Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

Naruto ran quickly through the sealed chamber, a glimmer of excitement in his heart. He had successfully escorted Shion to the sealing grounds some time ago. By now, it was possible that the creature called Mōryō had already been resealed by her.

If so, when he arrived, he and his friends would have officially become part of a world-saving team.

In his mind, Naruto envisioned being surrounded by cheering crowds hailing him as a hero and savior. This thought brought a goofy grin to his face. Soon, he arrived at the lowest level of the sealing chamber.

Looking around, Naruto found the area eerily quiet. He saw lava below and the narrow, jagged stone path winding through it. Occasionally, loose rocks tumbled into the molten depths, disappearing instantly.

Naruto swallowed nervously. Falling into that would be the end of me.

Following the precarious path, Naruto spotted the central platform, it was the largest and most intact stone area. Shion was sitting there, knees tucked under her in a duck-like position.

Relieved, Naruto smiled and quickly made his way over to her. "How's it going, Shion? Has Mōryō been successfully sealed?" he asked.

"Na... Naruto..." Shion's voice was thick with sobs, and her expression caused Naruto's smile to falter. A sense of foreboding crept into his heart.

"What's wrong, Shion?" Naruto asked urgently.

"It's all my fault," Shion murmured, her eyes lifeless. "I should have died from the beginning. It would have been better for everyone."

Naruto grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently. "What are you talking about?! What happened?"

Shion's blank expression finally flickered with emotion as tears began to fall. She cried, "It's my fault. Naruto, I led everyone here, but my seal failed. Mōryō absorbed my power and is about to fully resurrect!"

"So, Mōryō is reviving right now?" Naruto's eyes widened.

"Yes... It's all because of me. If it weren't for me..." Shion continued to blame herself, her voice full of despair.

"Stop!" Naruto interrupted her firmly. "This isn't your fault. If the seal failed once, we'll try again. And if it fails again, I'll just beat the crap out of that thing before you seal it. There's always a way!"

"But Naruto..." Shion hesitated, wanting to explain that Mōryō's power was far beyond human capabilities.

"There's no 'but'! If it can be sealed, it can be defeated!" Naruto declared, his eyes turning a crimson red. "Right, Kurama?"

"Hmph, of course. Do you even need to ask? A puny creature like this claiming it can destroy the world is laughable!" Kurama's mocking voice echoed in Naruto's mind.

"But listen up, brat," Kurama continued, "You've already used a lot of my power. Don't blame me if you can't handle it anymore."

Naruto didn't reply. He hadn't yet earned Kurama's full approval, though he could freely borrow its power. However, Kurama's chakra carried a malevolent force that could disrupt his mind if used excessively.

Naruto recalled how, during training, he had ignored Natsuro's advice to limit the number of shadow clones. Instead, he had recklessly summoned too many and overused Kurama's chakra, which caused him to lose control.

Fortunately, Jiraiya had been there to stop him before his fourth tail emerged.

Naruto knew better than to blame Kurama, it hadn't done anything malicious. The fault lay with his inability to handle the power.

"Naruto..." Shion gazed at him, startled by his reckless yet resolute words. Despite the sinister aura emanating from Naruto, she felt no fear.

And somehow, his presence gave her a sliver of hope.

"Hmm, I agree with the brat's optimism," a sly, taunting voice suddenly echoed around them.

Naruto spun around to face the source, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the figure.

"Orochimaru?!" he exclaimed in shock.

"Oh, surprised to see me?" Orochimaru smirked, his serpentine demeanor as unsettling as ever. "You've grown stronger, Nine-Tails brat. But unfortunately..."

"Orochimaru! Why are you here? Are you behind Mōryō's revival?!" Naruto shouted angrily.

"Don't pin everything on me," Orochimaru replied with a sinister grin. "I didn't interfere in any of this, I've just been observing. The priestess beside you can confirm that."

Shion peeked out cautiously from behind Naruto, her voice trembling as she said, "H-he's telling the truth. He didn't unseal Mōryō."

"Then why are you here? What's your scheme this time?" Naruto demanded, refusing to believe Orochimaru's innocence. With his track record, it was hard to imagine him being uninvolved.

"I simply heard rumors of Mōryō's apocalyptic power and came to take a look," Orochimaru said, turning his gaze toward the erupting energy in the lava below. He seemed unimpressed.

"It's powerful, I'll admit," he mused, "but if this is the extent of its strength, the claims of world-ending power are grossly exaggerated. In fact, priestess, your power seems far more interesting than Mōryō's."

Orochimaru's attention shifted to Shion, causing her to shrink back behind Naruto once more. She shuddered as his long, forked tongue flicked out grotesquely, almost reaching his own forehead.

Orochimaru observed Naruto's growing rage, his crimson, murky eyes revealing his turbulent emotions. A look of understanding crossed Orochimaru's face. While he already knew Naruto could be impulsive, seeing how easily his emotions could be provoked confirmed the effects of his current state.

After all, the Nine-Tails' power is not so easily controlled.

"Now, now," Orochimaru said with a sly grin. "I'm not here to fight you. In fact, I'm about to leave. Your real opponent is the so-called world-ending Mōryō. I hope you deal with him quickly and then hurry to assist Natsuro~."

With a sinister chuckle, Orochimaru began to retreat, moving swiftly to leave.

"Orochimaru! What did you mean about Natsuro? What happened to him?" Naruto shouted, ready to chase after him.

But at that moment, the ground beneath them began to quake, and the lava below started to churn violently. The narrow paths and platforms trembled, forcing Naruto to focus on steadying Shion, who was on his back.

"Hehehe, why would I tell you?" Orochimaru's voice echoed mockingly as he disappeared into the distance. "All I'll say is that if you're late, you might just be collecting his body!"

"Damn it!" Naruto growled, his crimson eyes filled with worry and fury.

"Naruto..." Shion looked at him with concern.

"I'm fine," Naruto said quickly, more to convince himself than her. "Natsuro is strong. Orochimaru is just trying to mess with my head. He'll be fine!" Naruto clenched his fists as if trying to suppress his anxiety.

Shion watched him closely. Though she didn't know who Natsuro was, it was clear he meant a great deal to Naruto. She could see the tension in his shoulders and the unease in his eyes, even as he tried to reassure himself.

Why does this clumsy, brash ninja who doesn't seem to know anything have such a calming effect on me? Shion wondered, recalling their shared experiences. Despite her initial doubts about him, Naruto had somehow managed to pull her out of her self-loathing.

Shion stepped forward and embraced Naruto tightly, hoping her gesture would soothe his turmoil. What she didn't notice was that as she held him, a faint trace of her own power flowed into his body.

Naruto, sensing Shion's silent support, felt his racing emotions begin to calm. His crimson eyes gradually cleared, returning to their natural blue.

"Thank you, Shion," he said sincerely.

Shion smiled, relieved that she could help.

Naruto, now more composed, smiled back and said, "I can't trust Orochimaru's words, but even if what he said is true, I need to take care of Mōryō first. Then I'll go help Natsuro!"

Suddenly, a dark, spear-like energy shot toward Naruto from above.

"Too slow!" Naruto exclaimed, sidestepping with Shion securely in his arms. He turned his gaze upward, locking onto the source of the attack.

The creature above was a mass of swirling black mist, with glowing malevolent eyes at its center. Though its form was barely solid, its presence exuded a palpable malice.

"Damn pest! Die already!" Mōryō bellowed in a deep, guttural voice. Despite lacking a true body, it lashed out with countless black tendrils, each one resembling a massive serpent. The tendrils surged toward Naruto, as if flaunting its overwhelming power.

Naruto remained unfazed. "Hey, Kurama," he said with a smirk. "That thing just called you a 'pest.'"

"Hmph. That insult was meant for you, brat. Don't think you can trick me so easily," Kurama retorted, lounging lazily in the depths of Naruto's subconscious.

"But I'm using your power right now," Naruto countered. "So, if I'm called a pest while borrowing your strength, doesn't that reflect on you too?"

Kurama's claws dug into the ground beneath him, leaving deep gouges. Though he said nothing, Naruto suddenly felt a surge of chakra coursing through him.

With a grin, Naruto realized he could now draw more of Kurama's power without risking losing control. He glanced down at Shion, still in his arms, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Hold on tight!" he said.

"Huh? O-okay!" Shion replied, startled. Though fear gripped her heart at the sight of the overwhelming darkness around them, Naruto's confident tone calmed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

In the next moment, the crimson chakra enveloping Naruto flared violently, forming a protective cloak around both him and Shion. With renewed determination, Naruto charged directly toward the onslaught of black tendrils.

"Rasengan!" he roared, thrusting his glowing spiral sphere forward.

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Currently on Chapter 249 - The Zero-Tails