"Bastard—!"
The instant Lock's hand closed around his throat, Aburame Torune reacted on pure instinct. His body twisted, muscles straining as he tried to break free, chakra surging toward his limbs in a desperate attempt to pry himself loose.
It was useless.
The grip around his neck was like forged iron. No matter how he struggled, no matter how he poured strength into his arms, he could not even make the fingers tremble. The pressure tightened inexorably, lifting him from the ground until his feet dangled uselessly in the air.
In that moment, Torune understood with absolute clarity—
His life was no longer his own.
The pale red chakra surrounding Lock flared once, violently dispersing the lingering purple mist in the clearing. Leaves were torn from branches, dust blasted outward, and the poisonous haze vanished as if it had never existed.
Lock raised Torune until they were eye to eye.
His expression was calm. Too calm.
"Speak," Lock said flatly. "Who ordered you to lure us out?"
His eyes bored into Torune's face, searching for even the faintest flicker of hesitation.
"Answer honestly," he continued, voice devoid of emotion, "and I might consider letting you live."
He already knew the answer. Danzo Shimura's shadow was obvious enough that it practically clung to Torune's back.
But knowing and hearing were two different things.
Torune coughed, blood tinged with spit staining the corner of his mouth. Despite that, a crooked, contemptuous smile spread across his face.
"Heh… didn't they teach you the shinobi code at the Academy?" he rasped.
Even as a prisoner, even with death gripping his throat, there was no fear in his eyes—only disdain.
"Use whatever methods you want," Torune went on hoarsely. "But be quick. Once reinforcements arrive, you won't get another chance."
This wasn't bravado.
As Danzo's right hand, Torune understood the rules of the game better than most. If he survived and was taken alive, his capture would give Hiruzen Sarutobi the perfect excuse to tighten his grip on Root.
Danzo would never forgive that.
Better to die here.
Better to provoke Lock into killing him outright.
After death, the cursed seal embedded in his tongue would activate, erasing his mind and destroying any trace of information he carried. No interrogation. No evidence. No leverage.
A clean end.
Lock studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"You've got guts," he said. "I like people with backbone."
The words had barely left his mouth when a chakra tail lashed out from behind him.
Thud.
The tail pierced straight through Torune's wrist, pinning it to the ground in a spray of blood.
"Guh—!"
A muffled grunt tore from Torune's throat. His teeth clenched so hard they audibly ground together, sweat bursting from his brow as pain flooded his nerves.
Lock didn't pause.
The chakra tail struck again.
And again.
And again.
Four precise, merciless thrusts.
By the time Lock withdrew the tail, bloody holes gaped at the joints of both of Torune's hands and feet. The wounds were clean, brutal, and devastating—if they weren't treated immediately with advanced medical ninjutsu, his limbs would never function properly again.
Torune understood that instantly.
The color drained from his face.
The defiant smile vanished, replaced by naked horror.
He stopped struggling.
Stopped shouting.
His body went slack, hanging limply in Lock's grasp like a broken puppet, eyes unfocused and empty.
Inside the shared consciousness, Naruto felt his chest tighten.
The fury that had driven him earlier—hot, blinding rage—had already begun to cool. In its place came something heavier. Something unfamiliar.
Watching Torune's ruined body twitch helplessly, Naruto felt a mix of awe… and pity.
"Lock," he said hesitantly, his voice echoing within their shared mind. "That's… that's enough."
Lock's hand didn't loosen.
"He's already been punished," Naruto continued. "He can't fight anymore. Isn't that enough?"
Naruto had never been the kind of person who could hold onto hatred for long. Unlike Lock, whose very existence was shaped by pain and resentment, Naruto's anger burned hot but briefly.
He believed people could change.
Even enemies.
"I know what he did was unforgivable," Naruto went on quickly, sensing the shift in Lock's presence, "but… killing him won't fix anything."
Lock's brow furrowed.
"Since when do you plead for enemies?" he asked coldly.
Images flashed through his mind—memories not his own, yet etched deeply enough to feel personal. Naruto stood before people who had hurt him, forgiving them. Understanding them. Letting them walk away.
The thought made something twist unpleasantly in Lock's chest.
Naruto hurried on, uneasy at the dangerous silence.
"I'm not saying he's innocent," he insisted. "But he's not the mastermind. He's just a shinobi following orders."
Naruto clenched his fists inside the mental space.
"He risked everything for his mission. Even when he was tortured, he didn't betray his commander. That's… kind of admirable."
There was a pause.
"And you promised me," Naruto added quietly, "that you wouldn't use my body to kill people indiscriminately."
Lock's lips curled.
"Hand him over to the village?" he said incredulously. "That's your solution?"
He could already see it play out.
Torune was taken into custody. Root pulling strings in the dark. Danzo reclaiming his man within days—hours, even.
All of this bloodshed would become nothing more than a political bargaining chip.
"You recognize that uniform, don't you?" Lock snapped. "He's Konoha. You really think the village will punish him?"
Naruto didn't hesitate.
"I trust the village," he said. "And I trust the Third Grandpa."
That was it.
Something inside Lock snapped.
"Go to hell."
The words were cold, final.
The chakra tail surged forward, its tip sharpening as it aimed straight for Torune's throat.
Danzo was an enemy. A future enemy, if not already a present one. And Lock had no intention of letting a dangerous piece escape back into his hands.
"Stop!"
A furious shout erupted from the depths of the Forest of Death.
"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
Kunai and shuriken flew from the shadows, glinting sharply as they cut through the air. A wave of foreign mental energy surged toward Lock's head, invasive and precise.
It was all meaningless.
The projectiles clattered harmlessly against the dense chakra cloak. The mental attack slid past as Lock tilted his head a fraction, letting it miss entirely.
The chakra tail didn't slow.
It pierced Torune's throat cleanly.
The resistance vanished instantly.
Torune's eyes went wide, then dull.
His body sagged, life draining away in seconds as blood spilled silently onto the forest floor.
Inside the consciousness, Naruto screamed.
"You killed him!"
The cry tore through the shared space, raw and anguished.
"You killed him! You murderer!"
The pain in Naruto's voice was real—sharper than any physical wound.
"I hate you!" he shouted. "I don't want you using my body anymore! Give it back!"
A violent pull yanked at Lock's awareness.
His control wavered as Naruto's will surged forward with unprecedented force.
"I won't forgive you!" Naruto screamed. "Get out!"
The world lurched.
Lock grit his teeth, resisting just long enough to turn his head slightly.
"You've been watching this whole time," he said calmly, his voice carrying beyond the clearing. "Enjoyed the show?"
The chakra vanished in an instant.
Lock was torn away, his presence receding as Naruto regained control. Torune's corpse collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.
Naruto stood there, shaking.
Regret crushed his chest.
Regret for not stopping it sooner.
Regret for trusting Lock.
"Tsk… tsk… tsk."
A lazy, amused voice drifted down from above.
"So you noticed me a while ago, huh?"
A white-haired man dropped from a tree branch, landing lightly between Naruto and the forest. A mask covered the lower half of his face, and his visible eye looked perpetually bored.
In his hand was a small orange book.
He didn't even look up as he spoke.
"As expected of a personality that can use the Nine-Tails' power," he murmured. "Impressive."
Naruto's breath caught.
"Kakashi Hatake!"
From the forest's edge, another figure stepped forward—Fu Yamanaka. Behind him followed several Root operatives, masked and silent.
"This incident ends here," Kakashi said, finally closing his book and lifting his gaze. "Take the body and leave."
His single visible eye hardened.
"Or I'll make sure a few more of you don't get back up."
Fu Yamanaka didn't argue.
He gestured curtly, and the Root shinobi retrieved Torune's corpse before withdrawing into the forest.
Sasuke and Sakura hurried to Naruto's side.
They exchanged only a few quiet words before all three turned their attention back to Kakashi, wary and uncertain.
Kakashi sighed.
"What a pain," he muttered.
Danzo had moved faster than expected. They'd argued in the morning, and by noon, he'd already tried to kidnap Naruto.
Still… Kakashi's gaze flicked briefly to Naruto.
Seeing that other presence emerge had confirmed everything.
Ruthless. Calculating. Protective.
A dangerous shield.
And unmistakably Minato-sensei's son.
"I'm your team leader," Kakashi said at last. "Hatake Kakashi."
"I know you don't trust me yet."
He turned and began walking.
"Come on. I'll take you to see Iruka."
---
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San