Naruto: Just Want To Be A Death God

Naruto currently had no intention of communicating with Kumogakure.

But… clearly, Kumogakure didn't feel the same.

"So many people? Looks like their target is Naruto," Karin said, her expression unchanged. "Kumogakure is much bolder than Kirigakure."

Kirigakure had been cautious, not daring to provoke.

But Kumogakure came in with overwhelming momentum!

Yet she wasn't afraid, not even slightly disturbed inside.

The Five Great Nations, so what?

Even though Kumogakure was now the strongest village on the continent after Konoha's decline…

Compared to the beings Naruto had encountered and even fought:

"The Sage of Six Paths," "The God of Death," "A thousand-year-old toad"—

She couldn't help but feel, "Ah, ordinary people really are brave," a strange sense of admiration.

"It's good they've come to us," Naruto said with a smile and shook his head.

He had thought that something like the "Truth-Seeking Waterfall" would be widely known.

But after traveling for so long, there was still no trace of it.

Not even a single person had heard of such a place.

Kumogakure delivering themselves was actually a bit of good news.

"You two, which one of you will stay with Karin?" Naruto looked at the two foxes on his shoulders.

"Is the Eight-Tails coming too?" Yang Kurama looked eager. "Then let me go."

"That guy is pretty durable."

Its eyes swept over and locked onto a crimson blade.

Its intentions were clear.

It wanted to hone the skills it had learned from the Soul Society against the Eight-Tails.

Yin Kurama said nothing, simply leaping lightly onto Karin's head, using actions to express its choice.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine," Karin clenched her fist.

Naruto nodded, then used Shunpo (flash step) and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The Kumogakure team advanced.

"We're already very close to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," said Cee, one of the leading jonin, in a cautious tone. "According to the intel from the Land of Fire…"

"The sensing range of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki…"

"Could be as far as 40 to 50 kilometers."

"In other words, we've already entered his range. He could appear in front of us at any moment."

"Stay alert."

Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, a mature woman with brown braided hair, was slightly surprised: "Fifty kilometers? Is that really possible?"

That distance sounded unbelievable.

Even the Byakugan, known for its observational power, could only see one to two kilometers—this was far beyond that.

Cee was about to answer—

When a warm voice echoed above them: "Kumogakure's intelligence-gathering is impressive."

"To have gathered such detailed information."

"But since that's the case…"

"Why come seeking me out?"

The entire team of shinobi immediately stopped and entered a defensive formation, looking up.

There stood a blond-haired youth, stepping on the air, overlooking them from above.

Behind him, a mountain range stretched out, the tallest peak beneath his feet.

They stood at the base of the mountain, forced to look up.

Cee's expression changed drastically.

When did he get there?

He had maintained "sensing" the whole time.

No—

His sensory abilities were completely ineffective!

In his perception, that part of the sky was empty—no chakra flow, no physical presence sensed.

Only the naked eye could see him.

It was as if… he existed in another dimension.

So this is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? A truly powerful shinobi?

"Kumogakure's target is me, isn't it?" Naruto asked softly. "What do you want?"

Though phrased like a question, his tone left no room for negotiation.

Cee remained silent.

The other leader of the team, a jonin named Todai, spoke: "Lord Uzumaki, we hope you will consider joining Kumogakure."

Naruto turned his head toward him.

The one-eyed man hesitated for a moment. Just that simple gaze made his heart tremble—what terrifying presence: "Your relationship with Konoha isn't good, so let me make a bold guess…"

"It's because of your identity as a Jinchuriki, isn't it?"

"In that case, please consider Kumogakure."

"In other villages, Jinchuriki are treated as tools. But we treat them as heroes."

Todai turned and looked at the woman with the brown braid.

Yugito spoke: "I can vouch for that."

"Although when I was younger, the village made some ignorant decisions, ones I'd rather not remember…"

"But under Bee and Lord Raikage's efforts, much has changed."

She paused slightly and glanced at the little fox on Naruto's shoulder, her eyes meaningful: "As fellow Jinchuriki, have you ever heard of the term 'Perfect Jinchuriki'?"

"When we Jinchuriki use tailed beast chakra…"

"The tailed beast also absorbs our chakra."

"If we stay in tailed beast form too long, we'll lose our sanity—or even our lives."

"But if we can achieve true understanding with our tailed beasts, our chakra won't be consumed when we use theirs."

"Only one person has ever achieved that level of unity."

"And that is our Raikage's brother, Killer Bee-sama."

Yugito looked at the dark-skinned man wearing sunglasses.

He gave a cold, slight nod.

"I may not be a perfect Jinchuriki yet," she continued, "but communication with the Two-Tails is going well. Maybe in a few more years, we'll come to a full understanding."

"A village that can produce two perfect Jinchuriki…"

"For us Jinchuriki, it's a true home."

Naruto smiled and shook his head: "Aren't you underestimating me a little?"

"I've already reconciled with the Nine-Tails."

Yang Kurama gave a small, nearly unnoticeable nod.

"Besides…"

Naruto took another step in the sky, rising even higher: "I've already escaped the prison."

"And yet you, still inside it, want to drag me back in."

"That…"

"Is not something beautiful at all."

Todai frowned, but remained respectful: "Lord Uzumaki, won't you reconsider?"

"If I continue refusing, you'll attack me, right?" Naruto's eyes scanned over the entire group.

"Then sorry, this is how it has to be." Todai raised his hand, "Formation!"

"Mission: Capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

"Lord Uzumaki, this is your final chance to reconsider."

"Even if you're the Nine-Tails Jinchu—"

Naruto cut him off with a slight smile: "You're quite confident."

"Is it the numbers that give you courage?"

"But…"

"No matter how many ants gather, how can they shake an elephant?"

Ants?

Todai couldn't help but raise a brow.

What an arrogant tone from this kid!

This was a team of dozens of jonin!

A force that could easily decide the outcome of a war, or even annihilate any village outside the Five Great Nations.

He didn't deny Naruto's strength.

But comparing himself to an elephant and them to ants—wasn't that going too far?

That thought didn't even have time to fully form—

When an immense pressure suddenly descended.

Creak creak—

He could even hear the air twisting under the strain.

His body froze, chakra flow stalled, and the air grew heavy.

It felt like a mountain was pressing down on him.

He struggled to turn his head.

The two Jinchuriki beside him looked serious, but they were holding up a little better—still standing, backs straight, not yet buckling.

Cee and himself, however, were bent over, faces pale.

At least the two of them were still standing, albeit with difficulty.

But the rest of the jonin—and the chunin who came with them—were utterly overwhelmed by the pressure. Flattened to the ground, unable to move, helpless like lambs awaiting slaughter.

"This isn't a genjutsu," Cee gritted his teeth and spat the words out, "I don't know what this ability is…"

"But it must be what the intel referred to—an overwhelming aura that renders the weak completely immobile."

His heart churned with emotion.

The words in the intel had been far too feeble.

Even though the descriptions had been detailed, he had thought they were exaggerated.

But compared to the real thing—

Those words had only scratched the surface of Naruto's power.

Todai clenched his fists.

Ants?

He admitted his earlier thinking had been naive.

Naruto's words weren't exaggerated.

If anything, they were too polite.

When ants face an elephant, they may not be able to hurt it—but at least they can still move.

His group couldn't even lift their heads to look at Naruto.

"I'll go help Bee restrain him!" Yugito said, forming hand seals. "You guys, find a way to break this technique!"

Killer Bee drew his blade, Lightning Release chakra crackling wildly.

On Naruto's shoulder, Kurama grinned: "Naruto, you take care of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki."

"I'll handle the Eight-Tails!"

It leapt from Naruto's shoulder, biting onto the "Nine-Tails" blade, then charged toward Killer Bee.

It cut through the air in an arc.

Its body expanded as it flew, growing larger and larger until it blotted out the sky in an overwhelming shadow.

Those still able to look up at the battlefield were shocked.

The Nine-Tails?

But isn't the Jinchuriki still standing there?

Did the Nine-Tails break free?

"Bee, be careful!" the Eight-Tails warned in Killer Bee's inner world. "I don't know how it escaped…"

"Even without a Jinchuriki, it's still incredibly powerful!"

Killer Bee nodded.

A massive octopus tail swung out from behind him, striking at Kurama.

Kurama raised a claw and gripped the red blade.

The blade grew huge to match its size.

It slashed down fiercely.

Naruto looked on.

"Uzumaki Naruto! Now is not the time to worry about tailed beasts!" Yugito shouted, finishing her hand seals.

A few blue flames spewed from her mouth—

Mouse-like pale blue flames.

(End of Chapter)