Karin and her mother both stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
They couldn't comprehend how that seemingly gentle, soft-spoken girl — Kurama Yakumo — could possibly stand up to a group of vicious, battle-hardened shinobi.
Yet Yakumo was already beaming with anticipation.
She clapped her hands lightly, eyes sparkling: "Got it!"
Her thoughts surged, and in an instant, the bloodline of the Kurama clan awakened.
The Grass shinobi realized something was wrong.
With bloodlust in their eyes, they drew their weapons.
"Intruders!? You're trying to rescue the redheads!?"
"Dream on. These women are Grass's property!"
"Tch. Two brats without even peach fuzz on their chins think they can pull off a jailbreak? I won't kill you easy—AHHH!!"
A shrill scream tore through the air.
The last speaker looked down in horror to find a blade driven through his chest.
Eyes wide, he slowly turned his head—
—only to see his comrade's face twisted with madness and rage, thrusting a second time.
"Hmph… just intruders, huh? That's all you've got?" the killer sneered.
The dying shinobi opened his mouth, trying to speak… but collapsed before a word escaped.
The remaining Grass shinobi paled.
"Tanaka!? What the hell—!?"
"Why are you attacking your own—!"
But the "Tanaka" in question no longer heard them. As if mindless, he lunged again.
Panicked, the other two were forced to cut him down themselves.
Their blades barely found rest when a chill swept over them.
One shinobi's heart clenched. Then—cold steel.
"…Why?" he whispered, staring at the sword that pierced his chest.
He dropped next.
The last shinobi—shaking, panicking—stumbled back, screaming for backup.
But the fear was too much.
He pressed the blade to his own throat and—
Slice.
Blood sprayed across the ground as he collapsed beside his comrades.
And in the final flickers of consciousness, his eyes widened with terror.
A single word slipped from his lips:
"M-Monster…"
The four Grass shinobi were dead—without so much as laying a finger on Naruto or Yakumo.
Karin and her mother were dumbfounded.
Speechless.
"What… what did we just witness?" the mother whispered hoarsely.
Yakumo turned with a bright smile.
"Done, Menma-kun! All taken care of!"
Naruto gave an approving nod and rubbed her head.
"Excellent work, Yakumo. You really are my most reliable comrade."
He knew—what they had just witnessed was a full release of Yakumo's five-sense manipulation.
The illusion had caused those shinobi to see enemies in their allies, each one tearing the other apart in a bloody spiral of madness.
Yakumo flushed under the praise.
Though still, a hint of regret flickered in her gaze.
Just a comrade, huh…?
Naruto mused to himself: Is Yakumo actually… stronger than me now?
The thought wasn't absurd.
She was three years older.
Now healthy and no longer suppressed by her inner demon, her strength had skyrocketed—likely reaching Special Jōnin level.
Only chakra capacity held her back.
Meanwhile, Naruto…
Though he'd trained in Eight Gates, his young body still couldn't handle full output.
His ninjutsu were underdeveloped.
His physical abilities — Devil Fruit powers, Haki, and Rokushiki — were all limited by his incomplete physique.
Naruto shook his head. No use thinking about it now.
Instead, he turned to the red-haired mother and daughter.
"The enemies are dead. Get in the gate now. If more arrive, I won't be able to protect you."
Yakumo nodded seriously.
"Right. My illusions are powerful, but they're not suited for large-scale attacks… and I'm almost out of chakra."
The Uzumaki pair flinched, casting nervous glances at Yakumo.
Then hurriedly nodded and stepped into the space gate.
Unlike the Air Door, the space gate transported them instantly.
Through the still-open portal, they could faintly see Naruto and Yakumo's figures on the other side.
"Yakumo, how much chakra do you have left?" Naruto asked.
Yakumo frowned in concentration.
"About half. It took a lot to kill four of them just now…"
"Got it."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, watching the next wave of Grass shinobi rapidly approaching.
"Use everything. One last fire jutsu."
Yakumo nodded.
She pulled out her brush and paint board. With a few crude lines and a splash of red—
FOOM!
Flames surged to life across the clearing, devouring everything in their path.
In the blink of an eye, five or six shinobi were engulfed in blazing fire, screams piercing the air.
They had no idea where the flames had come from.
They only knew it was already too late.
The entire area burned like hell itself had been summoned.
Naruto's eyes glinted.
He turned to Yakumo.
"You go through the gate now. You've done enough."
Yakumo nodded obediently and stepped inside.
Now alone, Naruto inhaled deeply.
Drawing on every ounce of chakra in his body, he formed a swift sequence of hand seals.
Then he roared:
"Fūton: Daitōppa!" (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)
It was only a C-rank technique.
But backed by Naruto's immense reserves…
It became a calamity.
The windstorm hit the fire like fuel to an inferno.
WHOOSH!
The blaze surged skyward, consuming the heavens in a sea of crimson.
The sky turned blood red.
The incoming shinobi froze.
Horrified.
They turned to flee—
Too late.
The firestorm swallowed them whole.
And it didn't stop.
It surged onward, sweeping through the Hidden Grass Village itself.
On the other side of the gate, the three girls stared in awe.
Karin's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Naruto-kun is amazing…"
(End of Chapter)
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