Naruto strode forward, his crimson eyes locked onto the Hyūga compound. His breath came in sharp bursts, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession. The weight of his anger pressed down on him, threatening to consume his very being.
Hinata…
She had been punished. Beaten. Humiliated.
And all because of him.
His fingers clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms. The air around him grew thick with an overwhelming presence—dark, suffocating, and impossibly heavy.
Deep within the confines of his mind, the oppressive atmosphere of the seal's chamber trembled.
Inside, Kurama, the Nine-Tails, stood within his cage, eyes narrowed as he observed the swelling chakra engulfing Naruto.
"This is new…" Kurama muttered, his deep voice laced with intrigue. "You're forcing my chakra out?"
A wave of fiery-red energy surged outward from Naruto's body, licking at the air like wild flames. Unlike before, this wasn't Kurama's chakra leaking through gaps in the seal—this was Naruto himself taking it.
"Oi, brat! Calm the hell down before you—"
"Shut up."
Kurama's eyes widened slightly.
The cold, piercing tone was unlike the boy's usual carefree demeanor.
"…Well, well. Looks like you've finally snapped."
Naruto didn't respond. His consciousness was already back in the real world, and his feet carried him ever closer to the Hyūga estate.
The ground beneath him cracked with every step.
The air trembled with every breath he took.
And the closer he got, the harder it became for those around him to breathe.
"Naruto!"
Shikamaru's panicked voice barely reached him over the roaring chakra. He had arrived just in time, dragging his exhausted body toward his father.
"Haa… haaa… Dad! Hurry up and stop him!"
Nara Shikaku, the genius strategist and Jonin Commander of Konoha, frowned as he took in the sight before him.
Naruto…
No.
This thing in front of him radiated raw power.
The cracked stone beneath his feet, the suffocating weight of his chakra—this wasn't the reckless, goofy brat that used to mess around with Shikamaru and the others.
This was something else.
Shikaku didn't hesitate. His hands flashed through the necessary seals.
"Shadow Neck Binding Technique."
A dark shadow shot forward, stretching toward Naruto's feet. It shifted mid-air, morphing into the shape of a giant hand that reached out to grab him.
Naruto didn't even flinch.
He simply lifted his foot—
And stomped.
BOOM!
A deafening crack split the air as the ground shattered. The force sent a shockwave rippling outward, shaking the street. Shikaku's body lurched forward as his technique crumbled under the sheer force.
He fell to one knee, panting heavily.
"W-What…?"
Shikamaru's eyes widened in disbelief. His father—an elite Jonin—had his technique shattered in an instant.
Shikaku stared at Naruto, eyes filled with shock.
"This power… It's not just the Nine-Tails."
Naruto's eyes turned toward them. Cold. Emotionless.
"Get out of my way."
Shikaku barely managed to catch his breath before staggering to his feet. He turned to his son, voice tight with urgency.
"Shikamaru. Do not get close to him."
The shadow user's voice was laced with something rarely heard from him—fear.
"I'm going to the Hokage's office. This… this is going to turn Konoha upside down."
With that, he turned and sprinted toward the Hokage Tower.
At the entrance to the Hyūga compound, two gatekeepers eyed Naruto with open disdain.
"Tch. It's the damn fox brat."
One of them stepped forward, crossing his arms.
"The Hyūga estate is off-limits to filth like you. Leave."
Naruto's crimson eyes flickered, his gaze devoid of emotion.
"Where is Hinata?"
The guards sneered.
"She's being punished. Because of you, demon. Now get lo—"
CRACK.
The Hyūga guard didn't even register the moment Naruto moved.
All he knew was that an unimaginable force had slammed into his body.
His vision blurred as his feet left the ground, his body rocketing backward like a ragdoll.
BOOM!
His body smashed through the compound's large wooden gates, creating a human-shaped hole. He hit the ground hard, coughing up blood as the wind was ripped from his lungs.
Silence fell.
The second guard took a terrified step back.
Naruto stepped forward.
His next words sent chills down the man's spine.
"I'll ask again."
"Where. Is. Hinata?"
--
(A/N: Advance Chapters Are Available On My Patreon... Please Think Of Joining It)