Konoha, reported by the Fourth Hokage at the start.

Chapter 372 Surprise

"Um...where am I?"

Naruto's entrance was very cool. He stood on Gamabunta's head, on Gamakichi's head, wearing a red robe, with a huge scroll behind him, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and the beast-eye eye shadow unique to Sage Mode looked cool, and actually was.

However, what didn't match his handsome appearance was the look of astonishment on Naruto's face.

Wasn't it said that Konoha was under attack by the Akatsuki and that he needed to be summoned back to Konoha?

Why is the surrounding area all flat land, like newly reclaimed wasteland?

And... what's with all this dust in the sky?

Naruto was completely confused, while Fukasaku thought his wife had made a mistake.

"This is Konoha!"

Hamashima, who had rushed over from afar, said with a grave expression.

"What?"

"What exactly is going on?"

Gamabunta and the others who followed were startled, and Naruto's heart sank.

"Take a good look around!" Gamashima reminded him.

The toads looked around, and soon, through the dust, the cracked Hokage Rock came into view, causing their pupils to shrink.

Is it...

Naruto looked at Gamashima, but before he could speak, Gamashima said with a serious expression, "I don't need to say anything, it's obvious who did this, isn't it? It felt exactly the same as when I was standing on that brat Jiraiya's shoulders!"

Payne!!!

Naruto had his answer, and anger instantly filled his heart, but he still tried his best to suppress it.

He knew that anger would only make him look more ridiculous in front of Pain when facing the enemy who killed Jiraiya.

The reality has already occurred, and now is not the time to be angry. Naruto used the chakra perception he gained from Sage Mode to sense the chakra within the area of ​​Konoha.

Kakashi-sensei?

Konohamaru?

Choji?

Ino?

And... Iruka-sensei?

They... must have left the village on a mission, right?

Naruto felt a sinking feeling when he sensed no chakra from these people. He hoped that Kakashi and the others weren't in the village, and that... Naruto didn't dare to think too deeply about the rest.

"That's... Naruto!"

"Naruto's here!"

"And he even learned Sage Mode!"

Soon, the Hyuga clan discovered Naruto's arrival, and the news spread to all the survivors of Konoha through slugs. Naruto, in particular, having mastered Sage Mode, gave everyone a glimmer of hope.

Hope to defeat Payne!

bump!

Li Yaotian's clone landed and then walked step by step toward Naruto.

At the same time, Tsunade rushed down from the edge of the pit.

Soon, Li Yaotian's avatar arrived a hundred meters in front of Gamabunta. Looking at Naruto above Gamabunta's head, Li Yaotian smiled inwardly, but maintained the cold expression of Pain's Deva Path, saying, "Finally here, Naruto!"

Upon hearing this, Naruto frowned slightly, glancing down at Pain, his anger still suppressed.

This is the enemy who killed Jiraiya-sensei!

The chakra within him is indeed very powerful, and... is it just an illusion?

Naruto looked up at Pain's head and saw strands of chakra being transmitted from the distant sky and entering Pain's body.

"What is that?"

Naruto had some doubts, but now was not the time to be confused; defeating Pain was the key.

"Is this Sage Chakra?"

Beside Naruto, in the interlayered space, Li Yao's spirit sensed the Sage Chakra within Naruto's body, his face showing amazement.

Unlike any other chakra, the Sage Chakra gave Li Yao a very special feeling. Its nature and strength were roughly at the level of Bloodline Elimination, definitely not as high as Bloodline Net.

However, Sage Chakra, like Armament Haki in the One Piece world, seems to possess some kind of special true damage effect.

Just as natural energy represents the laws of nature, it can be integrated into all elemental energies, and naturally can also attack all elemental ninjutsu.

This is probably why Sage Arts are not countered by Bloodline Limits.

Li Yao thought to himself.

The nature of Sage Chakra is not complicated.

However, Li Yao was sensing it from within the interlayered space, which took some time. If he were outside, he could probably replicate all the nature changes of the Sage Chakra in just one second.

However, Naruto now possesses a special natural energy.

Li Yao sensed the aura of a soul within this natural energy.

Clearly, this natural energy has been refined by humans.

Who else in the ninja world can refine natural energy for their own use, besides the summoning beasts of the three great holy lands?

Although Jugo can also absorb natural energy for attack, he can only use pure natural energy to attack and cannot refine it.

The summoning beasts of the three holy lands can refine and absorb natural energy, and then release various elemental sage attacks like ninjutsu chakra.

At this moment, the natural energy and soul aura emanating from Naruto's body could not be from Fukasaku or Shima, so it could only be from that Toad Sage.

Without even guessing, Li Yao knew that Naruto must be being watched by the toad sage of Mount Myōboku using some kind of method.

Although Li Yao in his spirit form could use Black Hole Spatialization, which even Naruto in Sage Mode couldn't detect, it's hard to say whether the Toad Sage could not.

To be on the safe side, it would be better for Li Yao to enter the interlayer of space and gradually perceive it.

Anyway, it won't take long, about a minute, Li Yao will be able to copy all the nature changes of Naruto's Sage Chakra.

"I wonder if, given the complexity of Sage Chakra's properties, it's possible to directly condense Sage Chakra?"

Li Yao, in the mezzanine space, felt both anticipation and trepidation.

Tread!

Naruto and Li Yao faced off against Pain's Deva Path, while the other six Paths clones also fell from the sky and stood behind Pain's Deva Path.

Next up is the battle of acting skills!

Li Yao didn't intend to actually take down Naruto. He always wanted Naruto to defeat him, and then face the consequence of letting him escape. This would make Naruto realize how difficult it is to achieve mutual understanding.

Tread!

Just as the two were about to clash, Tsunade arrived at that moment, standing between Naruto and Pain, glaring angrily at Pain.

"I am the Fifth Hokage!"

"You have destroyed the treasures and dreams of our ancestors."

"Unforgivable!"

Tsunade took a deep breath, straightened her weary body, and said angrily, "I hereby settle this with you as the Hokage!"

Li Yaotian, adopting Nagato's perspective, coldly said, "It seems you've begun to understand pain!"

"But the person I'm looking for isn't you," Pain said, glancing at Naruto behind Tsunade, "is...

Before he finished speaking, the Asura Path charged forward, its target Tsunade.

It's just that the speed isn't as fast as before; it's returned to the speed when Nagato controlled the Six Paths of Pain.

This speed is sufficient to deal with ordinary ninjas.

It's clearly not enough to deal with Naruto when he activates Sage Mode.

"It's me!"

As Naruto's angry voice rang out, the puppet body of the Asura Path shattered into pieces of metal with a single punch from Naruto.

"So fast!"

Although he had anticipated that Naruto in Sage Mode would be very fast, Li Yao was still surprised when he actually saw the speed Naruto displayed.

This was no slower than when he activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and even slightly faster.

(End of this chapter)