Naruto lay on the ground, his body partially sunken into the dirt from the force of the attack.
Pain pulsed through him, his limbs aching from the impact.
Is Sakiya really this strong…?
The realization stung.
I'm still so far behind…
But.
Naruto's eyes sharpened, the corners shifting into an orange pattern, his pupils transforming into vertical slits.
"I won't go down that easily!"
Sakiya stood calmly, watching where Naruto had fallen, waiting.
She didn't need to rush—she was in control.
Then—
Boom!
The ground exploded, rubble flying in all directions as Naruto shot upward like a blur.
Jiraiya's sharp eyes caught the change instantly.
"He entered Sage Mode!"
A sudden realization struck him.
Back when Naruto was lying on the ground… he had a shadow clone still sitting there.
That's it!
He had already been preparing!
Jiraiya's lips curled into a smile.
"Tsunade, look closely. Naruto's in Sage Mode now."
Tsunade's eyes widened.
"Sage Mode!?"
She watched as Naruto's speed increased significantly.
"Even so…" Kakashi murmured, arms crossed as he observed.
"Naruto's stronger now, but it's still not enough."
Tsunade nodded slowly.
Sage Mode had closed the gap a little…
But against Sakiya, it still might not be enough.
Naruto knew that too.
But he didn't care.
He pushed off the ground—crack!—the dirt splitting beneath his feet as he launched forward, closing the distance between them in a blink.
Sakiya let out a small, amused hum.
"Oh? The second form of the Orange Demon Flame? Not bad!"
Raising one hand, she pointed toward the sky.
"The vast sea of distant stars… the blue abyss of obliteration!"
A soft chime rang out.
At her fingertip, a bright blue star ignited, shimmering like a distant celestial light.
As Naruto drew closer, Sakiya's lips curled into a serene smile.
Then, ever so gently, she lowered her finger—
And pointed directly at him.
"The Blue Radiance… Second Circle—Release."
A ripple spread through the air, like a stone skipping across water.
Naruto was moving at incredible speed—until he hit the shimmering halo.
The moment he touched it, his body slowed.
A strange energy wrapped around him, shaking his chakra, making it impossible to control.
His limbs felt heavy. He couldn't move.
Above him, a small, glowing light descended from the sky.
Like a falling star, it shimmered with a mesmerizing blue glow, twinkling as it drifted downward.
Naruto, trapped in place, could only watch as the mysterious light touched the glowing circle on the ground.
BOOM!
The light erupted, expanding into a wave of pure energy that surged forward like a crashing tide.
Naruto's entire body shook.
Move! MOVE!
He willed himself to break free—but nothing happened.
His muscles refused to respond.
The energy wave closed in—and swallowed him whole.
Then—
POOF!
A cloud of smoke burst where Naruto had been.
Tsunade and the others, watching from the sidelines, stared in shock.
Even Sakiya's normally calm face showed a flicker of surprise.
Wait—
Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet exploded.
Naruto shot upward—a fist aimed straight at her!
His eyes burned with determination.
Sakiya! Sorry!
His punch cut through the air, shockwaves rippling outward, aimed right at her face.
But—
Just before it connected—
A small palm snapped up.
Faster than his own fist.
SLAM!
Naruto's punch crashed into Sakiya's tiny hand.
A sudden burst of air blew through the battlefield, sending Naruto's headband ribbon fluttering, ruffling Sakiya's hair.
But his punch—his full-force punch—stopped dead in her palm.
Naruto's breath hitched.
No way…
He could feel it.
No matter how hard he pushed—he couldn't move her hand.
His heart pounded as his wide eyes locked onto Sakiya's expressionless, doll-like face.
Then—
She raised her own fist.
A small.
Calm.
Tiny fist.
A cold sweat trickled down Naruto's face.
Oh no…
The next moment, all Naruto could see was a small fist—which instantly grew into a giant one in his vision.
Too fast.
He had no time to react.
WHAM!
Naruto's face caved inward from the impact. His body shot backward like a ragdoll, spinning through the air for dozens of meters before slamming into the ground.
He skidded across the dirt, leaving a deep trail behind him—before finally coming to a stop.
. . . . .
Ten seconds later…
Naruto lay completely motionless.
Tsunade stared at the scene, and in her mind, she could almost see big, red letters flashing in front of her—
[K.O.!!!]
Jiraiya shook his head.
"It's over."
Kakashi sighed. "Naruto tried his best."
"Yeah," Jiraiya agreed. "He was smart about it. When he activated Sage Mode, the one that jumped at Sakiya was actually a shadow clone. The real Naruto used the chance to hide underground, waiting for an opening."
Jiraiya gave a small, helpless smile.
"But... he didn't expect that the moment he got close—he'd lose even faster."
Tsunade quickly made her way toward Naruto.
Meanwhile, Sakiya dusted off her hands, looking completely pleased with herself.
"Well..." She grinned. "I guess I'm still the strongest!"
She put her hands on her hips.
"The Orange Demon Flame is pretty strong too, but he's still way behind me."
Jiraiya and Kakashi approached her.
"You won, Sakiya," Jiraiya said.
Sakiya gave a bright, confident smile.
"Of course!"
"This battle was already decided from the start, wasn't it?"
Kakashi chuckled. "So… do you think he's ready?"
Sakiya put a hand on her chin, thinking.
After a moment, she gave a small nod.
"His strength… as a human, it's good enough."
At that moment, Tsunade returned, carrying Naruto's unconscious body.
After a quick check, she sighed in relief.
"She held back," Tsunade muttered.
Despite how brutal the punch had looked, Naruto had only suffered minor injuries—just some scratches and a light concussion.
He just needed rest.
With that, Tsunade dropped Naruto onto the ground with a thud and turned to Sakiya.
"So," she asked, "do you think Naruto can protect himself?"
Sakiya glanced at the unconscious Naruto—then shook her head.
"If the enemy is that so-called 'little god'... Naruto won't win."
She smiled brightly, turning back to Tsunade.
"But."
Sakiya's golden eyes sparkled.
"As long as I'm protecting him, even a hundred enemies stronger than that won't be able to lay a finger on him."
Tsunade studied her expression carefully.
After a long pause, she finally nodded.
"…I'll trust you. For now."
"But," she continued, "the Nine-Tails inside Naruto is still a risk. If it ever loses control..."
Sakiya tilted her head.
"Oh, you mean that little fox?"
Tsunade blinked.
"…You know about it?"
Sakiya smirked.
"Of course I do." She gave a confident shrug.
"And don't worry! The little fox can leave it to me. When the Orange Flame wakes up, I'll have a nice, friendly chat with him about it."
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi exchanged nervous glances.
Then they all turned back to Sakiya, who was still grinning.
"...Are you sure?" they asked, at the same time.
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