NHRK Chapter 69

Naruto had fought Nagato before. He’d fought pain.

Back then, having just learnt Sage Mode, he still could not beat him in time before it ran out. He had Kurama to bail him out then.

Now Kurama was no longer with him, but he didn’t need him any longer. Even just having had most of his blood displaced, he was already healing, regenerating, and soon he would be back to full strength.

Even weakened, Naruto more than liked his chances still.

“Pain,” Naruto addressed, “It pains me to see an Uzumaki this diminished before me.”

Huh, he made an unintentional pun. That was always nice.

For a moment, Pain’s puppets froze in place.

“What do you know of me, Naruto Hagoromo?” his hoarse voice scratched against the wind.

“I know enough,” Naruto muttered.

Pain wasted no more time.

“Shinra Tensei,” his Deva Path puppet roared.

Naruto…simply stood where he was as the force of being repelled hit him.

He did not move.

For a moment, there was silence, as both Konan and Nagato blinked at their adversary, wondering why he hadn’t been blasted away.

Konan was the first to break the silence.

“Again?” she asked Nagato.

“Shira–” Nagato started, but he did not finish.

“--Tensei,” Naruto whispered.

And the force of a mountain came crashing against all of Pain’s bodies as well as Nagato and Konan.

All were blasted outside of their ivory tower, landing on the water streets in the residential area.

For the first time in their lives, the civilians of Ame laid eyes on the visage of their true leader, at least, the ones who were watching nervously from the windows and rafters.

They did not identify him immediately, for how can such a weak-looking, sickly man be the one to inspire so much fear?

Then Pain’s bodies surrounded Nagato like bodyguards, and it became clear once he gestured for one of them to engage their enemy.

Nagato and Konan were regathering their bearings, a spike of fear shot through them at what they’d just witnessed.

“Im..Impossible,” Nagato coughed.

The Asura path body that was sent to engage was immediately obliterated by a rasenshuriken, and pain felt his chakra lurch as already one of his bodies was put down.

“I’m sorry that I do not have the time to honour this fight for longer, but frankly, I did not respect your methods once, I will not do so again,” Naruto said.

His soul sense, now that he levelled it on Nagato, came back dark grey, showing just how corrupt he already became. When he looked towards Konan, however, he was surprised that she was significantly lighter grey than her friend. A lot lighter than he expected from a core member of the terrorist organisation.

“Hmm…you know, the old scrolls always said that a person with god’s eyes would either come to this world to bless it, or destroy it,” Naruto muttered, “It’s a shame that you chose the latter.”

“You do not know my pain,” Nagato said.

“Oh…but I do,” Naruto responded, taking off his blindfold.

Both Konan and Nagato felt their heart drop as their worst fears were confirmed.

Another.

Another being with the Rinnegan.

“Im–Impossible,” Nagato’s hoarse voice croaked.

“You already said that,” Naruto smiled.

It was not a smile of sympathy.

Pain unleashed all of his bodies, making no mistake to probe their opponent again. Whoever this was, he was not to be tested any longer.

Konan joined the bodies.

Yet, even with all of the bodies’ coordination, with Konan’s prowess of her hidden jutsu, the clash only lasted for twenty two seconds.

Nothing worked against Naruto Hagoromo. For every repulsive push, he sent his own, for every animal set against him, he freed their subservient bindings and sent them home, for every syphon of chakra he tried to take, Naruto took back.

Konan’s paper jutsu was deadly, but Naruto’s rasenshuriken shredded them like scissors.

It did not take long for pain’s five puppet bodies to lay strewn in various places, damaged and dead beyond all recognition. Konan was surprisingly left unharmed, but a strange seal was placed upon her to prevent her from moving.

“Stop,” Nagato said, as Naruto stepped closer and closer.

“Stop,” he commanded.

Naruto did not listen.

“STOP!” Nagato roared, choosing to not believe his eyes and the reality laid before him in an instant.

How did it go so wrong so quickly?

He was the god in this world. The one who triumphed over Hanzo of the salamander. The one who ruled Rain with an iron grip. The figurehead of the Akatsuki.

He coughed out blood, and to his shock, Naruto did stop from his latest command.

Nagato dragged his eyes upwards to Naruto’s, Rinnegan meeting Rinnegan.

“Those eyes are killing you, Nagato,” Naruto said.

It was like the words had slapped him.

“You’re…you’re wrong,” he croaked between another onslaught of raking coughs.

“It was given to you by Madara Uchiha,” Naruto said, freezing him in place, “he thought that your Uzumaki blood would be able to handle it. To an extent, he was right.”

Nagato let out another cry, creating one last jutsu from his own, nearly broken body.

“Chibaku–”

He could not finish his words as Naruto’s fist broke his jaw, snapping his head to the side and sent him to the floor.

“Do not make me do this,” Naruto said.

“I will never stop,” Nagato got out as he tried to stop his head from spinning.

“Pl–pl–please,” a voice said from behind Naruto.

He paused, his Rinnegan eyes looking back to the paralyzed Konan.

He was surprised at her tenacity as the paralysis seal should’ve frozen all her nerves and muscles in place, effectively turning her into a statue.

Naruto flicked his wrist, and a tug of gravity pulled the tag from Konan’s forehead.

She immediately made her way to Nagato and wrapped her arms around him.

“Let…go…of me,” Nagato muttered, almost deliriously.

“He’s…he’s confused,” Konan said, “his deteriorating health has made him delirious. He wasn’t always like this.”

Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

In another timeline, where Pain’s health wasn’t as bad as it was now, he’d have turned Konoha into a crater.

Yet, despite his deeds in Naruto’s old world, he did have the mercy to bring the casualties he caused back to life in exchange for his own.

Back then, Naruto had done his infamous talk-no-jutsu, and had turned Pain’s world view for the better.

Now, Naruto would try again, granting him the same mercy.

So for the next ten minutes, he did.

He spoke of a vision of the world where all were united in understanding of one another, of a peace that seemed to be a pipe dream. He spoke of the Ninshu way and how his own progress with it was going.

“You see, Nagato, pain is not the only way. People do not need to suffer to be grateful for what they have. To be grateful for peace.” Naruto shook his head.

Nagato was silent throughout it all, but as Naruto expected, his declining health seemed to overtake his senses, and pain was quite ironically all that he knew.

Naruto stepped towards the dying man.

“Stop, please. Spare us,” Konan begged, her fearful eyes locked to his.

“All those that you killed to have your way. All that you annihilated for the sake of letting them know pain,” Naruto muttered, “did you grant them mercy?”

Konan’s teary eyes began to leak crimson waterfalls.

Yet, with a strength that she knew was just a front, a wasted effort, she stepped in front of Nagato.

“You will have to–”

Her words were interrupted as Naruto flashed towards her and reapplied the paralysis seal.

Her body was frozen in an image of shock, eyes wide and following the blond’s every movement, almost begging him to stop whatever it was that he was doing.

Naruto kneeled to Nagato, meeting his eyes.

“I will grant you one more chance at life,” Naruto declared, “You may not be worthy of it, but you will have it anyway.”

His finger drew eerily closer and closer to Nagato, who found himself unable to move, unable to resist.

“However, I must take your eyes from you,” Naruto said, “you do not deserve it, you cannot even handle its draw.”

Konan watched horrified as Nagato’s eyes were plucked out from its sockets.

She wanted to scream but her vocal chords now no longer obeyed her.

Yet, Nagato did not scream in pain. He looked…at peace?

It only took Naruto another second to take his other eyes as well, and like that, her long time friend was now blind.

Naruto closed Nagato’s eyelids and placed his palm on them. “This…this will be your redemption, Nagato Uzumaki.”

When he removed his palms, Konan’s horror was swallowed by shock.

In the recently vacated empty sockets of Nagato’s eyes, now laid ones of crystalline amethyst, violet and clear, so different from the Rinnegans that she always saw on him.

“Sleep,” Naruto commanded, and just like that, both Nagato and Konan were sent to the dreamworld.

Naruto sighed as he watched the two members of Akatsuki rendered unconscious before him, from a mere word.

It was bizarre, that someone that had given him so much trouble in his past world, someone that had destroyed Konoha by himself, was now just…someone else Naruto handled without effort.

It was understandable, after all the things he’d gone through for his strength, but it was a juxtaposition that made him realise just how much of the tragedy in his old world could have been prevented had he obtained this level of strength then.

Perhaps that was why he was sent here to this world. To fix things he couldn’t in the past.

He turned to gaze behind him, meeting the wide open eyes of Tsunade and Jiraiya.

Naruto chuckled at their expression.

“It’s time to go home, Tsunade-baachan, Ero-sennin,” he teased.

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Tsunade was almost mute the entire way home.

The pace they were taking was fast, and Naruto had opted not to use Hiraishin in order to allow her to settle her mind for returning to her home, yet she was eager to see the status of her apprentice and was concerned that she wasn’t as stable as Naruto claimed she was.

To which the boy had rolled his eyes and told her step by step the medical procedures they took to rid Shizune of the toxins in her body.

She didn’t want to admit it but internally she was impressed by his knowledge in the medicinal arts.

It was often an overlooked field, especially from hard hitting shinobi who would rather further their already plentiful ninjutsu arsenal rather than learn how to patch something more than just a basic wound.

The explanation he gave did calm her nerves somewhat, as it was exactly what she would have done in their place and circumstances, but she still had qualms over this…live transfusion of blood. From what he stated, his DNA was…special, and that he wasn’t completely sure that Shizune would not experience side effects from its properties, but should still be fine in health nonetheless.

All that did was make Tsunade worried.

Worried enough to get back home at near sprinting speeds.

“So about our bet…” Naruto commented.

Tsunade slipped off of her next branch.

Luckily, Naruto had the foresight to catch her by the waist and pull her in close to him, before allowing her to regain her footing.

Silence was all that answered Naruto for the next few minutes, Tsunade choosing to ignore him.

“Can we not forget that good Ol’ Jiraiya is right here?” Jiraiya said from beside them, eyebrows twitching.

“You’re just jealous that Tsunade-san isn’t sending me to orbit for attempting to flirt with her,” Naruto said.

“Oh? You think that if I truly put my will into it that Tsunade would not fall for my charms?” Jiraiya asked, puffing up his chest.

“The closest you’ll ever get is writing a fantasy novel about the gallant Jiraiya and his damsel, Tsunade,” Naruto chuckled.

“Oh please. Watch this. Hey Tsunade–”

He earned a punch that sent him flying through a few trees.

Now it was Tsunade who was looking pissed that they were talking about her as if she was invisible.

Naruto couldn’t contain his laughter and let out a snort at his old mentor’s misfortune.

“Don’t think you’re getting off scot-free, brat,” Tsunade grumbled, “if I didn’t need you alive to answer some questions, perhaps I would have sent you with him.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “When we get home, Hiruzen and I will explain some details about me. Then, you can decide whether or not you want to know the rest.”

Tsunade didn’t have anything to add to that.

“But if you’re also willing to go on a date, I’d love to spend some more time with you, Tsunade-san,” Naruto said.

“Stop this,” Tsunade growled, beginning to get annoyed, “You’re flirting with someone who’s literally more than twice your age, brat. It. Will. Never. Work.”

“Oh, but you’re considering it at the very least,” Naruto sighed wistfully, “whatever your wish, Lady Tsunade, but I will try my best to woo you regardless.”

“Tch,” Tsunade muttered.

Even Naruto had to admit that at this point he was laying it on pretty thick.

“I will have to inform you that I do have multiple partners waiting for me at home,” Naruto said.

“And they’re not enough for you?”

“Oh they are. If I had them as my wives, I’ll die a happy man,” Naruto said.

“Then why are you–”

“Because I think you deserve a second chance at love,” Naruto said, “and because you’re one of the most beautiful women in the entire elemental nations, so I had to try.”

“You know nothing about me,” Tsunade said.

Naruto held out his crystal necklace again, which made her pause. “I know more than you think, Tsunade-baachan.”

“If there is one thing that turns me off more than anything, it’s being called Granny,” Tsunade snarled, “and I don’t need a second chance. I’ve had my fill of love in life.”

“Noted, and I disagree,” Naruto responded. “I’ll show you one day, that your heart may still just have space for one more shot at it yet.”

Tsunade didn’t say anything to that, as Jiraiya joined them once more, sulking and rubbing his head.

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Kushina was writing up a fuinjutsu seal in her home office when she heard a knock on the door.

For a moment she thought it was Naruto, but it wasn’t his usual knocking pattern–a playful rhythmic tempo that never failed to make her smile.

That or he just Hiraishins to his room and showed up unannounced right when she was in the middle of cooking or something.

She got up to open the door, being cautious in the meantime. She had doubts anyone would be stupid enough to attack an Uzumaki in the middle of the village, in her own home no less, but you never know.

She peeked through the peephole, and all she saw was…red?

Odd, someone must be playing a prank on her…or her front door was sprayed with blood.

She held a kunai behind her back, ready to intercept any fool that tried to jump her as she opened the door carefully.

…only immediately picked up off her feet and disarmed before she could even react.

His smell was the first thing she noticed and it instantly calmed her racing thoughts.

It was no intruder.

She let out a laugh as Naruto twirled her around before putting her down.

He didn’t even give her the chance to say welcome home before he smothered her with a searing kiss.

Kushina could feel her toes curl up in her shoes and the butterflies that invaded her stomach with more intensity than she ever felt before.

It only took Naruto Hagoromo five seconds to make her feel light headed and on top of the world.

She moaned into the kiss as she felt his tongue let itself right in as if it owned the place. She let it roam, and Naruto didn’t take long to find just the perfect rhythm that made her knees weak.

Her arms found themselves around his neck before she even thought to command them. Naruto’s own arms snaked to her lower back, pulling her in and pressing her frame tightly against his.

He’d only been gone for just over a week and he acted like they’d been separated for years.

Granted, since over a year ago when he came into her life, she’d never left his side for more than a day, so it was understandable really.

It wasn’t as if she was at home counting the hours, minutes and seconds he was gone. Definitely–Definitely not.

It took them a few minutes of indulging themselves before they separated, panting and pressing their foreheads together.

“I’m home,” Naruto chuckled breathily, a playful twinkle in his eyes.

“I’m glad you’re back, Naruto,” Kushina almost dreamily sighed.

He stepped back, revealing something he had in his hands the whole time they’d kissed.

A bouquet of roses, signifying love and passion. The romantic kind.

Kushina smirked at the gesture and pretended as if her heart didn’t flutter and that she wasn’t absolutely collapsing upon herself in desire internally.

“Thank you, dear lover,” Kushina said, taking the flowers and making just the right amount of eye contact with him to drive him crazy.

With the way he paused and gulped, it worked.

“R–right,” Naruto said, “I–I was wondering if you have any free time this evening, miss. I’d like to take you on a date.”

Kushina tried to hide her blush.

Oh Kami, the moment she opened the gates for her former surrogate son to court her as a woman, he wasted no time in taking the first step.

She was flattered and not so secretly thrilled that he wanted her so badly.

“Well, I should check my schedule,” she laughed as he pouted.

She took a moment to pretend like she was thinking as she spied him squirming on the spot.

Having enough of her fun, she nodded. “Yes, it seems I do have enough time to spend with the most important man in the world to me.”

Naruto sagged in relief as his smile split his face. “Great! I’ll see you around five then? I’ve made arrangements, so it’ll be a surprise. Dress…however you want to dress, you look great in anything, my love.”

Kushina laughed. “Laying it on quite thick there, mister.”

Naruto blushed. He pulled her in once more, interrupting her giggles with another kiss, this time more passionate and loving.

It was enough to silence her before they separated once more.

Naruto leaned to the right, kissing her cheek then the nape of her neck, making her shiver, turning her playful mood on its head into one of…anticipation.

“I’ve waited so long for this, Kushina,” he whispered into her ear. “I will do this right, and I will never let you go once I have you.”

With that, he flashed away, seeming to head towards the Hokage tower according to her senses.

Kushina stood in place, getting the feeling back in her weak knees before she moved.

“Baka…you already had me since the moment you wanted me,” she muttered to herself.

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