Chapter 411: Naruto
Let's skip for now the scene of the girls frolicking and joking in the hot spring.
Let's turn the clock back a little earlier, to the evening before sunset, in one of Konoha's "allied states," the Land of Bears, in Hoshigakure (Village Hidden Among Stars).
The name Hoshigakure originated from two hundred years ago when a strange meteorite fell from the sky. It was radioactive and could activate chakra. The village's ninja used it for cultivation, so the village was named Hoshigakure.
The most important building in the village was the training hall housing the 'Star' meteorite; at this moment, everyone in Hoshigakure, along with an outsider—an orange-haired boy—was standing in the square outside the training hall.
The atmosphere was completely contrary to the peaceful and serene Konoha. Here, it was tense, with swords drawn and bows bent, on the verge of a great battle.
"Akahoshi, put down the 'Star' and surrender! Resistance is meaningless and will only aggravate your sins!" A woman with purple-red long hair stood at the front of the crowd, facing the former acting Hoshikage of Hoshigakure, and said in a deep voice.
"Hehe, Natsuhi, stop being hypocritical, you traitorous woman!" The man called Akahoshi shouted with a ferocious grin, "Without the 'Star,' why should the village be called Hoshigakure? And how can it become strong and become the sixth great ninja village?"
He breathed rapidly a few times, glared viciously at the Hoshigakure ninja standing on the opposite side, and said coldly: "Yes! I am the murderer who killed the Third Hoshikage! Because that stupid and stubborn old man refused to hand over the 'Star' and let us cultivate the 'Mysterious Peacock Method'! I had to kill him."
"I was not wrong! I had no grievances with that old immortal, why did I kill him? Wasn't it to let everyone cultivate the Mysterious Peacock Method and make the village strong? Where was I wrong? Sumaru, Hokuto? And you, you... you," Akahoshi pointed at the Hoshigakure ninja on the field one by one, "Tell me, who allowed you to cultivate the Mysterious Peacock Method? Who gave you powerful strength? As the Hoshikage, I exhausted my thoughts for the development of the village. What right do you have to stand against me?"
"Ha! Some people say cultivating the Mysterious Peacock Method is dangerous and has side effects." Akahoshi sneered, turned to Natsuhi, and mocked, "Yes, I admit, it is dangerous, there are side effects! But so what? Which ninjutsu has no flaws, no dangers? If you are so afraid of death, don't be a ninja. Go farming, be a carpenter, sweep the streets! Did I force you to be ninja?"
"Konoha ninja, you are knowledgeable. Tell me, what cultivation has no danger? Why shouldn't being a ninja encounter danger?" He laughed wildly and pointed at the orange-haired ninja again, "Hahaha! Don't act like a messenger of justice, pretending to be upright. I know very clearly that you Konoha people came all the way to Hoshigakure just because you covet the power of the 'Star' and want to take away our secret treasure, the 'Star,' right?"
These words were truly heart-piercing. The Star Ninja who had just stood firmly opposite Akahoshi couldn't help but whisper to each other after hearing this, discussing one after another, and from time to time casting strange glances at the Konoha ninja standing at the very front.
They indeed had reason to suspect.
Natsuhi was angry and anxious: "You bastard who confuses the public with evil words! It is clearly your ambition that is too big. Knowing that the Mysterious Peacock Method is extremely harmful, you let everyone practice this endlessly troublesome ninjutsu just so you can become the Kage of the sixth great ninja village! I—"
"Enough." A hand suddenly reached out, interrupting Natsuhi.
"Na-Naruto?"
"Let me handle it." Naruto Uzumaki turned back, gave Natsuhi a confident smile, and said, "Mr. Akahoshi, I am not here on behalf of Konoha, nor do I covet the power of the 'Star'..."
"Because... the power the Star brings you is far from strong enough. Relying on it, you absolutely cannot become a powerful village comparable to Konoha! What's more, for a village, the most important thing is not the power of ninjutsu, but every single person in the village! As a Kage, one should treat every villager like their own family, not induce them to learn ninjutsu with endless troubles!"
Naruto said solemnly.
"Don't lecture me here!" Naruto's disapproval of the Star in his words made Akahoshi furious. He suddenly pressed the meteorite to his chest, "Dare to look down on the power of the Star, I will make you regret saying such words!"
"Haaahhhhh—!"
Accompanied by Akahoshi's furious shout, a violent and huge chakra rose spontaneously from his chest, quickly spreading all over Akahoshi's body, and finally condensed on Akahoshi's back as if alive.
Whoosh—!
Without warning, a strong wind suddenly blew up. For a time, sand and stones flew, making the many Hoshigakure ninja complain incessantly.
"Aunt Natsuhi, please escort everyone to a safe location." Naruto's voice remained stable and calm in the strong wind, unwavering like his upright figure, "Leave this place to me."
The chakra fluctuation on Akahoshi's body became more and more intense. The chakra on his back had condensed to the extreme, emitting an unsettling aura, and then—
A dark purple chakra dragon suddenly sprang out from Akahoshi's back. It grew against the wind, and in an instant, it grew into a huge dragon-shaped creation tens of meters high and as thick as two people's embrace!
Akahoshi clenched his fists, feeling his power. Unprecedented massive chakra filled his body. The substantial giant dragon formed by condensed chakra seemed to bring him endless power. He flew into mid-air, raised his head, and took a deep breath. The air seemed filled with the sweet scent of being invincible in the world.
Yes, this was the feeling.
"Hahahaha—!"
In the whistling wind, Akahoshi's maniacal laughter came: "Did you see, Konoha brat? This is the power of the Star, invincible power! Now, do you still dare to speak wild words and underestimate our Hoshigakure?"
He lowered his head, wanting to see panic on the Konoha brat's face below, wanting to see him crying bitterly and kneeling to beg for mercy, but all he saw was a pair of calm blue eyes.
He saw Naruto looking up at him in mid-air, but the expression in his eyes seemed to be looking down on him, pitying him, rather than fearing him.
"Is that all?" Naruto asked calmly.
"What did you say?" Akahoshi was stunned.
"Paying the price of life..." Naruto lowered his eyelids, his voice low, but chakra gradually surged out. He said slowly, "Just for this level of power?"
Massive chakra filled with ominousness and evil aura poured out from the boy's body surface, like a surge of black smoke.
What terrifying chakra aura that was!
Akahoshi was originally still furious because of Naruto's words. The moment he saw this chakra, he was so frightened that his hands and feet were cold, his whole body stiff, dumbstruck, unable to say a word!
Even Natsuhi, who had just taken the other Hoshigakure ninja to a safe zone and then returned to the edge of the battlefield, held her breath upon seeing this, stopped in her tracks in doubt and fear, not daring to take another step forward!
"A physical entity condensed from chakra?" Naruto looked at the giant dragon behind Akahoshi and muttered. His beautiful azure eyes had turned into bewitching orange-yellow vertical pupils at some point.
Black smoke continued to pour out, finally turning into black ribbons wrapping around the boy, blurring the boy's figure into the shadow of a fox.
Canine teeth elongated, protruded, and became sharp.
One, two, three... four.
The fourth tail appeared behind his waist.
"Just right, I also have a ninjutsu for chakra materialization... let's compete?" Naruto cracked a grin, smiling faintly.
"You... who exactly are you?!"
"I am Naruto, Konoha Ninja Village, Genin."
Under the crazed chakra cloak was Naruto's calm expression.
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