Bab 90: Chapter 90: Naruto's New Form
If you want to obtain immortality, you must gather the three elements of sky, earth, and man.
"sky" refers to the golden ring solar eclipse.
"Earth" is Mount Shumisen.
And the "man" is Kakashi.
More than ten years ago, before Sasuke was even born, Hiruko set his sights on Kakashi's Sharingan and planted a curse mark on Kakashi's body to enslave him.
...
Meanwhile, back in Konoha.
Kakashi was sleeping soundly when a group of white figures suddenly appeared in his dream.
Kakashi was startled, recognizing the silhouette and thinking it was his father.
He began to chase after the figure, but the more he pursued, the farther away it seemed.
Suddenly, Kakashi realized that this couldn't be his father. His father would never play tricks on him like this.
Sure enough, the white figure reappeared right in front of him and then... it reached out and plucked out his eye!
Kakashi jolted awake, drenched in sweat. He felt a burning sensation on his neck and discovered the mark of slavery imprinted there.
The next morning, Kakashi immediately sought out Tsunade.
He explained his plan to her: Though he no longer had Obito's Sharingan, Hiruko was unaware of this fact, making Kakashi still a target.
Kakashi proposed to implant a curse seal on himself so that when Hiruko attempted to absorb him, they would both perish together.
Tsunade frowned. "Why go to such lengths? Why not just have Sasuke kill Hiruko?"
Kakashi was taken aback by Tsunade's response. Since when did she start relying on Uchiha?
But he remained composed and replied, "Tsunade-sama, battles always bring casualties. If I can take Hiruko down with me, it's the best solution."
Tsunade nodded slowly. "Kakashi, are you sure about this?"
Kakashi looked at her with unwavering resolve. "Yes, this is my decision."
...
That night, Kakashi prepared to leave the village, determined to defeat Hiruko on his own terms.
As he was leaving, he encountered Shikamaru, who was tending to Asuma's grave. Knowing Shikamaru's wisdom and composure, Kakashi confided in him about his plan.
Though Shikamaru was devastated by the idea of Kakashi sacrificing himself, he understood that Kakashi was doing it for the sake of the village.
After a moment of hesitation, Shikamaru promised to support Kakashi's decision.
Kakashi paused before speaking again. "Shikamaru, I have three students. I'm not worried about Sasuke or Hinata, but I am concerned about Naruto. After this is all over, please tell Naruto... no matter what, he shouldn't come looking for me."
Shikamaru nodded, though his heart was heavy.
As Kakashi turned to leave, he ran into Naruto, who had come outside to relieve himself.
Naruto spotted Kakashi and called out, "Kakashi-sensei!"
But Kakashi, almost completely under Hiruko's control, didn't respond and kept walking.
Naruto chased after him, sensing something was terribly wrong. "Kakashi-sensei, wait!"
Shikamaru quickly intervened, forming a hand seal. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
Naruto's feet were instantly bound by Shikamaru's shadow, preventing him from moving.
"Shikamaru, what are you doing? Let me go! We have to catch up to Kakashi-sensei—something's not right!"
Shikamaru's voice was calm but firm. "Give it up, Naruto. This is Kakashi's decision. He asked me to tell you not to follow him, no matter what happens."
Naruto's eyes began to glow red with the power of the Nine-Tails. "Shikamaru, don't stop me! I have to save Kakashi-sensei—I can't just let him go like this!"
Shikamaru tried to reason with him, but Naruto's voice cut through his words. "Shikamaru, Kakashi-sensei taught me that sacrificing a comrade for the sake of a mission is worse than being trash. I can't just stand by and watch him die!"
Red chakra began to emanate from Naruto's body, intensifying with his emotions.
"Stop using the Nine-Tails' chakra, Naruto!" Shikamaru warned.
But Naruto's determination was unshakable. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru, but I can't just stand by and do nothing!"
In an instant, Naruto broke free from the shadow binding and dashed after Kakashi, who had already disappeared into the night.
Shikamaru was left standing there, stunned. He couldn't help but remember the day Asuma died in front of him—the helplessness, the pain of being unable to save his sensei.
Shikamaru had always resented the Jinchūriki for their power, but now he wondered: If he had been a Jinchūriki, could he have saved Asuma?
But that was just wishful thinking. Shikamaru knew he wasn't meant to be a Jinchūriki.
His thoughts drifted back to a month ago when Team Asuma was ambushed by Hidan and Kakuzu from the Akatsuki. They were after Asuma's head, which had a bounty of 35 million ryo.
It was absurd—Asuma's life reduced to a mere price tag.
Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino had been held back by Kakuzu while Asuma was brutally murdered in front of them. Kakuzu decapitated him, and the memory haunted Shikamaru every day.
Shikamaru had taken up smoking, a habit he inherited from Asuma, though he hated the taste. Even Asuma's brass knuckles were now in his possession.
Watching Naruto's determined back as he ran off, Shikamaru thought to himself, 'Maybe... Naruto is right. At least this way, you won't have any regrets.'
...
That same night, Shikamaru went to find Tsunade and told her what had happened with Naruto.
Tsunade made a swift decision: She would send a team of elite ninjas to assist Naruto and rescue Kakashi.
She couldn't afford to be a Hokage who did nothing while her shinobi risked their lives.
Meanwhile, in the Uchiha compound, Sasuke was awakened by a knock on his door.
"Who is it?" Sasuke asked, his voice sharp in the stillness of the night.
"It's me," came the reply.
Sasuke opened the door to find Tsunade standing there. "Hokage-sama, what brings you here at this hour?"
Tsunade hesitated. She didn't want to appear weak by asking for the Uchiha's help, but Sasuke was an exception.
"Sasuke, do you think you can defeat Hiruko?" Tsunade asked.
Sasuke's eyes gleamed with confidence. "Three to seven," he said.
Tsunade's heart sank. "If even you aren't sure..."
But Sasuke continued, a smirk playing on his lips. "In three minutes, I'll cut Hiruko into seven pieces."
Tsunade couldn't help but smile at his confidence. "Kakashi and Naruto..."
Before she could finish, Sasuke interrupted, "I know, but I don't intend to help. I'll never be able to defeat Naruto."
"Why?" Tsunade asked, surprised.
Sasuke's expression turned serious. "Don't forget whose son he is. Don't forget that he's the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
As long as Naruto can tap into the power of the Nine-Tails, almost no one in the current shinobi world can stand against him.
---
Meanwhile, on the Other Side
Konoha's twelve young heroes had also reached the border of Sunagakure.
In the ruined palace at the border between Sunagakure and Konoha, Hiruko stood before Kakashi, his heart pounding with excitement.
He was so close to achieving immortality. He glanced at the moon outside—during the solar eclipse, he would finally perfect his life and become immortal.
Just as Hiruko was about to check on the Sharingan he dreamed of beneath his forehead protector, he was interrupted by a loud wail from the next room.
"I won't tell you anything! Ahhhhhh!!"
Veins bulged on Hiruko's forehead. For days, this damned puppet master had been driving him insane with his constant shouting.
'Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!' Hiruko cursed internally. 'Why did I keep him alive? I should've killed him right away!'
Irritated, Hiruko stormed into the next room.
He found Kankuro strapped to an electric chair, his bare backside exposed and his face flushed. Oddly, Kankuro seemed almost... comfortable.
"Master Hiruko," his underling said with disgust, "I think he's enjoying the electric shocks."
"Then kill him," Hiruko replied coldly.
Kankuro's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, wait! No, please! I'll tell you everything! Just don't kill me!"
Hiruko leaned in closer. "Then tell me this—how do you want to die?"
Kankuro groaned, realizing there was no way out. "Do I have to die?"
Hiruko nodded.
"Can't we just... skip the dying part?" Kankuro pleaded desperately. "Or maybe I could die again later?"
Hiruko's expression darkened. "Are you trying to bargain with me?"
Seeing that Hiruko was serious, Kankuro panicked. "Wait! Wait! I need a bigger size! If I die now, I won't be able to control myself, and I'll make a mess all over your floor!"
Hiruko was speechless. 'Is this really Rasa's son? Could it be that Rasa was tricked?'
Hiruko let Kankuro go, and the puppet master quickly dressed himself. He pulled out a mini scroll from his pocket and began applying purple face paint in preparation for his next move.
Kankuro bit his finger, summoning three of his puppets. "The next to appear is the White Secret Technique: The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets!"
At this critical moment, Kankuro could only summon three of the ten puppets, hoping it would be enough to hold off Hiruko.
What he didn't realize was that even the complete Chikamatsu collection wouldn't be enough to defeat him.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Hiruko unleashed a belt-like tendril that wrapped tightly around Kankuro's fingers, immobilizing him.
Kankuro's eyes widened in disbelief. 'Is this how my strongest technique gets defeated?'
Just as Kankuro resigned himself to his fate, a loud crash echoed from outside.
Hiruko was furious. 'Why do they always interrupt me at critical moments?'
"Go and kill them," Hiruko ordered his underling.
"Okay~" the underling replied, preparing to move.
But before he could act, countless white snakes slithered up from the cracks in the floor, binding him tightly.
The underling's body writhed on the ground as Orochimaru emerged from the shadows, licking the underling's face with a twisted smile.
"A... fusion," Orochimaru muttered in awe. "Not an original person, not a clone, not a puppet, but a brand-new life form with its own consciousness. Is this the forbidden technique, Chimera?"
Orochimaru was visibly excited. Hiruko had once been a friend, but Orochimaru's talent had always been far superior.
Desperate to match the Konoha Sannin, Hiruko had turned to the forbidden Chimera Technique, experimenting on human bodies.
In a way, Hiruko had played a part in pushing Orochimaru down his own dark path of experimentation.
But Orochimaru's forbidden technique, the Living Corpse Reincarnation, was something he developed on his own.
Now, intrigued by Hiruko's Chimera Technique, Orochimaru wanted to study it. Of course, Hiruko would never share it willingly—but that didn't matter.
Orochimaru could simply capture him and conduct his own experiments.
...
Outside the palace, Naruto was relentless, pounding on the door with his fists.
"Kakashi-sensei, where are you?"
"Bastard, I'll never forgive you!"
"Bring Kakashi-sensei out here, now!"
At that moment, the door creaked open, and Hiruko stepped out. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he recognized the man who had declared war on the entire shinobi world. 'Kakashi-sensei must be here too!'
Two clones of Naruto appeared beside him, each forming a Rasengan in their hands. "Rasengan!!!" Naruto shouted, charging at Hiruko.
But Hiruko effortlessly dodged Naruto's attack with incredible speed. "How pathetic," Hiruko taunted. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Yet, compared to the power of my immortal body, even the Nine-Tails is weak."
Kurama's voice echoed in Naruto's mind. "Weak? ME? I'm the strongest tailed beast, recognized by Uchiha Madara himself! Even Senju Hashirama acknowledged my power! Who does this guy think he is, calling me weak?"
In his inner world, Kurama spoke to Naruto, "Come on, Naruto. Let's show this fool the true power of the Nine-Tails!"
Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's show him the strength of our bond and the new move we've developed!"
In the next moment, Kurama's chakra surged into Naruto's body without hesitation. A golden chakra cloak enveloped Naruto, illuminating the dark surroundings.
Naruto shouted, "This is the bond between me and Kurama, a brand-new form—Kurama Link Mode!"
Hiruko stared in confusion at the glowing golden figure before him, chakra pouring out in waves. 'What the hell is this? Why is he using this Kurama Link Mode?'
Despite his internal doubts, Hiruko refused to back down. He quickly used his speed to reposition himself.
But Naruto, now a golden blur, appeared behind Hiruko in an instant. "Your power is nothing compared to the bond between me and Kurama!" Naruto declared.
Hiruko sneered. "You rely on the power of a tailed beast. What gives you the right to compare yourself to me?"
Naruto's eyes blazed with determination. "You're the one who relies on the stolen kekkei genkai of others! You don't have any true power of your own!"
...
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone