Chi—chi—chi!
Endless white bones burst from the ground—swords, spears, halberds—razor-sharp and indestructible.
The bones spread outward, racing to the horizon.
The momentum was like a tidal wave.
In an instant, a vast white forest of bones rose before the gates of Konoha.
Both the Konoha shinobi and Rock Lee sucked in sharp breaths.
The screeching sound of bones piercing the earth was horrifying.
Even someone as proud as Lee was drenched in sweat.
If he opened the Eight Gates but failed to escape the bone forest in time, he would be skewered into a hedgehog and die on the spot.
"Seriously… using a big move without even checking the location," Naruto muttered.
"This is the Konoha gate. Repairs are expensive."
He released his hand sign.
Naruto was standing on top of a bone spike.
The sharp bones stabbed into the soles of his feet—but couldn't penetrate at all, like thorns against steel.
"He actually limited the range of my Dance of the Early Ferns… Konoha wasn't affected at all."
Deep underground, Kimimaro's eyes filled with despair.
Knowing someone was strong and experiencing it were completely different things.
"I'm sorry, Orochimaru-sama… this is as far as I can go."
He laughed bitterly.
His chakra ignited, burning like wildfire.
Boom!
A muffled thunder rolled through the ground.
The earth shook.
"Watch out!"
At the Konoha gate, countless people shouted.
They saw it.
The bone forest began to glow, faster and brighter, like a living thing.
Kimimaro burst from the bones behind Naruto like a ghost, a bone lance forming in his right hand as he stabbed straight for the back of Naruto's head.
The power was earth-shattering.
Just the pressure alone flattened bones in every direction, scraping them down like grass with a crackling roar.
Naruto turned around—and smiled.
As if he had known all along.
Once again, just a finger.
It lightly blocked the bone lance at its absolute peak.
Crack.
A fine fracture appeared.
Then the bone shattered.
Boom!
The ground collapsed several feet.
From Kimimaro's position, cracks spread through the entire bone forest.
In an instant, everything shattered and scattered.
Kimimaro reappeared, kneeling on one knee, coughing blood. The curse state faded, revealing the original white-haired youth.
Naruto stomped the ground.
Mud surged and rolled.
In the blink of an eye, the Konoha gate returned to normal—as if nothing had happened.
"Orochimaru-sama… I'm sorry…"
Kimimaro's strength drained away. His vision blurred.
He felt strangely peaceful, as if finally leaving a dark, lonely world.
"It'd be a waste for you to die like this."
A voice came from the darkness—just like the one that once gave him hope.
Warmth.
A warm current slipped into his body, spreading everywhere.
It felt like being held as a baby—safe, gentle.
Even beside Orochimaru, whom he worshiped and would die for, Kimimaro had never felt this warmth.
Only endless missions. Endless battles.
He opened his eyes and looked up.
Light stood before him—dazzling.
"You're dying. I saved you," Naruto said calmly.
"You owe me your life. From now on, follow me. Forget Orochimaru."
Kimimaro froze.
His mind was in chaos.
It made sense.
Kimimaro had always lived by reason.
But abandoning Orochimaru—the god he worshiped—felt impossible.
Naruto raised an eyebrow, displeased.
"This is the deal," Naruto said flatly.
"Your freedom… in exchange for Orochimaru's life."
Kimimaro understood instantly.
Sacrificing himself to save Orochimaru—that aligned perfectly with his beliefs.
He stepped behind Naruto, just as he once stood behind Orochimaru.
"Uzumaki-sama, you're—"
"Kimimaro is a member of Konoha now," Naruto said casually.
"Stop staring. He's a comrade."
Naruto walked into Konoha with Kimimaro beside him, leaving the shinobi behind in stunned silence.
"…Is that really okay?" Lee muttered.
Hokage Office
"This is unacceptable!" Mitokado Homura snapped.
"Letting a foreign ninja join Konoha without interrogation—especially one tied to Orochimaru—this violates all regulations!"
Utatane Koharu nodded repeatedly.
Danzo was gone.
Hiruzen was comatose.
That left the two of them at the top.
At first, Naruto's terrifying performance had scared them silent.
But over the past few days, Naruto had been calm, polite, approachable.
Homura mistook that for weakness.
He's just trying to win support, Homura thought.
If he wants to be Hokage, he still has to pass us.
Kimimaro's arrival gave them the excuse they wanted.
Criticize Naruto. Assert authority.
A warning shot.
Seeing Naruto's neutral expression, the two exchanged smug looks.
"Still too young," Homura thought.
"Twelve years old—no precedent. Maybe we can delay the succession…"
Humans always want more.
"Pfft."
Tsunade burst out laughing.
Jiraiya covered his face.
Naruto finally spoke, ignoring Homura completely.
"Third Hokage is critically injured. He can no longer govern. The village needs stability."
Kimimaro stood behind him like a silent blade, his gaze briefly flicking toward Homura—cold.
"Konoha needs a Hokage," Naruto continued calmly.
"So I nominate myself. I, Uzumaki Naruto, will run for Fifth Hokage."
"Who agrees? Who objects?"
Homura and Koharu turned pale.
"I have no objection," Jiraiya said lazily.
"I agree," Tsunade said loudly.
"I agree!"
"Agreed!"
"Absolutely!"
"Who else could it be but Uzumaki-sama?"
Voices surged like a tide.
Even the great clans nodded.
Konoha needed cleansing. Direction.
Enraged, Homura shouted, "I object!"
Silence.
Every Jonin turned to stare at him.
Mockery. Amusement. Pity.
Homura hadn't seen Naruto's power firsthand.
Suppressing tailed beasts?
Capturing Raikage and Orochimaru?
Sounded exaggerated.
Surely some credit theft.
So he dared to object.
Naruto smiled.
"Oh?"
"And what exactly is your objection, Advisor?"
"You're too young! It breaks tradition! A twelve-year-old Hokage would be laughed at by the other villages!"
"And the Fire Daimyo hasn't approved—this is improper!"
Homura spoke at length, growing more animated by the second.
Finally, satisfied, he stopped.
Naruto stood.
"Your opinion," he said calmly,
"is invalid. That's all."
"As for the Daimyo—he's still in Konoha."
"Let's go ask him."
Naruto walked out.
Jiraiya followed.
Tsunade followed.
The Jonin followed.
Only Homura and Koharu remained behind.
Koharu hesitated—then hurried after them.
The tide is unstoppable, she thought.
Best to follow.
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