I Became a Demon Sword and Traveled the Anime Worlds

Naruto moved through the Forest of Death at full speed.

Sasuke lay unconscious across his back, while Sakura followed close behind.

Branches whipped past them.

Roots and uneven ground blurred beneath their feet.

But they were still too slow.

Orochimaru had already found them again.

From behind, the rogue Sannin watched Naruto closely as he pursued.

The strange markings were gone.

The horn had vanished.

Naruto's eyes had returned to their normal blue.

Orochimaru understood immediately.

"So that state has a time limit."

His interest only deepened.

The transformation.

The mysterious sword.

The ability to wound the soul.

Every new discovery added more fuel to the desire burning inside him.

He wanted answers.

He wanted that sword.

He wanted to understand exactly what Uzumaki Naruto had become.

Orochimaru accelerated.

Ahead, Asuramaru's voice sounded within Naruto's mind.

"I have two pieces of bad news."

Naruto did not slow down.

"What are they?"

"First, Orochimaru is directly behind you."

Naruto's expression tightened.

"He'll catch you very soon."

"And the second?"

Asuramaru paused.

"The examiner for the second stage is ahead."

Naruto blinked.

"Isn't that good news?"

"No."

Asuramaru answered immediately.

"She can't beat Orochimaru either."

Naruto was speechless.

So even finding an ally did not solve the problem.

Was there really no way out?

Before Asuramaru could continue, a deep voice came from the sealed space farther within Naruto.

"Brat."

Naruto's attention shifted.

Kurama opened his enormous eyes.

"Give me control of your body."

Naruto's heart tightened.

The Nine Tails bared its fangs.

"I'll kill that snake for you."

Asuramaru immediately interrupted.

"And afterward?"

Kurama's eyes narrowed.

Asuramaru continued.

"You destroy half of Konoha while you're at it?"

Silence followed.

Naruto's expression became troubled.

Kurama possessed enough power to change the situation.

He knew that.

But if Naruto surrendered control completely, there was no guarantee the Nine Tails would stop after killing Orochimaru.

His teammates might survive.

Konoha might not.

Before Naruto could decide, a voice came from behind.

"How about a deal?"

Naruto looked over his shoulder.

Orochimaru had already appeared among the trees.

"If you leave that sword behind..."

His golden eyes gleamed with greed.

"I'll let the three of you go."

Naruto's hand tightened around Sasuke's leg.

Then another figure dropped between them.

"Get out of here!"

Anko Mitarashi landed in Orochimaru's path.

Naruto's eyes widened.

The second stage examiner.

Anko did not look back.

"You three, move!"

Her hands snapped forward.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Snakes erupted from her sleeves and lunged toward Orochimaru.

Naruto passed her position but could not stop himself from looking back.

Orochimaru twisted aside from the attack.

A smile appeared on his face.

"Anko."

His voice carried almost nostalgic amusement.

"It's been a long time."

Anko's expression hardened.

Facing her former teacher again clearly affected her, but she did not retreat.

"You are an S Rank rogue ninja now."

Her hand closed around a kunai.

"Even if I have to risk my life, I'll stop you here."

Her eyes sharpened.

"That's my duty as the examiner."

Orochimaru merely smiled.

"How pointless."

His tongue passed across his lips.

"I don't have time to reminisce with you."

Anko lunged.

Her kunai flashed.

Orochimaru blocked.

Metal rang through the forest.

Anko pressed forward aggressively.

She knew exactly how dangerous her former teacher was.

There could be no hesitation.

Their movements became a blur among the trees.

Anko attacked from the side.

Orochimaru avoided the strike.

She followed with another.

Then another.

Finally, Anko forced him backward against a tree.

She pinned him there.

Her eyes hardened.

Her hands began forming seals.

A forbidden technique.

Then her expression changed.

Something was wrong.

The body in front of her distorted.

Poof!

Smoke burst outward.

Anko stared.

"A Shadow Clone?"

Her eyes widened.

Then realization hit her.

"No!"

She turned toward the direction Naruto and the others had fled.

"His real target is those three!"

Orochimaru had already left her behind.

Naruto was still carrying Sasuke.

Sakura was exhausted.

Their speed had fallen.

Escape was becoming impossible.

Then Asuramaru warned him.

"Behind you."

Naruto reached for a three pronged kunai.

Too late.

Orochimaru appeared directly behind him with Body Flicker.

His hand reached toward Naruto's waist.

Naruto tried to throw the kunai.

Orochimaru kicked him first.

Bang!

Naruto was launched through the air.

Sasuke slipped from his back and fell beside Sakura.

Naruto crashed through the undergrowth and struck the ground hard.

At the same time, Orochimaru's tongue shot forward.

It wrapped around Ryūjin Jakka.

The sword was torn away from Naruto.

Orochimaru landed on a tree branch with the weapon in his possession.

Naruto forced himself upright.

His eyes immediately found the black sword in Orochimaru's hands.

A feeling of guilt rose in his chest.

"Asuramaru."

Naruto clenched his fists.

"Sorry, I"

Before he could finish, Asuramaru's outraged voice exploded inside his head.

"This is disgusting!"

Naruto froze.

Asuramaru continued complaining.

"I thought sweaty hands were bad enough."

"What kind of person grabs a sword with his tongue?!"

Naruto stared blankly for a moment.

Even now, that was what Asuramaru cared about?

Above them, Orochimaru had no idea what was being said.

He held Ryūjin Jakka with growing fascination.

A sword that appeared from Naruto's body.

A sword capable of damaging the soul.

A weapon strong enough to damage the Kusanagi Sword.

He had to examine it.

Orochimaru reached for the hilt.

The moment his fingers touched it, Ryūjin Jakka reacted.

Pitch black spikes erupted from the sword.

Orochimaru's pupils contracted.

"What?!"

The spikes pierced straight through both his arms.

Blood sprayed.

Orochimaru immediately released the weapon.

He lifted one leg and tried to kick it away.

Before his foot could connect, Ryūjin Jakka dissolved.

The sword became pitch black smoke.

It streamed downward.

Then returned directly into Naruto's body.

Orochimaru landed on another branch.

He stared at Naruto with even greater interest.

"That sword..."

His wounded arms slowly lowered.

"It rejected me."

A smile spread across his face.

"Does it possess its own consciousness?"

Instead of discouraging him, the discovery only made his curiosity worse.

Naruto looked up at him.

For the first time since entering the Forest of Death, he felt genuine despair closing around him.

Running had failed.

Fighting had failed.

Demonization had reached its limit.

Even Anko could not stop Orochimaru.

Then Anko returned.

She rushed through the trees and attacked Orochimaru again.

Naruto watched.

The difference in strength was obvious.

Anko fought fiercely.

She knew Orochimaru's habits.

She knew some of his techniques.

But none of that was enough.

Defeat was only a matter of time.

Naruto looked toward Sakura.

Then Sasuke.

His hands trembled slightly.

"Asuramaru."

There was no humor in his voice now.

"Is there any other way?"

Asuramaru was silent.

Kurama was not.

The Nine Tails growled from behind the seal.

"How long are you going to hesitate?"

Naruto's consciousness turned toward him.

Kurama's massive eyes burned with impatience.

"Without my help, you will die."

"So will your companions."

"Are you still going to refuse me?"

Naruto's breathing became heavier.

Outside, Anko was driven backward.

Orochimaru advanced.

One step.

Then another.

The pressure of his presence seemed to fill the entire forest.

Naruto could feel the despair eating away at his composure.

Red chakra began leaking from his body.

Sakura recoiled.

"N Naruto?"

The chakra thickened.

It wrapped around Naruto like heat rising from a flame.

Inside his mental world, Kurama's power pressed toward the surface.

This was the beginning of losing control.

Asuramaru finally moved.

He stretched his shoulders as though preparing for exercise.

Then he glanced toward Kurama.

"There is something I've wondered about for years."

Kurama stared at him warily.

Asuramaru asked,

"Why do you still refuse to acknowledge Naruto?"

Kurama's expression darkened.

"You've watched him for more than ten years."

"You know what kind of person he is."

"And yet you still want to take his body the moment you get the chance."

Asuramaru tilted his head.

"Haven't all these years taught you anything?"

Kurama bared his fangs.

But when he spoke, the terrifying Nine Tails sounded almost painfully weak beneath all that stubbornness.

"I will never acknowledge a human."

Asuramaru stared at him.

Kurama continued.

"You can beat me."

"You can torture me."

"You can kill me over and over."

His enormous claws dug into the ground.

"But I will never accept one of them."

"Even if you beat me to death."

"Even if I die outside this seal."

"I will never acknowledge a human!"

There was no clever argument behind the declaration.

Only raw emotion.

Hatred.

Pride.

Resentment.

Years of humiliation.

If Asuramaru had not beaten Kurama so badly over the past decade, the fox probably would not have willingly lent Naruto even a trace of chakra.

Asuramaru remained quiet.

Then he nodded.

"I understand."

Kurama froze.

Asuramaru sighed.

"Actually, I do."

His crimson eyes softened slightly.

"Being attacked for no reason."

"Being imprisoned when you believe you've done nothing to deserve it."

"Having someone else decide your fate."

His gaze drifted.

"That sort of thing does leave a grudge."

For a moment, memories surfaced.

A fortune teller.

His own past.

Everything that had begun so long ago.

Asuramaru's expression darkened.

That damned fortune teller.

Even after a century, Asuramaru still remembered him clearly.

One day, he was going to settle that score.

Kurama, meanwhile, stared at him like he had seen something impossible.

This demon.

This monster who had spent more than ten years beating him whenever he felt like it...

Actually understood?

Kurama wondered if he had heard wrong.

Then Asuramaru smiled.

"That said..."

Kurama's expression immediately became suspicious.

Asuramaru lifted one hand.

"Don't forget who makes the decisions here."

Kurama's eyes widened.

A crushing force descended.

Boom!

The Nine Tails was forced back beneath the seal.

The red chakra leaking from Naruto's body disappeared at once.

Kurama snarled.

"Asuramaru!"

Asuramaru ignored him.

He turned toward Naruto.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"It's been a long time."

Naruto looked at him in confusion.

Asuramaru flexed his fingers.

"About a hundred years since I last fought personally, hasn't it?"

His crimson eyes brightened.

"Then perhaps it's time."

Naruto's despair vanished.

"Asuramaru..."

Asuramaru smiled wider.

"Let's enjoy a battle I've been waiting far too long for."

Then he gave Naruto one final warning.

"But understand this."

"If anything happens afterward, don't blame me."

Naruto did not hesitate for even a second.

Relief flooded his face.

"I understand."

He smiled.

"Then I'm counting on you, Asuramaru."

Outside the mental world, Orochimaru stopped.

The red chakra surrounding Naruto had vanished without warning.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Interesting."

Naruto stood motionless with his head lowered.

Orochimaru did not immediately approach.

There was something deeply strange about this child.

The Nine Tails chakra had appeared.

Then disappeared.

Had Naruto suppressed it through sheer will?

Or was something else happening?

Orochimaru watched cautiously.

"What exactly"

Naruto's eyes opened.

Orochimaru stopped speaking.

Those eyes were no longer blue.

They were crimson.

Clear.

Brilliant.

Beautiful enough to resemble polished gemstones.

But the gaze within them no longer belonged to Uzumaki Naruto.

....

[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]

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