Naruto : Cruel Rebirth

He's actually mastered the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique…!

Anko's expression grew exceedingly grim. She had lived through that era and deeply understood how the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had turned the tide of battle into legend with his unparalleled mastery of the Flying Thunder God.

Anko thought to herself: That Earth Release from earlier, too… Naruto has repeatedly demonstrated abilities beyond what we know about him. It's clear he's been hiding his true strength all along—has he been planning this for a long time?

Hyūga Tokuma said seriously, "Captain Anko, what should we do?!"

Anko said, 

"We can't win this. Take Yawara and Muta and retreat!" 

Naruto responded, 

"The others can leave, but Miss Anko, you must stay!" 

Hyuga Iroha's heart sank. *His target... is Captain Anko!?* 

*Buzz buzz buzz...* The scattered parasitic insects regrouped. This was a hidden feature of the Aburame clan's techniques: when the user loses consciousness in battle, the insects lock onto the last chosen target and launch relentless attacks. 

"What a troublesome jutsu..." Naruto muttered. 

He formed a hand seal, pressing his hands together at his chest. 

——Fire Release: Tornado Flame! 

*Boom!* Flames erupted around Naruto, spinning and burning the encroaching swarm of insects. His cloak flapped violently in the heat. 

Iroha said, 

"This is our chance to retreat..." 

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* Suddenly, multiple Naruto shadow clones charged in, covered by flames, each holding a Rasengan. 

"There are too many of them... There's no way to stop this," someone said. 

Iroha activated his Byakugan to its fullest extent. His feet planted firmly, chakra erupted from his body as he spun rapidly, forming an impenetrable defensive barrier. 

——Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven! 

*Boom boom boom boom boom!* Naruto's shadow clones were destroyed one after another. 

As the Revolving Heaven faded, Iroha locked onto Naruto's real body charging toward him. Chakra gathered in his palm as he struck with force. 

——Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm! 

*Thud!* The powerful air blast sent Naruto flying backward. 

Naruto nodded in approval. 

"As expected of the Hyuga clan's elite. But this is where it ends..." 

*Whoosh!* A Rasengan began forming in Naruto's hand, rapidly expanding as more chakra poured into it. 

Iroha knew he couldn't hold out and shouted, 

"Captain Anko, I'll hold him off here! Retreat and report everything that happened here to the village!" 

——Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan! 

Naruto leaped high, driving the massive sphere downward with overwhelming force. 

——Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven! 

Clenching his teeth, Hyuga Iroha used Revolving Heaven once more. 

*Boom!* The Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan collided with the chakra barrier, producing a heavy impact. The air rippled violently as the Rasengan wore down the Revolving Heaven. The once-impervious barrier began to weaken, revealing Iroha's struggling figure within. 

It wasn't that Iroha was weak—Naruto was simply too strong. 

*Bang!!* 

The moment the Rotation shattered, Naruto held back the power of his massive Rasengan just in time. 

Even so, the collision force sent Iroha flying backward. He slammed into a tree and lost consciousness.

Naruto landed on the ground and looked at Anko. 

"Now… there's no one left to get in the way, Miss Anko." 

Anko clenched her fists tightly. 

"Naruto, why are you doing this?" 

Naruto was silent for a moment before pulling up the hood of his cloak. 

"In order to secure the future of the ninja world, I need that man's help. And you, Miss Anko, are essential." 

"That man…?" 

Anko tried to make sense of his words, but suddenly, a sharp pain radiated from the cursed seal on the back of her neck. 

She muttered to herself, "The cursed seal hasn't reacted in so long… Why now? But there's no time to worry about this—there's something more important!" 

Rustle. 

A small snake slipped out of her sleeve and quickly disappeared into the grass. 

"Delivering intel back to the village, huh…" Naruto noticed the movement but didn't stop it. 

He thought to himself, *Fine. Let them confirm my status as a rogue ninja. This way, my future actions won't implicate the village.* 

The snake safely carried the information away, giving Anko a sense of relief. At least it wouldn't be a wasted effort. 

She said, "Now, big sis can play with you properly…" 

Naruto replied, "You could also try running away. You might even succeed."

Anko glanced at Iroha and the others lying unconscious around her. She knew that even if she escaped, there was no way she could leave with all three of her teammates. 

She tapped the forehead protector on her head with her thumb and declared firmly: 

"A shinobi of Konohagakure doesn't abandon their comrades and run away alone! You, of all people, should understand that, Naruto!" 

Naruto smiled. 

"Yeah, I understand. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are called trash. But those who don't care about their comrades are worse than trash." 

"Then there's no need to say more!" 

Anko began forming hand signs, gathering chakra as she thought to herself: 

*Among the jutsu I have, only one can pose a threat to Naruto in his current state. But for it to work, he needs to get close and let his guard down. Let's set it up…* 

With the signs complete, Anko puffed out her chest. 

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" 

A high-speed jet of fire shot straight at Naruto. 

As the flames closed in, Naruto quickly considered his options. 

*If I counter with Fire Release, it will burn her. If someone has to get hurt, drowning is less severe than burns.* 

Naruto's hands moved rapidly to form signs. 

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!" 

With a rush of water, a massive wave rose, forming the shape of a dragon. It devoured the fire and then surged toward Anko. 

"Ugh…!" 

The flood overwhelmed Anko, leaving her flailing. 

In a flash, Naruto dashed forward and reached out his hand to her. 

But just as he did, Anko's hand shot out like lightning, grabbing his fingers and forming a hand seal together. 

"This is a mutual destruction jutsu, Naruto. In your current state, you're a threat to the village. I'll die here with you!" 

"Forbidden Jutsu: Twin Snake Sacrifice!" 

From Anko's sleeves, two snakes emerged, wrapping around both her and Naruto. The dark red glow around them was a sign of an impending explosion. 

Naruto's pupils shrank in shock. 

Boom! Boom! Boom!!! 

The powerful explosion became the focus of everything! 

*Whoosh!* 

With a flash of the Flying Raijin's light, Naruto appeared at the marked spot, carrying the unconscious Anko. 

Looking at the devastated area from the explosion, Naruto muttered, 

"As expected, only by fighting firsthand can one truly recall those glorious days..." 

Konan stepped forward, glancing at the three other unconscious Konoha ninjas. She knew Naruto wouldn't kill them, so she said, 

"The birds and beasts around here have already been driven away by the battle. Also, Konoha will be here soon to take them back..." 

"Indeed, let's head back." 

Naruto, carrying Anko, jumped down from the tree, placing his hand on Konan's shoulder. With the Flying Raijin Jutsu activated, they vanished in an instant. 

Soon after they left, a group of Konoha Anbu ninjas arrived at the scene. 

The leading ninja, wearing a white cloak, held a scroll in his hand. It was the same intelligence scroll that Anko had sent earlier, intercepted along the way and now in their possession. 

Since Anko had left the information in a hurry without using overly complex codes, they managed to decipher it and learned what had happened here. 

A few ninjas in black cloaks checked the condition of Iroha and the others before reporting to the white-clad ninja, 

"They're all still alive. Uzumaki Naruto didn't kill them. Mitarashi Anko's whereabouts are unknown. Based on this, it seems she was taken by Uzumaki Naruto." 

"What should we do with them? Should we take them back and wait for Danzo-sama's orders?" 

The white-clad ninja was a mid-ranking officer in Danzo's ROOT organization, a fanatic follower of Danzo, and a believer in dark justice. 

His eyes gleamed as he spoke, 

"Though they're Konoha ninjas, their ideas are different, making them incompatible... ROOT's policy is to eliminate unfavorable factors ruthlessly." 

He raised the scroll in his hand, 

"With this intelligence scroll and the bodies of these three, we can confirm that Uzumaki Naruto has truly defected from Konoha. Moreover, based on the rumors spread by the lower-class people, this is the most solid proof... No need to consult Danzo-sama. We will carry out ROOT's principles ourselves! Kill them!" 

"Understood…"

After a brief silence, the black-clad ninjas drew their blades and mercilessly stabbed them.

The three, who should have been rescued by Konoha, instead died a senseless death at the hands of their own comrades!

As they gazed at the bloody corpses of the three, the white-robed Root member's eyes darkened as he muttered, "With this, Lord Danzo's era is finally at hand!"