superior naruto

it the chakra armor's fault for being too weak, or was it Kurama's for not controlling his power properly? A perfect opportunity to train in Ice Release had been wasted, and it was impossible not to feel disappointed.

Inside the Nine-Tails' Seal Space

Kurama, completely unfazed, muttered coldly, "This chakra armor is of poor quality. If only there were something better."

Naruto twitched at the corner of his mouth. Of course, he's shifting the blame… But when it came to something better, there was something better—the chakra armor worn by Dotō Kazahana.

Naruto sighed helplessly. "The dark chakra armor Dotō is wearing is clearly superior to the ones his subordinates have. Maybe we can try that one."

Kurama's eyes closed again. He seemed to enjoy keeping them shut whenever he wasn't actively doing something. "Fine. Go get that armor, and we'll try again."

Naruto blinked. "You want me to get it?"

Kurama replied matter-of-factly, "You're no longer in immediate danger. It's your turn to act."

Naruto: "…"

He had a lot of thoughts he wanted to express but decided to keep them to himself. If only Kurama had lent him his chakra earlier, they could've resolved this mess in one go. What a wasted opportunity!

In the Real World

The exchange between Naruto and Kurama took only a moment in the real world. At that moment, Dotō was preparing to kick Naruto's ice sculpture. But when he felt the sudden surge of chakra and the rapid expansion of the ice, he hesitated and stepped back, wary.

Naruto, however, was still stuck. While the ice wasn't harming him due to his partial fusion with its properties, he hadn't yet mastered the ability to move freely within it like Haku could with his Ice Mirrors.

The scene was tense and awkward.

Sasuke and Hinata's Teamwork

Sasuke seized the opportunity. "Hinata!"

Hinata understood immediately. She unleashed the Sixty-Four Palms of the Hakkeshō, forcing the Snow Country kunoichi to focus entirely on defending herself. Though Hinata's attacks couldn't penetrate the chakra barrier, they kept the enemy occupied.

Sasuke's Sharingan locked onto Nadare Rōga. "Chidori!"

With a sharp chirping sound, Sasuke's Lightning Cutter struck Nadare, breaking through his chakra barrier and sending him reeling.

Kakashi took advantage of the chaos to appear in front of Naruto. The Snow Country kunoichi, realizing what was happening, spread her mechanical wings and launched an attack at Kakashi. "Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm!"

Ice swallows formed from the freezing air, darting toward Kakashi. But Kakashi's Sharingan spun, and he performed the same jutsu. "Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm!"

The two techniques collided, canceling each other out.

Nadare, recovering from Sasuke's attack, sneered. "Copying our techniques won't work, Kakashi. That lightning brat is more interesting."

Kakashi didn't look back. "Maybe. But I've already achieved what I wanted."

At that moment, Naruto's voice rang out. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei. I'm free now."

Naruto's Counterattack

Naruto had been freed because Kakashi had used the Snow Country's own ice against them. By copying their technique, Kakashi had manipulated the ice encasing Naruto, turning it into an attack and freeing him in the process.

Dotō's expression darkened. "You think this little trick will save him? I'll just freeze him again!"

He raised his hand and pressed the mechanism on his left arm. "Freeze!"

But nothing happened.

Naruto smirked, holding up a handful of explosive tags. "Oops. Looks like your armor's broken."

Dotō stared in shock. "Impossible! How did my chakra armor fail?"

Naruto's grin widened. "Guess I broke it by accident."

With a quick hand seal, Naruto shouted, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Fifty clones appeared, each armed with explosive tags. Forty carried low-grade tags, while ten carried high-grade ones. The clones scattered, some heading for Dotō and others planting tags throughout the palace.

Dotō roared, "You think this will work on me? I'll destroy all your clones!"

He dropped his sword and formed hand seals. "Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard!"

But as he prepared to attack, one of Naruto's clones used the Substitution Jutsu, swapping places with the green-sleeved sword on the ground. The sword was back in Naruto's hands.

The remaining clones planted their explosive tags and dispelled themselves.

Naruto, now free, formed a single hand seal. "Explode!"

More than forty explosive tags detonated simultaneously, turning the Snow Country palace into a blazing inferno. The ground shook, and avalanches thundered down the surrounding mountains.

Aftermath

Kakashi, Hinata, Sasuke, and Koyuki watched from a distance as the palace was reduced to rubble. Kakashi deadpanned, "That kid's a madman."

Hinata's face was filled with worry. "Naruto…"

Sasuke, exhausted from using Chidori, crouched on the ground, panting. He didn't say anything, but his expression made it clear he agreed with Kakashi's assessment.

The low-grade explosive tags were equivalent to a mid-level ninja's attack, while the high-grade ones were on par with a high-level ninja's full-power strike. The combined force of ten high-grade and thirty-six low-grade tags was devastating.

As the smoke cleared, Naruto emerged from the rubble, the green-sleeved sword in hand. He approached Dotō, who was now a bloodied, broken mess.

Dotō groaned in pain, his voice trembling. "Wait! Spare me! I'll give you anything—the Snow Country, my wealth, anything!"

Naruto tilted his head, his expression cold. "Compared to me? When I get serious, even wolves run scared."

With a swift motion, Naruto brought the sword down, ending Dotō's life.

Naruto chuckled darkly. "Pathetic. No sense of honor, no awareness of death. Just another worthless villain."