The Beginning

A young blonde woman?

Naruto, having received his Shadow Clone's memories, furrowed his brow.

By then, he had pursued her into the Forest of Death.

As he raced onward, he began sorting through the situation.

The Shadow Clone had successfully alerted Teacher Kaido and the Third Hokage, as well as Hyuga Shinichi and the three Anbu who were presumably tasked with watching him.

They were all reinforcements he had kept in reserve. He had specifically sent a Shadow Clone to recruit Hyuga so they could keep up with him.

After all, Naruto didn't want to die before he'd even gotten started. He still had family he hadn't met and blood debts he hadn't repaid... So when caution was called for, he had to be cautious. He absolutely couldn't underestimate his opponent or let his guard down.

But the problem was... the unknown blonde woman ahead of him was simply too fast.

She was so fast that a Shadow Clone containing only a portion of his chakra couldn't keep up. His original plan had fallen through, but he didn't want to let this woman, who might be able to clear up his questions, get away so easily. With no other choice, he had to go after her himself.

"Why couldn't that Anbu sense her chakra? Was something wrong with him, or with her?"

Naruto furrowed his brow.

That Shadow Clone should've checked with Shinichi... to find out whether that woman had any chakra...

[Kid! Watch out!]

The instant that thought crossed his mind,

Kurama's roar and Naruto's pupils contracting sharply happened almost simultaneously! In the blink of an eye, a sickle-shaped blade of wind came slashing toward his face!

His opponent had suddenly turned around and attacked!

Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!

The countless grueling training sessions focused on shortening the hand signs and casting time for his ninjutsu paid off. In the fraction of a second he had to react, Naruto completed the hand seals, snapped his head back, and unleashed a compressed shock wave!

His target wasn't the incoming blade of wind, but the air above him!

Boom!

The recoil from the Vacuum Wave slammed his body, which had no foothold in midair, toward the ground. The blade of wind barely missed him, grazing past the tips of his hair!

In the next instant, dozens of giant trees behind him crashed down, cleanly sliced in two, their cut surfaces smooth as mirrors.

But the moment Naruto's feet touched the ground, an overwhelming force slammed into him from the front!

His crossed arms instinctively rose to block. It was like being hit by a battering ram. The kick nearly sent him flying backward, and his feet carved two deep furrows into the solid ground!

The pain had barely begun spreading through his arms when the woman's next attack came right on its heels!

She had somehow moved faster than the attack she'd launched first, appearing like a ghost directly behind Naruto along his flight path!

Her fair right index finger was held straight, its tip concentrated with pure physical force. She suddenly lunged, driving it toward the back of Naruto's head!

The air shrieked under the strain at her fingertip. Naruto had no doubt it could pierce his skull as easily as a finger poking through tofu.

Caught in this relentless barrage, Naruto had almost no time to catch his breath. Yet there was not a trace of hesitation in his eyes—instead, a fierce glint flashed through them!

He kicked off hard with both feet, using the momentum of the kick that had sent him flying to charge straight at the woman!

Instead of dodging, he moved in!

He twisted his waist in midair, his core muscles tensing with explosive force. The instant he turned to face his enemy, a furious mass of blue chakra had compressed to its limit in his right palm, letting out a piercing whine!

Rasengan!

If he did nothing but dodge, he would lose his footing more and more, leaving himself increasingly open.

Naruto's innate battle instincts told him he absolutely couldn't let himself be dragged into his opponent's rhythm!

His only option was to attack in place of defending and meet that finger head-on!

Rumble—!!!

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

A violent blast of air exploded outward, sending leaves swirling through the air. Blinding blue light flickered wildly, and a grating shriek erupted as if thousands of steel blades were scraping against one another!

The clash lasted only an instant.

Naruto stared in disbelief as the Rasengan in his palm began to waver. The woman's bare fingertip had punctured its surface and forced it inward!

The swirling chakra had lost its perfectly spherical shape. Like a burst balloon, it instantly spilled out and exploded!

What the hell? Is that even a human finger?!

That was the only thought Naruto had time to form before the out-of-control shock wave sent him flying. He crashed into a boulder like a kite with its string cut.

Bang!

Smoke billowed, mixed with a few muffled groans, while shattered rocks pattered down like rain.

Naruto struggled out of the hollow in the boulder and forced down the metallic sweetness rising in his throat. Without even checking his injuries, he immediately steadied himself, on guard against another attack.

But the air had fallen deathly silent.

When the smoke cleared, the woman's figure had vanished without a trace, along with the oppressive presence that had made his heart pound during their fight.

As if she had never been there at all.

Naruto's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked,

"Kurama, did she leave?"

[Yeah. She went in the two o'clock direction.]

"...So she doesn't want to get tangled up with me."

Naruto understood at once. They were still within Konoha's territory, and every moment she wasted on him made her situation more dangerous. After realizing she couldn't quickly get rid of him, her pursuer, retreating immediately was only to be expected.

The numb, searing pain in his arms began to hammer at his nerves. His sleeves were completely torn to shreds, and the soft tissue beneath his skin was rapidly swelling with bruises. His bones might even have cracked.

It wasn't just Naruto bragging. If it had been any ordinary ninja, the woman would probably have broken both their arms with that kick. It was only because his body was far from ordinary that he'd managed to withstand it.

"She used nothing but Taijutsu from beginning to end. She met my Rasengan with her finger...? Other than Teacher Kaido, is there really anyone else in the world with Taijutsu this terrifying...?"

Naruto grew increasingly grave.

He remembered that when his Rasengan had collided with her finger, the blast of air had affected not only him but also damaged her disguise.

In that brief moment, Naruto had clearly seen her face.

She was a young woman with a beautiful face, waist-length blonde hair, and a mature, sexy air. Naruto was certain he had never seen her before, but for some reason, an inexplicable sense of familiarity lingered in his heart.

[Hey, kid,] Kurama suddenly said. [I should tell you—the woman didn't use chakra at all while fighting you.]

[Whether it was the first blade of wind, her sudden movements, or the finger that collided with your Rasengan, I didn't sense any flow of chakra. It was all pure... physical strength.]

Even Kurama, who had lived for thousands of years and considered himself well-traveled, could not hide his astonishment.

[I've never seen a ninja like that before... Her body's strength is almost like ours, a Tailed Beast's.]

"..."

At that, Naruto's pupils contracted sharply. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, bringing something to mind.

He fell silent for more than ten seconds before speaking hoarsely.

"Maybe she really isn't a ninja?"

[What do you mean?]

"Though the idea sounds incredible, almost impossible to believe... it's the only explanation I can think of right now."

Naruto tried to calm his roiling emotions. Even though he was the one who had reached this astonishing conclusion, he still found it hard to process.

"I finally remembered where I've seen her before."

[Naruto, you know her?] Kurama was even more astonished. He and Naruto had always been together, so why didn't he have the slightest recollection of her?

"Kurama, you can still sense her hostility, right?"

[Yeah. I can still sense it.]

"Warn me when she gets close to the edge of your sensing range. I'll catch up with her then. She may have some kind of Observation ability... If her Observation Haki has a shorter range than yours, we'll still have a chance."

[Fine... But what did you mean by what you just said?] Kurama pressed.

"..." Naruto hesitated for a few seconds, then said seriously, "Kurama... can I trust you? And you'll have to trust me too if you're going to believe what I'm about to tell you."

I don't trust humans.

The thought he had repeated countless times came to the tip of Kurama's tongue, but for some reason, he hesitated and couldn't bring himself to say it.

But he also couldn't honestly say something like, You can trust me, kid, or I trust you.

Naruto's consciousness entered the sealing space as well. One man and one fox stared at each other through the bars in the dim space, and the atmosphere fell into a strange silence... and a stalemate.

Just like the brief, unexpected fight, this moment of truth had come without warning.

Though they had spent most of the past two months insulting each other, it was undeniable that their relationship had changed in some subtle way since the beginning. But they still weren't at the point where they could bare their hearts to each other completely.

As Naruto looked at the silent Kurama, he recalled a time when, during a lull in one of their arguments, he had offered to fist-bump him. The bastard had flatly refused with some bullshit excuse like, "You're not worthy. I'm the greatest in the whole world. Who the hell are you, kid?"

Sometimes he wondered why, in those stories about people transmigrating into Naruto that occasionally appeared in the movie theater, Naruto in other worlds could so easily make peace with the Nine-Tails and fist-bump him to seal their bond, while it was so difficult for him, the real deal.

But whenever he thought about it, he also thought about himself.

He had once said he didn't want Kurama's power, but as a pragmatist, surely he knew that having the Nine-Tails' power would benefit him.

He did. So he couldn't deny that deep down, he was no different from any other human. He wanted Kurama's power just as much.

Then what right did he have to complain that the Nine-Tails didn't trust him?

Understanding each other was one of the hardest things in the world, especially when the Nine-Tails carried a long and painful history with humans. Its inner conflict, its defenses, its hostility... all of it was only natural.

Remembering thoughts he had once had while letting his mind wander, Naruto broke the silence and took the first step.

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

He spoke softly, telling Kurama a secret he had once thought he would keep buried forever.

"That's where I saw that woman. If I remember right, her name was Kalifa. And she isn't human from this world either, which is why you can't sense any chakra..."

By then, Kalifa had already left Konoha's borders.

Before Tsunade took office, Konoha had not set up a sensory barrier, so Kalifa had easily slipped past the guards.

The order to step up security was still on its way.

After carefully sensing her surroundings with Observation Haki, Kalifa confirmed that the troublesome brat wasn't following her and felt slightly relieved.

But she didn't slow down. She continued racing away from Konoha at full speed.

She pulled a Den Den Mushi from her clothes.

"Brrr brrr... Kalifa."

The call was answered after only two rings, and a deep, dependable male voice came through the receiver.

"Lucci, I've been exposed."

Kalifa quickly and concisely explained the situation to Lucci.

"...That's what happened. I don't know where I slipped up, but I recommend that all our people leave Konoha immediately. They'll definitely launch a large-scale search."

"Kaku's already gone to notify them," Lucci said. "So you weren't able to kill that blonde brat?"

"That's right. He... wasn't like the other fragile 'ninjas.' His bones and muscles were far denser than those of the locals in this world."

Remembering the look in Naruto's eyes when he had turned around and met her Shigan with a Rasengan, Kalifa spoke more seriously.

"I could tell he was a troublesome opponent despite his age. Even if I eventually managed to kill him, it wouldn't be quick. So after driving him back, I chose to retreat."

"You made the right call. Unless something unexpected happens, that child should be a very important 'character' in this world. People like that are usually hard to kill."

"But the Gift you'd receive for killing him would be substantial."

"Exactly. I'll remember the brat's features and tell the others later." Lucci changed the subject. "Still, I'm surprised you got injured. Didn't you use Tekkai?"

After the previous world-conquest campaign, the enhancement from the world's Gift had allowed every member of CP9 to use other forms of Rokushiki while maintaining Tekkai. Ordinarily, then, sheer impact would have had a hard time injuring them.

"I had no choice. To finish things quickly, I used Geppo, Rankyaku, Soru, Tekkai, and Shigan in rapid succession..." Kalifa sounded helpless. "I left myself very little time to react, so there was a slight mistake in the transitions between the Six Powers. I didn't fully activate Tekkai in time."

By then, the middle of her right index finger had swollen badly. She had bent the bone back into place after it had been forced into a ninety-degree angle.

"It sounds like that brat really does have astonishing reflexes," Lucci said blandly. "I understand the situation. Don't return to base. Head to Supply Point Six instead... You're not moving toward the base now, are you?"

"I'm not that unprofessional."

"Good. Based on the information we have so far, these ninjas aren't very strong in a direct fight, but their other methods are strange and unpredictable. We still can't be sure whether there might be some other tracking method on you that we haven't discovered."

Lucci gave his orders.

"To be safe, you won't take part in the operation the day after tomorrow. Pick up your supplies and stay hidden on your own. Maintain radio silence. Once the operation is complete, I'll use your Vivre Card to find you."

"Understood."

The call ended.

In a hidden cave somewhere, Lucci picked up another Den Den Mushi and dialed several numbers. He made a series of adjustments before finally settling down.

He closed his eyes and sank into thought in the darkness.

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

"Brrr brrr brrr—"

The Den Den Mushi rang for a long time, but Lucci showed no impatience. He simply waited in silence.

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

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

A man's frivolous voice came through the receiver, with the faint gasps of several women in the background.

"Please don't answer the phone when other people are around," Lucci said coldly.

"What does it matter? I haven't turned on the [translator]! They can't understand a word we're saying." The man on the other end laughed loudly. "Besides, they think I'm a 'Ninja Lord'! They wouldn't dare ask what a Den Den Mushi is."

"But..."

"Come on, cut the crap and get to the point. I told you I'm busy!" the man said impatiently. "I'll kill these locals once I'm done, so don't worry!"

"..."

This is why I hate working with amateurs...

Lucci felt exhausted. He wanted to tell the man not to do anything unnecessary that might draw attention and complicate matters, but the other man wouldn't listen anyway. So he didn't bother wasting his breath.

"Here's what happened..."

Lucci recounted Kalifa's experience. "...So the details of the plan for the day after tomorrow may need to change, but I think we can still carry it out. I wanted to hear your opinion."

"Lahahaha! I thought it was going to be something serious!" The man laughed dismissively. "With me here, there's no need to cancel the plan. Just tell me the details once you've worked them out."

"Don't be too nervous, Lucci. At the end of the day, even if they're on their guard..." The man's voice brimmed with condescending contempt and the confidence of someone who could sweep everything aside. "It won't change the fact that they're weak, will it?"

"Strength, survival of the fittest, the hierarchy of the food chain—that's what matters!"

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

The man let out an even more brazen laugh.

"I'm their 'God of Shinobi,' after all! Lahahaha..."