The Itachi—captured successfully.
Naruto carefully peeled off the Nine-Tails Chakra that was suppressing the black flames of Amaterasu, canceling his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. He then carried Itachi over to Killer Bee's side.
Obito's expression was ashen. This guy had gone too far—he actually took Itachi right in front of him and left without a scratch. And the worst part? He couldn't do anything to stop it. Wasn't this just a direct slap to the face?
Deidara stepped forward, lips curling with dissatisfaction. "Hey, Tobi, this isn't good. That guy Naruto—he's controlling Itachi somehow. And he's also the one who took Nagato's Rinnegan, right?"
Back when Deidara was still alive, the Akatsuki had been under the leadership of Pain—Yahiko's corpse, manipulated by Nagato. Obito had still been hiding under the idiotic guise of "Tobi."
Deidara knew just how terrifying the Rinnegan was. And now, this Naruto not only possessed that, but was also the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. No wonder Tobi was helpless.
Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan locked onto Naruto, his gaze burning with hatred.
Naruto, meanwhile, casually formed a hand seal and summoned a Shadow Clone. The clone vanished instantly the moment it appeared.
Obito frowned. Flying Thunder God?
What was this brat planning now?
Instinctively, Obito became alert. He knew that if Naruto had used the Flying Thunder God Technique near him, there was a high probability that the kid had marked him—or worse, his personal dimension.
With a buzz, Shadow Clone Naruto returned using Flying Thunder God, now holding an unconscious Darui in his arms.
Obito's eyes widened in disbelief. How the hell did he get into my Kamui dimension?!
Oh.
Now he understood—Naruto had marked his Kamui space earlier, probably during that brief clash.
No wonder he snuck up on me so easily!
The Raikage's eyes bulged in shock, and he rushed forward to embrace Darui, exclaiming with joy, "Darui! Wake up!"
C stepped forward to check Darui's condition. Rolling back his comrade's eyelids, he muttered, "It's Genjutsu. He's under a Genjutsu illusion."
Without hesitation, C pressed his palms against Darui's chest and infused him with Chakra, quickly forming a release seal. "Release!"
A ripple of chakra pulsed out.
Darui slowly stirred awake, eyes fluttering open.
"Wha… where am I? C? Boss…?"
A tear slid down Raikage's cheek as he clutched Darui tightly. "Darui! My good brother!"
Darui gave a weak but proud smile. The Raikage had shed tears for him—a great honor.
Killer Bee, still in control of the Eight-Tails, began rapping:
"Oh, brothers reunited again,
Our bond's forever, that's the plan,
The tears, the feels, I can't contain,
This moment's deep, like chakra veins!"
Suddenly, a rustling sound echoed from nearby as White Zetsu emerged from the ground.
"Tobi, time to retreat."
Obito glanced at Zetsu. The plant-like being nodded subtly.
Obito gave a cold smirk.
He turned to Naruto and said, his tone sharp with bitterness, "Naruto… you've forced my hand. I didn't want it to come to this. I had other plans. But now… I'll do whatever it takes. You brought this on yourself."
Despite the bravado, it was obvious he felt cornered. And Naruto could see it clearly.
Naruto smiled slightly and replied with calm confidence, "We'll be waiting—come visit anytime."
With a snort, Obito turned his back. Time-space chakra began to swirl around him. "Deidara, Sasori, Kakuzu—let's go."
Deidara grumbled, "Aw, c'mon. Can't I leave a little parting art?"
Obito shook his head. "No need to waste clay. As long as Naruto's around, he'll just teleport away."
What he really wanted to say was that if Naruto teleported, he might end up right back in Kamui space—and that would only backfire on him.
A spiraling vortex of space opened up. Obito was the last to step into it, turning back one last time.
"Next time we meet, Naruto… it won't be like this. Enjoy your freedom—while you still can."
With that, Obito disappeared.
White Zetsu silently melted back into the earth.
Killer Bee scoffed. "If you can't beat Naruto, all you got left is that tough-guy act. Hah!"
With that, he let go of the Eight-Tails transformation and returned to normal.
Watching Obito get forced to retreat with no backup plan, the Kumogakure ninja cheered, their admiration for Naruto skyrocketing.
Not only had he saved their village, but he had also rescued Darui right from under the nose of the Akatsuki.
To many in Kumogakure, Naruto was now a true hero—a benefactor of their entire village.
Even more significantly, Naruto had displayed power and skill that deeply impressed the shinobi of the Hidden Cloud.
After all, the Land of Lightning respected strength above all else.
C helped Darui up, then turned to the Raikage and said, "Raikage-sama, I'll escort Darui to the infirmary for treatment."
His Chakra was extremely weak, and his expression vacant. The Genjutsu had clearly taken its toll.
Raikage nodded. "C, you've just recovered too. Don't overdo it."
C smiled and replied, "I'm fine now, Raikage-sama. Thank you for your concern."
With that, he departed with Darui.
After Darui left, the Raikage turned to Naruto. For a few moments, he simply looked at the boy.
Then, for the first time, he extended his hand.
"Thank you, Naruto."
Naruto looked at the outstretched hand, smiled, and shook it firmly.
"You're welcome, Raikage-sama."
Tutai stood silently to the side, clearly moved by the moment.
Killer Bee watched his brother shake hands with Naruto, a knowing grin forming on his lips.
This is it, he thought.
That handshake wasn't just a gesture—it was Raikage's way of showing that he recognized Naruto, not just as a strong ninja, but as someone equal in power and worth. A political equal, even.
For someone as headstrong as the Raikage, this was no small thing.
Raikage turned to Naruto again. "I would like to invite you to stay in Kumogakure for a little while. You're free to explore the village. Killer Bee and I have a meeting to attend. Once it's over, you can leave with him if you wish."
Naruto nodded. "Uncle Bee is a Kumogakure shinobi. His freedom is his own. Whether he follows me or not should be his decision. I'll leave that to the two of you to discuss."
Raikage Ai nodded slowly, then sighed. "Either way, the Akatsuki's hunt for the Tailed Beasts is no longer something a single village can combat alone."
He turned to Tutai and said, "Tutai, come with me. Bee, you too. We're going to speak with the Daimyō. I'm calling for a military response in the Land of Lightning!"
Tutai didn't argue this time.
After what Naruto just did for us, how could anyone argue?
No one doubted how this meeting would go. Everyone already knew: the Raikage, in his overwhelming power and influence, would dominate the conversation.
"Go tell Mabui to bring me the relevant documents. I'm going to see the Daimyō!"
With that, the Raikage left with his men.
Meanwhile, Naruto turned to Itachi, ready to begin a much-needed conversation with the captured Uchiha.
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