Inside the airborne fortress, the group discovered that the interior was unexpectedly vast.
From the outside, it had appeared to be a small ruin, but inside, it was much larger than anticipated.
"This is going to be troublesome," Neji muttered, frowning. With the fortress this large, finding and rescuing the villagers would be a difficult task.
He began considering whether they should retreat and rethink their strategy.
However, just then, a tremor ran through the ground beneath them. Everyone crouched instinctively to brace against the force of the upward momentum.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked in a hushed voice after the shaking subsided.
"The ruins are rising," Neji said, calculating the duration of the force they had just experienced. "We're likely airborne now."
"What?!"
The entire group was stunned.
"As expected, the Sky Ninja didn't earn their name for nothing," Neji remarked.
"Yeah, who would've thought they could make an entire building fly?!" Naruto added, nodding in agreement.
"But what do we do now? If we're in the air, we can't leave," Sakura asked, her brows furrowed.
"We'll have to adjust our objective," Neji replied. "Originally, we planned to search for the villagers and rescue them. But now, even if we find them, there's no way out."
"So we have no choice but to head to the center of the fortress. There's likely a control mechanism there, but..."
Neji paused for a moment.
"We'll definitely run into the enemy's leader, right?" Naruto guessed.
"Exactly. We were supposed to avoid confronting their strongest force, but now we have no other option," Neji said with a sigh.
He glanced at Naruto. It seemed that nothing ever went smoothly when teaming up with him—there was always some unexpected turn of events.
"I think I know which way to go to reach the center," Hinata said timidly, raising her hand. Her Byakugan had already mapped out most of the pathways.
"Nice work, Hinata!" Naruto gave her a thumbs-up.
Hinata blushed slightly, while Amaru, watching the interaction, opened her mouth as if to say something but remained silent. A hint of sadness flickered in her eyes.
Of course, they're both Konoha ninja, naturally, they're a good match. And I... I'm just from a small village.
Neji also glanced at Hinata but wasn't surprised. Among the Hyūga clan, Hinata's Byakugan was considered the purest, capable of seeing farther and clearer than most.
"Lead the way, Lady Hinata. Be cautious," Neji instructed.
"Understood, Neji-nii-san," Hinata replied, nodding before taking the lead.
With Hinata's Byakugan guiding them, they avoided all obstacles and even managed to evade guards by spotting them in advance.
"What's the deal with them? Why does he call her 'Lady' and she calls him 'Nii-san'?" Amaru asked Naruto curiously.
"It's... complicated," Naruto said, scratching his head. He thought back to the Caged Bird Seal on Neji's forehead, and his expression grew heavy.
"Oh," Amaru murmured, sensing Naruto didn't want to elaborate, so she didn't press further.
Soon, Hinata spoke up. "There's a large, open hall ahead. Inside, there's... someone who looks a lot like Shinnō."
Hinata glanced at Amaru nervously.
Amaru froze for a moment, then, without a word, quickened her pace and rushed into the hall. The rest of the group followed close behind.
The hall opened up into a vast space, and everyone's vision cleared. They saw Amaru standing frozen in place, staring ahead.
Following her gaze, they saw a throne in the center of the hall. Sitting upon it was none other than Shinnō, who was supposed to be dead!
"How is this possible..." Amaru whispered, her eyes wide in disbelief. If Shinnō was alive and here, it could only mean he was the leader of the Sky Ninja.
She recalled how the Sky Ninja had ruthlessly attacked her village, and her mind went blank, unable to process the betrayal.
"Why so surprised? For someone as simple-minded as you, how should I explain this so you'll understand?" Shinnō stood up, speaking with a cold, calculating tone.
After a moment's thought, he continued, "This airborne fortress is called Ankor Vantian. Though it appears to be a ruin, it's actually the ultimate weapon of destruction, developed by the Sky Ninja over decades of research and construction."
"The ultimate weapon of destruction?" Neji's expression turned grim.
"Hey, old man! Why did you fake your death? And why are you here, in the Sky Ninja's fortress?!" Naruto shouted. Seeing Amaru on the verge of breaking down, he stepped forward, taking her hand in his and voicing her unspoken questions.
"Why fake my death?" Shinnō sneered. "Fourteen years ago, I began my search for the Zero-Tails Technique. Disguised as a wandering doctor, I infiltrated villages across various nations.
"After thirteen years, I finally found the scroll for reviving the Zero-Tails, in Konoha."
"And then, I gained the power of the Zero-Tails, the power of Dark Chakra!"
"Dark Chakra?" Neji frowned, recalling the pitch-black chakra that had surrounded Amaru earlier.
"When darkness arises in a person's heart, the Zero-Tails can possess them, materializing the Dark Chakra born from their inner darkness. It's a simple concept to understand, though it took me fourteen years to perfect," Shinnō said calmly.
"Humans experience despair. When consumed by sorrow, they feel anger and hatred toward the source of their misfortune. All of this gives birth to Dark Chakra."
Shinnō turned to Amaru with a twisted smile. "Your village was attacked for one purpose—to make you the host for the Zero-Tails!"
Amaru's eyes widened, her entire body trembling. With sadness and desperation, she let out a final cry, "Sensei! This can't be true, can it? Sensei!"
"A teacher and a student?" Shinnō sneered mockingly. "What a meaningless relationship. You fell perfectly into my trap and allowed me to use you completely!"
He burst into laughter.
Amaru opened her mouth as if to speak but collapsed to her knees, her strength drained and her eyes lifeless.
Everyone else gritted their teeth in anger. This man was utterly despicable, toying with someone's emotions like this!
Neji, his gaze fixed on Shinnō, asked coldly, "What are you trying to accomplish with all this stalling?"
"Oh? You realized I was stalling for time? Impressive, for a ninja sent to secretly follow me. It seems your Hokage noticed something was off about me from the start. Truly worthy of the title of Hokage," Shinnō said, laughing.
"But if he knew I was suspicious, why would he send you all here to die?"
"Die? No, we're here to send you to your death!" Neji retorted with a cold snort.
"Haha! Hahahahaha!" Shinnō laughed maniacally. "Then let me show you the results of my stalling!"
"The power of Dark Chakra doesn't just allow the Zero-Tails to be resurrected. Depending on how it's used, it can accomplish far more!"
As he spoke, Shinnō's entire body erupted with the pitch-black chakra.
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Currently on Chapter 306 - Naruto and Boruto