Facing Naruto's grim expression, Jigen spoke in a calm, almost negotiating tone:
"Then I'll be direct."
"I didn't come here to disturb your rest… or Konoha's recovery."
"Kawaki has been in your care for some time. I've come to take him home."
"Hand him over, and I'll leave immediately. You can go on with your lives."
Naruto stared him down, probing:
"You're the leader of Kara… Jigen—no… Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, right?"
"Oh?"
Jigen's expression barely changed, though his voice dipped slightly.
"It seems Kawaki trusts you quite a bit… told you many things."
"But it doesn't matter."
"My terms remain the same."
"Give me Kawaki."
Naruto's voice turned cold.
"Too bad."
"You've got the wrong person."
"I don't know any Kawaki."
"And he's not here."
"…How ungrateful."
Jigen's patience thinned.
His grip tightened around Naruto's fist.
"Ah—!"
A crushing pain surged through Naruto's hand, bones groaning under pressure. He couldn't pull free.
In desperation, his other hand formed a miniature Tailed Beast Bomb and slammed it toward Jigen's face.
"Fool."
"Thud."
Jigen's knee struck.
"Ugh—!"
Naruto's features twisted as he was blasted backward.
"Naruto!"
Sasuke teleported behind him with Amenotejikara, catching him mid-air.
"I-I'm fine…"
Naruto clutched his abdomen, face pale and drenched in sweat. The pain was intense—but he could still stand.
Jigen released his grip, his expression turning stern.
"That was three-tenths of my strength."
"Consider it… my final courtesy."
"For intruding uninvited."
He looked at them both.
"I'll say this one last time."
"Hand over Kawaki."
"Or what comes next… won't be so trivial."
—
The commotion spread.
"Enemy attack!?"
Shinobi poured out of tents, grabbing weapons, rushing toward the central clearing.
Within moments—
The entire refugee camp mobilized.
Naruto and Sasuke stood at the center.
Jigen stood alone before them.
And then—
They were surrounded.
Twenty thousand shinobi.
A sea of bodies.
Half behind Naruto.
Half behind Jigen.
"What's going on!?"
"Another invader!?"
"Why does this keep happening!?"
—
Why so many?
Because after the previous battle—
All scattered forces had regrouped.
Every shinobi.
Every rank.
Even academy students.
All gathered here.
Twenty thousand strong.
—
Jigen stood alone in white.
Amid a human ocean.
Thin.
Isolated.
Yet unmoved.
—
"Just one guy?"
"He's finished."
"We could drown him in spit alone!"
"Waiting on the Hokage's order!"
"Why hasn't he given it yet?"
—
Naruto and Sasuke stood still.
Faces calm.
Inside—
Everything was on the verge of collapse.
They understood far more than the others.
This wasn't just an enemy.
This was an Ōtsutsuki.
If he unleashed his power—
How many would die?
—
Worse—
Shikamaru was gone.
Ino was unconscious.
No strategist.
No communication network.
This "army"—
Was mostly dead weight.
—
Naruto's hand trembled.
He almost shouted:
Evacuate!
But—
Sasuke spoke low and sharp:
"Naruto. Stay calm."
"We use this."
"Make him retreat."
"Do NOT show fear."
"Do NOT order a retreat."
"If morale collapses…"
"They're finished."
Naruto inhaled.
"…I know."
Then he shouted:
"Jigen!"
"You're not in your true form, are you!?"
"You're parasitizing this body through Kāma!"
"You absorb ninjutsu—but that's all!"
"If twenty thousand of us attack at once—"
"Can you handle that!?"
—
Jigen didn't even look at him.
His Byakugan scanned the crowd—
Searching.
For Kawaki.
Once.
Twice.
Nothing.
"…Not here."
Hidden separately?
Or…
—
He thought calmly.
This body isn't suited for large-scale combat.
But against this rabble…
More than enough.
—
Still—
This vessel was deteriorating.
No need to waste it unnecessarily.
—
Then—
He smiled.
And rose into the air.
—
"He's flying!?"
"Earth Style? Light-Weight Technique!?"
—
Suspended twenty meters above ground—
Jigen spoke.
His voice gentle.
Clear.
Carrying across the entire battlefield.
"People of Konoha."
"My name is Jigen."
"I came for one reason."
"To retrieve my rebellious child… Kawaki."
—
The crowd erupted.
"Kawaki? Who's that?"
"Wait—I remember!"
"The airship crash! The kid Konohamaru brought back!"
"Didn't people die because of him!?"
"He was in interrogation, then the Hokage took him in!"
"Delta came for him!"
"And then Uchiha Akira attacked!"
"…So it's all because of him!?"
"Then hand him over already!"
—
But another voice rose.
"Don't listen to him!"
"The Hokage made that decision!"
"He must have his reasons!"
"If Kawaki is one of us—"
"Then we don't betray him!"
—
Jigen remained indifferent.
"I understand your beliefs."
"And I respect them."
"I only speak… to give you a choice."
—
His hand extended.
Chakra formed a blade.
He drew a perfect circle on the ground below.
Then—
Looked down.
"This line—"
"Is life and death."
"Stay behind it."
"And tonight has nothing to do with you."
"Cross it—"
"And you die."
—
Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
—
Kakashi's hands trembled slightly beneath his sleeves.
What a move…
He seized the moral high ground…
And turned everything against Naruto.
Win cheaply—and all is well.
But if they lose—
Or even win at great cost—
Naruto's reputation—
His entire journey—
Could collapse.
—
But that wasn't the real goal.
He's forcing Naruto…
To hand over Kawaki.
—
Naruto clenched his fists.
Even now—
His resolve did not waver.
Kawaki… I will not hand you over.
—
He stepped forward.
Voice booming.
"Everyone—listen!"
"Protecting Kawaki… is MY decision!"
"But not as Hokage—"
"As a father!"
"So this battle—"
"I'll handle it al—"
—
"HOKAGE-SAMA!!"
"We stand with you!"
"Whoever you protect—we protect!"
"Fight!!"
"It's just one man!"
"He's nothing like Uchiha Akira!"
"Take him down!!"
—
Their voices roared.
United.
Fearless.
—
Jigen smiled.
"…Uzumaki Naruto."
"Your influence is greater than I thought."
"Very well."
His eyes darkened.
"Then let me show you…"
"How worthless human life truly is."
—
Sukunahikona.
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