"Well, it's nothing complicated. I simply want you to become my subordinate," Naruto said with a grin.
Ido gave a disdainful snort.
"And what makes you think you're strong enough to command me?"
Naruto frowned and stared provocatively at the hideous creature.
"Looks like I'll have to show you."
Before Naruto could make a move, Ido struck first.
Its hand shot forward and closed tightly around his throat.
At the same time, the studio vanished. A pool of boiling magma appeared beside them, radiating such intense heat that it seemed completely real.
"What an arrogant brat."
Ido sneered and lifted Naruto toward the magma.
Although they were inside a genjutsu world, falling into that magma would have real consequences. Yakumo's kekkei genkai could force the victim's brain to reproduce anything suffered within the illusion.
If Naruto fell in, his body in the real world would be burned alive.
That was the terrifying power possessed by Yakumo Kurama—and the monster born from her mind.
An ordinary shinobi would have died immediately. Even Kurenai, a jōnin who specialized in genjutsu, might not have escaped.
Unfortunately for Ido, its opponent was Naruto.
"Is that all?"
Naruto suddenly sneered.
Ido's expression changed.
It tried to move him, but Naruto remained fixed in place as though he had become part of the world itself.
"You know about the Sharingan, don't you?" Naruto asked coldly. "Then take a closer look."
His eyes changed.
Blood-red irises appeared, each containing the pattern of an eight-pointed star. The ominous power of the Mangekyō Sharingan filled the illusory world.
"This is the Mangekyō Sharingan."
Boom!
The illusion shattered.
Ido's genjutsu was forced back upon its caster, and the boiling magma vanished.
Naruto found himself standing inside the studio once more.
Ido's monstrous form had disappeared. Only Yakumo stood before him, wearing the same sinister expression.
The monster had seized control of her body and suppressed Yakumo's original consciousness.
Ido had completely taken over.
"What are those eyes?" Yakumo demanded, disbelief filling her face. "How could they break my genjutsu so easily?"
With Ido controlling her, Yakumo's power had been fully unleashed. Her genjutsu had become far stronger, and she could use an ability approaching [Fantasy Realization].
Yet Naruto's Mangekyō Sharingan had shattered it in an instant.
Snap!
Naruto lunged forward and seized Yakumo by the throat.
The eight-pointed stars in his eyes slowly rotated as he stared at her with cold indifference.
Yakumo tried to cast another genjutsu.
Nothing happened.
Her power was completely suppressed by Naruto's Mangekyō Sharingan.
In an instant, the situation had been reversed.
Naruto lifted her off the floor by her neck.
The sinister expression on her face gave way to terror. She desperately swung the palette knife in her right hand toward him, but Naruto slapped it away.
Yakumo's face gradually turned red from suffocation. Her legs kicked wildly as she struggled to breathe.
"I-I accept…"
She forced the words from her throat with the last of her strength.
All traces of arrogance had vanished. Only pain and pleading remained.
Naruto did not gently lower her.
He hurled her against the floor.
Bang!
Yakumo lost consciousness upon impact.
The person controlling her body was no longer the frail and innocent girl she had once been. It was Ido, a malicious personality willing to kill without hesitation.
There was no need to show such a creature mercy.
It had to be completely controlled.
Naruto formed several hand seals, then pressed his palm against Yakumo's forehead.
A mysterious X-shaped formula appeared across her skin before slowly fading from sight.
"Curse Mark: Caged Bird."
It was the same cursed seal Naruto had obtained from the system to free Neji.
However, he had modified its formula.
Yakumo did not possess the Byakugan, but Naruto could still activate the seal to rob her of her sight instantly. It would not kill her directly, but being blinded in the middle of a battle would almost certainly prove fatal.
Naruto had also concealed the seal's visible mark, preventing Yakumo from realizing what had been placed on her.
Even so, he wasn't satisfied.
Yakumo's abilities were too dangerous to control with only one safeguard.
After considering his options, Naruto exchanged for another cursed seal from the system: the [Forbidden Individual Curse Tag].
It was the same seal Madara Uchiha had once placed on the hearts of Rin Nohara and Obito Uchiha. It could prevent the branded target from acting against the caster's intentions and serve as a powerful restraint.
Fortunately, Naruto and his female avatar had accumulated a considerable number of points by killing shinobi.
He had enough to obtain the seal and immediately raise his mastery of it to [Proficient].
Naruto placed the second cursed seal directly on Yakumo's heart.
One minute later, he kicked her awake.
Yakumo's eyes snapped open. Her first instinct was to trap Naruto in another genjutsu, but the moment she met his gaze, she abandoned the idea.
"Come with me."
Naruto looked down at her coldly.
He grabbed her shoulder, and the two vanished.
—
Since its establishment, the Hidden Snow Village had received extensive support from Yukie Kazahana, the new ruler of the Land of Snow.
The director had completed a movie based on Team Naruto helping Yukie reclaim her throne. After its release, increasing numbers of tourists began traveling to the Land of Snow.
The geothermal generators had melted the endless snow and transformed the formerly frozen country into a land of green fields and warm springs. Before long, it had become a popular tourist destination.
The Land of Snow's revenue grew rapidly, allowing construction of the Hidden Snow Village to proceed at a much faster rate.
The village itself had been built around the geothermal generator complex, allowing its shinobi to protect the country's most valuable infrastructure.
At present, the village's core consisted of Naruto's female avatar and three shinobi: Neji, Karin, and Haku.
To conceal his identity, Neji always wore a mask and dark glasses. He rarely used the Gentle Fist, since the technique would immediately expose his connection to the Hyūga clan.
According to Naruto's plans, they only needed to hide Neji's identity for three years.
By then, there would be no need for secrecy.
The Hidden Snow Village had also taken in one hundred orphans and begun training them as the village's first generation of homegrown shinobi.
Perhaps Naruto would never need them.
Even so, preparing for the future was better than doing nothing. Their presence also gave Yukie tangible proof that the village she was supporting was steadily developing.
Neji was responsible for teaching the children taijutsu and basic shinobi knowledge.
Their curriculum was largely based on Konoha's Academy system, though it had been adjusted to place greater emphasis on practical skills. The entire course had also been shortened so that the students could graduate within three years.
Karin, meanwhile, had been studying the medical ninjutsu scrolls Naruto had given her.
Her progress had been remarkably fast.
Her next step would be learning elemental ninjutsu. As a member of the Uzumaki clan, Karin possessed an enormous chakra reserve, and allowing that advantage to go unused would be a waste.
Naruto concealed his chakra signature when he arrived, preventing Karin from sensing him.
Whenever she discovered he was nearby, she became hopelessly excited and clung to him at every opportunity. Naruto found it exhausting to deal with, especially this late at night.
He still hadn't decided what kind of relationship he wanted with her.
Haku was the only one who had made almost no progress.
He spent his days drifting around the village without purpose, still looking as though he had lost all desire to live. Instead of sleeping, he sat on a rooftop every night and silently counted the stars.
Naruto took one look at him and decided he had seen enough.
He knocked Haku unconscious and placed a [Forbidden Individual Curse Tag] on his heart as well.
Starting the following morning, Haku would help Neji teach the village's students.
After suddenly being transported from Konoha to the Hidden Snow Village, Yakumo looked around in shock.
Her gaze toward Naruto now contained far more fear and awe than before.
A moment later, however, she began to laugh.
She had escaped from the isolated villa and the village she considered a prison. For the first time in years, she felt as though she had finally broken free from her cage.
"So this is Yakumo Kurama?"
Naruto's female avatar approached and studied the newcomer.
"Yes. Ido has taken control," Naruto replied.
"That isn't necessarily a bad thing. She should be much stronger now."
The female avatar examined Yakumo from head to toe.
Her expression suddenly shifted.
A moment later, it returned to normal.
"You dared to cast a genjutsu on me?"
She pointed at Yakumo.
A black-and-gold rope shot forward, wrapped tightly around the girl, and hurled her into the air.
"Ahhh!"
Yakumo screamed as she swung helplessly overhead.
Even with Ido in control, she was still a young girl. She did not possess the composure of an ancient monster that had lived for thousands of years.
Haku heard her scream from the distant rooftop.
When he turned and saw what was happening, his expression changed. The scene appeared to remind him of his own recent experience.
After being thoroughly taught a lesson by the female avatar, Yakumo no longer dared to use genjutsu on her without permission.
Naruto then withdrew with his female avatar.
It was time for the two of them to discuss their plans for the next three years.