Chapter 286

Kyomu was well aware that Hagoromo and Hamura were not entirely on his side. Although he had spent ten gold coins, the lives of the two brothers were now, invisibly, in his hands.

If they harbored no ill intentions, Kyomu would naturally not act against them. But if they did, he would not hesitate to eliminate them at the first opportunity.

"Since everything has been settled, I'll take my leave." Kyomu nodded to the two brothers. "No need to see me out; I can find my way."

Before the brothers could respond, Kyomu turned and walked away, though he didn't leave the Pure Land. Instead, he wandered aimlessly within it.

Relying on second-hand information was never as reliable as discovering the truth firsthand. There were some answers Kyomu needed to find for himself.

"Brother." As soon as Kyomu left, Hamura could no longer hold back. "Are you really going to let him roam the Pure Land?"

"What else? Should we fight him?"

"Together, we could suppress or even kill him!" Hamura made no effort to hide his malice toward Kyomu. "Brother, Kyomu is beyond our control, and with him around, all our plans will be disrupted."

"There's no need for a life-and-death struggle with Kyomu, at least not now," Hagoromo replied without rebuking his brother. "At least not until he has dealt with Isshiki."

"You mean...?"

"Kyomu is still an outsider, and the Divine Tree has always been a possession of the Otsutsuki clan. He has no right to meddle with it." Hagoromo's Rinnegan glowed with a cold light. "He has some good ideas, even reminded me that the Pure Land's potential goes far beyond what we previously planned."

Hamura understood his brother's intentions and nodded in agreement. "The Divine Tree must not fall into Kyomu's hands. The day it's planted in the Pure Land will be the day of his death!"

"If Kyomu knows what's best for him, there's no need to be so absolute. After all, he has contributed greatly to the ninja world," Hagoromo's tone was magnanimous, though it was unclear whether it was genuine or feigned. "The journey to the Otsutsuki home planet should include Kyomu. He is a valuable ally."

Hamura remained silent, his gaze deep as he stared into the depths of the Pure Land, as if trying to catch a glimpse of Kyomu's retreating figure.

…

Meanwhile, at the Kara organization's base.

The towering tree had disappeared, transformed into a seed that Naruto carried with him.

Standing atop a high mountain, Naruto took one last look at the Kara base, hiding the reluctance in his eyes.

"Lord Isshiki, when will we return?" Naruto whispered to Isshiki, who resided within him.

"Once we've achieved our goals, we can return anytime."

"Lord Isshiki, can you truly bring them back?"

"Of course. In my prime, such a task would be simple."

Naruto nodded, his tightly clenched fist slowly relaxing. He exhaled deeply and waved his hand to open a black and red space-time portal.

Stepping inside, the portal closed behind him, leaving the Kara base empty, perhaps sealed away in this alternate dimension forever.

The scene shifted as Naruto arrived back in the ninja world.

Looking up at the blue sky, Naruto took a deep breath and slowly formed hand signs. "The first stop will be Mount Myoboku."

Boom.

A cloud of white smoke exploded, and Naruto vanished, brought to Mount Myoboku by the Reverse Summoning Technique.

However, as soon as Naruto arrived at Mount Myoboku, the first creature he encountered was not a toad but a blue-green venomous snake.

Naruto reached out and grabbed the snake. "So… this place has also been taken over by Kyomu?"

"How dare you refer to His Majesty like that?" The snake hissed, flicking its tongue. "Let me go..."

Smack.

Before the snake could finish speaking, Naruto squeezed it, crushing it into a cloud of blood mist.

Unbothered by his actions, Naruto casually shook off the blood on his hand and scanned the surroundings, using his childhood memories to search.

However, after looking around, Naruto didn't find any familiar figures. Characters like Fukasaku, Shima, and Gamabunta were nowhere to be seen.

"Are they… gone too?"

Naruto sniffed, raising his head to look at the sky. "In this vast ninja world, I have nowhere to go and no one to talk to."

Despair filled his being. After a long moment, Naruto wiped his eyes, opened a new black-and-red space-time portal, and left Mount Myoboku.

"It must have been him who came."

Not long after Naruto left, several towering white snakes arrived at the scene, quickly noticing Naruto's footprints and the remains of the blue-green snake.

"Report this to the White Snake Sage."

Naruto paid no attention to what happened after he left, nor did he care. He had arrived at another place from his childhood: the Fire Temple.

"The names have even changed?"

Looking up at the sign above, the light in Naruto's eyes dimmed. "If that's the case, there's no need to go in and look."

As Naruto turned to leave, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a red-haired figure.

There was something familiar about her.

"Naruto...?"

A trembling female voice called out behind Naruto, as if hiding countless words within it.

Tears blurred her vision. Kushina raised her hand toward Naruto's back, knowing beyond doubt that this was her child.

Naruto's body stiffened for a moment before he resumed his usual stance. "Do you know me?"

He turned to face the woman who was already in tears, her face showing both confusion and a faint sense of connection.

She looked so familiar; she resembled him too much.

"Naruto…"

Kushina ran toward him, her tears flowing like a kite with a broken string, trailing a thin line behind her. She had been waiting for this moment for so long.

Smack.

She hugged Naruto tightly, her arms squeezing him so hard he could hardly breathe.

The scent of the woman filled his nostrils. Naruto wanted to push her away, but he found himself unable to summon the strength.

"Who are you…?" Naruto was puzzled, unsure why he wasn't pushing her away.

At the same time, Isshiki, residing within Naruto, watched coldly. Though he felt disdain, he also heightened his vigilance.

Human emotions were fragile, yet they could also be strong and resilient, creating miracles. He couldn't afford to be careless.

"Naruto, she's a Ryūnin," Isshiki warned.

Instantly, Naruto's muscles tensed, and he felt a surge of strength, his chakra beginning to swell.

Boom! A powerful burst of chakra erupted, sending Kushina flying.

Caught off guard by the sudden change, Kushina, who was immersed in her emotions, was severely injured.

Cough.

Spitting out blood, Kushina rolled several times before coming to a stop.

But when she looked up, Naruto didn't see hatred in her eyes. All he saw was the familial love he had been searching for, a love that had always been slipping away.

"Who are you?"

Naruto's heart trembled, erupting with unexpected fury. "Are you one of Kyomu's people? Is that it?"

"Naruto, I'm your mother!" Kushina shouted, her voice almost a scream, piercing Naruto's heart like a sword.

"You're… my mother?"

Naruto hesitated as past memories resurfaced. Jiraiya's words echoed in his mind.

"You're lying! My parents were killed by Kyomu on the night Konoha was destroyed!"

"Did Jiraiya tell you that?" Hatred flickered in Kushina's eyes. "Is that really what he said?"

"You've been deceived, my child!" Kushina struggled to stand. "Jiraiya took you that night! He's the one who separated us for twelve years! Minato and I searched for you for twelve long years!"

Her heart-wrenching cries stabbed at Naruto's ears. Whether this was the truth or a lie, it was unbearable for him.

"You're lying!"

"Naruto, don't let her get to you. Kill her," Isshiki urged again, sensing Naruto's internal conflict and the awakening of a power within him.

Isshiki knew what this power was and what it would mean for him if it awakened.

Though Isshiki's power surpassed that of Ashura, he couldn't afford any interference with his resurrection plan.

Dealing with Ashura's influence would take time, delaying Isshiki's revival.

This unexpected complication needed to be dealt with swiftly. If left unchecked, the consequences could be severe, even Isshiki couldn't predict.

"But…"

"There's no 'but.' She may share some of your blood, but she's not who she claims to be."

Isshiki continued to manipulate Naruto, drawing out his darker impulses, pushing him further into malevolence.

"You're right."

Naruto mumbled, his expression shifting. Isshiki's influence was taking hold.

Rasengan! Naruto wasted no more words, his figure flickering as he aimed the Rasengan at Kushina's chest.

Swish.

Boom! The spot where Kushina had been standing exploded, debris flying everywhere, but her figure was nowhere to be seen.

"Not bad, you're fast." Naruto's voice came from within the dust cloud, his sharp eyes catching a glimpse of a flash of yellow. That fleeting sight had left a deep impression on him.

"The Yellow Flash of Konoha, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha… I never thought you'd become a minister of the Land of Dragons, a leader in Jōmae Village, and even a Ryūnin."

Naruto emerged from the dust, a twisted smile on his lips. "Minato, today you will pay back all you owe to Konoha and Jiraiya-sensei."

"Naruto, he's your father!" Kushina shouted, her voice cracking with desperation. "Jiraiya-sensei is the one who separated our family for twelve years!"

"Shut up!" Naruto's eyes flashed coldly. "You have no right to judge Jiraiya-sensei, and he's nothing like what you say!"

Boom! Naruto's chakra erupted, sending shockwaves through the air. In an instant, he disappeared from his previous spot.

Smack.

"Nuh-uh, striking your own parents isn't something a good child should do."

A pair of hands caught Naruto's fist. With a whirl of space, Obito appeared before Naruto, blocking his path to Minato and Kushina.

At the same time, Itachi, Madara, Sasuke, and Kimimaro revealed themselves.

"His Majesty's guess was spot on." Sasuke looked at Naruto. "This blonde kid really did come here."

Naruto said nothing, yanking his hand free from Obito's grasp and flipping backward to gain distance. The Karma Seal on his body glowed red.

Karma Seal Stage One, activate!

"Stubborn fool!" Madara snorted, flashing in front of Obito. "Let's continue the fight we left unfinished last time, Isshiki!"

"Naruto, this is a trap."

"I chose to come here." Naruto quickly communicated with Isshiki within his mind. "This isn't a trap or an ambush. But I'm surprised Kyomu knew I would come here."

"Kyomu is a master at manipulating people."

"I've known that for a long time." Naruto's eyes gleamed with determination. "Lord Isshiki, I'll leave the rest to you."

"Of course. Go all out, Naruto. Leave the rest to me."

Isshiki agreed readily, his heart brimming with joy.

If Naruto didn't rely on his power, how could Isshiki subtly erode Naruto's body and soul? How else could he expedite his resurrection?

The setup this time was no less intense than the previous one. It would surely drive Naruto to the edge, providing Isshiki with the perfect opportunity.

"Relying on someone else's power isn't good for you," Madara reminded Naruto as he moved in, but his attacks were ruthless, aiming straight for Naruto's vital points with his black rods.

"You talk too much, and you're too slow."

Naruto's retort almost made Madara choke. His counterattacks were as he described; he could see Madara's movements clearly.

Boom, boom, boom.

In an instant, the two exchanged dozens of blows. The more they fought, the more exhilarated Madara became, his attacks growing faster.

However, Madara remained focused on the fight and refrained from speaking further.

From a distance, Kyomu watched the battle, sensing the fluctuations in the surrounding space. Using his unique spatial perception technique, he observed the distant fight.

"Interesting. The combination of Isshiki's soul and power with Naruto's body results in quite the formidable combat ability."

Kyomu remarked, still playing the role of the spectator. The time for his intervention had not yet arrived.

(End of Chapter)