Naruto's Malice Sensing

The road to Konoha became exceptionally long under the shadow of war.

Ai led the remnants of the allied forces through the dense forest, followed by the last elite troops who had retreated from the battlefield of Waterfall Country. Originally an army of 50,000, now only less than 3,000 remained—all of them Jonin- level or elite Chunin with special abilities. They marched in silence, each face etched with exhaustion, grief, and a sense of disorientation at having survived a catastrophe.

"Another batch of missing persons has been found."

Darui turned back from the front, a rare hint of excitement appearing on his languid face. Behind him followed more than twenty ninjas, their uniforms tattered and their bodies wounded, but their eyes still sharp. These were survivors who had been scattered during the Tailed Beast rampage, hiding alone in the forest for several days, and finally catching up with the main force by following their tracks.

Ai surveyed the newly arrived subordinates, a complex mix of emotions welling up within him. On one hand, he was grateful that some were still alive; on the other hand, each additional face added to the weight of the sacrifices made by Ōnoki and Mifune. The dying words of the Tsuchikage, the figure of the Land of Iron General charging towards the Four-Tails —these were etched into his memory like a brand.

"Take a headcount and distribute supplies," Ai's voice was hoarse. "The wounded will receive priority treatment."

"Yes." Xi immediately set about making arrangements. This strategist from the Cloud Village had demonstrated astonishing organizational skills after the defeat, reorganizing the scattered troops and maintaining basic order and morale.

The procession continued forward.

Over the next few hours, they encountered several more groups of "lost" ninjas. Sometimes it was groups of three or five Iwagakure, sometimes it was scattered Cloud Village of Kumogakure ninjas, and there were even two samurai from the Land of Iron —they were covered in blood, but their hands holding their swords remained steady. Each reunion made the group a little stronger, but also deepened Ai's unease.

Everything went too smoothly.

Although the pursuit of the Tailed Beast had stopped, and although Obito had given them a three-day deadline, the ease with which things went was itself suspicious. Having experienced three Shinobi World Wars, A knew that the cruelty of war did not allow for such merciful respite. If the enemy let them go, there must be a deeper purpose behind it.

"Lord Raikage." Kitsuchi walked up from the middle of the group. This fierce general of Iwagakure had become much more silent after losing his father, but the determination in his eyes had only increased. "We'll reach Konoha in half a day's journey. Should we send a messenger to inform them first?"

Ai glanced at the sky. The sun was setting, and the light in the dense forest was beginning to dim. Two days of forced marches had pushed even elite ninjas to their limits. He needed to allow the troops to rest, to treat the wounded, and to... face the potentially suspicious and scrutinizing gazes of Konoha.

"No," he finally said, "Go straight there. We don't have time to waste."

Kitsuchi nodded, without asking any further questions.

Thus, at dusk that day, the battered remnants of the allied forces finally reached the border of Konoha.

Konoha Main Gate

No, it can no longer be called a "door".

The defense system rebuilt after Pain's invasion was strengthened to the extreme under the warning of this war. The original Konoha Gate were completely demolished and replaced by three overlapping barrier walls - the outermost layer was a light blue Chakra membrane, the middle layer was a solid wall constructed with Earth Release techniques, and the innermost layer was a transparent barrier shimmering with sealing runes.

Each wall was heavily guarded. Konoha ninjas and Sand Village ninjas were mixed into squads, each with their own duties. Reconnaissance ninjas on the watchtowers were on duty 24 hours a day, and ground patrols crossed every 15 minutes. Ninja Hawk circled in the sky—this was a completely militarized fortress, without a trace of the gentleness of the former ninja villages.

When the remnants of the coalition forces appeared within the reconnaissance range, the alert level was instantly raised to the highest level.

"Stop!"

A sharp shout came from above the city wall. Konoha's guard captain stood behind the crenellations, the Kunai in his hand reflecting a cold light. Behind him, dozens of ninjas simultaneously Hand Seals, various Ninjutsu ready to be unleashed.

Ai stopped and raised his hand to signal the troops to halt. Looking at the heavily guarded Konoha before him, a sense of absurdity welled up within him—they were survivors who had been evacuated from a hellish battlefield, allies who had come to unite against the enemy, yet now they were being barred from the gates like enemies.

"I am the Fourth Raikage, A," he announced in a deep voice. "By order of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, I have led the remnants of the Allied Forces to Konoha to join them. Please inform the Fifth Hokage."

A commotion broke out on the city wall.

The guard captain clearly recognized A, and also the ninjas behind him, all dressed in different village uniforms but equally disheveled. But an order is an order.

"Please wait a moment Lord Raikage." The guard captain's tone was more polite, but his guard remained high. "We need to... conduct some checks."

"A checkup?" Ai frowned. "What kind of checkup?"

Before the words were even finished, a crack suddenly appeared in the barrier on the city wall.

Two people emerged from the gap.

Leading the way was a blond boy—no, he could no longer be fully called a boy. Sixteen-year-old Uzumaki Naruto wore an orange ninja outfit with black trim, but what was most striking was the golden Chakra Cloak wrapped around his body. The cloak, like flowing flames, radiated a warm and powerful aura, making him exceptionally dazzling in the twilight light.

Nine-Tails Mode.

Ai's pupils contracted slightly. He had heard rumors about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the story of this Child of Prophecy, but this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes. The sheer amount of Chakra and the almost tangible sense of oppression truly deserved the title of "key to the war."

Following behind Naruto was Kakashi Hatake.

The Copy Ninja still maintained a lazy demeanor, his Forehead Protector tilted to one side, covering his left eye, and his right hand in his pocket, as if he were just out for a stroll. But Ai could sense that beneath that covered eye, the Sharingan might open at any moment.

"Yo, Raikage." Kakashi raised his left hand and greeted him casually, "You must have had a long journey."

A didn't respond to the greeting; his gaze fell on Naruto: "What does this mean?"

Naruto walked to the edge of the barrier, his golden Chakra Cloak rippled slightly. He surveyed the remnants of the Allied Forces, his azure eyes showing no hostility, but rather an unprecedented seriousness.

"Uncle Raikage, and everyone else," Naruto's voice was clear, echoing throughout the entire Allied Forces, "Because the enemy possesses a special Transformation Technique that Sharingan struggles to detect. Therefore, everyone entering Konoha must undergo my inspection."

"Inspection?" Kitsuchi stepped out of the line, his brow furrowed. "What inspection? How will it be conducted?"

Naruto looked at the Kitsuchi, then at the wounded Iwagakure Ninja behind him, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes, but he quickly became resolute again.

"I can sense malice," he said. "In Nine-Tails Mode, my sense of malice becomes exceptionally acute. If it's an enemy in disguise, I can sense it."

This explanation elicited a murmur among the coalition forces.

Sensing malice? This mysterious ability, used as a standard for entering Konoha?

"Nonsense!" Ai's anger finally erupted. The exhaustion of the past few days, the humiliation of defeat, the grief of his men dying one after another, and the frustration of being blocked at the door—all his emotions exploded at this moment.

He took a step forward, Lightning Release Chakra exploded around him, forming a crackling Lightning Armor. The ground cracked beneath his feet, and the air distorted due to the high-voltage current.

"We just withdrew from the battlefield! A third of our men died! Ōnoki died! Mifune died! Now we've come to Konoha, and not only are you refusing to let us in, you're interrogating us like criminals?!" A roared like thunder. "Bring Tsunade out! I want her to give me an explanation!"

"Lord Raikage, calm down!" Darui quickly stepped forward to dissuade him.

"Yes, Lord Raikage, Konoha must have their reasons for doing this..." Nozomi quickly chimed in.

But once A's temper flared up, it wasn't so easy to suppress. He glared at Naruto, at Kakashi, and at the vigilant Konoha Ninja on the city wall, his anger burning ever brighter.

"Reason? What reason?!" He pointed at Naruto, "Letting a teenager use 'sensing malice' as an excuse to stop our allies? Is this how Konoha treats ninjas who come to our aid?! Huh?!"

The Konoha Ninja on the city wall all looked rather grim. Some of the younger Genin even showed expressions of guilt—they knew what the Allied Forces had gone through, and they knew what kind of hell these people had crawled out of.

But an order is an order.

Kakashi sighed and stepped out from behind Naruto. He looked at A, his exposed right eye showing no hostility, only a helpless understanding.

"Raikage, I understand how you feel," Kakashi said, "But this is a necessary procedure. The enemy— the Akatsuki's White Zetsu army—is most adept at infiltration and disguise. If they were to infiltrate Konoha, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"Then use your Sharingan!" Ai roared. "Don't you have the Sharingan?!"

"I can't see through it," Kakashi readily admitted. "White Zetsu's Transformation Technique is Kekkei Mōra -level ability, which ordinary Sharingan cannot detect. The only effective method is Naruto's Malice Sensing."

This answer stunned Ai.

Sharingan can't see through it?

Just how many terrifying technologies does the Akatsuki possess?

"But..." Kitsuchi spoke up, his tone calmer than Ai's, but equally displeased, "Isn't it too arbitrary to judge whether someone is an enemy based solely on 'sensing malice'? What if the perception is wrong? What if someone is misjudged due to tension, fear, or other emotions?"

This is a reasonable question.

Many ninjas in the Allied Forces have experienced life-or-death battles, their hands stained with blood, and their hearts filled with hatred. Their "malice" may not be directed at Konoha, but it certainly exists. If they are stopped at the gate or even treated as enemies because of this...

The situation reached a stalemate for a moment.

Ai's Lightning Armor gradually subsided, but his expression remained grim. He looked at Naruto, at the boy enveloped in golden Chakra, and for the first time, he began to doubt this "Child of Prophecy"—not his strength, but whether he could shoulder such a heavy responsibility.

Naruto clearly sensed this suspicion as well.

He lowered his head, his golden bangs obscuring his eyes. Kakashi could see the boy's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles white from the force. This was not an easy decision, not a pleasant task. To make a boy who once craved everyone's approval now doubt everyone, to try and distinguish friend from foe...

"Besides Malice Sensing," Kakashi spoke again, breaking the silence, "Is there any other way, Naruto?"

This question drew everyone's attention to Naruto.

The Allied Shinobi Forces, the Konoha, and even the Sand Village on the city walls were all waiting for an answer.

Naruto remained silent for a long time.

So long that Ai was almost about to lose his temper again, so long that Kitsuchi had begun to consider the possibility of forcibly breaking through, so long that even Kakashi began to worry about his disciple's condition.

Then, Naruto looked up.

In those azure eyes, there was a resolute determination that Ai found unfamiliar.

"Yes," Naruto said.

The next second, he moved.

It wasn't Hand Seals, nor was it the Body Flicker Technique; it was an extension of the Nine-Tails Chakra —a golden Chakra arm extended from his back, moving with lightning speed, instantly traversing twenty meters and grabbing a ninja from the Allied Forces.

It was a Cloud Village, middle-aged, with a scar on his face, looking no different from the others. He was even talking quietly with his companion, completely unaware of the attack.

What are you doing?!

The gasp was cut off in his throat.

The golden Chakra arm tightened suddenly, snapping the ninja's neck.

Click.

The crisp sound of bones cracking was particularly jarring in the quiet twilight.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Then, Ai's furious roar exploded, "You're asking for it--!!!"

Lightning Armor erupted again, this time even more ferocious than before. Ai's figure transformed into a bolt of lightning, instantly appearing before Naruto, his right arm, wreathed in destructive energy, sweeping out—

"Double Lariat!"

This strike, unleashed in fury, was powerful enough to cleave a mountain in two.

But Naruto didn't take the hit head-on.

As A made his move, Kakashi had already completed the Hand Seals: "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

However, Naruto was faster.

Golden Chakra enveloped Kakashi, then space distorted— Flying Thunder God? No, not the complete Flying Thunder God, but a kind of teleportation technique combining the Nine-Tails Chakra with the Flying Thunder God. The two figures vanished from their original spot and reappeared thirty meters away on the other side of the city wall.

Ai's attack missed.

No, it wasn't a complete failure.

The aftershocks of Double Lariat slammed heavily into the outermost barrier of Konoha.

The pale blue Chakra membrane vibrated violently, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its surface. Then, the middle layer of the Earth Release wall collapsed with a roar, scattering debris everywhere. The innermost sealing barrier flickered a few times, barely holding on, but its light dimmed considerably.

With a single strike, two of the three layers of defense were breached.

"Lord Raikage! Stop!" Darui's exclamation rang out.

At the same time, he completed the hand Hand Seals: "Storm Release: Laser Circus!"

A laser-like beam shot towards A—not an attack, but an interception. The Storm Release beams intertwined in front of A, forcing him to retreat. Cold sweat beaded on Darui's forehead. He knew what attacking the Raikage meant, but he also knew that if the Raikage killed Naruto at the gates of Konoha, the war would be over.

Ai was forced to stop, landing ten meters away. He glared at Darui, his eyes practically spitting fire. "You're helping outsiders?!"

"I'm not helping outsiders!" Darui's voice rose as well. "Lord Raikage, please take a look at the slain ninja!"

Ai was taken aback and turned to look in the direction where Naruto had just attacked.

The Cloud Village whose neck had been snapped lay on the ground. But his body was changing—his skin lost its color and turned deathly pale; his facial features became distorted and blurred; finally, he transformed into a faceless, deathly pale body.

White Zetsu.

A White Zetsu disguised as a Cloud Village.

A collective gasp rippled through the allied forces. The ninjas who had been glaring angrily at Naruto now paled. They looked at the White Zetsu's corpse on the ground, then at their comrades beside them, a chill running down their spines.

If... if there were something like that around me...

Ai's Lightning Armor slowly dissipated.

He stood there, staring at the White Zetsu's corpse, speechless for a moment. Anger still burned within him, but reason told him that Naruto was right. If this White Zetsu were allowed to infiltrate Konoha, if more White Zetsu were allowed to infiltrate...

The consequences would be unimaginable.

Kakashi led Naruto back to the edge of the barrier. He looked at A, at the Allied Forces, took a deep breath, and then bowed deeply.

"I apologize, Lord Raikage, and to all my brothers in the Allied Forces who have come from afar," Kakashi's voice was sincere and heavy. "We had no other choice. The White Zetsu's disguise abilities are too strong; the only effective way to identify them is through Naruto's Malice Sensing. But to confirm their identities, and to prevent any enemy from infiltrating, Naruto had no choice but to... resort to this desperate measure."

Ai remained silent.

He stared at the White Zetsu's corpse on the ground, at the "subordinate" who, just minutes before, had been wearing the same Cloud Village uniform as him and speaking with the Cloud Village accent, and his stomach churned. That wasn't his subordinate; it was a monster, a puppet, an enemy who wanted to infiltrate Konoha and destroy everything from within.

And I almost killed the only person who could have stopped the infiltration because of this monster.

"Lord Raikage..." Xi spoke up at the right moment, breaking the awkward silence, "The people of Konoha had no choice but to do this. Fortunately, there were no real casualties. Thank goodness."

His words were clearly intended to smooth things over, but they also stated the truth—the one who died wasn't a real Cloud Village, but an imposter. Although the process was brutal and the method unacceptable, the result... was correct.

Ai finally let out a slow breath.

He looked at Naruto, the blond boy whose head was bowed, his golden Chakra Cloak rippled slightly, clearly indicating his turmoil. Killing, even killing an enemy disguised as a comrade, was no easy task. A had experienced it countless times; he understood.

"You..." Ai began, her voice hoarse, "How can you be sure it's him?"

Naruto raised his head, his eyes filled with guilt, but even more so with determination.

"I could feel it," he said. "Although they looked exactly the same, and their mannerisms were all natural, that malice... it was deeply hidden, but it was there. Unlike others, unlike the negative emotions others felt because of war or fear, it was pure malice directed at everyone."

The explanation was cryptic, but Ai understood it.

His intuition, honed on the battlefield, told him that the boy was not lying.

"How many are left?" he asked, looking at the coalition forces.

Naruto also looked at the group, his golden eyes sweeping over each face. His expression was focused, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were discerning some subtle difference.

"Seven more..." he finally said.

A commotion arose again within the ranks. The ninjas instinctively spread out, warily eyeing those around them.

"Point it out," Ai said.

Naruto nodded.

This time, he didn't strike directly. The golden Chakra arm extended again, but much slower, with a clear target. The seven targeted "ninjas" tried to resist and escape, but the other ninjas in the allied forces reacted quickly and subdued them instantly.

There was no fierce battle, no clash of Ninjutsu. The seven people were pinned to the ground, and then their bodies began to change—their skin turned deathly pale, their facial features disappeared, and they transformed into seven White Zetsu corpses.

Eight.

Eight White Zetsu had infiltrated the Allied forces.

If it weren't for Naruto's perception, those eight White Zetsu would have followed them into Konoha, infiltrated the Allied Forces, stabbed them in the back at crucial moments, breached the barrier, created chaos, and so on...

Ai dared not think any further.

He looked at Naruto, at the boy he had just yelled at and almost killed, and for the first time truly understood why Tsunade and Jiraiya valued this "Child of Prophecy" so much.

"I'm sorry," Ai said, her voice low but clear enough, "I acted impulsively just now."

The apology stunned everyone.

The Fourth Raikage, A, known for his temper and arrogance, actually apologized?

Naruto was also taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved his hand. "N-nothing! The Raikage was just concerned about his subordinates, I understand! Um... I was too rough just now, I should have controlled him first and then checked, but I was afraid he would resist, afraid he would hurt others, so..."

He became increasingly incoherent, a familiar look of panic appearing on his face. The immature Naruto always slipped up in serious situations was back.

This made Ai feel a little better.

At least, this boy is a living, breathing human being, not some kind of perfect war machine.

"Barrier Team! Come here quickly!"

An exasperated voice came from the direction of the city wall. Konoha's Barrier Team leader, Dong Qingzhi, rushed over with a group of ninjas. When he saw the two layers of barrier that had been destroyed, his face turned green.

"What happened?! How could the barrier that took three days to build be destroyed?! Is this how you guard it?!" Dong Qingzhi roared at the guard captain.

The guard captain looked embarrassed and glanced at Kakashi.

Kakashi quickly stepped forward. "Dong Qingzhi, I'm so sorry, it was all an accident, an accident."

He casually pushed Naruto in front of him, implying, "This is all his doing."

Upon seeing Dong Qingzhi, Naruto opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed his words. He glared fiercely at Kakashi, then directed the Barrier Team to begin the repair work. Pale blue Chakra surged forth again, the Earth Release wall rose once more, and the sealing runes lit up once more— the Konoha ninjas displayed astonishing efficiency.

Ai and the Cloud Village ninja awkwardly turned their heads away, pretending to be admiring the scenery.

Kitsuchi walked to Ai's side and whispered, "Since this method is effective, then... let's continue. The sooner we finish the examination, the sooner we can go in to rest."

Ai nodded.

The subsequent checks went much more smoothly.

The Allied Ninjas lined up and walked past Naruto one by one. Naruto focused intently on sensing them. Most of the time, Naruto simply nodded to let them pass. Occasionally, a few were stopped for a more thorough check—some because they were too nervous, others because of suspicious Chakra fluctuations, but they were all eventually confirmed to be the real Naruto.

No more White Zetsu were found.

But the process itself is enough to make everyone wary.

By the time the last Allied Shinobi passed through the checkpoint, it was completely dark. Konoha's barrier closed again, and the city gates—or rather, the passageways in the city walls—slowly opened.

Ai, leading the remnants of the allied forces, finally stepped into Konoha.

Dark place.

In the shadows of the forest, a dark shadow slowly peeled away from a tree trunk.

Black Zetsu.

This Akatsuki intelligence expert, a creation of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's will, was currently staring intently at Konoha with its yellow eyes. Its body trembled slightly with rage—not from fear, but from the fury of its plans being thwarted.

Eight White Zetsu.

The eight White Zetsu, who had been meticulously disguised and infiltrated the Allied Forces, and who could have created chaos within Konoha and assisted from the inside, were all picked out one by one by the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and eliminated like trash.

"Uzumaki Naruto..." Black Zetsu's voice was like sandpaper scraping, "... It's you again..."

Every time, it's this kid. He thwarts the capture plan, disrupts Obito's schemes, and now he's ruined his meticulously planned infiltration. Why? Why does this seemingly reckless and impulsive boy always make the right choices at crucial moments?

Black Zetsu couldn't understand it.

But it knew it had to get this intelligence to Obito as soon as possible. Konoha's defenses were more solid than it had imagined; the infiltration plan had failed, and they needed to adjust their strategy.

It slowly sank to the ground, like ink dissolving in water, and disappeared.

The forest returned to silence.

Only the lights of Konoha in the distance flickered in the darkness, like the last campfires awaiting the storm.