Chapter 33: The Trouble with Teleportation... and Girls
There are only a few places where a ninja can be alone with his thoughts on a flying chakra-powered mega-ship that looks like it could body-slam a battleship. For me, that sacred spot is right at the tip of the bow—arms resting on my knees, wind in my hair, dramatic sunset behind me. Real hero anime intro energy.
And no, I wasn't just brooding for cool points.
I was actually thinking about teleportation. Like, really thinking. If I could mark locations with chakra, I could pop in and out of combat like a total boss. Shadow Clone pops out, enemy swings, bam—I'm already behind them with a Rasengan to the back. No one would see it coming. I mean, I already have clones, super strength, sage mode—but instant travel ninja edition? That's cheat-code level.
Of course, just as I was picturing myself pulling off the ultimate one-man stealth ambush, I heard footsteps.
Sakura.
Now, Sakura's not exactly the sneaky type. More like the "punch a boulder into dust and then ask questions" type. She sat down beside me—calm, thoughtful, not even holding a book to bonk me with. That was my first sign this was serious.
"You got a sec?" she asked.
That caught me off guard. Usually she just tells me we're talking. When she asks... yeah, that means something's up.
"Yeah, sure," I said, smiling. "What's up?"
She didn't answer right away. Just stared at the ocean—or the sky-ocean, since we're flying and everything's confusing now. Finally, she spoke. "Has anything changed with you?"
"Uh… define 'changed.' Like, hairstyle? Chakra? My stance?"
She gave me the look. The one that said stop being dense or I swear I will send you through the hull of this ship.
"Not that kind of change," she said, voice soft. "I mean with you... and the girls."
Oh. That kind of talk.
She went on. "Hinata… Vivi… maybe even Ino. You've been spending time with all of them. Talking to them. Helping them. Being, well... you. And I'm just wondering... are you leading them on?"
That hit harder than a chakra punch to the gut.
"What? No! I'm just… being me," I said honestly. "I didn't say anything to anyone."
She nodded slowly. "I know. That's the problem. You didn't say anything... but you didn't not say anything either."
I scratched the back of my head, confused and feeling way out of my depth. Teleportation puzzles? Easy. Emotional ninja politics? Help me, sage toads.
"I'm not trying to mess with anyone," I told her. "They're all awesome. But I didn't think anyone was... you know… thinking like that."
Sakura gave a sad sort of smile. "That's exactly it, Naruto. You're not trying. You're just being kind. And strong. And loyal. And that's exactly why it's so easy for them to like you."
I blinked. "So… what do I do?"
She looked at me like I was the world's biggest idiot—but a lovable idiot.
"Be careful. Because one day, you'll have to choose. And when you do, even if you don't mean to hurt anyone… you will."
I didn't know what to say. I sat there in silence, feeling like I'd been hit with a Truth Bomb jutsu.
Then she stood up. "Anyway, I just wanted to say it before things get too messy. Think about it, okay?"
I nodded, watching her walk off into the wind, her pink hair whipping behind her like she was in some emotional drama series. And all I could think was:
Man, relationships are way harder than fighting rogue ninja or flying pirate warlords.
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Literally three seconds after Sakura dropped a ninja bomb on my emotional stability and disappeared into the twilight like a philosophical kunoichi ghost, I heard the clack clack of boots against the deck.
Enter: Ino Yamanaka.
Now, when Ino shows up, she doesn't sneak. She doesn't hesitate. She just is, like some beautiful, brainy storm with a shopping list and an opinion on everything.
She plopped herself right down beside me like the seat was hers all along and gave me this sideways look—half amused, half "I'm about to say something that'll make you blush."
"Hey," she said. "Just so you know… keep doing what you're doing."
I blinked. "Uh, what does that mean? Because I've been doing a lot of things lately. Like thinking. And also being accused of emotional crimes I didn't mean to commit."
She rolled her eyes like I'd just asked if ramen was soup. (It's not. It's life.)
"Sakura was just scared you'd end up with someone else. Someone not from our village. But seriously," she added, leaning back with her usual Ino-level confidence, "how are we supposed to get close if you keep acting like we're all made of chakra paper?"
I stared. "Wait—so you want me to keep being… me?"
She smirked. "Exactly. Be you. The idiot sage. The guy who jumps into volcanoes to save sea turtles or makes friends with people after punching them into walls. That guy."
"Well, when you put it like that, it makes me sound like I need a helmet and supervision."
She snorted. "You need lots of supervision. But also? That's kind of why we like you."
I blinked again. "Wait. 'We'?"
She arched an eyebrow, said nothing, and left that little bomb to detonate in my head.
"So," I said slowly, "you want me to keep messing up?"
"Yep. Because it's fun watching you figure it out mid-air like a flying squirrel who missed the tree."
"That's a weirdly specific image."
"You are a weirdly specific image, Naruto."
I let out a laugh, the tension slipping off my shoulders like a discarded flak vest. I looked out at the ocean again—or sky-ocean—whatever, we're above clouds now, physics doesn't care.
Maybe Ino was right. Maybe Sakura was too. I didn't have to have all the answers. I didn't need a ten-step plan or a flowchart for feelings. Maybe I just needed to keep being me. Loud, loyal, ridiculous me.
"Alright then," I said, standing up dramatically like a hero on a cereal box. "Adorable Idiot Naruto reporting for duty!"
Ino stood up too, hands on her hips. "That's the spirit."
And as she turned and walked off with that usual confident sway, I thought: man, navigating pirate skies is easier than navigating girl feelings.
But at least I'm flying.
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So there I was—again—alone on the edge of the ship, trying to look cool and mysterious while the wind played with my hair like I was some tragic anime protagonist.
Then he decided to speak.
"You're wasting time."
"Kurama," I sighed, leaning back. "Can't a guy have a quiet moment before jumping into another world-shaking problem?"
"You've had enough 'quiet moments.' If you want to open the seal someday, you need to start training seriously. Once that seal's open and we merge properly—no enemy in this world can defeat us."
I raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you, uh… get defeated multiple times before?"
"Idiot." Kurama growled, but in that friendly, I'm-not-actually-going-to-rip-you-apart way. "That was when I was alone. Never trained. Never bothered to be technical with my power. But you and me? Together? My chakra—half the planet's worth—can be refined into pure destructive force and speed. Add Sage Mode on top, and you'll basically be a planetary-level punching machine."
I grinned. "Okay, let's do this then. We'll duel. You'll surrender. Boom—I get instant power-up and we save like, a month of training!"
"Keep dreaming. Maybe it'll happen. After the millionth loss, though, your chances are statistically nonexistent."
I smirked. "Yeah? Well, I'm working on fighting like my dad now."
That shut him up for a second.
"…Good choice." Kurama muttered eventually. "Though I still hate that jutsu."
"You and Rasengan need couples therapy," I teased.
Then a thought hit me. "Wait—you said earlier you were never technical with your chakra. But now you're all 'chakra control this, fine-tuned power that.' What changed? Did you secretly attend ninja school inside my belly button while I wasn't looking?"
Kurama chuckled—yes, actual laughter from the giant murder fox.
"Kinda. When you were younger, I spent most of the time watching you. Observing. And I realized… brute force wasn't enough. These tiny human ninja, with barely a drop of chakra compared to mine, could still make attacks as powerful as mine. Because they understood control."
I blinked. "So… the fox of doom became a nerd."
"The fox of doom became a genius."
Touché.
Still, I wasn't scared like I used to be when Kurama got serious. Not anymore. "Alright then," I said, sitting up straight. "Show me something. One of those big techniques you've been hoarding."
"I won't show you anything new, brat."
"What? Why not!?"
"Because you haven't earned the good stuff yet."
I groaned and faceplanted into my knees. "Unfair."
"However," Kurama continued, voice thick with pride, "I'll let you try the default attack of all tailed beasts."
I looked up.
He grinned, mentally. I could feel it.
"The Tailed Beast Bomb."
Oh yeah. Things were about to go boom.
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You ever have that feeling when you're about to do something awesome—like, movie-level awesome—and you just know it's going to be epic?
That was us. Right now. In the sky. On a flying ship.
The Azura Gale cut through the clouds like a boss. Sunlight gleamed off the polished chakra sails, and the whole crew was prepped like we were diving into a fantasy pirate film with ninjas, swords, and probably way too many explosions. In short: perfect Tuesday.
Ahead, floating in the distance like a smudge on a storybook map, was Asuka Island. Looked small. Peaceful, even.
Too peaceful.
I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the vibes. Yeah, those vibes. You know—evil aura, faint hint of doom, mild chance of spontaneous possession. Classic cursed-island stuff.
"Yup," I muttered. "This place gives off Final Boss Jr. energy."
Tenten, of course, was already bouncing with excitement. "This is it! This is the island with the Seven Star Sword!"
"You sound way too happy about a sword that's probably cursed enough to scream at you in the middle of the night," Shikamaru said, sipping his tea like a jaded samurai.
"It's cursed," she said proudly. "That means it has history. Character. Depth!"
"Insanity," Sakura offered.
"Flavor," Tenten corrected.
Viola stepped up beside me, her hands glowing faintly with her Devil Fruit powers. "There's only one strong signature down there," she said, her eyes narrowing. "It's near the center of the island. Definitely the sword. And the guy holding it is named Saga."
Saga. I mean, of course his name was Saga. That's like naming your villain "Plot Twist."
"So what's the plan?" Ino asked.
"Land dramatically," I said.
And we did.
Let me tell you, if you've never flown a giant chakra-powered sky ship through the clouds and descended onto a small island while the townsfolk stare up like you're a squad of sky gods… you're missing out.
People dropped baskets. Children pointed. Someone screamed and fainted (okay, that might've been from excitement—our landing was pretty smooth). I stood at the bow like some kind of anime cover art while the others flanked me. Wind blowing. Capes fluttering. Cool music definitely playing in the background, even if it was just in my head.
"That was excessive," Kakashi muttered from behind his book.
"That was style," I corrected.
We touched down on a grassy cliff overlooking the island's small main village. A stone path wound inland, probably toward the cursed sword guy.
Tenten practically did a cartwheel off the ship. "Saga's sword is mine!"
"Not until we confirm he's not a tragic anti-hero with a sob story," I reminded her.
"Pfft. I'll listen to the sob story after I steal—I mean borrow—his weapon."
Sakura sighed. "Naruto, please make sure she doesn't curse us all."
"No promises," I said, cracking my knuckles.
Evil swords. Mysterious warriors. Dramatic sky landings. And, let's not forget, a chance to level up before we maybe, possibly, inevitably had to fight Kaido one day.
All in a day's work.