Chapter 24
Raikage's eyes widened. "You really mean that?"
Naruto turned toward him and said firmly, "Absolutely. Standing here in front of all the Kage, do you think I'd make something like that up?"
"Hmm..." Raikage clenched his fists, electricity crackling around them. Despite his fury, his care for his brother still outweighed everything else.
Crackle!
The lightning armor dissipated as Raikage glared at Naruto one last time. "Uzumaki Naruto, I'll let you off today. But Uchiha Sasuke has stained his hands with the blood of Kumogakure. If he ever falls into my hands—he won't leave alive! And you... you'd better watch your step."
Naruto met his stare calmly. "Then I'll be waiting to teach you a few lessons."
He wasn't being sarcastic. In the near future, Naruto and Raikage would clash again—deep in the hidden realm of Hell Valley—in a fierce, unforgettable battle of ninjutsu.
Ohnoki placed the Tsuchikage hat back on his head and sighed. "Now that was a real spectacle. Worth the trip, for sure. Who knows when the next Five Kage Summit will even happen..."
Terumi Mei smiled with a glint in her eye. "Ohnoki-sama, you're heading back already? You came all this way to the Land of Iron—why not enjoy one of their famous hot springs? I hear they're excellent for back pain."
"Wow!" Kurotsuchi's eyes lit up at the suggestion, clearly tempted.
Hot springs weren't unique to the Land of Iron, but with the country's cold climate, the experience was especially soothing. Still, Ohnoki wasn't so easily swayed.
"Hmph," he muttered. "There's a whole new generation of shinobi on the rise. I get the feeling some are just waiting for the old guard to fall. Better to return to the village and stay sharp."
After all, Danzo had just fled the summit in disgrace. His position as Hokage was shaky at best. The possibility of him scheming further couldn't be ignored.
Even just the name "Uchiha Madara," dropped casually during the summit, was enough to shake the world.
Terumi Mei's expression grew more serious.
Ohnoki turned to the group and declared, "Danzo disgraced himself by fleeing the summit. I propose we jointly appeal to the Fire Daimyo to suspend his authority as Hokage. What do you all think?"
"I support it," Terumi Mei said quickly. "Root's ideology directly threatens the interests of the Land of Water."
Gaara looked over at Naruto, his gaze complicated.
Temari leaned in and whispered, "Don't forget, he's a rogue ninja now. You're the Kazekage. You have to stand firm."
"Yeah, I know..." Gaara turned his eyes away with a hint of regret. Naruto... I just hope one day you'll tell me everything on your own.
Meanwhile, Suigetsu had already dragged Jugo off quietly, vanishing into the snow.
Now, aside from Naruto, Konan, and Orochimaru, only Mifune and the samurai remained—along with the group of Konoha shinobi who had finally arrived.
Naruto looked to Mifune. "Lord Mifune, I apologize for the disruption. The Konoha shinobi and I have some things to discuss. May I trouble you to allow us a little more time?"
Mifune replied solemnly, "You must leave the Land of Iron by midnight. No exceptions."
Naruto nodded. "Understood. Thank you."
Mifune turned and left with his men. The samurai had long maintained neutrality in shinobi conflicts—not because of weakness, but out of necessity for survival. So long as their interests remained untouched, they would not interfere. But in the previous timeline, when Obito declared war on the summit, it was Mifune who bravely stepped forward, joining the fight against Akatsuki.
Naruto still held respect for him.
Reading the mood instantly, Orochimaru offered, "Naruto-kun, I'll take my leave for now..."
Naruto nodded. "Go. I'll catch up with you at the old place."
Konan and Orochimaru quietly withdrew, leaving the snowy plain eerily silent—save for the occasional hiss and crackle of lingering black flames. Maybe it was the oppressive atmosphere, or maybe it was the tension of facing his former comrades... Naruto wiped sweat from his brow.
The Konoha group stood frozen, unsure of what to say.
Naruto's earlier words—"Konoha's shinobi"—rang harsh in their ears, like a knife severing any remaining ties. It was clear. He was drawing a line.
Hinata stood silently, shoulders slumped, her face buried in the shadow of her bangs.
Whoosh!
High in the air, the ink bird dissolved as Sai descended with Shikamaru, who was still wearing a leg cast.
Sai, ever the one lacking social grace, asked bluntly, "Where's Lord Danzo?"
Naruto answered without hesitation, "Still alive. I was going to kill him myself, but Sasuke showed up and took that right from me. But Sasuke didn't want to fulfill his revenge using my hands, so he let Danzo go."
"...!" The sheer weight of that answer stunned everyone.
Shikamaru, sharp as ever, quickly pieced things together and said with narrowed eyes, "So basically, you attacked Hokage. That means you're officially turning against Konoha... isn't that right, Naruto?"
Naruto lowered his gaze. "Yeah. That's exactly what it means."
"You bastard!!!" Sakura's emotions finally burst.
She charged forward and socked Naruto across the face, sending him flying across the snowy ground.
Whump!
Naruto didn't dodge. He took the full hit, rolled, and lay still for a moment.
"Do you even realize what you're saying?!" Sakura screamed as she rushed over and grabbed his collar, shaking him.
Naruto stared up at her, unfazed. "Wasn't I clear?"
Sakura was trembling now. "Liar! What happened to the Naruto who never gave up? The one who always said he wanted to become Hokage?!"
Naruto's gaze flickered to Hinata, standing silently in the distance, and he swallowed hard.
"That was then. This is now."
Clink! Sakura pulled out a kunai and pressed it to his throat.
"Say one more word and I'll kill you, I swear it!!"
Everyone knew she wouldn't go through with it.
She was desperate—grasping for anything.
But after a long silence, she lowered the kunai, her eyes red with tears. "Tell me the truth, Naruto. Is it because of that promise? The one you made to me back then... Is it because it was too much for you?"
Naruto shook his head. "No. That has nothing to do with it."
That promise wasn't what pushed me to this point...
"There's a lot I can't explain in a few words, Sakura. I just hope... someday, you'll understand."
"I don't want to wait until 'someday'!" Sakura broke down, sobbing. "Then what if I take it back?! What if I say... the person I love isn't Sasuke, it's you?!"
Naruto didn't answer.
Sakura had said this once before. Back then, he'd known it was a lie—but still, it had shaken him. Time had passed, and he was no longer that boy. He'd changed.
Her words now didn't stir him at all. But he could tell—this time, it wasn't a lie. She really meant it.
She was just cornered. Hurt. Scared.
He let out a soft sigh. "Don't say stuff like that, Sakura. There's a lot in this world that we can't control—feelings included. Don't forget... we're shinobi. We endure. We move forward."
Gently, he placed a hand on her shoulder and slowly pushed her away.
Sakura stood there, frozen. The distance in Naruto's touch, in his voice—it was like she didn't recognize him anymore.
But Naruto wasn't just talking to her.
He was also talking to himself. Convincing himself.
Because deep down, he knew—if Hinata were the one crying and begging him like this, he might not have the strength to keep going...
"Haaah..." Naruto stood up, took a deep breath, brushed the snow off his shoulders—and began walking toward her.
Toward Hinata.
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