Chapter 51: The Final Dawn
"What on earth are you going to say?" Temari's heart gave an involuntary lurch. His clear eyes, which seemed to see straight through her, made it hard to meet his gaze. Her usually steady voice held a thread of anxiety. Why do I feel so flustered around him?
"Actually, I know about one of your… arrangements," Naruto said, his tone unnervingly calm as he watched her. "And in that arrangement, there's a detail you're not aware of…"
Temari's pupils constricted sharply. Her breath hitched, her entire body tensing, chakra coiling in readiness for an instant strike!
But at that very moment, several kunai shot from the air beside Naruto, aimed with lethal precision at his vital points.
Who?! Temari's head whipped around, but the air was empty. Simultaneously, a terrifying, bone-chilling killing intent washed over her.
Naruto, however, seemed to have been expecting it. Kunai flashed in his hand, deflecting the projectiles in a rapid series of clangs. In that same fraction of a second, a figure blurred toward Temari with impossible speed.
Temari paled. An ambush! But her instincts kicked in. She swung her giant fan in a wide, defensive arc, trying to swat the attacker away.
The figure was too fast. The fan whistled through empty air as the attacker shunshin'd behind her. A muffled thud echoed. Temari crumpled, unconscious, before she hit the ground.
Orochimaru materialized before Naruto, his serpentine eyes gleaming with dangerous amusement. "My, my, Naruto-kun. You seem to know a great deal."
Naruto offered a light, unsurprised smile. He'd caught the faint, oily scent of danger in the air moments ago. He didn't know its source, but in Konoha, only a Kage-level threat like Orochimaru could radiate such an aura.
"Orochimaru. I told you I'd oppose you to the end. The moment you marked Sasuke in front of me, you invited my retaliation," Naruto stated coldly. "Did you really think your Kazekage disguise was flawless?"
"What a fascinating oversight, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru hissed, a flicker of genuine surprise beneath his mockery. Not at the boy's power, but at his unnerving perception. He kept his tone light. "But, even if you know, what of it? The plan is airtight. The Third can find no flaw. Even if he suspected now, the finals will proceed tomorrow. As the leader of a Great Ninja Village, if Konoha cannot even host an exam, it truly is a nest of decay."
"Hmph! Is that so? And how can you be sure I'm the only one who knows?" Naruto countered with a sneer.
Scene Eighteen: The Trap Sprung
"Haha! Naruto-kun, for one so young, your mind is impressive. But it's not so easy to disrupt my plans." Orochimaru laughed. "Even if you ran to the Third with your baseless suspicions, you'd never convince the Council. The finals will go on. So what can you do? You'd only draw the suspicious eyes of the elders upon yourself. Is that wise?"
Naruto fell silent. Orochimaru was right. While the Third, Kakashi, and a few others saw him differently now, trusted him even, most of Konoha still viewed him with fear or disdain. In that climate, wild accusations would only breed suspicion. He'd considered this, but hadn't expected Orochimaru's analysis to be so thorough. He's been watching me closely.
Seeing his silence, Orochimaru's lips curled in triumph. "Well then, Naruto-kun. This Konoha is rotting. Why not join me instead? Witness the truth of this world with me. I have a great appreciation for minds like yours."
"Save your sales pitch, Orochimaru," Naruto replied flatly. "I'm not some impressionable child. You're as slippery as the snake you are. And though it's far from ideal… tonight, I'll have to try and keep you here."
As he spoke, Naruto's aura erupted. In an instant, the Curse Mark's patterns crawled across his skin, the volatile Sage energy flooding his veins. A faint, shimmering golden light enveloped him.
Orochimaru blinked, then chuckled at Naruto's serious expression. "Naruto-kun, you think fighting me will expose my plan? How naive! Even in that state, you are a mere gnat before me. Keeping me here is a fantasy."
Naruto didn't waste breath. The moment Orochimaru finished speaking, he became a streak of golden light, crossing the distance between them in a blink. His fist, simple and direct, shot forward. The air itself cracked around it, the speed transcending mere physical movement.
Orochimaru's eyes widened. He's gotten faster! In that split second, he knew he couldn't afford to get drawn into a protracted fight. Not here, not now.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Orochimaru's palm slapped the ground. A massive, khaki-colored serpent erupted in a cloud of smoke between them. "Stop him!"
BOOM!
Naruto's fist connected not with Orochimaru, but with the solid wall of scaled flesh that interposed itself.
Dust and debris billowed outward, obscuring Naruto's vision.
Damn it! He shot through the cloud, landing atop the summoned snake's head, over ten meters in the air. But Orochimaru was gone.
A moment later, the giant serpent vanished in a puff of white smoke.
When the dust settled, Naruto stood alone in a small crater, staring at the empty spot where Orochimaru had been. Temari was gone as well.
Crafty bastard! Naruto cursed internally. His plan had been to shake Temari's faith, to plant a seed of doubt that might make her hesitate tomorrow. But Orochimaru had personally silenced her. And while Naruto had revealed he knew of the plan, Temari remained ignorant of the crucial detail—the Kazekage's true identity.
Orochimaru's true cunning lay in his understanding of human nature. He knew Naruto's precarious status in the village. He knew wild claims from the Jinchuriki would be dismissed as paranoia by the powerful. As long as his own side held firm, a single knowledgeable genin changed nothing.
Power. It always came back to power. Standing alone in the moonlight, Naruto felt the weight of his own limitations. A clever plan meant nothing without the strength to enforce it.
If I were strong enough… I could have ended him here.
The next day, Konoha was a festival of noise and color. The arena for the final matches, just outside the village, was packed to the brim with spectators from across the nations and the village itself. Civilians and shinobi alike thronged the stands, eager for the spectacle.
It was just past nine in the morning. In the center of the arena, the finalists stood in two lines, the focus of countless eyes.
The stands were a sea of familiar faces. Kakashi, Kurenai, Guy, Asuma, and their students were all there. Lee, bandaged and leaning on crutches, stood beside a tearfully proud Might Guy, cheering for Neji. Sakura waved excitedly, shouting encouragement for Naruto and Sasuke. Hinata stood quietly beside Kurenai, her hands clasped as if in prayer, her pale eyes fixed solely on Naruto.
Naruto scanned his surroundings from his place among the finalists.
Neji. Their match was first. You hurt Hinata. Genius or not, burdened or not… today, I'm teaching you a lesson.
Sasuke. A month apart, and her aura felt sharper, more focused. Stronger. How will she fare against Gaara?
Temari. Orochimaru had knocked her out last night. Had she been made aware of the "Kazekage's" true nature upon waking?
Gaara. The red-haired boy was staring at him with that same, hungry intensity. Naruto sighed inwardly. Your opponent is over there, buddy.
Shikamaru… looked as bored and troubled as ever.
Finally, Naruto's gaze lifted to the central viewing box. There, the Third Hokage took his seat, flanked by his guards… and the man posing as the Kazekage.
Scene Nineteen: The Stage is Set
The atmosphere was electric. Even from the arena floor, Naruto could pick out snippets of conversation from the crowd.
Most of the buzz centered on Sasuke, the last Uchiha. The "genius boy" of the Hyuga clan, Neji, also drew significant attention.