up the Den Den Mushi again, dialed several numbers, and made a series of adjustments before finally settling down.

He closed his eyes and pondered in the darkness.

A moment later, he retrieved a red Den Den Mushi from a hidden corner. This was a special breed modified by Vegapunk, designed for ultra-long-distance communication and equipped with anti-eavesdropping functions.

"Brrr-brrr-brrr—"

The phone rang for a long time, but there was no impatience on Lucci's face; he simply waited quietly.

Finally, after nearly a minute, the call was connected.

"La-haha... Lucci, what brings you to call me? I'm busy right now~"

A flippant male voice came from the other end, with the faint sound of women's moans in the background.

"Please do not answer the phone when there are outsiders present," Lucci said, his voice cold.

"What does it matter! I haven't activated the [Translator], they can't understand a word we're saying anyway," the man on the other end laughed. "In their eyes, I am a 'Great Ninja'! They don't even dare ask what a Den Den Mushi is."

"But..."

"Ugh, enough talk, get to the point, I told you I'm busy!" the man said impatiently. "I'll kill these natives when I'm done, don't you worry!"

"..."

This is why I hate working with amateurs...

Lucci felt a sense of exhaustion. He wanted to advise the other party not to do anything unnecessary that might attract attention and cause complications, but knowing the man would never listen, he couldn't be bothered to waste his breath.

"The situation is this..."

Lucci recounted Kalifa's encounter: "...Because of this, the details of the plan for the day after tomorrow may change, but I believe the plan is still executable, so I wanted to hear your opinion."

"La-hahaha! Is that all? I thought it was something major!" the man laughed dismissively. "With me here, there's no need to cancel the plan. Just decide on the details and let me know."

"Don't be so nervous, Lucci. At the end of the day, even if they are on guard..." The man's tone was filled with condescending contempt and the confidence to sweep everything aside. "It doesn't change the fact that they are fundamentally weak, does it?"

"Strength, the law of the jungle, the hierarchy of the food chain—that is the key to everything!"

"And don't forget, Lucci..."

The man let out an even more flamboyant laugh.

"I am... their 'God of Ninjas'! La-hahaha..."