Naruto led the Allied Shinobi Forces to the Valley Road outside Paradise. Seeing that the mountain path was too narrow for the army to pass through, he made a decisive judgment.
"Then we flatten it!"
A sharp light flashed in Naruto Uzumaki's Rinnegan.
Pale blue chakra erupted forth, taking the form of a Perfect Susanoo towering before the Allied Army. The colossal warrior drew the great blade at its waist and swung.
Boom!
The two mountains sealing the path, along with the surrounding peaks, crumbled under the sweeping slash.
Only the stone wall at the original end of Valley Road remained standing alone, no more than ten men tall.
The army advanced unhindered and stopped before the wall.
According to Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, this stone wall marked the entrance to Paradise.
"Naruto, my soul is currently residing within you, allowing you to share my summoning contract with the First Gate of Paradise. All you need to do is form the summoning seals. Add Rat and Horse to the beginning and end of the standard summoning sequence."
"Got it, Six Paths Grandpa!"
Naruto took a deep breath and formed the seven seals in one fluid motion.
Rat – Boar – Dog – Rooster – Monkey – Ram – Horse.
Then he crouched and slammed his palm onto the ground.
—Summoning Technique: Gate of Paradise!
Hum!
An ancient gate trimmed with golden pillars and beams rose before them.
A dazzling brilliance streamed through the narrowing gap as the twin doors slowly opened.
Aside from Naruto, the Kage and the shinobi behind him all shielded their eyes.
"Ugh! Is this an enemy technique!?"
Naruto stood firmly at the front.
"Don't panic! It's just sunlight! I can sense it clearly—there are no enemies lying in ambush on the other side!"
"Everyone! Follow me into the enemy's nest!"
Naruto charged in first.
Behind him, eighty thousand shinobi poured through the Gate of Paradise in a continuous stream.
The thunder of marching feet continued for a full ten minutes before finally subsiding.
Once the last soldier entered, the Gate of Paradise rumbled shut and vanished.
They were now cut off from the outside world.
Blue sky, lush trees, and breathtaking scenery stretched before them.
The Allied Army stood in stunned silence.
"My god… there really is a hidden world behind a single gate!"
"A shinobi village was secretly built in a place like this?"
"Developing in secret, outside the oversight of the Five Great Nations, until it required a coalition army to suppress…"
"Just thinking about it is terrifying!"
Kurotsuchi thought:
So this is Jin's home.
I've wanted to visit forever, but he always used Grandpa as an excuse to turn me down.
Honestly, with scenery like this, maybe he was afraid I'd never want to leave.
And he'd be right.
Mei Terumi thought:
Jin once told me that the White Zetsu responsible for gathering intelligence operate in twin pairs.
The outer unit scouts, while the inner unit relays information.
The moment Naruto killed that scout, the village should already have received word.
By now, they've surely completed their preparations.
Naruto thought:
The natural energy here is incredibly dense—on par with Mount Myōboku itself.
For a sacred place like this to be turned into a demon's lair by Uchiha Jin is unforgivable.
After this battle, I'll nationalize this land.
I'll ask the Fire Daimyō, Madoka Ichikyū, and the other daimyō to ensure it is properly protected.
This paradise will become a true haven, not another breeding ground for corruption like the Hidden Rain.
Paradise's first layer consisted of a valley enclosed by four mountains to the north, south, east, and west.
The Hidden Dark Village lay within that valley.
Upon entering the Gate of Paradise, visitors arrived at the Sunlit Plain at the foot of the northern mountain.
It was a vast open area carved from ancient forest by the descendants of the Ninja Sect, easily large enough to contain all eighty thousand soldiers.
However, a dense forest still blocked the army's path.
Naruto made a quick sensory scan.
"I can feel a large gathering of people beyond this forest. That must be the Hidden Dark Village."
"There are far more people here than I expected. Over a hundred thousand."
"Most are civilians."
"But that only proves how sinister the heavenly demon Uchiha Jin truly is."
"He kidnapped and confined so many innocent civilians here."
"That shows exactly how low he's willing to sink."
"Wait for me, everyone…"
"I'll liberate this place."
"I'll send you all home."
"Shukaku, lend me your technique!"
"Of course! Use it as much as you want!"
Naruto formed seals.
His abdomen swelled.
Then he slammed both hands against his inflated belly.
—Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!
Boom!
A hurricane-like blast erupted from Naruto's mouth.
With over ten times the power of Shukaku's original technique, it obliterated the entire forest ahead in an instant.
The obstacle before the army was gone.
"Everyone! Follow me into the demon's nest!"
Naruto surged forward, the eighty thousand shinobi racing after his golden figure with soaring morale.
At last.
This was the moment.
Deep within Naruto's Rinnegan burned an urgent light.
Boruto. Sarada. Mitsuki. Himawari.
My precious children.
You're all here, aren't you?
Some of you were deceived by Uchiha Jin's lies.
Others are being held here under the guise of "protection."
It's okay.
I'm here.
I'll lead this army into the village.
I'll expose Uchiha Jin for what he really is.
And I'll save you all—along with the innocent children and civilians trapped here.
Wait for me.
I'm coming.
On the horizon, beneath the blazing sun, the silhouette of a village emerged.
"There's no mistake."
"That's the Hidden Dark Village."
"The prison where the heavenly demon Uchiha Jin has confined everyone."
"The devil's nest foretold by the Great Toad Sage."
"And I…"
"Uzumaki Naruto, the Child of Prophecy…"
"Have led everyone here, exactly as foretold!"
His heart surged with emotion.
His steps quickened unconsciously.
The village grew larger and larger in his vision.
Soon he could make out a solitary figure standing before the massive bronze gates—gates even grander than those of Konoha.
Only one person?
Who is that?
Naruto frowned.
He was still too far away to make out the face clearly.
But the faint chakra signature felt strangely familiar.
And that familiarity stirred unease within him.
What is this feeling?
Why does it seem directed at me?
With his fully awakened Six Paths powers, Naruto's sensory abilities had reached their peak.
He could not only perceive emotions through chakra—he could also identify exactly who those emotions were aimed at.
From the lone figure before the gate, he sensed anger, sorrow, disappointment, hatred, and pity.
Each emotion was like an invisible blade piercing his heart.
A chill ran down his spine.
Who is this?
Why are such powerful emotions directed at me?
What have I done?
Then—
Whoosh.
The face came fully into view.
Naruto stopped so abruptly it felt as though his heart had skipped a beat.
Cold sweat soaked his back.
Goosebumps spread across his skin.
Behind him, the charge of eighty thousand shinobi came to a sudden halt.
Blue hair framed a face unchanged from years past.
But the amber eyes held none of the warmth or expectation they once had.
Naruto's Rinnegan trembled as his eyes widened.
"K-Kon—Konan… Senior Sister, you…"
Konan gazed at him expressionlessly.
Her voice was colder than ice.
"Peace."
"What an unexpected arrival."
Enjoyed these chapters? Access 60+ ahead avanced chapters and exclusive content by visiting my Patreon. https://patreon.com/WillOFD129?