Chapter 29: The Sage's Resolve
"Alright then, Orochimaru," Naruto's voice echoed in the cavern, brimming with a newfound, potent confidence. "Let's see what you've got now!" The golden aura around him flared, illuminating the grim chamber with the light of a contained sun.
Before the Sannin could formulate a reply, Naruto moved. It wasn't a ninjutsu or a complex feint—it was a simple, blindingly fast straight punch. But powered by the raw, surging energy of his nascent Sage Mode, the air itself cracked.
Orochimaru's eyes widened. He jerked his head aside. The fist didn't connect with his face, but the concussive wave of chakra-enhanced force that shot from it did. It blasted past his ear and struck the solid stone wall behind him.
KABOOM!
A section of the wall, several feet thick, disintegrated into a cloud of pulverized rock and dust. The cave shuddered, groaning in protest. Debris rained down, coating the legendary Sannin in a fine, gray powder, ruining his immaculate appearance.
Naruto stared at his own fist, a flicker of awe passing through his focused gaze. This power… it's not just chakra. It's the world itself lending me its strength. It dwarfed anything he'd felt before, even the brief, uncontrolled surges of the Kyuubi's rage.
Orochimaru wiped grit from his eye, his expression a mixture of fury, humiliation, and intense scientific curiosity. The cave groaned again, more dangerously. A stalactite cracked and plunged from the ceiling, shattering between them.
"A… fortunate accident, boy," Orochimaru hissed, his voice tight. "This isn't over. I will have what I seek. And you… you have become a specimen of unique interest." With a final, venomous glare, his body seemed to melt, flowing into the cracked stone floor and vanishing with a wet, slithering sound.
Earth Release escape. Naruto's Sage-enhanced senses immediately locked onto the faint, receding chakra signature, a cold serpent slithering through the mountain's bones. He could track it. He could pursue.
He took a step, intent on giving chase, on testing his new power against this legendary foe.
"NARUTO!"
The voice, sharp with worry, froze him in his tracks. Sasuke stood in the shattered doorway, her Sharingan active, taking in the scene of devastation, the golden aura around him, and the missing Orochimaru. Her eyes were wide. "What… what happened to you?"
Naruto's focus broke. The urge to chase the Sannin warred with the immediate reality of his teammate. He let out a frustrated breath, the golden aura dimming slightly. "Didn't my clone tell you to get out of here? What are you doing?!"
Sasuke's jaw tightened, her pride stung. "I don't take orders from your clones. What is this? What was that?" She gestured at the destroyed wall, at his glowing form.
Naruto shook his head, the immense fatigue from the psychic battle and the strain of holding Sage Mode beginning to creep in. "It's… complicated. And your 'mission' was a trap. For you. Let's get outside. I'll explain."
"My mission isn't finished—" she began stubbornly.
"There is no mission!" Naruto's voice cut through, uncharacteristically sharp. "It was all a lie to lure you here. We need to go. Now." The finality in his tone, and the grim seriousness on his face, finally pierced her defiance. With a last, confused glance at the wrecked chamber, she nodded stiffly and followed him out.
Outside, Sakura was on the verge of panic. Naruto's Shadow Clone had vanished, a sure sign of trouble. She was debating the agonizing choice of charging in or running for help when two figures emerged from the cave mouth.
Relief flooded her. "Naruto! You're okay! Your clone… I was so worried! And Sasuke, you're so reckless!"
Naruto waved a tired hand, the last of the golden light fading from his skin, leaving him looking pale and drained. "Later. Let's get back to the village."
The walk back was tense and silent. Once within Konoha's walls, Naruto led them to a quiet tea shop. In a private booth, over steaming cups, the story unfolded. He told them of Orochimaru, of the fake mission, of the Curse Mark. He omitted the internal battle and the specifics of Sage Mode, but when Sakura pointed anxiously at the stark, black mark on his neck, he didn't deny its origin.
"Orochimaru? The Legendary Sannin? He's after Sasuke?" Sakura's whisper was horrified. She turned to Sasuke, her face full of protective fear. "We have to tell Kakashi-sensei! We need guards, protection—"
Sasuke, however, was staring at Naruto. The shock of the revelation was tempered by a burning, incredulous question. "You… faced him? And you're here. How?"
Naruto met her gaze. "I got lucky. He left on his own. I don't pretend to understand the minds of people like him." It was a half-truth, but all he could offer.
Sakura's worry returned to Naruto. "That mark… is it dangerous?"
"It's under control," he said, forcing a confident smile. Then he looked at both of them, his expression firming. "Listen. Orochimaru is powerful. But we're not helpless. He won't get to Sasuke without going through me first. And if I fall, there's Kakashi-sensei, Lord Third, the entire village. We protect our own. Always."
The words, simple and direct, hung in the air. For Sasuke, who had lived a life defined by solitary vengeance, the concept of being "protected" by others was alien. Yet, hearing it, a strange, unwelcome warmth seeped through the ice around her heart. She looked away, her pride wrestling with a feeling she couldn't name.
Sakura's eyes shone with a mixture of fear and newfound admiration for Naruto's bold declaration.
The matter was reported. Sakura, true to her word, went straight to Kakashi and the Hokage. Naruto was summoned to the Hokage's office for a long, private audience. He knew secrecy was impossible now. He explained the Curse Mark, and cautiously revealed his accidental, unstable access to natural energy—framing it as a volatile reaction between his unique chakra and the curse's poison. He said nothing of defeating Orochimaru's soul fragment.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, listened with the weary eyes of a man who had seen too much. He saw Minato's son, bearing a new, dangerous power and the mark of a deadly enemy. His decision was swift. Team 7's regular duties were suspended. Until the upcoming Chunin Exams, they were to train within the village under Kakashi's direct supervision. Officially, it was to prepare them and protect Sasuke. Unofficially, it was to monitor Naruto's new "condition" and see if this "Sage" power could be understood, and perhaps, controlled.
Naruto accepted it. For now, Konoha was his shield and his cage. But it was a cage with room to grow.
The next morning, at the training ground, Kakashi was already waiting—a minor miracle in itself.
"Sensei! You're early!" Sakura blurted.
Kakashi gave a theatrical sigh. "Hokage's orders. The Chunin Exams are coming. In your current state, you'd be… entertainment for the other villages' elites." His lone eye settled on Naruto, assessing him with new depth.
Sasuke stepped forward, her voice crisp. "Train us, Kakashi. I need to get stronger." Her gaze flicked to Naruto. "I have to surpass him."
Kakashi nodded. "Sasuke. Your Sharingan awakened in the Land of Waves. That's your key. For the next while, I will guide you in its use." A flicker of red appeared in his own covered eye—a silent promise of the knowledge he could impart.
Sasuke's eyes lit with fierce anticipation. Finally, a path to real power.
Kakashi then turned to Sakura. "Sakura. For now, I want you to train with Naruto."
Sakura's face fell slightly, a hint of her old insecurity returning. "Because… I'm the weakest?"
"Because," Kakashi corrected, his tone leaving no room for argument, "his current strength is the benchmark you need to measure yourself against. Pushing against the strongest among you is the fastest way to grow. Observe. Adapt. Learn what true high-level combat pressure feels like." His gaze shifted back to Naruto, a clear, unspoken instruction in his eye: Test her. Push her. And let us see this new power of yours in a controlled environment.
The training ground fell silent, charged with new purpose. Sasuke's path lay in the mysteries of the Sharingan. Sakura's path now led straight through the daunting, golden-glowing enigma that was Uzumaki Naruto. And Naruto's own path—a precarious balance between immense power, a snake's curse, and the watching eyes of his village—was just beginning.