"How could Kakashi-sensei be like this?"
On the dilapidated street, Sakura's pupils were dilated, and she sat limp on the ground, duck-style, staring at the lifeless Kakashi before her. The slug crawled onto Kakashi's body and attempted to save him, but it was powerless. With a voice as light as falling jade beads, it sighed softly: "Sorry, Sakura, I tried my best. Kakashi has..."
Hearing this, Sakura's tears could no longer be held back. They streamed down, dripping on the back of her hand. Her shoulders trembled as she shouted loudly:
"Naruto. Come quickly, please, come quickly, Naruto!"
The last two cries of "Naruto" echoed across Konoha as Sakura wailed with her face turned upward.
Everything fell silent. The surrounding Konoha ninjas, who had just lost their loved ones, friends, or comrades, watched Sakura crying so miserably.
They all bowed their heads in sorrow and despair.
Tears fell like rain.
Just then, an abrupt voice suddenly echoed, "Since you want Naruto to come so badly, then why don't you go to him? Sakura, 'If you have any problems, ask him there. If not, give him to me.'"
Hearing that voice, Sakura's back turned cold. Her gaze became more scattered, and she felt as if she had fallen into an icy cellar. An overwhelming sense of fear crept in.
The Konoha ninjas' expressions turned grim, their eyes staring at the newcomer, filled with anger, fear, and despair.
The slug healing the wounded looked toward Sakura with a complicated expression.
A shadow appeared silently behind Sakura, standing there quietly as if it had always belonged.
It was a young man who looked about eighteen or nineteen, with a composed expression, dark brows, thin lips, a tall, slender build, wearing the Akatsuki cloak with red clouds, and a scratched Konoha forehead protector.
His face, sharp as if polished by a mountain spring, would have seemed gentle and clear if not for the coldness he carried.
Seeing this man, Sakura's mental defenses collapsed. Her grief turned to fear.
Four difficult syllables slipped from her lips, "Fujiwara... Kirito..."
Yes, the figure who appeared behind Sakura was Fujiwara Kirito, who had just observed Sage Naruto's battle with Pain.
To be precise, this was a shadow clone Kirito had left in Konoha.
He had waited for the right moment to teleport Sakura to Pain, incite Naruto, and spark his transformation.
At that time, Naruto's battle with Pain at Mount Myoboku had ended.
As in the original story, Naruto used the advantage of intel and Pain's weakened state to defeat all the Paths except Tendo.
But the cost was high.
Gamabunta, Gamahiro, and Gamaken were thrown dozens of miles by Shinra Tensei, their bones broken, near death.
Gama Fukazake, while casting the illusion that killed three Paths, was discovered and impaled by a black rod.
Naruto himself wasn't much better.
His limbs and torso were pinned by the black rods, unable to move or gather chakra.
The situation was critical.
"Tsunade-sama, although Naruto-kun defeated five Pains, he was subdued by the last one—the one who created that huge explosion just now."
"Fukazake died in battle, and the three giant toads are seriously injured and incapacitated."
At Konoha's gate, Hinata activated her Byakugan, monitoring the fight and reporting to Tsunade.
Unlike the original timeline, due to Kirito's presence, Hinata was worried about Naruto only as a comrade—not enough to rush off recklessly.
Besides, standing before them was Kirito's shadow clone.
"Damn it."
Tsunade's expression turned grave. If Naruto was taken by the Akatsuki, it would all be over.
"Kirito, move out of the way." Tsunade glared at the clone in the sky.
The clone shook his head slowly, expressionless.
Chinatsu whispered beside her: "Mom, that's just Father's shadow clone."
Relieved, Tsunade whispered: "Chinatsu, you and Hinata distract the clone. I'll lead Karin and the Anbu to save Naruto."
Chinatsu thought for a moment and replied: "No problem. But will it make Father mad?"
"I don't think Kirito will harm Naruto or Konoha. He doesn't like Konoha much, but he would never hurt Mom," she added.
Hinata nodded in agreement. "Tsunade-sama, Kirito-nii won't hurt anyone."
"I believe in Kirito-sama too." Karin blushed, steam rising from her face like a fangirl in love.
Tsunade looked around, observing the trust in everyone's faces, then back at the Konoha ninjas awaiting her orders.
She sighed. "Wait five more minutes. If Naruto gets captured, pursue Pain at all costs. Bring Naruto back."
In the battlefield center—
"Aaahhh!"
Naruto screamed as a black rod pierced his hands, pinning him to the ground.
"You should behave now, Nine-Tails." Pain knelt before Naruto, commenting, "Same Sage Jutsu as Jiraiya. Same style as Kirito. Seems you've already surpassed your master."
"Nine-Tails, you're strong. The first to push me this far. You deserve praise. But it ends here."
He stood and pointed at Naruto. "You not you, but the Nine-Tails in you will usher in peace. That is justice."
"Shut up." Naruto, enduring the agony of torn flesh, gritted his teeth and glared at Pain. "Who are you? Why do all this?"
"You dare speak of peace and justice now?"
"What right do you have? You ruined my master, my teacher, my comrades, my village!"
Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Choji flashed through Naruto's mind.
Yes, Choji was dead too.
Unlike in the original where Kakashi sacrificed himself using Kamui to save Choji, here, faced with three Paths, Naraka Path fell but Ashura Path survived and launched a missile that killed Choji.
(End of Chapter)