The fresh grass outside Konoha's gates carried the sharp, raw scent of soil.
Naruto stood on the wet grass, staring longingly at the green light that had long since vanished from the sky.
His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms and his knuckles turned white.
"Pervy Sage... what exactly did Big Bro eat growing up?"
Naruto spoke stiffly, his throat feeling as though someone had stuffed it with dry, coarse sand.
Jiraiya hobbled over beside him on his crutches, his weathered face filled with complicated emotions and self-mockery.
"I'd like to know that myself. That kid isn't even a ninja."
"The vitality inside him is practically that of a living Divine Tree."
Beside them, Sakura rubbed her reddened eyes and sobbed softly, her face full of shock.
"He can even force the dead back to life... is Lord Sen really not a god?"
Kakashi leaned against a charred stump, his hair a mess, and sighed.
"I used to be his squad's Elite Jonin leader. Looking back, I really didn't know my limits."
"I actually thought about teaching him shuriken back then. Who knew he could kill Pain with one finger?"
Naruto lowered his head and looked at his palms. The Nine-Tails' chakra inside him trembled faintly.
The great fox, usually so arrogant, had curled into a huge ball of fur inside the Sealing Technique.
"Don't waste your time, brat. I never want to run into that monster again as long as I live."
Kurama growled inside Naruto's head, his voice carrying a fear he simply couldn't suppress.
"His Wood Release... its destruction and plunder are even more terrifying than the First's. Just stay put."
Naruto bit his pale lips. At that moment, his stubborn refusal to lose finally dissolved.
After training hard with the