Naruto stood on a cliff overlooking Konoha, his grin wide as the wind ruffled his hair. "One day, I'm outta here!" he shouted, his voice echoing, but no one heard. The Sasuke Retrieval mission had failed, but it had hardened his resolve. Konoha was a liar's den, hiding why he was the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, why the Fourth chose him. He didn't care about its walls, its people, its Hokage. His dream was power—enough to roam the world, to find answers, to live free of anyone's control.Jiraiya's training was pushing him further. The Rasengan was second nature now, and his toads—Gamakichi, even Gamabunta—answered his call. His clones numbered in the thousands, a legion driven by the Nine-Tails' chakra, which he could hold steady, its red aura no longer a storm but a flame he shaped. "You're mine," he whispered, feeling the fox's presence but bending it to his will. The Scroll of Sealing's secrets were unlocking, bit by bit, guiding him toward mastery.Team 7 was fractured—Sasuke gone, Sakura training with Tsunade, Kakashi distant. Naruto kept his grin, joking with them—"We'll be the coolest team again, dattebayo!"—but his heart was closed. Bonds were traps, like Haku's loyalty, Gaara's pain, Sasuke's betrayal. He'd use his team, his sensei, his village, but only to grow stronger. The world beyond Konoha—villages, rogues, mysteries—was calling, and he'd answer it alone.As he returned to the village, Tsunade's voice echoed in his mind: "Konoha needs you." He laughed, loud and fake. Konoha needed a weapon, not him. He'd stay, for now, training under Jiraiya, mastering his power, but his eyes were on the horizon. The Sasuke Retrieval had shown him his limits, but also his potential. He'd become unstoppable, a ninja with no ties, roaming the world to uncover the truth—why he was chosen, what he was meant to be. His grin stayed, but his resolve was iron: power was his path, and he'd walk it alone.
