Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 398 I am the Cardinal of the 'Cult of God', Kabuto Yakushi

"Who? You mean he's... that brat?"

Upon hearing Yamato's words, the samurai captain with a scar on his face cried out in disbelief.

The next moment, he recognized the half of the face that wasn't covered by the mask; it was indeed the Konoha boy who had helped them clean up the "Hollow" before.

Others who had met Naruto once before also showed expressions of horror, unable to connect the blood-soaked monster before them with the boy from their memories.

"It's him! But the one controlling that body is no longer him!"

Yamato's face was ashen. Although he knew he could no longer hide his identity, he still did not explain, staring intently at the necklace around the white figure's neck.

"I have a way to temporarily subdue him, but it will take time! Gentlemen, please help me hold him off for a moment!" he said.

The surviving samurai, ninjas, and monks of the Fire Temple exchanged glances and instantly reached a consensus: this guy's target was clearly the Daimyo, and they absolutely could not let him pass!
"Do it!"

With a loud shout, Jiraiya, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, clasped his hands together and his body erupted with dazzling golden chakra.

A golden, thousand-armed Guanyin phantom with a compassionate yet majestic face suddenly appeared behind him!

Come and welcome Thousand Hands Kill!

The next moment, countless golden fists, like a storm, carrying immense power, slammed down towards 'Naruto' in the arena!
Meanwhile, the surviving ninjas fought with all their might, using Wind Release, Fire Release, Wind Release...

Various ninjutsu techniques intertwined, combined with the punches of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin, attacking the target from all directions.

Faced with this overwhelming attack, a hint of ferocity flashed in Naruto's scarlet vertical pupils. Without dodging or avoiding, he wildly swung his fists, forcefully blasting away countless golden fists and ninjutsu!
However, this combined attack bought Yamato a fleeting but precious moment.

"Wood Release: Four Pillars Imprisonment Technique!"

The ground beneath Naruto's feet suddenly cracked open, and countless thick logs burst forth from the earth like giant pythons, instantly wrapping around his legs, waist, and arms!
Even Yamato's Wood Release still possesses the ability to absorb and suppress chakra, causing Naruto's body to stiffen abruptly.

But soon, the wood emitted a teeth-grinding creak and cracked instantly.

boom! !

The wooden binding him shattered, and the samurai at the forefront was blasted into a bloody mist, sword and all!
The next moment, Yamato's figure burst out from the blood mist, gathering all his chakra in his right palm, and a clear "seat" character appeared in his palm.

It is the "Kouan Ruyan Chui Te" technique, which is specifically designed to suppress tailed beasts!
Yamato's hand, with the character "座" (seat) appearing on it, slammed firmly onto the necklace in front of Naruto!
hum!
The necklace suddenly emitted a gentle yet firm green light. Having landed a successful blow, Yamato used the momentum to leap backward, quickly creating distance between himself and 'Naruto'.

Between him and the necklace, a visible dark red chakra was forcibly extracted from 'Naruto's' body.

The moment Yamato landed, he slammed his other hand into the ground, directing the forcibly extracted chakra towards the ground.

Rumble!
Several thicker logs, even thicker than before, broke through the ground, once again tightly binding the stiff 'Naruto'.

"Damn it!" The bound 'Naruto' roared in anger, "This is... Wood Release? Hashirama Senju!"

"Naruto!" Yamato stared intently at the figure struggling in the wooden cell, hissing, "I know you can hear me. Don't lose to that monster! Wake up!"

Upon hearing this, Naruto's struggling movements paused slightly. He slowly raised his head and looked at Yamato. The anger in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a mocking smile.

"Heh..." A chilling smile spread across his lips. "Since you all want him out so badly."

"Then, as you wish."

The moment he finished speaking, the crimson color in his eyes, which symbolized the Nine-Tails, receded rapidly like a tide, replaced by the clear azure blue that Yamato was familiar with.

"Did we succeed?" In the distance, Di Lu and the others panted, looking nervously ahead.

“Naruto! You…” Yamato’s eyes lit up with surprise.

It worked? The seal took effect? ​​Naruto's consciousness regained control?
However, Naruto, having regained control of his body, simply lowered his head slowly, his gaze fixed on the necklace on his chest with a complex expression.

He reached out and gently held the necklace in his palm, a hint of regret appearing in his eyes.

“This necklace…” Naruto’s tone was frighteningly calm, “was a graduation gift from the Third Hokage.”

"I was really happy then."

"It's the kind of happiness that comes from the bottom of your heart."

"Because that was the first gift I ever received."

"He said it was the First Hokage's necklace, and that he hoped I would inherit the First Hokage's Will of Fire and that I would become Hokage in the future."

He slowly raised his head, his azure eyes looking at Yamato, whose expression had suddenly changed, not far away.

Then, under Yamato's horrified gaze, the hand holding the necklace gradually tightened.

“But…” Naruto’s voice suddenly turned cold, “This is my choice.”

"No! No, no..." Yamato's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively let out a roar.

Click!

The necklace shattered instantly under Naruto's grasp, turning into tiny specks of crystalline powder!

boom! !

The process of extracting chakra was forcibly interrupted, as if a dam had completely collapsed, and an aura far more violent than before surged out from Naruto's body.

A powerful energy wave surged outwards from Naruto's center, shattering the Wood Release cage that bound him into dust!
Those warriors who realized something was wrong and rushed forward to try to kill him were violently thrown out by the terrifying shockwave and crashed into the tightly closed banquet hall door!
Bang!
The banquet hall door was forcibly kicked open, causing the hall to tremble. The glass lamps on the ceiling jingled, and the wine and dishes on the tables were spilled everywhere, leaving a mess.

"Ah!" the nobles screamed in terror.

"Your Highness, I'll take you away!" The daimyo's trusted samurai tried to cover his retreat through the side door.

"Yes, yes! Let's go!" Daimyo nodded repeatedly, his composed and aloof facade finally shattering, replaced by undisguised panic and fear. But, the next moment...

Bang!Bang bang!

A series of dull, repetitive blows, accompanied by the cracking sound of bones breaking, suddenly rang out in the banquet hall.

In the daimyo's pupils, dilated with fear, a dazzling display of blood blossomed before his eyes.

Red and white blood gushed from the heads of those nobles.

They were the maids and cooks who had been kneeling behind the nobles.

At the same time, they used sharp kitchen knives, heavy copper kettles, and even whatever they could grab to smash their master's head.

Blood splattered all over the daimyo, who turned his head stiffly to look at the trusted samurai beside him.

What he saw was the body of the samurai captain kneeling on the ground, his head gone.

Standing beside the headless corpse was the kind-faced old chef.

His face still wore that familiar gentle smile, and the chakra scalpel he was holding was still dripping blood, staining his white robe red.

"You... you..."

Daming seemed to have lost all his strength, collapsing limply to the ground, trembling all over, his face filled with terror and bewilderment.

why?
what happened?

What exactly is going on?
Meeting the horrified gaze of the master chef, the old chef slowly raised his hand, grabbed the edge of his cheek, and then yanked it off sharply.

Stab it!

A human skin mask was torn off, revealing a young face beneath it.

He ignored the name that was paralyzed with fear, and slowly took out a pair of spotless round-framed glasses from his pocket and put them on.

Then, he slowly turned around and looked at Naruto as he walked into the banquet hall.

"Good morning, Naruto. Please allow me to introduce myself."

Kabuto bowed slightly, performing an impeccable bow, a gentle smile appearing on his young face stained with blood.

“I am Kabuto Yakushi, a cardinal of the ‘Cult of God’.”

"By order of His Highness Enrito, please allow me, on behalf of the 'Cult of God,' to extend my sincerest greetings to you."

The man collapsed to the ground, his face drained of color, and he was in a daze and confusion.

Who? Who are these people?
A cult of gods? Is it that evil cult that calls itself a cult of gods?

By whose orders? Yuanlitong?
That useless second son he regarded as incompetent, cowardly, and only good for associating with the lowly?!

“…” Naruto gave Kabuto Yakushi a deep look. “I didn’t expect that the god that Entoto truly believed in was not the Buddha of the Fire Temple, but the god of evil gods.”

"Because that prince is compassionate, he can empathize with all beings struggling in suffering." Yakushi Kabuto gently shook his head, his smile unchanged.

"We also did not expect that Naruto, the son of the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha, would also embark on a similar path and make such a choice."

"Honestly, it was just a hair's breadth away from ruining our carefully crafted plan..."

"What a joke!!" Before Kabuto could finish speaking, the daimyo, who was slumped on the ground, seemed to wake up from a dream and let out a sharp, piercing roar.

"Is this an illusion? This must be an illusion! You're all courting death! Do you know who I am? I am the Daimyo of the Land of Fire! You..."

boom!
Kabuto casually lifted his foot and kicked the daimyo in the mouth with his toe.

Several bloody teeth flew out on the spot, and Daiming's subsequent curses turned into painful sobs as he curled up.

Kabuto didn't even glance down at the daimyo at his feet. He just looked at Naruto, pushed up his glasses, and still had that gentle smile on his face.

"Do you need me to do it for you?" he asked, as if inquiring about what to have for dinner.

"No need." Naruto shook his head and looked at the middle-aged man who was lying on the ground with blood all over his mouth.

The country's nominal supreme ruler was staring at him with eyes full of shock and anger.

Even now, it seems he still can't believe that Naruto Uzumaki, a Konoha ninja, would dare to attack him.

Naruto slowly raised his hand, which was covered by bone armor, and a wisp of dark red light began to gather at his fingertips.

—Cero Flash.

“There are some things,” Naruto’s voice was low, “that I need to give up myself.”

Daimyo's eyes widened to their limit with fear, and the increasingly dazzling red light was clearly reflected in his pupils.

"Ugh!" He wanted to scream, to curse, to beg for mercy, but only muffled sounds came out...

next moment.

puff!

(I'm updating this part of the story all at once, so it's a little late. Please give me your monthly votes QAQ)

(End of this chapter)