"Naruto-san?"
Karin looked at Naruto with some confusion.
She didn't doubt Naruto's words… if he said this thing was going to explode, then it definitely was.
'But why only tell us to leave?'
'Shouldn't we all leave together?'
"I'm going to attempt something. If you stay here, I might get distracted."
As he spoke, he reached out and patted Karin on the head.
Hearing this, neither Karin nor Sasuke had anything else to say.
Before leaving, Sasuke gave Naruto a deep look, receiving a reassuring look in response from Naruto.
'Fine.'
He didn't see any color symbolizing disaster on Naruto, which meant it was highly likely he would be safe and sound.
As the two left, Naruto turned back to face the twisted monster.
"Speaking of which, this is my first time trying to eat something like this."
Thankfully, Naruto's mental fortitude was quite strong. Anyone else seeing the form of the product of the Zero-Tails and Shinno's fusion would not only lose their appetite but would be doing well just not to vomit.
"Y-You... "
The face of Shinno on the Zero-Tails' body opened its mouth, actually recognizing Naruto's appearance, and seemed to want to say something.
But Naruto had no time to listen now.
He worked his jaw a bit, then opened his mouth wide towards the monster in front of him.
At the same time, several chains shot out from Naruto's mouth, swiftly binding the Zero-Tails' body.
Against a Chakra Construct like the Zero-Tails, the Adamantine Sealing Chains were undoubtedly the best choice.
Of course, originally the Adamantine Sealing Chains should extend from the back, but that was easy enough to solve.
Naruto had directly 'swallowed' a portion of the chains before, subsequently gaining the ability to create Adamantine Sealing Chains anywhere on his body.
And this preparation was precisely for a situation like today.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Although Shinno seemed to have lost his sanity, he also seemed to understand that the fate awaiting him might not be friendly and began struggling fiercely.
But no matter how hard he struggled, he was always bound tightly by the chains and was being pulled bit by bit towards Naruto's mouth.
…
On the other side.
Karin directly used wind to carry Sasuke back to the pipe entrance. They could use Chakra here again now, so next, they just needed to let Sasuke use Chakra Adhesion to run up.
"Hey, you, aren't you worried about Naruto-san?"
Karin hadn't seen the final look exchanged between the two, so she was somewhat annoyed with the silent Sasuke.
Even though the two had just fought side by side.
Sasuke glanced at her upon hearing this, then continued running upwards without saying a single word.
That look seemed to say he disdained answering such a foolish question.
"Hey! You-"
And so, with one talking and one silent, they returned to the upper level and briefed Jiraiya on the situation in the power room.
Jiraiya, in turn, updated them on what had just happened.
The new enemy chose to escape with their companion rather than stay and fight with superior numbers.
This indicated that this place was probably truly dangerous.
"Since Naruto said so-"
Jiraiya has great confidence in Naruto.
This wasn't because he understood Naruto so well.
On the contrary, it was precisely because Naruto was, in Jiraiya's view, full of mysteries.
Even with Naruto's explanations, every time Naruto acted, it still refreshed Jiraiya's understanding.
Learning the Rasengan instantly was like this, dealing with Orochimaru was like this, producing those miraculous Devil Fruits was still like this.
He also believed that Naruto wouldn't do anything he wasn't sure about.
"Then next-"
As he spoke, Jiraiya was about to splatter ink to create birds capable of flight to carry everyone.
"No need for such trouble~"
Karin interrupted him first, then directly transformed back into her giant bird form.
"Oh? I forgot you had this ability too, Karin."
Actually, he hadn't forgotten.
Jiraiya knew that Karin didn't like being treated as a mount.
-Unless that person was Naruto.
So, he had intentionally not brought it up.
"Get on!"
Perhaps it was the time they had spent together, but Karin had actually subtly accepted Sasuke as a new comrade. She didn't show any sign of contempt.
Sasuke, on the other hand, cared even less.
The next moment, Garuda's wind blades sliced open the control room door, and then the giant bird flew out, circling high above to look down at the Ancor Vantian, which was already beginning to experience power instability below.
Inside the power room, the fortress began to tilt to one side due to power failure. Debris and fragments around the room all started floating.
But this couldn't affect what was happening in the center.
"Burp-"
As the last bit of Chakra was swallowed by Naruto, the power core, which had been on the verge of explosion, began to gradually die down.
Having lost the Zero-Tails, the Ancor Vantian's power furnace now only had a portion of residual energy left to use.
This aerial aircraft carrier was soon going to crash.
But Naruto had no time to worry about that now.
"You brat, you're really something else-"
Kurama had watched the entire process of Naruto swallowing the Zero-Tails. To be honest, as another Chakra Being, he actually felt a sense of empathy.
'If Naruto did this to the other Tailed Beasts...'
Naruto, however, paid no attention to Kurama.
Because at this moment, his mind was flooded with countless malicious thoughts.
'Kill, plunder, destroy!'
The Zero-Tails was a product born from Dark Chakra and the evil in people's hearts. Before the Baku Baku Factory could completely digest it, this malevolent influence would continuously affect Naruto.
He opened his eyes, and the whites had turned completely black. An ominous Chakra also leaked out around his body.
Although this incessant whispering couldn't truly brainwash Naruto, it did have some effect on his mental state.
Boom!
Just because something was blocking half his path, Naruto somewhat uncontrollably threw a fierce punch, completely crushing that mechanical equipment into scrap metal.
But this further damaged the stability of the surrounding power room. The already scarce energy leaked another portion.
Frowning and smacking his lips, Naruto then seemed to sense something and spat to the side.
Thud.
It was Shinno, who has completely separated from the Zero-Tails, revealed in his true form, now looking like a completely withered old man.
But it could be considered a blessing in disguise, as he had regained consciousness.
"You... you monster!"
Shinno looked at Naruto in terror, as if gazing upon some indescribable entity.
While fused with the Zero-Tails, he could still observe everything around him.
What was it like to witness oneself being eaten alive with one's own eyes without any resistance?
Right now, however, Naruto couldn't be bothered with this old fool. He was still operating the Baku Baku no Mi's ability at full capacity, intending to completely 'assimilate' the Zero-Tails.
Then Shinno saw the Dark Chakra around Naruto's body, somewhat similar to his own previous state, rapidly condense into arms identical to the Zero-Tails'.
Those hands just unintentionally brushed past his body, and he felt the Chakra within him, already dried up, being sucked away once more...
By the time Naruto finished digesting, what he saw was a completely 'desiccated corpse' version of Shinno.
Boom!
"Oh… almost forgot about this."
The huge tremor made Naruto realize the fortress was in the middle of falling.
He didn't hesitate, directly charging up and punching through the wall of the core power room.
The howling wind rushed in from the tunnel created by the punch.
But Naruto's Observation Haki sensed something else.
Below the Ancor Vantian was precisely the hot spring town they had visited earlier.
"Ah… This is bad-"