Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: Even Though I Did It All, I Am the Hero of Konoha!

The golden figure of Uzumaki Naruto appeared before Orochimaru."Naruto," Orochimaru spoke, his voice calm yet sinister. "The Third Hokage is already dead. There's no reason for us to keep fighting like this. There's nothing more to gain."He narrowed his eyes, a crooked smile forming on his lips."Why don't we resume our cooperation?"Naruto slowly shook his head."I'm sorry," he said with a firm voice, "but there are no ships of the future that can carry people like you—relics of the past."He raised his hand, golden chakra flaring violently. "In that case, you might as well die here."Orochimaru's expression darkened as he realized Naruto was beyond persuasion. The boy wasn't bluffing.Even the Third Hokage couldn't eliminate him—how could I? Orochimaru thought bitterly.With a furious roar, he gave up on words. Instead, he summoned his massive snake, Manda, who opened its gaping maw and lunged at the golden Naruto."Hey..." Naruto chuckled.Without activating any ninjutsu, Naruto leapt forward, launching himself from the ground with pure physical power. The golden blur of his body streaked through the air, heading straight for the snake's enormous head."Come on then," he shouted, "I'll swallow you in one gulp!"But in the next instant, a golden flash blazed across the sky like a meteor. Naruto's form reappeared above Manda's head, glowing brilliantly. He raised his fist, condensing a colossal mass of golden chakra."Take this, you overgrown worm!"BOOM!!!The impact rocked all of Konoha.From afar, Kakashi and the others watched with wide eyes as Naruto's devastating punch crashed into Manda's skull, sending the monstrous beast hurtling to the ground. The impact left a massive crater, the earth caving in beneath the snake's weight.Its massive fangs shattered into splinters.With a single punch, Naruto knocked the mighty Manda unconscious!"Even if you glare at me," Naruto said nonchalantly as he dusted his hands, "I'll still make snake soup out of you tonight."Orochimaru groaned in agony. Though the attack wasn't aimed directly at him, he had been standing on Manda's head at the moment of impact. The shockwave had been so powerful that it sent blood spurting from his mouth.Damn it… he cursed internally. Even the Third Hokage never humiliated me like this!Could Naruto really be in complete control of the Nine Tails' power?In the distance, the villagers of Konoha were watching. Many of them had barely escaped death during the Chunin Exam under Shukaku's attack.Now, they witnessed Uzumaki Naruto protect them once again—defeating both the One-Tail and Manda.Orochimaru's summon, one of the Sannin's most terrifying techniques, had been laid low in one punch.And that man was also the Hokage's killer."Is that… Naruto?" someone whispered."The hero of Konoha!""God bless Konoha. Thank heavens we have Naruto!""I always knew that kid was special," another shouted. "He was destined for greatness from the start. He's a true ninja of Konoha!""Kill Orochimaru and avenge the Third Hokage!""Lord Naruto, I want to marry you!!!""..."Back at the battlefield, Orochimaru finally understood.Naruto's true intentions had never been to fight for revenge or chaos.He had a deeper motive."You… your goal…" Orochimaru gasped, his voice filled with disbelief. "Isn't it… to become Hokage?"Naruto chuckled, brushing his hair back as the golden glow radiated around him."Oh, Orochimaru, you're smarter than you look. But no, becoming Hokage isn't my endgame."Orochimaru's eyes widened with horror as the pieces began to fall into place.This brat… he used me.He realized now—Naruto had orchestrated everything. He'd allowed Orochimaru to kill the Third Hokage, plunging Konoha into chaos. Then, when the people were gripped with fear and despair, Naruto arrived like a shining savior, defeated Shukaku, and then crushed Orochimaru and Manda in front of everyone.Now, Konoha's citizens would worship him as a hero.From here, his path to Hokage would be wide open.Orochimaru clenched his fists, trembling. The people had already begun chanting Naruto's name. His future was now etched in stone. One day, he would become Hokage—not by appointment, but by the will of the people.Terrifying… Orochimaru thought. His methods are even darker than Danzo's.Danzo, who had operated in the shadows of Konoha his entire life, was nothing compared to Naruto.Danzo had always been confined to the darkness.But Naruto?Naruto was a hero bathed in light.The dark clouds that had loomed over Konoha began to break. Warm sunlight spilled down across the ruined village, as if nature itself acknowledged the end of the storm.Despite the devastation, life returned to Konoha.Ninjas and villagers emerged from the wreckage, gazing at the boy who had saved them all.They knew the one responsible for this salvation—Uzumaki Naruto.The fallen Third Hokage was honored in silence, but all eyes now looked toward the future.Naruto turned to face Orochimaru one final time.A soft smile formed on his face as he spoke calmly."Orochimaru, do you want to die with dignity… or do you want me to help you with that?""You…" Orochimaru seethed. "Damn it…"But the fury quickly faded. Orochimaru was no fool. He was a man who had seen countless battles in the ninja world. He closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded solemnly."You're right, Naruto. I accept my defeat.""But… remember this. One day, Naruto-kun… you'll need me. I promise you."Naruto didn't argue. He simply raised his palm, where a swirling Rasenshuriken began to take form."Zzzzz—!"The screeching sound of spinning chakra filled the air.In front of all of Konoha, Naruto hurled the Rasenshuriken.It struck Orochimaru directly—shattering his body into glowing fragments.The crisis was finally over.---In the Hidden Stone, Ohnoki muttered, "That Naruto… he's terrifying…"The Fourth Raikage nodded gravely. "He manipulated all of Konoha like chess pieces. He allowed the Third Hokage to die, demolished half of the village with his own hands—and yet, everyone is thanking him."Hatake Kakashi sighed deeply. "Honestly, if I hadn't witnessed all of this with my own eyes, I'd never believe Naruto was anything other than the hero of Konoha."Haruno Sakura said quietly, "That's right… No matter what, Naruto really did save Konoha."Yamanaka Ino nodded. "For once, Sakura, I completely agree with you."Meanwhile, in the real world—Naruto grinned as he looked at the golden form on the screen."Kurama, do you think I can also transform into that golden mode? It looks so cool! Let's give it a try!"Uchiha Sasuke's eye twitched in disbelief.Is this idiot serious?Did Naruto actually want to try reaching the same form shown in the projection?Was he planning to kill himself at the Valley of the End just for that power?Sasuke felt his irritation rise once more.Fortunately, the Nine Tails had no intention of indulging him.With a cold snort, the beast replied, "Are you worthy?"Naruto slumped with disappointment.Far away, the Akatsuki members breathed a collective sigh of relief.Thank god… the Nine Tails here still has an ego.If Naruto really had entered that perfect golden mode, Akatsuki's entire plan would've fallen apart.There would be no arrests, no tailed beast extractions—nothing.All of them combined wouldn't stand a chance against that Naruto.No doubt about it: the Nine Tails was truly the most dangerous of all the tailed beasts.Uchiha Obito crossed his arms, scoffing at the others."Hmph. A bunch of fools.""You think Nagato is Akatsuki's strongest weapon? Don't make me laugh.""When the time comes, I'll handle what Nagato can't. I'll capture the tailed beasts myself. I'll destroy anyone who stands in the way of the Eye of the Moon Plan.""I will create a world… where Rin is still alive… and married to me.""..."