Chapter 130: The Miracle of the Nine-Tails Mode

When Naruto tracked Hinata's trail, he found himself in a remote area outside the Hidden Leaf Village.

Naruto recognized the location instantly; it was a secret site where he had once experimented with spiritual mechanical weapons. In his memories, he was the only one who had ever brought Hinata here. It seemed that when Hinata was attacked, her instinct to seek a safe haven had led her to this place. Once a serene spot with lush mountains and clear waters, it was now a scene of utter devastation. The ground was scarred by the impact of various jutsu, and the surrounding vegetation lay shattered and strewn about.

Anbu ninjas lay scattered across the ground, stripped of their former vitality. Discarded ninja tools littered the area, a testament to the ferocity of the battle. Even the rocky, barren earth, where trees rarely took root, now bore saplings that had forced their way through the soil, only to be snapped, charred, or pulverized by the collateral damage of the skirmish.

"Naruto... go... support the Hokage..."

An Anbu operative, wearing a mask, lay weakly on the ground. Seeing Naruto arrive, he spoke in a fading, breathless voice, "He and Elder Danzo... are facing that monster alone... that monster is... too strong."

Naruto felt a tightening in his chest as he looked at the ninja. He recognized the operative by his codename: Tenzō. In Kakashi's absence, Tenzō had been the one who surveilled him more than anyone else. Naruto knelt down and asked gently, "Tenzō, what exactly happened?"

Tenzō wheezed with difficulty, gasping out, "We tracked Lady Hinata's trail to this place and engaged the steel monster. It was immensely powerful; we were no match for it. We were useless... the Hokage and Elder Danzo are forced to fight it alone... Naruto, go quickly, they need your help."

Tenzō’s condition was gruesome. One arm and one leg were missing, and a pool of blood spread alarmingly beneath him. Where his limbs had been severed, crude, makeshift wooden prosthetics had been attached to hold his body together. A massive, gaping wound tore through his torso, exposing his internal organs in a scene too horrific to witness. That Tenzō could still muster the strength to speak, and with such relative clarity, left Naruto inwardly stunned; he had never realized Tenzō possessed such formidable life force.

*Among the Anbu, there are certainly many with powerful vitality,* Naruto mused to himself, *but to see someone so critically wounded still able to hold on like this is truly astonishing.*

Scanning the battlefield, Naruto could sense that many of the others were still alive, though they were unconscious and suffering from wounds so grave they would soon perish without immediate aid. With a helpless sigh, Naruto quickly formed a series of hand seals. Golden Nine-Tails chakra surged, enveloping his body. He manipulated giant chakra hands, extending them toward each of the fallen.

Under the infusion of that powerful life force, the shattered bodies of the ninjas began to repair themselves rapidly; wounds closed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Tenzō’s recovery was the most dramatic. With a sharp *snap*, the makeshift wooden prosthetics fell away from his wounds. Immediately, healthy flesh and bone surged forth, growing back until the skin was as pristine as an infant's. Though Naruto could not see Tenzō’s face beneath the mask, he could clearly feel the man’s overwhelming shock.

*This... how is this possible?* Tenzō thought, struck with disbelief.

In mere minutes, the dozen or so Anbu ninjas on the field were fully restored. They stood up one by one, staring at their own sound bodies with incredulous eyes, their masks hiding expressions of profound astonishment.

"Lord Naruto, this is..." The Anbu ninjas were so shocked they forgot the cold, detached tone expected of them, their voices filled with newfound reverence.

"This is the true power of Kurama," Naruto explained with a calm demeanor. "I can instantly adapt my chakra to suit others and replenish them. It includes a powerful Yang-attribute force that naturally restores the life force you have lost."

"What is Kurama?" one of the Anbu asked, driven by curiosity.

"Kurama is the Nine-Tails," Naruto said. "So many years have passed, and not only are you ignorant of Kurama’s power, you don't even know his true name. Even if you view Kurama as a strategic weapon, and us jinchuriki as mere buttons to activate that weapon... isn't it a bit negligent to not even understand the full status of the weapon itself?"

Though Naruto’s words were polite, every Anbu present understood the underlying rebuke regarding their cowardice and their utter lack of concern for the jinchuriki. Many hung their heads in shame, filled with remorse. They recalled their past coldness and fear toward the jinchuriki, and in the face of Naruto’s overwhelming power, they felt the weight of their dereliction of duty. Others looked at Naruto with eyes that held not just gratitude and admiration, but a sense of self-reflection.

Naruto had no interest in dissecting their thoughts. With a wave of his hand, he said decisively, "Let’s go! We have to save the Third Hokage!"

"Yes!" the Anbu replied in unison. Their voices were crisp and resonant, filled with determination. They did not even realize how swiftly and naturally they had responded to his command.

As they followed Naruto’s orders, they did so with the same lack of hesitation they would have shown the Hokage. Perhaps, in their subconscious, they had already naturally accepted Naruto as the next leader of the village. After all, the raw strength and decisive nature Naruto had displayed made them feel an involuntary sense of trust and reliance.

...

One step, two steps, three steps...

Hinata remained hidden in the shadows of the forest, tense and focused, silently counting the footsteps of the formidable enemy. That powerful, chilling aura surged closer like a tide, and the world seemed to be compressed under an invisible, crushing weight. The grass and trees stood frozen as if under a binding spell, and the sky seemed shrouded in a dim, gray veil.

Once, such suffocating pressure would have filled Hinata with terror. Now, her heart was filled only with calm and precise calculation.

The footsteps drew nearer, and Hinata could hear her own heartbeat accelerating, the drum-like rhythm piercing the silence. She knew better than to use the Byakugan’s Echo technique to monitor the enemy, as it would be detected instantly. However, she could use the abilities inherent in her bloodline to lay a trap for him.

As she thought this, a flicker of resolve crossed her eyes. For instance...

*BOOM!* A violent explosion rocked the area, and fire and lightning intertwined in a brilliant, dangerous display.

"Hit!"

Hinata felt a surge of relief, a mixture of tension and joy. She immediately raised her fist and tapped it lightly against the tree trunk in front of her, slowly channeling her chakra into it. Then, like a nimble deer, she shifted her position, her movements light and decisive.

"Hinata! Stay strong! Keep calm!"

Watching the two figures hidden in the forest shadows not far away, Hinata whispered to herself, "You are on your own now! You must protect the Third Hokage and defeat the enemy!"