Naruto considered himself a pseudo-Jinchuriki now. He could draw on the Kyubi's power, but he couldn't fully transform into a Kyubi anymore. The real Kyubi had already been extracted and was now hidden within a fat dog.
In comparison, Gaara's situation was much more unfortunate. However, under the rules of this Shinobi World, there's no such thing as peaceful times. Even if Naruto had shed the Jinchuriki label from his body, his situation wouldn't necessarily be much better than Gaara's.
A sword's purpose doesn't change just because it's sheathed. Ultimately, Kyubi's power was still being wielded by Naruto. From the perspective of the higher-ups, it was essentially no different than when Kyubi was inside him.
Naruto understood that his situation was similar to that of the prisoners in the Land of Snow, a story he had once read in a magazine. It's about a prison with no walls in the Land of Snow. If an inmate wanted to escape, they had to be prepared to die in the vast snowfields.
A TV station once paid to encourage inmates to escape and broadcasted it live. A large group set out, most dying in the snow, which boosted the station's ratings. But one person succeeded, and that person was celebrated as a hero. And the path they took became a holy path.
People then turned to the remaining prisoners, calling them cowards. Saying that instead of living like livestock, why not pursue freedom!
Freedom was wonderful! Even if it meant death! Someone had succeeded; maybe they could too. So why not give it a shot!
But the heroism they valued was someone else's. When it is their turn, they'd remain silent.
Others might not understand, but Naruto knew the situation very well. If he defected like Sasuke, he'd probably be caught within three days. Mainly because he had no reason to turn dark, as he had already outsmarted Danzo and Kurama. As for the wounds from his past life, what did they have to do with him, Naruto?
He couldn't just run off like a paranoid lunatic, forcing himself into becoming a bitter, feral beast. If he donned the cloak of the Shinobi World's ancestor, he'd just become another Obito.
Although he didn't like Konoha, at least he had a high status in Konoha. As long as Danzo died, he could pretty much do as he pleased, so there was no need for him to run away at the moment.
He is a normal person, not a madman, so of course he would choose whatever was most beneficial to him. Although staying in Konoha forever wasn't an option, staying until adulthood was certainly feasible.
By then, he could settle down in a small place, living a mundane life as a retired warrior, getting married, and just enjoying the peace.
Peace was far more interesting, as all that constant fighting and searching for the meaning of life wasn't his style.
He had it all planned out: take it easy, and then live a beautiful life in this Shinobi World.
Before that, he'd just get by day to day. All in all, characters like Uchiha Madara, Obito, the Akatsuki, and the Otsutsuki clan… given the chance, he'd definitely eliminate them all.
In fact, deep down, Naruto had a ruthless side. It wasn't about heroism, it was a cold ruthlessness devoid of empathy. Tsunade had also mentioned this once.
When Naruto turned dark, it gave Tsunade an eerily familiar feeling, which was ruthlessness strikingly similar to Tobirama's.
'Oh, you're pitiful. How touching. Kill.'
'You're innocent? How regrettable. Kill.'
'What? You did nothing wrong, and it's the world that's at fault? Sure, sounds reasonable. Dig the hole deeper, kill, and bury.'
Naruto suddenly snapped out of his thoughts.
Watching the team running ahead, he sighed inwardly. He still thought about how to act cool now, but if he ever faced the Akatsuki or the insane Obito, he'd likely end up running back to Konoha in disgrace.
Like a primary school student who got beaten up by the older kids outside, he would complain to Tsunade. He'd also embellish the story, and it would be best if he could rally a squad to get revenge.
Kurama lay on Naruto's shoulder, humming softly, craving some booze. He turned his head and noticed his human caretaker frowning one moment and grinning foolishly the next.
It was not convenient for him to speak at this moment, so he swatted Naruto's neck with his tail and shot him a disdainful glance. The meaning was clear: Did you take the wrong medicine? Why are you acting so crazy?
Naruto felt a tickle on his neck and turned to see the smug expression on Kurama's eyes. Without a word, he grabbed him off his neck and dangled him in his hand.
Kurama's eyes were full of fury, and his four short legs were flailing wildly in the air.
'How dare he! This kid really deserves to die!'
After traveling for a day and a night, the team finally stopped at the border of the Land of Fire. Before them stretched a long, narrow plain that led westward to the Valley of the End.
The plain, resembling a long sock, shimmered with visible heat waves. Waist-high yellow grass obscured parts of the view, and the air above the plain was so hot it almost seemed to warp.
Kiba squatted on the highest branch of a tree at the forefront, fanning his neck while craning to survey the terrain ahead. Beyond this point, they would cross the border.
Shino stood in the shade, hunched inside his coat, wearing his signature round, black sunglasses. He seemed to dislike the heat, staying in the shadows like an insect hiding from the sun.
On his left arm, small black insects crawled out of his body, lining up like ants. From his right sleeve, there was also a row of small black bugs coming out in rows.
Maybe he was conducting reconnaissance or getting accustomed to the surroundings in advance.
Neji had taken over Hinata's scouting duties, activating his Byakugan to peer across the plain and further beyond. The rest of the people rested and sorted their equipment.
Typically, a mission like this should be handled by more experienced Jonin. However, if a Jonin led the team, the nature of the mission would change entirely.
Konoha opted to use team full of Genin to avoid complications, after all, they were just picking someone up at the Land of Fire's border. No matter how bold the other side was, they wouldn't dare to chase their targets into the Land of Fire.
"We'll wait here." Shikamaru said, "Whatever happened in Sunagakure is none of our concern. Our job is just to bring the target back to Konoha."
"If the people from Sunagakure chase after us, don't get entangled. Delay them for a moment and then run."
As he spoke, Shikamaru glanced at Naruto, who was tossing a fat dog back and forth like a plaything, unable to hide the concern on his face. Before they departed, he had asked Tsunade what to do if Gaara used his Biju Transformation.
At that time, Tsunade said irresponsibly, "Let Uzumaki Naruto handle it. He'll figure something out."
'Can he really handle it?'
Shikamaru wasn't sure, so he couldn't help but worry. He knew what Naruto used to be like, though they hadn't interacted much since graduating from the Academy.
It's not that their relationship had soured, it's just that there's a thick barrier between them. Everything felt normal when they talked, but it was too normal.
It was as if the messy kid wearing goggles and running all over the village had suddenly grown up overnight. He no longer mentioned Sakura, nor did he constantly shout about surpassing the Hokage and become the greatest Shinobi in the village.
He was still a bit of a loner, but when Shikamaru turned to look at Naruto, it felt like Naruto had touched the tombstone of his youth, and he seemed to have grown by a dozen years in an instant.
It seemed as though he had buried the vibrant, shining boy he once was, only for another version of himself to crawl out of the grave soaked in rainwater.
They called this growth, but Shikamaru didn't think so. It felt more like Naruto had become a completely different person. Other than his body and memories, his soul seemed to have changed.
It was as if the muddy kid who always challenged everyone suddenly said, "I have a backer. Try touching me, and your house will be on fire tonight!"