The rocks, weathered by wind and rain, were somewhat slippery.
Yet for a ninja, traversing them posed no challenge.
Karin leapt down energetically, her hands lifted high as if trying to catch the sea breeze, but only the damp moisture soaked her palms.
She turned back, intending to speak with Naruto.
But before she could utter a word, a flash of golden light appeared before her.
Naruto had moved in a step, his expression serious.
He turned his head to look left, shouting, "Hey, whoever's over there, show yourself!"
His finger pointed sharply, chakra gathering in an instant.
"Way of Destruction Number Four: White Lightning."
A burst of white light shot forth, exploding forcefully.
Karin shrank behind Naruto, eyes following the direction.
The moist environment caused minimal smoke and dust, only some sand and debris scattered into the air.
The view was quite clear, a stretch of rocky shore without any obstructions.
Yet nothing resembling a 'human' or 'puppet' was visible.
"There doesn't seem to be anyone there," she whispered softly.
Naruto frowned, peering around.
Visibly, there was indeed no one.
Through his senses, that spot also lacked any chakra presence.
The Kidō attack had merely struck the ground.
And yet…
Moments ago, he had distinctly felt a surge of malice.
A chilling sensation, definitely of human malevolence.
His intuition was not wrong.
It seems that this is someone extremely adept at hiding.
Unless they show hostility, it's hard for me to even detect their presence.
Just after leaving Konoha, someone like that found me.
Who could it be?
That Uchiha?
Or someone else targeting the Nine-Tails or myself?
Much like now, hidden here, yet in my eyes, their chakra presence is glaringly obvious.
Deep underground.
A man with half a body black and the other half white, his head covered by a massive Venus flytrap, recoiled in fear.
"That was close, nearly got hit." A playful voice emerged, spoken by the white half. "He noticed us!"
"How did he manage that?"
The black half spoke with a heavy tone: "Truly perceptive."
He was confident in his stealth abilities, having concealed himself in front of people more powerful than Naruto.
And not just one person, or just once!
Yet, this guy...
"We'll need to be even more cautious in the future," murmured the white half, "but the good news is, we've at least found his trail."
"Inform Zhu and Nan that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is heading to the Land of Whirlpools."
By Zhu and Nan, he was referring to 'Uchiha Itachi' and 'Kisame Hoshigaki'.
Members of the same organization.
The black half fell silent.
He sank back into the earth and disappeared.
"What's wrong?" Karin tugged at his sleeve.
Naruto shook his head, turning his gaze to the rocks. "You three over there, no need to hide, come on out."
Karin followed his line of sight.
The waves crashed against the rocks with a mighty roar.
"Is there someone over there as well?"
Naruto didn't need to repeat himself. He raised a finger.
Once again, white lightning flickered, shattering the rocks and piercing through the seascape, cutting through the waves.
Three figures sped forward, compelled to reveal themselves.
They were all wearing earth-toned vests and masks.
"Iwagakure's Anbu?" Karin observed the emblem on their foreheads, two interlinked mountains, and immediately recognized their identity.
"There's no need to be tense." The Anbu standing in the center spoke, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "We mean no harm."
Naruto watched them.
"We are here under orders from Lord Tsuchikage, Onoki." Seeing that Naruto wasn't inclined to attack, he tentatively continued, "to invite the hero who killed the S-rank traitor, Orochimaru, that is, you, Lord Uzumaki."
"If you're unhappy staying in Konoha..."
"Why not consider changing villages?"
He spoke cautiously, aiming to sound as sincere as possible.
Naruto smiled softly.
The three Anbu relaxed slightly.
"What are you testing?" A voice whispered in his ears.
Suddenly, his field of vision was empty, with only a red-haired girl remaining.
The blonde boy was no longer in his original spot.
Instead, he appeared beside him, his hand already reaching for the mask on his face.
He tried to pull away.
But
a tremendous pressure overwhelmed him, freezing him in place, as his chakra stagnated.
The link between his mind and body was severed.
Naruto removed his mask.
Naruto revealed the face beneath the mask worn by the invader. The harsh winds and rains of time had darkened and coarsened it, a visage stamped with the earthy characteristics of the Land of Earth. This exposure only served to heighten the man's sense of dread.
Unable to move—what was this technique? Genjutsu, perhaps? Or was it the Shadow Binding Technique unique to the Nara clan? How could it be that whether it was an illusion or the Nara clan's secret art, someone could manipulate another so effortlessly while remaining unaffected themselves?
With a simple gesture, Naruto released his hold, allowing the mask to fall, a prisoner to gravity. "I despise these kinds of tactics," he stated.
When the mask hit the sand, it became part of the beach, merging seamlessly, silently, without trace. Their objective was not to recruit him after all.
Naruto's experiences might not rival those of other captains, but such shallow ruses were transparent to him. "Recruitment" was merely a facade. Their true intent was to test him — to see if he was out there for "village-disbanding training" or had chosen a path contrary to Konoha.
The answer lay with the latter. But did he owe them any explanations? He wouldn't pledge allegiance to Konoha, nor would he align with any other village.
Turning away, Naruto started towards Karin, motioning with his hand. "Let's go back," he said. The red-haired girl nodded and followed.
Their footsteps were light and deliberate, leaving only faint impressions on the sand. Yet, for the three who watched, the aura emanating from the blond youth grew steadily more oppressive.
Until his figure completely vanished from sight, only then did the crushing weight on them finally dissipate.
Only then could they let the nearly destroyed and collapsing mental resolve relay back to their bodies.
Three Anbu members sprawled out, lying on the beach.
"What's the deal with that kid?" The one on the left removed his mask, gasping for breath, sweat relentlessly streaming down his forehead. "What was with that aura!"
"The news about him killing Orochimaru, it's true. It's not a smokescreen released by Konoha." Although the other man hadn't removed his mask, his voice trembled with trepidation. "He can absolutely do it!"
"Even without the power of the Tailed Beast, he can definitely do it."
He reached out shakily, touching his neck.
There was no wound, no bleeding, perfectly intact.
Fantastic!
Since earlier, he had been worried whether he was already dead, the kid's blade being so swift that his body hadn't even registered the blow.
The man in the middle stayed silent, staring blankly at the sky.
He was the one who had borne the greatest pressure.
"The Jinchuriki didn't express his views on Konoha," the man on the left's mind churned slightly as he remembered the mission at hand.
The middle man's reaction was immediate, turning his head. "What are you thinking?"
"That was a warning just now; if we approach him again, we'll surely die!"
"We've already confirmed his strength."
"That's enough for us to report back to the village."
The man on the left shook his head, not wanting any more encounters with that blond boy. "No, of course not!"
"I'm just puzzled why he didn't make a stance."
"All it required was a single word."
The man on the far right spoke softly, "Do the strong need to inform the weak of their thoughts?"
"He doesn't like our actions."
"How could he possibly satisfy our goals?"
"Consider yourselves lucky that the captain chose not to take action."
"It's a relief, we're still alive."
(End of Chapter)