Rustling sounds filled the dimly lit hideout within the Land of Fire. Uhe flickering dlelight, ink-painted mice scurried about, expl every er.

  *Super Beast Imitating Drawing*—a teique that bined chakra with unparalleled artistic skill—was uo Sai.

  In the nearby forest, Sai maintained his hand seals as he spoke to Anko Mitarashi, who was assisting him in trag down Kabuto Yakushi. "Ihis is one of Orochimaru's former hideouts."

  Anko, hands in her pockets, remarked, "Seems like Kabuto is putting his old irs to good use..."

  Snap!

  Suddenly, a noise came from the rge tree behind them.

  Shing! Sai drew his bde, but Anko stopped him. "Wait, it's an ally."

  Emerging from the shadows were three members of Konoha's reaissaeam: Tokuma Hyūga, Muta Aburame, and Avaro. They were a jōnin, a tokubetsu jōnin, and a in, respectively.

  Muta, the signature light-colored coat of the Aburame d wearing bck sungsses, carried a rge i jar on his back. He stepped forward and addressed Anko, "Captain Mitarashi, we've beeo deliver new orders from the vilge."

  "The mission has ged. We are to temporarily abandon the search for Kabuto Yakushi and prioritize log Naruto Uzumaki. We will assist you as your subordinates."

  "Naruto Uzumaki..." Anko was taken aback. "On our way here, Yamato hurried back to the vilge. Is this reted?"

  Muta expined, "Konoha was severely damaged in Akatsuki's attack. Many lives were lost, and Lady Tsunade is currently in a a..."

  "What?!"

  "As a result, Lord Danzō has been appoihe Sixth Hokage."

  Upon hearing this, Sai's pupils tracted sharply.

  Anko said, "I still find it hard to believe... What exactly is going on with Naruto?"

  "We'll provide a detailed report ter," Tokuma interjected, casting a wary g Sai, whose affiliation with Root made certain discussioive.

  "For now, we take our leave."

  Sai leapt through the treetops, heading back toward Konoha. *Lord Danzō has bee Hokage, and Naruto has left the vilge. I have a very bad feeling about this...*

  With the mission altered, Anko's team began their search for Naruto.

  Anko soon learhe reasons behind the ge.

  "Naruto betraying Konoha? I don't believe it for a sed."

  She recalled the carefree, somewhat goofy boy she had observed during the in Exams and had kept an eye on as he grew.

  Muta said, "None of us want to believe it, but we o find Naruto to uhe truth and prevent him from being maniputed or framed by Danzō. Rumors are already spreading in the vilge..."

  "Hm?!" Tokuma, who was using his Byakugan for a wide-range s, suddenly excimed, "At twelve o'clock—it's Naruto! He's heading straight for us!"

  "What?!" Anko nded on a tree branch, shouting, "That’s too tal! Everyoay on guard!"

  The team held their positions, gripping their kunai tightly.

  A kilometer away, Naruto, who rinting toward them, deactivated his Sage Mode. "We've been discovered..."

  Returning to his homend, he was about to face his rades for the first time since his return. A mix of apprehension aermination swirled within him.

  Before he realized it, he was already standing before Anko's team.

  "Hah..." Naruto took a deep breath and greeted them calmly. "Yo, Miss Anko. Long time no see."

  The four members of Anko's team scrutinized Naruto and the woman standing behind him—Konan.

  Muta frowned. "That woman... her attire—it’s Akatsuki!"

  Anko, hands still in her pockets, stepped forward. "Naruto, not only did you leave without a word, but now you're associating with a member of Akatsuki. You’d better have a good expnation."

  Naruto replied, "There's nothing to expin. What you see is what it is."

  "Oh?" Anko's expression tightened. Her hands ched in her pockets, and a vein bulged on her forehead. "You really are as straightforward as ever, aren’t you?"

  Naruto adjusted the rogue ninja headband he wore—Sasuke's memento from their battle at the Valley of the End. "That's right. This is my ninja way."

  Anko let out a bitter ugh, her frustration evident. "Even now, you’re still su infuriating idiot!"

  Behind Naruto, Konan spoke in a cold tone, "It seems they don’t think highly of me."

  Naruto chuckled. "Well, sidering how many Konoha ninja fell to Akatsuki even before Nagato, it’s not surprising, Sister Konan."

  Konan asked, "Are you pnning to hahem alone?"

  Naruto replied, "I haven’t had a prht in decades. My reflexes have dulled. Four oppos, all jōnin-level—it’s just the right o help me regain my bat instincts."

  "Then be careful."

  Konan stepped back, exiting the battlefield.

  Anko analyzed the situation carefully. *The Akatsuki member doesn’t io fight. That’s a surprise. But Naruto defeated the enemy who destroyed our vilge. His current strength likely surpasses even that of my former teacher, Orochimaru...*

  *Even with our numerical advantage, we might not match him in raw power. Fortunately, Naruto’s abilities are well-doted. We use that to devise a strategy.*

  "Tokuma, use your Byakugan to s for Naruto’s shadow es!"

  Tokuma replied, "Aside from the Akatsuki woman, there’s only Naruto himself!"

  Anko’s eyes narrowed. *So, he doesn’t pn to enter Sage Mode. Does he think it’s unnecessary? That brat I oimidated with killing i has really grown...*

  "Formation B!"

  Shing! The team dispersed.

  Anko remained in front of Naruto, Tokuma moved to the right, Muta to the left, and Avaro circled around to the back.

  "Naruto... show me if your strength is the real deal!"

  A sly smile spread across Anko’s lips as she bit her finger and formed the seals for a summoning jutsu.

  "Summoning Jutsu!"

  Boom!

  With a cloud of white smoke, a massive snake coiled into view.

  Naruto excimed, "Whoa! That’s huge! It looks just like the ones in the in Exams’ Forest of Death. Speaking of which, Miss Anko, you were Orochimaru’s disciple, weren’t you?"

  Crash!

  The snake lu Naruto, who leapt backward to evade. The tree he had been standing on was smashed to splinters by the serpent’s attack.

  Shing! Shing! Shing!

  From behind, Avaro hurled several kunai fitted with explosive tags.

  g! g! g!

  Naruto casually threw shuriken to intercept them all. Boom! The tags detonated mid-air, but Naruto nded safely, unscathed.

  Avaro’s expression turned grim. "He didn’t even look back, yet he intercepted my kunai perfectly. Is he judging their positions by sound? His shuriken skills are absurdly precise!"

  The summoned snake unched atack from the front.

  But this time, Naruto smirked, f hand seals before pressing his palms to the ground.

  "*Earth Release: S of the Underworld!*"

  Squelch!

  A s suddenly materialized, trapping the shin its depths.

  Anko was stunned. "Earth Style? Naruto’s chakra nature is wind, isn’t it?!"

  This was a isception. Most believed Naruto only possessed wind chakra. However, acc to the official *Naruto* databook, *Jin no Sho*, Naruto had mastery over six chakra natures: wih, lightning, fire, water, and yang. Only yin was missing.

  In his previous life, after being Hokage, Naruto had developed his other chakra natures. He was no lohe boy who relied solely on shadow es and Rasengan.

  Naruto crouched, maintaining the s.

  Shing! From behind, Avaro formed hand seals, his chest swelling.

  "*Fire Release: Great Fireball Teique!*"

  Whoosh!

  A stream of fire erupted from his mouth, f a massive fireball that sped toward Naruto’s back.

  Poof!

  A shadow e appeared in a puff of smoke.

  The team was shocked. "He created a shadow e in that situation?!"

  The e, fag Avaro, formed its own hand seals.

  "*Wind Release: Gale Palm!*"

  Boom!

  A fierce gust of wind reversed the fireball’s trajectory!

  Avaro was stunned. "Impossible! He used Wind Style to overpower Fire Style?!"

  "Argh...!!"

  The fiery explosion uprooted trees a Avaro flying, crashing heavily to the ground.

  "Hey, are you okay, old man?!" Naruto called out, armed. He had only inteo test his skills, not harm his rades.

  Avaro, lying on the ground, held a nearly broken ninja shield. It had saved his life.

  "Huff..." Naruto sighed in relief. "A jōnin shouldn’t be sile, right?"

  "I... I’m a in..." Avaro muttered before losing sciousness.

  Buzzing filled the air as Muta unleashed a swarm of parasitisects from his jar, f a bck cloud that surrounded Naruto.

  The Aburame ’s teiques were known for their wide ce, making them nearly impossible to evade.

  Naruto didn’t uimate the threat. Before the is could reach him, he threw a kunai at Muta.

  Muta dodged, and the kunai embedded itself in a tree behind him.

  The is enveloped Naruto.

  Muta decred, "I feel it... the is are draining his chakra. We have the upper hand now."

  "Good... Let’s finish this!" Anko shouted.

  "*Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!*"

  Snakes shot out from Anko’s sleeves, coiling tightly around Naruto.

  "Give up, Naruto!"

  Whoosh!!

  But in an instant, the is scattered, and the snakes fell limp to the ground.

  Muta was stunned. "What?! The target... vanished?!"

  Tokuma shouted, "Muta, behind you!!"

  Too te—Naruto delivered a swift hand chop to the bauta’s neck.

  "Ugh..." Muta colpsed, unscious, falling from the tree.

  Shing!

  Naruto calmly retrieved the kunai he had thrown earlier. Inscribed on it eculiar formu.

  Cold sweat dripped down Anko’s face. "No doubt about it... That’s the Fourth Hokage’s... *Flying Raijin Jutsu!*"