Chapter 61

Impulse wasn't the type to sit still.

He always had something to say. Always had a joke ready.

But now?

He just stood there.

Silent.

Watching Naruto lying in bed, his face pale, his body still.

Blood had been dripping from his nose and eyes just hours ago. His brain had nearly exploded.

And for what?

For nothing.

Naruto had pushed himself past the limit—again.

And this time, it almost cost him everything.

Impulse clenched his fists.

His hyperactive mind was buzzing.

Memories of the past few hours ran at super speed in his head. Every second, every moment—he analyzed it all, rewinding, replaying, trying to make sense of it.

And no matter how he looked at it…

It didn't.

It didn't make sense.

It didn't need to happen.

The whole team had already known the vampires had pulled back.

Naruto should have stopped.

But he didn't.

Because that's who he was.

Because Naruto couldn't stop himself when people were in danger—even if it meant destroying himself.

And that?

That scared the hell out of Impulse.

"You're always saving everyone else… but who's supposed to save you?"

He wanted to say it.

But he didn't.

Because if he opened his mouth now, he didn't know what would come out.

Anger?

Frustration?

Sadness?

Maybe all of it.

Instead, he forced a grin—one that didn't reach his eyes.

"Man, you really know how to make a scene, huh?"

His voice sounded wrong. Forced.

Kara shot him a look, but Impulse ignored it.

"Guess I should've expected it from you. Can't go a week without doing something crazy."

He let out a laugh.

It didn't feel real.

Nobody responded.

Kushina just held Naruto's hand tighter. Veritas didn't even look up.

And Kara?

She saw right through him.

Impulse's fake smile wavered.

His hands shook.

He took a deep breath.

Then another.

Then he turned away.

"I'm gonna go… do something."

It was a weak excuse.

But he needed to move.

Because if he stood there any longer, watching Naruto like this…

He might actually cry.

Naruto appeared in his Soul Land, the ethereal realm within his mindscape.

It was nothing short of majestic—a paradise carved from his own essence. Rolling green fields stretched infinitely, waterfalls crashed down with a roar, feeding into crystal-clear lakes, and mountains pierced the sky like titans standing guard. A massive silver moon hung in the sky, ever-watchful, casting an eternal glow over the land.

This was a place of peace… but today, it would be a battlefield.

Kurama's thunderous voice rumbled through the air, shaking the very foundation of Soul Land.

"Let's spar. Maybe this will help you calm down."

There was a note of concern beneath his words—Kurama worried for Naruto's mental health. He had seen it before. The weight of loss. The burden of responsibility. Naruto was strong, but he was young, and the pain of failure weighed on him heavily.

If Naruto wanted to carry the world on his back, he needed to learn how to carry death as well.

And Kurama would teach him.

Naruto didn't have the full benefits of his real-world armor here. In this realm, he stood as he was—no tricks, no advantages. It was just him… and a very big, very angry fox.

Kurama flared up.

A wave of chakra exploded outward, crashing into Naruto like a tidal wave of pure killing intent.

Naruto held his ground.

Not an inch backward.

Above him, Kurama rose to his full height, towering over Naruto like an unstoppable force of nature.

Three hundred meters tall.

Tails stretching another three hundred meters.

His burning red eyes gleamed with pure, predatory amusement. He wasn't holding back today. His claws could tear through mountains, his tails could sweep aside armies, and his mere presence made the air heavy with raw, overwhelming power.

It was the first time Naruto had ever seen Kurama in his true, unrestricted size.

It was terrifying.

And it was thrilling.

Naruto grinned.

"We're going to be the perfect partners," he declared, tightening his grip on his weapon.

"So let's make that reality."

A massive double battle axe appeared in his hands, almost as big as his entire body—not counting the handle.

Naruto didn't hesitate.

He swung.

Wind energy spiraled around the axe, turning the air razor-sharp. Naruto channeled everything he had, pouring his power into a single, devastating attack—

A hurricane made blade.

The wind howled as he brought the axe down with full force, sending a colossal wind slash toward Kurama.

But—

It did nothing.

The attack never even touched Kurama's fur.

A red hexagonal barrier shimmered to life around the fox's skin, absorbing the entire impact without a scratch. The energy of the attack was dispersed instantly.

Kurama's laughter shook the heavens.

"Did you think that was enough? Maggot."

"I am better than you. I am better than everyone."

"What you can do… I can do better."

Then the real fight began.

A flood of blood-red chakra hands erupted from Kurama's body, an ocean of destruction threatening to consume Naruto whole.

Naruto's instincts screamed.

He vanished.

Hiraishin.

A golden flash—and he was gone, teleporting away before the attack could reach him. He didn't need markings anymore. Not in Sage Mode. The world itself was his anchor.

He reappeared mid-air, already charging his counterattack.

Giant Rasengan Bomb

A Rasengan.

But not just any Rasengan.

Naruto had evolved the technique on a cellular level, refining it beyond its original concept.

It grew—larger, more refined, more destructive.

Bigger than a three-story house.

A swirling storm of annihilation.

Naruto hurled it forward.

The giant blue sphere crashed into the incoming chakra hands, tearing through them and slamming into Kurama's barrier.

Power met power.

For a moment, the forces struggled—Kurama's defense versus Naruto's offense.

Then—

Kurama swung his tail.

The Rasengan shattered.

And in the next instant—

A red beam of pure destruction blasted from Kurama's mouth.

Destruction Beyond Measure

Naruto's body froze.

He didn't even have time to react.

The beam was terrifying.

It ripped through the land like it was made of paper, tore through the planet's core, and came out the other side.

A single attack.

And it had cut the world in half.

Naruto was only alive because of his instincts.

He had automatically teleported away—because nothing was faster than nature itself.

When he reappeared, staring at the planet-sized destruction Kurama had just unleashed, the realization finally hit him.

Kurama had changed.

Kurama had adapted.

This wasn't just raw power anymore.

This wasn't just brute strength.

Kurama had evolved.

He had taken Naruto's own knowledge, his own techniques, and applied them to himself.

He had entered a new stage of existence.

Cellular Stage.

Naruto started laughing.

Loud, joyous, unrestrained laughter.

Kurama tilted his head, amused.

"What's so funny, brat?"

Naruto grinned, eyes blazing with pure excitement.

"I love you so much."

There was no fear in his voice.

Only thrill.

Only eagerness.

Kurama had evolved—and that meant Naruto had to catch up.

It wasn't a battle to win.

It was a battle to grow.

And Naruto welcomed it.

Naruto's laughter echoed through the vast expanse of his Soul Land, his joy radiating through the chaotic battlefield. His reaction was not what Kurama had anticipated—fear, awe, or at least a moment of hesitation. Instead, his partner stood there, grinning like a fool, his golden hair wild from the aftershocks of their clash.

Kurama narrowed his crimson eyes, his massive form towering over Naruto like an indomitable mountain. His tails slashed through the air, creating sonic booms with every movement. "You are totally unhinged, Naruto," the great fox growled, his voice filled with exasperation. "How can you celebrate this moment? I am an impossible adversary for you now. Do you not realize that? Or are you lost in a delusion like the rest of your kind?"

Naruto wiped some dust off his jacket, his vibrant blue eyes filled with excitement. "Why wouldn't I be happy?" he shot back, his voice unwavering. "You are my partner, Kurama. I will always wish for you to become stronger. I believe that we will work together—it's not a dream, it's a fact." His grip tightened on the handle of his massive double-bladed battle axe. "I don't fear anyone. If I have to battle you continuously, I will. You'll wear down eventually."

Kurama scoffed, his massive fangs glinting in the light of the artificial moon above them. "You're just impossible," he muttered, exhaling heavily. But despite his words, there was something in Naruto's declaration that touched him, something that made his chakra flicker—not with rage, but with something deeper. Trust.

But this was still a battle.

Without further hesitation, Kurama launched another relentless assault. His tails whipped toward Naruto from all directions, moving faster than light itself, blurring into streaks of red as they cut through the sky. The sheer force of the attack distorted the space around them, as if reality itself struggled to keep up with his speed.

Naruto didn't retreat. Instead, he teleported instantly into the sky, reappearing far above Kurama, golden energy surrounding him like a celestial warrior descending from the heavens. He refused to avoid the attack completely—this was an opportunity to test himself. As he arrived, he manifested a golden hexagonal barrier, its layers interwoven with his chakra, pulsating like a living entity.

But Kurama had expected this.

The nine-tailed fox had been charging a Bijuu Bomb in secret, concealing it behind his relentless tail strikes. Now, with Naruto reappearing right where he predicted, he unleashed the condensed sphere of destruction.

The attack was monstrous—a black and crimson sphere of compressed energy, radiating malice and raw power. The moment it was fired, it distorted the air around it, causing the entire atmosphere to shift violently. The land trembled beneath its presence. Even though this was the Soul Land—a simulated space within Naruto's mind—he had programmed it to emulate real-world physics, ensuring he could test his limits without truly endangering anyone.

The earlier death beam from Kurama had nearly shattered the world, piercing straight through the planet's crust and causing untold devastation. The aftermath still lingered—earthquakes rumbled, volcanoes erupted, and violent winds swept across the landscape. Now, the Bijuu Bomb promised even greater destruction.

Naruto braced himself.

The golden hexagonal barrier formed in an instant, its ten layers overlapping like a fortress against the coming storm. Unlike Kurama's defense, which was a single shield that dispersed impact across its structure, Naruto's barrier was in constant motion, shifting, rotating, dispersing force strategically rather than absorbing it all at once.

The moment the Bijuu Bomb crashed into it, the first five layers shattered instantly. The energy within the attack was cataclysmic, a force capable of erasing entire nations. The impact illuminated the sky with an ominous red glow as shockwaves erupted from the point of collision, carving deep scars into the land below.

Naruto gritted his teeth, pouring more energy into the remaining layers, using every ounce of his skill to manipulate the force rather than resist it head-on. The sixth layer barely held on, allowing him just enough time to channel his counterattack.

But the explosion expanded.

The moment it reached critical mass, the sphere of destruction grew from the size of a mountain to that of an entire mountain range. Its energy waves displaced the clouds, tearing them apart, while the sheer force of the eruption leveled everything within a country's range.

The entire planet shook.