Naruto sprinted through the depths of the sealing chamber, his footsteps echoing against the stone. Relief bubbled up inside him. Shion had been inside for a while now. If everything went smoothly, Mōryō might already be sealed again by the time he arrived.
Then it would be done.
He and his friends would be among the ones who saved the world.
The image flashed in his mind uninvited. Surrounded by cheering crowds. People shouting his name. A hero's ending.
Naruto grinned foolishly at the thought.
By the time he reached the lowest level, the grin faded.
Below him churned a sea of magma. Jagged stone paths twisted above it, cracked and unstable. Every so often, chunks of rock broke off and vanished into the molten glow with a hiss.
Fall down there and you were gone. No second chances.
Naruto swallowed, then looked ahead.
At the center, where the stone was widest and most intact, Shion sat on the ground, legs folded awkwardly beneath her. Her head was lowered.
Naruto rushed over. "Hey! Shion! Did it work? Is Mōryō sealed?"
"Na… Naruto…"
Her voice trembled.
The unease hit him instantly. "What's wrong?"
"…It would've been better if I'd died from the start."
Naruto froze. He grabbed her shoulders. "What are you talking about?"
Shion's eyes refocused, then tears spilled over. "It's my fault. From the beginning… it was a trap. The seal failed. Mōryō absorbed my power. It's about to fully revive."
Naruto's eyes widened. "So it's reviving right now?"
"Yes… If I hadn't—"
"Stop." Naruto cut her off sharply. "This isn't your fault."
He clenched his fists. "If sealing it once didn't work, we try again. If that still fails, then I'll beat it down first and you seal it after. There's always a way."
"Naruto, but—"
"If it can be sealed, it can be beaten," he said firmly. "I don't believe it really has the power to destroy the world."
Red chakra flared around him, his eyes turning feral.
"Right, Nine-Tails?"
"Hmph. You really needed to ask?" the Nine-Tails scoffed inside him. "A runt monster claiming it can end the world? Ridiculous."
Then its tone shifted. "But don't forget, brat. You've already borrowed a lot of my power. Keep going, and you won't handle the backlash."
Naruto didn't answer.
He remembered it clearly. Training too hard. Ignoring limits. Using too much of the Nine-Tails' chakra and losing control once before. If Jiraiya hadn't been there, it would've ended badly.
That wasn't the fox's fault. It never was.
"Na… Naruto," Shion whispered, staring at him.
The power pouring off him felt dark. Wrong. And yet… she wasn't afraid.
Not even a little.
"Such confidence," a mocking voice drawled. "I agree."
Naruto spun around. His pupils shrank.
"Orochimaru?!"
"Surprised?" Orochimaru chuckled, eyeing Naruto with interest. "You've grown stronger, Nine-Tails boy. A shame, though."
"Did you revive Mōryō?!" Naruto shouted.
"Don't pin everything on me," Orochimaru replied lazily, tongue flicking out. "I merely watched. Your shrine maiden can confirm that."
Shion flinched at the sight of his grotesque tongue and hid behind Naruto. "…He's telling the truth. He didn't break the seal."
"Then why are you here?" Naruto demanded. "What are you planning?"
"Curiosity," Orochimaru said, glancing down at the surging magma. "I heard this creature could destroy the world. Honestly? I'm disappointed. Compared to this… your shrine maiden is far more interesting."
His gaze slid to Shion. She immediately shrank back.
Naruto's chakra surged, unstable and violent. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed in realization.
So that's it. This state again.
"Relax," Orochimaru said lightly. "I'm not here to fight you. Your real enemy is Mōryō."
He took a step back. "Oh, and you might want to hurry. Go help Fujimoto Tōma while you still can."
Naruto's breath caught. "What did you do to Tōma?!"
The ground shook. Lava roared.
Naruto steadied Shion instead of chasing.
Orochimaru's laughter echoed faintly. "If you're too late… you may only be attending a funeral."
"Damn it!" Naruto snarled, fear flashing through his eyes.
"Na… Naruto," Shion said softly.
"He's lying," Naruto muttered, half to himself. "Tōma's strong. He wouldn't go down that easily."
He said it like a fact. Like a prayer.
Shion hugged him suddenly.
Naruto stiffened. At that instant, a gentle warmth flowed from her into him, quiet and steady.
The chaos inside him eased. The red haze thinned.
"…Thanks," Naruto said quietly.
Shion smiled. She didn't know who Tōma was. But she knew he mattered.
Naruto clenched his fist, feeling the chakra settle instead of explode. "Whether Orochimaru's lying or not, I finish this first. Then I go help."
A spear of black energy plunged down from above.
"Too slow!"
Naruto dodged with Shion in one arm. Black mist surged, forming countless snake-like tendrils.
A pair of malicious eyes glared from the darkness.
Mōryō had awakened.
"Insignificant insects!" it roared. "Die!"
Naruto stared it down. "Hey, Nine-Tails. That thing just called you a bug."
"Hmph. It's talking about you."
"But I'm using your power," Naruto added. "So if I'm a bug…"
The Nine-Tails' chakra surged violently.
Naruto grinned. The power didn't feel like it was tearing him apart anymore.
"Hold on tight," he said.
Shion nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
Red chakra exploded outward, enveloping them both.
Naruto charged straight into the black storm.
"RASENGAN!"