Illusion? No. It's killing intent.
Crimson filled his vision as the Sharingan activated, swirling with a mesmerizing pattern. Sasuke was struck with shock and terror. He realized that this opponent was far more formidable than Zabuza had ever been.
Sakura froze, panic threatening to overwhelm her. She wanted to escape, to break free from this terrifying moment, but the sight of Naruto facing their enemy steeled her resolve. The memory of his words from the night before echoed in her mind: "I won't let anyone get hurt." She forced herself to be strong, raising her hand to clutch a kunai tightly.
In an instant, steel clashed, and sparks flew, illuminating the darkness. Naruto drew his blade, crashing it against the kunai with remarkable speed.
"Wow! He's fast!"
Naruto was astonished by the incredible speed of this opponent, faster than anyone he had fought before. As their weapons met again, a voice called out: "Bakudo No. 11, Thundering Bolt."
Golden lightning flickered along the blade, a technique often used against taijutsu practitioners. But this grass ninja was anything but ordinary. His reflexes were extraordinarily quick. Just as the lightning might have struck him, there was a crackling sound as his wrist broke apart, turning into a swarm of small serpentine forms that hissed and danced, the lightning bursting forth harmlessly into the air, leaving nothing but the scent of charred flesh.
"What technique was that?" The grass ninja retreated, his expression mixed with suspicion and uncertainty.
He didn't need to perform hand seals. It wasn't particularly remarkable per se, as Naruto could manage some techniques with similar ease. What was intriguing was the fundamental nature of that technique. Even without a deeper study, the grass ninja could tell with a glance that it was vastly different from standard Lightning Release techniques.
Naruto kept silent. His chakra surged as he closed the distance, slashing downward with his sword. The grass ninja began forming hand seals, preparing a summoning technique.
"Summoning: Great Serpent!"
A massive, gray-blue serpent appeared in a cloud of white smoke, coiling protectively around its master. The serpent didn't attack; it merely constricted defensively. Adjusting its posture to utilize its size, it aimed to keep Naruto at bay. The grass ninja sought to avoid close combat and unleashed various ninjutsu. After all, he wasn't particularly proficient in taijutsu, and his bizarre lightning technique greatly countered any close range attacks.
There was no need to court trouble. Naruto responded with his own techniques, looking for an opportunity to break through.
Sasuke squinted, struggling to focus on the fight. Even with the double-tomoe Sharingan active, he found it impossible to fully grasp the details of the clash between Naruto and the grass ninja. They were both too powerful.
Suddenly, he sensed something was off. Just as he prepared to glance to his left, Naruto decisively abandoned the serpent, lifting his left arm to gather a clump of chakra aimed at reducing any damage from the ninjutsu and kunai. Without hesitation, he dashed to the left, plunging his blade into the ground.
The grass ninja dodged, popping free from the earth. "You really are decisive," he mused, licking his lips, "How eager you are to protect your comrades."
"Are you not afraid that it's a feint?" The words slipped from Naruto's lips as he glanced at a wound on his arm, his face betraying no emotion. "I told you before the exam: I will protect my friends."
"And your target is the Sharingan," the grass ninja grinned, revealing a malicious smile that deepened Sasuke's frustration.
Sasuke clenched his fists, seething at his own helplessness. He watched as Naruto's clothes were stained red with blood, the Sharingan seemingly also taking on a deeper crimson hue.
"You're just like your father," the grass ninja sneered. "Do you want to know who he is? Konoha hasn't told you."
"It's a surprising answer, isn't it?"
The combination of "Nine-Tails" and "father" formed a truth that hung in the air. His voice was tantalizing, beckoning for the blond-haired youth to take the bait.
Yet Naruto remained unfazed. "Your tricks won't weaken me."
"Getting an answer from you holds no value." Raising his blade high, he continued, "You are stronger than I am now. If this keeps up, it will only serve your purpose."
"State your name."
"Not just for my sake, but for yours."
"You're the first ninja who has forced me to use this power."
Sasuke frowned in confusion. What did those words mean? Did Naruto possess an unutilized power?
As Naruto began to chant, his voice rang out with force. "Anger, pain, fear, corruption."
Red chakra poured forth from him, an aura of malevolence and horror enveloping the entire glen.
Sakura, unable to bear the pressure, instinctively stepped back. Sasuke, however, was left in disbelief. Naruto could become even stronger!
The grass ninja licked his lips, watching greedily as Naruto was gradually consumed by the chakra of the Nine-Tails. He had seen Kushina, the vessel of the Nine-Tails, channel its power before, but Naruto revealed a completely different method of wielding it.
Why the blade? Why the incantation? Like the bizarre techniques before, these were capabilities far removed from those of an ordinary ninja.
The secrets held by the host of the Nine-Tails were certainly intriguing, piquing his curiosity even further.
As the final words of the incantation resounded, he declared, "Let the wails of despair blossom!"
"Spirit Fox, Nine-Tails."
Dark red chakra enveloped Naruto entirely as he drew a crimson blade, transforming as a fourth tail emerged behind him, flicking with vigor.
"Tail beast transformation," the grass ninja murmured, confirming softly, "But can you still maintain your sanity?"
Naruto unsheathed another blade. "You know a lot for someone who used to be a Konoha ninja?"
In a flash, he closed the distance. The grass ninja raised his kunai in a desperate attempt to intercept—only for it to shatter uselessly against Naruto's blade, cutting smoothly with a glint that reflected a wicked red light.
Now transformed, Naruto's strength, speed, and chakra had multiplied exponentially, and he pressed forward without hesitation.
The grass ninja attempted to retreat, but it was too late. The blade left a deep gash across his chest, and the chakra of the beast ignited, searing and eating away at the wound.
"This is bad," the grass ninja murmured, peering down at his injury.
He extended his hands, forming an uncommon seal.
But it wasn't a technique to suppress his wounds.
His neck stretched suddenly toward Sasuke, lunging forward.
Naruto would not grant him the chance. Leaping into the air, he swung his sword downward, forcing the grass ninja's neck back, the blade pressing against his teeth, compelling him to retreat before leaping over his body. Swirling his wrist, he swung downward with force, creating a thunderous boom that shook the area.
"Is the enemy dealt with?" Sakura asked cautiously, peering through the haze.
Amidst the smoke lay a dismembered body, its head nearly split apart, bones cracked and broken. It was a fatal wound; a normal person would have lost half their life from such an injury. But the grass ninja's chakra was fluctuating wildly.
A hand pried its mouth open, dragging its body forth as it shed skin like a serpent, wet and glistening: "The power of a tailed beast is indeed troublesome."
"It seems I can't play any longer."
"What a pity, Sasuke. I wanted to give you a gift in your brother's stead."
Sasuke tensed, caught off guard. His brother? This man knew Itachi!
Naruto offered no room for dialogue, swiftly slicing through the remnants of the grass ninja.
The body split cleanly apart with no blood, only countless small snakes bursting forth from both inside and outside it.
The voice echoed all around, indistinguishable in direction. "You little brat from the Uchiha clan."
"If you thirst for power, if you yearn for revenge against Itachi Uchiha, come find me."
"Itachi surpasses me and this tailed beast brat."
"And you too, Naruto Uzumaki."
"You're quite interesting. If you wish to know the identity of your father, come find me."
"I will answer all your questions."
"Remember my name well."
"Orochimaru!"
Naruto looked around, sensing the man's presence fading into the distance, a similar spiritual connection securing itself while moving at alarming speed.
What a crafty individual.
Sasuke wore a complex expression, lost in thought over the name "Itachi Uchiha."
"Are you okay, Naruto?" Sakura asked with worry, her gaze fixed on him.
Veiled in dark red chakra, he resembled a fierce, demonic figure, almost unrecognizable as human, which left her feeling uneasy and frightened.
Naruto raised his hand, gripping tightly at his abdomen, pulling the Nine-Tails' chakra outward. "I'm fine."
The chakra coalesced into a blade, slowly drawn back out, reverting him to the form of the Nine-Tails.
(End of Chapter)