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Naruto's World
Naruto stared, wide-eyed. "That's me?! I look so strong! I really am the best!"He broke out laughing.
Sasuke scowled, frustration bubbling. "Damn it… Naruto made the list. What about me? Don't tell me that man kills me in the future…"
Sakura froze in disbelief. "Naruto? He really gets that strong?" She looked at the goofy kid beside her and shook her head. Hard to imagine.
Lee's face lit up. "Guy-sensei, look—it's Naruto! Even a dropout can become a true powerhouse through hard work!"
Hope swelled in him. Guy gave him a thumbs-up. "Lee, I believe in you. You'll get stronger too. Let's celebrate our youth!"
The Third Hokage murmured, awed, "As expected of his son… the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
In the shadows, Danzo sneered. "The Nine-Tails brat… his power will belong to me in the end."
Chilling laughter echoed through the air.
The entire shinobi world trembled. Most people only knew that brat as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. Who would've thought he'd end up on that list? Unbelievable!
Jiraiya stopped in his tracks. "That feeling… that's Sage Jutsu from Mount Myōboku!"
"So, Naruto ended up under the frogs' guidance after all. Hah… looks like he's surpassed me. To think he could master Sage Jutsu so perfectly…"
On Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage slowly opened his cloudy eyes. "So this is… the Child of Prophecy?"
…
As the world muttered in awe, the video began to play.
On screen appeared two figures clad in black cloaks patterned with red clouds. A woman with orange hair stood inside the mouth of a giant summoned beast.
Shizune froze, completely baffled. "What's going on? The summoning Pain should've already been defeated by Lord Jiraiya!"
"Hiashi, explain it again—we should be able to figure something out!"
Ibiki turned sharply. "Leave this to me and the Anbu. You two, go search elsewhere!"
Shizune and Hiashi retreated, heading off to uncover Pain's secret.
Ibiki stood tall before the Summoning Pain. "Your opponent… is us!"
"Say something, at least. This mood's all wrong if you just stand there."
But the Summoning Pain only stared, silent as stone.
"If that's how you want it, fine. I'll make you want to speak—from the bottom of your soul."
With that, Ibiki and the Anbu charged.
"Leave the mutt to us!" one of the masked Anbu called.
"Formation B!"
They spread out around the monstrous multi-headed dog. Hands flew through seals.
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter!"
Blades of wind sliced across the beast's legs, severing them clean.
Another Anbu slammed his hands into the ground. "Lightning Style: Four Pillar Bind!"
Four stone pillars erupted, electricity crackling between them. The dog howled as lightning surged through its body.
"Earth Style: Clayfall!"
A heavy rain of thick, sticky mud poured down from a warped space above, pinning the beast even further.
"Lightning Style: Sixteen Pillar Bind!"
More pillars rose, sixteen in all, forming a cage that sealed the dog inside.
"Fire Style: Incineration!"
Flames roared to life within the stone prison. When the fire finally died, the stone structure crumbled, leaving nothing but smoke and dust. The massive dog lay subdued, trapped beneath the earth.
Another summon, a raging bull, charged straight for Ibiki. He backpedaled, hands forming seals. "Summoning Jutsu: Gloomy Dark Thunder!"
Lightning surged at his command, but the bull's horn pierced straight through his body.
Poof!
The body dissolved into smoke—it had only been a substitution.
The ground rumbled. A giant white cat burst forth, chains coiling around the bull and dragging it underground.
Ibiki reappeared at the woman's side, fingers flashing through another set of seals. "Summoning Jutsu: House of Torture!"
Iron chains shot out, binding the orange-haired Pain hand and foot. A massive iron cage dropped from the sky, sealing her inside as more chains wrapped her tight.
Ibiki's eyes hardened. "I'll make you talk."
"Spill your secrets!"
From the gears of the cage, countless wires lashed out, binding her even tighter. Ibiki wove another sign, and the wires constricted, digging deeper into her skin.
"Pain, huh? Good name. Pain is the only language that never lies. Let's share it—you and me."
But the woman didn't flinch. Not once.
"What the hell… she doesn't feel pain?"
Finally, she spoke in a cold voice. "The pain you talk about is nothing. True pain… is something you'll never understand."
A terrifying surge of chakra exploded from her body, snapping every chain and wire. In a flash, she had Ibiki pinned, her palm pressed to his chest.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A seal spread across his stomach, and agony ripped through him. He collapsed to the ground, writhing. A giant bird burst forth from his body, screaming.
At once, a small slug appeared on his shoulder, bathing him in healing chakra, keeping him alive.
Meanwhile, the bull broke free from its bindings. The orange-haired Pain clapped her hands together again.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
One after another, massive beasts appeared in the middle of Konoha, laying waste to everything in sight.
Ibiki raised his head with effort, despair flooding his voice. "No… it can't be…"
From a rooftop, Konohamaru stared down at the destruction, fury blazing in his eyes. "How dare they… turn our village into this mess!"
A cry for help rang out. Konohamaru sprinted over, finding a villager buried in rubble. With great effort, he pulled them free.
"Hang in there! You'll be okay!" His jaw tightened. "I won't forgive this. Never!"
Not far away, another Pain—an orange-haired man with a stocky build—loomed over two fallen Leaf shinobi.
"Is Naruto Uzumaki in this village… or not? Answer me."
Hidden nearby, Konohamaru crouched in the shadows. His eyes widened as he recognized the cloak.
"That pattern… the ones who killed Uncle Asuma. Akatsuki!"
The two Konoha ninja glared up at Pain. "Naruto is one of us. We'll never sell out a comrade."
The man seized their throats and lifted them effortlessly. "So this is the Will of Fire? Pathetic. Refuse me again… and you'll never get another chance."
Behind him, a grotesque monster stirred. Pain repeated his question, but the shinobi gave the same answer.
"Then I'll deliver judgment myself."
The creature's tongue split into huge hands, which shot forward, seizing the two ninja by their tongues and dragging them into its gaping maw. With sickening crunches, their lives were ended.
Konohamaru trembled violently. "What… what is this? Chūnin… and they couldn't even fight back?!"
"..."
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