BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
A terrifying surge of chakra erupted, taking on the form of golden flames that enveloped Naruto. It radiated outward in a blinding burst, shaking the heavens and earth.
The sound that followed—
It was like the furious roar of a thousand mythical beasts!
Water Breathing. Thunder Breathing. Stone Breathing. Flame Breathing. Wind Breathing!
Sun Breathing. Moon Breathing!
All activated to their fullest potential!
Perfect Sage Mode fully mastered!
And layered on top of that was Naruto's own unique power—The Six Paths of the Immortal Thief!
The chakra Naruto unleashed in this moment—
Was even greater than that of the Tailed Beasts!
Floating in mid-air, Naruto used the Sky Dance Technique. Arms outstretched as if embracing the world, he stood high above the clouds, overlooking all life below.
At that moment—
Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura could hardly believe what they were witnessing.
Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined—
That Naruto possessed such overwhelming, divine-like power!
"Naruto's chakra... it's probably a thousand—no, ten thousand times greater than mine right now!"
Kakashi squinted up at the glowing figure above, stunned.
And he had every reason to be.
Kakashi's chakra reserves—
Though not immense by comparison to others—
Were still considered high-level among elite jonin.
Yet now, Naruto's chakra completely dwarfed his, eclipsing him like a mountain would a stone.
To put it in perspective:
If Kakashi's chakra was a cube of stone—one meter in length, width, and height...
Then Naruto's chakra was a towering mountain!
A mountain so massive, it made even the combined chakra of the Tailed Beasts look small.
On the ground, Sasuke was barely able to remain upright, forced to brace himself against the gale-like winds stirred by Naruto's presence alone.
Instinctively, he activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, trying to get a clearer look at this new Naruto.
And what he saw—
Left him speechless.
Within Naruto's body, his chakra didn't appear like a usual flow of energy. Instead...
It was like a blazing sun had taken root inside him, radiating divine brilliance visible even through the Sharingan.
"No way..."
"This... this is Naruto?"
Sasuke's mind reeled.
He couldn't fathom it—how someone the same age, the same class, had reached such a level of power.
Behind Kakashi, Sakura trembled, half-shielded by her sensei. Peeking from behind him, her eyes were fixed on Naruto hovering in the sky.
To her—
He looked like a celestial being.
The eye of the storm. The center of the world.
He radiated with such blinding light, it was hard to look directly at him.
And then—
Naruto gazed down at Kakashi, who still stood frozen in shock.
With quiet confidence and dignity, he spoke:
"Kakashi-sensei. This is the power I've earned—through years of relentless training."
The words struck Kakashi deeply.
He had no response.
No excuse.
Try as he might, he couldn't wrap his head around it.
Naruto—the prankster he once knew—had been hiding this power all along?
It was no exaggeration to say—
That Naruto had far surpassed him.
By now, if Naruto ever chose to challenge him—
Kakashi wouldn't stand a chance.
Even with his Sharingan.
Even with his title as "Copy Ninja Kakashi."
In the face of this power...
The Sharingan felt meaningless.
And there was more—
Naruto had clearly mastered some form of aerial ninjutsu—the Sky Dance Technique!
With it, he could leave the battlefield in an instant.
Or rain down destruction from above—striking enemies with impunity while remaining out of reach.
As Kakashi stood there in stunned silence—
Sasuke finally rose to his feet.
His expression was twisted with frustration, unwilling to accept what he had just witnessed.
He had trained so hard…
He had just learned Chidori, a powerful Lightning Release technique, from Kakashi himself.
And now—Naruto tells them—
He hadn't even been using 10% of his real strength all this time?!
"Stop screwing around!!!"
"Where's the fairness in this?!"
Sasuke roared in defiance.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to fight back.
In the next instant—
His Sharingan fully activated, spinning with intensity.
From his right hand, a torrent of concentrated lightning exploded outward with a piercing screech—like a thousand birds screaming in unison.
"CHIDORI!!"
With that cry, Sasuke lunged forward.
His target—Naruto.
He was determined to prove himself. Determined to strike Naruto down with the very technique he'd worked so hard to master.
Watching him charge ahead, Sakura gasped in panic.
"Sasuke!"
And Kakashi's face paled.
"SASUKE! STOP!!"
To Kakashi, Sasuke—despite now wielding the Chidori—was still no match for the Naruto hovering above them like a god. Not anymore.
He didn't want this to spiral into tragedy.
But Naruto—
He calmly observed Sasuke's reckless charge.
There was a flicker of guilt in his expression.
He knew Sasuke.
He knew how prideful he was. How hard he worked. How much he struggled.
And yet now—
Naruto had unknowingly shattered his rival's pride.
"He's reaching his limit," Naruto thought.
"This is breaking him…"
Still—
Sasuke came at him.
Fueled by stubbornness. By the need to prove he wasn't weak.
His Chidori sparked and screeched violently as he closed the distance.
"Where's the justice in this?!"
Sasuke yelled again.
Then he thrust his arm forward—Chidori aimed straight for Naruto's chest!
Naruto simply shook his head.
And spoke, softly.
"Forgive me…
…Sasuke."
In that instant—
Naruto caught the Chidori with his bare hand.
The high-voltage lightning—meant to pierce through anything—fizzled out like static electricity, powerless against Naruto's chakra-enforced body.
The technique that once symbolized deadly power...
Was now as harmless as a sparkler in Naruto's palm.
Not only had Naruto's body undergone massive physical enhancement…
But it was also wrapped in multiple layers of dense chakra, forming an invisible armor far beyond what the Chidori could penetrate.
"What…?"
Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief.
"This doesn't make sense! Chidori is supposed to be... unstoppable!"
And yet…
Naruto wasn't even scratched.
Kakashi and Sakura stood frozen in shock.
They both saw it.
The gap.
The overwhelming gap between Naruto and Sasuke.
No matter how hard Sasuke tried, Naruto was operating on an entirely different level now.
Without another word—
Naruto extended his hand.
And gently pushed Sasuke back with a single palm strike.
The force of it sent Sasuke flying.
But Naruto was careful—he held back.
He didn't want to hurt Sasuke, only to stop him.
Even so, that one strike was enough.
Enough for Sasuke to feel the difference.
To finally understand—
Just how wide the chasm between them had become.
Kakashi and Sakura immediately rushed to check on Sasuke.
Kakashi knelt beside him, quickly assessing the damage.
He exhaled in relief.
"He's fine… Naruto held back."
Sakura's hands trembled as she looked at Sasuke's bruised but intact body, then up at Naruto—still floating above, still burning with power like a miniature sun.
Sakura let out a soft breath of relief.
Up above, Naruto slowly descended from the sky, landing beside Kakashi and the others.
Sasuke sat on the ground, looking up at him. His expression was a mix of unwillingness, frustration, and deep, bitter grievance.
I've trained so hard… yet I'm still this weak.
He clenched his fists, teeth grinding slightly.
It wasn't like he'd been slacking off. He had pushed his limits, chasing power with everything he had.
But even so...
How long will it take like this?
When will I be strong enough… to kill that man?
The goal he had sworn to reach—reviving the Uchiha Clan, avenging his family—felt farther away than ever before.
At this moment, a suffocating despair gripped Sasuke's heart.
He wasn't afraid of hardship.
He wasn't afraid of pain.
But comparisons?
That was the cruelest cut.
He thought of Naruto—his peer, his rival. Same age. Same academy. Same team.
Yet Naruto now stood before him, radiating a power that felt utterly untouchable.
And me… I'm still this weak.
Naruto looked down at Sasuke, sensing his thoughts through both expression and chakra. His mind's eye—sharpened by training and intuition—picked up every turbulent emotion.
He understood.
He truly did.
Everyone, at some point, had felt the weight of inferiority. That soul-crushing frustration when no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn't catch up.
Sasuke wanted to compare himself to him?
To someone with literal cheat codes?
Of course, it was a losing battle.
But Naruto wasn't going to say that out loud.
Instead—
He could offer something else.
Help.
Because ever since those early days…
Naruto had already made up his mind:
Sasuke would always be his number one little brother. His future right-hand man.
If there was a battle to be fought, Naruto would let Sasuke go first.
If Sasuke couldn't handle it?
Then—and only then—would Naruto step in.
Otherwise, how could he call himself the boss?
He looked at Sasuke with calm eyes and said,
"Sasuke, losing to me isn't your fault."
"You want to get stronger?"
"I'll teach you."
Sasuke's breath hitched.
Tears of frustration still glistened in his eyes as he looked up at Naruto, stunned.
"You… you'll really teach me to become stronger?"
Naruto nodded.
"Yeah."
In that moment—
Sasuke's world changed.
A glimmer of light returned to his eyes, chasing the shadows away.
If Naruto helped him…
If he could one day wield the kind of strength Naruto had just shown…
Then maybe—just maybe—
He could defeat that man.
His goal had never felt closer.
His heart, which had been sinking in despair, suddenly ignited again—burning with a renewed fighting spirit.
Kakashi watched the scene unfold.
He looked at Naruto, who had casually offered Sasuke the path forward…
And then at Sasuke, who had so quickly regained his resolve.
A smile tugged at the corner of Kakashi's lips beneath his mask.
Thank you, Naruto.
Maybe… just maybe, you'll be the one to save him.
Sasuke hadn't been completely crushed by Naruto's overwhelming power.
If he had, his mental state might've collapsed—something that would seriously hinder his growth as a shinobi.
But now, watching Sasuke quickly recover his resolve, Kakashi finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
And then—
Naruto turned toward Kakashi with a sharp, serious gaze.
"Now… it's your turn to make a choice, Kakashi-sensei."
His voice rang out with clarity and weight, leaving no room for hesitation.
Kakashi fell silent.
After learning that Naruto had mastered the Rasengan, after discovering the truth behind Naruto's parents and everything the boy had endured…
Kakashi had played out countless scenarios in his mind.
But not this one.
He never imagined…
That Naruto's strength had already reached the level of a Kage—strong enough to lead any of the Great Shinobi Villages.
Sure, some might argue:
"Just having a massive amount of chakra doesn't make someone Kage-level."
But that was only half the truth.
When one's chakra reserves reached a level as monstrous as Naruto's—rivaling, no, surpassing that of the Tailed Beasts—
That alone tipped the scale.
And Kakashi knew more than anyone else:
Naruto wasn't just a chakra monster.
He had sharpened his taijutsu, trained through brutal experiences, and developed battlefield instincts that didn't belong to a mere Genin.
On top of that—
He housed Kurama, the most powerful of the nine Tailed Beasts, the Nine-Tails.
If all that strength was Naruto's alone…
Then he had truly reached the pinnacle of shinobi power.
Even the Third Hokage would struggle to defeat him.
But still…
Kakashi couldn't answer right away.
Born and raised in Konoha, shaped by war, betrayal, and loss, Kakashi had witnessed the village's darkness firsthand. And yet—
He had remained loyal.
To ask him now to choose between Konoha and Naruto…
Kakashi's heart was heavy.
He knew the truth.
He knew that under the Third Hokage's rule, the village had made grievous mistakes—especially in how it treated Naruto.
He had wanted things to change.
But he had been just one man—powerless.
He also understood Naruto's anger. Under such betrayal and isolation, Naruto had every right to turn his back on the village.
And now?
Naruto had the strength and the qualifications to be Hokage.
Konoha's rot needs to be cut away.
Only then can the village truly thrive again.
But…
That dream was still far away.
Even if Kakashi joined Naruto now, they would only make two.
Sasuke, though fierce in loyalty, was still just a boy.
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage still held the entire village under his control—the clans, the Anbu, the elders, the Jonin.
If it came down to choosing between a young boy and the long-established leader of the village…
Most would stay with the devil they knew.
And yet—
Kakashi clenched his fists.
He had made too many mistakes. He had lost too many comrades. He had stood still for too long.
Now, finally…
He had a chance to make things right.
He could stand beside Naruto—not just as a teacher, but as an ally. As someone who could help him reshape Konoha into something better.
Obstacles?
So what?
They were nothing compared to the regret he'd carry if he let this chance slip away.
At that moment—
Kakashi's resolve crystallized.
He thought of Minato-sensei.
He had protected Kushina, yes.
But he had failed to protect Naruto—their only son.
This time, he would not fail again.
He would not let Minato's legacy be forgotten.
"Naruto."
"I'll support you… with everything I've got."
Kakashi's voice was calm—but unwavering.
And in that instant, the dullness in his eyes vanished.
The listlessness, the guilt, the weight of his past—
Burned away by new purpose.
He stood straighter now.
Not as a broken man.
But as the Copy Ninja Kakashi.
The genius who had become a Jonin at twelve. The one feared and respected across the Five Nations.
He was back.
And this time, he had something real to fight for.
Sasuke couldn't hide his excitement.
Even Sakura looked visibly moved, her eyes lighting up with curiosity and anticipation.
At that moment, as Naruto watched Kakashi's decision take form, a warm smile spread across his face.
"Kakashi-sensei…"
"You really didn't disappoint me."
Naruto spoke sincerely.
Then—he paused.
As if something important had just come to mind.
His smile deepened, full of emotion.
Turning to Kakashi, Naruto continued:
"Kakashi-sensei, there are two people I want you to meet."
The words caught Kakashi off guard.
He blinked in confusion, unsure of what Naruto meant.
But then—something clicked.
He suddenly remembered what Naruto had said to him the last time they truly spoke.
Could it be…?
No… that's impossible.
But the thought wouldn't leave him.
Kakashi's breath caught.
Could they really be here?
Could he really meet… Minato-sensei and Kushina-san again?
His heart began to race.
Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura exchanged puzzled glances.
They had no idea what Naruto was referring to.
And then—
In the next instant—
Two figures appeared before them, seemingly out of thin air, as if teleported by space-time ninjutsu.
One of them wore the iconic white cloak of the Hokage, flames dancing along the hem. His spiky blond hair was unmistakable, and his warm, gentle smile shone like the sun.
The other had long, flowing crimson hair and an aura of cheerful vitality that could be felt from a glance.
There was no mistaking them.
The Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze.
And his wife, the former Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—Uzumaki Kushina.
...
TN:
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