Frozen in time?
What kind of description is that? Naruto wondered, taking the Karasuki from Sasuke's hands. He examined the ice crystals coating it. Raising his hand, he intended to strike the strange-looking ice, curious if he could break it. But when he put his strength into it, nothing happened. Not even a crack.
Naruto then tried a barrage of other attacks!
...
Ten minutes later, the entire gymnasium was in complete disarray.
Naruto stared at the [Ōtsutsuki Divine Tool] Karasuki on the ground, still perfectly intact, the ice crystals showing no signs of melting or breaking. He couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
"What do we do now?"
Beside him, Sasuke, his face drawn and grim, was clearly pondering the same question.
Why had the divine Karasuki suddenly become frozen in time? What exactly was going on? This meant that those who had been brought to this new era by the recent chaos now had no way to return to their own time.
Sasuke reached out and absorbed the Karasuki directly into his palm. Then, he turned to leave.
"I need to figure out what's going on!"
"Is Orochimaru still in the Sound Village?"
Orochimaru? Was Sasuke really considering going to find Orochimaru now?
Naruto nodded. "He is."
"Maybe if we give this thing to Orochimaru to study, he'll be able to figure something out. I'm going to find him."
With that, Sasuke vanished instantly. This time, he didn't even bother with the Flying Thunder God Technique, relying instead on his innate teleportation ability to leave the Hidden Leaf Village.
His body shot into the sky, heading directly towards the Sound Village.
Two figures followed closely behind: Jūgo and Kimimaro. They had been lurking around the Hidden Leaf for days, and finally, they had the opportunity to follow Sasuke back to the Sound Village. Both seemed excited at the prospect.
It had been a very long time since their last visit to the Sound Village.
After Sasuke left, Rasa couldn't help but smile faintly.
"It seems we won't be able to return for a while."
Beside him, White Fang, looking somewhat disappointed, sighed. "Indeed, but… for us, this might not be such a bad thing, right?"
Rasa was momentarily surprised. Was this man thinking the same thing he was?
"Having a little more time to spend with our loved ones isn't so bad."
Hearing this, Rasa chuckled softly. "True."
Naruto looked at White Fang. "White Fang-senpai, Fourth Kazekage, I'm sorry we can't send you back to your time right away."
"But the situation is still unclear, so if possible, please…"
"Naruto, I want to take my father back to the village to see it."
Gaara's request seemed perfectly reasonable, but Naruto felt uneasy about allowing them to leave. After all, the Fourth Kazekage didn't belong in this era.
Yet, he couldn't easily refuse Gaara's request either.
"Being able to see the village one last time before we leave would mean no regrets," Rasa said with a smile, cutting off Naruto before he could voice his concerns.
Naruto was left speechless, realizing he had no choice but to agree.
Rasa glanced at Gaara.
"By the way, Gaara, remember to bring Shukaku with you when we leave."
Bring Shukaku?
"No, Lord Fourth, you can't take Shukaku!" Shikamaru interjected. He had a nagging feeling that the Fourth Kazekage had ulterior motives. The subtle hostility he sensed from the Kazekage towards the Hidden Leaf was something Shikamaru couldn't ignore.
If Shukaku were taken away, who knew what they might use him for? Moreover, Shukaku didn't belong in this era either and needed to be returned to his original time as soon as possible.
"No?" Rasa challenged. "This Hidden Leaf ninja, Shukaku belongs to the Sand Village. I may not be from this era, but Shukaku isn't either!"
"It's only right that I take custody of him and bring him back to my time when we leave. What's wrong with that?"
His words weren't entirely unreasonable.
But Naruto still didn't agree with the Fourth Kazekage and Gaara taking Shukaku.
"We'll keep Shukaku safe for you. When it's time for you to return, we'll send him back with you," Shikamaru insisted.
However, Rasa's gaze instantly turned cold.
"Keep him safe for us? Only to end up handing him over to your Hokage?" Rasa glared at Naruto, his anger palpable.
Shukaku, who originally belonged to the Sand Village, was now within Naruto, the only jinchūriki of this era. Such a thing would have been absolutely unthinkable in the past.
The change in Rasa's eyes seemed to drop the temperature in the room, as if a sudden chill had swept through.
Naruto turned his gaze to Gaara. "Gaara, do you really…"
"I support my father's decision. Naruto, Shukaku belongs to the Sand Village."
Hearing the words "Sand Village" again, Naruto was momentarily taken aback. It seemed that the so-called Allied Shinobi Village was ultimately just a fragile construct built on his overwhelming personal strength. No one dared to openly oppose him, leaving them with no choice but to compromise.
But even so, if they could just hold on for a few more decades, the new generation of ninjas would grow up with the understanding that all shinobi were united. Then, major conflicts between villages might become a thing of the past. At most, there would be some minor friction during the annual Five Kage Summit, but nothing beyond acceptable limits.
But now… Even Gaara didn't seem to fully embrace the idea of the Allied Shinobi Village. Naruto couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. Was it all just wishful thinking?
"Fine," Naruto conceded. "We'll keep Shukaku safe until Sasuke fixes that thing. Then, we'll send Shukaku and my father back to their own time."
Gaara wasn't particularly concerned about Shukaku's power anymore. But Shukaku undeniably belonged to the Sand Village. Back then, Naruto and the Sage of Six Paths had made the decision to gather all the tailed beasts and hand them over to Naruto without consulting the other villages. This had long been a source of unspoken dissatisfaction among the other villages. Now, Gaara wanted to make it clear to Naruto that Shukaku belonged to the Sand Village and that even if Naruto intended to use him, he should at least consult the Sand Village first.
"Alright, Gaara. I hope you'll remain rational," Naruto said.
Hearing this, Gaara nodded. "Don't worry, I will." With that, he turned and left.
At that moment, White Fang and the others silently sighed. Today's events had created a subtle rift, a crack in the foundation of their alliance. The Allied Shinobi Village had never truly become one in spirit.
Just then, several ninjas suddenly appeared behind them using the Body Flicker Technique.
A Water Division ANBU knelt before Mei. "Lord Mizukage, something terrible has happened! The deceased Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have appeared in the village and are staging a coup, supported by a group of elders who want to restore the old Hidden Mist Village!"
What? Mei's eyes narrowed sharply. The deceased Seven Ninja Swordsmen? Appearing in the Hidden Mist Village?
"Lord Raikage," another ANBU reported, this one from the Cloud Village, "the deceased Cloud traitors, the Gold and Silver Brothers, have also appeared in the Hidden Cloud Village, doing the same thing. They've allied with a group of ninjas who want to restore the old Hidden Cloud and are staging a coup!"
Darui's expression turned grim.
Kurotsuchi looked at her village's ANBU. "Don't tell me the Hidden Stone Village is also…"
The Earth Division ANBU nodded with difficulty. "Yes…"
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