To achieve Nine Tails Mode, one must completely tame the Nine Tails' chakra, subjugating it with unwavering will and making it their own.
Setsu, on the other hand, had just confronted a manifestation of her true self. However, she was not living according to her heart's desire.
There were only two ways to change this predicament:
Follow her heart's call for vengeance and return to the Land of Grass to exact retribution.
Let go of her past completely, releasing all hatred and resentment toward the Land of Grass.
Naruto's choice was obvious—the first one.
Not only was it the simpler option, but it also ensured that Setsu wouldn't continue to suffer under the weight of unresolved emotions.
Just as Naruto was about to whisk her away to the Land of Grass, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"Hey! You two!"
The sudden interruption made Naruto pause and glance toward the source of the voice. A group of shinobi, clad in the unmistakable headbands of the Cloud Village, approached them with suspicion.
This was Turtle Island—an isolated sanctuary controlled by the Cloud Village. Naruto and Setsu had arrived unannounced, and their earlier activities had likely drawn attention.
Setsu stiffened, concern evident on her face. "Naruto… what should we do?"
"Don't worry," Naruto reassured her, his tone casual. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a Shadow Clone. "Play with them for a bit."
The clone smirked and stepped forward, ready to engage the approaching shinobi. Meanwhile, Naruto activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, vanishing with Setsu in an instant.
Before long, an explosion erupted on Turtle Island, signaling the battle between Naruto's clone and the Cloud ninjas.
Though Setsu harbored a kind heart deep down, her life experiences had long since stripped away any naïve idealism. She wasn't the type to spare enemies needlessly, yet outright silencing those who merely discovered them still felt a bit extreme.
Naruto, however, dismissed her concerns with a simple explanation.
"They're Cloud Shinobi. They're not people."
Setsu blinked, absorbing the weight behind his words. She had never really pried into Naruto's past conflicts, but it was clear he bore a grudge against the Cloud Village.
There was still so much she didn't know about him.
The Land of Grass
As a minor ninja village, the Land of Grass was not heavily populated. Strict records were kept regarding anyone entering or leaving.
At the village gates, two figures arrived, only to be stopped by a guard.
"Halt! You need to be registered before entering." The man eyed them suspiciously. "State your business. Are you here to hire a ninja, issue a mission, or something else?"
Naruto came to a stop, his gaze cool and unreadable.
The guard grew impatient. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" He then shifted his focus to Setsu—and immediately recognized her.
"You… it's you!" he gasped, pointing an accusatory finger at her. His face twisted into a sneer. "The ungrateful little beast! The traitor!"
His voice rose with contempt. "After all the resources this village invested in you, this is how you repay us?!"
The anger in Setsu's eyes flared, but she remained silent.
The guard continued, growing bolder. "You're finished, girl! I'll inform the village leader right now! You'll see what happens to those who betray us—"
SHINK!
His words abruptly ceased.
Naruto had casually extended his hand, and golden Adamantine Sealing Chains shot forth, piercing through the guard's skull.
The man collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
"Let's go," Naruto said simply, retracting his chains as though nothing had happened.
Setsu clenched her fists, her head lowered.
She had spent years suppressing her emotions, hiding from her own rage. But now, standing at the gates of the place that had stolen her mother and used her as nothing more than a tool, she felt something inside her snap.
Her breathing grew erratic.
The murder of the gate guard had drawn attention. Alarm bells rang out as reinforcements arrived.
Dozens of Grass ninja rushed toward them.
But to Naruto, these so-called "shinobi" were no more than trained civilians. Their use of chakra was crude, and their skills were amateurish.
One by one, they fell.
Blood painted the ground.
Before long, the streets were littered with corpses.
And Naruto? He merely walked forward, Setsu's trembling hand in his own, leading her deeper into the village.
The Fall of the Land of Grass
News of the attack spread rapidly.
Within hours, the entire ninja village had been annihilated.
Civilians fled in terror, abandoning their homes in the ensuing chaos.
Upon hearing of the disaster, the Daimyo of the Land of Grass dispatched samurai to maintain order. However, without a shinobi force to protect it, the country's future was bleak.
Surrounding villages, long-time rivals of the Grass Village, wasted no time launching opportunistic strikes.
The Land of Grass had fallen.
But none of this mattered to Naruto.
The Voyage to the Land of Snow
A ship sailed across the vast ocean, heading toward the Land of Snow.
Naruto had chosen not to use Flying Thunder God this time.
Instead, he decided to take the journey at a slower pace with Setsu, giving them both a chance to experience something different.
The open sea stretched endlessly in all directions.
Night fell.
Inside a cabin on the ship, Naruto held a sleeping Setsu in his arms. The soft glow of moonlight filtered through the window, casting a silver sheen over the room.
His mind, however, was elsewhere.
He was already thinking about the next steps.
First, he needed to find a way to further enhance Setsu's strength.
Second, he had to establish a stable base in the Land of Snow.
Third, he wanted to explore whether the illusion from the Real Waterfall could be weaponized in battle.
If he could master it, he would gain an unparalleled psychological advantage over his opponents.
The phenomenon allowed people to confront their darkest selves—essentially forcing them into a mental battle against their own subconscious.
And everyone had darkness within them.
Naruto's thoughts then shifted to a crucial factor: natural energy.
The Real Waterfall's chakra bore similarities to Sage Mode—a powerful transformation that enhanced a shinobi's abilities by harmonizing with nature's energy.
Could Sage Mode be the key to mastering this illusion?
There was only one way to find out.
But training Sage Mode the conventional way required extensive effort, patience, and—frankly—Naruto wasn't interested in the slow approach.
He had an alternative.
Activating his system interface, he examined his combat power—which had remained stagnant lately.
A frown crossed his face.
Had he grown too complacent?
Too… indulgent?
He glanced at the peacefully sleeping Setsu beside him.
Her presence had introduced him to an entirely new realm of emotions—feelings he had never experienced in his past life.
The warmth, the intimacy…
And Setsu? She was more than willing, agreeing to his every desire.
Their shared Uzumaki lineage granted them both immense stamina—an advantage that had, perhaps, been overused in recent nights.
Naruto shook his head and refocused.
He opened the simulation system.
"System," he commanded. "Start simulation."
This time, he had one goal: Sage Mode.
[Ding! Host has consumed a simulation attempt. Generating character…]
[Surnames drawn: Yamashita, Yamashita, Yamanaka…]
Naruto's lips twitched.
Why were all the names mountain-related?
Was this a sign?
Ultimately, the simulation provided mediocre results.
A slight physical enhancement.
A Yamanaka mind technique.
Naruto decided to test the technique.
He extended his consciousness outward, targeting a random crew member aboard the ship.
…
And immediately regretted it.
Because the man he had chosen was in the middle of some very personal "exercise."
Naruto's soul snapped back into his body.
From across the ship, he could hear the man's frantic cries:
"Ahh! My body! What happened to me?!"
A woman's voice shrieked in panic, "Husband?! What's wrong?! Husband, talk to me!!"
Naruto buried his face in his hands.
I'm sorry, eldest sister.
------------------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Johnwick007