Naruto burst through the treetops and hit the ground running, without missing a beat.
At the edge of the forest, Naruto stopped beside a vast canyon stretching for kilometers.
Great… I've still gotta get across this thing!
Muttering complaints, Naruto began leaping down along the cliffside.
At the bottom of the canyon flowed an extremely wide river, nearly spanning the entire width of the gorge.
After crossing the river, Naruto began scaling the opposite cliff face, utterly alone, save for a few distant birds soaring overhead.
He ignored them—until the sound of their wings grew dangerously close. Only then did he notice [those white bird-like shapes flying directly toward him].
"Damn it."
"Boom!"
The birds struck the rock face where Naruto clung with full force, bursting into huge fireballs the moment they hit.
Chunks of cliff shattered and fell, and Naruto tumbled down with them.
Deidara sat atop a large clay bird mid-flight, with Tobi seated beside him.
You found him—perfect! You've got Naruto now, Deidara-senpai!
Be quiet, Tobi.
Adjusting the scope on his left eye while speaking, Deidara revealed a battle-hungry grin across his face.
He's still alive… And though I can't kill him yet, I can still blow off a few arms or legs as long as he stays breathing.
Spotting movement among the rocks at the canyon floor, he caught sight of Naruto emerging from the debris, and his grin widened even further.
Do you see him?
Brushing broken stones from himself, Naruto stood back up, furious and roaring in anger.
Looking upward, he spotted Deidara in the sky, along with a strange masked figure wearing an orange spiral-patterned mask.
Well then, before going after Sasuke, I guess I can deal with you first.
Tobi jabbed a finger in Naruto's direction.
Oh, Deidara-senpai, he looks really angry. That look's kinda terrifying.
This guy defeated Jiraiya, took down Sasori, and even fought Itachi head-on, walking away unscathed. He's one hell of a Jinchuriki—unbelievably strong. From personal experience, he's very dangerous.
Naruto assumed his stance, quickly analyzing the current situation within his mind.
Well then, he's flying around again. First things first—I need to take down that damn bird first before I can even reach him. I can handle him, but I don't know anything about that other guy. He might even be stronger than Deidara.
Deidara worked the mouths on his palms, swallowing more clay and shaping additional bird-shaped bombs.
Been a while—let's reminisce. Starting with C1.
The birds flew toward Naruto, increasing in size as they prepared to dive-bomb and blow him apart.
Effortlessly, Naruto swatted away the recon bombs.
Guess you've picked up some new tricks since we last met.
He glanced toward the mysterious companion:
Tobi, back off. This one's mine.
"If the fight really gets as intense as I imagine, you'll just be a liability. Go secure the perimeter and make sure nobody interrupts my capture of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Are you sure about this, Senpai Deidara?" Tobi asked hesitantly, clearly uncertain about Deidara's command.
"I told you to leave, so go already, or I'll blow you up like a bomb and throw you at him!" Deidara shouted at him. "I've got some unfinished business with this kid."
Naruto watched silently as his other opponent leapt from the giant bird, vacating the battlefield entirely.
Naruto simply waited for the right moment to take his next action against this dangerous explosives expert.
"Stay patient. Deidara isn't stupid, and ranged attacks are his specialty. At the very least, I need to ensure I can defend myself from this distance." Thinking to himself, he withdrew a white mask from his pouch and placed it over his face.
"What an odd mask," Deidara remarked, watching Naruto cover his scarred visage with something quite ordinary. "It's unusual for someone like you to wear something like this. What does it mean? Anbu?"
Clad in familiar Root attire, Naruto scoffed slightly, then slowly drew a senbon needle from behind his back.
******
##Konoha - Hokage Tower##
Tsunade sat at her desk buried under the usual pile of paperwork, as always.
She wasn't in the mood to go training at the scheduled time, so she opted to finish her current work first and let Shizune take a temporary break.
A knock on the door broke her focus, offering a brief reprieve from the monotony.
"Come in." She said calmly after seeing who the visitor was. "Danzo."
The elderly man wrapped in bandages closed the door behind him and stepped into Tsunade's office, glancing at the very seat where every Hokage before him had carried out their duties.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you, Princess Tsunade. If I am, I can come back another time."
"No, now is fine," Tsunade replied immediately, shifting into work mode.
She knew that before the Third Hokage's passing, Danzo had always had a rather questionable reputation. Reserved and withdrawn, yet his presence could never be ignored.
And now, she couldn't understand where this change in him was coming from.
Lately, Danzo seemed constantly to be waiting for something. He never voiced opinions or openly opposed her policies, or showed hostility toward Naruto, despite her knowing all too well what he'd done to him in the past—things she knew all too well.
"Very well," he said, sitting down on the chair prepared for guests in front of Tsunade's desk. "I came here to talk about Naruto."
"Him again?" Tsunade thought silently, nodding to signal him to continue. "What do you want to discuss?"
Danzo paused for a long moment before speaking at last:
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