Don't Stand in My Way

Naruto looked at the Anbu surrounding him—no, more precisely, the members of Root—and a savage smile curled across his lips.

If he did nothing, they would take him to see Danzo again. Enough! He had truly had enough! He was sick of Konohagakure! Sick of Danzo! Sick of Konohagakure. Tch!

"Oh? What does he want to do to me this time?"

Sensing the strange aura around Naruto Uzumaki, someone spoke up to stop her. "Naruto Uzumaki, you'd better not resist. Otherwise, we will arrest you for betraying Konohagakure."

"Betraying Konohagakure? Hah? Then I'll betray Konohagakure, just like you said!" Naruto covered his face and laughed madly as violent red Chakra surged from his body, wrapping around him like a cloak.

A chilling gale blew across the Anbu's faces. Beneath their masks, their expressions turned ugly. They had never imagined that an offhand remark would become the key that unleashed Naruto's rampage, prompting him to decisively leave Konohagakure and cause a tremendous uproar!

"Nine-Tails, let's make a mess of this place!"

"Roar! I've been waiting for this!"

The Nine-Tails revealed a ferocious grin as red Chakra continuously poured into Naruto's body.

The Nine-Tails had never held little hatred for Konohagakure. After Danzo had harmed Naruto so badly last time, its hatred for Konohagakure had sunk deep into its bones. It had been waiting a long time for Naruto to say those words!

The blood that had lain dormant in his body for so long suddenly grew scorching hot, surging with excitement! Like a steam engine that had gone without water for ages suddenly roaring to life! That long-lost feeling!

So this was what it felt like to have his blood boiling!

Nine-Tails Chakra wrapped around Naruto, forming a fox-shaped Chakra cloak. One tail swayed behind his backside.

"Nine-Tails, you're way too excited!"

Naruto could feel the Nine-Tails' boiling emotions.

"But this feeling isn't bad."

Naruto grinned savagely.

His lips turned black, his teeth grew sharper, and the whisker-like markings on his cheeks faintly flared open, adding a touch of wildness to his cute face.

"Because I've been waiting for this for a long time."

"Sorry for making you wait."

"Naruto, with your current body, your limit is three tails. You can't use my Chakra for too long, or it will place too great a burden on your body. Understand?"

The Nine-Tails grinned, fussing over Naruto like an old mother.

Naruto answered casually. Root had already enraged him beyond measure—how could he care about such trivial matters now? What he needed now was to vent the anger and hatred he had suppressed for so long!

His blood-red eyes, their pupils narrowed into slits, stared at them with intense killing intent. His chilling murderous aura took on substance, becoming an icy wind that blew across their faces.

"What is this red Chakra?!"

"The Chakra actually formed a cloak outside his body!"

Naruto dropped onto all fours and glared at them with a ferocious expression. Under the influence of Nine-Tails Chakra, his fangs grew even sharper. With a furious roar, Chakra shells blasted away the Anbu who had failed to dodge in time.

Naruto rushed at them. The Nine-Tails Chakra cloak seemed to possess a will of its own, seizing two Anbu and smashing them together. With one sweep of its tail, it knocked all the remaining Anbu to the ground.

Naruto stepped forward and removed one Anbu's mask. A hand formed from Nine-Tails Chakra pried open his mouth. After seeing the mark on his tongue, Naruto's face darkened as he looked at the Anbu lying on the ground.

"There's no turning back now."

The blood-red Chakra tail lengthened, piercing through the unconscious Anbu like candied hawthorn skewers. Not a single one was left alive.

"Nice mask. It's mine now."

The Chakra covering his body returned within him. Naruto put on a Root member's mask, then dragged his bloodstained hand down its surface, leaving behind five bloody streaks.

"It smells awful..."

Naruto frowned in disgust. Just as he was about to remove the mask, he sensed someone approaching.

"Naruto...?"

Seeing the mask marked with bloody streaks across Naruto's face and the corpses of Root Anbu scattered on the ground, Kakashi's eyes filled with shock. What could have happened for Naruto to kill them so ruthlessly and become this crazed?

"What the hell! It's Kakashi! You're too late~! I killed every last one of these people! Hahahahaha!" Naruto tilted his head in surprise when he saw Kakashi, spread his arms, and laughed wildly. He tore off the mask, threw it to the ground, and crushed it beneath his foot.

"Naruto, what exactly happened?"

Why had Root come to take Naruto away? Had something happened that he didn't know about, or did Danzo still want to do something to Naruto?

Kakashi stared at Naruto solemnly, hoping to get an answer from him. But Naruto had already decided to leave Konohagakure immediately and had no intention of speaking with Kakashi any longer than necessary.

"They wanted to take me away. I didn't want to go, so I killed them~!"

Naruto carelessly kicked one of the corpses on the ground.

"Kakashi, I'm leaving Konohagakure next. If you want to stop me, then try it!"

Dense blood-red Chakra wrapped around Naruto's body and transformed into a bird, smashing through the roof and leaving Kakashi frozen in place.

Don't Stop Me (1/2)

"Naruto—!!!"

Kakashi snapped out of it and shouted Naruto's name. He lifted the forehead protector covering his left eye and chased after the red bird flying through the sky.

Why? Why had his teacher's child ultimately chosen this path? What had happened? What could have happened to force that child to leave Konohagakure?

"Naruto, he's coming after us!" The Nine-Tails used eyes formed from Chakra like miniature wingmen to assist Naruto, spotting Kakashi in pursuit.

"Just as expected... But what can Kakashi do even if he catches up? Once I've made up my mind, I won't change it. Besides, I killed so many of Danzo's subordinates. Even if the Third Hokage wanted to protect me, he probably wouldn't be able to. And besides, the Third Hokage might not protect me at all..."

"That old man was, frankly, a failed Hokage. So many dark, inhuman things happened beneath Konohagakure's shadow—how could he know nothing about them? Seriously..."

"Lightning Blade!"

Before Naruto could finish speaking, Kakashi's sudden appearance startled him. Brilliant lightning flashed in Kakashi's hand as he shot past at extreme speed, severing the red bird's wings.

"Kakashi, I told you already—don't stop me!"

Naruto landed on the ground, his blood-red eyes glaring viciously at Kakashi, who stood in his way.

"Naruto, can you tell me what happened?"