Chapter 78

The Raikage, Ay, sat behind his desk in his office, his stern eyes focused on the paperwork in front of him. Ever since the war had ended, things had drastically changed. He could no longer rule through brute force and intimidation as he had in the past; that method was now forbidden under Naruto's influence. It was an ongoing frustration—one that had made Ay's tasks all the more difficult. His efforts to secure resources and establish routes had to be negotiated, not forced. That meant dealing with the weak, the greedy, and those who didn't see the bigger picture of a world united under a single vision.

But, there was no winning over the boy who wished to give choices to everyone.

Because of his reluctance for force, they were now forced to watch Apocalypse drink the Hero water in front of them and not get a sip. Ay had hoped that Naruto would see reason when some one denied him crucial resources, but the young man was completely set on his path.

"Mabui, give me some good news," Ay sighed, dropping the stack of reports onto his desk in frustration. His thoughts swirled, a mixture of impatience and disappointment, as he leaned back in his chair, seeking a break from the constant battles with bureaucrats and negotiators.

Mabui, ever calm and collected, looked up from her desk where she had been reading through yet another report. She was his assistant, his wife, and the only person in the world who understood the delicate balance Ay had to maintain. They were a team, always.

"For now, we don't have anything concrete," Mabui began, her voice steady. She passed him a file. "But we are extremely close to finishing our new project, and with it, we should be able to bring balance to the world again."

Ay's eyes lit up at the mention of the project. His hands gripped the file, his heart racing as he imagined the fruition of his dream. This weapon—this tool that could ensure his place in the new world—was almost complete. It was the key to restoring his power, his ability to ensure peace and order in the world.

Just as he began to feel a sense of excitement, his attention was drawn to a presence. A feeling in the air changed—heavy, tense—and he knew who it was before he even saw him. The door to his office creaked open.

Naruto stood in the doorway. His expression was unreadable, but his aura was different, far more intense than usual. There was no warmth in his eyes, no humor, just cold determination. The energy around him was suffocating, as though the room itself had been drained of air.

Ay's heart skipped a beat. He quickly stashed the file out of sight, masking his unease with a forced smile as he stood to greet Naruto. His mind raced, unsure of what exactly was going on. "Naruto boy, isn't this time inappropriate for sudden visits? Or, do you have something important to discuss now?"

Naruto's gaze locked onto him, his posture rigid. "There is no inappropriate time. I command your obedience whenever I desire, and there is nothing you can do about it. Regardless, I am here for something very important."

The words hit Ay like a cold wave. His body stiffened, a knot forming in his stomach. This was not the Naruto he knew—the boy who had once been eager to listen, to find peace through negotiation. The words were laced with authority, a chilling, overpowering presence that made Ay's blood run cold.

"What is this?" Ay thought, his heart racing. 'Why is he speaking like that? There's no way he can change so drastically in just a day. This must be some sort of illusion… But his presence… it's so heavy.'

For a moment, Ay's thoughts became a blur, his old instincts pushing him to react with force. But then he remembered who this was—the boy who had once been his ally, who had brought unity to the world. Could he really be this far gone?

"Of course, please sit," Ay said, trying to regain his composure. He gestured to a seat across from his desk, his voice tight, almost faltering. "Mabui, can you bring out some drinks for us?" His words were almost a reflex, a need to fill the silence with something, anything to mask the tension that thickened the air.

Mabui, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, nodded in silence and moved to the side to prepare drinks, but her eyes never left Naruto. There was something unsettling about the way he carried himself—something in his eyes that spoke of a change she couldn't quite grasp, but knew instinctively was profound.

Naruto didn't move to sit immediately. His eyes scanned the room, lingering on Ay and Mabui before settling back onto Ay. He was waiting for something—perhaps an invitation, perhaps a reaction.

The silence between them hung heavy in the room, broken only by the soft clink of glasses being prepared. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Ay finally spoke, his voice low, his thoughts guarded. "What brings you here, Naruto? You said this was important. I assume it has something to do with your… vision for the world?" His words were measured, cautious. He couldn't afford to show weakness. Not now. Not when Naruto seemed so different—so unreachable.

Naruto's gaze remained cold, and though there was no anger in his eyes, the weight of his presence was enough to make Ay feel smaller than he ever had in his life.

"You've failed me, Raikage."

The moment Naruto's hand touched Mabui's shoulder, the world seemed to freeze. Ay's eyes widened in disbelief as Mabui, his wife, his confidant, was engulfed by the dark tendrils that erupted from Naruto's touch. The shadow-like energy spiraled around her, consuming her completely in an instant, and she was gone, swallowed by the abyss.

Ay's breath caught in his throat. He surged forward, instinctively reaching out to save her, but it was futile. His attacks were like a child throwing rocks against an immortal mountain—insignificant, powerless. His blows hit nothing but the air, and the realization hit him with the force of a thousand storms: there was nothing he could do.

"Why?" His voice trembled as he dropped to his knees, desperate for some explanation, for something—anything. This couldn't be happening.

Naruto's cold voice echoed through the room, its chilling, otherworldly tone sending a shiver through Ay's spine. "Why? Isn't it obvious." He turned to face Ay fully, his eyes glowing with a terrifying light that seemed to see through everything, through the very core of his soul. "I know what you have done. Your father tried to kidnap my mother to breed her, and you went after my fiancée to breed her. Your disgusting desire led to her uncle's death and further tragedy in the Hyūga family. And now, you didn't appreciate my forgiveness. Do you think I don't have eyes, Ay? I can see everything on this planet. I know what you are planning."

Ay recoiled at the words, his heart racing. His mind struggled to process them, but there was no denying the truth in Naruto's voice. The horrors of his past, the mistakes of his family, the corrupt ambitions that had been passed down to him—it all came rushing back in a torrent of guilt and regret. The pain of knowing he could never undo the damage done, and worse, that his ambitions had led to Naruto's wrath.

"Those were mistakes from the past and it was the way of the world…I AM NOT WRONG. MY PLAN WOULD BRING BALANCE TO THIS WORLD, SO THAT WE ARE NEVER DOMINATED BY A SINGLE PERSON. ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU DESIRE?"

Ay's words were frantic, his desperation pouring through them. He had believed in his plan, had seen it as the only way to bring true peace, to prevent the world from being torn apart by the selfish desires of powerful men. But Naruto's answer was swift and devastating.

"What a childish response." Naruto's tone was dripping with contempt. "I suppose you can't expect anything more from a child."

Ay's body trembled as his mind struggled to grasp the situation. He was so sure of his path, so convinced that his vision for balance was right. But now, in the face of Naruto's words, everything felt like a fragile lie.

And then, it happened.

Ay looked down at his hands, his breath catching in his throat as he saw them shrink. His once powerful hands, the hands of a man who had ruled and led with unwavering authority, were now the hands of a child—no more than six years old. Panic seized his heart as the world around him seemed to shrink, his body following suit, becoming smaller, weaker.

"You won't gain anything from this. Everyone will hate you, you fucking monster." Ay's voice cracked, the iron of his resolve crumbling, replaced by the raw fear of a man who no longer recognized himself. He stumbled backward, his knees shaking, his mind a storm of confusion and dread. The overwhelming fear filled every inch of him, and before he knew it, tears welled up in his eyes.

"Hahahaha, am I so scary? How about now?" Naruto's voice, now darker and more sinister, laughed mockingly. The room seemed to shift and warp as Naruto's body began to melt away. His flesh dissolved into a writhing mass of black energy, and from that energy, Naruto's form grew—larger, twisted, monstrous. The shadows stretched out like claws, and two glowing white eyes and a mouth appeared in the dark mass, exuding pure malice.

Ay's heart stopped. His body shrank further, unable to even stand. He was no longer a man, no longer a Raikage. He was nothing—just a child, alone and powerless, in the presence of a force that consumed everything in its path. The fear constricted around his chest, squeezing the life from him, and all he could do was crawl away, paralyzed by terror. There was no escape.

The horrific energy towered over him, an imposing figure that seemed to eat away at his very soul. Ay's chest tightened, and his breath became shallow. His heart was ready to give out from the sheer terror of it all.

But then, just as the darkness closed in, a golden light burst through the shadows like the first rays of dawn piercing through a storm. The light was blinding, radiant, and filled with an overwhelming sense of hope. It enveloped Ay, pushing back against the encroaching darkness, burning away the fear that had gripped him so tightly.

The light was like a shield, a warmth in the cold, and Ay couldn't help but gasp for breath, his body trembling as he was pulled back from the brink. The overwhelming force of the golden light seemed to challenge the darkness, pushing it back piece by piece.

Naruto's arrival in the dark dimension was nothing short of catastrophic. As soon as he entered, the air grew heavy, suffocating with the oppressive weight of Lord Loss's power. His eyes, glowing with an intense, otherworldly light, scanned the twisted landscape as the dimension itself seemed to recoil at his presence. This place was a manifestation of darkness, a realm designed to be inhospitable to anyone without the right kind of power. And yet, there Naruto stood, unyielding and resolute, his form glowing like the very sun that had once bathed his world.

"I warned you not to do this. You will pay for the pain you have caused to Ai," Naruto muttered under his breath, his voice filled with a deep, chilling calm. His fingers clenched into fists as he reached for Ay, who was barely conscious, his body broken from the torturous ordeal. Naruto's power was now far beyond what it had been when they last met. The weight of his immense energy crackled around him, like a storm ready to burst.

He had failed Ai time and time again, unable to stop her from fulfilling her role as Hell Girl. Despite his warnings, she had carried out her duties, sending criminals—people who, despite their past, were still trying to rebuild their lives—into the depths of torment. But Naruto knew that not all was lost. He would create a new world, a world where people could make better choices and be given a chance to change. His vision had always been clear: an ideal society would breed ideal citizens, and those who could not fit that mold would be given the chance to change—by force if necessary. His ultimate goal was peace, but not one brought about by empty threats or manipulation. He would not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Naruto had seen the future, a future where criminals, even those with dark pasts, were offered the opportunity to reform. They would be put into prisons where they could undergo rehabilitation and training, teaching them to become proper citizens. And, through his powers, he could determine whether someone had truly changed. He was not so naive as to believe that change could come from a single conversation, but he was determined to create the right circumstances for it to happen.

With help from Hades, he had broken through the dimensional barriers that separated him from Ai's torment. It was time to end this nightmare once and for all.

As Ay vanished into the pocket dimension, Lord Loss's voice echoed all around him, seeping into every corner of the dark space. "Your warnings are pointless, Naruto. They are words without any meaning. What can you really do to uphold that threat? Nothing."

The voice came from everywhere, its source impossible to pinpoint. Naruto's jaw tightened as he narrowed his eyes. He had no intention of backing down now. With a single thought, he summoned his new equipment, forged by Hephaestus using materials Naruto had provided.

His body was now clad in the Armor of the Immortal King—Alpha. The armor was imposing, a black shell with gold trimming, with a red core embedded in the forehead. Its design was perfect for the task at hand, with airfoils on the pauldrons and gold spoilers on the bottom. The armor looked as though it was designed not just for protection, but for domination.

In his hands, Naruto gripped EA, the Sword of Rupture. The blade, when in its default state, was both a sword and a lance. Its design was otherworldly, its cylindrical, drill-shaped pillar of a blade spinning slowly in three segments that represented the heavens, earth, and underworld. The crimson cuneiform lettering on each segment glowed softly as they rotated in opposite directions, like the gears of a cosmic machine. The sword was a symbol of the universe itself, its power to destroy and create at once.

But that wasn't all. Wrapped around his left arm was Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven, meant to restrain and target immortals. Together, with these powerful weapons and the aid of Nunoboko, the sword of the Sage, Naruto's strength had surged beyond comprehension.

The energy within him was staggering—bursting forth like a sun's core—yet it was still not enough to push him into the realm of a true star's power. But with the armor and EA, he was now able to withstand such overwhelming power, keeping it under control, lest it destroy him. The sword of Nunoboko was too dangerous to wield at full power as it had the power of ten stars, so he stored it within Alpha, allowing the armor to control the energy while Naruto prepared to use the other tools at his disposal.

It was better for him to use other equipment to fight since the sword could end up destroying what he didn't want to destroy.

The very air around him began to distort. The space around him cracked like glass under the weight of his presence. With a single step, the entire dimension trembled, collapsing under the sheer force of his power.

Lord Loss, who had been observing from the shadows, now found himself faced with a power he had not anticipated. "We will meet again, Naruto. I hope you will come visit me personally, so we can have a proper conversation." The demon's voice was laced with amusement, though it lacked any genuine fear. He knew his own strength, and he wasn't intimidated by Naruto's raw power.

But despite the demon's bravado, his form began to fade. The dimensional barrier of the Dark Dimension proved too strong for even Naruto to break through directly. The chains of Enkidu snapped forward, but the dark space bent around them, preventing them from making contact.

Naruto watched as Lord Loss's form flickered and vanished, his laughter still echoing in the void. The demon had retreated, knowing that he could not win today. But Naruto was not done. Not yet.

"I'll come for you," Naruto muttered under his breath, his gaze sharp as he turned his attention to the broken dimension around him. With the chains still glowing in the air, and the sword of EA ready in his grip, Naruto's promise was clear: this battle was far from over. The dark forces would not have peace for long.

As Naruto's power surged through the collapsing pocket dimension, his final strike reverberated through the very fabric of existence. It was a blow so potent, it ruptured reality itself—but despite all of his might, it barely left a scratch on the dimension. Lord Loss's domain was a creation so deeply entrenched in the rules of its own world, that even Naruto's overwhelming strength couldn't make a dent. This was the very reason why such demonic creatures were confined to their respective dimensions, unable to escape and wreak havoc on other worlds. Their realm was shielded, immune to all but the most transcendent powers.

Yet, Naruto didn't falter. He wasn't here to destroy or break the world around him. His true goal was to free Ai from the torment and to finally put an end to the nightmare that had plagued her. His hands clenched tightly around his sword's hilt, but instead of dealing another blow to the void, he directed his attention to the girl who had once again been transformed by the darkness of Lord Loss's influence.

With a quick movement, Naruto unraveled the dark magic that had corrupted Ai's form, his Rinne-sharingan eyes glowing with the immense power of the universe itself. The transformation reversed, and Ai's young body floated gently back into his arms, tears glistening in her eyes as the pain of the ordeal melted away.

"Don't be scared, I am here," Naruto whispered, his voice calm but filled with an intensity born from his frustration. The anger within him simmered beneath the surface, a reminder of how much he hated being powerless to protect those he loved. He had done everything he could to stop this from happening, yet Lord Loss's grip on Ai had still taken hold.

Ai's small hands gripped Naruto tightly as she buried her face into his chest. "He said he would hurt you. I'm scared… What if he drags you into his world?" Her voice trembled, her fear palpable. The immense power of Lord Loss had left its mark on her, and though she could feel the difference in strength between her and Naruto, the boy she loved, she feared for his safety.

Naruto clenched his fists, the anger burning in his chest, but his gaze softened as he looked down at her. He had failed her once again, but that would not be the case again. Not with everything he had now. Not with the strength he had gained.

"I won't allow it to happen. You already saw what happened… he doesn't have much authority in this world," Naruto said firmly. His words carried a promise, a silent vow that no force—no matter how powerful—would tear them apart. "His powers may be vast, but this world is mine to protect. And I won't let him drag you into his world."

"But…" Ai's voice wavered, and she couldn't quite bring herself to believe it entirely. The enormity of Lord Loss's presence and the fear she had felt in that moment still weighed heavily on her heart.

Naruto tilted her chin up gently, locking eyes with her. His Rinne-sharingan eyes, swirling with the energy of the universe itself, held her gaze in a way that made the fear in her heart dissipate, even if only for a moment. "Ai," he began, his voice resolute, "believe in me. There is nothing that can keep me down. No matter what happens, always believe in this fact: I will not die until this world is on the proper path. I won't let anything destroy what we've built. I will protect everyone, even if I have to fight for it until the very end."

Ai felt a rush of warmth and security as she stared into his eyes. It wasn't just the power she saw in them—it was the unwavering conviction and the love that Naruto held for her, for the world. She felt safe in his arms, as if the weight of the entire universe had been lifted from her shoulders. The darkness that had been consuming her mind was pushed back, replaced by a sense of hope and trust.

As her tears slowly ceased, she whispered, her voice barely audible but filled with a strength she hadn't felt before, "I believe in you, Naruto."

Naruto smiled, his heart swelling with pride and determination. He had come this far, and he wasn't about to let anyone, not even a being as powerful as Lord Loss, tear their world apart. He would fight, not just for Ai, but for all the lives that depended on him. This was just the beginning of the battle, but as long as Ai believed in him, he would never stop pushing forward.

Together, they would face whatever challenges lay ahead.