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Hiruko's eyes darted wildly as he muttered, "This can't be happening… My perfect ninja body! My research! All these years everything I've worked for can't be meaningless!"
His voice grew louder, cracking under the strain of his desperation. "No! As long as I absorb the fifth bloodline limit those Uchiha eyes I can still win! I will become invincible!"
Naruto, unimpressed, leaned on his kunai lazily. "Geez, you really love to monologue, huh? Listen, pal, the only thing you're absorbing today is a harsh reality check."
Sakura cracked her knuckles. "This guy's delusions are annoying. Can I just punch him again?"
Itachi wiped the blood from his cheeks with a calm expression. "Let him flail for a moment longer. When people like him fall apart, they crumble completely."
Hiruko, now frenzied, roared and activated his full power. His body began to mutate grotesquely his limbs elongating unnaturally as his stolen bloodline limits consumed him. "If I can't take Sasuke… I'll take all of you instead! I'll prove my strength by devouring the strongest ninjas of Konoha!"
Naruto smirked. "Strongest? You're looking at us, pal. You sure you don't want to rethink that?"
Kakashi, still in his battle-ready stance, sighed. "Naruto, stop provoking him. Let's finish this before he pulls something worse."
Hiruko charged, his body glowing with an eerie, unstable energy. The ground beneath him cracked with each step, and his speed rivalled that of his Swift Release. He lunged straight for Itachi, his claws outstretched.
But before he could reach his target, a golden blur intercepted him.
"Guess it's my turn!" Naruto exclaimed, appearing directly in front of Hiruko with a Rasenshuriken spinning furiously in his hand. The bright, destructive wind chakra illuminated the battlefield, casting Hiruko's mutated form in stark contrast.
"This one's for all the people you hurt with your twisted experiments," Naruto declared. "Say goodbye, Hiruko!"
With a deafening roar, Naruto thrust the Rasenshuriken into Hiruko's chest. The devastating energy engulfed him, tearing apart his mutated form and leaving nothing but a fading echo of his scream.
The battlefield fell silent as the Rasenshuriken's light dissipated, leaving a smoldering crater where Hiruko once stood. Naruto turned to his team, grinning. "Well, that's one less maniac trying to mess with the Uchiha clan."
Sakura approached, checking on Naruto. "You okay? That attack looked intense."
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I'm fine. I could go for some ramen, though."
Kakashi shook his head, a small smile forming beneath his mask. "You'll get your ramen, Naruto. Let's report back to Minato-sensei first."
Itachi, meanwhile, gazed at the horizon, his thoughts lingering on Hiruko's obsession with power. "He thought stealing others' abilities would make him perfect… but in the end, he was just a hollow shell."
Naruto placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "Hey, Itachi. Don't let his crazy talk get to you. You're already strong without any of that 'perfection' nonsense."
Itachi nodded, offering a rare smile. "Thank you, Naruto."
The group began their journey back to Konoha, their mission accomplished. Though the battle was over, the events left an impression on all of them.
As they walked, Naruto chatted with Sakura and Kakashi, his energy unrelenting despite the intense fight.
Itachi, trailing slightly behind, glanced at the sky. "Sasuke," he murmured to himself, "you're safe… for now."
Naruto turned back, grinning. "Hey, Itachi! Don't brood back there. I'll race you to the village!"
Despite himself, Itachi smirked and quickened his pace. Behind them, the first rays of dawn broke over the Golden Wheel Mountains, signalling the end of one fight and the return to peace, at least for now.
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