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Chapter Fifty Three: The Angel of Death
In a half second, Naruto reappeared behind Shikamaru, who couldn't even fathom what just happened.
He kept a kunai to the Nara's neck.
"Game over."
Shikamaru sighed. "I give up."
Naruto released the hold on his kunai and flashed a wide smile. "That was a pretty interesting fight. We should definitely try that again some time."
He wasn't kidding or being sarcastic by any means. It was always useful to fight against more people, because the blond would never know what type of situation he would find himself in. He needed practice fighting against larger groups of people because of the sheer unpredictability of the profession he was in.
"When the hell did you get so strong?" Ino asked, slightly awed and slightly annoyed. "I mean, we saw you get to the finals of the Chuunin Exams, but actually fighting against you is a completely different deal."
Choji nodded in agreement. "Ino's right. The way you're improving so quickly is amazing! You got any tips for the rest of us?"
"Eh…it's nothing too special. Just keep on training, I guess, that's what I did, anyways," Naruto said, rubbing his hair abashedly. It wasn't like he could tell them about the system, nor did he have the proper intel on the system even if he could tell them certain details about it. How fast would Naruto have improved if he never had the system to begin with? Would he even have a fraction of the power he currently wielded? It didn't matter now, however. He would use everything at his disposal to his best ability.
"The rest of us are training too," Shikamaru noted passively. "So is Sasuke, if what I'm hearing is correct, but you're in another league right now. I think it would be beneficial if we continue these spars somewhat regularly, don't you think?"
Ino gasped. "Are you really Shikamaru?"
"Huh?" The pineapple-headed boy raised both eyebrows.
"You're actually taking an initiative to train for once!" Ino pointed, an accusatory glare in her eyes. "What the hell have you done with the real Shikamaru! Or maybe it's a Genjutsu? Kai! Kai! Ka—"
"Alright, alright," Shikamaru mumbled out. "You can stop the joke now. Is it really that bad for me to want to train?"
Naruto and the other two looked at him blankly.
"Huh. Was I really that bad? Anyways, I've been getting really bored recently, and seeing the ex-dead last beat us to a pulp really kicked my ego into the dirt. Happy?"
Choji nodded. "All is well in the world."
"That's right!" Naruto said, snapping his fingers as he remembered something. "We had a bet attached to this, right?"
Ino groaned. "And here I was hoping he forgot."
"A favor from each of you," the Jinchuuriki said, repeating the words from the bet he made prior. "I can't wait to use them! Starting with you, Ino!"
Ino rolled her eyes. "Ugh, fine…I guess I can go on a date—"
Naruto grinned widely. "I need you to teach me a single jutsu."
The blonde gaped, unable to understand what just happened. Thankfully, Naruto hadn't heard her early outburst, and if he did, he deigned her the courtesy of pretending not to hear. Choji and Shikamaru, on the other hand, were the opposite of gentlemen and began to giggle endlessly to her chagrin.
"A j-jutsu?" Ino repeated, the blush fading on her cheeks. "I can do that."
Naruto looked over at his two friends. "The same thing from each of you. I'll ask you to teach me whenever you both are free, so prepare something."
"What if it's a jutsu you already know?" Shikamaru asked, breaking free of the giggles that had overtaken him.
"Eh…we'll think of something if that happens. I don't know too many of them, anyways, so I think it will mostly be fine."
"Sounds good."
"You got it!"
[—NTLS—]
Shikamaru groaned as he finally reached home and jumped onto the sofa in the living room.
"Long day?"
He looked over at the voice.
Shikaku Nara, the current Head of the Nara clan and one of Konoha's greatest strategists to ever be born. Some would say the greatest. But those types of parameters were always difficult to measure considering the large amount of factors which were involved.
The man who held the coveted title of Jonin Commander.
That same man was also Shikamaru's father.
The Chuunin nodded. "We got our asses whooped."
Shikaku raised an eyebrow. "By Asuma? Wasn't he on a mission?"
"Nah, not sensei," Shikamaru said, shaking his head. "Naruto."
"The Uzumaki brat, eh? He's done well for himself, hasn't he? Good for him."
"Yeah, he's…too strong. I'm not sure we could have done anything to stop him, if I'm being honest."
"Interesting. I've noticed you've been training a lot recently—is there any reason for that?"
Shikamaru paused for a bit, thinking about what he was about to say. "…everyone has been working a lot to improve since the Chuunin exams. I can't be the only one left behind, can I?"
Shikaku nodded. "Good, good. Looks like you finally got some sense hit into you, at the very least. But don't underestimate what you have already. Strength comes in many forms. Don't force anything…I learned that the hard way. Sometimes the ones who try to run ahead end up blocking the path for everyone else."
"I understand."
"Now I must take my leave."
"To where?"
"Should be a regular scouting or patrol mission. I wouldn't normally be tasked to scout, but Lady Tsunade has all the Jonin spread out and worked to the bone right now. For good reason, of course. I'll be meeting with Inoichi and Choza, obviously, so tell your mother I might be coming a bit late today."
"Why are the Jonin overworked? There's nothing happening right now."
Shikaku paused for a brief moment using the time elapsed to keep on his heavily torn-down jacket. "That's a story for another day. Cya'."
Shikamaru shrugged. "Alright…bye."
I guess I'll have to train for a bit now.
[—NTLS—]
Shikaku made his way to the gates where Choza and Inoichi were waiting. The two of them were chatting loudly as he neared, with the Akimichi laughing uproariously at whatever snide joke Inoichi was making.
"Hey," Shikaku introduced himself. "You two ready?"
"I should be asking you that! We're the early ones," Inoichi mentioned with a grin. "How long are you still going to wear that rag over your vest? I'm surprised it hasn't torn off yet."
Choza snickered. "Not that rag, Inoichi!"
Shikaku sighed. "It's doing fine for now."
The blond crossed his arms. "You said that twenty years ago as well."
"Well, your ponytail looks annoying as hell and I haven't mentioned it, have I?"
"Not that hair, Shikaku!" Choza said in a heartbeat. "Enough of the bickering, let's get this done with and go home. I'm feeling particularly hungry today!"
Shikaku side-eyed his other teammate, trying and failing to hide his smirk. You're hungry everyday, pal.
"Why did they get us for a simple patrol mission, anyway?" Inoichi asked, annoyance clear in his voice. "The legendary trio getting reduced to a scouting position?"
Shikaku paused, contemplating what to say. "The area we going to be scouting was 'reeking' with chakra, apparently. Though that certainly doesn't make it a Jonin-level mission, let alone for three of them. There's certainly something happening behind the scenes that I'm not privy to, which is odd considering my position. One thing I've noticed is that the Chuunin haven't been getting as many missions recently. I believe there's something going on that the Hokage can't tell us about yet, which means a glaring lack of information on the…enemy I should say, as well as a lack of trust of the Jonin."
His implicit meaning was caught by his two teammates, but not mentioned any further. They were afraid that by speaking it they would manifest it into reality, and the hope that they were wrong was what led them to be fine with the deep quiet that overtook them.
Shikaku sighed, breaking tumultuous silence. "In any case, we can't deny the Hokage's orders. Wouldn't want to either—I'd hate to argue with that woman."
"You got that right," Choza said, sniggering. "Arguing with her is like playing catch with a brick wall. You end up having the ball thrown back at you regardless of what you do."
"Your boys have been training recently?" Inoichi asked suddenly. "Ino has been spending more time at the training grounds than home for the past week. As a father I know I should be proud she's randomly become so focused, but also a tad bit worried."
The Akimichi nodded, a proud look on his face. "Choji has been training too. I don't think I've seen him work this hard, not even before the Chuunin Exams where he begged me to teach him some clan jutsu."
"Same here. Looks like the new generation is taking things seriously. Much faster than us, I'd say," Shikaku said. "I wonder what's happening with all of them."
Inoichi smiled. "Hey, I'm not gonna accept a gift to question it right after! This is great news, if I'm being honest. How about a round of drinks when we come back? On me, this time."
A chorus of agreement spread through the group.
Shikaku took a deep breath. "Let's get this over with, eh?"
[—NTLS—]
Naruto finished his daily set of exercises, ones which were recommended to him by Lee after he found the green-clan boy training alone in the early morning itself. The boy had been traversing around Konoha while doing a handstand along with a couple of weights attached to either of his legs. Naruto didn't want to guess what kind of exercises the boy was up to if the one he was doing was considered "a warm up" by his own admission.
[Ding!]
[Strength has leveled up!]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You leveled up! Player is now LV20.]
The big twenty, ah? Nice! Naruto celebrated internally, pumping his fist into the air with the byproduct of launching his sweat everywhere.
Status.
Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Title: "Inventor"
Occupation: Chuunin of Konoha
Level: LV20
MP: 100/100
Chakra: 2000/2000
STR: 15
VIT: 13
DEX: 13
INT: 9
WIS: 4
LUK: 2
Class: Necromancer
Subclass: Trickster
Attribute Points: 2
I might as well place the points in some vitality and dexterity. Can't go wrong with those, can I?
[Ding!]
[MP Capacity has been increased to 150.]
Naruto's eyes widened.
"YES! YES! YES!" He shouted to the world. "FINALLY!"
An increase in fifty MP may not seem like much but the difference would truly make a difference. Naruto had found himself at the mercy of Kabuto due to his insufficient supply of MP after defeating Tayuya. That fight had opened his eyes to the limits he was placing on himself due to the way his skills worked and how they drained his MP.
Secondly, it proved that his MP could be increased in value. Supposedly every ten levels, but that didn't make sense considering he didn't receive any change after level ten.
Maybe level ten didn't count? Or is it every twenty levels? Hopefully the first one.
[Ding!]
[New Quest "Proving your Level" Created]
[Quest Details: Defeat a level twenty monster designed by the system itself.]
[Quest Rewards: ?]
[Failure: You already know it by now.]
[Does Player Accept The Quest?]
[Yes/No]
And you should already know my answer by now!
YES!
His senses darkened. The world before him seemed to spin into itself, and soon all he could see was black.
He opened his eyes.
His vision took time to adjust to the new world around him.
Naruto was transported to a swampy, dark area. The air felt thick, heavy with moisture, and the surroundings were dense with overgrown foliage that seemed to close in around him. Towering trees, their bark blackened and twisted, stretched into the gloom above, their roots snaking through the murky water below. The ground was soft and spongy, making each step feel unstable as he waded through the thick, dark liquid that lapped at his feet.
The sounds of the swamp were unsettling—distant croaks, the rustling of unseen creatures in the underbrush, and an eerie, persistent hum that vibrated in the air. Naruto's senses tingled, alert to the unfamiliarity of this place. His instincts screamed that something was wrong, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. With a quick glance around, he noticed the sky above was clouded, the dim light filtering through in sporadic patches that barely illuminated the oppressive gloom around him.
It's too dark.
The atmosphere felt alive with danger, as if the swamp itself was watching him, waiting for him to make a move. The thick water was opaque, and Naruto could hardly see past the surface. He waded through the water, heart racing wildly all the while. His heart raced, and he instinctively reached for his kunai pouch, preparing himself for whatever might lurk in the murky depths.
"RAHHHHHHHH!"
The distant sound of trees breaking down immediately made him twist his neck. A large monstrosity broke through and came to his vicinity. It was like a bull mixed with a man, only twenty times larger. The eyes of the bull-man were a crimson red that gleamed unnaturally in the dark. The rage present in them was evident. Hot air poured out of its large nostrils like hot steam, rising into the air before disappearing into the darkness above. The giant axe was in its clutch, hanging on the muscled shoulder of the beast.
Observe.
[Minotaur Construct, LVL 20]
Despite the presence of the fearsome creature, Naruto couldn't help but grin widely.
He pumped his fists together bringing his feet on top of the dense water and pumping chakra through them, a feat which the Minotaur certainly couldn't replicate.
"COME AT ME!" Naruto shouted as he began rushing forward.
"RAHHHHHHH!"
The two behemoths in their own right rushed towards each other with blinding speed. Naruto's pace was more silent, while, whereas the Minotaur's gait was one of a raging bull (unsurprisingly), uncaring of the various trees that it bulldozed through as it transformed the environment around itself with every step that it took.
With a heave of its gigantic muscles, the Minotaur swiped its giant axe through the air, aiming to cleave the small boy before him into two with a single stroke of its weapon. Naruto leaped over the axe without much preamble, an attack already loading in the palm of his hand.
"RASENGAN!"
The Iron Rasengan pushed into the chest of the beast before him but didn't particularly do too much. The force of the attack pushed into the chest of the monster, a purple bruise quickly forming over it. The Minotaur roared in anger as the insect before him quickly got away before he could take hold of its puny legs and crush him into mush.
Naruto frowned as he took a deep breath. That didn't nearly do as much damage as I hoped it would. It just tanked a full Rasengan straight to the body! There's no doubt about it…if I get hit once I'm dead.
There's no time to waste now.
It's time to go all out.
Summon Shadow Zabuza and Shadow Haku!
The shadowy apparitions of his oldest summons appeared next to him. Each of them already knew what to do the moment they stepped into the battlefield. The Minotaur rushed forward with another ear-shattering roar, its muscles bulging with every movement it made.
Zabuza brought out his iconic sword, his figure gleaming in the dark due to the brand new armor he now held in his possession. Haku pulled out his senbon, his eyes wide as he watched the giant monster rush towards them.
"Let's split up," Naruto said as he moved to the right. It wouldn't be useful to group up together like little ducklets as the predator hunted them down.
A wall of ice formed from the water underneath and into the air, aiming to slow down the charging Minotaur. They all knew that it wouldn't do much to stop the beast, but it was merely a stalling technique to get more time to further evaluate the position. The Minataur broke the ice wall easily enough, continuing its charge with relentless pressure.
Zabuza went forward to meet the beast directly, his sword flashing at the monster's legs in hopes of dismantling its movement completely. The Minotaur shield with the throat of its axe, made with a dark material that he couldn't identify, able to block the legendary blade that the shinobi wielded with ease. The bull kicked the ground with its other leg, pushing up a fountain of dirt, water, and greenery that unfortunately ruined Zabuza's balance completely.
A muscled foot trapped the rogue ninja under it, pushing him into the mushy layer that formed the majority of the swamp.
The Minotaur's axe swept down at the shadow's neck.
"Zabuza-sama!" Shadow Haku yelled with panic.
A shield of ice found itself around the Minotaur, blocking its view as simultaneously fifteen or so clones leaped onto the beast's giant frame, taking its attention off the armored shadow completely. The Minotaur screamed in rage, a guttural sound that echoed across the swamp, clawing at the clones that were annoying him. They surprisingly didn't dissipate on first contact with the beast's hands, sometimes taking two or three hits to completely disappear, thanks to the function of Iron Clones.
The Minotaur was still stronger, however. If brute force was required, it could do anything. While keeping the shadow trapped beneath him, the construct was able to destroy all the clones around him while breaking the frustrating ice dome around it.
It looked down at the shadow before it, raising its axe.
Despite being a shadow, Zabuza felt true, imminent death for the second time in his life.
Then suddenly, a voice rang in his mind.
"Throw your sword up."
[Shadow Connection Lvl 1 Activated!]
Zabuza did as he was told, heaving the sword into the air with all the strength he could muster even as the giant axe of the Minotaur flew downwards.
Naruto Uzumaki's golden hair shone like a beacon in the darkness of the swamp before then.
He was, in Zabuza's mind, akin to a vengeful angel.
He descended from the sky itself, his form dark with mud and damp with dark water. Yet, a large smile was spread across his face as exhilaration took over his eyes. From where he came from, Zabuza would never know. One second the sky was empty, and the next a blond boy took over its reign.
With a single hand, Naruto caught Kubikiribōchō while midair.
With speed Zabuza didn't think was possible, the boy ran the blade into the Minotaur's head.
"BLACK FLASH!"
Onyx black and crimson red sparks of lightning swarmed the blade as it cleaved through the Minotaur's head. The blade moved through like a knife through butter, battering through any resistance that the beast offered. A trail of viscous blood followed the circular path of the sword, flicking itself onto the swamp water below.
Lighting flashed overhead.
The Minotaur's head was launched to the side.
Naruto held onto his sword victoriously as he landed on the water beneath him.
The taller you are…
The giant's body fell to the ground with a large thud.
The harder you fall.
[Quest "Proving your Level" Completed!]
[Quest Details: Defeat a level twenty monster designed by the system itself.]
[Quest Rewards: ?]
[Ding!]
[Skill Tree Unlock used.]
[Choose between the two skills shown:
Let's see…
[Flash Step Lvl 1]
Or
[Observation Haki Lvl 1]
[-end-]
Yo!
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Question of the day:
Observation Haki or Flash Step? Both are viable choices imo, but you'll see which one I picked and my reasoning in the next chapter.
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