After Kurotsuchi returned to Iwagakure, she immediately went to see Ōnoki, bringing with her the letter he had written.
Inside the Tsuchikage's office, Ōnoki was busy reviewing documents.
Because of his previous statements about letting the Anbu operate freely, both Konoha and Sunagakure were dissatisfied.
After all, Naruto was originally from Konoha.
Ōnoki's attempt to recruit Naruto into Iwagakure had naturally angered the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
And as for Sunagakure, the situation was complicated as well—Rasa's daughter was already engaged to Naruto.
Ōnoki hadn't expected things to become this tangled.
He thought it was only a grudge between him and Konoha, but unexpectedly, Sunagakure had become involved too.
The Land of Earth bordered both the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire.
Offending both major nations at once was not a wise move.
After all, not everyone had the strength to face two—or even three—great ninja villages at the same time in a large-scale war.
But…
Ōnoki's expression suddenly sharpened.
Naruto possessed control over the Nine Tails and had unmatched power.
It was even said that he had defeated four Kage-level opponents at once.
If Naruto could be recruited into Iwagakure…
Wouldn't that mean gaining a power comparable to the Yellow Flash—no, perhaps even more terrifying than him?
He didn't know why, but when he thought about it, a memory flashed in his mind—of the Konoha shinobi he had met in his youth: Uchiha Madara.
Ōnoki had a feeling that Uzumaki Naruto's future would be no less than that of Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama.
If he could truly bring in such a super Kage-level powerhouse, offending Konoha and Sunagakure wouldn't matter.
Even if Cloud and Mist joined them, what difference would it make?
In front of an absolute powerhouse, as long as that person wasn't as soft-hearted or idealistic as Hashirama, the entire world could become his plaything.
At that moment, Kurotsuchi walked in from outside.
Ōnoki frowned, ready to scold whoever had entered without knocking—until he realized it was his granddaughter.
"Oh? Kurotsuchi, you're back?" he said, instantly softening.
Kurotsuchi looked annoyed and slammed the letter she was holding down on his desk, ready to speak the truth.
But before she could say anything, Ōnoki asked first, "Why didn't that brat come back with you? Or is he just a scoundrel?"
Thinking about Naruto, Kurotsuchi subconsciously blurted out, "He is a scoundrel!"
Ōnoki waved his hand, unconcerned by such a minor detail, and laughed heartily. "Hahaha~ Youth really is something! I already know what's going on with you two. Don't worry, I approve of your relationship."
"It's just… you need to bring him back here."
"That brat's taken everything, yet he doesn't even bother to come see his in-laws?"
The words that had been on Kurotsuchi's tongue were swallowed immediately.
Seeing the rare happiness on her grandfather's face, she fell silent.
Ever since Deidara had left Iwagakure, Ōnoki had rarely smiled like this.
This was the first time she had seen him so genuinely happy.
Was Naruto really that important to him?
Kurotsuchi suddenly felt a little down.
Sensing her silence, Ōnoki frowned and asked seriously, "Kurotsuchi, is that guy really a scumbag?"
Damn it—Ōnoki could accept her being with Naruto, but he couldn't accept Naruto not coming to Iwagakure afterward.
Wasn't that just being taken advantage of for nothing?!
Kurotsuchi pressed her lips together and said faintly, "He has important things to do. He might be… um… busy for a while."
Ōnoki nodded with satisfaction. "Well, with his level of power at such a young age, he must indeed be busy."
"In that case, I'm not in a hurry. As long as he comes to see me once his work is done."
Kurotsuchi: "…"
Meanwhile, Naruto and Karin originally planned to go straight to the Land of Snow.
But something unexpected happened along the way.
As everyone knew, the Land of Snow was located far away—across the sea, in a remote region.
And since Naruto's Flying Thunder God marks weren't spread throughout the world, he couldn't teleport there directly.
It would take time.
During their long journey, the two spent several days traveling together.
While resting between travels, Naruto began teaching Karin how to use the Nine Tails' chakra.
Because of Naruto's immense power and the strong seal he had placed, the small Nine Tails inside Karin cooperated obediently.
However, a problem soon appeared.
The chakra produced by Karin remained crimson red.
Only someone who could truly face their inner self and live according to their true heart could fully synchronize with the Nine Tails' chakra and make it their own.
Only then could the true power of the Nine Tails' chakra be unleashed—
The transformation into the Golden Form.
There were two main states of that form:
The first was the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
The second was Kurama Mode.
Although their names sounded similar, the difference between the two was vast.
Only those who truly understood themselves could enter the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
And only those who shared mutual understanding and trust with their Tailed Beast could enter Kurama Mode.
The gap between the two was enormous.
But right now, Karin couldn't even reach the first stage.
Moreover, her relationship with the small Nine Tails was… complicated.
Karin treated it well and had never mistreated it.
The issue was that the Nine Tails had only agreed to cooperate because Naruto had threatened it earlier.
Forced obedience could never lead to true understanding.
Even Kurama inside Naruto still couldn't fully comprehend Naruto himself.
But that was a problem for later.
Right now, the issue was that Karin couldn't enter the first stage—she could only use the red Nine Tails chakra in its raw, unstable form.
And since the small Nine Tails didn't have much chakra to begin with, it couldn't last long.
So Naruto decided to change their destination for the time being.
He planned to take Karin to the Falls of Truth.
He had purchased information about this place from a black market exchange.
After several days of traveling across mountains and seas, they finally arrived at their destination.
The moment Naruto saw the waterfall, he marked a hidden spot nearby with his Flying Thunder God seal—essentially unlocking a teleportation point for future use.
After all, even Sasuke would need this place one day to face his inner self, unless he could already live truly by his heart like Naruto.
"This is it," Naruto said, pointing at a stone in the center of the waterfall. "Once you sit there, your true heart will be reflected."
Karin looked uneasy. "Naruto… maybe we should forget it. I'm a little scared…"
"Don't worry," Naruto said gently, taking her hand. "No matter what happens, I'll be right here with you."
Karin hesitated for a moment. "What if you see my true self… and start to hate me?"
Naruto smiled. "That won't happen, Karin. I'll never give up on you."
Encouraged by his words, Karin finally gathered her courage and sat down on the rock.
Moments later, a shadowy figure appeared in the reflection of the Falls of Truth—
And with it came an overwhelming surge of hostility…
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