Naruto: The Last Harbinger of Storm – Book 2
NTLHOS-2: Chapter 3 – A monster from the past.
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"Storms make trees take deeper roots." — Dolly Parton
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Author's Note:
Some of you might think this chapter is short, but it's a solid 3.6k words! 📖✨ This was a focused conversation between two relics 🧓⚔️, and while it might seem like just dialogue, trust me it's an important one. 🔥 This mysterious figure is trained by none other than His Grace himself. 👑⚡ Who is he? 🤔 What are his plans? 🎭 And how does his history with Hiruzen tie into the future of the story? 🕰️💥
I'll give you one spoiler: he's a mad genius 🧠💥, and everything he says to Hiruzen is just the tip of the iceberg. 🧊Could this be the opponent Naruto finally finds as his match 💪🌀—or perhaps even his superior? 😱👑 What do you think? 🧐✨
Also as part of Sunday special I have bonus chapter. so two chapter posted simultaneous. Sorry for the delayed posting.
Lots of emojis!. Your feedback and theories keep me going, so comment and like! 📝💬👍 Let me know your thoughts! 💖🎉🔥😊
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Last Time On NTLHOS:
As he got to his feet, Shikamaru brushed stray bits of grass from his pants. His posture was slumped in the typical Nara fashion, but his eyes glimmered with intelligence. He realized that none of the changes were going to halt anytime soon. If anything, they would accelerate. The idea felt troublesome, he loathed the endless strings of negotiations and counter-maneuvers. Yet his sense of duty and curiosity both urged him on.
"Troublesome world," he muttered to the sky. "But I guess I can't just watch clouds all day."
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Now:
A rolling peal of thunder rattled across the skies of Konoha, accompanied by forked lightning that lit up the heavy clouds. Rain threatened to pour at any moment, or perhaps something more severe maybe a ferocious storm capable of washing away half the village. From his lonely perch atop the Hokage Monument, Hiruzen Sarutobi contemplated these possibilities in silence. It was most unusual for him to be up here at this hour, sitting on the stone head of his late sensei, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. But then again, Hiruzen found that as he aged, he took to unusual habits a predilection for lofty heights and murky recollections.
The perimeter around him had been isolated by strict orders from the ANBU Black Ops. No one was allowed to disturb the Hokage. He sat there, legs crossed, arms resting on his knees, an unlit pipe in one hand and a single, smouldering cigar in the other (an odd combination, to be sure). His gaze swept across the village. It was quiet in the twilight, bathed in flickers of gold and dimming purple as the last vestiges of sunlight surrendered to the roiling storm clouds.
"Hmm," Hiruzen muttered, inhaling the faint aroma of tobacco and the static-tinted air. "Might rain anytime, or perhaps a storm to drown us all… wouldn't that be something?" He exhaled a short, humourless chuckle. The idea wasn't appealing, but it made for a dramatic mental image. Usually, Konoha's villagers would be bustling in the streets, chattering about daily life, scurrying from stall to stall before curfew. Tonight, many had already retreated indoors, unsettled by the lightning that scratched the clouds.
Hiruzen's mind strayed back to old regrets. Many of his decisions some in favour of the village, some for his own gain had shaped Konoha to what it was today. It was impossible to pretend otherwise. He had done what he believed was right, yet that didn't erase every mistake. As he sat there, he heard an almost imperceptible shift in the air. Yes, someone had arrived. Or perhaps they had been lurking in the shadows for quite some time. It was faint, like the hush before thunderclap. He smiled wryly.
"I sensed you the moment you set foot in the village," Hiruzen said, voice gravelly. "You wanted me to know you were here, or you would've concealed it more thoroughly. Even in my old age, my nose is still sharp."
A distant, echoing laugh answered him, seeming to come from everywhere at once. "True enough, old friend. A man of my calibre if I had truly wished to hide, you'd never know I came. But I wanted to announce myself. Let's call it courtesy."
Instantly, ANBU squads materialized from the darkness, three full teams plus one burly figure sporting a bear-mask clearly their captain. They brandished kunai and short swords, scanning the area with anxious concentration. The voice had no visible source, which only heightened the tension.
Hiruzen lifted a hand. "Stand down, "There's no need for this. The man you're searching for isn't someone you, or even all of you combined, can handle. Go back to your posts."
For half a second, the ANBU hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances, but at the Hokage's direct order, they nodded and slipped back into the darkness from whence they came, though none of them looked happy about it. A couple still hovered at the edges, uncertain if they truly should leave the Hokage. Hiruzen merely repeated, "Go," with a bit more force, and they vanished.
Only then, when the last shuriken glint had disappeared, did the sky illuminate in a brilliant flash of lightning. For an instant, night turned to day. And in that fleeting moment, a figure appeared behind Hiruzen two silhouettes, back-to-back, barely touching. Hiruzen's heartbeat quickened for second, not with fear, but with a mixture of anticipation and wariness.
"There's no need for theatrics, you know," Hiruzen said, turning his head slightly. "I already know how fast you are, faster than lightning itself, apparently."
A chuckle emerged from behind him. "Yes, but I enjoy testing you. Wanted to see if old age robbed you of those incredible reflexes."
Hiruzen brought the cigar to his lips and with subtle use of fire manipulation lit it. "dead, last I checked you were supposed…," he said. Then, as calmly as one would swat a fly, the other man flicked two fingers, a small blade of wind chakra manifested, severing the burning end of the cigar. Sparks fizzled. "You still have this annoying habit of smoking."
In an instant, the ANBU captain, Bear reacted, interpreting the gesture as an attack. He gave a silent signal, and his squads emerged again with lethal intent. They lunged, brandishing their blades. But the figure behind Hiruzen only twitched a single finger, and an unimaginable, bone-chilling killing intent slammed into them. Bear felt the pressure of it constrict his lungs. His entire squad collapsed to their knees, trembling and spasming violently. He was a veterans who had seen Orochimaru's experiments and even killing intent, the bloodiest war, and even glimpses of the Kyubi's wrath yet nothing prepared them for this suffocating wave of malice.
Bear's mind spun in a frantic loop: This man is no shinobi. He's a monster. Even Danzo's killing intent, which freeze the hearts of lesser men, paled in comparison. The Kyubi's aura was dreadful, but it was spread across many victims, not solely concentrated on them. This time, the man's presence was like a narrow beam of hatred aimed directly at their souls.
Hiruzen sighed, releasing a burst of chakra that counteracted the killing intent enough for the ANBU to regain their senses. Some had nearly stabbed themselves with their own kunai in delirium. Others were choking on raw panic. Slowly, they drew ragged breaths, wide-eyed with lingering terror.
"This is a man even I wouldn't fight unless absolutely necessary," Hiruzen declared. "Not without backup. And perhaps not even then."
Bear froze. If the second coming of God of Shinobi- the Third Hokage, would not willingly engage this stranger alone, then who was he?
The voice behind Hiruzen spoke again, quietly. "Don't flatter me too much, Monkey. You and I both know you were my equal once. You haven't changed all that much."
"Equal, was I? Perhaps we both had our illusions," Hiruzen retorted. "Now, why are you here? Why let me know you're back? I thought you'd died for good, and I have to admit, I'd been sleeping better under that assumption."
A laugh low, quiet, but tinged with real mirth echoed through the storm. "You wound me, old friend. I knew our friendship was never built on daisies and sunshine, but wishing me dead? That's a bit extreme, even for you. Let's not be so depressing. Care to give your old comrade a hug?"
Hiruzen turned fully, at last setting eyes upon the man's face. "No," he said flatly. "I'd sooner hug Danzo before letting you near me unless it's my fist connecting to your jaw."
"Ah, you're as prickly as ever. By the way, how's the lovely Biwako?"
Hiruzen's expression cooled. "Dead." His eyes slid over the man's features. The stranger's hair remained a deep, sliver. His skin was oddly youthful, yet there were subtle lines of age around his eyes. That robust frame looked as solid as ever. "You haven't changed much except your hair I guess," Hiruzen muttered. "it's old and young at the same time. Strange. I see you still carry that bulky physique. Quarter Uzumaki, right? So you stay young, In your own words last time we met, I have their cursed blood and all."
The man grinned. "Cursed or blessed, depending on perspective. Uzumaki have lifespans that shame other clans though we do pay a price. But you, old friend, you look like a fossil. Maybe one of Lord Tobirama's latest experiment in the afterlife."
A nerve twitched in Hiruzen's forehead. The disrespect! No one had spoken to him like that in decades. Not that he entirely disliked the candor. Sometimes it was refreshing to forego the veneer of reverence people insisted on giving him.
With a small grunt, he asked, "So how'd you cheat death at the hands of Lord Ashina, no less? I was sure you were finished."
The man's lips curled into a mocking grin. "Ah, that. Well, his Grace wasn't quite willing to break a promise he'd made to my grandmother. But, oh, the man can be cruel—crueller than you or I could conceive. He sealed me into a petrified state for a few decades, let me simmer in torment, held captive by the entities of Uzu. But now that Uzushiogakure has unsealed itself, I've returned. The good news being, I am back, Monkey! Just like the old times," he said with exuberance.
Hiruzen grimaced at the fate of the man. He knew that being tormented and agonized by those entities was a worse state than death, 1,000 times worse than being in the Shinigami's belly. Lightning cracked overhead, revealing the man's features in a harsh flash. Hiruzen recognized mischief, cunning, a savage kind of excitement, and madness. It was like staring at an old weapon, newly unearthed.
"So," Hiruzen said quietly, "why come here? As long as I live, you can't harm Konoha. Even in my old age, with my enhancements, I can still be your equal. Moreover, what about the deal you made with Lord Tobirama?"
The man shrugged.
"I'll ask again—so why come here? I heard whispers of an army heading to Uzu. Perchance, did you have any hand in that?"
"Hand, Hiruzen? You think so lowly of me? My whole body, including my brain, is in," he retorted.
"So you want to finish what you started then. I heard Onoki had joined hands with Uzumaki—was that a sham?"
"What, you wanna join in?"
A derisive snort left Hiruzen's lips. "Me? I have better things to do than start a war with Uzushiogakure, especially now that Naruto Uzumaki has crowned himself Emperor. If Konoha decides to challenge him, we'll do it in the open or not at all. But that's not my intention."
"Ah, so no meddling from you. Then maybe your Daimyo? No… that man is too spineless. Maybe your old friend Danzo? Actually, I hear Danzo's quite out of the picture these days. But let's not dwell on politics." His grin sharpened. "I have made up a small army, but good old Onoki turned my people away. The fence-sitters as indecisive as always."
Hiruzen sighed. "Onoki forging alliances with Naruto was a shock, yes. But he's done so from a distance, apparently. He won't step foot in Uzu. I wouldn't call that a real alliance. And what about Kumogakure? Are you trying to gather them, too?"
"Can't," the man admitted with a shrug. "Kumo's finances are in shambles. They can't afford a war. Which leaves Kirigakure. The Mist has been restless, bloodlines from their village have fled to Uzu, swelling its ranks. Now they're itching for vengeance, or at least a good slaughter. I figured, well, they'd do nicely."
"Kiri is 'diminished' these days," Hiruzen retorted. "And do you truly think a handful of mercenaries plus an unstable Mist can take on Uzushiogakure and Naruto Uzumaki? You're delusional."
An indulgent chuckle was his reply. "Oh, Monkey, how you wound me. You know that aside from that 'sexy black rose', there are few who can match my strategic mind."
Hiruzen's eyebrow twitched. "You're telling me you already have a plan. You know something I don't know, obviously."
"Patience," the man purred. "There is a reason why, I am, after all, the sole apprentice that Lord Ashina Uzumaki, the Arch Sage, ever truly took under his wing. There's a certain phenomenon that occurs once every hundred years, enabling an Uzumaki of sufficient skill to harness unique energies. Thew present lord Uzumaki match the criteria and is now attempting to do just that. During this process, he'll be at his weakest. I will know I know the signs when someone taps those energies. I anticipated this move that why for past 2 years I have been regaining my power and allies."
Hiruzen rubbed his chin, contemplating. "And you plan to strike then, while he's indisposed."
"Strikes me as a decent plan," said the man. "If he succeeds, he will gain mastery of Storm Release. I'd rather not test my luck once he's done it. My old bones have some life in them, but it will chore killing him, if he excels and not just scraps by. Even then I would bet my skill would triumph on him."
Hiruzen took a deep breath, letting the thickening wind swirl around them. "He's not alone. Tsunade, Lady Mito's granddaughter, my ex-student, rules in his absence. She's one of the most capable Kunoichi alive. And then there's Lord Suifu. You do recall him, yes? He's apparently still around, commanding Uzushio's forces."
A low whistle. "Suifu… now that's a name. If he was in his prime, yes, I might be in trouble. But last I checked, he's ancient. Once a SS-rank, but now an old relic". His gaze harden, "Hiruzen there is only six people I ever feared and knows can defeat me, and they are long dead, Tobirama Senju, Mito Uzumaki, Arashi Uzumaki, Madara Uchiha, Lord Ashina Uzumaki, and Hashirama Senju. Unless you or Hanzo decide to join the fray and you've somehow discovered a fountain of youth, I'm not worried even then you could only put me stand still, we are equals."
Lightning flashed again, more distant this time. Hiruzen felt a pang. For all the man's arrogance, there was truth in his words. "Why not wait for Uzumaki Naruto to finish his training, challenge him fair and square if you're so confident?"
"Ah, you think I'm afraid?" the man teased, tapping a finger on his sword hilt an imposing, curved blade strapped diagonally across his back. "I'd call it caution. The real reason is, there's a failsafe built into Uzu's defenses that only the Emperor can activate. I'd rather not face that. So now is the perfect window, with Naruto Uzumaki 'incommunicado.' I know for the process he will have to seal himself away from all external stimuli to achieve that next level of power. I prefer to fight a foe at his weakest and not test the legendry Uzumaki barrier, we cannot bring it down like last time, after all I am not the trusted apprentice of this present lord."
Hiruzen mocked. "Cowardly, if you ask me. But not surprising from you. So, back to the question: why come here, of all places? You risked me or my people interfering. So either you're insane or you have a proposition."
"Monkey, Monkey." The man sighed, an exaggerated show of disappointment. "Always so impatient. Yes, I want you to join me. Or at least, remain neutral while I do what needs to be done. I know your Daimyo might not agree, but perhaps you could 'forget' to inform him. And if you join me and defying daimyo's words and when Uzu is rubble, you can blame me for everything, I will put in a more pliant Daimyo if you prefer. As for me, once it's done, I plan to vanish, go become a hermit in some corner of the world. I don't want to rule. I just want to destroy Uzushiogakure, break it once and for all, then slip into obscurity. You know it I am not lying."
The old Hokage's eyes narrowed. "So that's your big plan? Why tell me all this?"
"Because we used to be friends," the man said with an odd mixture of sincerity and mockery. "I admire your cunning. I know better than most that you're not as squeaky-clean as you pretend, none of us are. You all have done shady things for the good of the village, right? Perhaps we can come to an agreement. Like last time. Or should I ask the Surugi pest again."
A flash of memory crossed Hiruzen's face, times of war, times of sacrifice, times of moral grayness. He exhaled a ragged breath. "You're a bigger fool than I remember if you think I'd willingly participate in Uzu's destruction. You Uzumakis are suicidal. When Naruto finds he can't defeat you and his people are being killed, he will do the same thing his predecessor did. You might not mind dying if it takes the entire army along with it, but I mind my army being erased for no reason."
"Maybe so," the man said, spreading his arms in a theatrical shrug. "But I had to try. Another thing about that 'sexy black rose'. Give her a message. I'm still awaiting her response to my… proposal. She's not married, is she? One can hope, yes?"
And in that fleeting moment, Hiruzen glimpsed a trace of the brash, audacious boy who'd once been his friend many years ago, a boy who'd grown up on the battlefields, forging ties with devils, all while half-joking about romance. "You truly are insane," he murmured.
"Never said I wasn't," the man said. "So, old friend, do we have a deal? Or do you plan to get the ANBU dogs to chase me down now?"
The Hokage tightened his grip on his staff, an oddly shaped staff he'd quietly summoned earlier, disguised as an ordinary walking stick. "I have no illusions about my ability to stop you without harming the village, especially not with the storm overhead and my age creeping up on me. But don't mistake that for weakness. If you attempt to harm Konoha, I'll be there to greet you with everything I have left."
A grin split the stranger's features. "That's the Hiruzen I remember."
They stood there in silence, the wind swirling around them, the thunder continuing to roll. The man took a step back, letting his cloak flutter in the draft. "I suppose I should be going. Time's short, and my allies in Kirigakure won't wait forever. If you care to change your mind, you know how to find me. Just follow the trail of black roses or corpses, whichever is more obvious. So neutrality? "
Hiruzen's face darkened. "I won't change my mind, Neutrality."
Another flash of lightning, and the figure vanished into the streak of brilliance, disappearing so quickly it seemed like an illusion. Rain began to patter against the stone, collecting in the crevices of Tobirama's carved face. The night was fully upon them now, and the storm raged louder, as if mocking the exchange that had just taken place.
Bear and his squads reemerged, trembling but determined. "Lord Hokage?" Bear ventured, voice unsteady. "Is the threat gone?"
"For now," Hiruzen replied, slipping a new cigar back into his mouth. He inhaled deeply. "But a far greater threat is on its way to Uzushiogakure. We have to be prepared." He paused, then turned to them. "No word of this meeting leaves your lips. Not to the council, not to the Daimyo. Understood?"
They nodded as one, though confusion and dread wreathed their expressions. Hiruzen patted Bear on the shoulder. "Keep the village safe. Alert our watchers near the borders. If you see any unusual movement, report to me immediately. We might have to reconsider our stance toward Uzu. Even with our hostilities toward Uzu, if it falls, we risk entering the 4th Shinobi War. Everyone will scramble to fill the vacuum of trade and business. The politics… complicated. But I won't let Konoha be dragged into a war by that madman's manipulations."
Bear exhaled, a relieved sigh. "Yes, Lord Hokage."
With that, the squads disappeared once more. The storm built in intensity, lightning dancing across the dark expanse, thunder cracking loudly. Hiruzen stood there, letting the rain soak into his robes. His mind churned with memories of training under Tobirama, of the warring states era, of old friends turned enemies. He thought of Uzumaki, an Emperor now, possibly sealed in some hidden chamber for whatever maddening thing those Uzumakis do. He have no love lost with Uzu or Uzumaki but this madman action will plunge the entire elemental nation into war. Life had certainly taken them all in bizarre directions.
He recalled the man's last words about proposals and of Sukino, and shook his head with a faint smirk. Some things never changed. That man had always had the capacity to both amuse and horrify him in equal measure. But this also gives him an opportunity he will not waste.
"Yes, you're back, old friend," Hiruzen murmured. "And you've brought a storm with you how ironic."
His pipe long extinguished, his cigar wet, he flicked them both away. They tumbled off the monument, disappearing into the swirling leaves.
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Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter of NTLHOS- Book 2!
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NTLHOS-2: Chapter 4 – Drums and Gongs of War.
NTLHOS-2: Chapter 5 – First Wave. IS OUT.
NTLHOS-2: Chapter 6 – Price of Freedom.
NTLHOS-2: Chapter 7 – Crimson Storm.
NTLHOS-2: Chapter 8 – Retaliation.
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 9 – The Gathering Woods In The Pyre. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 10 – We Forgive, But We Never Forget. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 11 – The Dept Is Called. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 12- How Times have changed. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 13: A New Game Of Chess. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 14: The Power Of A Single Stroke Of A Pen. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 15: Back to Konoha IS OUT! (NEW)
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 16: The Night of Falling Crows IS OUT!.
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 17: Did Uchihas Survive?. IS OUT! (NEW)
Chapter 18: Politics at its best. IS OUT!!!!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 19: Old Memory. IS OUT!!!!
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