The blast tore across the battlefield like the wrath of a god. Light consumed the sky, brighter than any firework or jutsu Jiraiya had ever seen. The explosion's shockwave split the earth, crushed cliffs into rubble, and carved a scar into the landscape that would remain for generations.
Jiraiya stood frozen in awe. Even in his long life as a Sannin, he had never witnessed such a clash of power. The force of Naruto's Tailed Beast Bomb colliding with Nagato's Chibaku Tensei had rewritten the terrain itself.
The smoke began to lift, carried away by the heated winds. Amid the drifting haze, two figures remained. They hadn't moved, yet their chakra pressed against each other like colliding storms. Naruto's golden aura shimmered faintly, and Nagato's oppressive Rinnegan glow radiated from his emaciated body.
Naruto's mind worked quickly. He could end this now. If he pushed harder, if he unleashed the Six Paths Sage Mode, Nagato would be destroyed, and the Rinnegan would be his. One strike, one decision, and all future threats could be erased.
But there was danger in revealing too much too early. The Dragon Vein Sage Mode gave him heightened perception, letting him sense disturbances others would miss, and Kurama's chakra roared through him like wildfire. Even so, Nagato had become more formidable than expected. The prosthetic enhancements from White Zetsu had restored his crippled body enough to wield the Rinnegan at nearly its full potential.
Nagato's thin lips curled. "Uzumaki Naruto… your power exceeds every expectation. You stand above all the Jinchūriki I've ever known." His voice carried the weight of finality. "But remember—no matter how high you climb, mortals cannot stand against the power of gods."
Naruto's eyes narrowed, a mocking grin tugging at his lips. "Gods? You mean those eyes? Don't get too full of yourself, Nagato."
Nagato's lids lowered. When he opened them again, the Rinnegan glowed brighter than before, rings spinning with ominous gravity. Invisible pressure expanded outward.
Naruto's senses screamed. Something was wrong—something he couldn't quite see. The air itself shifted, brushing cold against his skin as though unseen presences surrounded him. His instincts roared, and in the next instant, he threw up his arm to guard.
Bang!
The blow sent him rolling across shattered stone. Naruto landed hard, grinding to a halt, eyes wide. That hadn't been an ordinary strike. It had felt like being hit by a phantom.
The Rinnegan… Madara's technique, he realized. Limbo: Border Jail.
The so-called prison of shadows, invisible to most, exists in another dimension. Madara had once used it with terrifying mastery. And now, Nagato had inherited that same forbidden power.
Nagato tilted his head, faint surprise flickering across his usually detached expression. "You sensed it?"
His voice dropped to a dangerous calm. "That should be impossible. The Limbo clones exist in a parallel space. No ordinary being can detect them… let alone defend against them."
But Naruto had done just that. He had felt the brush of their killing intent, the faint ripple in the world where they crossed into his range. Only Kurama's chakra fused with Dragon Vein Sage Mode had allowed such perception.
Nagato frowned. The Rinnegan's might was absolute—yet Naruto had cracked open a door few could even see.
Naruto climbed back to his feet, brushing dust from his cloak. "Troublesome ability," he muttered. The air shimmered faintly, his golden chakra cloak strengthening. He couldn't afford to let his guard down. If one of those invisible clones struck his heart or neck, even his power might not save him.
With a slow breath, he brought his hands together. The Nine-Tails' massive form erupted around him, cloaked in golden brilliance. Kurama roared, his voice shaking the air, as Naruto stood atop his head.
From where he stood, Jiraiya's jaw dropped. "That's… full transformation. Naruto, you've already—" His voice cracked into a half-laugh, half-sob of pride. "My student has long since surpassed me."
Nagato was unmoved. "Even with the full might of the Nine-Tails, you cannot stand against the Rinnegan." His voice sharpened. "Limbo: Border Jail."
Four shadows split from his body, invisible to ordinary eyes, each one radiating the same overwhelming presence as the original.
Kurama's massive paw lashed out, the strike large enough to flatten mountains. Nagato countered instantly, thrusting his hand forward. "Shinra Tensei!"
The paw met the wall of repulsion with a thunderous crash, the air itself screeching under the pressure. Sparks and dust flew like a storm.
At the same time, the Limbo clones struck. Four invisible fists slammed into Kurama's skull. The impact shook the beast, forcing Naruto to clutch at the fur for balance.
Kurama snarled, his form flickering. Naruto dropped to the ground as golden chakra smoke peeled away. He had chosen to release the transformation before the Limbo clones shredded it completely.
The clones closed in again. But when they struck, their fists hit only air. Naruto had vanished, reappearing beside Jiraiya in a shimmer of space-time distortion.
Jiraiya blinked in shock. "Naruto, what—?"
"No time!" Naruto barked, his hand already gripping Jiraiya's shoulder. "We're leaving."
Before Jiraiya could argue, space folded around them. With a flash, they disappeared.
Nagato's clones swiped through empty air. His eyes widened, then narrowed in frustration. He recognized that technique.
"The Flying Thunder God… Minato's jutsu." Nagato lowered his hands slowly. "To combine that with the Nine-Tails' power… troublesome indeed." His voice cooled to steel. "But you cannot run forever, Jinchūriki. Next time, there will be no escape."
Far away, the light of teleportation faded. Naruto and Jiraiya stood within the familiar streets of Konoha, the Hokage Monument rising in the distance.
Naruto released his chakra cloak, golden light fading from his skin. He let out a long breath, the strain of carrying Jiraiya across such a vast distance lingering in his chest. His mastery of the Flying Thunder God was still new, but it had been enough.
Jiraiya looked around in disbelief. "This is… the village? Already?" His eyes softened as he turned back to Naruto. "Your father would be proud. You may surpass him one day."
Naruto scratched his cheek with a sheepish grin. "Heh. Don't exaggerate, Pervy Sage."
But in truth, he had no intention of flaunting his full power. The fewer people who knew of his cards—the Rinnegan sealed in his sight, the Dragon Vein chakra—the better.
As they made their way toward the Hokage's office, the guards stepped aside without question. Inside, Tsunade looked up as they entered, relief flooding her features.
"You're back," she said, voice softening. "You don't know how much worry you've caused me these last few days."
Naruto grinned, but Jiraiya's tone grew serious as he recounted the confrontation. He spoke of Nagato, of the Rinnegan's full strength, and of Naruto's mastery of the Nine-Tails. Each word left Tsunade and Shizune more stunned.
To hear that Naruto had tamed what no Jinchūriki before him had managed was almost unthinkable. Shizune covered her mouth in shock. Tsunade's expression shifted between pride and disbelief.
Jiraiya finished quietly. "Hokage-sama… Naruto may already stand at the level of the First Hokage."
Tsunade's breath caught. "More than Grandfather…?" She turned to Naruto, searching his clear eyes.
Naruto waved his hands quickly. "Don't joke about that! Hashirama was called the God of Shinobi. I've got a long way to go before I reach that."
Though the humility was real, inwardly Naruto knew the truth—he had surpassed limits no one else could imagine. But boasting wasn't his way. Staying humble, staying quiet, would keep his enemies guessing.
Tsunade's stern features softened into a smile. "You've done well, Naruto. With you here, Konoha's future feels secure."
Naruto thumped his chest, laughing. "Leave it to me, Granny!"
Later, after the debriefing ended and Jiraiya was pulled aside for treatment, Naruto slipped out into the village streets. Lantern light swayed in the evening breeze, familiar smells of roasted food filling the air.
He walked toward Ichiraku, his steps steady but his thoughts turning heavy. Nagato wouldn't stop. The Rinnegan would come for Konoha sooner or later, and when it did, destruction was certain.
But Naruto clenched his fists. If that day came, he would be ready. He would defend his village, his people, even if it meant tearing the Rinnegan from Nagato's skull himself.
And beyond that, a heavier burden pressed against his chest—the alien seal etched into his very being. The lunar reincarnation seal, chained to his stomach, weighed heavier with each passing day. With Kurama's power and the Dragon Vein combined, he had already reached the edge of his body's limit. He couldn't afford to ignore it forever.
Naruto exhaled slowly, his eyes lifting to the stars above. "One thing at a time," he murmured. "If Nagato dares to come here… I'll show him that Konoha's not so easily broken."
And with that thought, he pushed open the curtain of Ichiraku, greeted by the warm smell of broth and noodles.
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