The Sword is Good, Now It’s Mine

Naruto's eyes darkened, and a cold, sneering smile appeared on his face.

The naive Kabuto knows nothing about real wealthy people.

A simple ninja sword is only a few hundred ryo. Of course, it makes sense to buy a hundred at once, not just one.

Kabuto froze. This... is ridiculous!

But Naruto didn't care. Even a low-level jutsu can be a profound technique worth mastering. Before Kabuto could react, Naruto's blade, now infused with molten chakra, slashed diagonally.

He did consider stabbing Kabuto straight through the heart, but there was a risk of the blade getting stuck in the ribs or spraying blood everywhere.

Naruto quickly discarded that idea and chose a diagonal slash instead. With one more devastating blow, Kabuto would almost lose his ability to fight. If he didn't die, Naruto could finish him off afterward.

Naruto's young body moved like the fastest predator, his blade glowing with molten heat as he slashed down like a flash of lightning.

Drip, drip.

Kabuto, holding his side, stumbled out from the smoke, blood splattering everywhere. He had to swallow a recovery pill to make up for the massive blood loss in battle.

The fight lasted only a moment. Kabuto, a skilled jonin, wasn't at the level of Kakashi or Might Guy, but he was still young and capable.

His natural talent shone through, and he should have easily handled a brat like Naruto.

But battle was about precision and timing. Naruto took the initiative, dodged Kabuto's attacks at high speed, and boldly closed in on Kabuto. What was more surprising was that Kabuto couldn't figure out where Naruto had gotten the new sword.

It was a reversal of fate. Kabuto's body was growing slower and less responsive, unable to continue fighting.

The molten lava-like chakra coursed through the sword as it blazed with intense heat, and the blade's golden hue shone ominously.

The battle from start to finish lasted only two minutes. From exchanging blows to insults, the fight had already decided the winner in those few seconds.

Naruto opted for the dirtiest, quickest approach.

He knew killing Kabuto immediately wouldn't be possible, and on the other side, Tsunade was already close to collapsing. Orochimaru wouldn't die, and he could heal Kabuto.

But if Tsunade and Sakura died, that would be final. It wasn't worth continuing the fight with Kabuto at this point. When Naruto realized he couldn't kill Kabuto in one blow, he turned to severely injure him instead.

With a scream, Kabuto was kicked away by Orochimaru.

Even without his hands, Orochimaru was still a beast, like a madman with nothing to fear. As an emotionless, immortal being, he had no weak points.

Tsunade collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from her body.

Orochimaru ignored her, spitting out snakes, one of which carried a sword. He turned his gaze back to Naruto.

Naruto's skin crawled, but he had no choice but to face Orochimaru.

The slippery snake kept him from thinking, and the Nine-Tails chakra surrounded him as his leg muscles tightened like the spring of a rabbit, propelling him forward.

[Nine-Tails' Approval: 19.8%]

When Naruto's sword clashed with Orochimaru's sword, it broke immediately. But his Kusunagi sword still had its edge.

Naruto withdrew quickly, and Orochimaru smirked before charging toward Tsunade, who, upon seeing blood, lost all fighting ability and collapsed to the ground, trembling like a terrified child.

If Naruto hadn't known about Tsunade's fear of blood, he might have thought she was faking it.

However, seeing Kabuto's state from Naruto's earlier psychological attack, Tsunade's reaction wasn't too surprising.

In that moment, Naruto wanted to defend himself, but it was too late. He retreated, and Orochimaru headed straight for Tsunade.

[Flying Thunder God, Second Step]

The kunai was thrown with such speed that it pierced the air, emitting a sharp whistle.

Jiraiya finally arrived, sounding a bit hoarse.

"Fire Style! Fire Ball Jutsu!"

The Flying Thunder God kunai reached first. Orochimaru didn't expect the Fourth Hokage's technique to appear now. When Naruto suddenly swapped places and knocked Tsunade down, he was caught off guard.

The Kusunagi sword didn't hit Tsunade but instead pierced Naruto.

The intense pain made Naruto realize that the sword piercing him was the Kusunagi, a divine weapon that money couldn't buy.

The shock of the blow caused Naruto to spit blood on Tsunade's chest.

Jiraiya's Fire Ball Jutsu arrived just in time, forcing Orochimaru back several yards.

"Ahhh!!"

Tsunade screamed, terrified by the blood pouring from Naruto's mouth, her mind flashing back to the death of her brother, the blood that never stopped flowing on that desperate rainy night.

"Naruto!"

Jiraiya's pupils dilated, but he was stopped by Orochimaru, and Kabuto had jumped back to his side, looking like he had recovered some.

Whether or not he had gotten over the mental trauma from Naruto's insults, it was unclear.

Tsunade looked at Naruto, who collapsed in her arms, his blood-stained eyes wide with terror, and screamed helplessly.

In an instant, heavily injured Naruto suddenly lifted his bloodied hand, and without warning, wiped it across Tsunade's face.

Tsunade froze, and Naruto coughed weakly, using all his strength to lean close to Tsunade's ear. This scene was eerily familiar, causing Tsunade to nearly break down.

But then...

Naruto's hand slid from her face down to her neck. With all his remaining strength, he pulled Tsunade toward him and whispered in a weak voice, "Tsunade... I haven't... ever asked you for anything..."

"Don't say it! Don't say it!" Tsunade cried out, tears streaming down her face. "Why are you doing this? Why are you so foolish!"

Naruto's breath grew heavier, and he clutched Tsunade desperately, his eyes bulging as if he were an old man on the verge of death. In a hoarse voice, he gasped, "Quick... quickly... pull the sword out... pull it out..."

"Now... it's mine!"

Tsunade froze, staring at Naruto in shock. Tears flowed down her cheeks, dripping from her chin into Naruto's eyes, causing him to break down in sobs.

Naruto didn't know why Tsunade was crying, but he knew he couldn't lose the Kusunagi sword. He wanted to shout again: "Quick, pull the sword out! If you don't, Orochimaru will steal it!"

The sword is good, and now it's mine!

(Like a kite, we will fall one day, but we don't need an endpoint. No matter where you go, you will always end up in my world.)

Tsunade held Naruto, crying uncontrollably. Naruto's mouth was slightly open, his eyes dull, silently urging her, "Quick, pull the sword..."

High noon, with the blazing sun hanging in the sky!

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