Konoha, reported by the Fourth Hokage at the start.

Chapter 399 Hope Destroyed

"I'll give it a try!"

Gamashima sighed, then placed his hand on Tsunade's forehead and channeled the natural chakra condensed from Mount Myōboku into her.

As soon as the natural chakra entered her body, the Yin Seal mark on Tsunade's forehead reappeared, and the amount of chakra in her body increased. The medical chakra automatically converted from the Yin Seal repaired Tsunade's injuries.

This scene made Gamashita's eyes light up: "Huh... Tsunade is saved!"

The Yin Seal on Tsunade's body could automatically convert natural chakra into medical chakra, something Gamashima hadn't expected.

She initially only intended to use natural energy to sustain Tsunade's life; the actual recovery would have to be done by Tsunade herself after she woke up.

I never expected Tsunade's Yin Seal to have such an effect.

Even Li Yao, who was hiding in the interlayer space, was somewhat surprised to have arrived here, let alone Toad Zhima.

However, he quickly understood the principle of the Yin Seal.

In fact, it's similar to the puppet array developed by Sasori that absorbs natural energy and converts it into chakra.

However, Tsunade's Yin Seal cannot directly absorb natural energy.

Only natural chakra refined and absorbed by the toads of Mount Myōboku can be absorbed and transformed by the Yin Seal.

For Li Yao, who already possesses the perfect Sage Mode, the Yin Seal ability is somewhat useless and unnecessary. However, recording it should be useful for future research on more advanced Sage Mode puppets.

Li Yao remained in the interlayered space, not coming out immediately. He wanted to see if Naruto, the protagonist, could unleash any more miraculous power.

"If I were the villain, I'd probably die at this point, haha!"

Li Yao thought to himself with a smile. Unfortunately, reality is not a novel, and he was not the villain. Naruto, on the other hand, was the real protagonist, so he was curious to see how Naruto could struggle.

"Grandma Tsunade..."

Gamashima increased the input of natural chakra, while Naruto watched nervously from the side.

After a while, once Tsunade's medical chakra was replenished, Gamashima instructed Naruto to remove the steel pipe inserted into Tsunade's abdomen.

As soon as the steel pipe was removed, Tsunade frowned, groaned in pain, and then woke up.

At this point, the wound on Tsunade's stomach from the steel pipe had healed.

The medical chakra under the Yin Seal is very effective at healing wounds; it can heal a fist-sized wound in just a few breaths.

"Grandma Tsunade!"

Naruto looked nervously at Tsunade, who had just woken up, and asked in a trembling voice, "Sakura, she...?"

Even at this moment, Naruto still held a sliver of hope that Sakura was alive. After all, Sakura had not yet been found, and he hoped to receive good news from Granny Tsunade.

Even a comforting lie will do.

"Naruto..."

Tsunade had just woken up and was still a bit groggy. She didn't react much to Naruto's words, but her surroundings quickly brought her back to her senses.

call out!

Tsunade leaped up at top speed and arrived in front of her. Looking around, she saw a desolate landscape, with the dust vortex in the distance gradually dissipating.

Everything around me felt so unfamiliar.

bump!

Tsunade knelt on both knees, her whole body seemingly drained of all its energy, staring blankly ahead, like a corpse, devoid of any vitality.

Gone!

Everything is gone!

All the efforts, dreams, and everything of our predecessors are gone!

Tsunade was the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, and Konoha was destroyed in her hands, yet she was powerless to stop it.

The immense pain and self-blame shattered Tsunade's strong heart, and she could no longer hear Naruto and Gamashima's cries.

Until... a white figure appeared from afar.

"Tsunade...run!"

"Naruto...run!"

Jiraiya arrived, rushing over. The moment he saw Tsunade and Naruto, he shouted from afar, urging Naruto and Tsunade to run!

Li Yao's strength is too great; he's not on the same level as them anymore. No matter how hard Tsunade and Naruto try, it's useless.

At this moment, Konoha was already dead in name only, and Jiraiya only wanted Tsunade and Naruto to live.

"Jiraiya-sensei!!"

Upon seeing Jiraiya, even though it was the reanimated Jiraiya, Naruto was still very excited, completely ignoring Jiraiya's words about running fast.

Tsunade, however, was woken up by Jiraiya.

As the village's shadow, she failed to protect the village, but she must protect the village's future hope.

Compared to others, Tsunade trusted Naruto, the prophesied son who resembled her younger brother and lover Dan Kato, more. She believed that he could truly bring peace to the ninja world and to Konoha.

"Quick, Naruto!"

Tsunade stood in front of Naruto and said firmly, "You are the child of prophecy. You will definitely be able to defeat Li Yao, but not now. Live on and find a way to defeat Li Yao. That is the only thing you can do right now."

"That's right," said Shima, the toad on Naruto's shoulder. "Kid, running away is the best thing you should do now. The future of the ninja world and the future of Konoha still need you. Now is not the time for you to fight that otherworldly guy named Li Yao."

The Ninja World?

Leaf Village?

future?

Rely on me?

The Child of Prophecy?

Hearing the words spoken by Granny Tsunade and Lady Shima, Naruto suddenly felt that everything was so ironic.

The village is destroyed!

Jiraiya-sensei and Kakashi-sensei are dead too!

Even Hinata and Sakura are dead!

Now, Granny Tsunade is also going to die to protect the child she prophesied!

If being a child of prophecy means enduring all this suffering, then Naruto would rather not be this so-called child of prophecy.

Perhaps... Nagato, you are right.

Only now did Naruto feel a slight sense of empathy for Nagato's pain.

"No, I'm not leaving."

Naruto shook his head resolutely; he would rather die in this battle than leave alone.

Having fought since childhood, Naruto had had enough of the pain of loneliness.

He had finally gained these bonds, finally felt the warmth of family and friends, but now he was forced to carry everything and live alone in solitude.

Naruto was unwilling and didn't want to.

The key point is... Naruto sees absolutely no hope of defeating Li Yao, no matter how hard he tries, he can't beat Li Yao.

Rather than living a miserable life alone, it's better to follow Teacher Kai's example and burn out our last bit of strength to fight Li Yao.

"Naruto, this isn't the time to mess around... Sakura!"

As Tsunade was speaking, her sharp eyes suddenly caught sight of a red color, and her expression changed as she ran over.

Ten meters to Naruto's left, in a crevice of the ruins, was a piece of red cloth, the color of Sakura's clothes.

"Sakura!!!"

Naruto's expression brightened, and he followed Tsunade. The two of them pushed aside the rubble, and soon Sakura's figure came into their view.

Bump... Naruto carefully removed the rubble that was pressing on Sakura, his expression gradually turning to surprise, because Sakura had no wounds and had not been stabbed by anything.

Sakura was lying face down, and there were no obvious wounds on her back, body, or head.

"Thank goodness, Sakura isn't dead!"

Overjoyed, Naruto completely overlooked the fact that he still couldn't sense any chakra from Sakura at close range.

Tsunade, who touched Sakura's body, was certain that Sakura was dead and her body was completely cold.

Only Naruto still held a sliver of hope.

But this glimmer of hope was completely extinguished when Sakura's body was turned over.

(End of this chapter)