Sasuke stepped onto the Fudo back and tied his hands behind his back with rope.
The Fudo bandages shattered under the impact of the immense force, revealing the densely packed Earth Release jutsu seals beneath. Those seals had become dim and lifeless, having lost the support of Chakra.
Sasuke tied Fuen and Fuka up side by side, then scanned the hall one last time with his Sharingan to confirm that all traps and barriers had been dispelled.
Sakura stood to the side, the blood on her fists already dried, her breathing steady as if the battle had just been a warm-up.
Kakashi pulled Kazuma's twin swords from the ground, put them into his ninja tool pouch, and then knelt down to examine Kazuma's dislocated wrist joints.
" Naruto, clear away the Explosive Tag at the entrance. Sasuke, check if there are any remaining sentries outside. Sakura, tally the damage in the main hall."
The three dispersed in response.
Kakashi stood up and scanned the hall again—the four sentries: Fudo, Fuen, Fuka Fufu, plus Kazuma kneeling on the ground.
The boy was not in the hall.
Where is your son?
Kazuma raised his head, a strange smile curving his lips.
His right wrist hung limply, his face covered in dust and blood, but there was no trace of defeat or dejection in his eyes; instead, they burned with an almost manic excitement.
He didn't answer Kakashi's question. Instead, he looked around at his subdued subordinates, the rubble on the ground, and the broken pillars, then threw his head back and burst into laughter.
Laughter echoed in the empty hall, startling the crows perched on the broken beams into flight.
" Kakashi, you think you've won?" Kazuma laughed breathlessly, his eyes wide. "You are indeed strong, stronger than I imagined. But so what? While you're here fighting me, Ku is already on his way to Konoha. He will take Shinsei's head tonight, tonight alone!"
Naruto whirled around. "What did you say?!"
"I said," Kazuma said, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, " Heavenly Punishment Operation has begun. Once Shinsei is eliminated and the power of the Hokage is returned to the Daimyo, the Land of Fire will be truly reborn. Then, you ninjas will no longer be ruled by a fifteen-year-old brat, but will return to the Daimyo's command, restoring the order that should exist in a country and a village!"
Naruto was stunned. He opened his mouth, his brows furrowed, as if trying to digest the logic in Kazuma's words.
"I don't quite understand what you're saying." Naruto's voice, unusually calm, carried a simple, genuine confusion. "You said the Daimyo is the leader of the Land of Fire, Hokage should listen to the Daimyo. But I've never met the Daimyo. What has he done?"
Kazuma sneered, "The Daimyo has ruled the Land of Fire for decades, maintaining peace and stability. Isn't that enough?"
"Maintaining stability?" Naruto repeated the four words, his eyes gradually becoming serious. "If the Daimyo is really doing such a good job, then why are so many people in the Land of Fire still suffering? Why does the Shinobi World have to fight war after war?"
Kazuma's expression froze for a moment.
Naruto didn't notice, or rather, he didn't care at all. He continued speaking, his pace quickening, as if words that had been bottled up inside him for a long time had finally found an outlet.
"I've never met Daimyo, nor do I know what he's done. But I've met Shinsei. I've seen him face Orochimaru alone to save his comrades."
I've seen him fight monsters like Madara Uchiha to protect the village.
I've seen him stand up for bullied villagers and waste time on an ordinary person he doesn't even know.
You say the Daimyo is the leader of the Land of Fire, then let me ask you, has the Daimyo done these things?
Kazuma opened his mouth to refute, but Naruto didn't give him the chance.
"I don't know anything about the order of a country or a village, and I don't understand those grand principles. But I know one thing: if I had to choose between someone I've never met and someone I've fought alongside, I would choose Shinsei."
It's not because he's Hokage, it's just because he's Shinsei. He stands beside me, and I trust him.
After Naruto finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment.
Sasuke leaned against the broken pillar, a slight smile playing on his lips, unusually refraining from calling Naruto an idiot.
Sakura watched Naruto's retreating figure, her gaze softening slightly. Kakashi didn't speak, but simply placed his hand on Naruto's head and gently patted it.
Kazuma's face turned ashen. His lips moved a few times, but he finally managed to squeeze out a few dry words. "You don't understand anything."
"Maybe." Naruto shrugged, his tone returning to its usual casualness. "But at least I know who's good to me and who's good to the village. I can still tell the difference."
Sasuke stepped forward and lifted Kazuma off the ground.
"Just you wait, my son Sora will cut off Shinsei's head! Konoha will eventually return to the Daimyo's command!"
"Are you done talking?"
Kazuma tried to break free from Sasuke's grasp, but Sasuke's fingers gripped his shoulders like iron clamps. The Sharingan slowly rotated, the Mitsudomoe reflected in Kazuma's pupils, carrying a silent pressure.
Naruto crouched down and deftly added two Chakra to Kazuma. His movements were swift, but his mouth didn't stop talking. " Sasuke, do you think we should go back to Konoha to help Shinsei?"
Sasuke, without turning his head, asked, "Do you think Shinsei needs our help?"
Naruto thought for a moment, the image of Shinsei blocking the Tailed Beast Bomb with one hand flashing through his mind, then he thought of the boy named Sora. He decisively shook his head. "It seems we really don't need it."
"Even if it were necessary, it wouldn't be our turn." Sasuke dragged Fuen and Fuka from the ground and piled them together with Fudo. "That guy named Sora only has a fragment of the Nine-Tails inside him. You have half of the original Nine-Tails inside you. Do you think Shinsei, who can suppress even you, can't deal with a fragment Jinchūriki?"
"That's true." Naruto scratched his head, then suddenly realized, "Wait, what do you mean by 'even I can be suppressed'? Sasuke, what do you mean!"
Sasuke ignored him.
Kakashi clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back. "Enough with the chit-chat. Now, let's issue a new mission."
The three of them simultaneously composed themselves and stood up straight.
"I hereby declare these ninjas to be missing-nin of the Land of Fire. They have disobeyed the Daimyo's orders and attempted to assassinate the Hokage, thus creating chaos in the Land of Fire."
Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, the three of you will accompany me to visit the Daimyo.
"These missing-nin ninjas should be tried in front of the daimyo, and their crimes should be made public."
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto answered excitedly, pumping his fist.
Kakashi turned back to the hippopotamus and the others and spoke seriously.
" Kazuma, if you don't want to implicate the Daimyo, then please confess all the ninjas who betrayed the Lord Hokage."