Episode 28: Android VS Zombie: First Half: 01
Naruto barely had time to react before a wave of dark chakra burst from Gaara like an out-of-control geyser, blasting through the stadium with terrifying intensity. It wasn't just a surge—it was monstrous, thick and oppressive. The force of it sent Naruto flying back, her limbs flailing like a puppet on strings. She landed on her feet, wobbling slightly as she steadied herself, her head tilting mechanically to the side.
"Gaaa...yahhh!" Gaara's voice wasn't just a yell; it was a roar—primal and otherworldly, something that didn't quite belong in the realm of a mere human. The chakra seeping out of him was nothing like the usual kind you felt during a spar. No, this was something else entirely. The kind that made your skin crawl. Of course, Naruto had felt worse—there was literally a fox made of hatred inside her stomach, which she referred to as her metaphorical guts, but even she had to admit, Gaara's power was pretty massive.
The crowd, however, wasn't as used to dealing with that kind of raw energy. They gasped in unison, their collective fear spreading through the stadium like wildfire. Panic set in. People shot up from their seats, pushing and shoving each other as they scrambled to escape the arena. Mothers clutched their children, vendors left their stalls, and some guy dropped his dango in sheer terror. It was absolute chaos.
"Run!" someone shouted, their voice cracking as they bolted for the exit.
"We're all gonna die!" another screamed, their eyes wild with fear as they tripped over a row of seats.
The chunin assigned to guard the civilians immediately jumped into action, trying their best to calm the crowd. "Stay calm! Stay in your seats! We'll handle this!" one of them yelled, arms flailing as he tried to direct people to safety.
But no one was listening. Not a soul. Everyone had hit full-on panic mode. It was like a stampede at a rock concert, but way less fun. And just when things looked like things couldn't get any worse—
White feathers started to drift down from the sky, slow and gentle like snowflakes. The chaos in the stands seemed to freeze as an eerie calm washed over the arena. The civilians blinked drowsily, their movements sluggish as they yawned. In mere moments, they all collapsed—slumped over in their seats, on the stairs, and even on each other. Asleep. Completely unconscious.
The genins weren't spared either. One by one, they fell into deep slumber, except for a few notable exceptions. Team Seven remained standing—Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura still wide awake. Shino was there too, adjusting his sunglasses like nothing fazed him. As for Shikamaru? He lay on the ground pretending to be unconscious because, well, avoiding work was his number one priority.
Meanwhile, up in the gallery, the Jōnin, ANBU, and the Kages were unaffected. Genma's gaze shifted from the sleeping civilians to the battlefield. His eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped to a grave tone. "The Hidden Sand has turned against us. And it looks like they've teamed up with Orochimaru and the Hidden Sound."
Explosions echoed from outside the stadium, shaking the ground beneath their feet. The roars of battle followed, signaling that the invasion had begun. Shinobi from the shadows sprang into action, attacking the Leaf shinobi on sight. The war had started.
Naruto, however, seemed unfazed by the chaos around her. She was cracking her wooden joints, making loud, unsettling pops that echoed through the silence. "As the future Hokage, I must protect this village," she declared, her voice robotic, her posture stiff. She then raised her arms, which made another series of grotesque, creaky noises as she prepared to leap toward the oncoming enemies.
But before she could even get her feet off the ground, a very familiar, very irritating voice buzzed in her head, startling her.
-Hidden Leaf Village is under siege. the voice said, flat and emotionless. Bitch spoke. One hundred percent access to all skills, knowledge, and jutsu playlists granted.
Naruto's eyes widened in shock. After all this time of dealing with a broken AI system, Bitch was actually functioning? Giving her access to all the cool powers she'd always wanted? This was a miracle!
She waited, bracing herself for the sudden rush of information—the knowledge and skills she desperately needed. But... nothing happened. No surge of power. No instant understanding of complex techniques. Nothing.
-Process failed. Bitch added flatly.
Naruto blinked, her mechanical voice dripping with disappointment. "Huh?"
It appears that your fight with 'a fellow Leaf Shinobi' one month ago has damaged the sealing diagrams inside 2B's body, Bitch continued. Therefore, I—
"You're useless," Naruto cut her off, irritation creeping into her usually monotone voice. "Fine, I'll do it myself."
-Understood. Bitch replied, completely unaffected by the insult.
Naruto sighed dramatically, her glowing blue eyes shifting toward the roof where the Old Man Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen himself—was locked in battle with a suspiciously familiar-looking figure inside a giant, glowing, transparent purple cube. The guy he was fighting looked… weird. But, hey, so did a lot of things in Naruto's life at this point.
"I need to help the Old Man," Naruto muttered to herself, clenching her fists with determination. "Without someone as skilled as me, he's hopeless."
Genma, who was standing beside her, raised an eyebrow and pulled the senbon from his mouth. "He's the Hokage for a reason. He'll be fine. You, however…"
"But he is easily defeated by my Sexy Jutsu." Naruto argued. "He's weak. And a pervert."
"Ugh. Great, now I am having stupid images in my mind. Just… forget it." He pulled out the senbon from his mouth as he gazed at the three figures landing beside Gaara to protect him— Baki, Temari and Kankurou. His gaze flicked toward Gaara, who was… well, transforming. Into what appeared to be a giant raccoon. Or maybe a tanuki? Honestly, it was hard to tell.
Naruto tilted her head, her glowing eyes unblinking as she observed Gaara's transformation. "Cool," she said flatly
"Naruto Uzumaki, you are to subdue Gaara and aid others thereafter." Genma knew she was just a genin and had some… okay- a lot of screws loose on her head, but she was supposed to be really strong, dangerous and unpredictable. "Meanwhile, I'll take care of these Sand Shinobi. Am I clear?"
Naruto saluted awkwardly, her arm movements stiff and unnatural. "Dattebayo!" she chirped.
Genma pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll take that as a 'yes'..."
With that, Naruto turned her attention back to Gaara, her body shifting into an aggressive stance. Her legs bent slightly, her hands out in front of her like she was about to tackle a particularly challenging obstacle course.
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