He had actually learned the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique...!
Anko's expression turned utterly grim. She had lived through that era and knew full well how the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had become a battlefield legend through his masterful use of Flying Thunder God!
Anko's thoughts shifted. The Earth Release earlier, too... Naruto has repeatedly shown abilities that weren't in our intelligence. He's been hiding a great deal. Has he been planning this for a long time?!
Tokuma Hyuga said gravely, "Captain Anko, what do we do?!"
Anko said, "We can't win. Take Yawara and Muta and retreat!"
Naruto said, "The others can leave, Miss Anko, but you have to stay...!"
Tokuma Hyuga's heart lurched. His target is Captain Anko?!
Bzzzz... Just then, the scattered kikaichū gathered again. This was a hidden property of the Aburame Clan's techniques: when the user lost consciousness in battle, the insects would lock onto the last selected target and attack without end!
"What a troublesome technique..."
After forming hand seals, Naruto pressed his palms together before his chest!
-Fire Release: Tornado!
Whoosh!
Naruto's cloak snapped in the wind. Flames rose from beneath his feet and whirled around him, burning through the curtain of insects closing in!
Tokuma said, "This is a good chance to retreat..."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, several of Naruto's shadow clones rushed out under cover of the Fire Release, each wielding a Rasengan!
"There are too many. I've got no choice..."
Tokuma pushed his Byakugan's perception to its limit. His footwork sealed off every opening as chakra erupted from the points all over his body, combining with his spin to form a field of absolute defense!
-Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation!
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...!
Naruto's shadow clones vanished one after another.
As Rotation ended, Tokuma's Byakugan locked onto the real Naruto closing in. Chakra gathered in his palm, and he thrust it forward!
-Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!
Thud!
The powerful blast from his palm drove Naruto far back.
Naruto said approvingly, "Just what I'd expect from one of the Hyuga Clan's elite. But this is as far as you go..."
Whoosh!
A Rasengan formed in Naruto's hand and swelled rapidly as he continued pouring chakra into it!
Knowing he could no longer protect himself, Tokuma shouted, "Captain Anko, I'll cover you! Retreat! Then report everything that happened here to the village exactly as it happened!"
-Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!
Naruto leaped high into the air and drove the enormous sphere in his hand down upon him!
-Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation!
Tokuma Hyuga gritted his teeth and used Rotation again!
Thud!
The Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan struck Rotation's wall of air with a heavy boom... Air currents surged violently, but Rotation rapidly weakened under the Rasengan's grinding force. Through the once-impenetrable wall of air, Tokuma's struggling figure was now visible!
It wasn't that Tokuma was weak. Naruto was simply too strong...
Bang!!
The instant Rotation collapsed, Naruto reined in the power of his Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan...
But even though Naruto held back, the force of the collision still sent Tokuma flying. His back slammed heavily into a tree, and he lost consciousness.
Naruto landed on the ground and looked at Anko. "Now... there's no one left to get in the way, Miss Anko."
Anko clenched her fists tightly. "Naruto, why are you doing this?!"
After a moment of contemplation, Naruto pulled up his cloak's hood and said in a low voice, "For the future of the ninja world, I have to get that man's help. Miss Anko, you're indispensable..."
"That man... ngh!"
As Anko pondered Naruto's words, a sudden, inexplicable pain shot through the spot on the back of her neck where her Cursed Seal lay.
Alarmed and uncertain, she thought, The Cursed Seal hasn't reacted in ages. Why now...? There's no time to worry about that. Something else is more important!
Rustle, rustle... A small snake slipped from her sleeve and swiftly disappeared into the grass.
"Intelligence to send back to the village..." Naruto noticed it, of course, but made no move to stop it.
He considered it. Never mind. Once my status as a rogue ninja is confirmed, nothing I do from now on will implicate the village!
The little snake escaped safely with the intelligence, and Anko's heart settled.
At least she wouldn't have come back empty-handed.
Anko said, "Now your big sister can give you a proper play session..."
Naruto said, "You could try running, too. You might even succeed..."
Anko looked at Tokuma and the others lying scattered around them. She understood that even if she could escape in these circumstances, there was no way she could take all three companions with her.
She tapped her forehead protector with her thumb and declared firmly, "Konoha's ninja don't abandon their comrades and run away alone! You came from Konoha. You should know that better than anyone!"
Naruto smiled. "Yeah, I understand... In the ninja world, those who break the rules are called trash, but those who don't value their comrades are worse than trash!"
"Then there's nothing more to say!"
Anko began forming hand seals and gathering chakra, thinking, Of all the moves I have right now, only one can threaten Naruto as he is now. But to use it, I need him close and off guard. I'll have to set it up...
Her hand seals complete, Anko thrust her chest forward.
-Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!
Whoosh!!
A jet of flame shot straight at Naruto at incredible speed...
Watching the approaching flames, Naruto thought swiftly. If I counter with Fire Release, I'll definitely burn her. If she's going to get hurt either way, drowning her is safer than burning her.
Swish, swish! Naruto's hands rapidly formed hand seals!
-Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
Splash! A sudden torrent surged into a flood and took the shape of a dragon. After swallowing the incoming flames, it swiftly descended on Anko!
"Aaagh...!!" Engulfed by the water, Anko floundered helplessly!
Whoosh! Naruto lunged forward and reached for Anko.
But just then, Anko's hand shot out like lightning. She interlocked her fingers with Naruto's, forming a seal!
"This move will kill us both. Naruto, as you are now, you pose a threat to the village. I'm going to die here with you!"
-Ninja Art: Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique!
Hiss! Hiss!
Two snakes burst from beneath Anko's sleeve and coiled around both her and Naruto... That dark red glow heralded an explosion!
"!" Naruto's pupils constricted.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!
The powerful explosion's flames swallowed everything!
Whoosh!
The flash of Flying Thunder God appeared at the same time. Carrying the now-unconscious Anko, Naruto appeared at the location of his Flying Thunder God mark...
Looking at the devastated blast site, Naruto murmured, "Sure enough, only fighting in person brings back those turbulent years..."
Konan walked over and looked at the other three unconscious Konoha ninja. Knowing Naruto wouldn't kill them, she said, "The fighting has already driven away all the birds and beasts nearby. And people from Konoha will arrive soon and take them back..."
"That's true. Let's go back..."
Carrying Anko, Naruto leaped down from the tree and placed his hand on Konan's shoulder. He activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, and they instantly vanished.
Not long after they left, several ninja dressed in Konoha Anbu attire arrived.
The ninja leading them wore a white cloak and held a scroll. It was the very intelligence scroll Anko had sent out earlier, intercepted along the way and delivered into their hands.
Because Anko had written the intelligence in haste, she hadn't had time to use a particularly complex code. These ninja had deciphered it and thus learned what had happened here...
After examining Tokuma and the others, several black-cloaked ninja reported to the ninja in white, "All three are still alive. Naruto Uzumaki didn't strike to kill. Mitaraishi Anko's whereabouts are unknown. Judging by the situation... Naruto Uzumaki probably took her."
"What should we do with these three? Should we take them back and await Lord Danzo's instructions?"
The ninja in white leading them was a mid-ranking leader in Root under Danzo's command, a fanatical follower of Danzo who believed in justice through darkness.
His eyes flickered. "We may all be Konoha ninja, but differing ideals make us as incompatible as fire and water... Root's way is to ruthlessly eliminate unfavorable elements."
He raised the scroll in his hand. "With this intelligence scroll and these three corpses, Naruto Uzumaki's defection from Konoha will truly be confirmed. And given the rumors circulating among the common people, this will undoubtedly be the strongest corroboration... There's no need to ask Lord Danzo. We will carry Root's ideals through to the end! Kill them!"
"Understood..." After a moment of silence, the ninja in black drew their ninja blades and mercilessly plunged them into the hearts of Tokuma Hyuga, Muta Aburame, and Yawara!
Tokuma and his two companions, who should have been rescued by Konoha, instead died senselessly beneath their own comrades' blades!
Looking at the three bloody corpses, the Root member in white said, his gaze dark, "Now Lord Danzo's era will truly begin!"
Before you continue