"Naruto?!" Kakashi Hatake whispered in disbelief.
Possessing the Sharingan, he was the first to clearly see the newcomer's appearance.
The entire battlefield seemed to have been hit with a mute button; only the crackling of burning flames and sporadic groans from afar remained.
All the Konoha Ninjas, whether battle-hardened Jonin or Genin and Chunin experiencing such a tragic battlefield for the first time, stared dumbfounded at the figure wrapped in violent yet warm golden-orange Chakra.
That was the Uzumaki Naruto they were familiar with, yet he was completely different.
The blonde youth in their memories was always boisterous, with massive but crude Chakra, relying on incredible perseverance and endless unpredictability in battle.
"Are you kidding me... That's Naruto?"
"That kind of Chakra... is the Nine-Tailed?! He can actually control it now?"
"How is this possible?"
Shocked whispers spread among the Konoha Ninjas, as their initial disbelief was quickly replaced by a complex mix of hope, worry, and incredulity.
The green steam on Might Guy's body even fluctuated for a moment due to surprise.
"Is it Naruto?"
Kurenai Yuhi covered her mouth, and Asuma Sarutobi forgot to tighten his grip on his Kunai; everyone was rendered speechless by the impact of this cognition-shattering scene.
In the shadows at the edge of the battlefield, Jiraiya slowly relaxed his fingers that were halfway through a hand seal, his face etched with extreme shock and a hint of imperceptible ecstasy.
"Good kid, you even kept me in the dark..." Jiraiya knew better than anyone how difficult and dangerous it was to control the Nine-Tails Chakra.
In the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up abruptly in front of the Crystal Ball, completely unaware as his pipe slipped from his fingers.
He stared intently at the warm yet violent golden light in the Crystal Ball, his aged eyes flickering with shock, scrutiny, as well as deeply hidden worry and expectation.
"The Nine-Tails Chakra... is so stable? Jiraiya taking him to train actually had such a miraculous effect? Jiraiya even kept me in the dark..."
As a Hokage who had witnessed the power of the First Hokage and the Nine-Tails, he could better appreciate the extraordinary significance of this.
This meant that an uncontrollable weapon of disaster had, for the first time, shown a glimmer of hope of becoming a protective force!
With a Jinchuriki who could control the Nine-Tails' power, the Village would no longer need to be so guarded.
In the center of the battlefield, Deva Path Pain slowly turned around to face Naruto in the air, as if the other Konoha Ninjas below no longer existed.
"Uzumaki Naruto..." Deva Path's voice remained cold, yet it carried the quality of confirming a prey, "The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, you've finally shown yourself."
Naruto's gaze fell upon Deva Path Pain, who exuded a god-like aura of indifference.
It was this person who led these monsters to turn the outskirts of the Village into Hell and hurt so many people.
Naruto's voice was somewhat raspy with anger, yet it rang out loudly across the battlefield.
"You guys... just why did you attack Konoha? Hurting my companions, destroying other people's homes... this kind of thing is absolutely unforgivable!"
Deva Path Pain looked at him indifferently, as if looking at an item about to be obtained.
"For the path that leads to peace, this is a necessary sacrifice."
"Bullshit!" Naruto interrupted sharply.
"What kind of peace is it to impose Pain on others! I don't care what reasons you have; today, don't you dare think about taking another step forward!"
He took a deep breath to suppress his churning emotions, his gaze sweeping over the other five predatory Pains and the dense crowd of Summoned Beasts, before locking back onto Deva Path.
"Your opponent is me!" Naruto shouted decisively, his voice filled with unquestionable determination.
He looked back at Kakashi and the others; in that exchange of glances, no words were needed.
Kakashi read the look in Naruto's eyes, and while his heart shook and worry surged like a tide, seeing Naruto's blue eyes settled with anger and resolve, he finally nodded heavily.
"Be careful." A thousand words were condensed into two.
"Osu! Naruto, just leave it to us!" Guy gave a thumbs-up, his green steam rising high once more.
"Leave these guys to us! Let us show you your teachers' hot blood!"
Asuma relit the cigarette in his mouth and exchanged glances with Kurenai Yuhi.
Deva Path Pain said no more, as this suited his intentions perfectly.
Capturing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was the primary goal; clearing obstacles was just the process.
"As you wish," Deva Path said indifferently, his body beginning to drift toward a relatively open area of ruins away from the main battlefield; it was more suitable for the 'recovery' operation.
"Other Five Paths," Deva Path's command was concise and cold, "clear all interference."
The Animal Path, Human Path, Preta Path, Asura Path, and Hell Path immediately shifted their offensive, pouncing even more fiercely on Kakashi and the other Konoha Jonin, attempting to completely pin them down so they wouldn't have the chance to support Naruto.
"Naruto—!" Sakura's cry came from the direction of the medical tent in the rear, filled with worry.
Naruto didn't look back; he simply raised his fist.
In the next moment, the ground beneath his feet exploded violently, and his entire being transformed into a golden-orange stream of light that tore through the air, charging madly toward the area where Deva Path Pain was!
Deva Path Pain hovered above the ruins, and facing the charging golden comet, he slowly raised his right hand, fingers splayed, pointing at Naruto.
"Shinra Tensei."
An invisible wall of repulsive force, more solid and concentrated than before, was instantly constructed between the two!
Naruto could feel the terrifying pressure coming from the space ahead, enough to easily blow away a combined attack from Jonin. But he didn't slow down, nor did he show any fear, as he gathered the boiling Nine-Tails Chakra into his arms.
"Don't you dare look down on me—!!"
Naruto's fist smashed ruthlessly into that invisible wall of repulsive force without any fancy tricks.
BOOM—!!!
The golden-orange Chakra and the invisible repulsive force collided violently; Naruto's forward momentum was forcibly halted, his body shook violently, and he slid backward for over ten meters, plowing two deep furrows into the ground before he managed to steady himself.
"Naruto's strength has actually become so great that he can withstand this move head-on..." In the distance, Might Guy, who was about to engage the Asura Path, caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye, his heart filled with shock.
"That quality and quantity of Chakra..." Kakashi, while dodging an assassination attempt from the Human Path, used his Sharingan to capture the golden figure in the distant dust, the shock in his heart beyond measure. Just what has this kid been through?
As the dust settled slightly, Naruto stood up straight, panting slightly, his golden-orange Chakra shroud still shining brightly.
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