"That kid..."
When the ninja from the Land of Demons saw Naruto suddenly accelerate, he realized this was no ordinary child.
As for Kurenai Yūhi, still lying on the ground, she wondered how she could have been taken down by just a kid?!
Raising her head to get a better look at Naruto's silhouette, she realized that the one who had trampled her was none other than the son of the Fourth Hokage... Uzumaki Naruto.
But even if he was the Hokage's son, that didn't justify such rudeness.
While they had an enemy in front of them, he had chosen to strike an ally?
What was he thinking?
Ignoring Kurenai's thoughts—and with no intention to care—Naruto simply figured that an idiot who didn't get in their way was already a valuable help.
As he charged at the enemy, a sudden glow radiated from his body.
A dark, almost black aura enveloped him.
His punch, though small in appearance, carried unmatched power.
With a single move, he sent the ninja from the Land of Demons, who had tried to block, flying through the stone wall, well beyond.
"Not bad."
Naruto looked at his palm.
The result of combining the power of the Demon Fox and Yang was impressive.
Maybe he should give a name to this Dark energy?
Why not... "The Power of the Dark Nine Tails"?
Of course, this suggestion was passed on to Kyūbi.
In response, the fox let out a disdainful growl, refusing to comment.
When Naruto's blond hair was tinted with that black glow, his shadow on the ground rippled like that of a demon.
"Huh?!"
Naruto's appearance immediately drew everyone's attention.
Including the Priestess, who was maintaining the barrier, and her daughter Shion.
The guards, including Inabikari Uchiha.
And... Tsuchi and his three subordinates.
Aware of Naruto's uniqueness, the enemies adjusted their strategy, no longer seeing him as just a kid.
Seeing Naruto arrive as reinforcement, Inabikari Uchiha let out a sigh of relief.
This young boy, seemingly fragile, was actually capable of defeating the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. What power would he unleash this time?
It was time to see if the rumors were true.
The next moment, Naruto turned to them.
"Good evening, everyone."
Oh no... not that overly polite smile of "nice guy" Naruto.
Naruto rubbed his cheeks before adopting an angry expression worthy of a justice hero and shouted:
"You pathetic losers... How dare you attack the Priestess and Shion?!"
"Naruto..."
Little Shion blinked, her gaze on Naruto shining with a new light.
Already, coming to Konoha was an adventure in itself.
Finally, she had found a playmate, a bit clumsy admittedly, but...
He was brave and incredibly strong.
Naruto's arrival instantly changed her opinion.
"That child..."
The Priestess also realized Naruto was no ordinary person.
She glanced at Inabikari Uchiha, who held a protective stance.
He smiled:
"Don't worry, Lady Priestess..."
Why?
Simply because Uzumaki Naruto was a formidable force!
"..."
Tsuchi exchanged looks with his men, and the three acted simultaneously.
They formed hand seals and unleashed their techniques.
"Katon... Kisūfuren!"
"Fūton... Kamikaze!"
"Doton... Dōkairo!"
The ground exploded, erecting walls of earth that surrounded Naruto like a maze.
Through the openings, fire and wind rushed in, forming a combined explosive technique.
A series of attacks enough to annihilate most enemies.
Yet, the earth walls shattered to pieces.
A storm mixing black and scarlet red swept everything away.
"Fūton... Daitoppa!"
Using Kyūbi's power in this "Dark" form produced such an effect.
In terms of density, weight, or quality, this energy surpassed all others.
With equal amounts, Naruto's power was far superior.
And above all, Naruto did not have mere chakra reserves... but CHAAAKORAAAA!
A monstrous amount of chakra, unleashed with brute force, pulverized the three enemy techniques.
"Nani?!"
The three ninjas from the Land of Demons barely had time to be surprised before Naruto was already upon them.
The tails of the chakra cloak, like poisoned needles, swept their bodies.
They collapsed, blood spurting.
"Incredible..."
The guards, made up of Uchiha and ordinary Konoha ninjas, watched the scene, stunned by Naruto's power.
Enemies they struggled to face had just been eliminated in an instant.
No doubt... this really was the son of the Fourth Hokage!
"But who is this child?"
The Priestess held her daughter close, torn between relief and a sinister premonition.
Naruto's chakra felt twisted, evil...
Worse than Mōryō's.
"This power..."
Tsuchi jumped back, thinking for a few seconds.
Upon landing, his decision was made.
"The power of a tailed demon, isn't it? In that case..."
His body began to mutate.
A purple energy, like an evil flame, enveloped Tsuchi.
The spectators watched in horror at this transformation.
This amount of chakra was unimaginable, far vaster and more evil than anything they had seen.
Even Naruto, by comparison, looked like a mere spark against a blazing fire.
And this... was only the beginning.
The pillar of purple light rose into the night sky over Konoha, visible everywhere.
This abnormal energy would surely alert the entire village.
Almost all the powerful ninjas of Konoha sensed this demonic chakra, even wilder than Kyūbi's.
"Although this will likely draw all of Konoha's strongest..."
Tsuchi continued his mutation.
His body distorted, two additional heads emerging.
Four extra arms grew, while his legs fused with the ground, transforming into a serpentine tail.
The five elements—wind, fire, lightning, earth, and water—exploded around him, devastating the surroundings.
The entire domain collapsed, except for the area protected by the Priestess's barrier.
Faced with this monstrosity, Naruto narrowed his eyes, showing no fear.
"In that case... I'll let loose too!"
The next moment, Kyūbi's power exploded.
The chakra cloak grew denser, scarlet energy fully enveloping Naruto.
Three tails unfurled behind him, ready to strike.