"Where is Naruto? What have you done to him?" Kakashi questioned, his brow furrowed in a stern gaze.
"Relax, I simply made a deal with him. We parted ways after both getting what we needed. He desired freedom and peace, so I provided him with a certain... way of life that aligned with those wishes," Allen explained nonchalantly.
Clearly, persuading a stubborn soul like Naruto was never going to be an easy feat.
Thus, Allen hadn't intended to use words from the start. Instead, he had taken Naruto directly to one of the most promising territories held by the Resistance.
He wanted this boy, who had been indoctrinated with the 'Will of Fire' for over a decade, to witness firsthand the suffering of the common people. He wanted him to understand why the Resistance could sprout up everywhere, and why they could rise from the ashes even after being crushed time and again.
As the saying goes: Seeing is believing.
In just over a week, Naruto had heard from the lips of the civilians themselves just how miserable and bleak life was under the rule of Ninjas, Daimyos, and nobles.
Konoha, in particular, was far from the beacon of justice and light he had imagined.
The slaughter of entire villages to maintain state secrets was a recurring reality, not an isolated incident.
Furthermore, they collected orphans from war-torn regions, forging them into death-sworn soldiers and spies to be sent into foreign lands for intelligence gathering and sabotage.
In the eyes of the commoners, Ninjas were the root of all evil in this world, the attack dogs kept by the Daimyos and the aristocracy.
For a youth who had aspired to be a Ninja and eventually the Hokage since childhood, this was a fatal psychological blow. It shattered every dream and hope he held for his future.
While Naruto was spiraling into despair, Allen used Genjutsu to plant a mental suggestion in a high-ranking member of the Resistance.
A few days later, through a "coincidence," Naruto met this official. Upon invitation, he joined the Resistance, beginning to use his power as a Ninja to do what he truly could for the common people.
Gradually, the despondent Naruto began to integrate into this group, eventually finding a sense of belonging, a feeling he could call "home."
However, Kakashi was clearly unaware of this. "You... let him go?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Indeed. I never force anyone; you should know that better than anyone. In my view, all people should be equal, an equality that has nothing to do with status, position, wealth, power, or strength, but is rooted in basic respect. Unfortunately, Ninjas like you, who rely on strict hierarchies and the threat of death to consolidate your rule, will never understand that," Allen remarked with a deep, mocking undertone.
It was true that Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, had founded Konoha with good intentions. During his reign, problems were generally resolved through open discussion.
But once Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, took office, the originally loose alliance of Konoha began its headlong sprint toward total militarism.
The Ninja Academy, the Anbu, the Police Force, these newly established institutions transformed Konoha into a streamlined Ninja factory, running a "cradle-to-grave" cycle of training and brainwashing.
The Anbu, in particular, was a thoroughbred secret intelligence agency that stopped at nothing to achieve its ends. Later, Danzo's "Root" organization took this philosophy to its absolute extreme.
In any normal nation or organization, assassination and sabotage would never be treated as standard deterrents. Yet, in the world of Naruto, this was the norm for almost all great nations.
Many remained loyal to their village not out of love, but out of fear of being hunted down by the Anbu if they defected.
Simply put, they relied on the threat of terror to achieve internal unity.
And the one who opened this gateway to evil was the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
One had to admit, Hashirama's younger brother hadn't exactly done many "good" things in his life.
The Forbidden Jutsu he invented filled nearly the entire Scroll of Seals. His discrimination against the Uchiha clan pushed them directly toward the precipice of extinction. The system he created turned the entire Ninja world into a literal Shura's battlefield. Even the two disciples he raised directly led to decades of darkness and political infighting within Konoha.
Thinking of this, Allen suddenly understood why Madara hated Tobirama so much.
Compared to the upright and open Hashirama, this man possessed a character defined by shadows, always prone to assuming the worst of others.
While the two were talking, Killer B began to condense a massive Tailed Beast Bomb once again.
This time, however, before Allen could act, Kisame Hoshigaki charged forward with his greatsword, Samehada. He tore a large chunk of flesh and Chakra directly from the Eight-Tails and let out a sinister laugh.
"Don't get cocky! Did you think we'd just stand around and give you time to prep a Tailed Beast Bomb forever?"
"You... you absorbed the Eight-Tails' Chakra?" Killer B stared at the uniquely shaped weapon, his expression turning grim.
Although he had heard that the core members of the Akatsuki were extraordinary, he hadn't expected a random member to be able to fight him on equal footing.
He was the second-strongest man in the Hidden Cloud Village! The 'B' of the 'A-B Combo'! The Perfect Jinchuriki of Gyuki, the second-strongest Tailed Beast!
And yet, he was currently being suppressed by a rogue Ninja from the Mist.
"Hehe! Samehada quite likes your Chakra," Kisame said, baring a row of sharp, shark-like teeth.
Just as he was about to press his advantage and tear more Chakra away, another Cloud Ninja descended from the sky, intercepting him. He stood in front of Killer B and barked, "Enough! This isn't the place to play hero! Retreat to the Hidden Cloud immediately. With the Three-Tails captured, you are the last Jinchuriki. You cannot fall into enemy hands, no matter what!"
"No! I'm going to avenge Brother and the others!" Killer B swung his octopus-like tails, pushing the man aside, and charged back into the fray against Kisame.
"That idiot!"
The Cloud Ninja cursed under his breath in frustration. Without another word, he turned to command the others to coordinate their Ninjutsu, initiating long-range fire suppression against the Akatsuki.
After a brief pause of barely three minutes, the grand battle erupted once more.
In the area where the Three-Tails had surfaced, Ninjutsu, paper bombs, and shuriken flew through the air like a storm. Every few moments, more mangled corpses were added to the ground.
The Allied Forces' strategy was simple: use sheer numbers to exhaust the Chakra of these Akatsuki powerhouses. They were willing to pay with lives just to force a retreat.
Unfortunately, their wishful thinking was destined to fail.
When Allen rejoined the battlefield, the number of ordinary Ninjas became irrelevant.
With a single combination of his Lightning Release Armor and the Flying Raijin Technique, he instantly tore through a solid defensive line of hundreds of Ninjas.
For most, the last thing they saw before death was a fleeting flash of white lightning; they never even realized who had killed them.