A golden-orange figure cut through the sky in a rhythmic surge of power, clouds rolling beneath his feet like tides. Naruto, wrapped in the blazing aura of Kurama's chakra, streaked across the heavens like a falling star.
Sarada had been taken by a man dressed entirely in white. His mask was pale with patterns of flying fish and drifting clouds, but through the narrow gap, Sarada caught a glimpse of horrifying scarlet.
—Mangekyō Sharingan.
She was stunned. Everything she'd researched before leaving the village said the Uchiha clan had only two surviving members—her and her father. And yet, she was now surrounded by Mangekyō eyes as if her clan's proud dojutsu meant nothing at all.
The white-robed man flew through the sky unhurriedly, sensing the Nine-Tails closing in behind him. His mission was to lure Naruto in—then kill him.
"Tell me," he said coldly, "in your experience… have you ever seen Naruto truly fight?"
Sarada didn't answer. Her glasses had been lost in the chaos, and the world below blurred into shifting colors. She turned her head to the side, trying to focus on the faint shimmer of the river far beneath them.
Without warning, the man released her.
Sarada plummeted from ten thousand meters up. The fall was so violent that her skin burned from the friction. The high-altitude winds should have screamed in her ears—but she heard nothing except her own heartbeat.
Her thoughts scrambled in terror. She had no jutsu for this. No plan. No time.
She clung to a tiny hope that he was only trying to frighten her.
But after falling for what felt like forever, no one appeared.
The ground beneath her came into focus—hard earth and stone. Even seawater from this height would have torn her apart. Tears mixed with blood as the wind ripped at her face.
"Somebody… please help me…" Sarada begged silently.
The fall twisted her senses. Pain blurred into numbness. She felt her consciousness slipping, exhaustion whispering that sleep would be easier.
There were no miracles. None that came for her, at least.
Her mind drifted. Boruto's annoying voice echoed faintly. Her father stood beside her—silent, unreadable. Naruto's face hovered somewhere behind them, full of worry.
"Am I dead? That's strange… I can't feel anything at all," Sarada thought.
Suddenly, her mind cleared. Memories flickered around her—happy moments, disappointments, anger, small joys—all flashing by one after another.
A revolving lantern.
So she was really… dying.
Was that masked Uchiha truly so merciless?
The thought sparked something deep inside—an ember refusing to go out. She had just met her father. Even if she was disappointed in him, he was still her Tou-san. And Naruto… Naruto had promised she'd be safe.
A sharp, unbearable pain tore through her. It felt like her body was being ripped apart while her bones and blood vessels stubbornly clung together. Every sensation was so real that it had to be happening.
...
Naruto finally reached the horizon. The kidnapper's silhouette hovered ahead, slowing deliberately—as if waiting for him.
"Stop!!"
Naruto roared, Kurama's jaw opening wide. A Tailed Beast Ball condensed instantly and blasted forward. A terrible premonition gnawed at his chest.
The sphere grazed the white-robed man—then passed straight through him.
"Kamui…?" Naruto's eyes widened.
A Wood Release user earlier, and now someone wielding a space-distortion technique like Kamui. Were they dealing with forgotten Uchiha remnants?
When Itachi annihilated the clan, was it truly only those present? Could others have fled? And now, after so many years… were they preparing for another war?
The man drifted lazily, white robes adorned with intricate markings. A faint golden glow pulsed through the fabric, chakra flowing beneath it like sunlight through water.
"Who are you?!" Naruto shouted. "Where is Sarada?!"
"You're not asking," the man replied coolly. "You're demanding. Why should I answer?"
Naruto's jaw tightened. He could no longer sense Sarada's chakra. A shadow passed over his expression, his blue eyes narrowing.
"Oh my," the man mocked. "Losing control already? Not very Hokage-like."
"Calm down, Naruto. Don't let him provoke you," Kurama warned.
Everything had been spiraling out of control lately. Too many moving pieces. Too many threats. And Sarada—Sasuke's daughter—was out there somewhere. Naruto refused to let anything happen to her.
"You seem so worried," the man said lightly. "Relax. She's fine."
Naruto froze.
The man tilted his head. "She's already dead. Nothing can hurt her anymore."
"—!"
Naruto stared at him, waiting for any sign of deceit behind the mask. But the man's eyes were utterly calm. Only mockery burned in them.
"You… bastard…"
Rage detonated inside Naruto. Kurama said nothing this time. The last time Naruto lost himself like this was when he'd learned Orochimaru planned to take Sasuke.
"Fine," Kurama growled. "If you're going mad—I'll go mad with you."
Chakra exploded outward. Naruto surged into Sage Mode, Kurama's avatar swelling into a monstrous form.
The masked man didn't even activate Susanoo. He simply watched, unmoving, as Naruto closed in.
Naruto's claws shredded the air, scattering sparks—raw speed and force ripping a vacuum around them.
He struck in an instant. Every blow phased uselessly through the man.
Definitely Kamui-like.
Naruto immediately formed another Tailed Beast Ball—but shattered it between his palms, detonating the energy point-blank. Space rippled, warping.
Still, the man didn't budge. His Mangekyō spun calmly, deflecting everything Naruto threw.
"Your eye… that's Mangekyō Sharingan, isn't it?" Naruto snarled. "Without its pair, you'll burn through your chakra and go blind. And I'll keep hitting you until you can't see anything!"
He was furious—but not out of control. His attacks were savage, chaotic, overwhelming—like a beast too enraged to think.
The man only shrugged. "How thoughtful. But I can endure until you collapse. Then it'll be my turn."
Their battle dragged on. Naruto attacked relentlessly—explosions, slashes, shockwaves—each one lethal.
If the masked man relaxed for even a second, Naruto would tear him apart.
By late afternoon, the sun had begun to sink. Twilight flickered across the sky, its glow fading.
"Aren't you tired?" the man asked lightly. "Rest a little, Lord Hokage. You'll ruin your body."
Even through all the noise, Naruto heard his voice clearly. His fighting spirit dimmed. Kurama's chakra flickered weakly—the once-massive avatar now only a fading outline.
"What? Something's off," Kurama muttered. "Even Obito's Kamui has limits. A few minutes at most. You've been fighting him all afternoon—his chakra should be gone, or his eyes should've shut down from the strain."
But the man's eyes were as sharp as ever, glowing blood-red.
There was something else at play—something hidden.
Naruto was still standing, but even Kurama—the tailed beast with the greatest chakra—felt drained after pouring out power for so long.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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