Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 404 The only way to stop me is to kill me (Combined Chapter)
The last ray of light on the distant horizon stretched between Naruto and Sasuke, the two standing on opposite banks of light and darkness.

Sasuke's crimson Sharingan gradually widened as he looked at the pale mask covering half of Naruto's face and those chillingly calm eyes.

"why?"

Sasuke's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth: "Why have you become like this?"

"You know better than anyone what the 'Virtual Realm' has done to me, to the Uchiha clan, and to Konoha. Why do you still need to rely on this power?"

"You said you abhorred senseless killing, so what is this now?"

“It’s meaningful,” Naruto finally spoke, calmly. “I want to accomplish what the Sage of Six Paths couldn’t.”

"I want to create a world where there is no longer a distinction between ninjas and commoners."

"How could such a thing be possible!" Sasuke took a step forward abruptly, shouting angrily, "Just because of your self-righteous 'meaning,' you can take lives at will?"

"How are you any different from Itachi Uchiha in what you're doing now?!"

After shouting those words, Sasuke's chest heaved violently, the wind howled in his ears, and the dust swirled up and gently patted the two of them.

"Who told you all this?"

Sasuke forced himself to calm down, his nails digging deep into his palms, and said coldly, "Is it that 'Kage,' or that guy from the Jashin Cult just now?"

"You idiot, wake up! Whoever told you this, I'm sure they're using you to achieve their own goals!"

“I am fully aware of the situation.” Naruto lowered his eyes. “It is only because I know what this world is supposed to be like that I cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering before me.”

"I don't understand! What's so important about those complete strangers?"

Sasuke clenched his fists and said angrily, "They will never see anything you've done for them!"

"Why, why can't you turn around and look at me... look at all those people who have been watching you all along?"

"Make way, Sasuke." Naruto shook his head slightly and took a step forward. "This is the path I have chosen."

呲!
Sasuke drew the silver longbow from his back, flicked his wrist, and the curved bow straightened, transforming into a silver spear with sharp ends.

"Your so-called path is to make yourself an enemy of the five great nations and a target coveted by the Hollow Realm and the Akatsuki organization for the sake of those indifferent people?"

"To leave yourself with nowhere to belong in the entire ninja world?"

Sasuke raised the gleaming spear tip, pointing it directly at Naruto's throat, and gritted his teeth, saying, "I won't step aside. If you want to leave here, you'll have to step over my dead body!"

"Don't even think about turning around and running away. I will catch up with you, and even if I break your hands, your feet, and your bones, I will drag you back to Konoha!"

Upon hearing this, Naruto stopped in his tracks, lowered his eyes, and let out a sigh from behind his mask.

"Is this so..."

call!
The wind suddenly picked up, whipping the two people's clothes into a fluttering sound.

The next moment, the two figures disappeared from their original positions simultaneously.

Bang!
Sasuke's silver spear struck Naruto's blocking arm with a muffled thud, and the two locked eyes at extremely close range.

Feeling the power coming from Naruto's arm, Sasuke suddenly burst out with dazzling lightning. Lightning Release chakra stimulated every cell in his body, causing his power to surge instantly.

"You taught me this move." Sasuke increased his strength by three points, gritting his teeth as he said, "As a friend, I won't let you make the same mistake again!"

boom!
Naruto exerted force suddenly, his arm jerking, sending Sasuke and his spear flying back several steps.

Almost at the same moment, several golden chains shot out from behind Naruto like venomous snakes emerging from their holes!

clang! Clang!

Sasuke's Sharingan swirled in his eye sockets, catching the trajectory of the chains. His silver spear danced with dazzling lightning, deflecting all the incoming chains and sending sparks flying.

Using the force of the rebound, Sasuke spun around and threw out dozens of shuriken, which scattered like a shower of flowers, but were blocked by Naruto's golden chains.

However, under the precise control of the Sharingan, the steel wires attached to the shuriken wrapped around Naruto's body from all angles, and the wires tightened instantly, locking Naruto's movements.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Strike!"

Sasuke formed hand seals, and his Lightning Release chakra surged forth. Arcs of electricity crackled on the steel wire, and blinding lightning bolts shot towards Naruto like lightning snakes...

it's over!
Sasuke stared intently at the bound Naruto, only to see Naruto's face remain calm as he slowly opened his palms.

A black diamond-shaped mark was clearly visible in the palm of his hand.

The next moment, under Sasuke's watchful gaze, all of the Lightning Release chakra was absorbed by the mark!
"What?!" Sasuke's eyes flashed with astonishment.

What it is?
In that instant, Naruto suddenly raised his head, his eyes turning into scarlet beastly pupils, and violent chakra erupted from his body, snapping the steel wire wrapped around his body!
The figure vanished instantly, leaving only a lingering afterimage.

The next moment, a fierce and terrifying killing intent rushed over, and Naruto rushed in front of Sasuke and punched him straight in the face!
"Naruto, this guy is serious!"

Feeling the chill clearly, Sasuke's pupils contracted, and almost instinctively, he raised his spear to thrust upwards...

boom!
Naruto's fist grazed his cheek, the terrifying force of the punch causing a sharp gust of wind that stung his face, his black hair whipped wildly, and even snapped a large grove of trees behind him in half.

puff!

Warm drops of blood splattered on Sasuke's face, causing his pupils to slowly dilate as he looked at Naruto, who was almost inches away.

His hand instinctively retaliated, the silver spear he intended to use to pierce Naruto's arm, but at such close range, he couldn't retract it in time and instead slashed upwards, cutting Naruto's right eye.

"Why?" Sasuke murmured blankly.

Snap... Snap...

Blood slid down Naruto's cheek, his slashed right eye slowly closed, and the crimson in his other eye gradually faded, returning to its azure color.

Naruto withdrew his punch and calmly took a step back.

"You can't break my arms and legs." His tone was unusually calm, as if he weren't the one who was injured. "If you want to stop me, the only way is to kill me."

Sasuke's chapped lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

Naruto had already started walking, passing right past him and heading towards the woods behind him.

The footsteps were exceptionally clear on the silent cliff, gradually bringing Sasuke's unfocused pupils back to focus.

"stop!"

Sasuke turned around abruptly, his hoarse voice echoing around him.

He gripped the silver spear, which had transformed back into a bow, tightly in one hand, and with the other, he pulled it back, condensing lightning chakra into a whistling arrow, aimed directly at Naruto's back.

"I won't fight back." Naruto's steps didn't falter at all, nor did he even turn around. His calm voice reached Sasuke's ears, "As a Konoha ninja, I kill rogue ninjas."

"Your actions are also meaningful."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke stared intently at the receding figure, his fingers gripping the bow turning white and trembling from excessive force.

"Huff...huff..." His breathing became more and more rapid, his chest heaved violently, and his arms trembled, but he always held the string tightly.

Until Naruto's figure completely disappeared into the shadows of the forest, vanished from sight...

thump!
The silver bow slipped from his exhausted hands, Sasuke's knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground, bowing his head deeply.

"Sasuke!"

Just then, Kakashi finally broke free from the effect of someone's eye technique and hurriedly came down from the cliff.

When he saw the chaotic scene of battle all around him and the figure kneeling on the ground, his heart tightened and he hurriedly went forward.

But the next second, he froze in place, staring at Sasuke in disbelief.

Sasuke slowly raised his head, and two streams of bloody tears slid down his face, leaving glaring red marks on his pale face.

The three tomoe in his eyes spun and merged into a complex and eerie pattern, exuding a chilling aura.

That is the Mangekyou Sharingan.

“Naruto…” Sasuke’s voice was hoarse and broken, but his tone was unusually calm as he said, “I will definitely bring you back.”

"must!"

------

At this moment, in the reception room of the Daming Mansion.

The once luxurious golden hall is now filled with a strong stench of blood.

Although the body had been cleaned up, the remaining traces were still shocking. The valuable screen was torn apart, the splattered bloodstains had turned dark brown, deep blade marks were left on the beams and pillars, the carpet was stained with large patches of dark red, and broken tableware was scattered all over the floor.

Hinata Kumokawa sat on the main seat belonging to the daimyo, his white divine robe standing out conspicuously in the crimson hall.

He lowered his eyes and flipped through the files that the ANBU ninja had just presented to him, his face revealing no emotion.

Karin stood quietly beside him, clutching other documents tightly in her arms.

She tried her best to suppress her emotions, but the flush that unconsciously rose on her face and the occasional glances she gave to Hinata Kumokawa betrayed her inner ecstasy.

"Fragrant phosphorus."

Hinata Kumokawa's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting her reverie.

"Yes!" Karin straightened her back instinctively, her voice a little loud due to nervousness.

Hinata Kumokawa raised his eyes to look at her, then raised his hand, and Karin habitually took half a step forward.

"Now, you are the only one who knows my true identity,"

Hinata Kumokawa gently stroked her hair and said softly, "She is also the only person I completely trust."

Karin's eyelashes trembled slightly as she felt the warmth of his hand.

“Dye your hair back,” Hinata Yunchuan said with a smile, withdrawing his hand. “You don’t need to hide your identity and talent anymore. Stay by my side for now and be my secretary.”

Karin has now mastered superhuman strength, the Adamantine Sealing Technique, Kagura's Mind's Eye, and numerous sealing techniques. In addition, she has the 'Karma' seal from Hyuga Kumokawa, and the political skills she has cultivated in the Daimyo's residence...

Being his secretary is enough.

The reason why Yamato, who was monitoring Naruto, fell into a coma was because Karin secretly intervened.

Upon hearing Hinata Kumokawa's words, Karin suddenly opened her eyes, her eyes instantly turning red.

She didn't know how many years she had waited for this day.

Her life was completely changed from the moment Hinata Kumokawa, as the 'Kage,' rescued her from that hell in the Land of Grass.

In the first few years, she was raised by 'Shadow' himself.

Later, in order to guide Naruto and Sasuke, the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura's chakra, Yun Chuan arranged for her to enter the Konoha Ninja Academy, becoming a classmate of Naruto and Sasuke.

It was at that time that he first revealed to Karin the truth that "Hyuga Kumokawa" and "Kage" were actually the same person, and Karin accepted it with unusual calmness.

After all, in this world, apart from her mother who had become a 'Hollow,' Hinata Kumokawa was the only thing she could rely on.

Whether one is a hero of Konoha or an enemy of the ninja world, it doesn't matter.

In her eyes, even if she were to learn one day that Hinata Kumokawa was a god, she would not be surprised in the slightest.

Because from that night, from the moment he reached out his hand to her, in Karin's heart, he had already become an omnipotent being.

"Have the men sent to search the daimyo's bedchamber returned yet?" Hinata Kumokawa's voice rang out again.

Upon hearing this, Karin immediately snapped out of her reverie and her eyes regained their clarity.

“They should have returned to report by now, according to the scheduled time,” she said, frowning. “I’m afraid they’ve run into trouble.”

"Very well." Hinata Kumokawa gently closed the file, slowly stood up, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face. "Then I'll go there myself."

------

At this moment, Nanwu and the remaining guardian ninjas had arrived outside the daimyo's palace, but the scene before them caused their expressions to change drastically.

Outside the palace, there was a mess. The exquisite stone railings were broken and scattered all over the ground. The water in the fountain was stained pale red. The corpses of several samurai and a ninja lay on the ground.

“You…” A Konoha ANBU ninja knelt on one knee in a pool of blood, his left arm severed at the shoulder and still bleeding.

Nanwu also recognized the warriors who surrounded him from their attire.

Those were the daimyo's personal guards, the most elite group of warriors.

The only advantage a samurai has when facing a ninja is speed, because the ninja doesn't need to form hand seals, and a powerful samurai can kill the ninja before he can even do so.

For example, Hanzo of Amegakure and Mifune, the admiral of the Land of Iron.

Clearly, this is how the two ANBU ninjas, one dead and one wounded, ended up.

The leading samurai leader was not wearing a helmet, revealing a cold and hard face. His samurai sword was still dripping blood, and the tip of the sword was pointed at the throat of the ANBU ninja.

Seeing this, Nanwu shouted in shock and anger, "What are you doing?"

“Mr. Nanwu?” The samurai leader turned around and said coldly, “These two men attempted to sneak into His Highness the Daimyo’s palace, but we subdued them on the spot.”

"Can't you see their masks?" Nanwu said angrily. "These are people sent by the Hokage, are you insane?"

"So what if he's the Hokage? This is the Daimyo's residence, not Konoha." The samurai leader straightened his back and said in a cold tone, "Besides..."

"The situation in the capital is chaotic right now, and the Second Prince is currently in his palace. How can we be sure that these two people who want to sneak in don't have any malicious intentions?"

Upon hearing this, Nanwu and the other guardian ninjas' expressions grew even more gloomy.

They knew perfectly well that, according to etiquette, the Hokage had no right to interfere in the affairs of the Daimyo's residence, let alone search the Daimyo's bedroom.

However, that Hinata Kumokawa is a crazy person who doesn't follow the rules!

The reason Di Lu wasn't there was because his knees were shattered from kneeling under the oppressive aura of that guy.

They rushed back to warn the unsuspecting warriors to avoid a confrontation, get rid of this plague god, and then make further plans. Who knew...

"It's so lively."

A calm voice suddenly rang out, causing Nan Wu and the others to freeze in place. The warrior leader turned his head to look in the direction of the voice.

Hinata Kumokawa walked slowly towards them, followed by several ANBU ninjas. Their gazes turned cold upon seeing the ANBU ninja with the severed arm and the corpse.

"Lord Hokage." Nanwu forced a calm bow, secretly giving the samurai leader a wink.

However, the samurai leader remained unmoved, his katana still pointed at the ANBU ninja: "Hokage, this is the daimyo's residence. Please stop here."

Hyuga Kumokawa seemed not to hear, his gaze sweeping over the corpse of the ANBU ninja before landing on the samurai leader, and he smiled and said, "Not bad, very spirited."

"So, you killed my men?"

"Lord Hokage, please calm down!" Before the samurai leader could speak, Nanwu hurriedly stepped forward. "This is a misunderstanding. Your men have trespassed..."

"So?" Hinata Kumokawa interrupted calmly.

Nanwu opened his mouth as if to say something, but the samurai leader stepped forward and proudly raised his head, saying, "As the personal guard, we have the right to kill any suspicious person who trespasses into the daimyo's palace!"

Upon hearing this, Nanwu closed his eyes in despair.

next moment……

puff!puff!puff!

A gust of wind brushed against his face, and Nanwu slowly opened his eyes, only to see several heads fly up.

The last trace of arrogance still lingered on the samurai leader's face.

thump……

After a brief silence, the headless corpses fell to the ground one after another like harvested wheat stalks, the blood gushing from their necks staining the ground crimson.

"I'll say it again, from this moment on, I will take over the capital of the Land of Fire."

Hinata Kumokawa lowered his raised hand and said calmly to the pale-faced Nanwu, "Apply for the highest level of compensation for these people. Write the reason for the application as..."

"To defend the honor of the daimyo, he bravely faced death, and died a worthy death."

He swept over the mess on the floor and said calmly, "Also, inform all officials that there will be a meeting in the main hall in one hour."

"It's time to settle accounts with that daimyo prince for his deeds during his lifetime."

As dusk settled, the wind carried the stench of blood.

"..." Nan Wu bowed stiffly to accept the order, not daring to look at the headless corpses still twitching on the ground.

They knew that the Land of Fire was about to undergo a major change.

(Oh wow, finally we're getting to the big battle! I tidied up the outline today, so the update is a little late. It's the end of the month, so please give me some monthly votes! lol)

(End of this chapter)