Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 139: The First Fallen
"Are you okay, brother?" Sakon asked.
"Sakon… this guy's dangerous." Ukon said with a grave tone. "I underestimated him."
"I tried to warn you. I'm sure of it now… he's the blonde Jinchuuriki that Master Orochimaru warned us about."
"Then… if we kill him, Master will reward us," Ukon said.
Sakon glanced at his brother...or at least the head poking out of his shoulder. He wanted to rebuke him for his recklessness, but they couldn't just abandon Jirobo now.
They had to buy some time.
"Just don't forget what our mission is," Sakon told his brother. As long as Sasuke made it past the border, they will succeed.
"Yeah! Let's go all out."
Sakon and Ukon had already unleashed their cursed seal power, but only up to level one. There was still one more level they could use.
Naruto watched with curiosity as their bodies began to transform. Their skin darkened, and horns grew from their foreheads, giving them a demonic appearance.
"That's an interesting ability. Or is that your true form?" Naruto asked, wondering if the two were from some demonic race he didn't know about.
"This is the power of the cursed seal that Master Orochimaru gifted us," Ukon said.
"The cursed seal? So Sasuke can also transform like that?" Naruto wondered if Sasuke had a similar capability.
"Sasuke is still a novice. He can barely manage level one," Sakon said.
"Not that you'll be around to see it. Sasuke belongs to our Master now. He's never coming back to your village," Ukon added.
"So that's how it is…" Naruto wasn't focused on their taunts...he was more intrigued by the seal itself.
It reminded him a bit of how his own seal allowed him to channel the Kyuubi's chakra through his body.
If he tried to use too much, he'd also undergo physical changes, though not as drastic as what he was seeing in these brothers.
'Did Orochimaru take inspiration from Jinchuurikis, or was this his own idea?'
Naruto found it fascinating how people in this world had found such creative ways to manipulate their energy.
The technique seemed weaker, but at least it was inventive.
As the two-headed foe charged at him, Ino attempted to do the same to Jirobo.
"Don't get close to him!" Naruto shouted to her, hoping the warning would reach her in time.
If she tried to get too close, there was a good chance Jirobo would drop his jutsu and grab her to finish her off.
Ino reacted quickly, halting her movement before throwing several kunai at the large man.
He couldn't move his hands from the ground but was able to shift his body enough to minimize the damage.
The kunai barely pierced his skin.
"He has some sort of defense on his body…" Ino concluded, guessing that it must be a result of some kind of jutsu.
Earth users were known for their formidable defenses.
Meanwhile, Sakon and Ukon positioned themselves in front of Naruto and unleashed a barrage of attacks.
Sakon would throw a punch, then Ukon would extend one of his arms from his brother's body to attack as well.
It was like fighting someone with four arms.
And to make things worse, they were highly skilled in close-range combat, leaving almost no openings for Naruto to exploit.
'They're fast too…' Naruto estimated that with their level-two seal, these guys were almost on par with that Kabuto guy he fought recently, or even faster.
That battle had forced him to use a highly destructive technique that caused great harm to his own body.
But that wasn't an option this time. If he used it here, the mission would end, as he wouldn't be able to continue, and his allies would likely get caught in the blast.
"Tsk! I can't hit him at all!" Ukon growled in frustration.
Sakon was also getting frustrated but kept his temper in check. It had been a while since they encountered someone who could keep up with their combined attacks at full power.
Until now, only Master Orochimaru and their old team leader could manage such a feat.
But Naruto was avoiding all their attacks, despite being physically slower.
It was as if he could predict where their next move would go.
A kunai appeared in Naruto's hand.
'I guess I can try that one…'
"Got you!" Ukon exclaimed when he saw what looked like a mistake...a brief moment of distraction as Naruto pulled the blade from his pouch.
Sakon's eyes widened. He had spotted the opening too, but his instincts warned him not to take it.
"Ukon!" he tried to warn his brother. That sudden opening had to be a trap.
"Ahhh!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore through the air as an arm went flying.
The kunai in Naruto's hand was coated with a thick layer of wind chakra, extending its range and sharpness. Cutting through muscle and bone was effortless.
"Brother!" It was Ukon who cried out.
Sakon jumped back to create some distance, wasting no time as he wrapped a torn piece of cloth around his stump.
"Damn it!"
"Why?!" Ukon realized what had happened. His brother had saved him, intercepting a blade aimed at his head by sacrificing his own arm.
"Oh… that's too bad. I thought I'd got you with that one," Naruto taunted them.
Sakon and Ukon glared at him, their eyes filled with hatred.
"But at least I got the other one," Naruto pointed behind him.
"Ahh!" Ino gasped as she saw it. "When did you do that?!" She was about to attack again, when she saw it.
Jirobo was staring off into the distance with vacant eyes, his mouth hanging open.
A kunai was buried in his skull.
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