Hina stood in the empty space, her mind a storm of emotions, her desires amplified by the powerful force that had taken root within her. Her connection to Naruto was still there, but it felt different, distant as if something had shifted inside him. Yet the overwhelming desire to kill, to destroy, was still vivid, dark thoughts lingering in her mind.
Shiro's voice cut through the air, drawing Hina's attention with a sharp edge of disdain. "Shiro, don't try to hide. I can sense you," Hina muttered coldly, her senses on high alert. She knew the red-armored figure was nearby, trying to remain hidden, but it was futile. Her connection to Naruto had made her more attuned to everything around her, and she wasn't about to let anyone escape her notice.
The voice from the shadows came again, dripping with condescension. "So you are in control, pink bitch." Shiro's tone was mocking, the irritation in her voice clear. Hina's grip on her emotions tightened, the anger swelling within her as the words cut through her already fragile state.
Hina's eyes narrowed beneath her helmet. She could feel Naruto's influence, the lingering emotions of love and desire to protect, but they were clouded, replaced by the violence of her own frustration and sorrow. 'Wait a little bit, beloved. I will satisfy your desire. The blood of the best quality shall be acquired for your taste,' she thought darkly, her grip on her own emotions slipping as she allowed the anger to take hold.
The tension in the air thickened as she focused on Shiro, her eyes locking onto the red-armored figure. "What do you want? Spill before Hina decides to kill you; this has been mostly your fault. Everything went wrong since he saved you." Hina's voice was a low growl, laced with venom as her killer intent poured out. The aura surrounding her rippled with power, twisted by Naruto's lingering presence.
Shiro's expression flickered, a brief hint of guilt crossing her face before the armor concealed it once again. The woman had been through much, but she too had suffered in different ways. However, in this moment, Hina could care less about Shiro's feelings. She only saw her as an obstacle, someone who stood between her and Naruto's desires.
Shiro straightened herself, her voice calm yet tinged with caution. "I am here to help you, as you are so weak to be influenced by a weakened will. But it seems he cared enough to let you in control. I will be leaving now, but what are you going to do now?" Shiro's words were carefully chosen, trying to avoid provoking Hina further, but there was an underlying tone of concern in her voice.
Hina's anger flared, and without hesitation, she waved her hand, sending a shockwave of raw energy toward Shiro. The power behind it was immense, fueled by Naruto's rage and her own desires to make everything around her crumble. The air cracked with the force of the attack, but she didn't wait to see the outcome. With a flash of motion, she flew off, heading back toward her home, the distant feeling of Naruto still pulling at her in strange and unpredictable ways.
As she vanished into the distance, Shiro was left behind, having narrowly avoided the attack, though she didn't pursue Hina. The encounter left her with a deep unease. She knew Hina's instability was dangerous, and her connection to Naruto was making things far more complicated than they needed to be.
Shiro let out a slow breath as she surveyed the scene, her mind occupied by the knowledge that things had gone beyond anyone's control. "This is going to be troublesome. The responsible Hina had become like this," she muttered to herself. The chaos that had been unleashed was a reflection of the unraveling minds of those caught up in the tides of fate, and she was unsure if anyone could stem the growing tide of destruction.
Meanwhile, Z, observing from afar, allowed his gaze to linger on the distant figures. He had heard of Naruto's transformation, of the influence he had over those around him. His thoughts were somber, but there was a flicker of hope in his heart. 'I hope she can find happiness,' Z thought, his mind wandering to the idea that perhaps, in the chaos, there was a way to bring some semblance of peace back to the world. 'I don't know if there is any way to bring back the dead, but hope is better than nothing. He had shown his power by clinging to this world, so we should do something to help as well,' Z concluded, his mood lightening a fraction as he silently pledged to assist in whatever way he could.
The tensions were thickening, and the stakes were rising with each passing moment. The past was never truly gone, and the bonds that connected these individuals would continue to drive them toward fates that none of them fully understood.
Arachne stood beside Naruto, her golden eyes scanning the distorted world around them. The once-thriving land of Konoha now lay in ruins, cracked and decaying under the weight of an unseen force. The sky above them was dark, swirling with malevolent energy, and Naruto's form seemed detached from the scene, as if he were not fully present in this broken reality.
"Where are we, master?" Arachne muttered, her voice low with uncertainty. Her gaze flickered between Naruto and the strange, ominous world they were suspended in.
"My home," Naruto replied emotionlessly, seated on a throne, shackled by chains that connected him to two other versions of himself. Each Naruto looked the same but felt different, as if their very souls were fractured. The chains glowed faintly, the weight of their presence heavy in the air. His eyes, once full of life, now reflected an emptiness that spoke of countless battles and unresolved torment.
The land beneath them, once familiar, had become a wasteland, its broken earth stretching far into the horizon. One side of the land was consumed by pure darkness, pulsating like a living, wriggling mass. It was as though the world itself was fighting to survive, to hold onto any semblance of existence.
Naruto looked out at the city, his eyes distant, almost detached. "It's been a long time since I saw this place."
Arachne, her attention focused on the fractured Naruto, couldn't help but notice the two versions of him. One version was calm, resigned, while the other seethed with barely contained rage.
"Why are you separated into two, master?" she asked, her curiosity piqued as she noticed the duality within him.
Naruto's gaze hardened, and his tone darkened as he spoke. "My will is not set in stone. I wish for death, and I wish for justice." He paused, a flicker of bitterness crossing his expression. "My rage is boundless, and I wish to inflict it on all beings. But I am justice, so it is contained into a goal. Even then, I still desire death. I feel alone since that day. Part of me died, and I have never been the same."
His words echoed in the silence, the weight of his past consuming him. The scene around them shifted, and suddenly, they were no longer hovering above Konoha. They were now suspended in space, high above the planet, where the moon loomed large in the sky.
A beam of energy shot from the planet, striking the moon, causing it to shatter in a brilliant explosion. A younger version of Naruto floated in space, his form barely visible against the backdrop of the destroyed moon.
"Master, what just happened?" Arachne asked, her voice full of disbelief as she tried to make sense of the impossible scene unfolding before her.
Naruto's expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "The moon would have collided with the planet and destroyed it, so the leader decided to destroy it first, using a special anomaly caused by a cannon. I was fighting on the moon that day. I would have won... if they had just given me a minute."
Rage seeped into his voice, and his fists clenched around the armrests of his throne. His aura shifted, becoming heavier, more oppressive.
Arachne watched him, her eyes softening with sympathy. "Did someone close to you die, master?" she asked cautiously, sensing the storm brewing within him.
Naruto's expression twisted with pain, his eyes momentarily flickering with raw emotion, something he had long buried. "My closest friends died. My fiancée... we were supposed to marry the next year. She died in front of me." His voice cracked, and he looked down, his hand pressed over his heart as if to hold back the painful memories. Tears began to well up in his eyes, a stark contrast to the cold, unfeeling figure he had become. "I have locked away my desire to join her for so long... but this form is forcing me to revisit those raw emotions."
Arachne's heart ached as she watched him, her instincts telling her that he was unraveling, that the very essence of his soul was hanging by a fragile thread. "Master, please do not cry. I apologize for reminding you of something uncomfortable."
Naruto's voice was softer than before, but there was a strange calm to it. "No problem. It's nice to actually feel real emotions. I have acted like a human for so long, pretending that I couldn't feel anything. But now... now I can." He paused, staring blankly at the world before him. The younger Naruto's scream of despair reverberated in the distance, and suddenly, the scene around them went white.
The darkness that had been looming seemed to be retreating, losing its grip on the world. "It seems my desire for death has been triggered, along with the rage," Naruto said calmly, his tone distant as if he were merely an observer watching a tragedy unfold.
Arachne's panic grew. She could feel the overwhelming weight of Naruto's emotions, the despair threatening to swallow him whole. "Master, please do not leave me. I do not wish for you to die."
Her voice trembled as she reached out toward him, but Naruto's gaze remained steady, cold, detached. "My little adorable maid, I will not leave you," he said, his voice gentle but resolute. "My goal is not finished. She would not want me to give up. So before I join her, I will achieve what I have dreamed of." He touched her cheek softly, a brief moment of tenderness amidst the chaos of his mind.
Arachne's heart fluttered, but the fear still lingered in her chest. "Please," she whispered, her voice pleading.
"Shush, Arachne. Do not speak anymore," Naruto murmured, placing his finger gently on her lips. "I wish to rest for a while."
As he spoke those words, Arachne felt the crushing weight of his desire for peace, for release from the torment that had plagued him for so long. His presence was a mixture of deep sorrow and unrelenting rage, both pulling him in opposite directions. It was as if he was no longer fighting for survival but for something beyond, something only he truly understood.
And so, in that moment, as the world around them continued to shatter, Naruto closed his eyes, the faintest smile touching his lips. He sought rest, but the battle within him was far from over.