Naruto: In the future world

Scene Eighteen

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Development

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Shock!

That was the simplest way to describe what the followers of King Jin were feeling. A raid had been launched against them—and even worse, half of their own members had turned against them.

And now, one of their strongest pillars had fallen before the enemy.

What else could they feel but disbelief, nearly losing all hope in this battle...

But that sense of despair didn't last long, as it was suddenly interrupted by someone crashing to the ground from the main battlefield—landing amidst the gang members.

"Who is that blond guy? I haven't seen him before."

"I've seen him! He's the one who attacked King Jin with the metal rod earlier! Is he the one who organized this raid??"

Naruto stood with immense effort, blood dripping from his lips. Every part of his body screamed in pain, as though shattered. Just moving was agonizing enough that anyone else would have given up long ago.

But Naruto had vast combat experience. This wasn't nearly enough to break him.

As he struggled halfway to his feet, he slipped and collapsed again, trying weakly to rise once more.

By then, Jin had approached Naruto, standing over him like a higher being gazing down upon a mere mortal.

"You've done well. You fought me as an equal. It's fine if you fall now," Jin spoke coldly, watching Naruto slowly rise, his body battered and broken.

"This isn't enough to bring me down. If you want to get past me, you'll have to step over my corpse first!"

Jin sighed and asked curiously, "Why are you doing all this for Sakura? She's not your girlfriend or anything. Besides, women are always drawn to the strong. After tonight, she'll surely fall for me—madly."

Jin wasn't doubting himself in the slightest. To him, her love was inevitable.

"I'm amazed you can say that sort of thing so confidently in public," Naruto said with a faint smile, staring at him.

"It's only natural. It's human instinct—to survive and populate this earth. From the moment I saw that girl, I knew—she's the only woman who can bear the ultimate offspring. My offspring!"

"...Huh?"

Naruto's tongue tied immediately. Is this guy serious? That was his first thought.

"Are you for real? Do you have, like, a chuunibyou complex or something?" Naruto asked mockingly, but Jin's silence told him he wasn't joking.

Naruto closed his eyes and spoke calmly, "In any case, you don't have the right to claim someone just because you like them." His mind replayed the moments between Sakura and Sasuke—moments he'd witnessed and tried to support, even by distancing himself.

But that only led to conflict between him and Sasuke. That was what occupied his thoughts now.

"If you want love from someone, you have to respect their wishes and what they want—not force yourself on them, thinking they'll just accept you!"

"Tell me... isn't that exactly what you did to her? Back in the park... and then in the school hallway..." Jin replied coldly.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "Y-You... how...?"

"How did I know? Simple—I was there too."

"W-What?"

"That's right. I saw everything you did. And now that you remember that... can you still say, with complete confidence, that you weren't trying to take advantage of her? That you didn't manipulate her emotions while she was vulnerable? Weren't you just driven by your breeding instincts? Weren't you planning to violate her and make her yours?"

Naruto fell silent, stunned. Jin knew everything that had happened between him and Sakura. For a brief moment, Naruto was actually afraid of him.

Jin smirked as he watched Naruto's reaction. He had hit a nerve—and he didn't hesitate to twist it further.

"Just now you were preaching about ideals and respecting others... but you don't live by those ideals yourself. Aren't you just a massive hypocrite?"

Naruto had no words. He was conflicted—genuinely doubting himself.

"I-I didn't—"

"Hah? What's that? Trying to say you aren't a hypocrite? At least I'm honest about what I want. And you? You play with that girl, toy with her feelings, just to satisfy your desires. That's what you're doing, isn't it? You're just following your instincts—just like me!"

Jin smiled deeply, his gaze piercing Naruto's. The psychological assault was working. He only needed one final push to completely break Naruto's resolve.

"I—"

Jin opened his mouth to say more, but a sudden kick flew at him from the front. He dodged it just in time, stepping back.

"You! Drunken Rock Lee?!"

One of the gang members watching the fight shouted in shock.

"Drunken Rock Lee?! What's he doing here? Wasn't he somewhere else earlier?"

"Obviously, when the main battle begins, everyone gathers to watch," Rock Lee said with a smile, turning his eyes toward Naruto.

"Is that all the so-called Demon King can do? You were acting all high and mighty, barking orders earlier—and now look at you, crawling on the ground, shattered by mere words from that guy over there."

Rock Lee took his fighting stance and continued, "If you're weak and planning to give up, then leave. We at the Breakers don't need a chicken who trembles at the first threat."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear that from someone who hid the whole time until the critical moment!" Naruto snapped back, slowly standing, clearly annoyed by Rock Lee's words.

"Screw you, ungrateful brat! I was the one who cleared the path for Sasuke and Kiba. You really think they could've escaped in this chaos so easily otherwise?!"

After shouting at Naruto, Lee turned to glare at Jin, who met his eyes coldly.

"Drunken Rock Lee... they say you're dangerous—almost as strong as Shino. Is that true?" Jin moved toward Lee, ready to strike.

Lee exhaled, preparing to move, but Naruto suddenly appeared in front of him, intercepting Jin's attack.

"Sorry, Rock Lee, but this bastard's mine!"

Lee calmly stepped back as Naruto stood firm between him and Jin.

"You still want to fight? Even after realizing you're a hypocrite?"

"Maybe what you said about yourself is true—but don't you dare lump me in with you. I'm not like you," Naruto said slowly, eyes locked on Jin.

"Kidnapping people, forcing them to obey you... there's no way I'll ever be like you!"

Naruto attacked Jin, but Jin dodged and retreated.

"Then you're just a hypocrite hiding behind ideals!" Jin snapped coldly.

He was about to strike again, but dizziness hit him. Blood continued to pour from the wound on his head, causing him to drop his guard—just long enough for Naruto's punch to land square on his face, sending him flying.

"No way! Someone just sent King Jin flying! That's the first time I've ever seen him flat on his back!"

"Impossible... are you saying that blond guy can beat Jin?!"

Jin immediately stood back up, wobbling like a drunk, clutching his head.

Naruto noticed the blood flowing from Jin's wound. He knew that under different circumstances, he wouldn't stand a chance against Jin.

But right now—right here—Naruto had to win. Or he would never be at peace.

"It's already over for you, Jin. Why not just give up?"

"Give up? What does that even mean?" Jin growled, then lunged at Naruto, throwing a powerful punch that sent him flying back several meters.

"You really think you stand a chance against me now? Pathetic."

Naruto's limbs trembled. He was nearing his limit. If the fight dragged on any longer—it might kill him.

(This is bad. I need to do something—fast.)

He placed a hand on the ground, groaning, blood covering his arms, his face, his hair. His entire body was battered and bruised.

His heart pounded like a war drum. He felt like his body was burning from the inside—and he didn't yet realize he was undergoing a transformation. He was evolving—rapidly.

"I admit it, Naruto. You're the first person who's ever challenged me since the day I was born." Jin folded his arms arrogantly.

"That's why I'll ask you—join me. Swear your loyalty. It simply means that your life, from this point on, will belong to me."

Naruto raised his middle finger and said coldly, eyes gleaming with murderous intent, "Like hell I'd become friends with a narcissistic lunatic. Go to hell."

Jin's nerves snapped. He screamed in fury, "Then die, you bastard!!"

As Jin rushed forward, Naruto felt something strange. His vision blurred—but not from dizziness. The world around him turned gray, devoid of color.

Everything slowed. The pain that had consumed him moments ago faded.

Jin's flying kick came at him from above. Naruto saw it clearly and ducked.

(He's gotten slower... no, maybe I've just... adapted to this body?)

As he ducked, he moved his arm and struck Jin's face. Jin's expression began to shift from calm to alarmed—Naruto noticed it all mid-strike.

Jin couldn't dodge in time and was sent flying.

Naruto's perception still felt gray, muted. As Jin rose, dazed, Naruto moved on instinct and hit him again—slamming him onto his back.

Without pause, Naruto mounted him, grabbing Jin by the collar, his glowing blue eyes filled with eerie calm.

(Should I just kill him and be done with it? The Uzumaki clan will clean up the mess anyway.)

Logic abandoned him. The rush of battle consumed his mind.

As his fist slowly moved toward Jin's face, Naruto felt like time had slowed—even though to others, it happened in a blink.

A second punch. A third. Fourth. Fifth.

He kept pounding Jin's face, who may have already been unconscious. Naruto didn't care. He kept hitting.

Suddenly, Naruto gasped for breath and began coughing up blood violently.

(Shit! Was I holding my breath that whole time?! I almost died!!) Naruto wheezed and backed away from Jin.

"C-Can... chu... hear me, N-Naruto...?" Jin mumbled, his swollen face barely able to form words.

Naruto glared at him. "Still not dead? I'll fini—" But he couldn't complete the sentence.

Light faded from his vision—and he collapsed.

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Scene Eighteen

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Development

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"Hey, Naruto!!"

He heard a voice calling him, and slowly opened his eyes, trying to identify who it was.

"So you're not dead, huh? Damn it..."

"What do you mean 'damn it'?! Screw you," Naruto groaned, only to be struck by a wave of pain so intense it made him scream, "Aargh—my whole body hurts!!"

"You deserve it, haha."

"Just shut up, Shino. Of all the people to see when I wake up, you had to be the first? Shouldn't I have woken up in the lap of some beautiful girl or something?"

"Would've been better if you never woke up at all."

"I'll kill you, bastard!"

"Go ahead, try!"

Naruto attempted to stand, but his body refused to cooperate.

Looking around, he realized he was lying on a futon, with Shino sitting beside him.

"By the way, where are we? And where is everyone else?"

"This is the old Breakers' hideout. Not even Jin knows about it—I kept it a secret for emergencies like this. As for the others, Sasuke and the rest went home. The rest of the gang brought you here with Rock Lee."

"I see... And what about Jin?"

"He lost consciousness. His men took him with them. He won't be bothering us for at least a few months."

"I get it."

Naruto let out a quiet sigh of relief before saying, "Good thing I told my family I'd be staying somewhere else. If I came home looking like this, I'd be in serious trouble."

"Looks like you had a good rest. You've been asleep for almost ten hours since the fight."

"What??"

Naruto shouted in surprise.

"Doesn't matter. I'll call them and tell them I'm staying out a bit longer."

"By the way, which family do you belong to? You must come from a prestigious one, considering their influence on the school. No one ever calls you by your family name."

"I don't like flaunting it. So just forget it for now."

"As you wish, Boss."

"...That's good," Naruto nodded slightly.

Then suddenly, his eyes widened, "Huh? Boss?!"

"Yeah, I spoke with the others while you were sleeping. We decided to make you the leader of the Breakers. And with the Red Devil joining us, you're now officially one of Konoha's Four Demons."

"Whaaaat?!"

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Scene Nineteen

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As Time Passes

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Naruto's POV

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What Shino told me back then really shocked me. Becoming the leader of the Breakers—just like that?

I won't lie—I had thought about gaining power for myself, but I never expected things to happen so suddenly.

At first, I refused—firmly. But no matter how many times I turned it down, Shino was more stubborn than I was.

Two whole months passed like that. Every single day, he came asking me to lead them.

Most people would've given up—but Shino never did. Eventually, after two months of constant refusal, I agreed... with a few conditions.

One of them was to keep my identity hidden, and another was to ensure the safety of my friends: Sasuke, Kiba, Sakura, Ino, and Karin.

During those two months, it seemed like Sasuke and Ino had grown noticeably closer.

As for my relationship with Sakura... unfortunately, it didn't develop at all. But I'm still glad that we didn't grow further apart either.

I'm content that we haven't changed—and for now, that's enough for me.

Still, it feels like things between Sakura and Sasuke have been getting more tense ever since she confessed to him.

They seem more distant than before.

I hope nothing changes between them... because that would really make me sad.

As for the others, Karin in particular—she's become a completely different person. Or maybe we just didn't know her before... and now that we're getting to know her, we're seeing her true self?

As for my family—well, things between the clans are calm for now. I've got about a year and a few months left until I turn eighteen.

I have a feeling that when that time comes... everything will change—for both the Uzumaki and Namikaze families alike.

Until then, I just hope to remain hidden and unknown to the world.

The final exams for the first year passed without trouble.

Now, we're moving on to the second year.

And as time moves forward... so do our lives begin to change as well.

What awaits me in this new year?

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Scene Nineteen

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As Time Passes

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End

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To Be Continued...