Chapter 273: A Future Without Mirai Isn't the Future I Want
The next day.
"Woooo!"
The sun was bright, and after a night of storms the air felt especially crisp. On Turtle Island, Naruto finished his morning training, stripped off his shirt, pulled on a pair of mustard-yellow swim trunks, and dove headfirst into the sea.
He'd been living here three years now. He knew every inch of the island.
"How's he doing?"
Sakura sat on a rock, watching Naruto thrash around in the water below, and spoke to the quietly composed Yuki beside her.
"Decent. A little dumb, though."
Yuki answered flatly.
"Eh. You get used to it."
Sakura couldn't really argue with that assessment, much as she might've liked to.
"To manage this much progress mostly on his own — three short years and he's already glimpsed the darkness in his own heart. Not bad."
"The kid's got real talent."
Yuki considered Naruto's progress for a moment, then spoke again.
Sakura: "How much longer do you think he'll need before he finishes training with his tailed beast?"
At that, Yuki's calm eyes turned toward the pink-haired woman beside her.
"Why, are you in a hurry?"
Sakura looked at Yuki and nodded.
"Not exactly in a hurry. But I need Naruto's strength."
Something shifted in Yuki's mind at those words.
This one — or something in Konoha — has something happened?
She needs the Nine-Tails' power.
Thinking that, Yuki glanced, expression unreadable, at the Hokage's robe draped over Sakura's shoulders, and spoke through thin lips.
"If you're aiming for the Perfect Jinchūriki, this kid needs to open his heart to the Nine-Tails inside him. Truly connect."
"But that takes the right opening. A moment where the Nine-Tails is actually willing to talk to him."
"If all you need is the raw power, though, you can just forcibly draw out the Nine-Tails' chakra and strip away its will in the process."
"But that's a good way to make this kid a lifelong enemy of his own tailed beast."
Listening to this, Sakura fell into thought.
So — Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, then?
She hadn't actually expected the Truth-Seeking Waterfall alone to get Naruto all the way to full Kurama Mode anyway.
Nine-Tails Chakra Mode would be more than enough.
"So what do we do?"
Hearing this, Yuki grew a little more certain that something had happened back in Konoha.
But there wasn't much she could do about it, not from here.
"A tug-of-war."
"A chakra tug-of-war with the Nine-Tails."
Yuki said it lightly.
This is all stuff Killer Bee taught me.
I never actually needed to use it, though.
Matatabi's temperament was good-natured enough that she'd never needed this step at all. Back then, she and the Two-Tails had met a handful of times and simply — naturally — completed the Perfect Jinchūriki bond. No real struggle involved.
"Of course, someone else could help Naruto through the tug-of-war too."
Yuki's gaze settled on the pink-haired woman beside her.
She could sense it — this woman's chakra was several times stronger than it had been three years ago.
No. More than ten times stronger.
The chakra hidden inside her made even the Two-Tails inside Yuki tremble. Thanks to the shared tailed-beast dimension, Matatabi already knew what this "Pinky" beside her had done to the Three-Tails and the Six-Tails after dealing with her.
"Is that so."
Thinking it over, Sakura recalled that in the original story, Killer Bee really had helped Naruto through his tug-of-war with the Nine-Tails.
"If you go inside Naruto's heart, there's a good chance you could help him overcome the darkness there."
Yuki went on.
She could tell that gaze the blond kid gave the pink-haired woman held something particular in it.
Something like... a little brother looking at his older sister?
Sakura rubbed her chin, thinking it over.
Should I call Karin over, maybe?
The last time, at Training Ground Three, Sakura had caught a flicker of something — Naruto had started developing feelings for Karin, another Uzumaki like him.
Though if Karin's the one who helps him past his inner darkness, Hinata's probably never getting a second chance after that.
Can't be helped, though. Not right now.
Can't throw away Nine-Tails Chakra Mode for the sake of one person's feelings.
I'm the Hokage first. Hinata's friend second.
With that settled, Sakura formed a hand seal — which left Yuki more than a little puzzled.
Is that... a Summoning Jutsu?
A small puff of white smoke rose, and a palm-sized slug appeared on Sakura's shoulder.
"Lady Katsuyu. It's been a while."
"Sakura. Good timing — I have something to tell you."
Katsuyu wasn't wearing her usual gentle expression. There was hesitation in it.
"I'll go take a walk nearby."
Yuki, reading the room, moved to leave.
"It's fine, Lady Katsuyu — nothing that urgent, is it?"
Sakura stopped Yuki before she could go, and turned toward the slug on her shoulder.
"Sakura..."
"Have you gone home and checked on things the last couple of days?"
...What?
Katsuyu's question left Sakura briefly at a loss.
What's going on?
Did my house catch fire or something?
Sakura let out a light laugh, waiting for Katsuyu to continue — but what came next wiped the smile off her face.
The last few days, Fukasaku and Shima had made several trips to Mount Myōboku, bringing Mirai along with them each time...
"I see. So that's it."
Sakura nodded, calm.
Looks like that bunch of toads on Myōboku won't shed a tear until they see the coffin.
Just then, Naruto surfaced from the water with a splash, cradling a fish nearly his own size.
"Sakura, what are you going to do?"
Katsuyu watched her with visible worry.
"If I take down Mount Myōboku, Lady Katsuyu — what would you think of that?"
Sakura's eyes stayed on Naruto in the water as she said it.
"..."
Katsuyu hesitated, and sighed inwardly.
Knew it. Knew she'd say something like that.
"Sakura, you can't take down Mount Myōboku."
There was something complicated in Katsuyu's voice.
"What do you mean by that?"
Sakura's fists had already curled tight without her noticing.
"There's someone standing behind them."
A flicker of fear and wariness passed through Katsuyu's eyes.
Sakura looked at her, and felt something twist in her chest. A pale white figure surfaced in her mind.
That's...
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki!
"Mount Myōboku answers to the Sage of the Six Paths."
Katsuyu's words confirmed the suspicion already forming in Sakura's mind.
"The... Sage of the Six Paths?"
Beside them, Yuki looked stunned.
Because of Matatabi, she knew the Sage of the Six Paths was a real, historical figure. But she'd never imagined the toads of Mount Myōboku had any actual connection to him.
And judging by Katsuyu's tone — that legendary figure, famous a thousand years ago, was somehow still alive?!
Is that even possible? A thousand years?!
"If you're just going to teach Mount Myōboku a lesson, that should be fine. But if you're talking about actually taking them down..."
"...he'll show up. And he'll stop you."
Slugs beat toads.
Katsuyu had never particularly liked toads — so why not just crush Mount Myōboku and be done with their constant hopping around? Partly it was just her easygoing temperament. But more than that, it was the fact that a Six Paths-level power stood behind them. That was the real weight of it.
So Katsuyu simply chose not to see, not to know, and stayed holed up in Shikkotsu Forest most days.
"I understand."
Sakura said it calmly, her eyes settling on Naruto, who was now jogging over with the huge fish in his arms, shouting something about "lunch is sorted."
"Naruto."
Sakura stood, greeting him.
"Sakura!"
Seeing her wave, Naruto immediately dropped the fish on the sand and ran over.
"Naruto, can you let me visit Mount Myōboku?"
Sakura smiled faintly and ruffled his hair.
Just like she used to, back when he was six.
"Eh?"
"You've got business at Myōboku?"
Naruto blinked, feeling the hand on his head, a little confused.
"Nothing much. I just heard the toad sages took my sister up there a few times, so I wanted to go see what's going on."
Sakura wasn't lying to him.
"Ohh, gotcha!"
"Sure, no problem!"
"Say hi to Fukasaku and Shima for me, okay?"
Naruto nodded eagerly.
Sakura nodded slightly in response.
Naruto — you didn't mention the Great Toad Sage, did you?
Fukasaku and Shima's lives are riding on that, for now.
"When are you heading over?"
"Right now."
At Sakura's answer, Naruto nodded and started forming the seals for the Summoning Jutsu.
Sakura glanced at Katsuyu on her shoulder.
"Lady Katsuyu, could you let Sister Tsunade know — if Karin's already back in Konoha, have her and Sasuke come to Turtle Island."
"Of course, Sakura."
"If anything comes up, you can summon me."
Katsuyu nodded and vanished.
With that warning, surely Sakura won't go in swinging at Myōboku...
...Probably.
"Wait. Take me too."
Unexpectedly, it was Yuki who spoke up.
"?"
Sakura frowned at her.
Yuki's expression had turned a bit strained; she instinctively glanced down at her own stomach.
Sakura understood at once.
Ah. So it's not that Yuki wants to go.
It's Matatabi.
Because this involved the Sage of the Six Paths.
In a sense, the Sage of the Six Paths was the father of all nine tailed beasts. A thousand years apart, and now there was a chance to see her father again — what child would pass that up?
"Then come along."
Sakura nodded.
"So, when will you two be back?"
"Should I come too?"
Naruto looked at her, hopeful.
"I'll be back before Karin gets here. Just behave and listen to Yuki while I'm gone."
"And don't make her mad."
Sakura tapped his forehead gently.
Um.
Did somebody make Sakura mad? Is that why she's going to go ask the toads for help?
Naruto shrank his neck a little, looking at her mild, gentle expression.
"Well then — let's go."
"Naruto."
From start to finish, Sakura hadn't shown a trace of urgency or anger.
But anyone who really knew her would recognize the signs — she was right on the edge of erupting.
And Naruto, of course, counted among those people.
But knowing Naruto, there was no way he'd guess the target of that eruption was going to be Mount Myōboku itself.
"Okay, give me a second."
Naruto bit his thumb and immediately began the technique.
Reverse Summoning Jutsu!
A puff of white smoke rose, and Sakura and Yuki vanished on the spot.
Naruto scratched his head, turned to check on the fish he'd tossed aside — and found it had already flopped its way back into the sea.
"Ah!"
"My fish!"
Naruto let out a wail of despair.
—
Mount Myōboku
Blue sky.
White clouds.
Aside from the sky itself, nothing here resembled the shinobi world at all.
Everything was enormous. Enormous lotus leaves, enormous blades of grass, enormous mountain ranges.
And an enormous pond — though "pond" barely did it justice. It was closer to a lake.
Sakura and Yuki appeared atop a mountain peak.
"So this is Mount Myōboku."
Yuki murmured, taking it all in.
Sakura paid her no mind. Her eyes were fixed on the massive palace in the distance.
That was where Gamabunta lived.
The heart of all Mount Myōboku.
"What's the plan?"
"If it comes to a fight, do you need help?"
Yuki had heard every word Katsuyu said, start to finish. She understood well enough that this pink-haired woman's sister had been lured up here by the toads.
"You're willing to fight?"
Sakura glanced sideways at her.
"If you'll widen my range of movement once we're back in Konoha."
Yuki laid out her price.
Sakura's gaze drifted, unbidden, toward the distant palace.
There — a presence, achingly familiar.
Mirai.
A line surfaced in her mind, unbidden.
A future without Mirai isn't the future I want.
"Just watch out for my sister for me, in a bit."
In other words — she'd agreed to Yuki's terms.
But she wouldn't need Yuki to fight. Just to keep Mirai safe.
"You're—"
...aren't you being a little overconfident?
Before Yuki could finish, Sakura's body was already airborne, streaking off into the distance.
Watching the shrinking pink shape, Yuki swallowed her words.
Whatever else was true, Mount Myōboku had ties to the Sage of the Six Paths himself.
There was no such thing as being too careful around that.
But Sakura, teetering on the edge of eruption, clearly wasn't in a listening mood right now.
A streak of pink light tore across skies that had sat undisturbed for a thousand years.
Toads by the hundreds looked up.
"That's..."
"The Hokage?!"
Sage Shima, busy cooking at home, caught sight of that achingly familiar figure through the window.
She'd met this Hokage once before — and more than that, they'd fought side by side three years ago alongside Jiraiya. She recognized her on sight.
But something felt wrong.
Because—
An invisible pressure was radiating outward.
Mount Myōboku, usually alive with the endless croaking of frogs, had gone dead silent under that weight.
More than a few of the weaker toads had already started shaking where they stood.
And then, a voice rang out across the sky.
"Gamabunta."
"Get out here. Now."
The voice thundered like a bell, echoing across the whole of Mount Myōboku.
(End of chapter.)
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