Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 335 "Light"

Naruto hadn't expected that the two who went down would accomplish such a feat in such a short time. In his observation, the enormous mass was suddenly pulled deeper into the earth, and the ominous spatial fluctuations gradually intensified under the impact of the massive energy.

It should be noted that breaking through space requires a massive amount of energy, and making the chaotic spatial rifts regular is something Naruto wouldn't even dare to dream of at this stage. However, this rare scene is unfolding underground. The Grell mine is shrinking rapidly, almost "visibly," flowing along the complex array on his back that he might not be able to memorize in two months, converging into a spatial point with a fairly stable outer perimeter, but with turbulent undercurrents inside.

Seeing that the two were about to be torn apart by the spatial fluctuations, Naruto decisively unleashed his strongest form, transforming into a golden streak of light and plummeting downwards. He managed to pull them out just before they hit the ground. However, this didn't mean they were safe. As long as they remained within the area affected by the spatial fluctuations, they still risked falling into the seemingly all-consuming black hole. Naruto didn't dare delay, carrying the two as he accelerated, finally bringing them safely to the ground.

With such a commotion, the clone must have heard it. Hopefully, he's smart enough to find an excuse to slip away, otherwise his main body's trip will definitely be exposed.

Reaching the surface didn't guarantee safety; the rumbling from underground continued, and the riddled ruins were on the verge of collapse. As soon as they were out of the range of the spatial fluctuations, they activated Flying Thunder God Technique. The three of them had barely landed awkwardly when a beam of light pierced through the rock layers, completely shattering the central ruins.

The energy was light green, the same color as the Grell Stone. A strong life force was injected into this barren mountain, causing vegetation to grow in a short time in this desolate place that was so barren that it could shift the rock strata. It was quite reminiscent of the First Hokage descending with the Tree World.

"This is the aftermath of the destruction of the mine. Is it possible that such a small leak could have such great power?" The old man, who was clearly a man of great experience, had already gotten up and was looking into the distance.

They ran just in time; if they had been even a fraction slower, they would have been hit squarely by that energy. Even though it's currently confirmed that the mineral vein is very effective against plants, who can say for sure that an excessive impact won't kill people?

Surviving such a disaster is the most fortunate thing, but there was still one person in their group who couldn't quite grasp the situation.

"Why did you save me? I have failed Lord Hyde's expectations, and I have no face to live any longer..."

“Child, you’re really stubborn. If you die, you can’t do anything. Only by living can you have a future! I don’t want to die either. If you hadn’t been blinded by greed, I wouldn’t have needed to activate the formation.”

Naruto was observing the underground mine, feeling that the final burst of energy was a bit strange. However, the mine and the black hole had completely perished, leaving nothing but ruins. Just as he came to his senses, he overheard the conversation behind him. He felt a little helpless, but also understanding. Children have so little experience; everything they encounter is given to them by adults, so it's understandable that they've been so thoroughly deceived.

That's why he insisted on sparing the culprit's life. Only by seeing and hearing it with his own eyes and ears would the boy truly wake up from the web of lies he had woven.

However, just as he turned his head to say something, an unexpected burst of energy blatantly entered his field of vision, moving at great speed and with a clear target in his direction.

Why? The light shooting up from underground even changes direction? Is this a normal physical phenomenon? It can't be! What is that thing aiming for? Is it this boy who has some connection to the Grell Stone?

...Or perhaps, they came for him.

"Huh? Why is it so bright...? What's that?!"

As the old man looked up to sigh for the clueless child, he was met with a burst of green light, sparks flying everywhere. It was a scene beyond imagination; the intensity of the light was matched only by the sheer power of its fall.

Two of the three were stunned. The only one who could still think straight grabbed the two people he had just rescued, set them in three different directions, and scattered to escape for their lives.

"Grandpa!" The old man was still dazed when his little granddaughter rushed towards him, but he was a survivor of the Third Shinobi World War and had heard of that legendary ninjutsu. He never expected to see a ninja using the Flying Thunder God Technique in his lifetime. His story for the rest of his life had a new protagonist... Wait, that beam of light was heading straight for them. Did that ninja come with them?

The old man looked around, but only saw his worried people. Before he could ask anything, the sky suddenly brightened, and a deafening roar slowly came from afar, still very clear.

Is that ninja alright?

"boom!"

The tower shook with a muffled thud, a clear indication that something was wrong. Before Torune could react, Naruto told him to stay and guard the place. That guy, who always seemed to appear out of nowhere, had vanished in the blink of an eye, even though he hadn't agreed to anything yet.

Could it be the commotion caused by the two people who entered the ruins? Is there really something dangerous buried underground? Fortunately, I had some backup plans. Let's see if this person was just creating a diversion to lure me away.

Qu Gen's doubts had not yet been dispelled, and he was just figuring out how to pry open the mouth of the person lying on the ground when new commotion arose from the ruins.

A beam of light tore through the dark sky, shooting straight into the clouds. In an instant, the desolate valley was covered with lush greenery, nearly knocking the tower over. While stabilizing himself, Togen didn't forget about the two prisoners. Fortunately, as long as there was a point of contact, a ninja could stand firm in any harsh conditions. It took him quite a bit of effort to pull these two prisoners back from falling.

"This is the power of the Grell mine!" Hyde, who had been behaving himself, suddenly began to struggle. His tone was somewhat frantic, and he showed an extremely strong desire for the light. "Can you feel it? This is the power of life! Ninja, please let me go. I can give you the Book of Grell. With that, you can control the power that can overturn the world!"

To be honest, Torune was slightly tempted, because he could feel the worms inside his body becoming more active, causing constantly moving purple spots to appear on his exposed skin. However, this man reeked of hypocrisy from beginning to end, and Torune couldn't be trusted. A ninja was already a prisoner; if he wanted something, he could simply search him. Why bother negotiating with this man?

"Stop dreaming and stay put."

Tonight's spectacle had been enough; he really didn't want to see anything more mind-blowing, but it seemed fate wasn't going to let him off the hook. After finishing with Hyde's tampering, he looked up and saw a "shooting star" plummeting straight down—the very same "light" that had just flown away!

Before he could even be shocked, another young man in full armor suddenly appeared before him, clearly the one who had gone down into the ruins. It seemed that the commotion in the ruins earlier was indeed caused by those two. Naruto had rushed to rescue them, throwing them in front of him without even having time to tie them up or put on any seals.

But what about Naruto himself?

Before everyone's eyes, the light in the sky suddenly turned vertically and crashed into the distant woods.