Nyx's gaze remained fixed on the chaos in front of her, her frosted eyes calculating every possible outcome. The bridge was crumbling, the wooden planks creaking under the weight of Naruto's chakra. He was losing control, his chakra tails whipping through the air like the lashing winds of a storm. Orochimaru stood further back, watching with a twisted amusement, confident that the situation was still in his hands.
But that was where he miscalculated.
Nyx could sense the opportunity in the chaos. Naruto was a storm waiting to be unleashed, and if she played her cards right, she could turn that storm against Orochimaru. She had no intention of battling both Naruto and Orochimaru simultaneously—it would be suicide to take on two such powerful forces at once. But if she could make Naruto's rage work for her, make him the weapon against Orochimaru, then she could strike at the precise moment when they were both vulnerable.
She tightened her grip on the hilt of her blade, the familiar cold seeping into her palm. The blade, perpetually coated in a thin layer of frost, was a comfort to her, a reminder of her mastery over ice. But in this moment, it wasn't the blade she needed. It was her mind—her ability to read the battlefield, to manipulate the players, and to force their hands.
Naruto's crimson eyes, wild with fury and the Kyuubi's influence, flickered toward her, his attention momentarily drawn by her calm presence amidst the chaos. His gaze was primal, the beast within him struggling for control. Nyx met his eyes, her expression cold and composed, a stark contrast to the violent storm swirling around him.
She needed to provoke him—needed to direct that feral anger away from herself and toward Orochimaru. The idea solidified in her mind, and she made her move.
Slowly, deliberately, she sheathed her frosted blade, making sure the movement caught Naruto's attention. The Kyuubi's chakra flared around him, the heat from its energy warping the air, but Nyx was unaffected. The frost beneath her feet seemed to spread in response, the cold growing sharper, more pronounced, as if the very air around her obeyed her command.
"Naruto," she called out, her voice low but clear, cutting through the noise of the battlefield. His wild eyes snapped toward her, the beast's growl rumbling deep within his throat. Nyx tilted her head slightly, her gaze steady and unyielding. She knew the Kyuubi's influence was strong, knew that Naruto was barely hanging on to his sanity. But she also knew that she could use that.
"You're nothing more than a puppet of the Kyuubi, aren't you?" she taunted, her voice cold, like a blade of ice slicing through the tension. "All that power, and yet you can't control it. You're just like him."
Naruto's snarl deepened, his chakra tails flicking dangerously close to her as he took a menacing step forward. The ground beneath him cracked, scorched by the sheer heat of his chakra. But Nyx didn't flinch. She took a single step back, drawing him in further, coaxing his rage to the surface.
"All that power, and still so weak," she added, her voice barely above a whisper, but sharp enough to strike at Naruto's core. His growl echoed through the ruined bridge, the air around him thick with raw, untamed energy.
In that instant, she knew she had his attention. The beast within him, driven by anger and confusion, was searching for a target—a direction in which to lash out. And Nyx, ever the strategist, was ready to provide that direction.
"Look at him," she said, her voice smooth and icy as she gestured toward Orochimaru, who stood on the other side of the collapsing bridge. "That's your real enemy. The one who's been tormenting you, the one responsible for all of this. You're just a tool to him, Naruto. A means to an end."
For a moment, the air seemed to still. Naruto's chakra pulsed violently, and his wild eyes flickered toward Orochimaru. The beast was hesitating, its primal instincts battling against its confusion. Nyx could see it—the indecision, the rage boiling just beneath the surface, ready to explode.
"You're going to let him use you?" she continued, her tone sharp, cutting deep. "You're going to let him control you like a puppet? Are you going to let him win?"
Naruto's roar shattered the silence, a deafening sound that echoed across the battlefield. His chakra surged, and his body tensed, muscles coiled like a predator about to strike. Nyx took another step back, letting the rage take hold, guiding it like a hunter directing a wild animal toward its prey.
With a snarl, Naruto lunged. His chakra claws extended, slicing through the air with terrifying speed as he charged toward Orochimaru. The force of his movement shook the bridge, sending splintered wood flying in every direction. Orochimaru, caught off guard by the sudden shift, barely had time to react as Naruto's clawed hand came crashing down.
Orochimaru's body twisted unnaturally, evading the attack by a hair's breadth. He leaped back, landing gracefully on the other side of the bridge, but the confidence in his eyes had faltered. For the first time since the battle had begun, Orochimaru was on the defensive.
Nyx's smirk deepened as she watched the scene unfold. Naruto, now fully consumed by the Kyuubi's rage, had become a relentless force of destruction, his attacks aimed solely at Orochimaru. The bridge groaned under the strain of his chakra, and the very air seemed to vibrate with the intensity of the battle.
"You think this changes anything?" Orochimaru hissed, his voice filled with annoyance as he narrowly avoided another of Naruto's devastating strikes. His golden eyes, once filled with amusement, were now focused, calculating as he tried to keep up with the wild flurry of attacks.
Nyx remained silent, her cold gaze watching the clash between the two. Orochimaru was a dangerous opponent, cunning and slippery, but even he couldn't ignore the raw power of a rampaging Jinchuriki. Naruto's movements were wild, reckless, but each strike carried the weight of his immense chakra, forcing Orochimaru to dodge, defend, and retreat.
As Orochimaru leaped back again, narrowly avoiding Naruto's chakra-infused claws, he cast a glance toward Nyx, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "You think you can manipulate him forever?" he sneered, his voice dripping with venom.
Nyx met his gaze with her usual cold indifference. "I don't need to manipulate him forever," she replied calmly, her voice steady despite the chaos around her. "Just long enough."
Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly, realization dawning on him. But before he could react, Naruto's next strike came, faster and stronger than before. This time, Orochimaru was forced to block, his body twisting unnaturally as he summoned snakes to deflect the blow. But even that defense crumbled under the sheer force of Naruto's chakra, sending Orochimaru skidding backward across the crumbling bridge.
Kabuto, watching from a distance, narrowed his eyes. He could see what Nyx was doing—using Naruto's rage to weaken Orochimaru, forcing him into a corner. The strategy was simple but effective, and it was working.
Nyx took a slow, deliberate step forward, her icy presence making itself known as the frost beneath her feet spread outward. The air around her grew colder, more suffocating, as the battle between Naruto and Orochimaru raged on. She wasn't concerned with the outcome—not yet. Her role was to guide the chaos, to control it from the shadows, and when the time was right, she would strike.
Orochimaru, now visibly frustrated, glared at Nyx. "You won't get away with this," he hissed, his voice laced with anger as he barely avoided another of Naruto's vicious strikes.
Nyx's lips curled into a faint smile. "I already have."
And with that, she watched as Naruto, driven by rage and power, unleashed his fury upon Orochimaru, leaving the battlefield in ruins. The moment of her strike was approaching, but for now, she was content to let the two forces destroy each other, just as she had planned.