If what Shu said was true, then their earlier battle had essentially been feeding chakra into a terrifying seal.
"…Is it really that dangerous?" Sasuke asked, frowning. Doubt and unease laced his voice.
Instinctively, he felt that trusting this bizarrely resurrected "Shu" and some unknown "monster" was far more unreliable than simply dealing with Naruto first—or at the very least, eliminating Shu as well.
Neji had already shifted his stance slightly. The remnants of his Tenseigan's power locked onto Shu, his wariness unmistakable.
Compared to some unknown sealed creature, he would rather face Naruto—who, though bent on destroying the shinobi world, was at least human and had a "clear" objective.
Shu seemed to sense their hostility, but he did not react.
"That monster itself… isn't particularly powerful," he said flatly.
All three stared at him in confusion.
He continued:
"Its only trait is this—it loves to 'eat' chakra. Chakra is ineffective against it. The more it devours, the stronger it becomes. And it possesses an almost instinctive, frenzied urge to pursue and consume any lifeform with massive chakra reserves."
Silence.
Eat chakra.
Grow stronger the more it eats.
Instinctively hunt chakra-rich beings.
All three felt their hearts sink.
That was a natural enemy of shinobi.
And the three of them were walking chakra reservoirs.
Shu's gaze swept over Sasuke and Neji before settling on Naruto.
"The seal is sturdier than I expected. Naruto's earlier battle alone wasn't quite enough."
His words pierced like ice.
"But when you two joined… the chakra you expended—high quality, high density—was absorbed."
"The seal is now extremely loose," Shu concluded calmly. "If you unleash a few more full-powered attacks—on me or on Naruto—it doesn't matter. As long as enough chakra is released…"
"…that starving monster beneath us will be fully freed."
The crater fell into dead silence.
For a moment, they could almost hear it—
A faint, grotesque gulping sound from deep underground.
As if something enormous was swallowing.
Sasuke and Neji felt the bottom drop out of their stomachs.
Used by Naruto.
Now possibly manipulated by Shu.
If they attacked with high-level techniques, they might break the seal.
If they didn't attack, Naruto remained a threat.
If they tried to flee… could they even escape?
A dead end.
A trap within a trap.
Across the shinobi world, people watched in stunned silence.
Schemes layered upon schemes.
Naruto's cunning.
Shu's patience.
The unknown sealed monster.
How deep did this abyss go?
Outside the Projection
Orders were issued immediately.
"Seal off that region's intelligence! Dispatch top-level reconnaissance teams—observe from a distance. No chakra usage near the site!" Tsunade ordered sharply in the Hokage's office.
"That sealing site is to be classified as the highest-level taboo. No one approaches it."
Similar commands echoed in Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure.
An entity that devours chakra and grows stronger from it?
That was a predator of the entire shinobi system.
It must never be released.
The entire world shifted into emergency alert.
Inside the Projection
But within the crater, the atmosphere changed in an entirely different direction.
Naruto, who had been solemn moments earlier, suddenly began to laugh.
Soft at first.
Then louder.
"Ha… hahaha!"
He pointed at Shu, tears of laughter forming in his eyes.
"I get it now."
He wiped his face, grinning openly.
"You're brain-dead, aren't you?"
Shu tilted his head slightly, puzzled.
Naruto stopped laughing, though his smile remained sharp.
"A monster that eats chakra? Gets stronger the more it eats?"
He clicked his tongue.
"Sounds more terrifying than me."
"At least I kill with a reason—mostly targeting the shinobi system. But that thing? It'll eat anyone. Shinobi or civilian. It's an all-you-can-eat get strongeret."
He glanced at Sasuke and Neji mockingly.
"You couldn't make up a better story?"
"They're easy to fool."
"You could've said it's a genie granting wishes. Or the Sage of Six Paths' ultimate treasure. Or even your family's ancestral tomb that requires chakra offerings."
"Convince these two 'champions of justice' that what's being released is an ally."
"But instead, you slapped a 'World-Destroyer 2.0' label on it."
"Who would help you open that door?"
Silence.
Sasuke and Neji exchanged glances.
Naruto's sarcasm cut through the tension.
Yes.
If Shu's goal was to trick them into releasing the seal—
Why describe it as a chakra-devouring calamity?
That would guarantee resistance.
Their earlier dread began to fade, replaced by irritation.
Were they being manipulated again?
Was Shu bluffing?
Naruto smirked, seeing their doubt grow.
"You see? Even lying requires a brain."
He spread his hands casually.
"If you're trying to scare us into paralysis, at least try harder."
The faint gulping sound from underground seemed less convincing now.
Or perhaps—
They simply wanted to believe it was.
The battlefield hung in uneasy stillness.
And for the first time—
Shu's expression changed ever so slightly.
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