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"Beautiful!"
"Inferno Style: Flame Control!"
A faint trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Sasuke's eye as dark flames burst to life around him. With a single motion, he condensed the flames into a fiery staff. Swinging it like a bat, he sent Danzo hurtling backward.
"Catch!"
Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement as a chakra arm emerged from his back, grabbing Danzo mid-air. With a heavy throw, he sent him flying once more.
Sasuke, already positioned on the other end, smirked and delivered a well-timed strike to Danzo's back, sending him flying again.
Back and forth, the two played their impromptu game of "Danzo tennis," treating the infamous elder like a mere ball. They were having the time of their lives.
However, as the unwilling participant of this game, Danzo was anything but amused. He gritted his teeth, his body aching from being tossed around like a toy. Had he not activated the final Sharingan on his arm to trigger Izanagi at the last second, he would have perished multiple times over.
Even so, humiliation burned worse than his wounds.
"You damn brats!" Danzo roared, his face contorted with fury. He had sacrificed ten Sharingan, only to end up being toyed with like this. The thought of meeting his end in such a disgraceful manner was unbearable.
"If I'm going down… then I'm taking you both with me!"
Naruto "caught" Danzo again, but this time, something was off. The old warhawk's body was radiating a sinister energy.
Suddenly, intricate black markings spread across Danzo's body like ink spilling across a scroll. The moment Naruto saw them, his instincts screamed at him.
"Sasuke, he's doing something weird!"
Sasuke's eyes widened in realization.
"Damn it! It's the Reverse Four Symbols Seal! Naruto, throw him away and get back, NOW!"
Naruto, sensing the imminent danger, didn't hesitate. He flung Danzo as hard as he could and dashed toward Sasuke, grabbing him before vanishing in a blur of golden light.
Danzo's body trembled as the seal fully activated. A massive surge of chakra erupted outward, forming a giant vacuum that started sucking in everything around it.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the underground hideout. The walls, floors, and ceiling crumbled, consumed by the expanding void of Danzo's suicide jutsu. The surrounding buildings shook violently, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
Naruto and Sasuke reappeared just beyond the blast radius, landing safely on a nearby rooftop.
"That was too close," Naruto exhaled.
"He always liked to have an escape plan," Sasuke muttered, watching the destruction below. "But in the end, he took nothing but some rubble with him."
Naruto grinned, pumping his fist in the air.
"That means we won, right?!"
Sasuke nodded.
"Yeah. Well done, Naruto. There were some missteps, but for your first real battle, you did great."
Before Naruto could respond, a voice called out from behind them.
"Impressive work, both of you."
Naruto turned and grinned.
"Shinomiya Uzumaki! When did you get here?"
Shinomiya Uzumaki, dressed in his usual flowing robes, walked toward them with a satisfied smile.
"I've been here the whole time, watching," he replied. "You two put on quite the show."
Naruto scratched his head sheepishly, but before he could speak, another familiar voice rang out.
"Naruto!"
Naruto turned around just in time to see a familiar blond-haired man approaching, smiling warmly.
"DAD?!"
Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Namikaze Minato walking toward him, accompanied by Kushina Uzumaki, Senju Hashirama, and Senju Tobirama. His jaw nearly dropped.
"Wait, wait, wait… Mom's here too? And… who are these old guys?" Naruto pointed at Hashirama and Tobirama.
Kushina smirked.
"Watch your mouth, kiddo. These 'old guys' are the First and Second Hokage."
Naruto gasped, taking a step back.
"The First and Second?!" He looked at them in disbelief before rubbing his eyes. "Am I dreaming?"
Hashirama chuckled.
"Nope, it's all real. And you—" He patted Naruto on the head. "You remind me of myself when I was younger. Full of energy and a little reckless."
Tobirama scoffed.
"More than a little reckless," he muttered.
Naruto barely processed their words before he rushed toward Minato, throwing himself into his father's arms.
"Dad! Where have you been all these years?! I thought… I thought I didn't have parents anymore!"
Minato hugged Naruto tightly, his usual calm expression replaced with guilt.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. I wish I could have been there to watch you grow up. But your mother and I had a mission… something we had to do to protect the village."
Naruto sniffled, gripping his father's cloak.
"It's okay," he mumbled. "You had to do what you had to do… but you're back now, right? You're not leaving again?"
Minato hesitated, a deep sadness in his eyes.
Naruto, sensing his hesitation, frowned.
"Dad…?"
At that moment, Shinomiya Uzumaki stepped forward with his usual knowing smile.
"Naruto," he said smoothly, "your father is a ninja, just like you. And as a ninja, sometimes he has to go on missions, right?"
Naruto nodded hesitantly.
"Well," Shinomiya continued, "the important mission that kept him away for so long has finally been completed. But he may still have to leave every now and then for shorter missions."
Naruto blinked, processing his words.
"So… he can stay now? But sometimes he'll have to leave for a little while?"
"Exactly," Shinomiya Uzumaki nodded. "But he'll always come back."
At the same time, he sent Minato a private message:
[The flow of time in our world is different. Just come here when you have time. A few days there can be months here. You'll have plenty of time to spend with him. When you leave, just say it's for a mission.]
Minato's eyes widened slightly before a smile formed on his lips.
It was a perfect solution. He wouldn't have to fully abandon his responsibilities, but he could still be present in Naruto's life.
He turned to his son and placed a hand on his head.
"That's right, Naruto," Minato said gently. "I'll always come back."
Naruto wiped his tears away and smiled brightly.
"Then it's fine!" he grinned. "I'll become super strong, so next time you leave for a mission, I can come with you!"
Kushina laughed, ruffling Naruto's hair.
"You've got a long way to go before that happens, little man!"
Sasuke, standing to the side, watched the heartfelt reunion with a neutral expression.
He thought about his own family—his brother, his parents… all gone. He shook the thoughts away. There was no point dwelling on the past now.
As Naruto continued talking excitedly with his parents, Shinomiya Uzumaki checked his system notifications.
[Gold Coins Earned: 20,000]
Not bad.
And when counting the reward from Naruto's earlier power-up, his total had now reached 120,000 gold coins.
A satisfied smirk crossed his face.
This investment was turning out even better than he expected.
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