Naruto: The Last Harbinger of Storm
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 32: The Wandering Monk .
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🖋️ Author's Note:
Hey guys! 😊
This is a sort of filler chapter, but still an important one. It's around 9K words, and I've put a lot of effort into it. This chapter serves as the foundation for the upcoming arc. In it, I explore concepts like karma and spiritual growth inspired by Buddhist lore 🌸. Some of Naruto's abilities in this chapter are spiritual in nature, ones he cannot use once he re-enters the material realm of duty.
Great news if you check the chapters ahead, from now on all chapters will be 8K words or more. This means the free platform has finally caught up with the paid site, which gets one very long chapter every week ⚖️
Crimson Island is located on the south-easternmost edge of the Elemental Nations 🌊.
Don't forget to like ❤️, comment 💬, and share your thoughts, it means a lot! 🙏🔥
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"A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." — Lao Tzu
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Previously on NTLHOS-2:
Danzo's single visible eye gleamed. "As you command, Hokage‑sama."
"The moment Naruto Uzumaki returns to the village, whether in four years or forty, depending on the gods' will and the edict—he will be capable of challenging or even defeating Hiruzen. You're not getting any younger. And on that day, our superiority will end, even if he is only your equal.
"Even if I die, I've ensured there is already someone equally powerful to protect this village. I'm not speaking in future tense, he exists now in the present. He is my equal, and if the need arises, I will call upon him. Uzushio will face a village that is ready."
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Now:
Naruto Uzumaki walked alone beneath the sunset that bled across the sky as he followed an overgrown path through tall grass. Each step carried him farther from the life he had grown accustomed to. He would walk the earth to heal what he could, to right small wrongs, and to rekindle light in dark places wherever fate led him, but now as a monk, a warrior monk rather than a ruler.
The initial days of travel had caked his sandals in dust, but Naruto hardly felt weary. The Arch Sage moved with an easy grace borne of boundless chakra—thanks in no small part to his Uzumaki lineage and years of training. Draped in a weathered cloak the color of white, with a wooden staff strapped across his back and prayer beads around his wrists and neck, he cut the perfect image of a wandering monk.
His eyes now carried a different gleam. Many of the villagers he came across called it a mystic's eye, and they weren't far from the truth. Now unburdened by the shackles of balancing the material and spiritual realms, his mystic sight—gained through sagehood—remained always active, allowing him glimpses into the souls of others. In the faces of strangers on the road, he could see a subtle glow: the mark of spiritual aptitude, the signs of potential, or the stains of their past karma passing life times. This was an ability he had only mastered recently in past year and half, while he could use it even before beginning his journey, never to this extent or depth.
As twilight deepened, Naruto's path led him toward a half-forgotten village at the edge of a dense forest. Crickets began their evening chorus. From afar, the settlement looked abandoned, no hearth fires, no cooking smoke. Naruto felt a prickle. In these almost lawless lands of crimson islands, banditry festered like an plague. Indeed, as the breeze shifted, he caught the faint coppery hint of blood. His jaw tightened. Bandits.
Ever since his exile, Naruto had taken it upon himself to cleanse the Elemental Nations of banditry and piracy whenever he encountered them. It was not just for justice, but the compassion of a monk, now his calling that he administered. If he could spare even a few innocents from suffering, he would do so without hesitation.
His ascension and subsequent ruling, now referred to by scholars as an new era, had reshaped the world. With the rise of the economy based system, thanks in no small part to Uzushio's initiatives, the old concept of protection fees paid to villages for safe passage became obsolete. Anyone conducting business beyond a certain amount with Uzushio was offered protection for free. As a result, all the other villages were forced to follow suit, providing free protection to merchants if they wanted to attract trade.
The system of banditry, subtly nurtured by shinobi villages, who benefited from threats to justify their demand of escort services, collapsed. While they didn't actively fund bandits, they often turned a blind eye until the threat became too large or interfered with major economic zones. Now, with no incentive to ignore the problem, the major villages began pushing the bandits into minor lands, creating havoc.
And so, Naruto made it his mission to end this culture of banditry in its entirety. Though it is very limited, unable to form a group or army, he cleaned each place he passed through, ridding them of filth, one encounter at a time.
He moved forward. The huts at the village edge were empty, doors hanging ajar. Dark stains on thresholds and trampled earth told of recent violence. Naruto knelt and touched a splash of blood, still tacky. His eyes narrowed, following footprints and drag marks toward the village square.
A muffled scream. Naruto dashed ahead, chakra flooding his limbs. In the dilapidated square, torches cast flickering light on a nightmare, roughly a dozen bandits milled around a group of tied-up villagers, men bruised and bleeding, children clinging to sobbing mothers. Off to one side, a hulking bandit with a jagged scar across his face was dragging a young woman by her hair. Her clothes were torn and blood dripping from her temple. The scarred man jeered at his comrades, boasting about "breaking in" this new prize.
Naruto's eyes sharpened, though his face went eerily calm. An Arch Sage must not lose himself to rage. Karma would be served this night.
In a flash, Naruto moved. One moment the bandit chief was yanking the captive forward, the next, a cloaked stranger appeared between them. Naruto caught the bandit's wrist in an iron grip, prying him off the woman.
"What the…?!" the man sputtered, trying to wrench free. Naruto's hand was tightening.
"That's the last time you use these hand," Naruto said as his hand swung. In the sudden silence, only the crackle of torches and the villagers' muffled whimpers could be heard. The other bandits froze for a heartbeat, then a scream tore through the night.
"Kill him!" the leader screamed, regaining his nerve. He shoved the woman aside and snatched up a machete with his remaining arm. "Gut the monk!"
They charged. Naruto moved like lightning. He stepped inside one man's swing, caught the bandit's sword between his palms coated with chakra, and delivered a crushing knee to the gut. The bandit collapsed vomiting blood. Spinning, Naruto sent a razor-thin blade of wind chakra from the captured sword, splintering two spears lunging at him. An axe came whistling toward his neck, Naruto caught the haft mid-swing with a chakra-reinforced hand, snapped the handle, and kicked the attacker away.
Panic seized the remaining thugs. A chunin in the ranks spat a fireball at Naruto, another hurled crackling lightning kunai. Naruto raised a hand and absorbed the fireball into his being, a seal on his palm, then swept his sword to deflect the electrified kunai harmlessly into the dirt. Within moments, half the bandits lay dead or unconscious.
Naruto was not done. He took a kunai from a fallen bandit, glanced at another groaning one, and used Kunai Shadow Clone Jutsu (Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu), multiplying it and impaling everybody, dead or half-alive ensuring none remained breathing.
Only the now one-handed, trembling chief remained, backing away in disbelief. His gang had been dismantled in seconds, by a monk, of all people. Snarling, he lunged and grabbed the dazed young woman again, dragging her in front of him as a shield. She cried out as he pressed a kunai to her throat.
"Stay back!" he hissed, trembling all the while. "Or I'll kill her!"
Also, the correct formatting for the earlier jutsu is:
Naruto halted, eyes flashing with controlled anger. chakra radiated from him in a palpable aura that made even the cowering villagers feel a strange calm. To the bandit chief, that aura pressed like a great weight paralysing in the instant.
"You've already lost," Naruto said, voice low. "Let her go. You will die anyway, but don't add to your sins."
The scarred man's resolve crumbled. With a roar of desperation, he shoved the hostage toward Naruto and tried to bolt in hysteria and panic.
Naruto caught the falling woman gently with one arm. With his free hand, he formed a quick seal and slammed his palm to the ground. An red plasmic chain erupted. They streaked after the fleeing bandit and coiled around him in a heartbeat, tying him up. He struggled and spat curses, but could not budge the binding.
As Naruto approached, chains vanished, and the man collapsed to the ground, weeping like a child in sheer panic due to the effect of the Kanashibari no Jutsu (Body Paralysis Jutsu).
"W-who… who are you?" the panicked man asked.
Naruto replied, "I'm a monk. But I think you've heard of me… 'the Butchering monk.'"
The bandit's eyes widened, he knew exactly who the Butcher was. The man who had been killing bandits left and right. And with one strike Naruto ended things.
Then Naruto steadied the young woman. Up close, he saw she was hardy 19, with dark hair matted in blood and eyes wide in shock. She clutched Naruto's cloak, swaying on her feet.
"You're safe now," he assured her gently, draping the cloak around her thin shoulders to cover her tattered clothes. She stared at him, tears spilling silently. Her whole body trembled as reality set in.
All around, the captives began to move, testing bonds, realizing their tormentors were defeated. A few villagers hurried to untie one another. An elderly man limped toward Naruto, eyes overflowing with gratitude. "Thank you… thank you, kind monk…"
Naruto shook his head humbly. "I'm glad I arrived in time. Is anyone badly hurt?"
Murmurs followed, and many raised hands, all were traumatized. Naruto's gaze returned to the young woman, who was still clinging to him as if he were a lifeline. Her face was gaunt, eyes hollow with recent horrors. He sensed an immense weight of suffering hanging over her.
Gently, he guided her to sit on a low stone as Naruto's clones began healing the others. "Are you injured?" he asked her softly.
She opened her mouth but no sound came out. After a moment, she managed, "I… I'll live." Her voice was raw, barely above a whisper.
Naruto noticed a bleeding cut at her temple. He raised his hand slowly. "May I heal this?"
She flinched, then gave a tiny nod. Naruto touched two fingertips to the wound and sent a pulse of green healing chakra into it. A soft green glow mended the cut in seconds. The woman's eyes widened a fraction. "Thank you," she murmured.
"What's your name?" Naruto asked.
"…Sayo," she replied, her throat catching on the word.
"Sayo," he repeated kindly. "I'm Naruto… Naruto Uzumaki"
At his name, a few villagers exchanged whispers, perhaps they'd heard rumours of an exiled Emperor wandering these parts. Sayo simply nodded, the name meaning little to her in her daze.
With the immediate danger over, Naruto turned his attention to sheltering these people. The night was cool and many were barefoot and barely clothed after their ordeal. "Is there a safe place we can go?" he asked the group at large.
"The old storehouse by the shrine… up the hill," one man answered. "The bandits kept their loot there. It's intact."
Naruto helped Sayo to her feet. She wobbled, and he steadied her. "Let's move everyone there," he agreed.
Naruto led the group up a dirt path toward a small shrine compound silhouetted on a hill.
The shrine was derelict, its torii gate cracked, the modest wooden hall dark and silent. Beside it, a storehouse door stood ajar. Inside, the bandits' plunder, sacks of grain, barrels of water, some blankets was quickly repurposed for the villagers' comfort. Naruto and a few volunteers passed out food and water. Small children huddled close to parents, eyes never leaving Naruto's form, as if fearing he might vanish and the nightmare return.
Sayo trailed behind Naruto, unwilling to stray far from him. Despite her exhaustion, she helped bandage an injured farmer's arm with trembling hands. Naruto observed her gently comforting a crying child, even as her own pain simmered beneath the surface. He felt a stirring of intuition, through his mystic sight, he looked at Sayo and saw her glowing brightly, like a sun. Amid her trauma, her soul radiated a rare vibrancy, something only seen in evolved souls.
Once everyone was tended to and some semblance of calm returned, Naruto stepped outside to the neglected shrine. Sayo followed, quietly curious. Moonlight revealed the weathered sun emblem carved above the shrine's door. "This is, or used to be a shrine to Amaterasu," Naruto murmured.
Sayo nodded. "It was our village shrine," she said softly. "One hundred or so years ago, there used to be festivals here… that's what old Granny tells." She hugged his cloak around herself.
Naruto felt a familiar sensation. Part of his journey was also to rebuild and reconsecrate broken or forgotten shrines like this, restoring spiritual systems to places plagued by darkness. He gently pushed open the shrine's creaky door. Inside, dust and cobwebs covered the altar. A tarnished bronze idol of the sun goddess lay askew among remnants of cold incense ashes.
Despite the disrepair, an echo of sacredness lingered. Naruto could almost feel the goddess's gaze waiting beyond the veil, ready to be welcomed back. He closed his eyes, then offered a silent prayer and sensed the deity.
Sayo watched as Naruto created a few clones, each beginning to work with quiet efficiency, one retrieved a broom and began sweeping the shrine floor, while another used Earth Release techniques to repair the crumbling walls and some was imbuing seals on the walls.
"What are you doing?" she asked, still trembling from adrenaline and exhaustion.
"Starting the healing," he said with a small smile. "A village isn't only its people, but its spirit. This shrine can shine again, with a little care. Will you help me?"
"M…me?" Sayo was taken aback. "I… I'm just…" She looked at her shaking hands.
"You're stronger than you think," Naruto said gently. He could see it, despite everything, she had helped others tonight. "Come. Even just holding the lantern will help."
Sayo hesitated, then nodded. Naruto lit a stub of candle he found and handed it to her. Together, they tidied the small sanctuary, righting the altar, clearing debris, lighting a few fresh sticks of incense.
As they worked, Naruto spoke softly. "Sayo… what you went through, no one should have to endure. The pain, suffering and anger you carry…"
Her eyes brimmed with tears at his words, but he continued kindly, " that pain nearly consumed you, yet here you are, still helping others. That tells me something about you."
She sniffled, swiping at her tears. "Tells you what? I'm broken inside… empty... Why am I the cursed one? When the bandits attacked, they only tortured me. Even before that—when I was a kid—my mother died, and then my little brother, he was only three. My father never wanted a daughter. He threw me out of the house, and every day since, I had to claw just to survive. I thought nothing could get worse… and then the bandits came. It's like the world hates me. Why me? What have I ever done to anyone?"
Naruto gently shook his head. "I see someone who is hurt, yes, but not broken. I see a soul that has suffered greatly yet did not give in to hatred." He looked into her eyes. "In my travels, I've learned that great suffering can sometimes awaken great potential, what I call an evolved soul. Not many have it, but I believe you do."
Sayo stared at him, trying to grasp his meaning. Naruto continued gently, his voice calm like a mountain breeze.
"When a being begins to move toward liberation… it's as if the soul chooses to accelerate its journey. The intensity of your suffering is not a curse, but a sign, a fast-forward button on the karmic tape. You may not realize it, but your spirit seeks to burn away accumulated karma quickly. You carry within you a depth of compassion even in your pain. That's no accident."
He paused, letting the silence settle.
"Suffering is simply karma being worked out unconsciously. But the problem is, while burning old karma, people often create new ones, by reacting, by resisting, by clinging. Karma isn't about good or bad as we judge it. It's just the imprint of action, the residue of memory, what you've done, thought, or felt, in this life or others. We're the ones who attach the labels of good or bad to it."
Sayo listened, wide-eyed.
"You're not carrying some punishment," Naruto said. "You, at some deeper level, chose this life of intensity. Before you were even born, you decided, 'Let me burn it all off quickly.' But suffering is the hard way. There is another path. If you dedicate yourself, either through deep devotion to a deity or energy form or through conscious spiritual practice you can walk the journey more gracefully. Then karma dissolves in awareness, not agony."
She bit her lip hard. "I… I don't know if I can. Part of me… part of me wanted to die. Part of me still wants to make them pay… those men…" Her voice quavered with barely suppressed rage and grief.
"And yet you feel for the bandits when I killed them," Naruto said. "Despite all the anger in you, you still care. That is why you're special. That's a sign of evolved soul."
Sayo looked down, tears dripping onto the dusty floor. "What can I do? I'm nobody… I have nothing…"
Naruto gently placed his hand over hers, resting on the lantern. "You are a good soul. That is not nothing. If you're willing, I can guide you. You could become a shrine priestess, not just any priestess, but a sage. With a bit of guidance, someone like you, an evolved soul, would need far less effort than most. Here, in service to Amaterasu, you could dedicate yourself to helping this village rebuild… and to uplifting others to become like you or even reach enlightenment one day."
Sayo's breath caught. Priestess? Sage? Her? She thought of her mother, who taught her little prayers. That life felt a million years ago. "I'm not pure enough… I was defiled by them… I'm angry and hurt."
"Priestesses and sages aren't pure because they've never suffered," Naruto said softly. "Often, it's the opposite, they find purity through overcoming suffering. It's the soul that matter not what you think of your body. The light means more to those who've seen the dark."
Sayo's tears flowed freely now. She looked at the altar, at the gentle glow of the incense Naruto had lit. In her heart, something shifted, a tiny seed of hope taking root in the ashes of her despair. "…If you think I can do it, if you say so…" she whispered, "I'll try."
Naruto smiled and squeezed her hand. "That's all anyone can do. Try."
They spent what remained of the night cleaning the shrine and talking quietly. Naruto talking to her and she listened as he spoke of the sun goddess's virtues, renewal, illumination. Sayo was surprised to find the night passing quickly; for the first time in ages, her chest felt a little lighter.
Before dawn, Naruto guided Sayo through a short meditation before the altar. She still felt the ache of loss and trauma, but it no longer completely defined her, there was now space for something else, however small. As Naruto gently placed his index finger on her forehead, just as his master had done for him all those years ago, she felt an immense burden being lifted. It was as if he had taken her suffering into himself and burned it away.
Ecstasy surged through her, an overwhelming bliss that flooded her entire being. She felt as though she could sit cross-legged forever, dissolving into the stillness. Later when she finally opened her eyes, there was a new glow on her face.
She turned to him, awestruck. "How… how can I always feel like that?"
Naruto smiled gently. "I've initiated you into a process. If you do it regularly, with sincerity, one day you'll become what you glimpsed, enlightened. You'll always be one with the cosmos, just like you were for those few minutes. Until then, these experiences will come in waves, moments of ecastacy."
Still in wonder, she asked, "Are you always in this state?"
Naruto's smile deepened. "No… not always. I am not enlightened yet."
She blinked in surprise. "Oh… aren't you a sage?"
"No," he said quietly. "I am an Arch Sage. A cut above sage. That's just a marker, a role I play. You still have work to do to reach a sage, and then beyond to Arch Sage. But enlightenment… that's something else."
Her brows furrowed. "So one must become a sage then arch sage to attain the ultimate?"
Naruto shook his head. "No. Anyone can be enlightened. A beggar on the street could attain it before a sage ever does. This path has titles, they're only ways to describe where someone is in their journey. In another tradition, they'd use other words. But the truth is, if someone simply realizes, not just intellectually, but from within that they are neither this body nor this mind, and that the life within them is the same as the life that throbs in the trees, the rivers, the stars… then that person is already one with existence. Like a drop realizing it is not separate from the ocean, it is the ocean. That's all it takes. Realization."
He paused, letting the silence speak.
"It's not about chasing an idea. It's about dissolving everything that separates you from what you truly are. But that's not possible for most that why they travel the path to realisation like I do"
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When morning's first light gilded the horizon, Naruto gathered the villagers in front of the shrine. Many had returned from hiding once they heard the bandits were gone, and though they grieved for those lost, they found comfort in seeing their kin alive and standing. Under Naruto's encouragement, Sayo addressed them. Voice trembling but clear, she vowed to restore the shrine and serve as its caretaker, so that no one in their community would ever feel abandoned in darkness again.
Some of the villagers wept openly at her words, and soft smiles appeared on faces that hadn't dared hope for better days.
That afternoon, with Naruto's help, the villagers repaired the rest of the shrine. Broken wood was mended, debris swept away. Naruto's shadow clones lifted beams back into place, and neighbours brought flowers and fresh rice to restock the offerings. By sunset, the shrine stood clean and whole, its sun emblem gleaming once more.
At dusk, Naruto led a consecration ceremony. Sayo knelt in priestess robes borrowed and refitted from her late mother's wardrobe, a white kimono and red hakama. Naruto stood beside her before the altar.
In a clear voice, Naruto called out, "Great Mother Amaterasu, heavenly light, we welcome you back to this shrine and this village. Please bless your new devotee, Sayo Urroj, who dedicates herself to your service and to guiding others in your warmth." Though these were only words, it was Naruto's natural energy that opened a rift in the very fabric of space, drawing the divine presence back from beyond the veil.
The setting sun broke through the clouds at that moment, bathing Sayo in a golden glow. Taking it as a sign, Naruto gently placed the ceremonial gohei (wand with paper streamers) into Sayo's hands. Together, they recited a vow Naruto had taught her:
"With sincere heart, I, Sayo, devote myself to Amaterasu's light. I will keep this flame alight for all who are lost, that through me your mercy may reach them."
As Sayo spoke the final words, tears of reverence glinted on her cheeks. Naruto raised his palm a few inches above her crown. He gathered his energy, bright and warm like sunlight, and let it wash down over Sayo in a soft, unseen wave. It was a purification, a arch sage's technique to burn away lingering impurities. To initiate a sage.
Sayo gasped softly. She felt heat, not painful, but comforting spread through her chest. The shadowy weight coiled around her heart began to dissolve. In its place flowed warmth and compassion.
When Naruto lowered his hand, Sayo opened her eyes. She felt lighter, able to breathe deeply without the constant knot of fear. She looked at Naruto in amazement and found him smiling gently.
"Your burden has been lightened," he said. "Not gone entirely, you will continue to heal over time but the worst of it has burned away. You are free from it, Sayo."
Sayo pressed her hands together and bowed deeply, fresh tears falling, this time, tears of gratitude and new hope. "Thank you… my master," she whispered,. "Thank you for giving me a new lease in life."
Naruto shook his head, eyes warm. "You had the grace to be showered with help. The light was always in you. I only helped a little."
Villagers clapped and cheered, embracing one another. That night a modest celebration took place. People brought out whatever food they had saved. Under the newly repaired torii gate, they shared rice balls and pickled vegetables, honoring both the living and the dead. Sayo moved among her people, praying with them for lost loved ones, offering gentle words. Though still soft-spoken, she seemed to glow from within; when children reached for her hand, she squeezed it reassuringly, something she'd have thought herself incapable of just a day before.
Naruto watched from the side, quietly proud.
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At dawn the next day, Naruto prepared to depart. He did so quietly, not wishing to make a fuss. Even so, Sayo was awake, sweeping the shrine steps. She noticed him at the gate and hurried over, dressed in her priestess robes with his old grey cloak now neatly folded in her arms.
"You're leaving, Master?" she asked, unable to keep the sadness from her tone.
He nodded. "There are other places that need help, just as I helped here. I've implanted within you the knowledge of all the hymns and processes. You must practice, and as you reach each threshold, new ones will be revealed to you by Amaterasu. If ever a time comes when active intervention is needed from my side, I will come or Amaterasu will ensure our paths cross again."
Sayo bit her lip, then extended his cleaned cloak to him. "I… I can never repay what you've done. But I promise, I'll make this shrine a beacon of hope. I won't let your faith in me be in vain."
Naruto took the cloak and slung it over his shoulders. "I know you will. And you owe me nothing, you are my disciple. Just help others as you've been doing, that's my repayment I'd ever ask."
She nodded, eyes shining. From around her neck, she removed a simple pendant, a small sun charm that had belonged to her mother and pressed it into Naruto's hand. "Please take this. So that wherever you go, you remember you have a student here… and someone who prays for your safety."
Naruto closed his fingers over the charm, and it glowed softly with a yellow light. "Take this," he said, tucking it back into her hands. "This is my parting gift to my student. I have consecrated it to always vibrate with Amaterasu's energy. I am a sage… I cannot accept gifts, only offerings of food by those who are willingly offering it." He smiled.
She bowed to him, and with a final, heartfelt smile, Naruto turned and walked down the road.
Atop the hill, Sayo watched him go until the morning light hid his figure.
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This was Naruto's life for the past year and half. Wlaking the length and breadth of the Elemental Nations, from the northwesternmost Earth Country to the southeasternmost Crimson Islands. It's not that he merely passed through the lands, but that he stayed in each one, covering every district. He does not stay in inns, he sleeps beneath trees under the open sky and seeks out the problems of each village. If there is a plague, he heals them with his knowledge. While he may not be his wife, Tsunade, he knows enough medical ninjutsu and possesses extensive knowledge of herbs and plants, as is fitting for a traveling monk.
Like just weeks later, on a distant coast of the Land of Water, Naruto found himself gazing at a restless sea under gray skies. The salt wind whipped at his cloak as he approached the fishing hamlet of Tsumoshi. Troubling rumors had reached him on the road, pirates prowling the nearby straits, a once-bustling village now cowed under their terror. Where Naruto walked, such injustices would not stand unchallenged.
As he entered Tsumoshi, the scene confirmed the rumors. The pier stretching into the bay was nearly empty of boats, most fishermen had hidden their vessels or given them up. Homes along the shore bore marks of pillage: broken shutters, doors ajar. Villagers skittered out of sight at the approach of a stranger, fear etched on their faces. Naruto sighed inwardly at the palpable dread hanging over the place.
He made his way toward the docks. At the largest jetty, a single trade ship was moored, its sails emblazoned with a jagged black symbol. Men in mismatched cloths, clearly pirates were offloading crates under the nervous watch of a few villagers. A thickset man with a tricorn hat barked orders, a whip in one hand. The villagers flinched at each crack of the lash, eyes downcast as they labored.
Suddenly, a shout rang out.
"You idiot!" roared the pirate taskmaster. He stormed over and backhanded the youth viciously. The young man hit the dock hard, lip split and bleeding.
"That was tribute for Lord Funai! Our new daimyo's minister! You'll pay for that, whelp," snarled the pirate, raising his whip.
The youth glared up at him, defiant despite the blood on his chin. "We won't feed your greed forever," he spat. "Better the sea take it than you!"
Naruto felt a spark of admiration at the young villager's courage—reckless, perhaps, but born of righteous anger. In that spark, he sensed something more: the aura of potential. Another evolved soul flickering in the darkness?
While many believed Naruto chose a soul for each shrine, that was a misnomer. Only one in a million possessed the necessary spiritual evolution to be guided into sagehood with a single initiation session. That's why, in the past year and half, he created hundreds of priests and priestesses by teaching them only the basic hymns and practices, requirement is a good enogh souls, but not sages.
To be made into a sage, one needed a sufficiently evolved soul. If someone was close enough, and if Naruto was convinced of their path, he would ask them to follow him. For he did not stay in one place. He would train them, initiate them into deeper processes, burn their karma himself and push them toward the level of a sage.
But a few, like Sayo and now this boy who had that rare spark. For them, sagehood could come easily with just one initiation, as he could implant the rest of the knowledge within them. That is why he had made only twelve sages so far, each either assigned to major shrines, sent as wandering monks, or allowed to return to society to lead a material life.
The pirate brought his whip down. But before the lash could strike, Naruto blurred forward. The leather coil snapped taut in mid-air, caught in Naruto's fist.
The thickset pirate gaped at the cloaked man now standing between him and the fallen youth. "Who…?"
Naruto yanked hard, pulling the pirate off balance, and delivered a precise two-finger jab to the man's temple with a burst of chakra. The pirate's eyes rolled back as he collapsed on the dock, dead before he hit the planks.
For a moment, all activity froze. The other pirates on the ship and dock stared in shock. The villagers scarcely dared to breathe.
Naruto offered a hand to the young man on the ground. "Are you alright?"
The youth took it and rose, wincing. He looked about nineteen, lean from hardship but with bright gray eyes that burned with spirit. "Thank you… but look out!"
Several pirates recovered and charged down the gangplank with drawn sabers. Naruto stepped protectively in front of the youth and met the onrush with practiced ease. He flowed between attackers, sidestepping a slashing cut and knocking its wielder cold with a staff strike to the jaw, then twisting aside as another thrust at him and driving an elbow into that man's ribs. A pirate swung a cutlass at Naruto's back, Naruto ducked, sweeping the man's legs with a low kick and sending him over the dock's edge into the water.
Three more pirates fanned out, realizing this was no ordinary meddler. One, the first mate judging by his finer coat, snarled, "Kill him! Teach these peasants a lesson."
Naruto exhaled and drew up a well of chakra. He preferred to avoid needless bloodshed, but these marauders would never stop preying on the helpless. Time to finish this. His hands blurred through seals, and he slammed a palm onto the damp wooden planks. "Suiton: Mizugoromo! Water Cloak!"
Seawater exploded upward at his command, swirling around him in a spiraling ring. With a sweeping gesture, Naruto sent a cresting wave racing down the pier. It crashed into the oncoming pirates, knocking them off their feet and washing weapons from their hands. They sputtered and sprawled, utterly soaked and sprawled.
A collective gasp went up from the villagers, few had seen such jutsu. The pirates on the ship's deck exchanged uneasy glances. Their easy-prey village now had a defender to be reckoned with.
Naruto fixed the first mate with a steely stare. "No more mercy. You chose this path." His voice carried across the water like a cold wind. He lifted one hand slowly, channeling chakra. Beneath the pirate ship, the seawater began to churn ominously. The surface bulged, and a low kra-koom resonated as if something giant stirred below.
Suddenly, a massive, serpentine shadow broke the surface on one side of the ship, then vanished. On the other side, another dark shape rippled the waves. Terror flared in the pirates' eyes, but before they could turn, Naruto clapped his hands together. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu—Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A roaring dragon of water erupted, coiling through the air. Its jaws slammed onto the deck, shattering planks and sweeping every pirate into its devouring torrent. Screams were drowned beneath the crashing roar as bodies were hurled, broken, into the sea. Those still on the pier tried to flee, but Naruto met them with a curt flick of his fingers: "Fūton: Shinkūsen—Vacuum Flash!" Razor-thin blasts of wind severed blades—and throats—before the pirates even knew they'd been struck.
In heartbeats, all was silent save for waves lapping crimson-tinged water. Broken timbers bobbed alongside lifeless forms drifting out to sea.
Naruto lowered his hand, eyes solemn. "May the ocean judge your deeds." Behind him the youth and villagers stared, speechless, terror melting to awe as they realized the nightmare was truly over.
Chaos erupted. Pirates scrambled to cut the mooring lines and shove off from the dock. They stumbled over each other in their haste to escape the "sea demon." Before they could leave.
Steel boots clattered along the quay, followed by the clink of samurai armor and shinobis with mist flak vests.
A squad of Kiri shinobi, flanked by the harbor's civilian bailiffs, pushed through the gathering crowd. Their captain, a self-important man in lacquered mail glared over the rail of corpses bobbing in the tide.
"What's all this shouting?" he snapped. "Who authorized a public brawl?"
The surviving pirates now confident seeing the authority were quick to spin their tale.
"That monk!" the first mate wheezed, pointing a shaking finger at Naruto. "He slaughtered honest traders. We paid our docking fees!"
A buzz of uneasy whispers rolled through the onlookers. The villagers tried to protest, but the captain Kobu of a important family, chief enforcer for this port, ignored them. He strode forward and seized Naruto by the collar of his plain homespun.
"You peasants think too highly of yourselves," Kobu sneered, jerking the monk close. "Know who I am? Chief Enforcer under Mayor Izaru and nephew to Lord Funai's assistant, the very same minister of the new Water Daimyo himself. Your pitiful monk robes won't save you."
Naruto's blue gaze stayed mild, almost pitying.
"I assure you," he said quietly, "neither the Mizukage nor the new Daimyo will thank you for laying hands on me."
Kobu barked a laugh. "And why is that, you beggar? You think you're special? You truly believe in that deluded mind of yours that you're anything compared to the assistant of a minister, let alone Mizukage-sama or Daimyo-sama?" He drew back a hand.
High above, atop a stack of teakwood crates, a jonin in the mayor's crest flickered into view. Silver hair, forehead protector tilted like a visor, Mayor Izaru himself, returning from an inspection. His eyes swept the scene: pirates floating like flotsam, villagers bruised but unharmed, and his own enforcer gripping a crimson-haired monk by the throat.
So many pirates… I really must tighten, he thought ruefully, then the monk's hood fell back.
"You fool!" he heard the monk say. "It's the height of hubris, who is any man to believe himself above the law?"
The mayor heard the monk's words just as the sharp sound of a slap rang out. He rubbed his temples. The monk is done for... The enforcer was part noble, and preaching here was as good as a death sentence.
He decide to intervene, he raised his voice. "What's going on here?"
The enforcer looked at the mayor's approach, gave a curt bow while still gripping the monk by the collar. "This monk dared to assault a merchant, one who pays thir 'taxes'," he said, stressing the word taxes with smug emphasis.
"But…" the monk began, only to be cut off as the enforcer raised a hand, this time not to slap, but to hurl him to the ground. He follow up with again catching him by collar.
The monk landed hard, sprawled but facing up. In that moment, the mayor finally got a good look at him, the vibrant red hair, the piercing blue eyes, the aristocratic bone structure. For a split second, another face superimposed itself in the mayor's mind. A face he had last seen in Uzushiogakure's royal court on the day of the Water Daimyo's execution. Recognition struck like lightning. How can he ever forget those eyes, the eyes that held the depth and might of an entire ocean? After all, he had once served as an elite jōnin bodyguard to the Daimyo and had witnessed an entire nation crumble at the will of this man… without him ever stepping foot there.
Izaru's blood ran cold.
"K-Kobu!" he barked, vaulting down the crates. "Release him, this instant!"
The enforcer hesitated. "But, Mayor-sama, he attacked…"
"That is His Grace!" Izaru hissed, yanking Kobu's arm away before the blow could land. "Your Grace…!"
"What grace? He's no daimyo. He's not even a noble, just some wandering monk!" Kobu spat, confused and furious.
"You nincompoop! Good for nothing swine." the mayor snapped, shoving Kobu aside. "The man you just laid hands on, if he so wills it, he can have the entire Land of Water wiped off the map!"
He turned to Naruto, now trembling with panic. "Forgive us, Your Grace... this fool doesn't know who you are. Please… I beg your mercy."
"But…" the enforcer stammered, still in disbelief.
"This," the mayor said sharply, voice ringing with urgency, "is His Grace—Naruto Uzumaki, the previous Emperor of the empire of Uzushiogakure."
Silence detonated across the pier.
Shinobi and samurai stiffened, their faces draining of all color. Villagers gasped. Even the pirates, those who moments ago had laughed and sneered, now looked like they wished they could vanish into the sea, realizing just who had torn through their ranks like a storm.
Kobu's swagger evaporated. "E-E-Emperor…? Th-that's impossible. The Emperor vanished… exiled…"
Izaru rounded on him, voice shaking with fury. "Do you remember what happened the last time Kirigakure crossed paths with this man? Half our nobility dead or fled the archipelago, our villages nearly collapsed, and the remaining of the Seven Swords bowed and begged for mercy! And you lay filthy hands on him?" He struck Kobu's cheek with the back of his glove. "On your knees!"
Kobu dropped, numb with terror, forehead pressed to the soaked planks. The other officials knelt in a ragged wave.
Naruto adjusted his robe where the collar had been crumpled. His expression held no anger, only a weary sadness. "Don't bow mayor, I am just a monk, no more an Emperor. The fault lies with greed, not ignorance."
Izaru straightened slowly. "Your Grace, had I known…"
Naruto lifted a hand. "I walk as a monk, not an emperor. Titles have little meaning for men like these." He glanced at the pirates floating face-down. "I hope you will see that their cargo is sold for reparations, and the proceeds used for these people and the pirate will hanged."
Izaru bowed low. "It will be done.…"
Naruto's gaze rested on Kobu, who trembled. "He and his patrons owe restitution to every family these brigands wronged. Should you not dispense justice, the I may finish what I began."
Kobu swallowed, cheeks chalk-white. "I…I will pay, Your Grace. Everything."
Naruto's smile was faint. "Then my work here is concluded."
He stepped to the youth he'd rescued, pressing the staff into the young man's hands. "Guard this pier. Guard these people." Turning, he walked toward the forested road, sandals whispering on salt-stained timber.
Not a soul dared stop him.
Only when the crimson fringe vanished beyond the palms did Izaru release a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He looked down at Kobu.
"You fool," the mayor muttered. "Remember this feeling the next time you think a title makes you untouchable."
Kobu could only nod, still shivering staring at the red droplets drying on the dock, each one a reminder that the sea and nation bowed to this man once.
"I feel like a tsunami just passed through us... without even touching," one of the stunned officials murmured.
The mayor exhaled, beads of sweat on his brow. "Don't think it's just a feeling. That was the truth. We were standing in the eye of a storm, one that chose not to destroy us. I need to report this to the Daimyo. He'll be terrified knowing that man is in the Land of Water."
He turned sharply to the enforcer. "You're dismissed."
Suddenly, the enforcer stopped trembling. Pride or stupidity, flickered in his eyes. "What?! He's gone now, he won't cross-check. I'm the nephew of…"
"Shut up, you moron!" the mayor barked. "Yes, you're the nephew of the assistant to the minister, but if the Daimyo finds out you laid hands on him, His Grace Naruto Uzumaki, he won't just take your head. He'll take your uncle's, then the ministers who recommended you. Hell, your entire family might be burned alive once it's known you slapped the Emperor, the most dangerous man in the world.
Do you want the man who exiled himself to return as a conqueror? The only reason you're still breathing is because he said so, 'Dismiss him.' That's mercy. Remember it."
The silence that followed was heavy. No one dared speak.
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The villagers returned to their homes and saw the monk, now known to be the Emperor, sitting peacefully under the great tree in the centre of the village. Then, a cheer broke out among the villagers. It swelled and echoed, growing louder and louder until people were jumping, embracing one another. Years of fear melted into cries of joy and overwhelming relief.
The young man of 21 years old, Naruto had saved stepped forward, eyes shining. He bowed deeply. "Thank you, my lord. My name is Isamu. I… I can't believe they're gone."
Naruto placed a hand on Isamu's shoulder, returning the bow with a kind smile. "Bravery should be rewarded, not punished. You gave your people courage by standing up to them."
Isamu flushed slightly, scratching the back of his head in a gesture that reminded Naruto of himself at that age. "I couldn't stand by anymore… They took so much from us." the youth's voice wavered.
Naruto's gaze softened. He understood too well the pain."
Tears glinted in Isamu's eyes, but he blinked them back. "I just wish… I wish I had the strength to protect this village."
Naruto regarded the earnest young man and again sensed the flicker of something special. Perhaps you can, he thought. With some guidance and in a different way.
The villagers were already gathering around, thanking Naruto fervently or timidly reaching to touch his sleeve as if to ensure he was real. Many cast curious glances at the blonde stranger who had saved them, whispering speculation, could this be the real dreaded emperor they'd heard about in rumours?
Naruto raised his voice gently to address them. "These raiders will think twice before troubling you again. But if they do, you won't be defenceless."
He withdrew a scroll from within his cloak and unfurled a portion, quickly painting a complex sealing script. With a poof of smoke, some more scrolls appeared.
Gasps rose from the villagers. Naruto gave a reassuring wave. "These will help you learn basics of fighting." And my clones will teach you basic for few weeks after I leave.
Astonished and grateful, the townsfolk bowed. With that assurance in place, Naruto turned to Isamu. The young man had not left his side, and now looked at him with a mixture of hope and awe.
"There is one more thing," Naruto said. "Where is your shrine that I heard lot about?"
At this, the villagers exchanged abashed looks. An older woman stepped forward, wringing her hands. "The shrine to the Storm God… it's up on the cliff, lord. But it's been neglected for years. After the pirates came, we stopped going. Some said the sea was angry at us, that the shrine was cursed."
Isamu spoke bitterly, "My father used to tend the shrine in his spare time. After he… after we lost him, I couldn't bear to go there alone. And the others were too afraid any gathering would draw pirate punishment."
Naruto nodded in understanding. "Let's go see it. The sea's spirit needs appeasing, and you all need the Storm God's blessing now more than ever."
He motioned for Isamu to guide him. Together, with a handful of curious villagers in tow, they ascended a winding path to a rocky promontory overlooking the bay.
Atop the cliff stood the shrine, forlorn against the gray sky. It was dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, god of storms and seas. A once-bright torii gate lay collapsed and charred, and the small shrine hall was weather-beaten, paint peeled by salt and wind. Weeds poked through stone lanterns, and an offering bowl lay overturned and cracked.
Isamu swallowed hard at the sight. "No wonder the storms and pirates have plagued us."
Naruto gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "Gods aren't easily spiteful. They grow distant when forgotten, but they never truly abandon humanity. We will fix this place…."
Without wasting time, Naruto formed a dozen shadow clones. The villagers gasped as identical sages puffed into existence. Under Naruto's direction, they fanned out: some lifting the fallen torii gate back into place, others clearing weeds and soot.
When all was ready, dusk was falling. Storm clouds gathered on the horizon, and a breeze picked up, tangy with the scent of rain. Naruto gathered everyone before the altar for a re-consecration. To Naruto, this was home, this shrine had once been consecrated by the Uzumaki, crafted in honor of their bloodline affinity: Storm Release. Though dedicated to a different storm deity, Susanoo, it still resonated deeply within him.
He turned to Isamu. "Your father was the previous priest, and I see potential in you, not just to follow in his footsteps, but to surpass him and become a sage."
Later he began to explain what that truly meant, detailing the path of spiritual growth, the essence of sage hood, and the foundational practices and disciplines it would require.
Isamu stood beside him, shoulders squared. Someone had found an old conch shell trumpet, an heirloom of the shrine and handed it to the young man. He held it nervously, waiting.
Naruto stepped forward and bowed his head. "Oh Great Susanoo, Ruler of the Seas and Tempests," he intoned, his voice resonating above the crashing surf below. "Hear us. The people of Tsumoshi beseech you, return your favor to this cliff and village. Through hardship, their spirits have evolved; they rekindle your shrine and ask for your protection. Accept this young man, Isamu, as your servant and guardian. Through him, guide this community and calm the storms in their hearts and skies."
At this, an ethereal form of the storm god materialized, and the entire village bowed in reverence.
Naruto nodded to Isamu, who lifted the conch shell to his lips. With a deep breath, Isamu blew. A low, sonorous note boomed out, echoing over the waves. It was a sound of ancient dignity, the call of mortals to a god.
Then a sudden gust howled up from the ocean, swirling around the cliff top. Villagers gasped and clutched each other as the wind tugged at their clothes. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Warm rain began to fall, gentle as a blessing when the ethereal figure vanished at last. Fat droplets spattered the stone steps and upturned faces. A few villagers laughed in relief, some wept, others raised their hands to the sky. The long spiritual drought over Tsumoshi had broken.
Under that cleansing shower, Naruto took a length of white cloth and draped it over Isamu's shoulders like a mantle. "Isamu," he said clearly, "do you pledge to serve Susanoo and this shrine, to protect your people and honor the seas that sustain them?"
Isamu placed his hand over his heart, eyes shining through the rain. "I do, Master. With all that I am."
Naruto smiled and rested his palm briefly on the young man's brow, sending a tiny pulse of energy as his initiation. It sent Isamu into a trance, and for half an hour, he sat in silent ecstasy. When it ended, Naruto said:
"Then rise as the guardian of Susanoo's shrine. May your courage remain as steadfast as it was today, and may the Storm God's favor be upon you."
The villagers broke into cheers and applause. Many moved forward to clap Isamu on the back or bow to him respectfully. The elder woman pressed a shell necklace (the late priest's keepsake) into Isamu's hands; he donned it with reverence, shoulders straight and proud.
Naruto stayed until the rain ceased and the first stars peeked through the breaking clouds. That night, the village held a humble feast of thanksgiving. Fish stew and warm rice were ladled out freely, and the people ate under strings of lanterns brought from dusty storage.
Near midnight, Naruto prepared to slip away quietly, as was his habit.
"Master Naruto," Isamu called out, "you're leaving now, aren't you?"
Naruto turned, silhouetted against the calm, moonlit sea. He nodded. "My journey continues. There are others who need help, just as you all did."
I don't know what to say he said. I hope you could stay.
Naruto just smiled.
Pulling his travel-worn cloak around him and taking his staff in hand, His Grace Naruto Uzumaki—no, the wandering sage, as many had come to call him, the second coming of the Sage of Six Paths whose legends now stretched across the length and breadth of the Elemental Nations—walked onward along the starlit road.
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To be continued. Stay tuned and let me know your thoughts! Like and comment! 🙏🔥
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Chapter 33: A New face Or phase. 8k long
Chapter 34: Chinamaki. 5.5k long
Chapter 35: Cross Roads. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!! 9K LONG
Chapter 36: The New Field. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9k LONG
Chapter 37: Loyalty. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7 K LONG
Chapter 38: Diversion. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!! 7K Long
Chapter 39: Destruction. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!! 12K Long
Chapter 40: Power of a God. 10K Long
Chapter 41: Perspectives. 12K Long
Chapter 42: Confluence of Storms. 18K
Chapter 43: Deception. 12k
Chapter 44: Judgement. 10k
Chapter 45: True Powers of the world. (NEW) 20k IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( Naruto is Back)
Chapter 46- The Game Begins Anew. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (new) 14k long
Chapter 47- This is What True Titans Look Like. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (new) 10k long
Chapter 48- Unleashed. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (new) 13k long.
Chapter 49 – Divine Punishment. IS OUT!!!!!!!! 13K LONG