Kakashi stared at Naruto in open shock, his single visible eye wide beneath his forehead protector. For a brief moment, the battlefield blurred, replaced by a memory he never thought he'd relive.
That technique. His was sensei's technique
Seeing Naruto perform it so cleanly—so instinctively—sent a chill through him. It wasn't just imitation. It was understanding.
Naruto stepped back slowly, boots scraping against cracked stone as dust settled around him. His eyes never left Tobi's body sprawled against the ground. He didn't relax. Not for a second. His breathing was steady, controlled—far removed from the reckless boy Kakashi remembered.
Tobi lay there in silence, his mind racing even as his body refused to respond immediately.
' How does he know that technique? I saw him die. I saw Sensei Die!' He thought.
The thought gnawed at him like a blade twisting deeper. That jutsu wasn't something one simply learned by observation. It carried intent. Memory. Legacy.
Slowly, Tobi pushed himself up, his posture guarded, his single eye fixed on Naruto. The air between them felt heavy, charged—like the calm before another collision.
Naruto remained still, feet planted, chakra coiled and ready. One wrong move, and he would strike again.
Then—
A faint rustling echoed through the trees.
From a high branch, a pale, plant-like figure emerged, its body seemingly grown from bark and shadow itself. Its presence felt unnatural, out of place in the already warped battlefield.
"The fight is over," Zetsu said calmly, voice devoid of emotion. "Uchiha Sasuke has won. Itachi is dead."
The words hung in the air.
Tobi's body stiffened for a fraction of a second. Then he exhaled slowly and nodded, as if confirming something he had already foreseen. He turned his gaze back to Naruto, studying him one last time.
"So it's just as I expected," Tobi muttered.
His form began to distort, edges blurring as space itself warped around him. Before fully disappearing, he paused—his voice low, serious, stripped of mockery.
"I'll never forget this, Uzumaki Naruto."
And then he was gone.
Silence reclaimed the battlefield.
Without wasting time, Naruto and the others moved out, racing toward the location where Sasuke had fought Itachi. What they found made them slow to a halt.
The area was completely ruined.
Stone was shattered into rubble, the ground fractured and scorched, entire structures reduced to broken bricks and dust. The sheer scale of destruction told a story words couldn't.
Kiba crouched down, sniffing the air carefully before shaking his head.
"His scent vanishes beyond here," he said. "It's like he disappeared completely."
A collective sigh escaped the group—relief mixed with uncertainty.
Naruto, however, barely registered it.
His eyes lingered on the ruins, but his thoughts were already elsewhere. Stronger. Higher.
' Sage Jutsu… That's my next step.'
His lips curved into a small, eager grin.
' I can't wait,' he thought.
.....
After some time, they returned to the Leaf.
They didn't arrive as heroes.
The village gates stood tall and familiar, but the mood was heavy, weighed down by unspoken truths. News like this never traveled lightly. Shinobi could sense it—the stiffness in their steps, the silence between words, the way even Naruto didn't joke on the way back.
Inside the Hokage's office, the team stood in formation as they relayed the mission from beginning to end. Every detail. Every clash. Every name spoken felt heavier than the last. Kakashi filled in the technical gaps, Sakura clarified the aftermath, and Naruto spoke only when necessary.
When it was over, silence filled the room.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and sighed deeply, rubbing her temple. Years of leadership had taught her how to bear bad news—but that didn't make it easier to deliver.
Her eyes shifted to Naruto.
He stood near the window, staring out at the village rooftops bathed in late afternoon light. His reflection in the glass looked distant, detached—as if his body was present, but his mind was already somewhere else.
' Should I tell him now?' she thought. ' No… let everyone leave first.'
She straightened and cleared her throat.
"That will be all," Tsunade said firmly. "You're dismissed."
The group nodded and filed out quietly, the door closing with a soft but final click.
Naruto didn't move.
"Naruto," Tsunade said after a moment. "Stay."
He turned slowly, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable.
She hesitated—something rare for the Fifth Hokage.
"Naruto… I don't know how to say this."
That alone set something off in him.
He studied her face carefully, searching for cracks. He didn't interrupt, but his gut already twisted. Some part of him knew.
"Yeah?" he replied, cautious.
Tsunade exhaled slowly.
"Well… I know you told Jiraiya not to leave. You warned him." She paused. "But he did anyway. He went to search for the leader of the Akatsuki."
Naruto's eyes widened instantly.
"What?"
His voice rose sharply as he stepped forward.
"Why would he do that?!" Naruto snapped. "I told him! I told him that guy was on another level—way beyond anything we've faced! Even he couldn't beat him! Is he insane?!"
The words spilled out fast, raw and uncontrolled.
Tsunade didn't flinch. She let him vent.
"He did it for you," she said quietly.
Naruto froze.
"The Akatsuki have been hunting Jinchūriki for years," she continued. "He believed that if he could uncover even a fraction of information about their leader, it could give us an advantage. A chance to protect you."
She clenched her fists beneath the desk.
"So right after you left the village… he did too."
Naruto turned away, teeth grinding.
'He's dead. Yeah. No other way around it.'
The conclusion hit him like a hammer to the chest.
"Fuck!!"
The word tore from his throat as chakra flared violently around him. In the next instant—
He vanished.
The air in the office settled slowly.
Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closing as the weight of her decision crashed down on her.
' I hope my gamble pays off…Or I swear to God, Jiraiya… I'll never forgive you.'
---
Back in Naruto's room, the door slammed shut behind him.
He tore off his weighted clothing, letting it hit the floor with heavy thuds. His jacket followed, then his sandals. He dropped onto his bed, sitting there stiffly, staring straight ahead at nothing.
Minutes passed.
Then—
"Fuck! Fuck!"
Naruto slammed his fist into the mattress, the bed creaking under the force.
"Why is he so damn difficult?!" he shouted, voice cracking with anger and helplessness.
His hands trembled. Anger. Fear. Guilt. All tangled together. For some reason, he felt that it was all his fault.
TO BE CONTINUED