Another vibration rippled through the inner sanctum, but Elias chose to ignore it. More ripples followed, one after another, yet the time was not right—not yet. Still, the moment was undeniably approaching.
Outside, in the real world, Naruto and Sasuke looked like porcupines, pierced by countless fine needles, gasping for breath.
Elias had noticed earlier that Naruto had used two shadow clones—and instead of keeping them active he dispelled them. He had entered the fight with only a little more than a third of his total chakra.
As the finishing blow was about to land, Sasuke made a choice: he pushed both himself and the weirdo out of the needle's trajectory, using the last of his strength. And yet, astonishingly, Elias observed something remarkable—Sasuke's spiritual power was being stimulated. Its vibrations spread across his body, activating chakra nodes in a precise, rhythmic order. The parasitic energy within him surged as well, adding new effects, further mutating his very DNA.
Then they appeared—those two revolting red orbs. Like droplets of ink, two tomoe began to rotate around Sasuke's pupils. His chakra surged. If it had once been a glass of water, now it was a bottle—his capacity had grown fivefold. Elias was certain the alien parasite was responsible for it!
Their enemy wasn't idle either. The masked ninja recognized the activation of the Sharingan. Determined to end things swiftly, he targeted Naruto, hoping to eliminate any last chance for a game-changing twist that could ruin his and Zabuza's plan. But Sasuke stepped in, taking the full brunt of the attack to protect his teammate. Collapsing to the ground, eyes closing, he caught one final glimpse of Naruto, still unconscious.
Meanwhile, in another realm entirely, Naruto stood before a colossal archway shaped like a pair of bunny ears. Above it fluttered pink and white flags, beckoning him into a world unlike anything he'd ever seen!
Everywhere he looked were bunny-themed attractions: carrot-shaped roller coasters that soared into the clouds, fields of marshmallow grass, and towering ferris wheels with gondolas shaped like sleeping rabbits. There were towns made of sugar glass, rivers sparkling like soda pop, and clouds that sometimes rained multicolored chocolate sprinkles.
"Welcome to Usagi Land, Naruto!" said a gentle and very familiar voice from behind him. He turned—and yes, it really was him, his best friend, Kyubi-kun!
"Oh hello, little fox! Where am I? I was just about to defeat that nasty masked ninja and save Sasuke. Is there a way back?"
"Ah, my dear friend..." the fox said sadly. His tail no longer spun like it used to, and his eyes were filled with the sorrow of the world. "I'm afraid you can't go back. You and your friends... were defeated. This is the afterlife."
"No... it can't be! I swore I'd become Hokage! It can't end like this! I'll do anything! Please—help me return, you know!"
"Hm... there might be a way..." the little fox hesitated.
Naruto knelt down to meet his friend's eyes, pleading sincerely.
"I knew it, little fox! Please, please, please! Tell me what I have to do to go back!"
"In this kingdom, full of bunnies and sugar," the fox explained, "a princess is being held prisoner. Only a pure-hearted soul, with sweet carrots in his heart, is said to have the power to save her from her cruel fate."
"I dunno about having carrots in my heart," Naruto said, grinning, "but a hero? That's what I am! Please, Kyubi-kun, where is she? I'll save her super fast, you know!"
"It's not that simple, Naruto-kun. First, you must pass twelve trials. Only after completing them can you reach the princess. She possesses the Almonds of Knowledge and will grant a wish to the chosen one."
"All right, little fox! I'm fired up! Let's go save the princess and become heroes! Yeah!"
And so, Naruto and Kyubi-kun ran into Usagi Land and soon arrived before a group of upright, talking bunnies dressed in elaborate costumes. They stood guard around a grand marble statue in the center of the park—a statue of the Bunny Princess, her twin braid-tails cascading down from her bunny-eared head, arms raised as if to bless the entire world.
"You've come." said one of the bunnies.
"We were told to wait for the one with the FoxL" said another.
"Princess Kaguya is lost in the Twelfth House." added the tallest, his ears wrapped in golden thread. "Only the pure of heart can defeat the Twelve."
Naruto didn't fully understand, but he felt a deep pull—a sense of purpose. And really, if Kyubi-kun was here and already explained everything, why worry?
"I am Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage of the great shinobi village, Konoha! My name is legendary, and wherever I go, all bad guys run away, you know! Lead the way!"
Striking a heroic pose beside the ever-faithful and impossibly cute Kyubi-kun, Naruto began his new quest.
And thus began the adventure to save the adorable Bunny Princess Kaguya—a journey of danger and glory through the Twelve Bunny Houses!