"Boom—"
The entire massive and magnificent fortress, built with the ancient Land of Sky's technology, let out a deafening explosion.
Huge cracks spread across its main structure like a spiderweb, countless parts and fragments peeled off from the sky, and the internal power systems exploded one after another, with flames and thick smoke soaring into the sky!
The fortress lost its ability to float and began to tilt, accelerating its descent towards Amaryu's Village below and the broader mountain forests. A shadow enveloped the land, and desperate cries came from the Village below.
Such a massive object falling from a great height would cause catastrophic destruction!
"The—the fortress is falling!"
"It's over! The Village is going to be flattened!"
Amaryu watched the ever-enlarging shadow of death in the sky, her face drained of color.
"Wait, it looks like there's someone on the ancient ruins?"
Amaryu couldn't help but widen her eyes, then rubbed them. After her teacher Shinno faked his death, she wondered if she was hallucinating.
Naruto stood like a god above the Sky Fortress, his golden short hair fluttering without wind, and the space around him began to slightly distort, emitting a faint green light!
"He—what does he want to do?"
Sasuke and Sakura supported each other, leaving the main hall and standing at the end of a broken corridor, looking at Naruto in the sky with shock, completely unable to comprehend this unfamiliar power.
Naruto slowly opened his eyes, which glowed with an emerald luster.
He slowly raised his hands towards the enormous, sky-obscuring fortress.
"Superpower: Psychokinesis—Maximum Output!"
To be precise, it was this Shadow Clone's maximum psychokinesis output.
Tatsumaki's superpower, for example, could even drag the Monster Association out from underground and deflect attacks powerful enough to cleave off a continental plate.
While the Sky Fortress was magnificent, it was still far inferior to the Monster Association hidden deep underground.
"Hmph!!!"
An invisible yet immense psychokinesis, powerful enough to shake heaven and earth, instantly enveloped the entire descending Sky Fortress like the hand of God.
The colossal object's downward momentum suddenly stalled!
It was as if it had crashed into an incredibly tough and massive invisible sponge.
Countless collapsing fragments were instantly frozen in mid-air.
"Rise!"
Naruto let out a low shout, a slight sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead, his expression gradually turning serious.
The psychokinesis enveloping the fortress began to operate with precision; it wasn't forcibly lifting it, but rather acting like a giant cushion and guide, evenly distributing, bearing, and neutralizing the terrifying downward kinetic energy, while guiding the fortress to change its posture, from tilting to relatively stable.
Under Amaryu's dumbfounded gaze, as if witnessing a miracle, the colossal fortress, which should have destroyed everything, slowed its descent more and more, becoming steadier and steadier. Finally, like a light feather, it landed silently and smoothly in an empty mountain valley far from the Village.
It didn't even kick up much dust!
The entire process was filled with a sense of extreme power control, defying the laws of physics.
Silence!
A deathly silence enveloped the land.
Moments later, the euphoria of survival and exclamations of disbelief erupted like a volcano.
"We—we're saved?!"
"It's that blond boy, he seems to be from Konoha Village too."
"The fortress didn't fall, it landed smoothly, we're saved, that's great."
"God! Is he a god?!"
The villagers released from the Sky Fortress prison were so excited that tears streamed down their faces as they hugged each other and cheered.
Naruto retracted his superpower, feeling quite depleted, and slowly descended from mid-air onto the grass.
"I probably won't last much longer before dissipating," this Shadow Clone thought to himself.
It was perfect; after dissipating, the memories would be fed back to the main body.
Amaryu ran to Naruto, who had landed steadily, and was so excited she was incoherent. She bowed deeply, tears streaming uncontrollably: "This—this lord, thank you! Thank you for saving the Village! Thank you—"
The faint green light around Naruto slowly receded. He smiled and helped Amaryu up: "It's alright, don't worry. No Sky Ninja will bother you again."
His gaze went past Amaryu and landed on Sasuke, who was standing not far away.
Sasuke came down from the Sky Fortress, his face pale, his eyes filled with extreme complexity.
He looked at Naruto, at the guy who used to be called a dead-last by his classmates, now possessing god-like power, effortlessly accomplishing things he wouldn't even dare to imagine.
The disparity in power was no longer something that could be bridged by effort and talent; it was a chasm of different dimensions.
His pride, his persistence, seemed so ridiculous and pale in the face of absolute power.
Revenge? Reviving the Uchiha?
Could he truly achieve it with his current self?
Sasuke couldn't help but feel lost.
He had clearly, and fortunately, awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan during this mission, but he felt no joy.
An unprecedented sense of confusion and longing gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.
He needed power, he craved power immensely!
And right before him stood a shortcut that might lead to true power—
Sasuke's heart struggled violently.
To bow to Naruto?
To learn from him?
This was undoubtedly a huge humiliation to the dignity of Uchiha Sasuke.
But if he couldn't gain power, all his dignity and pride would be meaningless.
Ultimately, the extreme craving for power overcame everything.
Under Sakura Haruno's astonished gaze, Sasuke walked step by step to Naruto. He lowered his head, his fists clenched, his body trembling slightly from unwillingness and determination.
Then, he made a gesture that surprised everyone—Sasuke bowed deeply, and with a trembling yet incredibly firm voice, he said:
"Naruto—please—teach me how to become stronger!"
"Please teach me—true Ninjutsu!!"
At these words, the entire place was stunned!
Amaryu and Sakura both covered their mouths, looking at the scene before them in disbelief.
Uchiha Sasuke, who had always been arrogant, aloof, and never bowed to anyone, would actually so earnestly, even humbly, bow to Naruto and ask to be his disciple!
Naruto looked at Sasuke, who was kneeling before him, his usual smile gradually receding, becoming calm and profound.
He saw the struggle and humiliation in Sasuke's eyes, but more than that, the almost bursting, extreme craving for power.
He was silent for a moment, then finally spoke slowly: "I don't take disciples. You and I are about the same age; taking you as a disciple would make me seem very old, wouldn't it?"
Sasuke's body trembled, and he lowered his head even further, but he did not retort.
"However—"
Naruto reached out and placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
"If you acknowledge me as your Big Brother and become my younger brother, it's not impossible for a Big Brother to give some pointers when his younger brother is so weak."