Forced out of Sage Mode, Naruto was instantly hit by a wave of crushing exhaustion.
Even with the Uzumaki clan's monstrous reserves of chakra, using senjutsu required something far more precise than sheer stamina. To invoke Sage Mode, one had to perfectly balance spiritual energy, physical energy, and natural energy in flawless harmony.
That demand for absolute chakra control was harsh.
On top of that, while in Sage Mode Naruto was unable to draw on the Nine-Tails' power—leading directly to his current predicament.
"To reenter Sage Mode, I'd need to absorb more natural energy…"
Naruto muttered under his breath, even as his sharp eyes caught Kakashi's descending hand chop.
Without Sage Mode, his physical defenses had dropped dramatically. But Kakashi, aware of this, deliberately slowed his strike, pulling his power back so it would knock Naruto out without harming him.
Yet that mercy also gave Naruto the chance to breathe.
It was no exaggeration—if this had been the old Naruto, even if he saw Kakashi's strike coming, he wouldn't have had the strength to dodge or block.
But now?
He had found a deeper power.
The Nine-Tails' chakra erupted from his body, cloaking him in a blazing golden aura.
The Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
"…What on earth is this?"
Kakashi's eyes went wide, his body freezing in shock.
Sage Mode alone had astonished him. But this—this new form radiated chakra on a level beyond comprehension.
Even by a conservative guess, Naruto's chakra right now outstripped his own by at least a hundredfold.
And most unsettling of all, that chakra radiated a familiar presence.
The Nine-Tails.
Kakashi's throat bobbed as he swallowed, an image of the colossal fox flashing unbidden through his mind.
Could it be…
Had Naruto already mastered the Nine-Tails' power?
Had he become like Yugito Nii of the Hidden Cloud—a perfect jinchūriki?
But… was that even possible?
Whoosh!
Before he could think further, the chakra shrouding Naruto shifted unnaturally, as though it had its own will.
When Kakashi's hand chop came down, the golden aura at Naruto's shoulder suddenly condensed into the shape of a hand.
It snapped forward, catching Kakashi's wrist in an iron grip.
He couldn't bring the strike down.
Nor could he pull free.
For the first time in the fight, Kakashi found himself trapped.
"That guy… is that really Naruto?"
Not far away, Sasuke—still sprawled on the ground—drew a sharp breath, his face twisted in disbelief.
He had thought Sage Mode was Naruto's ultimate trump card. But now this shimmering, golden chakra cloak?
"How strong is he, really…?"
"Could it be… even Kakashi-sensei isn't his match?"
The realization thundered in Sasuke's chest.
He had just fought Kakashi himself. Even though it lasted only a few exchanges, it had been enough to show him the gulf between them.
And that was only Kakashi fighting normally—without his Sharingan truly unleashed, without his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
The truth was undeniable. No matter how much he resisted it, Naruto now stood on a level worlds apart from him.
"…Damn it."
Fury twisted Sasuke's face. His fist clenched tight and slammed into the dirt, frustration seething through him.
"Naruto…"
Sakura's reaction was no calmer. Her wide eyes locked onto Naruto, drinking in his transformed state.
A cloak of chakra shaping itself into a tangible armor—she had never seen anything like it.
And she could feel it in her bones: this form was even stronger than Sage Mode.
Especially those chakra arms that sprouted at will. Even the Academy's textbooks had nothing remotely like this.
As Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura stood frozen in shock, Naruto released Kakashi's wrist with a flick.
Then his body lifted into the air, propelled upward by a surge of chakra. His heel came down hard into Kakashi's stomach.
In this form, Naruto no longer cared about the bells.
Right now, he had only one desire—
To defeat Kakashi-sensei completely.
To prove his strength not just to Kakashi, but to Sakura, and even to Sasuke.
The bells alone weren't enough.
"Ugh!"
Pain exploded through Kakashi's abdomen. His body was launched backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing through the air as the Lightning Release Chakra Mode shattered and dispersed.
It wasn't exaggeration to say—Kakashi's very understanding of himself wavered.
This boy… was supposed to be a genin?
No. This was the power of a kage.
Even the Third Hokage himself, Sarutobi Hiruzen, might not be able to defeat Naruto as he was now.
Sage Mode could at least be rationalized. It was a result of training at Mount Myōboku.
But this—turning the Nine-Tails' chakra into his own and wielding it with mastery—how could anyone stand against that?
Even if Kakashi's chakra reserves were infinite, he doubted he could win.
Naruto's airborne kick had been every bit as fast as his Lightning Mode—yet its power far surpassed his own.
What could he do?
Kakashi drew a sharp hiss of breath through his teeth, his mind spinning desperately—searching for a way to lose without humiliating himself, a way to fall that wouldn't shatter his authority as their leader.
But his body kept flying, finally crashing into a dense thicket of bushes.
Naruto, however, didn't rush to follow up. He fully expected Kakashi to rise again.
Sasuke and Sakura stared blankly for a long moment before finally moving closer to him.
"…Do you think Kakashi-sensei might be in danger?" Sakura whispered, her voice quivering with concern.
"…He should be fine… right?" Naruto blinked, tilting his head. After all, he hadn't even used his full power.
"Not so sure…" Sasuke muttered haltingly. "Even if he's alive, he's probably badly injured."
It wasn't concern for Kakashi that made him say it.
It was his inability to accept how far Naruto had outpaced him.
"Naruto… that place you mentioned before, Mount Myōboku…"
Sasuke bit down hard on his lip, then finally blurted out the question burning in him.
"…What exactly is it?"
Meanwhile, Kakashi's body struck the ground, pain exploding from every joint. His breath hissed through his teeth, his mind instantly calculating.
At least seven ribs broken.
Chakra reserves nearly depleted.
Forget finishing the fight with dignity—he couldn't even imagine walking away without collapsing.
"…This is miserable."
As he lay there helpless, a familiar voice suddenly spoke in his ear.
Kakashi's eyes widened, his head turning sharply—
"Senju Haruto…? What are you doing here?"
"Just came to take a look. I didn't expect you to lose this badly."
Haruto's tone was calm, matter-of-fact. "But then again, it makes sense. Naruto is already a half-complete jinchūriki—he can freely use the Nine-Tails' chakra."
With a flick of his fingers, Haruto performed a Transformation Jutsu, his form shifting seamlessly into Kakashi's likeness.
"If they see you in this state, your credibility as their jonin leader will crumble completely. Leave it to me from here."
"Rest well, Kakashi. I'll handle the rest."
Haruto's voice carried a quiet certainty as he stepped out from the bushes, taking Kakashi's place.
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