"Kimimaro, join us."
"Find the real Orochimaru. Naruto is manipulating all of us like puppets."
Kabuto was trying to persuade Kimimaro.
Kimimaro remained silent.
Kabuto wore a smirk, as though he had everything under control.
...
Meanwhile.
Nagare ran desperately while Orochimaru chased closely behind.
No matter what method Nagare tried, he couldn't shake Orochimaru off.
Cornered, Nagare stopped running and decided to fight Orochimaru head-on.
Nagare activated Six-Tails' chakra and coated his body with the Tailed Beast's chakra.
[Hiruma!]
A strange liquid secreted from Nagare's body, rushing toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru had been chasing too closely and didn't expect this sudden counterattack, getting tackled down immediately.
The strange liquid flowing from Nagare dripped onto Orochimaru, burning his skin and releasing green smoke.
Nagare pressed firmly on top of Orochimaru, dripping the liquid all over his body until it completely enveloped him.
Wrapped tightly in the liquid, Orochimaru looked just like a human statue.
Nagare reverted back to his original form.
Just when Nagare relaxed his guard, Orochimaru's head lunged from behind.
Orochimaru opened his mouth wide and bit into Nagare's neck.
His twin fangs pierced the skin, drawing blood.
Orochimaru held tightly, refusing to let go, letting out an eerie chuckle in his chilling tone.
"Hehehehe..."
Helpless and unable to move, Nagare could only watch as Orochimaru bit into his neck.
Orochimaru successfully implanted the Cursed Seal of Heaven into Nagare. After pulling away, his head flew back and reattached to his body.
Nagare stared at the statue-like shell on the ground, realizing too late that it was already empty—Orochimaru had long since vanished underground.
Pleased with himself, Orochimaru mused that, so far, the only one capable of truly suppressing him was The Third Hokage.
These minor tricks from Nagare were no match for him—they even gave Orochimaru the chance to strike from behind.
After completing his mission, Orochimaru quickly fled.
Nagare felt his entire body burning up. His consciousness became hazy, his breathing quickened, and his legs trembled so badly he struggled even to stand.
Severe pain shot through his neck.
"Hmm..." Clenching his teeth in resistance, Nagare still found himself staggering due to the unbearable pain.
He staggered forward and suddenly collapsed into the arms of a beautiful girl.
This girl was Hotaru. Looking at the unfamiliar man before her, she remembered Naruto's words:
"Please look after Nagare for a bit. Someday I'll bring both of you to Konoha."
Hotaru dragged the unconscious Nagare into a nearby grove.
How much time had passed, she didn't know.
Nagare awakened, instantly noticing the campfire in front of him.
As he sat up, pain shot through his entire body. He couldn't stay upright for long before collapsing again.
"You should rest properly," Hotaru said, crouching beside him, her eyes fixed on the fire.
"Who are you?" Nagare asked cautiously.
"My name is Hotaru. I live nearby."
"What happened to me?"
"When I found you, you were already unconscious. There's a wound on your neck—it looked like a snake bite."
Nagare touched the wound on his neck and immediately recalled the creepy face of Orochimaru. A sharp wave of searing pain coursed through his body.
Nagare writhed on the ground, clearly suffering intense agony.
Hotaru looked on helplessly, unsure of what to do.
She couldn't figure out why Naruto wanted her to look after this man.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Nagare forced himself to stand up and started walking away slowly.
"Where are you going?" she asked again.
"I have to leave here... There's someone terrifying here..." Just thinking about Orochimaru made him want to flee immediately.
After just a few steps, Nagare's legs suddenly gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Hotaru rushed over to support him.
"You're in no shape to walk right now."
"Let me help you walk then."
With her small frame, Hotaru supported Nagare as they moved forward.
Nagare looked at Hotaru. Why was this little girl—who he'd never met—being so kind to help him?
He quietly accepted her assistance.
Leaning on Hotaru, Nagare could barely manage to walk.
He'd wandered alone for so many years that he couldn't even remember the last time he'd had this kind of physical contact.
Especially this young girl—the moment their bodies touched, it felt so soft.
It was too soft, too warm—almost lulling him into sleep.
Without warning, Nagare dozed off and slumped completely onto Hotaru.
"How could you be like this? I'm trying to help you, and what are you doing?" Hotaru panicked, trapped under Nagare's weight.
She strained to push herself free from under him. Though Nagare was light himself, he was still too heavy for someone as small as Hotaru.
"Hmph! You really shouldn't have helped someone like you," she muttered angrily.
Nagare lay still on the ground—it seemed strange.
Feeling confused, Hotaru reached over and prodded his arm but got no response.
"What's wrong with him?" she wondered.
She flipped Nagare over and placed her hand on his forehead. It was burning hot—he had a dangerously high fever.
"Oh my gosh!" She couldn't believe anyone could run a fever this high.
With all her strength, Hotaru dragged Nagare back toward the fire.
She carefully tended to him.
...
Not far away, Naruto was holding Hinata while secretly watching them.
Hinata activated her Byakugan, allowing Naruto to see through her eyes.
"Ah, Nagare... You've got quite the luck, huh? Meeting such a good girl like Hotaru. Don't waste my efforts," Naruto said, chuckling mischievously.
At that moment, Hinata frowned and deactivated her Byakugan.
Since Hinata turned off the Byakugan, Naruto naturally lost his ability to spy.
"Eh?" Naruto grinned, wrapping his arms around Hinata and peppering her with kisses.
"The best girl in the world will always be my sweet Hinata-chan."
It took considerable effort for Naruto to finally calm the flustered Hinata.
...
In the same forest, there were three couples.
The most intimate among them was Kakashi and Mei Terumi.
The two of them were trapped within an illusion, wrapped tightly in each other's arms, both longing for the other never to leave.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata were joyfully envisioning their future together, even speculating on how many children they'd have in Konoha.
As for Nagare and Hotaru, the mood between them was rather awkward. Technically speaking, they weren't a couple just yet.
And Nagare, bearing the mark of the Cursed Seal of Heaven, was already gravely ill.
Hotaru, however, couldn't bear to abandon him. She didn't mind caring for Nagare at all.
Naruto, hiding nearby and watching secretly, noticed that nothing was really developing between Hotaru and Nagare, so he decided to give things a little push.
Naruto knew that Hotaru had an intense fear of insects.
So he used his Sharingan to cast a genjutsu on her.
Hotaru had been peacefully sitting by the fire when she unknowingly fell into the illusion. Suddenly, she heard a strange "swooshing" sound.
It startled her completely.
She glanced around anxiously, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.
Eventually, she discovered what was making the noise.
All manner of grotesque insects began appearing nearby—winged ones, crawling ones, burrowing ones, and even those that spun silk...
All kinds of creepy creatures now covered the entire forest.
Overcome with terror, Hotaru darted to Nagare's side and clung to him.
It was also the first time she truly felt safe in his presence.
Only then did she realize that Nagare, much like Naruto, could offer her a profound sense of security.
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