Walking through the long concrete hallways, Naruto was escorted by two guards who silently guided him to his destination. After torturous minutes of silence, they reached a large metal door. Opening it, the Uzumaki entered alone.

"How was everything?" Naruto muttered to himself, gazing at the four surrounding walls. The pain from the burn on his right arm had become uncomfortable, but thanks to the fox, it would likely disappear in a few days, as if it had never been there.

"…" The guards exchanged glances, and one of them slowly closed the door behind him, filling the room with heavy silence.

*Pufff*

In a series of smoke explosions, the two guards transformed into blond, blue-eyed teenagers. It didn't take much thought to understand what was happening.

The two clone copies only shared a glance with the original Naruto, and then, in another burst of smoke, they vanished as if they had never existed.

"…" Naruto's gaze darkened as all the memories of the clones came flooding back.

Since his arrival at this fortress, he had been desperate to gather information by any means necessary. His first step was to create a diversion by insulting the commander, making sure not to reveal that a clone had emerged from under the carriage that brought him. These clones had then transformed into different guards.

While the clones skillfully blended in among the guards and soldiers, the original Naruto had remained among the slaves to assess the dire situation. And now he knew.

Naruto rose from the ground and approached the cell bars, kicking them forcefully. Against his strength, the bars gave way, detaching from the entrance frame. Upon leaving the dungeon, he spotted a guard at the end of the corridor. With a sly grin, the blonde conjured a large flame of fire, sending it hurtling toward the guard.

…..

Yuei and Yui gazed calmly at the flames of the bonfire. It had been almost 11 days since their companion infiltrated the fortress, and with each passing day, their concern grew.

Fang, the great lion/wolf, yawned awake as the first rays of dawn hit his eyes.

"It hasn't arrived yet," the older twin regretted allowing this risky plan to continue. Today marked the deadline for their companion to arrive, and before dawn, they would receive word on whether the mission had succeeded or, in the worst-case scenario...

"..." Hugging herself, the warrior fixed her gaze on the sun rising on the horizon.

"You have faith in him," Yui remained impassive, her eyes focused on the dwindling embers of the fire.

Rustling noises in the bushes made the two warriors tense, ready to draw their fans with blades. They relaxed when they saw who it was.

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"Naruto," Yuei let out a sigh of relief as she lowered her weapon. Her sister felt just as relieved, even though she wouldn't admit it. Naruto had canceled his henge, revealing his blonde hair and whisker marks.

"..." Yui couldn't put it into words, but she shared the same sense of relief. He seemed relatively unscathed, with only a few scratches and burns on his clothes, considering his escape from the fortress. It was impressive. But something about him seemed different, quieter than usual.

The two warriors watched as the boy carried a large bundle wrapped in cloth on his back. With the utmost care, he gently placed it on the ground. They both approached in silence.

Yuei sank to her knees to examine the bundle, gradually unwrapping the cloth from one side. As she revealed what lay beneath, her eyes widened, and she couldn't suppress the scream that tried to escape. Tremors ran through her, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

The younger twin, however, remained unresponsive as she beheld the badly decomposed body at her feet. It was evident that the person had passed away many years ago. She uttered a broken whisper, "Father..." and sank to her knees beside her sister, tears streaming down her face.

Such a long wait.

So much effort.

"He attempted to lead a rebellion thirteen years ago," Naruto spoke slowly. He had gathered information from guards and other prisoners during his time in the fortress. "He fought alongside other prisoners, but they were outnumbered by soldiers and guards. He... he didn't just fight for his freedom, but for everyone's."

Naruto had learned from the prisoners that the man who had initiated the revolt, realizing he couldn't win, had chosen to take the blame alone. Unfortunately, Commander Hanzuke hadn't allowed it. Many had perished.

The younger twin gently covered her father's face, carefully lifting him with the assistance of her sister, who mounted Fang's back.

"Thank you for helping us, Naruto..." were Yui's simple words as she and her sister mounted the wolf-lion. Naruto found their abrupt departure confusing.

"Wait! That's it?!" He stepped in their way, stopping them.

"Yes," Yui replied with a somber expression, her gaze fixed on the bundle in her arms. "Now, I'll just give our father a proper burial," she said, her voice low and mournful.

"But... what about them?" Naruto gestured towards the imprisoned people who were left behind, bewildered by their decision to leave them.

"We can't do anything for them," Yuei spoke sympathetically. She believed that their years of training and survival had been solely for the purpose of liberating their father. With his death, their path was clear. "You can come with us if you want."

"No," Naruto retorted, his eyes filled with anger as he looked at the two sisters. "What happened to all that bravery? Your clan is supposed to—"

"The clan is dead," Yuei declared, her tone growing colder. She was indifferent to any mention of their clan. "There are only the two of us left, and in this war, it's impossible for us to rebuild our clan... it's over."

"..." Yui lowered her gaze to gently caress her father's lifeless body. It was evident that she shared her sister's sentiments.

"You taught me to fight like you," Naruto began passionately, "You told me... you told me that courage is standing up to defend what one believes in! Your father fought for what he believed in! He believed in freedom! That no one deserved to be in that hell! The—"

"He is dead!" Yui angrily interrupted, her temper on the brink of exploding. "Welcome to the real world, stupid boy! What did you think? That the three of us would just go fight and free all those poor souls? That, at the end of the day, we would be celebrating the fall of that place with joy and happiness? You are so... foolish," she spat out her final words with almost a sense of hatred.

Naruto's fists bled from the force with which he clenched them, his fury rising in his throat, yet he couldn't find the words to express it.

"Naruto," Yuei's soft voice broke through the tension, causing him to look up. "There's no point... Just come with us... please." She extended her hand toward the blonde, offering a gentle smile, a silent plea to leave this place and everything behind.

Naruto hesitated for a brief moment, his gaze flickering between the two sisters. Then, he stepped past Yuei's outstretched hand and retrieved his backpack from the beast's saddle. Without a word, he put it on and began to walk away from them.

"You will die," Yui's cold voice pierced the air, halting the Shinobi in his tracks. "You may be strong, but planning to face one of the largest fortresses of the Fire Nation? They have thousands of soldiers and layers, many of them firebenders. Battle-hardened warriors who wouldn't hesitate to reduce a brat like you to ashes. Are you really going alone?" She questioned with a hint of mockery, emphasizing the immense odds against him.

"Yes." Naruto responded with a bright smile, his determination unwavering. "Why? If I don't do it... who will?" With a casual shrug, he turned and began to disappear into the undergrowth of the forest.

In silence, the two warriors watched him vanish from their sight.

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