Divine Descent
Dark clouds, heavy as lead, pressed down on the Hidden Leaf, and the wind carried a persistent dampness.
Kakashi and his group appeared Konoha Gate, looking travel-worn.
Behind them, several Anbu were carrying a scarred man tightly bound by golden Chakra Chains. He was the leader of the missing-nin from the Hidden Cloud Village's black market, his body charred black, most of his bones broken, and he was barely clinging to life.
"Oh."
Beside the stone pillar in front of the gate, a dazzling golden color was already waiting there.
Naruto stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against a stone pillar, a half-eaten blade of grass between his teeth, surveying the group from his elevated position.
Kakashi's one exposed dead fish eye twitched suddenly. "Didn't you say you were going to the border of the Land of Fire to 'welcome guests'? How come you're faster than us?"
"Went, didn't find anything." Naruto spat out a blade of grass, casually brushing the dust off his trousers. "I casually scattered a dozen or so Flying Thunder God Kunai in the border canyon and spun a net. Since the prey didn't trigger the trap, I'll come back and take a nap."
A casual remark caused Sasuke, standing nearby, to clench his fists tightly.
Spanning hundreds of kilometers, he laid out a vast Space-Time Ninjutsu net, then instantly returned. This incredibly monstrous Chakra reserves and mobility were, in Naruto's words, easier than going to Ichiraku for Ichiraku of ramen.
A number of civilians and Genin had gathered at the village entrance.
A suppressed murmur arose from the crowd as they watched this wounded team return.
"I heard they clashed with the Hidden Cloud at the border! The Raikage himself got involved!"
"No fight broke out? How come this Demon Fox is still alive? Did he get into some huge trouble again and come back to make our whole village take the blame?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down, the Anbu are still here..."
Ignorant prejudices blew into the ranks with the wind.
If it were the old Naruto Uzumaki, he would have jumped onto the high wall, his face flushed, and shouted to prove his innocence.
But at that moment, Naruto didn't even lift his eyelids.
A cold, contemptuous smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.
He couldn't be bothered to explain to these ants who would never leave Konoha Gate. Just half a day ago, he had smashed the Raikage's armor, extorted a huge sum of 120 million ryo in compensation, and even forced Hidden Cloud to sign an insurmountable and domineering treaty.
Why would a lion care about a dog's barking?
Naruto didn't waste any words; he simply turned his head slightly and glanced in the direction where the discussion was loudest.
There were no Hand Seals, and no burst of Chakra.
A mere wisp of pure life force emanating from the Perfect Uzumaki Sage Body poured forth along his gaze.
Bang!
The three civilians who had been gossiping in the front row instantly turned pale, their legs went weak, and they collapsed to their knees like rag dolls, even wetting their pants in the process.
The surroundings fell silent instantly; all dissent was abruptly silenced by that one glance.
"Let's go, back to the new house." Naruto withdrew his gaze, stepped into the gate first, leaving everyone with an arrogant and unyielding back view.
The warehouse in the east of the village, once considered a wasteland and ruin, has now been completely renovated.
A huge golden banner with Uzumaki totem pattern fluttered in the gloomy sky.
The red-lacquered gate was wide open. Before the threshold, Shiro, dressed in a simple and elegant maid's kimono, stood quietly.
Seeing the blond boy walking towards her with his hands in his pockets, her shoulders, which had been tense all day, suddenly relaxed. In that instant, a gentle light, like spring water, welled up in her eyes, and her defensiveness and aloofness melted away.
"Welcome home, Naruto." Bai bowed slightly, his voice soft yet filled with utmost loyalty.
Naruto stepped forward and ruffled her soft black hair without any hesitation. "You've worked hard guarding the house."
"Naruto!"
Before she could even blush, Karin suddenly jumped out from behind the door.
She pushed up her red-rimmed glasses, clutching a thick stack of Sealing Jutsu ledgers, and like a proud lioness boasting of her achievement, raised her chin. "While you were gone, I completely reconstructed the sealing barrier of the new house! Especially that broken wall to the north, I added three layers of the Uzumaki Clan's rebound spell overnight. Now, if anyone dares to climb over the wall into our territory again, I guarantee they'll be dancing on the spot!"
In the courtyard, Tenten was directing several craftsmen to move boxes of Explosive Tag and Special Kunai into the warehouse.
Hearing Karin's words, Tenten poked her head out and laughed heartily, "Let me add something! It's the kind of disco where you get blown up by Chain Lightning Explosion Formation! This batch of goods is a rare, top-of-the-line item that I brought from the store!"
Naruto looked at the chattering women and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
Wealth, territory, and a stunningly beautiful and obedient companion. This is the configuration the Uzumaki Clan should have to regain its position at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World.
In another corner of the courtyard, Kakashi was settling accounts for his teaching assignments for this trip out of the village.
Sasuke stepped forward and handed over a densely packed scroll. It was a battle analysis he had written all night using his Sharingan after the earth-shattering battle at Lightning Cloud Gorge.
Kakashi hand and quickly scanned it.
Gone is the unrealistic arrogance of the Uchiha; the entire story is a morbidly detailed analysis of Naruto's power generation techniques, muscle contraction trajectories, and the timing of Chakra explosions.
Smack
Kakashi closed the scroll, a rare hint of seriousness flashing in his deadpan eyes. "Having shed unnecessary arrogance, and understanding how to look up to truly formidable enemies. Sasuke, this time your perspective is that of a true ninja."
Sasuke remained silent.
He subconsciously touched the back of his neck; the chilling Chakra left behind by Orochimaru had been firmly suppressed by Naruto's Yang Release. He turned his head and stared intently at Naruto's back as he flirted with the women, his eyes burning with an almost twisted fanaticism for power.
One day, he will strip away that power, that composure, and claim it all for himself.
Beside her, Sakura nervously clutched several blood-stained rescue records and handed them to Shizune.
After Shizune reviewing the detailed data on Chakra suturing, Shizune breathed a sigh of relief and patted Sakura on the shoulder, "To maintain micron-level Chakra control even in an extreme environment like the lightning explosion, Sakura, Lady Tsunade grants you permission to officially audit the ANBU Medical Unit starting tomorrow."
Sakura's eyes welled up with tears of excitement. She was finally no longer the burden who could only scream and roll her eyes when faced with danger.
Amidst the noise, Naruto slightly tilted his head.
The perception network of the Great Evolution Divine Soul Art spread out silently like ripples on water, covering the entire Uzumaki Estate.
One person is missing. At this time, Konan should be on the roof enjoying the breeze and recording the blind spots in Hidden Leaf's defenses.
Naruto's figure flickered and he vanished from the spot in an instant.
The rooftop of the Uzumaki Estate.
A strong wind whipped up dark clouds, pressing the sky low.
Konan sat barefoot, hugging her knees, alone in the shadows under the flagpole. She wore a thin robe, and her presence exuded a deathly stillness more oppressive than a cloudy day.
Her fingertips gripped a tattered paper bird tightly.
That was the very ultimatum Naruto received three days ago in Lightning Cloud Gorge.
"Is he going to stand me up?" Naruto's voice suddenly rang out from behind.
He walked straight over and sat down next to Konan. He bent one leg, casually rested his arm on his knee, and adopted a wild and domineering posture, completely disregarding the impending battle.
Konan stiffened slightly, but instead of turning to look at him, she stared intently at the piece of paper in her hand.
"Nagato never bluffs." Konan's voice was a little hoarse, carrying undisguised suppressed emotions. "He said he would arrive before the rain stopped, and he definitely would. You simply don't understand what the Six Paths of Pain represent. It is... an irresistible Divine Punishment."
Naruto chuckled softly, his laughter tinged with arrogance.
He pulled out the fragment of the seal map he had smuggled back from Hidden Cloud from his pocket and casually rubbed it between two fingers.
Laugh.
A wisp of pure, Golden Yang Release Chakra instantly reduced it to ashes, which then scattered in the wind.
"Divine Punishment?" Naruto stared at the churning dark clouds ahead, his golden pupils burning with extreme wildness and violence. "I went all the way to the border to set up a net, but failed to catch him, and I was getting bored. If he really dares to set foot on the Land of Land of Fire's territory..."
Naruto suddenly leaned closer.
The intensely aggressive masculine aura instantly shattered Konan's psychological defenses, casting a shadow over her entire being.
He lowered his voice, his hot breath hitting Konan's pale earlobe as he spoke, each word distinct and deliberate.
"I will drag that self-proclaimed god down from the sky and crush him into the mud right in front of you."
These arrogant and disrespectful words shattered the foundation of faith that Konan had built up over decades. Her pupils contracted sharply, and she turned her head abruptly to meet Naruto's domineering gaze.
There was not a trace of fear in his eyes, only the extreme excitement of a hunter seeing his top prey.
Boom--!!!
A thunderbolt ripped through the sky and exploded directly above Hidden Leaf.
Large raindrops finally pounded on the green tiles of the rooftop.
At the very instant the raindrops fell.
At the edge of Naruto's Great Evolution Divine Soul Technique's perception, six lifeless yet suffocatingly vast streams of cold chakra suddenly pierced through. This power ignored all conventional reconnaissance and directly crushed Konoha.
Click.
A sound that only Naruto could hear—the sound of a barrier shattering—echoed in his mind. The first line of defense around Hidden Leaf had completely collapsed.
Naruto slowly stood up, letting the cold rain soak his blond hair. He put his hands in his pockets, faced the direction of the village entrance, and a bloodthirsty smile appeared on his lips.
"It seems the rain isn't going to stop."