š HEAR YE, HEAR YE, BRAVE SOULS! šāØ
š„ Let the drums of destiny roar as we welcome our newest LEGENDARY adventurersā¦ āļø Buddyschlym! āļø and āļø Moran! āļøšā”ļø Our journey just leveled UP with their arrival!
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The sun hung low on the horizon, its golden glow painting the sky in hues of amber and crimson. Naruto stood on a hill overlooking the Fire Temple, his dark cloak blending into the shadows as he observed the temple grounds below. The tranquil setting belied the task he had come to accomplish.
Kurama's voice echoed in his mind, his tone a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "So, this is the place, huh? The Fire Temple. Peaceful little spot to hide a ticking time bomb."
Naruto smirked faintly beneath his mask. "Peaceful for now. Let's keep it that way."
His sharp blue eyes scanned the temple grounds, noting the patterns of the monks as they moved about their routines. His Haki spread outward like an invisible web, mapping every presence in the area.
Among the monks, his target stood out like a beaconāa faint yet familiar resonance of Kurama's chakra flickering within him.
"There you are," Naruto murmured under his breath, locking his gaze on a small figure walking alone near the edge of the temple grounds.
The boy was young, barely older than Naruto himself. He had straight, shoulder-length dull blueish-grey hair that framed his face unevenly, with a single lock falling into his brown eyes. Clad in the standard monk uniform with a long right sleeve, he looked like any other child of the temple.
But Naruto knew better. This was Sora, a pseudo-jinchūriki, carrying a fragment of Kurama's chakra within him.
Naruto descended the hill silently, sticking to the shadows as he moved closer to the temple grounds. He couldn't afford to make a mistakeāunlike his previous missions, this wasn't about killing. If he mishandled the situation, the entire temple could be alerted, and the fallout would complicate things far beyond what he was willing to risk.
"Careful now, brat," Kurama warned, his voice low. "You're dealing with my chakra here. Even if it's just a fragment, it can be volatile if he loses control."
Naruto nodded slightly, his steps measured. "I know. That's why I need to isolate him first. No witnesses, no interruptions."
As the monks began to gather for their evening prayers, Naruto's Haki confirmed what he had hoped forāSora had wandered away from the main group, heading toward a small grove on the outskirts of the temple grounds.
Naruto followed silently, his presence masked as he moved through the trees. When he finally caught sight of Sora, the boy was standing near a small pond, skipping stones across the surface.
With a burst of speed, Naruto moved.
Before Sora could register the faint rustle of leaves, Naruto was behind him. In one swift, precise motion, Naruto struck the back of Sora's neck with the side of his hand, hitting a pressure point.
Sora's body tensed for a brief moment before going limp, the stone in his hand falling to the ground with a soft thud. Naruto caught him before he could collapse, lowering the boy gently to the ground.
"Sorry, kid," Naruto murmured under his breath, his voice low and calm. "This is for your own good."
With Sora unconscious, Naruto wasted no time. He placed a hand on the boy's chest, closing his eyes to focus.
Kurama's deep voice echoed in his mind. "Careful, brat. My chakra isn't going to come out willingly, even in fragments. If you mess this up, it'll lash outāand you'll wake up the entire temple."
Naruto smirked faintly. "Relax, Kurama. I've got this."
The glowing tendrils of his chakra began to flow into Sora's body, seeking out the fragment buried deep within him. Naruto's Haki amplified his senses, allowing him to pinpoint the exact location of the foreign chakra.
As he made contact with the fragment, the air around them seemed to shift. A faint, fiery aura began to flicker around Sora's small frame, reacting to Naruto's presence.
"Easy," Naruto muttered, his voice steady. "I'm not here to hurt you."
The fiery aura flared slightly, resisting Naruto's efforts to extract it. Kurama's growl rumbled in his mind. "It's my chakra, all right. Even a fragment of me doesn't like being messed with. Don't force itāguide it."
Naruto nodded internally, adjusting his approach. He didn't fight against the chakra's resistance. Instead, he coaxed it gently, guiding it out strand by strand. The fiery aura flickered erratically, but Naruto's control was unshaken.
Slowly but surely, the fragment began to separate from Sora's body. The boy's unconscious form twitched slightly, but Naruto's steady hand kept him grounded, preventing the chakra from destabilizing further.
After several tense minutes, the last tendril of chakra emerged, coalescing into a glowing orb in Naruto's hand. The fiery energy pulsed faintly, as if alive, before settling into a calm state.
"Got it," Naruto said softly, his voice laced with relief.
Naruto glanced down at Sora's unconscious form, his expression unreadable behind the mask. The boy's breathing was steady, and his aura felt calmāfree from the chaotic energy that had once resided within him.
Kurama spoke again, his tone softer this time. "He'll be fine now. You did well."
Naruto didn't reply immediately, his gaze lingering on the boy. "He deserves a chance to grow up without being turned into a weapon. Without being used."
Kurama let out a low hum of agreement. "That's more than most people in this world get. You've given him a real chance. Now, let's move before someone finds us."
Naruto stood, the glowing orb of chakra disappearing as he sealed it within himself. Without a sound, he vanished into the shadows, leaving Sora lying peacefully by the pond.
As he moved through the forest, the temple fading into the distance behind him, Naruto allowed himself a brief moment of reflection.
"This is just the start," He muttered, his voice barely audible.
Kurama chuckled in his mind. "You've got a long way to go, brat. But I'll admitā¦ you're doing things I never thought I'd see."
Naruto's lips curved into a faint smirk beneath his mask. "Get used to it, Kurama. We're just getting started."
With that, he disappeared into the night, the Fire Temple now a silent memory in his wake. His journey was far from over, and the next steps promised to be even more challenging.
While Naruto was busy with his goals, he never imagined that his actions would trigger such a reaction. The entire world was shaken, and a storm loomed ominously on the horizon.
--- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ---
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