The Amazon's Shadow: Naruto's Return

The mission was supposed to be simple. Intelligence had reported a small insurgent camp on the border of Fire Country—nothing the newly-promoted jōnin Naruto Uzumaki and his team couldn't handle. A quick strike, capture the ringleaders, return to Konoha. Three days, tops.

No one mentioned the S-ranked missing-nin.

No one mentioned the forbidden techniques.

No one mentioned the trap.

Rain pelted Naruto's face as he staggered through Konoha's gates, Sakura's limp body cradled against his chest. Blood—hers, his, their enemies'—had turned his orange and black uniform a muddy crimson. Behind him, two ANBU carried the still forms of Neji and Shikamaru on stretchers.

Only Naruto was still conscious. Only Naruto was still walking.

"Get them to the hospital!" he roared, his voice cracking as lightning split the sky above. "NOW!"

The gate guards scrambled, whistles piercing the downpour as medical teams rushed forward. Naruto reluctantly surrendered Sakura to a stretcher, his blood-slicked hands lingering a moment too long on her pale wrist, seeking the faint pulse that told him she was still alive.

"Naruto-san," one of the medics said, not unkindly, "you need treatment too."

Naruto looked down, as if noticing for the first time the kunai still embedded in his shoulder, the deep gash across his abdomen, the burns covering his left arm. The Nine-Tails' chakra had kept him moving, kept him fighting, but even that had limits.

"After them," he muttered, swaying on his feet. "Make sure they're—"

The world tilted sideways, and Naruto Uzumaki—hero of the Fourth Shinobi War, the boy who would be Hokage—collapsed in the mud at Konoha's gates.

White. Antiseptic. Beeping.

Naruto hated hospitals.

His eyes fluttered open to find Tsunade herself standing over him, her honey-colored eyes narrowed in concentration as green healing chakra flowed from her palms into his chest. The pain that had been a screaming symphony dulled to a whisper.

"Baa-chan," he croaked, throat raw. "The others—"

"Alive," she said tersely, not looking up from her work. "No thanks to your recklessness."

Something cold settled in Naruto's stomach that had nothing to do with his injuries. "What do you mean? We were ambushed. There were—"

"I know exactly what happened," Tsunade snapped, finally meeting his gaze. The fury there made him recoil. "Neji regained consciousness long enough to give his report."

"Then you know it wasn't my fault!" Naruto tried to sit up, only to be firmly pushed back down.

"What I know," Tsunade said, her voice dangerously quiet, "is that you were the squad leader. You were responsible. And your team is barely alive."

The healing chakra winked out, leaving Naruto still in pain, still broken. Tsunade stepped back, wiping her hands on a towel with clinical detachment.

"The council is convening in one hour to discuss the mission failure," she said, already turning away. "They've requested your presence once you're stabilized."

"Requested? Or demanded?" Naruto asked, suddenly wary.

Tsunade paused at the door, her shoulders slumping just enough for him to notice. When she spoke, it was barely above a whisper.

"I'll do what I can, Naruto."

The door closed behind her with the soft click of a coffin lid.

The council chamber was deliberately intimidating—high ceilings, poor lighting, and elders who had mastered the art of disapproving silence. Naruto stood in the center, still bandaged, still hurting, but upright through sheer stubborn will. His hitai-ate gleamed under the spotlight, the only bright thing in the room.

Tsunade sat at the center of the long table, flanked by village elders Homura and Koharu. On either side stretched clan heads, civilian representatives, and ANBU commanders—a full assembly, unusual for a simple mission debrief. Naruto's eyes caught on familiar faces: Hiashi Hyūga, whose nephew lay in intensive care; Shikaku Nara, whose son remained unconscious; and strangest of all, Danzō Shimura, who rarely showed himself at public proceedings.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Homura began, his voice dry as autumn leaves, "you stand before this council to answer for the disastrous failure of mission classification A-98-42, resulting in the critical injury of three fellow Konoha shinobi under your command."

Naruto squared his shoulders. "With respect, councilor, we were given faulty intelligence. The targets were not simple insurgents but S-ranked criminals with connections to the former Akatsuki. We were outmatched from the start."

"Yet you alone escaped serious injury," Koharu observed, her ancient eyes cold.

"I have the Nine-Tails' healing," Naruto replied, a flush of anger warming his cheeks. "And I didn't escape injury. I just recover faster."

"Convenient," Danzō murmured, just loud enough to be heard.

"What exactly are you implying?" Naruto demanded, taking a step forward before ANBU guards shifted in warning.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "The mission parameters were indeed flawed. Our intelligence division has already begun an internal investigation to determine how such critical information was missed."

"While accountability in Intelligence is warranted," Hiashi Hyūga interjected, "it does not absolve the field commander of responsibility. My nephew reports that Uzumaki-san ignored his warnings about a potential ambush, instead charging ahead without proper reconnaissance."

The accusation hit Naruto like a physical blow. "That's not true! Neji spotted the trap only seconds before it was sprung. There wasn't time to retreat!"

"Yet you ordered your team to advance rather than establish a defensive position," Shikaku Nara said, his face unreadable despite his son's condition. "A tactical error that put the entire squad at risk."

"I made the best decision I could with the information we had!" Naruto protested, feeling the ground shifting beneath him. These weren't just questions—this was a trial.

"Did you use the Nine-Tails' chakra during this engagement?" Danzō asked suddenly.

Naruto hesitated. "Yes, when I realized how outnumbered we were. It was the only way to—"

"And did this transformation occur before or after your teammates were incapacitated?"

"After, but—"

"So you withheld your full power until your comrades had already fallen," Danzō concluded, glancing meaningfully around the table. "Interesting timing."

"That's not what happened!" Naruto shouted, chakra flaring visible around him for an instant before he reined it in. The ANBU guards tensed, hands moving to weapons.

"Control yourself, Uzumaki," Homura warned. "This outburst only reinforces concerns about your temperament."

Tsunade slammed her palm on the table, the wood cracking under the impact. "This line of questioning is biased and leading. We are here to assess mission failure, not conduct a witch hunt."

"With respect, Hokage-sama," Danzō said silkily, "recent events force us to consider uncomfortable possibilities. The Uchiha boy's defection. The Akatsuki's pursuit of jinchūriki. The sudden appearance of S-ranked criminals with specific knowledge of our teams' movements." He paused, letting the implication hang heavy in the air. "Perhaps Uzumaki's... unique situation warrants closer examination."

The room temperature seemed to drop ten degrees.

"You dare accuse me of betraying my village?" Naruto whispered, blue eyes wide with disbelief.

"I merely observe patterns," Danzō replied. "The council must consider all possibilities when the safety of Konoha is at stake."

Tsunade rose from her seat, fists clenched. "This is absurd! Naruto has proven his loyalty countless times. He saved this village during Pain's attack. He was instrumental in winning the Fourth Shinobi War!"

"And we are grateful," Koharu said, with a bow of her head that conveyed anything but gratitude. "However, even heroes are not above scrutiny. The evidence suggests, at minimum, a severe lapse in judgment resulting in near-fatal consequences for three valuable shinobi."

"What evidence?" Tsunade demanded. "You've heard one incomplete report from a critically injured ninja and jumped to wild conclusions!"

Shikaku Nara sighed heavily. "I move we adjourn to review the full medical reports and intelligence briefings before making any determinations. Emotions are running high, and we should not act hastily."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the chamber. Naruto stood frozen, unable to believe what was happening. These people knew him. They had fought alongside him, celebrated with him, trusted him with their lives and their village.

How could they even think...?

"Very well," Homura nodded. "The council will reconvene tomorrow at noon. Until then, Uzumaki Naruto is relieved of duty and confined to the village. ANBU will escort you to your apartment."

"I don't need an escort," Naruto said through gritted teeth.

"It wasn't a request," Koharu replied.

As the council members filed out, Naruto caught glimpses of their expressions—some troubled, some satisfied, some carefully blank. Only Tsunade met his eyes directly, her own filled with a mixture of fury and fear that made his stomach clench.

Something was very, very wrong.

Naruto paced his small apartment like a caged animal, the ANBU shadows visible through his windows doing nothing to calm his racing thoughts. The council's accusations replayed in his mind, each more outrageous than the last. How could anyone believe he would betray his teammates? Betray Konoha?

A soft tap at his window interrupted his spiraling thoughts. Kakashi perched on the sill, his visible eye creased in what might have been concern.

"Sensei," Naruto breathed, sliding the window open. "They think I—"

"I know," Kakashi cut him off, slipping inside and immediately activating a privacy jutsu with a few quick hand signs. "Something's not right with this whole situation."

"Have you seen the others? Are they okay?" Naruto asked, desperate for any information.

"Stabilized, but still critical," Kakashi reported. "Sakura's the worst off—chakra exhaustion compounded by internal injuries. The medics say it will be weeks before she's conscious."

Naruto sank onto his bed, head in his hands. "This is my fault. I should have realized it was a trap."

"That's not why I'm here," Kakashi said, his voice unusually sharp. "I reviewed the mission briefing you were given. The intelligence was deliberately incomplete."

Naruto's head snapped up. "What?"

"Someone knew exactly what you were walking into and sent you anyway," Kakashi continued, his eye dark with anger. "The question is who, and why."

"Danzō," Naruto whispered, the pieces clicking into place. "He barely pretended to hide his accusations today."

"Maybe," Kakashi acknowledged. "But he couldn't act alone. Someone with access to Intelligence would have to be involved."

"We need to tell Tsunade-baachan!"

"Naruto..." Kakashi hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "The Hokage's position is precarious right now. The civilian council has been pushing back against her authority since the war ended. If she defends you too openly..."

"They'll use it against her," Naruto finished, the sinking feeling in his gut intensifying. Politics had never been his strong suit, but even he could see the trap closing around them both.

"The council reconvenes tomorrow," Kakashi said. "Be prepared for anything. I'll continue investigating from my end."

"What should I do until then?"

Kakashi's eye curved in a humorless smile. "What you've always done. Prove them wrong."

After Kakashi departed, Naruto sat in the dark, mind racing. Something bigger was at play here—something that went beyond a failed mission. He needed information, needed allies, needed...

A sharp crack sounded at his door, making him jump to his feet, kunai in hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto," a muffled voice called. "By order of the council, you are summoned to a special session immediately."

"What? The meeting's not until tomorrow!"

"Circumstances have changed. You will come now, or be taken by force."

Naruto's heart hammered against his ribs. Special session? In the middle of the night? This couldn't be good.

He opened the door to find four ANBU waiting, their masked faces giving away nothing. "Fine," he said, straightening his bandaged shoulders. "Lead the way."

The night air bit cold against his skin as they marched through deserted streets toward the Hokage Tower. But something was wrong—they were taking an unusual route, away from the main thoroughfares, through darkened alleyways.

"Where are we going?" Naruto demanded, slowing his steps. "This isn't the way to the council chamber."

"Alternative location," one ANBU replied tersely. "Security concerns."

Naruto's instincts screamed danger. These weren't standard ANBU movements, and that voice... he couldn't place it, but something was off.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me exactly where we're headed," he said, planting his feet.

The ANBU exchanged glances. Then, with frightening synchronization, they attacked.

Naruto barely had time to form a shadow clone before a tantō slashed through the space where his head had been. He leaped backward, calling on the Nine-Tails' chakra despite his still-healing wounds.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he shouted, dodging a barrage of shuriken. "I'm a Konoha shinobi!"

"You are a liability," one attacker replied, voice flat. "Danzō-sama has deemed you too dangerous to remain in the village."

Understanding crashed through Naruto like lightning. This wasn't an escort—it was an assassination squad. Danzō hadn't even waited for the council's verdict.

Rage and betrayal fueled his movements as he formed a Rasengan, the blue sphere spinning wildly in his palm. "I've done NOTHING but protect this village my entire life!"

"The jinchūriki is unstable," another ANBU called out. "Lethal force authorized!"

Four against one would normally be bad odds, but these weren't ordinary circumstances. Pain lanced through Naruto's body as he pushed it beyond its limits, golden chakra enveloping him as he tapped deeper into Kurama's power.

"Enough of this foolishness," a voice rumbled from within him, deeper than his own. "These are not true ANBU."

Kurama was right—their movements were skilled but unfamiliar. Not Konoha standard. Root operatives, then. Danzō's personal soldiers.

The realization freed something in Naruto's mind. These weren't his comrades. These were enemies of everything he stood for.

The fight exploded across three city blocks, shadow clones multiplying the chaos as Naruto sought to contain the damage to empty buildings while defending himself. A Rasengan took out two attackers at once, sending them crashing through a storefront. A third fell to a perfectly timed kick that shattered his mask, revealing a blank-eyed young man Naruto had never seen before.

The fourth and final attacker pulled back, hands flashing through seals for a jutsu Naruto didn't recognize—something earth-based and massive, judging by the chakra buildup.

"Stop!" a voice commanded from above, freezing everyone in place.

Tsunade landed between them, her blonde hair flying as she straightened to her full height. Behind her, genuine ANBU forces surrounded the area, weapons drawn.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, taking in the destruction and the fallen Root agents.

"Assassination attempt," Naruto panted, golden chakra still flickering around him. "Danzō's orders."

"Lies," the remaining attacker said smoothly. "We were escorting the jinchūriki for questioning when he became violent. We acted in self-defense."

"At midnight? Through back alleys?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Take off your mask."

The operative hesitated, then complied, revealing a face tattooed with the Root insignia—a mark Danzō had supposedly disbanded years ago.

Tsunade's expression hardened. "Arrest them all," she ordered her ANBU. "And find Danzō Shimura. Now."

"Hokage-sama," one of her guards said hesitantly, "the council has already convened an emergency session. They're waiting for you... and for Uzumaki-san."

"On whose authority?" Tsunade demanded.

"Councilor Homura claimed new evidence had come to light regarding the failed mission."

Tsunade and Naruto exchanged looks of understanding. This was it—the move Danzō had been setting up. The assassination attempt was just a backup plan.

"Very well," Tsunade said grimly. "We'll face them together."

The council chamber was packed when they arrived, tension thick enough to choke on. Danzō sat with the elders, his face betraying nothing as Naruto and Tsunade entered. If he was surprised to see Naruto alive, he didn't show it.

"Ah, Hokage-sama, Uzumaki-san," Homura greeted them with false warmth. "Thank you for joining us at this late hour."

"Skip the pleasantries," Tsunade snapped. "What is this about?"

Koharu cleared her throat. "New information has come to our attention regarding Uzumaki Naruto's actions during the recent mission. A witness has come forward."

A side door opened, and Naruto's blood froze in his veins.

Sakura Haruno was wheeled in, pale as death but conscious, her green eyes glazed with pain and... something else. Fear? Confusion? She wouldn't meet Naruto's desperate gaze.

"Sakura-chan," he whispered, taking a step toward her before ANBU blocked his path. "You should be in the hospital! You were barely alive this morning!"

"Emergency medical intervention was deemed necessary to hear her testimony," Danzō explained smoothly. "Haruno-san, please tell the council what you witnessed during the mission."

Sakura's voice was weak, her words slurring slightly. "We... we were ambushed. Outmatched. I saw... I saw Naruto..."

She paused, blinking rapidly as if fighting through fog.

"Yes?" Danzō prompted.

"I saw Naruto speaking with the enemy leader," she continued, each word driving a knife into Naruto's heart. "Before the attack. They knew each other."

Gasps and murmurs filled the chamber. Naruto stood frozen in disbelief.

"That's a lie!" he finally shouted. "Sakura-chan, tell them! You know I would never—"

"Silence!" Homura commanded. "Let the witness finish."

Sakura's eyes finally met Naruto's, and what he saw there chilled him to the bone. Emptiness. Like she was speaking from a script.

"The enemy knew our formations," she continued mechanically. "Knew our techniques. Naruto held back until we were all down. Then he..." She swallowed hard. "Then he used the Nine-Tails' power to make it look like he'd fought them off."

The chamber erupted in outrage. Tsunade pounded the table for order.

"This testimony is suspect!" she roared. "Look at her condition! She's clearly been drugged or placed under genjutsu!"

"Serious accusations, Hokage-sama," Danzō replied calmly. "Do you have evidence?"

"I have medical expertise," Tsunade countered, moving toward Sakura. "Let me examine her."

"That won't be necessary," Koharu interjected. "We have already had a medical ninja confirm her fitness to testify."

"Who?" Tsunade demanded.

A nervous-looking medic stepped forward—one Tsunade didn't recognize. Not from her hospital staff.

"This is absurd," Tsunade declared. "I am the Hokage and the head medical ninja of this village. I demand—"

"You are emotionally compromised in this matter," Homura interrupted. "Your attachment to Uzumaki Naruto is well-known."

Tsunade's face flushed with fury. "My 'attachment' is to justice and to the truth!"

"Then you will respect the council's process," Danzō said mildly. "Based on Haruno-san's testimony and the evidence of Uzumaki's suspicious recovery, the council must vote on appropriate action."

Naruto couldn't tear his eyes from Sakura's vacant expression. Something had been done to her—something terrible. And he was powerless to help her.

"Sakura-chan," he said softly, ignoring the proceedings around him. "It's me. It's Naruto. Please... wake up."

For just an instant, something flickered in her eyes—recognition, confusion, pain—before the emptiness returned.

"The council will now vote," Homura announced. "Those in favor of immediate detainment of Uzumaki Naruto pending full investigation into charges of treason?"

Hands rose around the table—Danzō's first, followed by the elders, then reluctantly, one by one, the clan heads. Even Shikaku Nara, after a moment's hesitation, raised his hand.

"Those opposed?"

Only Tsunade's hand remained defiantly raised.

"The vote carries," Homura declared. "Uzumaki Naruto is hereby stripped of his shinobi rank and will be detained for questioning. ANBU, take him into custody."

"NO!" Naruto roared, chakra flaring golden around him. "This is wrong! All of it! Someone's manipulating you!"

ANBU surrounded him instantly, but Naruto made no move to fight. Fighting would only prove their point.

"Naruto," Tsunade said, her voice cracking. "Don't resist. We'll figure this out."

"Hokage-sama," Danzō said, his voice like oil on water, "given the suspect's unique... abilities... perhaps traditional detention is insufficient. The council recommends specialized sealing measures to prevent escape or... incidents."

"You want to suppress the Nine-Tails," Tsunade translated, eyes narrowing. "That could kill him."

"A regrettable risk, but necessary for village security," Koharu said with feigned sympathy.

Naruto felt cold dread spread through him. Suppression seals. Chakra dampeners. Isolation. The kind of containment that had driven other jinchūriki mad.

"They fear us," Kurama growled within him. "They always have. They've simply found an excuse to act on it."

"Wait," a new voice called from the entrance. All heads turned to see Kakashi Hatake striding in, scroll in hand. "Before you condemn a hero of Konoha, you might want to see this."

He tossed the scroll to Tsunade, who unfurled it quickly, her eyes widening as she read.

"This is a mission order," she announced, "signed by Danzō Shimura, dispatching an Intelligence operative to feed false information to the target insurgent group. Specifically, information about Naruto's team composition and route."

The chamber fell silent as the implications sank in.

"Furthermore," Kakashi continued, "I have testimony from the medic who first treated Sakura Haruno upon her return. Her chakra system shows signs of tampering consistent with memory manipulation jutsu."

Danzō's face remained impassive, but a muscle twitched in his jaw. "Fabrications and forgeries," he said dismissively. "Hatake is known to be Uzumaki's supporter."

"Are six ANBU Black Ops agents also fabrications?" Kakashi asked mildly. "The ones who just attempted to assassinate Naruto under your orders? They're currently in custody, and quite talkative under Ibiki's care."

The atmosphere in the room shifted palpably. Council members exchanged uneasy glances.

"This is outrageous," Danzō began, but Tsunade cut him off.

"No, what's outrageous is that you orchestrated an ambush that nearly killed four Konoha shinobi, manipulated a traumatized kunoichi's memories, and attempted to assassinate a war hero—all to eliminate a political rival." Her voice was deadly quiet. "ANBU, arrest Danzō Shimura for treason against Konoha."

Chaos erupted. Danzō's visible eye narrowed as he assessed his options, then made a single hand sign. The two Root agents flanking him moved with blinding speed, smoke bombs exploding throughout the chamber.

When the air cleared, Danzō was gone.

"Find him!" Tsunade ordered, but the damage was done. In the confusion, Sakura had collapsed entirely, her fragile consciousness giving way.

Naruto rushed to her side, cradling her head. "Sakura-chan! Hang on!"

Tsunade pushed through the crowd, hands already glowing with healing chakra as she examined her apprentice. "Memory manipulation, chakra suppression, truth serum," she diagnosed grimly. "They forced her to wake and testify before she was healed. The strain could have killed her."

"Will she be okay?" Naruto asked, voice breaking.

"With time," Tsunade replied, not looking up from her work. "But the damage to her chakra pathways is severe."

Around them, the council chamber was in disarray. Kakashi stood guard at the door while ANBU teams deployed in pursuit of Danzō. The elders huddled together, suddenly looking every year of their advanced age as their scheme unraveled.

"Hokage-sama," Homura began tentatively. "In light of these... complications... perhaps we should postpone any decisions regarding Uzumaki-san's status."

Tsunade straightened, fixing the elders with a glare that could have melted stone. "There will be no further discussion of Naruto's loyalty. The council overstepped its authority, was manipulated by Danzō, and nearly condemned an innocent shinobi based on falsified evidence."

Her words hung in the air, daring anyone to challenge them. No one did.

"Now," she continued, "I am taking Sakura back to the hospital. The rest of you will cooperate fully with the investigation into Danzō's actions. Any councillor found to have knowingly participated in this plot will face the same charges as Danzō himself." She paused, letting the threat sink in. "Dismissed."

As medics carefully transferred Sakura to a stretcher, Naruto stood in the center of the chamber, watching council members file out with averted eyes. None would meet his gaze. None offered apologies. The damage was done.

"Naruto," Kakashi said quietly, appearing at his side. "You should get some rest. It's been a long night."

"They believed it," Naruto replied, voice hollow. "All of them. They really thought I could betray Konoha."

"Fear makes people believe convenient lies," Kakashi sighed. "Danzō has been playing on fears of the Nine-Tails for years."

"And he's still out there," Naruto noted, his exhaustion giving way to determination. "I'm going after him."

"No," Tsunade said sharply, returning from seeing Sakura off. "That's exactly what he wants—to isolate you, to make you vulnerable."

"So we just wait for him to try again?"

"We hunt him properly," Tsunade corrected. "With full ANBU teams and proper intelligence. Danzō has hidey-holes throughout Fire Country. Finding him won't be easy."

Naruto wanted to argue, but the events of the past twenty-four hours were catching up to him. His wounds, partially reopened in the fight with Root, ached fiercely. More than that, his heart ached.

"Go home, Naruto," Tsunade said gently. "You're officially on medical leave until further notice."

Dawn was breaking as Naruto trudged back to his apartment, ANBU shadows now serving as protection rather than surveillance. The village was waking around him, civilians opening shops, shinobi reporting for missions, all unaware of the night's events.

How many of them would believe Danzō's lies if they heard them? How many would look at him with fear rather than respect?

A shadow fell across his path. Naruto looked up to find Jiraiya leaning against a lamppost, arms crossed, expression grim.

"Rough night?" the Sannin asked mildly.

"You could say that," Naruto replied. "Where were you?"

"Tracking Danzō's contacts outside the village," Jiraiya said, falling into step beside him. "I've suspected for years he was working with remnants of Orochimaru's network."

"And?"

"And I was right. He's been planning this move for months, kid. The failed mission was just the trigger he was waiting for."

Naruto absorbed this in silence as they climbed the stairs to his apartment. Inside, he collapsed onto his bed, too exhausted even to remove his shoes.

Jiraiya moved around the small space, checking windows, setting subtle security seals at entry points.

"They won't stop trying, you know," the Toad Sage said finally. "Danzō's gone, but his ideology remains. There are still those in the village who see you as the Nine-Tails first and Naruto second."

"What am I supposed to do?" Naruto asked, staring at the ceiling. "I've done everything for this village. I've bled for it. Fought for it. Nearly died for it. And they still don't trust me."

"Some do," Jiraiya corrected. "Tsunade. Kakashi. Your friends."

"My friends who voted to have me detained?" Naruto shot back bitterly.

"Politics is complicated, kid. The clan heads have their own people to protect."

Naruto sat up slowly, wincing at the pain. "I'm tired of being a political problem, Ero-sennin. I'm tired of having to prove myself over and over."

Jiraiya studied him thoughtfully, then reached into his vest to pull out a sealed scroll. "I've been saving this for your next birthday, but now might be a better time."

The scroll was ancient, its paper yellowed, the seal bearing a spiral pattern Naruto recognized from his mother's clan—the Uzumaki.

"What is it?"

"Information," Jiraiya said simply. "About a place far beyond the borders of the Five Great Nations. A place where the Uzumaki clan had allies before Uzushiogakure fell."

Naruto took the scroll cautiously. "What kind of allies?"

Jiraiya's lips quirked in a half-smile. "The kind that might appreciate a shinobi of your particular talents. Warrior women, if the legends are true. Guardians of ancient knowledge that even the Sage of Six Paths respected."

"And you're telling me this because...?"

"Because sometimes the path forward isn't the one you've been following your whole life," Jiraiya said quietly. "Sometimes you need to step off the map entirely."

Understanding dawned slowly. "You want me to leave the village."

"I want you to have options," Jiraiya corrected. "Tsunade can protect you for now, but the political winds are shifting. The next time someone comes for you, they might succeed."

Naruto stared at the scroll in his hands, emotions warring within him. Leave Konoha? Abandon his dream of becoming Hokage? The very thought felt like tearing out part of his soul.

"I can't just run away," he said finally.

"Not running away," Jiraiya countered. "Strategic retreat. To grow stronger. To find allies. To become something they can't control or contain."

A memory surfaced—Sasuke, standing at the Valley of the End, explaining why he had to leave. Naruto had never understood. Had never wanted to understand.

Now, the irony wasn't lost on him.

"Think about it," Jiraiya said, moving toward the window. "That's all I'm asking. And when you decide... I know people who can help you disappear."

After Jiraiya left, Naruto sat for a long time with the unopened scroll. Outside, Konoha continued its morning routine—the village he had sworn to protect, the home he had fought for all his life.

The home that had just tried to execute him.

With trembling fingers, he broke the seal on the scroll.

The next week passed in a blur of hospital visits and closed-door meetings. Sakura remained unconscious, her system slowly recovering from the brutal manipulation. Neji and Shikamaru improved steadily, though neither remembered details of the ambush clearly enough to corroborate or refute the accusations against Naruto.

Danzō remained at large, despite ANBU search parties combing Fire Country. Rumors spread that he had fled to Earth Country or perhaps even further north, beyond the reach of Konoha's influence.

The village itself seemed to hold its breath, citizens aware that something significant had happened but unclear on the details. Whispers followed Naruto through the streets, darting away when he turned to look. Old fears resurfaced in sidelong glances and hushed conversations that fell silent as he passed.

On the seventh day after the council meeting, Tsunade summoned him to her office. She looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes speaking of sleepless nights and endless paperwork.

"Naruto," she greeted him, gesturing to the chair across from her desk. "How are you holding up?"

"I've been better," he admitted, slumping into the seat. "Any change with Sakura-chan?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Stable, but still unconscious. Whatever jutsu Danzō used, it was designed to be untraceable. We're trying everything."

Naruto nodded, throat tight. He visited Sakura daily, talking to her still form, hoping somehow his voice might reach her. So far, there had been no response.

"That's not why I called you here," Tsunade continued after a moment. "The council reconvened this morning."

Something in her tone made Naruto sit up straighter. "And?"

"And they've made a decision." Tsunade's hands clenched on her desk. "One I fought against with everything I had, but was overruled."

Cold dread pooled in Naruto's stomach. "What decision?"

"Temporary exile," Tsunade said, the words clearly painful for her to speak. "Six months minimum, potentially extendable based on... circumstances."

"Exile?" Naruto repeated, the word feeling foreign on his tongue. "But you proved Danzō set me up! You exposed the whole plot!"

"I exposed enough to create reasonable doubt, but not enough to exonerate you completely," Tsunade corrected grimly. "Without Danzō in custody, without Sakura awake to recant her testimony, there's a stalemate. This is their compromise."

"Compromise?" Naruto shot to his feet, anger flaring. "Between what? Justice and injustice?"

"Between execution and freedom," Tsunade snapped back. "Don't think for a second they didn't consider more permanent solutions, Naruto. The elders are terrified—of you, of what you represent, of how much the village depends on your power. Danzō played on those fears masterfully."

Naruto paced the office, hands clenched into fists so tight his knuckles whitened. "So I'm just supposed to... leave? After everything I've done for Konoha?"

"For now," Tsunade said quietly. "Until I can gather enough evidence to completely clear your name. Until I can purge Danzō's influence from the council."

"And if you can't?"

Tsunade had no answer for that.

Naruto stopped at the window, looking out over the village he'd called home his entire life. The Hokage Monument stared back at him, stone faces impassive. His father's face among them—the Fourth Hokage who had sealed the Nine-Tails into his own son, believing the village would see him as a hero.

What a bitter joke that had turned out to be.

"When?" he asked finally.

"Three days," Tsunade replied. "Long enough to make arrangements, gather supplies. Officially, you're being sent on an extended solo reconnaissance mission. Unofficially..." She trailed off.

"Unofficially, I'm being thrown away," Naruto finished for her, bitterness sharp in his voice. "Like trash. Like a problem they don't want to deal with."

"Like a threat they don't understand," Tsunade corrected gently. "Fear makes people stupid, Naruto. Even good people."

He turned back to face her, blue eyes hard with determination. "I won't go quietly. I won't sneak out of my own village like a criminal."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Tsunade said with the ghost of a smile. "Just try not to burn any bridges on your way out. You'll need them when you return."

When, not if. The distinction wasn't lost on Naruto.

"Three days," he repeated. "And then what? Where am I supposed to go?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "I thought Jiraiya might have some ideas about that."

So she knew about the scroll. Of course she did.

"Maybe," Naruto admitted. "But that feels like running away."

"Or running toward something," Tsunade suggested. "Sometimes the path to your future leads away from what you thought you wanted."

Naruto sighed, shoulders slumping as the anger drained away, leaving only bone-deep weariness. "I never thought it would end like this."

"It's not ending, brat," Tsunade said firmly. "It's changing. There's a difference." She stood, coming around the desk to place her hands on his shoulders. "And Naruto? The real Konoha—the one worth fighting for—will be waiting for you when you come back."

He wanted to believe her. He really did.

Word spread quickly, as it always did in a village full of professional information gatherers. By nightfall, everyone knew: Uzumaki Naruto was leaving Konoha.

The official story—a long-term intelligence mission beyond the borders of the Five Great Nations—convinced few. Rumors multiplied: he was being punished for the failed mission; he was tracking Danzō; he was being sent away for special training; he was defecting like Sasuke had years before.

The truth, as usual, lay somewhere in the murky middle.

Naruto spent the first day in solitude, packing what little he could carry and studying the Uzumaki scroll Jiraiya had given him. The ancient text described a series of islands far beyond the mapped shinobi territories, where warriors of incredible skill guarded secrets older than the founding of the hidden villages. One passage in particular caught his attention:

Beyond the Churning Straits lies Themyscira, where the daughters of the gods make their home. The Uzumaki seal-masters found kindred spirits in these warrior women, who value strength, honor, and the sanctity of ancient knowledge as we do. Though they open their shores to few outsiders, the spiral mark of our clan will still find welcome there, should any survivor of Uzushio's fall seek sanctuary.

Accompanying the text were navigational directions, complex seals for weather manipulation during sea travel, and warnings about the dangers of the journey. Naruto memorized them all, his determination growing with each reading.

If Konoha didn't want him, perhaps these Amazons, whoever they were, might see his worth.

The second day brought visitors—first Iruka-sensei, who tried and failed to hide his tears behind gruff advice about packing enough ramen; then Konohamaru and his friends, swearing dramatic oaths to continue Naruto's legacy of pranks and troublemaking; and finally, as evening fell, Kakashi.

His former sensei found him at the Third Training Ground, sitting atop one of the wooden posts where Team 7 had first become genin. So many years ago now. A lifetime.

"Thought I might find you here," Kakashi said, hands in his pockets as he meandered closer. "Feeling nostalgic?"

"Something like that," Naruto replied, eyes fixed on the distant horizon. "Remember when you tied me to this post? Said I was the worst of the team."

"Ah," Kakashi scratched his masked cheek. "Not my finest teaching moment. Though in my defense, you were quite the handful back then."

"And now I'm what? A liability? A political inconvenience?"

"Now you're the strongest shinobi I've ever taught," Kakashi said simply. "And certain people find that terrifying."

Naruto snorted. "Not terrifying enough to keep me around, apparently."

"This exile isn't just about you, Naruto. It's about the power struggle within Konoha itself." Kakashi leaned against the post, looking up at the darkening sky. "Tsunade's authority has been challenged. The clans are divided. Danzō may be gone, but his ideology persists."

"So I'm a sacrifice for the greater good?" Naruto asked bitterly. "How is that different from how the village has treated me my whole life?"

"Because this time, you have a choice," Kakashi replied. "You could refuse to go. Force their hand. See what happens when they try to remove the hero of the Fourth Shinobi War against his will."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "You want me to defy the council?"

"I want you to make your own decision," Kakashi corrected. "Not blindly follow orders, not sacrifice yourself again for a village that may not deserve it. What do you want, Naruto?"

The question hung in the air between them. What did he want? For so long, his answer had been simple: to be Hokage, to be acknowledged, to protect Konoha. Now?

"I want..." he began slowly, "I want to find a place where I'm not seen as a weapon or a monster. Where I can just be... me."

Kakashi nodded, as if he'd expected this answer. "Then perhaps this exile is an opportunity, not a punishment."

"That's what Ero-sennin said."

"Jiraiya-sama is wiser than he lets on," Kakashi chuckled. "Though don't tell him I said that. His ego is inflated enough."

They sat in companionable silence as stars began to appear overhead, pinpricks of light in the vast darkness. Tomorrow, Naruto would leave the only home he'd ever known. The thought should have terrified him, but instead, he felt a strange sense of... freedom.

"Wherever you go," Kakashi said finally, "remember what I taught you."

"Always look underneath the underneath?" Naruto guessed with a small smile.

"Those who abandon their friends are worse than trash," Kakashi corrected. "But your friends haven't abandoned you, Naruto. We'll be here when you return."

As Kakashi departed, leaving Naruto alone with his thoughts, a flicker of movement caught his attention from the treeline. A shadow detached itself, moving cautiously toward him.

"You can come out," Naruto called. "I know you're there."

Hinata Hyūga stepped into the clearing, moonlight silvering her dark hair. Her pale eyes, usually downcast in his presence, met his directly.

"Naruto-kun," she said softly. "I heard you're leaving tomorrow."

"News travels fast," he sighed, jumping down from the post. "Yeah, extended mission. Very important. Very secret."

"Very false," Hinata replied with uncharacteristic bluntness. "My father told me about the council's decision."

Naruto winced. "Right. Clan head and all that."

"He voted against it," Hinata said quickly. "He believes the evidence was manipulated."

"Small comfort," Naruto muttered, then immediately regretted his harshness when hurt flashed across Hinata's face. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's alright," she said, stepping closer. "You have every right to be angry."

In the years since Pain's attack, when Hinata had nearly died protecting him, their relationship had evolved into a strange, delicate friendship. Naruto was aware of her feelings—how could he not be, after her confession?—but the chaos of war and its aftermath had left little time for exploring what that might mean.

Now, on the eve of his departure, he wondered if he'd missed something important.

"I won't ask where you're going," Hinata continued, twisting her fingers together nervously. "But I wanted to give you this before you left."

From her pocket, she withdrew a small, intricately carved wooden box. Inside lay a pendant—a crystal that seemed to glow with its own inner light, suspended on a silver chain.

"It's a Byakugan tear," she explained as Naruto lifted it in wonder. "An old Hyūga tradition. When a clan member activates their dōjutsu for the first time, we capture a single tear shed in that moment. It's said to contain pure chakra—chakra of possibility, of potential."

"Hinata, I can't take this," Naruto protested. "It must be incredibly valuable."

"It is," she agreed simply. "That's why I want you to have it." Before he could object further, she reached out and closed his fingers around the pendant. "To remind you that someone in Konoha sees you clearly. Always has."

The sincerity in her voice struck him speechless. Here, at least, was one person who had never doubted him, never feared him, never seen him as anything but exactly who he was.

"Thank you," he managed finally, slipping the pendant over his head. The crystal rested warm against his chest, pulsing subtly with chakra that resonated with his own.

Hinata smiled, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Just promise you'll come back someday."

"I promise," Naruto said, and meant it. Whatever awaited him beyond Konoha's borders, whatever new path he might forge, this village would always be a part of him—the good and the bad, the acceptance and the rejection, all of it woven into the fabric of who he was.

He just needed time to figure out who he could become.

Dawn broke clear and cold on Naruto's final day in Konoha. He rose early, moving silently through his morning routine one last time. The scroll from Jiraiya was secured in a special seal on his arm, invisible to casual inspection. The Byakugan tear hung around his neck, concealed beneath his shirt. Everything else he needed was packed in a single travel-worn backpack.

He'd debated wearing his forehead protector—the symbol of his status as a Konoha shinobi—but ultimately decided against it. This wasn't an official mission, no matter what story the council had concocted. This was exile, plain and simple, and he refused to pretend otherwise.

As the sun climbed higher, Naruto made one final visit to the hospital. Sakura's room was quiet, monitors beeping steadily as they tracked her vital signs. She looked peaceful in sleep, the strain and confusion that had marked her face during the council meeting now absent.

"I have to go now, Sakura-chan," he said quietly, taking her limp hand in his. "But I'll be back. I promise. And when I do come back..." He swallowed hard against the tightness in his throat. "When I do come back, I'll be someone even stronger. Someone who can protect everyone precious to me."

He thought he felt the faintest pressure against his fingers, but it might have been wishful thinking. With a heavy heart, he placed her hand gently back on the bed and turned to leave—only to find Tsunade standing in the doorway.

"I thought I might catch you here," she said, stepping aside to let him pass. "Walk with me?"

They moved through the hospital corridors in silence, medical staff nodding respectfully as they passed. Outside, the morning bustle of Konoha was in full swing, villagers going about their day as if nothing had changed. As if one of their protectors wasn't being cast out like an unwanted stray.

"The east gate will be least crowded," Tsunade said as they reached the hospital entrance. "I've arranged for minimal guard presence. No spectacle, no ceremony."

"Thanks," Naruto replied, adjusting his pack. "I guess this is goodbye, then."

Tsunade's expression softened. "Not goodbye. Never goodbye. This is..." she searched for the right words. "This is an intermission. A pause between acts."

"The next act being what? My triumphant return? Or permanent banishment when the council decides I'm too dangerous to ever come back?"

"That's up to you," Tsunade said, reaching out to flick his forehead gently—her unique gesture of affection. "What story do you want to write, Naruto?"

He had no answer for that. Not yet.

"One last thing," Tsunade continued, reaching into her robe to withdraw a small, tightly rolled scroll. "From Jiraiya. He said to give it to you only when you were already on your way."

Naruto accepted it cautiously. "More secret destinations?"

"Contacts," Tsunade corrected. "People who can help you, should you need it. People outside the normal shinobi networks."

"Tell Ero-sennin thanks," Naruto said, tucking the scroll away. "And... take care of everyone while I'm gone. Especially Sakura-chan."

"I will," Tsunade promised, then surprised him by pulling him into a fierce hug. "Be safe out there, brat. The world beyond the Five Great Nations isn't like what you're used to."

"I'll be fine," Naruto assured her, returning the embrace. "I always am, right?"

As they separated, Tsunade's amber eyes searched his face, as if memorizing it. "One more piece of advice," she said. "Whatever you find out there, whatever new path you discover... don't forget who you are at your core. The Will of Fire burns in you stronger than anyone I've ever known. Don't let it go out."

With that final admonition, the Fifth Hokage stepped back, resuming her official bearing. "Uzumaki Naruto, you are hereby released from active duty for a period of no less than six months. Your status will be reviewed upon your return to Konoha, should you choose to return."

The formality of it stung, but Naruto understood its necessity. There would be records, reports, official documentation of this moment. History would need to know that Uzumaki Naruto left Konoha not as a rogue ninja, but as a shinobi following orders.

Even if those orders were born of fear and prejudice.

"I understand, Hokage-sama," he replied with equal formality, bowing low. "I will return when the time is right."

The eastern gate of Konoha was quiet in the mid-morning light, just as Tsunade had promised. A pair of chūnin guards nodded respectfully as Naruto approached, saying nothing as he passed between the massive wooden doors that had defined the boundaries of his world for nineteen years.

He paused just beyond the threshold, looking back at the village that had shaped him—the buildings rebuilt after Pain's attack, the Hokage Monument watching over everything, the Academy where he'd first dreamed of acknowledgment. For all its flaws, for all the pain it had caused him, Konoha was still home.

But perhaps not his only home, not anymore.

Drawing a deep breath, Naruto turned his face toward the rising sun and took his first step into exile. The road stretched before him, winding through forests that would gradually give way to unfamiliar landscapes, new horizons, unknown possibilities.

Behind him, unnoticed in the shadows of the gate, a figure watched his departure with mismatched eyes—one dark, one bearing the concentric circles of the Rinnegan.

"Safe journey, Naruto," Sasuke Uchiha murmured, his cloak rippling in the morning breeze. "Find what I couldn't."

Then he too was gone, moving like a ghost through the village that had once been home to them both. Two children of Konoha, one exiled by choice, one by decree. Both seeking something the village could no longer provide.

As Naruto crested the first hill, the gates of Konoha vanished from view. He didn't look back again. Instead, he unfolded the navigational charts from Jiraiya's scroll, orienting himself toward the distant coast where, if the legends were true, a ship would be waiting to carry him beyond the mapped world.

Toward Themyscira. Toward the Amazons. Toward whatever future awaited him there.

The journey had begun.

The ocean stretched before Naruto like a living beast—vast, temperamental, and utterly indifferent to the tiny vessel that skimmed across its surface. Three months had passed since he'd walked away from Konoha, three months of endless movement, of sleeping in trees and caves, of testing the boundaries of his exile. The Five Great Nations had slipped behind him like a discarded skin, giving way to coastal settlements whose names meant nothing to the shinobi world.

Salt spray stung his face as the fishing boat crested another wave. His knuckles whitened around the weathered railing, feet instinctively channeling chakra to keep him upright while the local fishermen scrambled around him, adjusting sails against the strengthening wind.

"Boy!" The captain's voice cut through the wind, gruff and impatient. "Make yourself useful or get below deck! Storm's coming!"

Naruto glanced at the horizon where dark clouds boiled upward, a towering wall of slate and charcoal bearing down on them with unnatural speed. No ordinary weather system, that much was clear. The air crackled with something beyond natural energy—something older, wilder.

"I can help!" Naruto shouted back, already forming hand signs. Wind-style jutsu might buy them time to reach the cove he'd spotted a kilometer back.

The captain—a leather-skinned man named Haru who'd reluctantly agreed to take Naruto further out to sea than most vessels dared travel—shook his head violently. "No ninja magic! Not out here!"

Naruto's hands froze mid-sign. "What? Why not?"

"These waters don't take kindly to chakra," the old man snapped, physically pushing Naruto's hands apart. "You'll only make it worse."

Before Naruto could argue, the first rogue wave slammed into the port side. The boat lurched sickeningly, nearly capsizing as water crashed across the deck. A younger fisherman lost his footing, sliding toward the edge until Naruto grabbed his arm, hauling him back from certain death.

"Get below!" Haru roared, lashing the wheel in place as he fought to turn the vessel shoreward. "All of you!"

Lightning split the sky, so close the air sizzled with ozone. In its brief, harsh illumination, Naruto caught a glimpse of something impossible—a massive silhouette within the storm clouds, a shape like a coiled serpent stretching for kilometers across the sky. Then darkness again, and doubt. Had he imagined it?

"Something hunts us," Kurama growled within him, the Nine-Tails suddenly alert after days of dormancy. "Something old."

What do you mean, 'old'? Naruto asked mentally, helping a crewman secure a broken line. Older than you?

The fox's laughter rumbled through his consciousness. "Few things are older than I, kit. But this... this has the taste of the Sage's era. Before the tailed beasts walked the earth."

The implications sent ice through Naruto's veins even as rain began to hammer the deck, cold and sharp as senbon. If something from the Sage of Six Paths' time was stirring in these waters, no wonder the local sailors feared chakra use. They might not understand the why, but generations of lost ships had taught them caution.

"The mast!" someone screamed, and Naruto whipped around to see the main sail tearing free, canvas snapping like monstrous wings as rigging whipped lethally through the air.

Instinct took over. Naruto lunged across the deck, golden chakra flaring around him as he tapped into Kurama's power. His hands found the main rope, muscles straining as he fought to secure the flailing mast before it took the entire boat down with it.

"I told you no chakra!" Haru bellowed, his face contorted with terror rather than anger. "Gods help us now!"

As if in direct response, the storm... intensified. The clouds directly above the boat spiraled inward like a hungry maw. The waves, already mountainous, now defied physics entirely, rising in columns that twisted and reached like grasping hands. Lightning no longer flashed in single strikes but danced in continuous, blinding networks across the sky.

"What have I done?" Naruto gasped as the golden cloak of the Nine-Tails' chakra flickered around him.

"You've awakened it," Kurama replied grimly. "And now it's coming."

The air split apart as something punched through the fabric of the storm—a massive scaled head, serpentine and ancient, with eyes like twin whirlpools and teeth the size of small boats. Not a physical creature, Naruto realized with horror, but something composed of storm and sea and malevolent intent.

"Sea god!" Haru screamed, falling to his knees in prayer. "Mercy! Mercy!"

The beast—if such a mundane word could describe the elemental horror bearing down on them—opened jaws that could swallow islands. Within its gullet, Naruto glimpsed not flesh but the eye of the storm itself, a swirling vortex that would tear them apart molecule by molecule.

Time slowed. Options flashed through Naruto's mind with combat-honed precision. Run? Impossible. Fight? Laughable. This wasn't an enemy he could punch or blast with a Rasengan. This was nature itself, twisted into hatred.

But nature could be channeled. Redirected. That's what jutsu was, at its core—not fighting against natural energy, but guiding it, becoming one with it.

"Everyone below deck!" Naruto commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos with unexpected authority. "Now!"

"What are you going to—" Haru began.

"Trust me!" Naruto flashed a grin that was pure bravado. "I've faced worse than oversized sea snakes!"

He hadn't, but the crew didn't need to know that.

As the sailors scrambled for the relative safety of the cabin, Naruto took a deep breath and centered himself. Golden chakra flared around him again, but this time he modulated it, dampening its intensity while expanding its reach. Instead of a brilliant flame, he became a diffuse glow, spreading his energy thin across the entire vessel.

"What exactly is your plan here?" Kurama demanded as the sea serpent's jaws descended toward them.

"Remember that sealing technique Ero-sennin taught me?" Naruto replied, hands already moving through complex patterns. "The one for redirecting natural energy?"

"That was for toads!"

"Same principle, bigger scale!"

The Nine-Tails fell silent, caught between admiration and exasperation at his host's audacity.

Naruto's fingers completed the final seal just as the serpent struck. Instead of resisting, he opened himself completely, becoming a conduit. The beast's energy—cold and ancient and wild—poured through him like a tsunami through a canal. Pain beyond description ripped through every cell as he fought to redirect the force rather than contain it.

His consciousness fragmented. He was Naruto on a failing boat. He was the storm, raging against intrusion. He was the sea itself, endlessly churning. He was nothing and everything, expanding and contracting simultaneously.

"SEAL!" he screamed, voice lost in the tempest's roar.

The serpent's form convulsed, twisting unnaturally as Naruto's sealing technique took effect. Not binding the entity—that would be impossible—but altering its course, spinning its energy into a controlled spiral around the tiny vessel rather than through it.

For one breathless moment, it worked. The storm bent around them like water around a stone. The serpent's massive form circled their boat, still raging but no longer attacking directly.

Then reality reasserted itself. No human, not even a jinchūriki, could redirect the full fury of an elemental god for long.

The seal shattered. Backlash hit Naruto like a physical blow, sending him flying across the deck. His head cracked against the gunwale, vision exploding in stars as the golden chakra flickered and died. Blood—warm and startlingly red against the cold grayness of the storm—trickled into his eyes.

Through the haze of pain, he saw the serpent rear back for a final strike. No more chances. No more clever plans. Just the cold certainty of death at sea, so far from everything and everyone he'd ever known.

"Sorry, Tsunade-baachan," he whispered. "Looks like I won't be coming back after all."

The serpent struck. The boat exploded into splinters. The world went black.

Pain.

That was Naruto's first conscious thought as awareness sluggishly returned. His entire body felt like one massive bruise, salt crusting his lips and eyelids, clothes stiff with dried seawater. Somehow, impossibly, he was breathing.

He was alive.

Sand shifted beneath him as he struggled to open his eyes. Sunlight stabbed through his eyelids like kunai, forcing him to squint against its brightness. A beach. He was on a beach. Waves lapped gently at his feet, a mocking contrast to the maelstrom that had nearly claimed his life.

"Kurama?" he croaked mentally, seeking the familiar presence of the Nine-Tails.

Silence answered him. Not the hostile silence of their early relationship, but the quiet of exhaustion. The fox was there, but dormant, chakra depleted to dangerously low levels. Whatever they'd faced in that storm had drained them both beyond anything Naruto had experienced before.

Gritting his teeth against waves of dizziness, Naruto pushed himself up to his knees. His backpack was gone, along with most of his equipment. The scroll from Jiraiya, sealed into his arm, remained intact—small mercies. The Byakugan tear still hung around his neck, though the silver chain had left a raw welt where it had pressed into his skin during the storm.

As his vision cleared, Naruto took in his surroundings for the first time. The beach was pristine white sand, stretching in a gentle curve to rocky outcroppings on either side. Beyond the sand, lush vegetation in impossible shades of green climbed toward mist-shrouded mountains. The air carried scents he couldn't identify—flowers and fruits unknown in the lands of the Five Great Nations.

This was not the coastline they'd been sailing near when the storm hit. This was somewhere else entirely.

Naruto staggered to his feet, wincing as injuries made themselves known—three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, lacerations across his back and chest, and a concussion that made the world tilt alarmingly. Without Kurama's healing factor at full capacity, these wounds would take time to heal naturally.

"Hello?" he called, voice rasping from salt and thirst. "Is anyone else here? Captain Haru?"

Only the gentle wash of waves answered him. Whether the others had survived and washed up elsewhere, or been claimed by the sea serpent, Naruto couldn't tell. The guilty weight of responsibility settled on his shoulders. If he hadn't used chakra...

No. Recriminations wouldn't help now. First priorities: water, shelter, get his bearings.

Naruto stumbled toward the treeline, drawn by the promise of fresh water from a stream he could hear burbling somewhere in the dense foliage. The vegetation grew right to the edge of the sand, an impenetrable wall of emerald and jade. No paths, no signs of habitation. Just wilderness.

Or so it seemed at first glance.

As Naruto approached the jungle's edge, his shinobi senses—dulled by injury but still sharp—picked up irregularities. Patterns too precise to be natural. Sightlines too conveniently arranged. This forest was cultivated, or at least partially managed by human hands.

Which meant people. Civilization. Help.

"Hello?" he called again, louder this time. "I'm a survivor from a shipwreck! Is anyone—"

The blow came from nowhere—silent, precise, and delivered with enough force to drop Naruto instantly despite his heightened reflexes. As consciousness slipped away for the second time in as many days, he caught a glimpse of his attacker: a tall figure silhouetted against the sun, something gleaming in their hand.

"Female," his fading mind registered with surprise. "Armed."

Then nothing.

Dreams and reality blurred as Naruto drifted in and out of consciousness. Cool hands on his forehead. Voices speaking in a language he almost recognized but couldn't quite grasp. The sensation of movement—being carried on a stretcher or litter of some kind. The scent of unfamiliar herbs and medicines.

At one point, he thought he felt something probing at the seal on his stomach—not physically, but energetically, as if someone were testing the boundaries of Kurama's prison with unfamiliar techniques. He tried to resist, to protect the Nine-Tails, but his body refused to respond.

When Naruto finally clawed his way back to full consciousness, he found himself in surroundings so unexpected that for a moment he wondered if he was still dreaming.

He lay on a bed of surprising softness, in a circular chamber whose walls and ceiling appeared to be carved from a single massive piece of pale stone. Sunlight streamed through high windows, casting dappled patterns across mosaic floors depicting ocean scenes in vibrant blues and greens. The air smelled of unfamiliar incense and healing herbs, clean and soothing.

Most surprising of all—he was healed. The broken ribs, the shoulder, even the smaller cuts and bruises had been tended to with skill that surpassed even Konoha's medical ninja. Only lingering stiffness and hunger suggested he'd been injured at all.

"Kurama?" he reached out mentally.

"Here," came the groggy reply. "Though not at full strength. These humans... they have strange techniques."

You felt it too? Someone examining the seal?

"More than examining. They... recognized it. Not the specific seal, but the concept. As if they'd seen something similar before."

That was impossible. The Fourth Hokage's Eight Trigrams Seal was unique, a technique developed specifically to contain the Nine-Tails within his son. No one outside the highest echelons of Konoha's leadership even understood how it functioned.

Where are we? Naruto wondered, swinging his legs carefully over the edge of the bed. Someone had dressed him in a simple white tunic that fell to his knees, his original clothes nowhere in sight.

"I don't know," Kurama admitted, a rare uncertainty in the ancient fox's voice. "But this place... it feels old. Older than the hidden villages. There's power here, kit. Be cautious."

Naruto stood, testing his balance. Steady enough. A stone archway led out of the chamber, opening onto a covered walkway that appeared to circle a central courtyard. Moving cautiously, he approached the exit.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a voice said from behind him—a woman's voice, speaking perfect, unaccented Japanese.

Naruto whirled, instinctively dropping into a defensive stance. A tall figure stood in a doorway he hadn't noticed before, partly concealed behind a hanging tapestry. How had she entered without him sensing her presence?

She stepped forward, and Naruto's breath caught. She was unlike any woman he'd ever seen—tall as a man, with powerful shoulders and arms exposed by her sleeveless leather armor. Her skin was a rich olive tone, her features sharp and aristocratic, framed by a cascade of raven-black hair pulled back in a practical braid. A sword hung at her hip, its golden hilt worn from use rather than decorative.

But it was her eyes that truly captured him—gray as storm clouds, ancient as mountains, and utterly, uncompromisingly fierce.

"You are not yet cleared to leave the healing chambers," she continued, crossing her arms. "The poison must be fully purged from your system."

"Poison?" Naruto echoed, momentarily forgetting to maintain his guard.

"From the Leviathan's bite," she clarified, as if this should be obvious. "The sea serpent that destroyed your vessel. Its venom affects the spirit more than the flesh—particularly problematic in your... unique case."

She glanced pointedly at his stomach, where the seal lay hidden beneath the tunic. Naruto tensed again.

"How do you know about—"

"We have our methods," she cut him off. "More importantly, how did a shinobi from the hidden continent find his way to our waters? The barriers have stood unbreached for centuries."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "You know about the Five Nations? About shinobi?"

A smile curved her lips, though it didn't reach those storm-gray eyes. "We know of many things beyond our shores, Uzumaki Naruto. Including the legacy of the clan whose symbol you bear in your blood and chakra."

His name. She knew his name. And his clan. Neither of which he had given since washing ashore.

"Who are you?" he demanded, chakra instinctively flaring despite Kurama's weakened state. "And how do you know who I am?"

The woman didn't flinch at his display. If anything, she seemed faintly amused.

"My name is Diana, Princess of Themyscira," she replied with the casual confidence of someone stating an obvious fact. "As for how I know you—the Lasso of Truth reveals all secrets, willingly or otherwise."

Themyscira. The name from Jiraiya's scroll. The island of warrior women beyond the mapped world.

He'd actually found it. Or rather, it had found him.

"You..." Naruto's eyes widened as the implications hit him. "You're an Amazon?"

"I am," she confirmed, head tilting slightly as she studied him with new interest. "Though I'm curious how you know that term, when no outsider has set foot on these shores in over a century."

Naruto hesitated. The scroll contained information that Jiraiya had warned was sensitive—ancient connections between the Uzumaki clan and these Amazons that had been deliberately obscured from history. Revealing too much too quickly might be dangerous.

On the other hand, they'd already examined his seal while he was unconscious. They already knew he was a jinchūriki. What more did he have to hide?

"A scroll," he admitted finally. "Given to me by my mentor before I left Konoha. It mentioned an alliance between the Uzumaki seal-masters and the warriors of Themyscira, from before the founding of the hidden villages."

Diana's expression remained carefully neutral, but something flickered in those gray eyes—recognition, perhaps. Or concern.

"And you sought us out based on this information? Why?"

The blunt question caught Naruto off guard. Why had he come? Because Jiraiya suggested it? Because he had nowhere else to go? Because he was angry and hurt and looking for a place where the shadow of the Nine-Tails didn't define him?

"I was exiled," he said finally, the truth spilling out before he could reconsider. "Falsely accused of betraying my village. I needed... somewhere. Somewhere different. The scroll suggested I might find sanctuary here."

Diana's gaze intensified, as if she could see through his words to the emotions churning beneath. For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, with a decisive nod, she turned toward the exit.

"Follow me, Uzumaki Naruto. If you're strong enough to walk, you're strong enough to face the Queen."

"Wait, what queen?" Naruto hurried after her as she strode through the archway. "I thought Amazons were—"

"You thought wrong," Diana cut him off, leading him into a sunlit courtyard. "And I suggest you keep further assumptions to yourself until you've stood before Hippolyta. First impressions matter here, especially for men."

The word 'men' carried a weight of history and caution that wasn't lost on Naruto. He fell silent, taking in his surroundings as they crossed the courtyard.

The healing chamber, he now realized, was part of a larger complex of buildings nestled against a cliffside. The architecture was unlike anything in the Five Nations—all columns and arches, with intricate carvings adorning every surface. Women moved purposefully through the grounds, some in simple tunics similar to his own, others in armor that gleamed gold and silver in the sunlight. Every single one of them was tall, strong, and moved with the unmistakable grace of a trained warrior.

And every single one of them stopped to stare as he passed.

"Um, is it just me, or am I getting the evil eye from pretty much everyone?" Naruto whispered as they descended a broad staircase toward what appeared to be a city spreading below them.

"You are the first man to walk freely on Themyscira in several lifetimes," Diana replied, not slowing her pace. "Curiosity is to be expected. Hostility as well, from some quarters."

"Great," Naruto muttered. "Out of the frying pan, into the... whatever you call a place full of warrior women who don't like men."

Diana glanced back at him, the ghost of a smile playing at her lips. "We call it home. And whether it becomes your refuge or your prison depends entirely on what happens next."

The implied threat might have worried Naruto more if he hadn't faced similar skepticism his entire life. One more trial, one more chance to prove himself. Story of his existence.

"Be careful, kit," Kurama warned as they approached a magnificent structure that could only be a palace—white marble rising in sweeping curves toward the sky, banners of purple and gold fluttering from its towers. "These women are not like the kunoichi you know. Their power comes from a different source, one even I don't fully understand."

Since when are you the cautious one? Naruto replied mentally, though he took the warning seriously. Something about this place did feel fundamentally different from the chakra-based world he knew—more primal, more directly connected to nature itself.

The palace guards—women in gleaming armor with spears that practically hummed with power—snapped to attention as Diana approached. They cast suspicious glances at Naruto but made no move to stop him as the princess led him through towering bronze doors into a vast hall.

Sunlight streamed through high windows, illuminating a space that seemed designed to inspire awe. Pillars carved to resemble ancient trees supported a ceiling painted with constellations Naruto didn't recognize. The floor, polished stone inlaid with gold, depicted scenes of battle and victory—women warriors triumphing over monsters and men alike, not a reassuring sight for the lone male visitor.

At the far end, upon a dais of marble steps, stood a throne that seemed grown rather than built, its contours flowing organically from the stone itself. And upon it sat a woman who could only be the Queen.

Hippolyta of Themyscira had the ageless beauty of a goddess carved in ivory and gold. Her hair, blonde streaked with silver, was bound in an intricate crown of braids. Her armor, more ceremonial than Diana's practical leathers, gleamed with precious metals and gems. But it was the power in her posture, the absolute authority in her gaze, that truly proclaimed her royalty.

This, Naruto realized, was what a true leader looked like—not hidden behind a desk and politics like the Hokage, but present and undeniable, strength on full display.

To the Queen's right stood a stern-faced woman with close-cropped gray hair, hand resting meaningfully on the hilt of her sword. To her left, a younger Amazon in the robes of a priestess or scholar, scrolls clutched to her chest, her expression one of barely contained curiosity.

Diana stopped at the foot of the dais and bowed—not deeply, but with the respect of a warrior to her commander. Naruto, following her lead, did the same.

"Mother," Diana addressed the Queen, confirming the relationship Naruto had begun to suspect. "I present Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure, survivor of the Leviathan's attack, bearer of the Nine-Tailed Fox spirit."

Murmurs rippled through the hall, and Naruto realized they were not alone—dozens of Amazons lined the walls, witnesses to this unexpected audience.

"Rise, Uzumaki Naruto," Hippolyta commanded, her voice strong and clear as a temple bell. "And explain how you came to our shores, when the mists and barriers have turned away all vessels for centuries."

Naruto straightened, meeting the Queen's gaze directly. Deference was appropriate, but subservience was not in his nature, royalty or no.

"I didn't exactly plan to end up here," he admitted with characteristic bluntness. "My boat was caught in a storm. There was this massive sea serpent—"

"The Leviathan," the scholarly Amazon interjected. "Guardian of the outer barriers."

"Right, that," Naruto nodded. "Anyway, it attacked after I used chakra to try to save our ship. I attempted a sealing technique to redirect its energy, but... well, obviously that didn't work out great for me or the boat."

The stern warrior woman snorted. "You attempted to seal Poseidon's creation? With chakra techniques? The arrogance of men never changes."

"General Antiope," Hippolyta cautioned, though she seemed faintly amused as well. "Let him continue."

Naruto shrugged. "Not much else to tell. I woke up on your beach, got knocked out again by one of your warriors, and then woke up in your healing chambers. Now I'm here."

His deliberate omission of Jiraiya's scroll and his reasons for sailing these waters didn't go unnoticed. Diana's eyes narrowed slightly, but she said nothing.

Hippolyta leaned forward, studying him with unnerving intensity. "And the spirit sealed within you? The Nine-Tailed Fox? Our healers sensed its presence—a being of immense chakra, bound by techniques similar to those our ancestors once shared with the Uzumaki clan."

So they did know about the connection. That simplified things.

"Kurama," Naruto said, a hand rising instinctively to his stomach. "His name is Kurama. And he's not just sealed in me—we're partners."

This caused a greater stir among the assembled Amazons. The scholar's eyes widened with academic excitement, while General Antiope's hand tightened on her sword hilt.

"Partnership with a tailed beast?" the scholar exclaimed. "The scrolls mention no such possibility!"

"It's... relatively new," Naruto admitted. "Most jinchūriki—people like me with tailed beasts sealed inside them—have adversarial relationships with their beasts. Kurama and I figured out a better way."

"Fascinating," the scholar murmured, already scribbling notes on one of her scrolls.

Hippolyta raised a hand, silencing the murmurs throughout the hall. "Whatever your relationship with the fox spirit, your presence here presents us with a dilemma, Uzumaki Naruto. No man has been permitted to stay on Themyscira since the time of the Accord."

"The Accord?" Naruto asked.

"A treaty between our peoples, established after the Uzumaki helped us strengthen our protective barriers against the outside world," Diana explained. "Part of that agreement was that no man would set foot on our island again, in exchange for certain knowledge we provided to your clan."

"Knowledge of sealing techniques," Naruto guessed, pieces falling into place. "The foundations of fūinjutsu came from the Amazons?"

The scholar nodded eagerly. "A simplified version, adapted to work with chakra rather than divine energy, but yes. Your clan's spiral symbol itself is derived from our sacred patterns of containment."

Naruto absorbed this revelation with shock. The Uzumaki clan, renowned throughout the shinobi world for their sealing techniques, had learned the foundations of their art from these women? It was like discovering the First Hokage had learned Wood Release from some previously unknown civilization.

"So what happens now?" he asked, looking back to Hippolyta. "Because of this Accord, I can't stay? Even though the scroll I was given suggested I'd find sanctuary here?"

The Queen's expression remained impassive. "What scroll is this? You neglected to mention it earlier."

Naruto hesitated, then decided full disclosure was his best option. With a small flare of chakra, he released the seal on his arm, producing Jiraiya's scroll. The scholarly Amazon made a small sound of recognition as he unrolled it, revealing the ancient text with its descriptions of Themyscira and the connection to the Uzumaki clan.

"My mentor gave me this before I left Konoha," Naruto explained, handing it to Diana, who examined it briefly before passing it to her mother. "He said if I needed a place beyond the Five Nations, I might find welcome here because of my clan."

Hippolyta studied the scroll carefully, her expression softening almost imperceptibly. "Myrinna," she said, addressing the scholar, "is this authentic?"

The scholarly Amazon accepted the scroll reverently, her eyes widening as she examined the text. "It appears to be, My Queen. The seal work is definitely Uzumaki, from their golden age before the fall of Uzushiogakure. And this passage here—" she pointed to a section Naruto couldn't see from his position, "—refers to the Covenant of Spirals, which only those present at the Accord would have known about."

Hippolyta nodded slowly, then returned her attention to Naruto. "The situation is... complicated. The Accord does indeed guarantee sanctuary to those bearing the Uzumaki spiral, but it was assumed that would mean women of your clan, not men, and certainly not jinchūriki."

"So what does that mean for me?" Naruto pressed.

"It means," General Antiope interjected, "that tradition demands a trial."

Diana glanced sharply at her aunt. "A trial? He's injured, still recovering from Leviathan's poison—"

"And yet he stands before us, strong enough to argue his case," Antiope countered. "If he seeks the protection of Themyscira, he must prove his worth as the Uzumaki of old proved theirs—in combat."

Naruto straightened, meeting the General's challenging gaze. "Combat? Against whom?"

A slow, predatory smile spread across Antiope's weathered face. "Against our champion, of course." She nodded toward Diana. "The Princess of Themyscira."

Diana's expression remained neutral, but Naruto caught a flicker of something in her eyes—concern? Anticipation? Hard to tell.

"I accept," Naruto said without hesitation. A fight, at least, was familiar territory. Better than politics and ancient accords he knew nothing about.

"You're not at full strength," Kurama warned. "Neither of us is. And these Amazons... their power is different. Dangerous."

We've faced worse odds, Naruto replied mentally. Besides, what choice do we have?

Hippolyta studied him for a long moment, then nodded once, decisively. "So be it. Tomorrow at midday, in the Arena of Trials, you will face Princess Diana in combat. If you acquit yourself with honor, regardless of victory or defeat, the sanctuary of Themyscira will be granted to you as it was promised to your ancestors."

"And if I don't?" Naruto asked, though he suspected he knew the answer.

"Then you will be returned to the sea," Hippolyta replied, her voice like steel wrapped in silk. "Whether you survive that journey will be between you and Poseidon."

With that grim pronouncement, the audience was clearly at an end. Diana placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, guiding him into a respectful bow before leading him from the throne room.

As they exited the palace into the bright afternoon sunlight, Naruto let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "So... I'm fighting you tomorrow. For my life."

Diana glanced at him, something like respect flickering in her storm-gray eyes. "For your future," she corrected. "And don't look so concerned. I have no desire to kill the first Uzumaki to reach our shores in generations. Though I will not dishonor you or my people by holding back."

"I wouldn't want you to," Naruto replied automatically, then frowned. "Wait, that doesn't make sense. If you're their champion, aren't you supposed to be trying to, you know, keep me out?"

A hint of a smile curved Diana's lips. "The purpose of the trial is not to deny you sanctuary, Uzumaki Naruto. It's to ensure you are worthy of it. To determine whether you possess the spirit our ancestors recognized in your clan long ago—the will to endure, to protect, to stand for what is right even when standing alone."

Her words struck a chord deep within Naruto—the same principles he'd lived by his entire life, the Will of Fire that Tsunade had urged him not to forget.

"Besides," Diana continued as they descended the palace steps, "I find myself curious about you. A male Uzumaki who partners with a tailed beast rather than merely containing it? Who attempts to seal a Leviathan rather than flee from it? You are... unexpected."

"I get that a lot," Naruto admitted with a small grin.

Diana's answering smile was brief but genuine. "Return to the healing chambers for now. Rest. Recover your strength. You'll need every advantage tomorrow."

As she turned to leave, Naruto called after her, "Hey, Diana?"

She paused, looking back with a raised eyebrow.

"Just so you know—I don't plan on losing tomorrow."

For the first time, he saw genuine amusement in those storm-gray eyes. "Neither do I, Uzumaki Naruto. Neither do I."

Naruto spent the remainder of the day under the care of Amazon healers—women who worked with techniques that were neither medical ninjutsu nor traditional medicine, but something older, more elemental. They spoke little, their hands glowing with golden light as they drew remnants of the Leviathan's poison from his system—a venom that, they explained in terse phrases, attacked the spirit rather than the flesh.

"The beast recognized the fox within you," one healer said as she placed heated stones along his spine. "Two ancient powers meeting after millennia apart. It... confused things."

"Is that why Kurama's still recovering?" Naruto asked, wincing as the stones pulsed with energy that seemed to reach directly into his chakra network.

The healer—an older woman with knowing eyes and hands strong from decades of work—nodded. "The Nine-Tails will heal, but slowly. The Leviathan's venom is designed to weaken divine energy. Your chakra, especially the fox's, has enough similarities to trigger its effects."

"Great," Naruto muttered. "So I'm fighting your champion tomorrow with Kurama at half-strength and me still recovering from nearly drowning."

The healer's lips quirked in what might have been sympathy. "The Princess is... formidable. But not without mercy." She removed the stones, checking his energy pathways with practiced efficiency. "And you, Uzumaki, are more resilient than most."

That, at least, was true. Naruto had spent his entire life bouncing back from injuries that would have killed others. Even with Kurama weakened, his natural vitality remained impressive.

As evening fell, Naruto was provided with a simple meal—unfamiliar fruits, bread still warm from the oven, and a rich fish stew that reminded him painfully of Ichiraku's ramen. Food from a home now closed to him.

He ate by the window of his chamber, watching as the city of Themyscira transformed in the falling darkness. Torches and oil lamps illuminated the streets, casting golden light across white stone buildings. Women gathered in courtyards and open-air pavilions, training with weapons even at this hour, or singing songs in a language that tugged at the edges of his understanding.

It was beautiful. Peaceful, despite the warrior culture evident in every aspect of Amazon life. A hidden paradise protected from the outside world, much like Konoha had been designed to protect its children from the chaos of the warring states era.

But just as Konoha had its darkness—its prejudices, its political machinations, its secrets—Naruto suspected Themyscira had complexities beneath its serene surface. The tension when he'd been presented to the Queen, the divided opinions among the Amazons regarding his presence... this wasn't a unified society regarding men or outsiders.

"You should sleep," Kurama's voice rumbled through his consciousness, stronger than earlier but still subdued. "Tomorrow's fight will not be easy."

I know, Naruto replied, setting aside his empty bowl. What do you think of this place? Of these Amazons?

The fox was quiet for a moment, considering. "They are older than they appear. Not individually, perhaps, but as a civilization. They remember things the shinobi world has forgotten... or deliberately buried. Their connection to natural energy is... different. Purer, in some ways."

Can I beat Diana tomorrow? It was the question that had been nagging at him since the audience with Queen Hippolyta.

"Not if she is what I suspect," Kurama replied with unusual candor. "But victory may not be necessary, as they said. Show them your heart, Naruto. That has always been your true strength."

Coming from the cynical fox spirit, this was high praise indeed. Naruto smiled faintly as he stretched out on the bed, mind already cycling through strategies and techniques that might serve him tomorrow.

Win or lose, he would show these Amazons exactly who Uzumaki Naruto was.

Dawn broke over Themyscira in a spectacle of gold and rose, sunlight spilling across the island paradise like molten amber. Naruto had been awake for hours, meditation giving way to light stretching, his body responding better than expected to the Amazon healing techniques.

A soft knock at his door revealed a young Amazon—perhaps the only one he'd seen who could be described as "young," most appearing ageless in their maturity—bearing a bundle of cloth.

"For the trial," she explained, handing him the package without quite meeting his eyes. "Your own garments were... unsuitable."

Naruto unwrapped the bundle to find clothing in the Amazon style, adapted for a male frame: a sleeveless tunic of deep blue fabric, sturdy leather bracers for his forearms, and a belt embossed with a subtle spiral pattern—an acknowledgment of his Uzumaki heritage.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "What's your name?"

The young Amazon hesitated, clearly unaccustomed to casual conversation with a man. "Dessa," she finally replied. "I am an apprentice to the healers who treated you."

"Well, Dessa, your teachers did amazing work," Naruto grinned, rolling his shoulder that had been dislocated just yesterday. "I feel almost back to normal."

A hint of pride crossed her features. "The techniques are ancient. Passed down from Epione herself."

Before Naruto could ask who Epione was, another Amazon appeared in the doorway—one of the palace guards he recognized from yesterday.

"It is time," she announced without preamble. "The Arena awaits."

Naruto nodded, quickly changing into the provided garments, which fit surprisingly well. As he followed the guard through the healing complex and down toward the city, he noted the streets were nearly empty—unusual, based on the bustling activity he'd glimpsed yesterday.

"Where is everyone?" he asked the guard, who had thus far shown no interest in conversation.

"At the Arena," she replied curtly. "Trials are rare. None wish to miss this one."

Great. A full audience for his potential humiliation or death. Just like the chūnin exams all over again, except with an entire island of warrior women instead of shinobi from the Five Nations.

They descended through terraced gardens and columned walkways, the city opening below them like an unfurling flower. At its center, a structure reminiscent of ancient coliseums rose from the surrounding buildings—the Arena of Trials, presumably. Even from a distance, Naruto could hear the murmur of thousands of voices echoing from within its circular walls.

"Nervous, fox-bearer?" the guard asked, breaking her stoic silence with what might have been a trace of sympathy.

"Nah," Naruto replied with more confidence than he felt. "Just another day, another fight to prove myself. I'm used to it."

The guard studied him with new interest. "Perhaps you are more Uzumaki than we thought."

Before he could ask what she meant, they arrived at a massive archway inscribed with symbols similar to those in Jiraiya's scroll—the entrance to the Arena. Two Amazons in ceremonial armor stood guard, crossing their spears to block the path.

"The challenger comes," Naruto's escort announced formally.

The guards uncrossed their spears, one reaching out to place a hand on Naruto's chest—not to stop him, but in what seemed to be a ritual gesture.

"May Athena guide your mind," she intoned.

The second guard placed her hand on his shoulder. "May Artemis strengthen your bow."

His escort completed the trinity with a hand over his heart. "May the truth of your spirit be revealed in combat."

The formality of the moment struck Naruto with unexpected force. This wasn't just a fight—it was a sacred ritual, a judgment with roots in traditions older than any he had known.

Nodding respectfully to each Amazon, he stepped through the archway into a short tunnel that opened onto the Arena floor. Sunlight momentarily blinded him as he emerged, the roar of the crowd washing over him like a physical wave.

When his vision cleared, Naruto found himself standing in a circular expanse of packed sand surrounded by tiered seating filled with thousands of Amazons. The Arena was smaller than Konoha's stadium but designed with perfect acoustics that amplified every sound. At the highest tier, a royal box held Queen Hippolyta, General Antiope, and other dignitaries. The scholar, Myrinna, sat nearby, scrolls and writing implements at the ready to record the proceedings.

Across the Arena floor, another tunnel entrance darkened as a figure emerged—Diana, Princess of Themyscira, dressed for battle.

Gone was the practical leather armor of yesterday, replaced with ceremonial battle gear that managed to be both beautiful and deadly. A cuirass of burnished bronze protected her torso, scaled armor extending to form a battle skirt. Bracers similar to his own but crafted of metal rather than leather encircled her forearms. A sword hung at her hip, a shield strapped to her back, and a golden cord—the Lasso of Truth she had mentioned—coiled at her waist.

But it was her expression that truly caught Naruto's attention—focused, serene, utterly present. This was a warrior in her element, someone who had trained her entire life for combat as both duty and art.

"Be careful, kit," Kurama warned unnecessarily. "She is more than she appears."

As Diana approached the center of the Arena, a third figure entered from a side tunnel—an older Amazon carrying a staff topped with a glowing crystal. The crowd fell silent as she took position between the two combatants.

"I am Phillipus, Master of the Trials," she announced, her voice carrying effortlessly to every corner of the Arena. "Today we witness the Challenge of Sanctuary, as is our custom when one seeks the protection of Themyscira. Uzumaki Naruto of the Spiral Clan stands before us, invoking the ancient accord between our peoples."

She turned to Naruto, eyes sharp as a hawk's. "Do you understand the nature of this trial, challenger?"

"I fight the Princess," Naruto replied, keeping his voice steady. "If I fight with honor, I gain sanctuary, win or lose."

Phillipus nodded. "And do you swear to abide by the judgment rendered here today, whatever the outcome?"

"I swear," Naruto said, meaning it. If he failed, he would accept the consequences.

Satisfied, Phillipus turned to Diana. "And you, Princess of Themyscira, do you enter this combat freely, as champion of our people and arbiter of our laws?"

"I do," Diana answered, her clear voice ringing with conviction.

"Then let the trial begin," Phillipus declared, striking her staff once upon the sand. The crystal at its tip flared with blinding light, and when it faded, she had withdrawn to the edge of the Arena, leaving Naruto and Diana alone in the center.

For a moment, neither moved, each assessing the other with the practiced eye of experienced warriors. The crowd's murmurs faded to expectant silence.

"I meant what I said yesterday," Diana said, just loudly enough for Naruto to hear. "I will not dishonor you by holding back."

"Good," Naruto replied, settling into a ready stance. "Because neither will I."

A smile—fierce and genuine—flashed across Diana's face. Then she moved.

Naruto had fought fast opponents before—Lee without his weights, the Fourth Raikage cloaked in lightning—but Diana's speed was something else entirely. One moment she stood ten paces away, the next her fist connected with his hastily raised guard, the impact sending him skidding backward across the sand.

She's strong! he thought with shock, feeling the bruise already forming on his forearm despite blocking the blow. Not chakra-enhanced strength like Sakura's, but raw physical power beyond what should be possible for any human.

"I told you," Kurama growled. "Different. Older. She draws power from sources beyond chakra."

No time to ponder the implications as Diana pressed her advantage, closing the distance again with that impossible speed. This time Naruto was more prepared, twisting away from her strike and countering with a sweeping kick aimed at her ankles.

She leaped over it effortlessly, but the move gave Naruto space to form a familiar hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Three perfect copies of himself burst into existence, surrounding Diana in a triangle formation. The crowd gasped at the display of shinobi techniques, many having never seen chakra manipulation firsthand.

Diana's eyes widened fractionally—the only indication she gave of being impressed—before she drew her sword in one fluid motion. The blade gleamed with an inner light that suggested it was no ordinary metal.

"Interesting," she said, turning slowly to keep all four Narutos in view. "But can your copies fight as well as the original?"

"Find out!" the clones chorused, rushing her simultaneously while the real Naruto held back, analyzing her movements.

Diana met the assault with breathtaking efficiency. Her sword became a blur of light, dispelling the first clone with a strike so precise it cut through the chakra construct without wasted motion. The second she caught with a kick that would have shattered ribs on a flesh-and-blood opponent. The third lasted longest, managing to engage her in a brief exchange of blows before her shield—swept from her back in mid-motion—smashed into its chest, dispelling it in a puff of smoke.

Just as Naruto had hoped, the brief skirmish revealed critical information: Diana fought with perfect form but without chakra as shinobi understood it. Her strength and speed were innate, not techniques that could be disrupted. And her combat style, while incorporating elements familiar from Naruto's training, included movements and principles he'd never encountered.

Time to change tactics.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!" Naruto thrust his hand forward, channeling chakra into a concentrated blast of wind aimed not at Diana directly, but at the sand beneath her feet.

A cloud of fine particles exploded upward, temporarily obscuring her vision—a basic strategy, but effective as a setup. Within the cover of swirling sand, Naruto created more shadow clones, these henged into various forms: shuriken, rocks, even small duplicates of himself that scrambled across the ground.

Diana burst from the cloud with that same impossible speed, but this time she hesitated for a crucial second, eyes tracking the multiple threats scattered across the Arena floor. That moment of uncertainty was all Naruto needed.

"Rasengan!" he shouted, lunging forward with the spiraling sphere of chakra forming in his palm, fed by a clone running alongside him.

Diana's reflexes saved her from a direct hit. She twisted aside, the Rasengan grazing her shoulder armor rather than striking center mass. Even so, the impact was enough to spin her halfway around, the first solid blow Naruto had landed.

The crowd roared, equal parts shock and appreciation. No one had expected the outsider to touch their champion.

Diana recovered instantly, turning the momentum of the blow into a counterattack that caught Naruto in the ribs with her shield edge. Pain lanced through him as he felt something crack, but he used the contact to grab the shield's rim, attempting to pull her off-balance.

A mistake. Diana's strength surpassed his base form by a significant margin. Instead of being pulled forward, she used his grip as leverage, flipping him bodily over her shoulder and slamming him into the sand hard enough to drive the air from his lungs.

"Yield," she suggested, standing over him with sword tip hovering near his throat.

"Not... my style," Naruto gasped, then vanished in a puff of smoke—another shadow clone.

The real Naruto emerged from beneath the sand where he'd burrowed during the initial dust cloud, grabbing Diana's ankles and pulling. "Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"

A basic technique, but unexpected enough to work. Diana found herself abruptly buried to the waist in densely packed sand, momentarily immobilized. The crowd fell silent in collective shock.

Naruto leapt clear, breathing heavily but grinning. "How's that for interesting?"

Diana's expression shifted from surprise to something like genuine pleasure—the joy of a warrior finding a worthy opponent. With a flex of her powerful legs, she shattered the earthen prison, sand exploding outward as she freed herself in a display of raw strength that left Naruto gaping.

"Very," she acknowledged, brushing sand from her armor. "But you'll find Amazons are not so easily contained."

What followed was the most intense close-quarters combat Naruto had experienced outside of his battles with Sasuke. Diana moved like water, fluid and unstoppable, each strike flowing into the next with no wasted motion. Naruto countered with the unpredictable style he'd developed over years of being underestimated, mixing taijutsu with sudden bursts of ninjutsu.

For every blow he landed, she delivered two. For every trick he deployed, she adapted with unsettling speed. Yet he refused to fall, refused to yield, drawing on reserves of stamina that had carried him through battles far more desperate than this.

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours, though it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes of sustained combat. Both fighters were breathing heavily now, both sporting bruises and minor cuts. Diana's perfect composure had given way to fierce concentration, while Naruto's calculated unpredictability had developed a rhythm she was beginning to anticipate.

Time to change the game again.

"Kurama," Naruto said internally. "I need a boost."

"You're asking my help to fight a woman?" the fox replied with mock offense, though Naruto could feel him already gathering chakra.

I'm asking my partner to help me pass this trial, Naruto corrected, dodging a sword thrust that came within centimeters of his ear. Just enough to make this interesting.

A chuckle rumbled through his consciousness. "As you wish, kit."

Golden chakra flared around Naruto, not the full cloak of the Nine-Tails Mode, but enough to enhance his speed, strength, and reflexes significantly. The crowd gasped as the visible manifestation of Kurama's power illuminated the Arena like a second sun.

Diana's eyes widened, then narrowed with renewed focus. "So the fox joins the fray."

"We're a package deal," Naruto replied, his voice overlaid with a deeper resonance. "Hope you don't mind."

For answer, Diana drove her bracers together in a cross-block that sent a shockwave rippling across the Arena floor. The air around her seemed to shimmer, and when she moved next, her speed had increased yet again, matching Naruto's enhanced state.

"What IS she?" Kurama wondered as Diana landed a punch that sent Naruto flying across the Arena despite his chakra cloak.

Someone I really want on my side, Naruto thought grimly, flipping in mid-air to land in a three-point stance that cratered the sand beneath him.

The fight escalated, both combatants now moving faster than most of the audience could track. Diana's sword became a streak of silver, Naruto's chakra-enhanced limbs golden blurs as they clashed in the center of the Arena. The ground beneath them cracked and shifted with the force of their exchanges, dust rising in clouds that glowed from within as Kurama's chakra illuminated the battlefield.

In the royal box, Queen Hippolyta leaned forward, her composed expression giving way to genuine concern as she watched her daughter unleash more of her true power than most Amazons had ever witnessed. Beside her, General Antiope nodded in grim satisfaction, while Myrinna scribbled frantically on her scrolls, trying to capture every detail of the unprecedented combat.

Down in the Arena, Naruto realized he was reaching his limits. Even with Kurama's support, still weakened from the Leviathan's poison, he couldn't match Diana indefinitely. She seemed to grow stronger as the fight progressed, as if drawing energy from the combat itself.

One final gambit, then.

Disengaging from their latest exchange, Naruto leapt backward, hands already forming seals for his most trusted technique. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The Arena erupted in smoke, clearing to reveal not three or four, but fifty Narutos surrounding Diana in concentric circles, each glowing with the same golden chakra as the original.

"Impressive," Diana acknowledged, adjusting her grip on her sword. "But can quantity overcome quality?"

"Let's find out," the Narutos chorused, then charged as one.

What followed was chaos—a whirlwind of bodies, blades, chakra, and sand as Diana fought against the overwhelming numbers. She moved with impossible grace, each motion dispatching multiple clones, her sword and shield extensions of her body rather than mere weapons. But even her extraordinary skill couldn't prevent all fifty from coordinating their attacks.

As she dispelled clones by the dozen, the real Naruto circled behind, gathering chakra for a technique he'd perfected during the war. Not the destructive power of the Rasenshuriken, which might genuinely harm Diana, but something with enough impact to end the match decisively.

"Sage Art: Massive Rasengan!" he called, the giant spiraling sphere forming between his hands, enhanced by Kurama's chakra to glow like a miniature sun.

Diana turned at the sound of his voice, eyes widening at the technique bearing down on her. In that split second, Naruto saw not fear but calculation in her expression—measuring the attack, deciding whether to counter or endure.

She chose to meet it head-on.

Dropping her sword, Diana crossed her bracers before her in a defensive stance that Naruto hadn't seen before. Energy crackled around the metal bands as she channeled power through them—not chakra, but something more primal, more directly connected to the natural world.

The Massive Rasengan collided with Diana's crossed bracers in an explosion of light and force that temporarily blinded everyone in the Arena. The impact sent both combatants flying in opposite directions, sand erupting in twin geysers as they crashed into the ground.

When the dust settled, Naruto lay on his back, golden chakra flickering and fading as Kurama's reserves finally depleted. Across the Arena, Diana had landed in a crouched position, one knee driven deep into the sand, her bracers smoking from the energy they'd absorbed.

Slowly, painfully, Naruto pushed himself up to a sitting position. Every muscle screamed in protest, his chakra network dangerously close to exhaustion. But he refused to stay down. Not when there was still fight left in him, however little.

Diana rose to her feet, watching him with an expression he couldn't quite read—respect? Curiosity? Amazement? She took one step toward him, then another, retrieving her sword from the sand as she approached.

The Arena held its collective breath. Would their champion finish the outsider who had pushed her to limits few had ever witnessed?

Diana stopped before Naruto, sword held loosely at her side. For a long moment, she simply looked at him, taking in his battered form, the determination in his blue eyes, the refusal to yield written in every line of his body.

Then, to the astonishment of the entire audience, she reversed her grip on the sword and drove it point-first into the sand beside him.

"Enough," she declared, her voice carrying across the suddenly silent Arena. "This trial is concluded."

Phillipus stepped forward from the edge of the battlefield, her expression carefully neutral. "Princess Diana, do you render judgment?"

Diana nodded, extending a hand toward Naruto. After a moment's hesitation, he took it, allowing her to pull him to his feet. Though she had fought with the strength of a goddess, her touch now was surprisingly gentle.

"Uzumaki Naruto has displayed courage, skill, and honor in this combat," Diana announced, still holding his hand. "More importantly, he has shown the true spirit of a warrior—fighting not for pride or power, but for a place to belong. For sanctuary."

She turned to face the royal box, one arm supporting Naruto as he swayed slightly on his feet. "I judge him worthy of Themyscira's protection, as promised to his ancestors in the Covenant of Spirals."

Queen Hippolyta rose from her throne, her regal countenance betraying no emotion. "So be it. The judgment is rendered and witnessed by all Themyscira." She raised her voice, addressing the entire assembly. "Uzumaki Naruto of the Spiral Clan is granted sanctuary upon our shores, with all rights and responsibilities therein."

A murmur rippled through the crowd—not disapproval, Naruto realized, but something closer to amazement. He had done what no outsider, what no man, had done in living memory: earned a place among the Amazons through trial by combat.

As the full import of what had just happened washed over him, Naruto felt something shift inside—a weight lifting, a door opening. For the first time since leaving Konoha, he didn't feel like an exile. He felt... welcomed.

"Thank you," he said quietly to Diana, aware that his legs might give out at any moment.

She smiled—a genuine smile that transformed her warrior's countenance into something breathtaking. "You fought well, Uzumaki Naruto. Few have ever pushed me so far in the Arena."

"Just Naruto is fine," he replied, returning her smile despite the split lip that made the expression painful. "And for what it's worth, you're the most amazing fighter I've ever faced."

A soft laugh escaped her—the first he'd heard from the serious princess. "Rest now. The healers will attend to your injuries." She glanced at the crowd, which had begun to disperse, still buzzing with excitement over the unprecedented combat they'd witnessed. "Tomorrow, when you're recovered, we can discuss what sanctuary on Themyscira will mean for you."

As Amazon healers rushed forward to assist him from the Arena, Naruto cast one last look at the woman who had fought him to his limits, then chosen to welcome rather than defeat him. Diana stood in the center of the sand-churned battlefield, sunlight gleaming on her armor, her posture that of a warrior born—strong, certain, and utterly magnificent.

"I see why the Uzumaki allied with these women," Kurama observed dryly. "They recognize strength when they see it."

And they give sanctuary to those who need it, Naruto added, finally allowing the healers to support his weight as they led him toward the tunnel. Just like the scroll promised.

For the first time in months, Naruto felt the stirring of something he'd nearly forgotten during his bitter exile from Konoha—hope. Not just for survival, but for a future worth building. A place where he might belong.

He had found Themyscira. Or perhaps, more accurately, it had found him—claimed him from the tempest's embrace and offered him a second chance.

Now he just had to figure out what to do with it.