"Everyone, run!"
As a massive Tailed Beast Bomb appeared in the sky above the Chunin Exam site, Konoha descended into chaos.
Naruto's pupils were filled with terror. If that bomb exploded over Konoha, it would be catastrophic.
Its destructive power would surpass even Pain's Almighty Push.
"Naruto, we have to stop this Tailed Beast Bomb!" Sasuke shouted, alarmed. If he still had his Rinnegan, maybe he could do something.
The massive bomb hovered above, surrounded by the Kage's jutsu, now insignificant by comparison.
Even Kakashi broke out in a cold sweat, recalling the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb from the Fourth War.
"Without Obito's Kamui, we can only take this head-on."
"Everyone, prepare to defend!" Gaara shouted, raising his hands as veins bulged on his face, forming a massive sand barrier.
He intended to contain the explosion's power within a certain range.
"Unforgivable! I won't let you destroy my village!" Naruto roared, golden Kurama tails unfurling as he prepared to stop the bomb.
In the sky, Momoshiki sneered at the chaos below.
"You ants—our divine clan is eternal and immortal. You pitiful, powerless ants, all you can do is train endlessly, but you'll never amount to anything."
He raised his hand, revealing red chakra pills.
"See? With these pills, you don't have to train at all. With ease, we gods can surpass what you can only dream of after a lifetime of struggle…"
As he swallowed the red pills, the Tailed Beast Bomb in his palm swelled even larger.
Its terrifying, destructive aura sent the people of Konoha into a panic.
"Everyone, run!"
"Sasuke, everyone cover me!" In this critical moment, Naruto roared as he unleashed the golden Kurama mode.
"Let's go!" Darui shouted. The bomb was now surrounded by the Kage's amplified jutsu.
"Everyone, cover Naruto!" Gaara, loyal as ever, rushed forward to shield against the incoming attacks.
The exam arena rumbled with chaos.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Naruto transformed into a massive golden fox, roaring as he unleashed two super-sized Rasenshuriken.
Six Paths: Super Tailed Beast Rasenshuriken!
"Ants, your struggle is pointless."
Momoshiki sneered as he hurled the massive bomb downward.
With earth-shattering force, the bomb plummeted like a meteor.
"I will not let anyone destroy my home!" Naruto roared, launching two gigantic Tailed Beast Bombs. Meanwhile, Sasuke, even without his Rinnegan, was still far stronger than the Kage.
"Naruto, I'll help you!"
Lightning Style: Kirin!
As Sasuke timed his attack, thunder roared in the sky.
"Impossible!" Momoshiki was shocked—Sasuke could command the forces of nature.
"Lord Momoshiki, be careful!" Even the proud Otsutsuki were wary of Sasuke's natural lightning.
Kinshiki leaped up to shield Momoshiki from the attack.
Boom!
Lightning crashed, and below, Naruto's bombs collided with the massive Tailed Beast Bomb.
Boom!
The golden Kurama roared, holding back the enormous bomb.
"Naruto, direct the explosion toward the sky!" Gaara shouted. The explosion needed a vent, just like during the Fourth War.
"I understand!"
Naruto, encouraged, held the bomb aloft.
All of Konoha watched as the giant golden fox held back the falling bomb.
Gaara's sand formed a protective barrier in front of Kurama, shielding Naruto.
"Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, and a purple lightning bolt flashed. The bomb exploded.
Blinding white light engulfed everything.
The explosion was contained mostly in the sky, thanks to Naruto.
Momoshiki and Kinshiki were caught in the blast.
But the shockwave shredded Naruto's Kurama cloak, and the Kage's defenses collapsed.
The cataclysmic blast devastated Konoha. Buildings flew apart, rocks rained down, and screams filled the air.
"Save me, Hokage-sama!"
As the dust settled, Konoha was in ruins, screams and cries echoing everywhere.
Some blamed Naruto as the cause, others cursed him as a demon fox.
Many, crushed under debris, spat blood and glared with hateful eyes.
Konoha was plunged into grief.
Unlike Pain's Almighty Push, which destroyed everything instantly, this time the shockwaves caused more widespread devastation and death.
In the ruined arena, the battered Kurama remained.
Inside, Naruto stared at the destroyed village, his eyes trembling.
"How…how did this happen?! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Seeing Konoha in ruins, Naruto was consumed by rage.
"I'll kill you all!"
In the sky, Momoshiki and Kinshiki, battered but alive, glared down.
Kinshiki in particular was bleeding from the mouth.
"Ants! How dare you defy the gods! Today, I'll destroy you all and reclaim that fox!"
"Kinshiki!"
"Yes, Lord Momoshiki!"
Kinshiki, furious, summoned a huge red axe and stormed down.
"Naruto, let's go!" Sasuke shouted, teaming up with Naruto.
"Naruto, leave this one to us!" Kakashi called out as he and the other Kage prepared to fight Kinshiki.
Meanwhile, Kurotsuchi, the Fourth Tsuchikage, pretended to be injured.
"I'm hurt—go help Naruto, I'll catch up!"
"Be careful, Tsuchikage!"
The arena became a battlefield, chaos everywhere.
Amid the ruins, Hinata trembled as she looked around.
"Bo…Boruto…"
Cough, cough…
Blood and bits of organs spilled from Boruto's mouth as he lay crushed under debris, his gaze filled with hatred.
"Why…why won't you save me…"
Boruto screamed his last rage, realizing Naruto had had the chance to save him but chose not to.
A golden shadow slowly lifted the debris—a shadow clone of Naruto.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
Under the rubble were a dozen Konoha villagers, grateful to their savior.
Naruto had sent many shadow clones to save people during the explosion, but many were destroyed by the shockwave.
"Bo…Boruto, I'm the Hokage!"
The shadow clone wept in pain, seeing his son crippled beneath the rubble.
"Why…"
Boruto stared at his father in hatred—why would Naruto save others but not him?
"Naruto Uzumaki!"
Hinata was furious, but the shadow clone took a deep breath and said:
"Sorry, I'm the Hokage. I must protect the village. On one side was my son, on the other, a dozen villagers. I could only choose one.
Hinata, Boruto, please understand. From any perspective, I had to save everyone else!"
As Naruto finished, Hinata screamed in hatred.
"Shut up!"
With a furious blow, she smashed the clone into a pulp.
"Hinata!"
As the clone disappeared, the real Naruto fighting on the frontlines was enraged.
Naruto was furious. Boruto wasn't dead—just crippled. As the Hokage's son, he had to bear that responsibility.
"Hinata Hyuga, Jonin of Konoha, maybe I can save your son Boruto…"
Amid the dust, a black, viscous substance appeared—Black Zetsu.
"Black Zetsu!"
Hinata's pupils narrowed in shock, recognizing the villain who once manipulated Madara into freeing Kaguya.
"Heh, heh. Do you want power? Do you want the Hokage to regret this? Accept the power I give you. Then you can become a ninja again, gain the power you desire, and destroy Konoha for revenge…"
Black Zetsu's raspy, sinister voice was filled with rage at Naruto for sealing him and his mother.
"Boruto!"
Hinata cried as the battered Boruto, consumed by hatred, chose to accept Black Zetsu's power—or rather, a White Zetsu clone.
With White Zetsu's power merged into him, Boruto's broken body began to heal.
"Go now. Make the Seventh Hokage regret, kill the villagers who cursed you, kill them all…"
Under Black Zetsu's temptation, Boruto's eyes went red as he burst from the ruins in fury.