Naruto: The new beginning

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"Sumaru, take everyone from Konoha to the training ground," Akahoshi ordered. Then, with an apologetic tone, he added, "I'm tied up with other matters, so I can't accompany you myself."

"It's okay," Kushina said, waving her hand dismissively.

Sumaru reluctantly stood up and replied, "Understood."

Once everyone had left, Akahoshi waited until they were far away. His expression darkened, and with a sinister smile, he called out, "Nighthawk, Four Celestial Symbols Formation!"

Two figures entered through the back door a bald, heavyset man and a wiry man with medium-length hair. Both stopped in front of Akahoshi.

"The time has come," Akahoshi said ominously. "Start preparing for the operation!"

The heavier man, one of the Four Celestial Symbols, hesitated. "Akahoshi, are you sure about this?"

"Of course!" Akahoshi snapped, his eyes glinting with madness. "As long as that person exists, my ambitions will never be realized. This is our best chance. There's no turning back now. Get ready!"

Nighthawk and the thin man exchanged glances before replying, "Understood!"

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Sumaru led the Konoha group to a massive crater several hundred meters wide, his reluctance evident in his posture.

"Wow, it's incredible!" Hinata and Sakura exclaimed in unison, marvelling at the sight.

Even Naruto, seeing it for the first time, was impressed. However, he simply crossed his arms and remarked, "Not bad. But I've seen bigger craters like when Pain attacked Konoha."

Sumaru pointed to a small building at the centre of the crater. "That's the training ground. The 'star' is enshrined inside. Some of my companions are currently training there."

As they approached, Sumaru halted abruptly and addressed the group. "Let me be clear I don't entirely trust any of you. Don't try anything suspicious."

The group stayed silent, except for Kiba, whose temper flared. Grabbing Sumaru by the collar, he shouted, "Listen, you jerk! We're only here because we were asked to protect that stupid star!"

Sumaru pushed Kiba back with equal intensity. "Even so, how do I know you're not after the star yourselves? I don't trust outsiders!"

Before the argument could escalate, Naruto stepped in. "Enough! Look at the training ground the door is wide open. Isn't it supposed to be sealed during practice?"

Sumaru turned to the building, his face darkening with alarm. "What?!"

He sprinted towards the building, and the others followed. Inside, they found several young trainees lying unconscious on the ground.

The star, which should have been on the central pedestal, was gone.

"Hokuto!" Sumaru shouted, rushing to a girl's side. Sakura immediately moved to help but was shoved away by Sumaru.

"Stay back!" Sumaru growled protectively.

Before Sakura could respond, Sasuke had drawn his Chidori-infused blade, pressing it against Sumaru's neck. His cold eyes bore into him. "Calm down, or you'll regret it."

Kushina stepped forward, gently pulling Sasuke away. "Stand down, Sasuke. We're here to help." Turning to Sumaru, she said, "Sakura is a skilled medical ninja. Let her examine your friend."

Sumaru hesitated, then reluctantly nodded. Sakura crouched beside Hokuto, her expression professional as she conducted a thorough examination.

After a while, Sakura frowned. "Their bodies are severely damaged, but it doesn't seem to be from an attack. It's more like… a chakra-related illness."

"Chakra illness?" Kushina asked, puzzled.

Sakura nodded. "Their chakra is hyperactive, and their bodies can't handle the strain. It's especially bad for this one, Jumonji, isn't it? His condition is critical."

Sumaru's eyes widened. "Will he recover?"

Sakura shook her head regretfully. "It's beyond my abilities. But if we can bring him to Lady Tsunade, she might be able to save him."

At that moment, Hokuto stirred awake, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, Sumaru-kun… We couldn't protect the star."

Sumaru clenched his fists. "Don't worry! I'll get it back!"

Meanwhile, Kakashi surveyed the scene, noting the lack of signs of a struggle.

The children had been incapacitated almost instantly. "Was it genjutsu?" he muttered to himself.

Naruto, less analytical, was mostly distracted by how "cool" the star training sounded.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that Akahoshi wasn't as innocent as he seemed.

Kakashi approached Hokuto. "Did you see who took the star?"

Hokuto nodded weakly. "It was one person… wearing a mask."

"What does the star look like?" Kakashi asked Sumaru.

Sumaru hesitated, then replied, "It's about the size of a fist, dark purple, with a faint glow."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. A radioactive meteorite? Using that for training would explain their illnesses. "No wonder they're sick. This is like something out of a nightmare."

Seeing no immediate leads, Kushina called out, "Kiba, Akamaru!"

Kiba grinned confidently. "Got it! I already caught a scent that doesn't belong to us."

Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Good work," Kushina said. "Team 8, you're with me. We're tracking the star thief. Kakashi, you stay here and assist Sumaru with the injured. Try to get more information from Akahoshi."

"Understood."

As Kushina led Team 8 to track the thief, Naruto's team helped transport the injured to the infirmary.

Once that was done, they accompanied Sumaru to Akahoshi's office.

"What?! The star was stolen?!" Akahoshi's expression shifted rapidly, his composure cracking.

"I'm sorry," Kakashi said. "It was gone before we arrived. We'll take responsibility for retrieving it. Do you have any leads?"

Akahoshi took a deep breath to steady himself. "There's only one person I can think of capable of sneaking in like this—a rogue ninja from our village. She fled after defying the orders of the Third Hoshikage. I never expected her to target the star."

"Do you know where she is?" Kakashi asked.

Akahoshi nodded. "She's hiding in the dense forest near Hell Valley. It's vast and treacherous, which is why we haven't captured her yet."

Kakashi adjusted his headband. "Then we'll start there."

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