There Must Be a Lich King

The dream stretched on, and his consciousness sank.

Naruto Uzumaki walked across a field of gray ruins. This was the Konoha he saw.

He had once tried to find the pillar of this world, to find the leader who could guide humanity against the end.

He stood before the phantom of the Hokage's Office and saw the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Beneath that kindly face lay weakness that indulged and compromised, childishness that treated the village as one big family. His "Will of Fire" was as fragile as paper before a true world-ending calamity.

[Assessment: Unqualified. His kindness is fertile ground for decay.]

The phantom shattered, and the scene shifted to a dark underground chamber. Shimura Danzō stood before him, obsessive ambition burning in his one eye. He craved power at any cost, yet all his schemes were confined to the tiny chessboard called "Konoha." He could not see beyond the village, much less beyond the sky.

[Assessment: Unqualified. His ambition is short-sighted self-destruction.]

He had examined every renowned powerhouse in this world. Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru... They were either lost in the past, chasing emptiness, or fallen into servitude to Chaos.

Not one of them had raised their head and truly looked at the cold, deathly silent starry sky hanging above them all.

Not one of them had noticed the ultimate threat about to descend, known as "Harvest."

At the end of the dream, Naruto Uzumaki stood atop Hokage Rock, looking down at the quiet, peaceful village below.

This was his home.

This was one of humanity's last bastions.

There was no longer the slightest confusion on his cold face, only a resolve forged from steel.

"The path of following the strong has been proven ineffective."

His voice echoed through the empty world, yet it seemed to proclaim something to the entire universe.

"Since this world has yet to receive the Emperor's guidance..."

He slowly raised his head, as though his gaze could pierce the dream's dome and stare directly at the "farmer" hidden deep within the sea of stars, sowing all things.

"Then I, Naruto Uzumaki, will serve as the Emperor's Warrior and this world's leader, and protect this world."

Naruto Uzumaki's eyes snapped open.

Within those ice-blue eyes, the determination from his dream and the ruthlessness of reality instantly overlapped, bursting forth with a sharper, firmer light than ever before.

He sat up. The numbness in his body had not fully faded, but he did not bother with his injuries.

"Battle damage report."

His voice was hoarse, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.

"Commissar!" Haku had been guarding his side the entire time. Seeing him awake, he immediately dropped to one knee.

Zero's figure also emerged from the shadows, lowering his head silently.

"You were affected by a powerful physical impact and neurotoxin, resulting in a deep coma of approximately fifteen minutes." Haku spoke rapidly as he reported the key information. "The toxin has been initially suppressed, but complete removal will take time."

Hearing the commotion, Sakura abruptly raised her head. When she saw Naruto Uzumaki sitting up, she froze for a moment before tears welled up again.

"Naruto Uzumaki! You're awake! Sasuke, he..."

"Don't speak yet." Naruto Uzumaki did not even look at her. His gaze swept directly toward the unconscious Sasuke in her arms. "Continue the report."

Sakura's words were abruptly choked off. Her mouth hung open, her face full of grievance and confusion.

Without pausing, Haku continued, "Sasuke Uchiha has been implanted with Orochimaru's Curse Mark. His chakra is in extreme disarray, and he has fallen unconscious. Sakura Haruno suffered severe mental shock and has basically lost her combat capability. The enemy has retreated. We have secured the mission objective, the Heaven Scroll."

Naruto Uzumaki nodded and rose from the ground.

He staggered, but immediately steadied himself through sheer will of steel.

Step by step, he walked toward Sakura and Sasuke.

Every step seemed to land on Sakura's heart. She could feel that the Naruto Uzumaki who had awakened was different again. If the previous Naruto Uzumaki had been cold steel, then he was now a snow-covered volcano on the verge of eruption.

Naruto Uzumaki crouched before Sasuke.

Ignoring Sakura's guarded posture, he reached out and gently pulled aside Sasuke's collar, revealing the three ominous black Tomoe.

His fingers did not touch the skin. They merely hovered above the Curse Mark.

He closed his eyes, his senses intensely focused.

To his perception, this was no longer a simple ninjutsu mark.

[Analyzing target...]

[Analysis complete.]

[Target nature: A composite of high-density energy and spiritual information.]

[Operating principle: By injecting foreign chakra, it forcibly alters the host's physiological structure and establishes anchoring on the soul level.]

This was an efficient method of soul Pollution and energy implantation.

It marked prey. It altered prey.

But it did far more than that.

For the first time, Naruto Uzumaki's brow furrowed tightly.

He "saw" something deeper.

This Curse Mark was like a coordinate, a back door. It was not merely a rein Orochimaru used to control Sasuke.

It was also a passage.

A two-way passage connecting Orochimaru and Sasuke.

Through it, Orochimaru could drain Sasuke's life force and ocular power at any time, even using him as a vessel for his own resurrection at a critical moment.

And conversely...

If Sasuke's will was strong enough—or rather, if his hatred was intense enough—he could also use this passage to erode Orochimaru's power in reverse.

"So that's how it is..." Naruto Uzumaki murmured.

"Naruto Uzumaki... Wh-what are you talking about?" Sakura asked tremblingly.

Naruto Uzumaki slowly opened his eyes. Sasuke's pale face was reflected in his ice-blue pupils.

"This is not merely a mark of enslavement."

His words left both Haku and Zero looking confused.

"It is more like... a contract." Naruto Uzumaki stood, looking down at the "soldier" on the ground. "A contract signed in souls, concerning devouring and being devoured."

"Orochimaru gave him a key, a key that can open the door to power."

"But beyond that door lies the abyss."

Naruto Uzumaki turned to Haku and Zero.

"He is not a burden. He is a weapon. A weapon that has yet to be sharpened, but is already pointed at the enemy."

Haku seemed thoughtful at those words, while Zero remained silent, only tightening his grip on the short blade.

"A weapon?" Sakura could not understand. She held Sasuke as though protecting her last treasure. "Sasuke is a person! He's about to die! What are you even talking about?!"

At last, Naruto Uzumaki turned his full gaze upon her.

There was no pity in it, nor was there comfort. There was only a purer scrutiny, like an examiner assessing the value of a new recruit.

"Sakura Haruno."

It was the first time he had called her by her full name. Every syllable struck against Sakura's taut nerves.

"You are weak. Your theoretical knowledge is extensive, but you lack the courage and resolve for actual combat. Your emotions are your greatest weakness. On the battlefield, they leave you capable of nothing meaningful beyond screaming and crying."

Every sentence was like a cold scalpel, precisely cutting open the reality Sakura least wanted to face.

Her face instantly turned deathly pale. Her lips trembled, but she could not refute a single word. Because everything Naruto Uzumaki had said was true.

"But you also have value." Naruto Uzumaki changed direction. "Your chakra control is excellent, and you have the potential to become an outstanding medical ninja. This is your only chance right now to make yourself 'useful.'"

He stepped forward. The immense pressure made Sakura shrink back unconsciously.

"Now, I will give you a choice."

Naruto Uzumaki's voice was not loud, yet it clearly overwhelmed every sound in the forest.

"First, stay here, cling to your helplessness and this polluted 'vessel,' and cry together while waiting for the next enemies drawn by the scent of blood to tear all of you apart. Or wait for Konoha's rescue, then watch him be isolated as a dangerous object, until the Curse Mark's erosion turns him into a monster you no longer recognize."

His description was cruel and direct, tearing every false hope to pieces.

Sakura's breathing stopped.

"Second." Naruto Uzumaki raised a second finger. "Become my medic. From this moment on, forget those ridiculous girlish fantasies of yours. Forget those childish games the Ninja Academy taught you. I will teach you how to deal with Pollution, how to stabilize his condition, and how to keep him alive."

His words were like a devil's whisper, yet carried an irresistible temptation.

But what was the price?

The price was completely abandoning her former self and submitting to Naruto Uzumaki, who now seemed like a tyrant.

"I..." Sakura's mind went blank. She looked at Sasuke's pained face in her arms, then looked up at the cold "Commissar" offering her a choice.

"I'll give you thirty seconds."

Naruto Uzumaki gave her no more time to hesitate. He turned around, presenting his back to her.

"Haku, Zero, prepare to withdraw. Erase all traces of the battle."

"Yes, Commissar."

The two immediately began moving. Haku started packing the medical equipment, while Zero silently retrieved the traps he had previously set.

At that moment, time became incomparably long.

Every passing second was like a blade cutting across Sakura's heart.

Would she drown clinging to a false past, or seize this thorn-covered vine leading toward the future?

"Twenty seconds." Naruto Uzumaki coldly counted down.

Sakura's body began trembling violently.

She looked at the ominous Curse Mark on Sasuke's neck. Those three Tomoe seemed to be mocking her helplessness.

"Ten seconds."

Tears slid from her eyes once more.

But this time, they were no longer tears of weakness.

"I... I choose..."

Her voice came out hoarse and distorted from tension and fear.

"I choose the second!"

Sakura shouted the words with all the strength in her body.

After shouting them, she seemed to have been drained of all strength and collapsed to the ground.

Naruto Uzumaki slowly turned around.

"Good." His face remained utterly expressionless. "From this point on, your codename is 'Medic.' Your first mission is to assist Haku, stabilize Sasuke's vital signs, and bring him back to our temporary base. Do not shed another tear. Your tears cannot save anyone."

He reached out, lifted the heavy Chainsword from the ground, and slung it over his shoulder again.

"Move."