Hinata of the White Lotus
Tayuya's Gamble
Naruto charged, bending down to pick up a jagged shard of broken wood from one of his destroyed clones as he moved. The splintered timber fit awkwardly in his hand, but he forced it into compliance with his will. "Mokuton: Cutting Sprig Jutsu!" The shard twisted and transformed in a flash of chakra, sharpening into a short spear that hummed with latent energy.
Kimimaro stepped forward with unhurried grace, his bone blade glinting in the moonlight, smooth and curved like a predator's fang. "Your movements are erratic," He observed, his voice calm, almost detached.
"Let's see about that!" Naruto yelled, charging with the spear. He swung with all his might, the wood meeting bone in a resounding crack. Kimimaro barely reacted, his bone blade absorbing the blow like steel. He countered with a swift, precise slash that Naruto managed to block at the last second. The force sent him sliding back, his feet digging furrows into the dirt.
"You lack discipline," Kimimaro remarked, stepping forward with a fluidity that seemed unnatural. His blade flickered like lightning, and Naruto was forced to twist and turn to avoid being carved apart.
"Shut up!" Naruto growled, bringing his spear up in a desperate thrust. Kimimaro sidestepped effortlessly, the blade of his bone sword gliding past Naruto's cheek, close enough for him to feel the cold wind of its passage.
Kimimaro's strikes came in rapid succession, each one pushing Naruto further on the defensive. The impacts vibrated up his arms, his muscles screaming under the strain. He couldn't keep this up much longer, and he knew it.
Finally, Kimimaro's blade smashed into Naruto's spear with a brutal force, snapping it in two and sending him flying backward. Naruto tumbled across the ground, coming to a stop in a heap of dust and broken wood.
He coughed, struggling to push himself back to his feet. His arms felt like lead, and his vision blurred for a moment. When he looked up, he saw Kimimaro standing in the same relaxed stance, his bone sword resting casually at his side. "Why aren't you finishing this?" Naruto spat, frustration boiling over. "You think I'm not worth it?"
Kimimaro tilted his head, his gaze steady but without malice. "I am granting you the same respect you've shown me," he replied evenly. "You hold back, and so do I. You've limited yourself to a single spear, despite wielding the Wood Release—an art capable of far more than this."
Naruto froze, the words cutting deeper than any blade. He had been pulling his own punches. Why? Was it pride? Habit? A need to prove something? It didn't matter now. Kimimaro was right. If he kept holding back, he'd lose. Worse, he'd fail Hinata, Kurenai, and his team.
A grin spread across Naruto's face—not the brash smirk he wore to bluff through fights, but a genuine expression of clarity and resolve. "You've got a point," he said, standing upright. He flicked the broken spear aside and clapped his hands together in a seal. "Guess it's time I stopped messing around!"
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed slightly, his posture shifting. "Then show me what you can truly do."
Naruto inhaled deeply, summoning chakra from the great wellspring inside of him "Mokuton: Grand Clone Battalion!" he roared.
The ground beneath them trembled as dozens of wooden figures erupted from the earth, each one an identical clone of Naruto. They spread out in a wide circle, their wooden bodies creaking as they moved.
"Let's see if you can keep up now!" Naruto grinned, the clones charging forward in a wave.
Kimimaro's expression didn't waver, but he raised his bone blade, his stance shifting to meet the onslaught. The first clone reached him, swinging a wooden staff, and Kimimaro cut it down in a single, fluid motion. Another two followed, striking from opposite sides, but he parried both effortlessly, his movements precise and economical.
The clones didn't let up, swarming him from all sides. For every one he destroyed, another took its place. Wood splinters and shards flew through the air as Kimimaro carved a path through the clones, his strikes like a deadly dance.
Naruto hung back for a moment, observing the battlefield. Sweat dripped from his brow, but his grin remained. "Not so easy when there's more of me, huh?" he called out, his voice filled with determination.
Kimimaro's gaze flicked toward the real Naruto for a split second. "You've improved your tactics," he admitted. "But numbers alone won't defeat me."
"Good thing I'm not just about numbers!" Naruto shouted, diving into the fray alongside his clones. "Let's see how you handle all of us!"
The barest flicker of a smile tugged at Kimimaro's lips—a fleeting moment of acknowledgment. The next wood clone darted toward him, and with a fluid motion, he split it cleanly down the middle. The halves collapsed into lifeless wooden husks, but the original was already forming seals.
"Mokuton: Wood Binding Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, pumping chakra into the fallen halves of the clone.
The broken wood transformed mid-collapse, elongating into sinuous branches that coiled around Kimimaro's wrists like vipers. They twisted and tightened, binding him to the ground. For the first time, Kimimaro's expression shifted—a flicker of surprise.
Naruto seized the moment. "Gotcha now!" he yelled, directing two nearby clones.
"Mokuton: Cutting Sprig Jutsu!" The clones ripped off their own wooden arms, shaping them into sharp spears and hurling them with all their might.
Kimimaro's calm demeanor returned in an instant. "Pointless," he muttered. With a sharp movement, his ribcage erupted outward, forming an impromptu barrier of gleaming white bone. The spears struck the bone and splintered harmlessly, shards scattering in the moonlight. With another flex of his body, the bone barrier retreated, its purpose fulfilled.
Kimimaro's calm voice carried across the battlefield. "You fail to understand. My body is my weapon. I control it completely."
He snapped his wrists free, and bone bullets shot forth from his fingertips, obliterating the front line of Naruto's clones. The wood shattered like glass, fragments raining down on the remaining clones, who faltered momentarily. Kimimaro moved with ghostly precision, darting into their midst. His bone sword flashed, cutting through clone after clone, each slash deliberate and merciless.
Naruto gritted his teeth, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Damn it…" He crouched low, watching as Kimimaro carved through his forces with clinical efficiency. Even with all his clones, Kimimaro was dismantling his strategy piece by piece. But Naruto wasn't done—not by a long shot.
"Alright," He muttered, clapping his hands together. "Time for the big one. Let's see how your bones handle this!"
Kimimaro's blade stilled mid-swing as a sudden surge of chakra rippled through the ground. He turned his gaze to Naruto, his pale brow furrowing slightly. "What now?" he murmured, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Naruto grinned, despite the sweat dripping down his face. "Mokuton: Deep Forest Emergence!" he bellowed, pouring everything he had into the technique.
The broken remains of his clones trembled, then began to sprout. Tiny shoots emerged from the wood, growing at an accelerated rate. Saplings turned into branches, branches into thick trunks. The ground beneath Kimimaro erupted as trees burst forth, their roots surging like an unrelenting tide.
Kimimaro leapt back, slicing at the encroaching roots. His bone blade cleaved through the wood with ease, but for every branch he destroyed, two more rose in its place. The forest came alive, a chaotic web of twisting limbs and dense foliage, swallowing the battlefield whole.
"This isn't possible…" Kimimaro muttered, his movements growing more erratic as the trees closed in around him. Roots lashed out like serpents, binding his legs and pulling him to the ground. He swung wildly, cutting himself free, but the forest retaliated with even greater force. Thick branches wound around his torso, squeezing tightly.
"Looks like you're out of moves!" Naruto shouted, his grin widening. He was gasping for breath, but he didn't care. "That's the thing about me! I just keep coming!"
Kimimaro's expression darkened, his calm exterior beginning to crack. The crushing weight of the trees pressed down on him, and for a moment, he disappeared entirely within the writhing mass of wood. The forest surged, consuming him in an impenetrable thicket.
Naruto slumped to his knees, his hands falling to his sides. The strain of the jutsu left his arms trembling, and he felt like he'd just run a marathon uphill. "Let's… see you… get outta that," he panted, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
The battlefield was silent save for the groaning of the trees as they settled into place. The clones that remained stood frozen, their wide eyes fixed on the dense forest where Kimimaro had been engulfed.
"Did we do it…?" one clone asked hesitantly.
Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow, forcing himself to his feet. "Wha'cha doing, you lazy bums!" He hollered over his shoulder. "Make sure Kiba and Shino wrapped things up with their opponent in the forest!"
As if summoned by his words, the ground next to him erupted in a violent spray of dirt and rocks. Naruto staggered back, coughing as the dust cloud enveloped him. "W-what the hell!?" he stammered, squinting through the debris. When the air cleared, his stomach dropped.
Shino lay crumpled in the shallow crater, his body twisted awkwardly. His glasses were barely clinging to his face, the lenses cracked and smeared with blood.
"Shino!" Naruto shouted, dropping to his knees and pulling his teammate upright. "Oi, Shino! Can you hear me?" He cradled the back of Shino's neck, giving him a gentle shake.
"Na… ru… to," Shino rasped, coughing up a splatter of blood. His voice was faint, his body limp, but it was enough to confirm he was alive.
"What the hell happened?" Naruto demanded, though he didn't expect an answer. Shino's condition spoke volumes—whatever had taken him down had done so with brutal efficiency.
"You wanna know what happened? Your shithead teammates thought they could take me three-on-one, that's what," a voice drawled, sharp and taunting.
Naruto's head snapped up, his eyes locking onto the figure descending the hillside. It was a red-haired girl, her smirk smug and her gait lazy, as though she were out for a casual stroll. In either hand, she dragged an unconscious body by the hood. Naruto's stomach churned when he recognized them: Kiba and Akamaru.
"You can have them back!" the girl—Tayuya, he assumed—sneered. With a shocking display of strength, she flung both bodies through the air as if they weighed nothing. They landed with sickening thuds on either side of Naruto, motionless.
"You'll regret that…" Naruto growled, gently lowering Shino back down before standing. His legs felt like lead, but his anger burned away the exhaustion. He squared his stance, locking eyes with Tayuya. She didn't look like much—just a cocky girl with a foul mouth—but the ease with which she had dismantled his team spoke volumes.
Tayuya laughed, the sound sharp and grating. "Regret? Me? You're the dumbass who doesn't realize how screwed you are."
She didn't even bother to raise her fists or draw a weapon. Instead, she stood there with her hands on her hips, her smirk widening. The casual arrogance set Naruto's teeth on edge, but before he could retort, a low, groaning sound reached his ears.
Naruto froze, the low groan of snapping wood echoing through the air as the massive trees of his Deep Forest Emergence began to twist unnaturally. The trunks shuddered and split, their bark peeling away like old skin. Branches contorted, curling inward and breaking apart, as though the forest was recoiling from something it could no longer contain.
"What… what is this!?" Naruto shouted, spinning back toward Tayuya.
Her smirk widened, her sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. "What? You thought you actually buried him? Tch, you're dumber than you look, and that's saying something."
The ground trembled as a shockwave rippled through the trees, splitting the dense foliage apart in an explosion of debris. Splinters and shattered branches flew in every direction, forcing Naruto to raise his arms to shield his face. When the dust settled, what emerged was not the Kimimaro he had faced before.
It was something monstrous.
Kimimaro's body had undergone a grotesque transformation. His skin was now a dark, mottled rusted red, his once-human features distorted into a nightmarish visage. Long, bony protrusions jutted out from his back like jagged spikes, framing his twisted form. His arms and legs were elongated, and his fingers had morphed into sharp claws that glinted ominously. His face, once emotionless and calm, now bore a grotesque skeletal mask, its hollow eye sockets burning with a faint, otherworldly glow. The tail of hardened bone that extended from his spine whipped back and forth, carving deep gouges into the earth with every movement.
This was no longer a man. It was something primal, something that embodied death itself.
Kimimaro's voice, when it came, was deep and resonant, vibrating with unnatural power. "You forced me to this state… one in which I despise." He raised his clawed hand, flexing it experimentally, as if testing his newfound strength. "But if this is what it takes to fulfill my purpose… then so be it."
Naruto's jaw tightened, his heart pounding in his chest. His wood jutsu, his greatest effort yet, had been reduced to rubble. This… this thing wasn't the same opponent he had been fighting just moments ago. The sheer pressure of Kimimaro's chakra, now dark and malevolent, bore down on him like a physical weight.
"Your defiance is meaningless. My body exists for Orochimaru-sama's will alone. And now… I will show you the depths of that devotion." Before Naruto could respond, Kimimaro disappeared. He didn't jump, didn't dash—he vanished, his speed so overwhelming that even Naruto's trained reflexes couldn't track him.
The ground beside Naruto erupted, a massive claw smashing into the earth where he had stood moments before. Naruto barely managed to dodge, rolling away as the claw left a crater in its wake. He scrambled to his feet, gripping a fresh wood spear formed from one of his shattered clones.
"You're fast, but I'm not done yet!" Naruto roared, hurling the spear with all his might.
Kimimaro caught it mid-air, the wood splintering against his bony palm like dry kindling. He didn't even flinch. "Pathetic," he rumbled, tossing the broken spear aside.
Behind Naruto, Tayuya clapped her hands mockingly. "Man, you're really out of your depth, aren't you? Guess you'll wish I'd stayed in the forest with your teammates after all."
Naruto's gaze flicked toward her, his fury bubbling. "I don't care how strong you think you are. You're not gonna stop me. None of you are!"
Kimimaro stepped forward, his massive tail slamming into the ground behind him with a thundering crash. The skeletal spikes on his back flared outward, giving him the appearance of a grim reaper stalking his prey.
"Show me," Kimimaro intoned, his voice low and resonant, carrying the weight of absolute finality. "Show me the strength of your convictions… and let your failures be buried alongside you."
His arm rose slowly, deliberately, as if savoring the moment. From his forearm, a gleaming, jagged spear of bone began to emerge, its surface smooth and flawless yet radiating an unyielding menace. The weapon grew longer and sharper with each second, the light of the moon catching its deadly edges, making it glint like the fangs of a predator.
The sound of its formation was visceral, a sickening grind of bone against flesh that seemed to reverberate through the air. The spear wasn't just a weapon—it was a testament to his unshakable resolve and the monstrous power of his cursed bloodline.
"This," he said, his eyes narrowing with cold determination, "will be the end."
Naruto tightened his fists, his mind racing. If he was going to get out of this, he'd need to be smarter, faster, and more determined than ever before. His teammates were counting on him. Hinata was counting on him. He couldn't let her down—not now, not ever. He raised his hands back up, forming his favorite seal, determination etched into every line of his face.
But this time, he never got the chance to execute the jutsu.
Kimimaro moved with the speed of a striking snake, his cursed form now fully unleashed. The bone spear that had replaced his right arm gleamed in the moonlight, its jagged edges promising only destruction.
In the blink of an eye, he was upon Naruto, the deadly spear driving forward with a precision that seemed impossible for something so monstrous.
There was no time to dodge, no time to react.
The impact came like a thunderclap.
Kimimaro's spear sliced through Naruto's right arm at the elbow with an explosive burst of force. The jagged bone tore through muscle, sinew, and bone, the sound of tearing flesh and snapping bone echoing in the night. Blood erupted in a crimson arc, splattering across Naruto's face and chest, painting the battlefield with vivid streaks of red.
Naruto stumbled, his body thrown off balance by the force of the blow. His eyes widened in shock, his brain struggling to process what had just happened.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the pain hit.
It was an all-consuming fire, as if molten iron had been poured into his veins. His mind screamed, but his voice couldn't catch up, trapped in a strangled gasp. He dropped to his knees, his remaining arm reflexively clutching the stump where his right arm had been. His fingers pressed against the ragged, torn flesh, desperately trying to staunch the flow of blood that poured out in relentless, viscous spurts.
His severed arm landed a few feet away with a sickening thud, a grotesque heap of pale skin and bone lying limp in the dirt. Shredded tendons and veins dangled from the jagged edge where Kimimaro's spear had ripped through. Blood pooled around the dismembered limb, dark and glistening in the moonlight.
Naruto's head swam as his vision blurred. Every nerve in his body seemed to be on fire, a searing agony that pushed him to the brink of collapse. He clenched his teeth so hard it felt like they might crack, yet no amount of resolve could stop the wave of nausea that churned in his stomach. He tried to force himself to look away, but his eyes were drawn helplessly to the horrific sight of his severed arm lying in the dirt.
"Geh," he choked, his voice barely a whisper. Blood dripped from his lips as his breathing grew ragged, his chest heaving with every shallow gasp.
Kimimaro stood before him, unshaken, the bone spear still extended, glistening with Naruto's blood. His expression was eerily calm, as if the act of maiming his opponent was nothing more than another step in a dance. He lowered the weapon slightly, tilting his head as he observed Naruto's trembling form.
"You fought well," Kimimaro said quietly, his voice devoid of malice. "But this is where it ends."
Naruto's vision wavered, black spots blooming at the edges. His chakra reserves were draining fast, the blood loss weakening him by the second. Yet even through the haze of pain, a single thought burned in his mind, cutting through the agony like a ray of light.
He couldn't let this be the end. Not yet.
His fingers tightened against the wound, his body trembling but refusing to collapse. Inch by inch, Naruto forced himself to raise his head, his blue eyes blazing with defiance even as his blood dripped onto the ground.
"You think… I'm done?" he rasped, his voice hoarse but unyielding. "You think… this is enough… to stop me?"
Kimimaro's expression didn't change, but a flicker of intrigue sparked in his cold, calculating eyes.
Tayuya watched Kimimaro with a mixture of anger and apprehension, her grip tightening on her flute. His monstrous form was illuminated under the pale light of the moon, the grotesque exoskeleton gleaming faintly. His elongated, reptilian tail swayed behind him, and the jagged spear of bone extending from his arm looked like it could cleave through anything in its path.
Kimimaro now stood between Naruto and the two unconscious Konoha shinobi, his posture commanding. Yet Tayuya could sense something off about him. The calm, collected killer was fraying at the edges. This wasn't the same Kimimaro she had followed into battle so many times before. He was desperate now, a predator cornered by his own mortality. The sickness eating away at him had reached its peak, and he was clinging to this fight like it was his last chance to prove himself.
The sight filled her with unease. She had always known Kimimaro to be a cold and disciplined warrior, but this—this was different. His desperation made him unpredictable, and in her line of work, unpredictability was dangerous. He wasn't just fighting to complete the mission. He was fighting because he had nothing left to lose.
"I believe you said that if I got through you, then you would tell me the location of the Hyūga girl," Kimimaro said, his voice devoid of emotion. He hadn't moved from his spot after his attack, but the silence between them was deafening.
"Go to hell!" Naruto spat, his voice ragged and broken from the pain of his injuries.
"This is not a negotiation," Kimimaro replied coldly. His tail lashed out, slamming into Naruto with enough force to send him sprawling. Naruto's wood clones rushed to catch him, propping him up as best they could. The real Naruto groaned, barely able to stay upright, his body trembling from blood loss and exhaustion.
"Oi, Kimimaro!" Tayuya shouted, stepping forward without thinking. Her heart raced as the words left her mouth. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Shut up, Tayuya," Kimimaro snapped, his voice sharp as a blade. He turned his head slightly to glare at her, and even with the distance between them, the look sent a chill down her spine. She hated that look. Hated the way it made her feel small, insignificant. She knew better than to push him when he was like this, but she couldn't stop herself.
"No," she said, forcing herself to stand her ground. "We need him to talk. He can't do that if you kill him." Her voice wavered slightly, but she kept her tone firm. She didn't care about the Akatsuki's orders to leave Naruto alive; she cared about not letting this mission spiral further out of control. Kimimaro's desperation was a liability, one she couldn't afford right now.
"He had his chance to speak freely," Kimimaro said, his tone as cold as ever. He stalked forward, the ground seeming to tremble beneath his cursed form. "Now we must force him." His eyes locked onto the unconscious forms of Kiba and Shino. His spear raised, poised to strike.
"Shit," Tayuya muttered under her breath. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Kimimaro was supposed to be asking questions, interrogating the Konoha shinobi for the Hyūga girl's location. But now he was crossing a line even he wouldn't have dared in the past. Striking down unconscious enemies wasn't just dishonorable—it was a waste.
"Stop!" Naruto yelled, his voice hoarse but filled with determination. He stumbled forward, his clone catching him before he collapsed entirely. The remaining wood clones charged Kimimaro, their movements fueled by desperation.
"You already know what to do to get me to stop," Kimimaro said as he cut down the clones with ease, his spear a blur of motion. He barely broke stride, his focus entirely on the fallen shinobi at his feet. "Give up the Hyūga girl."
Tayuya's breath hitched as she watched him. He was going to do it. He was going to break his own twisted sense of honor and kill them. Kimimaro had always been a monster, but this? This was something else. It was the act of a man with nothing left to lose, a man who had let his desperation consume him.
She gripped her flute tightly, her knuckles white. This was it. Her moment. She had been waiting for Kimimaro to falter, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. And now, as he stood there, teetering on the edge of madness, she knew she had to act.
But fear rooted her in place. Even in his weakened state, Kimimaro was stronger than her. Stronger than anyone she'd ever faced. If she failed, he would kill her without hesitation. Her heart pounded in her chest as he raised his spear higher, the jagged edge glinting ominously in the moonlight.
She had to move. She had to act. But as Kimimaro took another step forward, his spear poised to strike, her body refused to obey.
Kimimaro raised his weapon, the jagged edge poised over Shino's chest. The moonlight reflected off its cruel, bone-white surface as he prepared to bring it down. Tayuya clenched her teeth, the internal battle raging within her as she willed herself to move.
And yet, she remained frozen.
"I told you to stop!" Naruto's roar echoed through the battlefield, a guttural sound filled with pain and fury. The air around him shimmered, crackling with sinister energy as red chakra erupted from his body. It coiled and twisted like living flames, wrapping him in a cloak of malice. His whisker marks darkened, teeth sharpened into fangs, and his eyes glowed with feral intensity. The sheer weight of his power forced Tayuya to stumble back, her flute nearly slipping from her grasp.
"What the hell is this…?" she muttered, a mixture of awe and dread twisting her features. The chakra was oppressive, radiating malevolence so thick it made her skin crawl. It wasn't just power—it was alive, snarling, and ready to consume everything in its path.
Kimimaro, on the other hand, remained calm, his bone spear still poised to strike. "So this is the Kyūbi's chakra," he observed, his voice as steady as ever. "Impressive. But pouring more power into a broken body will only hasten its destruction."
Naruto growled in response, the sound more animal than human. "Shut it!" he barked, his voice distorted, laced with the deep undertone of something far more monstrous. His gaze flicked to the clone holding him up, and without hesitation, he reached over with his left hand and snapped the clone's arm off at the elbow.
The sound of splintering wood was sickeningly loud, and the clone dissolved into fragments without resistance. The severed wooden limb dangled loosely in Naruto's grip, and without a moment's pause, he slammed the jagged end against the bloody stump of his own right arm.
The effect was horrifying.
Naruto screamed, a guttural cry that split the night as the wooden limb pressed against his raw flesh. The red chakra surged, flowing into the wood like a tide of molten energy. Roots erupted from the wooden arm, writhing grotesquely as they burrowed into his exposed flesh. Blood bubbled and hissed where the roots pierced his skin, the fusion an agonizing display of pain and determination.
Tayuya gagged, covering her mouth with one hand as bile rose in her throat. "What the actual fuck…?" she whispered, unable to look away from the grotesque sight. The wooden arm pulsed unnaturally, veins of crimson energy glowing beneath its surface as it absorbed the chakra like a parasitic growth.
Kimimaro paused, his expression unreadable, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his otherwise deadpan gaze.
Naruto collapsed to his knees, his body trembling violently. The wooden arm hung limply at first, its connection to his body seemingly incomplete. Then, with a sickening jerk, the fingers twitched. Slowly, the wooden hand curled into a fist, and Naruto lifted the limb, extending it out in front of him. The arm responded as though it had always been a part of him, his wild chakra fueling its movements.
"You have quite the resolve," Kimimaro admitted, crouching low as he prepared to attack again. His tail lashed behind him, tearing up the ground as he moved. "But this changes nothing. You're still a fool if you think this will save you."
"Yeah? We'll see about that!" Naruto snarled, the wooden arm glowing faintly as it pulsed with energy. Kimimaro vanished in a blur, his spear aimed directly for Naruto's chest in a strike that could not miss.
Naruto met him head-on.
The bone spear slammed into the palm of Naruto's wooden arm with a force that shook the ground. For a moment, Tayuya was sure it had pierced straight through. The wood splintered, cracks webbing out from the point of impact. The red chakra surged again, feeding the wood and reinforcing it with unnatural strength.
Naruto gritted his teeth, the feral grin on his face growing wider as he gripped the spear. The cracks in the wood sealed themselves almost instantly, and the spear—Kimimaro's unbreakable weapon—stopped dead in its tracks.
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, the first real sign of surprise he had shown all night. "Impossible…" he muttered, pulling back and twisting the spear in an attempt to break free. But the wooden arm held firm, its grip unyielding.
Naruto pushed forward, his snarl deepening as his strength overpowered Kimimaro's. "Not so tough now, are you?" he taunted, his voice laced with both triumph and fury. "This is for my friends, for Hinata—and for myself!"
The reversal was absolute. For the first time, Kimimaro's relentless composure wavered as he realized he was no longer in control of the fight. The grotesque energy of the Kyūbi's chakra pulsed through Naruto, merging man and wood into something unholy, something unstoppable.
Tayuya stared in disbelief, her grip tightening on her flute as the balance of power shifted before her eyes. This wasn't just a fight anymore. It was a storm of raw willpower and monstrous strength, and Naruto was at its center.
She raised the flute to her lips, steadying her breath. The battlefield was in chaos, but her mind was eerily calm. Kimimaro's disapproval echoed in her mind, but she shut it out. The Doki—her monstrous summons—had lain dormant for too long, waiting for her to act. Now was their moment.
The haunting tune began, the eerie melody carrying commands that only the Doki could understand. The three ogre-like creatures sprang back to life, their grotesque forms lurching forward with unnerving speed. Their sudden revival sent ripples through the tense battlefield, the ground trembling under their weight.
"Tayuya!" Kimimaro's voice cut through the din, his tone sharp and commanding. He turned his head just enough to glare at her. "Do not interfere!"
A flicker of hesitation crossed her face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Screw that. She ignored him, focusing on her tune. This time, she wasn't going to let him dictate the rules.
The Doki with the massive club reached Kimimaro first, its grotesque arm swinging the weapon with the force of an earthquake.
Kimimaro's eyes widened. "What are you—"
The club connected with a deafening crack. The impact sent him hurtling through the air like a broken doll, bouncing and skipping across the battlefield in a way that was almost comical if not for the sheer violence of it. Each impact left a small crater in the dirt, dust and debris flying up in his wake.
Naruto froze, mouth slightly agape, as Kimimaro's body disappeared into the distance. Slowly, he turned his gaze to the hulking Doki beside him, its grotesque form now standing still as though awaiting further orders. The creature that had been trying to kill him a while ago now stood at his side like an unexpected ally.
"What the hell…?" Naruto muttered, still trying to process what had just happened. He looked past the Doki, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto the figure responsible.
Tayuya stood at a distance, lowering her flute and resting it casually at her side. Her glare was sharp enough to cut steel, her lips pressed into a hard line. She looked every bit the venomous, short-tempered shinobi she was, but there was something more behind her eyes—a fire that spoke of desperation, determination, and betrayal.
"Don't misunderstand!" she snapped, her voice loud enough to carry across the field. "I'm not doing this for you. There's been a change in circumstances, that's all!"
Naruto blinked, her words snapping him out of his stupor. "Misunderstand…?" His expression darkened, his shock giving way to anger. "I don't know what the hell you're on about, but don't think for a second I'm gonna accept your help! And I'm definitely not gonna thank you for it! You hear me!? I still haven't forgotten what you did to Kiba and Shino!"
"Huhhh!?" Tayuya's face turned as red as her hair, her nostrils flaring with indignation. "Ya think I give a fuck if you thank me or not!? I just told you—I'm doing this for myself, dumbass! And I sure as hell don't care if you forgive me for knocking your shitty teammates' lights out when they came at me! If you've got a problem with that, tough shit!"
Naruto's jaw clenched. "If you think I'm just gonna trust someone who switches sides mid-battle, you've got a screw loose, you psycho chick!"
"Psycho!?" Tayuya's voice hit a pitch that could shatter glass. Her grip tightened on her flute, her whole body trembling with frustration. "You stupid bastard! You're standing here missing a goddamn arm because you were too dumb to dodge, and you're calling me psycho!?"
"Yeah, because only a psycho would pull some crap like this!" Naruto shot back, gesturing wildly at her and the Doki. "You think I'm supposed to just ignore the fact you were trying to kill me, like, five minutes ago!?"
"And you guys were trying to kill me too, so what the hell's the difference!?" Tayuya threw her hands in the air, her red hair waving wildly with the motion. "You wanna cry about trust? We're ninja, dumbass! We don't do trust!"
Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. He hesitated, his brain momentarily short-circuiting at her warped logic. "That's… not… the point!" he finally managed, though even he wasn't sure what his point was anymore.
"Whatever!" Tayuya cut him off, her voice dripping with venom. "Stand there whining if you want, but I'm not sticking around just to watch you get skewered again, ya hear me? Get your head outta your ass and fight! Or is your dick too small to accept help from anyone?"
Naruto's face flushed with equal parts rage and embarrassment. "Oh, you did not just go there!"
"You bet your ass I did!" she shouted back, smirking triumphantly.
Their heated exchange was cut short by a groan from the earth itself. Kimimaro was back. "So you've finally revealed yourself…" His voice was cold, emotionless, and yet it carried a weight that made her blood run cold. Despite his battered appearance—his body trembling under the weight of his own cursed seal and the blood dripping from his mouth—he still radiated that terrifying presence. The ice-cold glare he fixed on her transported her back to that first time she'd fought him, the memory of him beating her and the rest of the Sound Four into submission seared into her mind.
"What about it?" Tayuya snapped, trying to mask the trembling in her voice. She stood firm, even as every nerve in her body screamed at her to flee. It was too late to backpedal now. Everything she'd worked toward, all her choices up to this point, hinged on this gamble.
Kimimaro stumbled forward, his movements unsteady but deliberate, like a predator wounded yet still dangerous. "No, I was just wondering when you would finally betray us."
His words struck her like a blow. Her eyes widened despite herself, the defiance she tried so hard to project cracking under the weight of his revelation. "You knew…?" she whispered, the disbelief in her voice unrestrained. He didn't say "me"—he said "us." He'd known all along, even before this battle, even before her recent behavior had tipped him off.
"I did." Kimimaro's tone was casual, almost dismissive, as though her betrayal was a trivial matter to him. "However, even upon reporting it to Orochimaru-sama, he assured me nothing would ever come of it… so I wonder—what is it that changed?" His voice remained flat, devoid of anger or betrayal. He didn't care why she had betrayed them, only what it meant now.
Tayuya's body shook, a storm of emotions swirling inside her. Fear, anger, humiliation—all clashing in the pit of her stomach. "You really have the balls to ask me that?" she hissed, her voice rising as the floodgates burst. "Orochimaru killed my mother! And he probably had a hand in what happened to your clan, or are you too blind to see that!?"
Her scream echoed across the battlefield, tearing at her throat. Her chest heaved as she finally said the words she'd kept buried for so long. For a fleeting moment, she felt a sense of catharsis, like releasing poison that had been eating away at her for years. Yet Kimimaro's face remained impassive, his eyes cold and unfeeling.
"If you believe that," he said evenly, "then why keep quiet? Why stay under Orochimaru-sama's employment until now?"
Of course, he'd ask that. Of course, he'd reduce her years of suffering, her years of careful planning, to a simple question. He couldn't understand—he never could. Kimimaro's mind was a cage, shackled by his blind devotion to Orochimaru. His honor didn't allow him to see the world through any lens other than the one Orochimaru had crafted for him. They were like oil and water, their worldviews fundamentally incompatible.
"You seriously never heard of keeping your enemies close?" Tayuya spat, venom dripping from her words. Her anger was a shield, masking the vulnerability threatening to overtake her. "From the moment I joined, I was always aiming for that snake bastard's head!" Her voice cracked, the words having come pouring out like a dam had broken.
Of course, Orochimaru had known. He'd always known. And yet, he'd kept her close, promoted her to his personal guard, because he knew she couldn't touch him. He'd weaponized her hatred, turning it into chains that bound her to him. She'd been his perfect pawn, a tool he could manipulate with ease.
But not anymore.
The memories of her mother flashed in her mind—her warmth, her fierce determination, the lessons she'd tried to instill. Her mother had always told her that there would come a time when she'd have to make a choice, a moment when she'd have to decide what kind of person she wanted to be. Tayuya had ignored that advice for years, telling herself it was foolish sentimentality. But deep down, she'd always known her mother was right.
Then she'd seen her. Hinata. That girl who radiated power and purpose, who had taken the battlefield with the kind of presence Tayuya had only seen in her mother. For a moment, Tayuya thought she'd been deluding herself, projecting her own desires onto a stranger. But it was real. It had to be real.
And now, she was making her choice.
"It would appear any further words between us are lost," Kimimaro said, his voice betraying the faintest hint of exhaustion. His body wavered, but his resolve was unshaken. He started forward again, his elongated spine swaying like a serpent poised to strike.
Tayuya froze, her grip tightening on her flute. Even now, with Kimimaro on his last legs, the fear he instilled in her was overwhelming. Her instincts screamed at her to run, to retreat, but she forced herself to stand her ground. This was her moment—her gamble. If she faltered now, everything would be lost.
"I still don't really get it," Naruto's voice broke the tension. Tayuya turned to him, surprised to see his expression—awkward, almost sheepish. He scratched his cheek, refusing to meet her gaze. "But it seems like you got a lot going on. So I guess I'll let you help me out." His trademark grin returned, defiant and brimming with confidence. "Just try not to hold me back, alright?"
Tayuya blinked, her shock quickly replaced by irritation. "This fucking brat…" she muttered under her breath. She might have said more, but there was no time. Kimimaro was moving again, his body a blur of predatory motion.
"It's Tayuya, right?" Naruto called, rolling his wooden shoulder and cracking his neck. He turned to face Kimimaro, his grin widening. "Let's go!"
For the first time in years, Tayuya felt a flicker of something foreign—hope. She raised her flute to her lips, her fingers steady despite the chaos around her. Whatever happened next, she wasn't going down without a fight.
Naruto dashed forward, his newly grafted wooden arm pulsing with malevolent red chakra. The energy hissed and crackled, seeping into the wood and making it twist and writhe unnaturally, like a living extension of his rage. Kimimaro met his charge without hesitation, pulling a bone from his spinal column. It stretched and flexed in his hand, forming a grotesque whip that radiated lethal intent.
Kimimaro swung the whip in a wide arc, the bone glinting in the moonlight as it sliced through the air. Naruto had no intention of being caught off guard again. He skidded to a stop just short of the whip's reach, his hands already forming seals. "Mokuton: Transformation Jutsu!" he shouted.
In an instant, Naruto's wooden arm exploded outward, twisting and sprouting into a chaotic mass of roots and branches. The wood grew at a blinding speed, fanning out like a tree sprouting in fast-forward. Kimimaro's whip cracked against the roots, but instead of snapping them, it became entangled. The writhing wood climbed the weapon, snaking its way up toward Kimimaro.
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed, and with a sharp yank, he tried to pull the whip free. But Naruto was faster. The roots shot forward with unnatural precision, wrapping around Kimimaro's arms and legs. They hoisted him into the air, the red chakra fueling their relentless growth and tightening grip.
"What the—" Tayuya's eyes widened as she watched the scene unfold. She had prepared to strike Kimimaro in the moment after his attack, but Naruto had flipped the script entirely. The roots held Kimimaro suspended, thrashing and struggling like an insect caught in a web.
Naruto turned his head slightly, his red eyes catching Tayuya's from across the battlefield. He didn't need to say a word. The look in his eyes made it clear: Now's your chance.
Tayuya snapped her flute to her lips and began to play a new tune. The Doki roared to life, their movements synced perfectly to her melody. The ogre wielding the club lunged first, its massive weapon gleaming in the moonlight as it smashed down toward Kimimaro. The other two followed, their claws and fists aimed directly at the restrained enemy.
Kimimaro's eyes darted to the incoming blows. Despite the roots binding him, he twisted his body with inhuman flexibility, his rust-colored cursed seal glowing with malevolent energy. His ribcage erupted outward, a wall of jagged white bone sprouting to shield him. The club struck first, slamming into the barrier with a thunderous crack. The claws and fists followed, battering the bony shield with unrelenting force.
Naruto gritted his teeth, pouring more chakra into the wood to keep Kimimaro bound. "Don't let up!" he shouted, his voice hoarse but determined. The red chakra pulsed stronger, the roots tightening around Kimimaro's limbs and torso.
The Doki delivered their final combined blow. The club, claws, and fists struck simultaneously, shattering the wooden prison and Kimimaro's bone barrier in a single, earth-shaking impact. Kimimaro's body rocketed downward, hitting the ground with such force that the earth cratered beneath him. Dust and debris erupted into the air, obscuring everything in a thick cloud.
Tayuya lowered her flute, panting from the exertion. Her hands trembled as she stared at the settling dust cloud. Did it work? she wondered. She dared not hope, but for the first time in years, the thought crossed her mind: Maybe they could actually win.
The battlefield went still for a moment, the silence broken only by Naruto's ragged breathing. Then Kimimaro's voice rang out, cutting through the dust like a knife.
"I will admit…" His tone was as calm and cold as ever, but there was a faint undercurrent of something else—perhaps acknowledgment. "I actually felt that one."
The dust cleared, revealing Kimimaro standing amidst the ruins of the crater. His body was battered, his rust-colored cursed seal form marred with cracks. Blood dripped from shallow wounds where the Doki's attacks had pierced through, but beneath the damaged flesh was the gleaming white of his unbroken bone armor. His face was as emotionless as ever, his glowing yellow eyes locked on his two opponents.
"Shit," Tayuya hissed, clutching her flute tightly. Her mind raced, trying to calculate their next move. Kimimaro wasn't invincible, but he was damn close. The Doki had landed direct hits, and yet they'd barely scratched the surface. How much longer could this bastard last? she wondered.
Naruto took a shaky step forward, his wooden arm flexing as the red chakra continued to fuel its regeneration. His teeth were bared in a feral grin, a mix of determination and madness in his expression. "If that's the best you've got," he growled, "then we've got nothing to worry about."
Kimimaro tilted his head slightly, almost like a predator sizing up its prey. "You've yet to see the "best" I've got," he said, his voice carrying a faint trace of exhaustion. "The only question is which one of you will fall first."
The air grew heavy, the tension suffocating as the three prepared to clash once more. Tayuya took a deep breath, raising her flute. Naruto crouched low, his wooden arm poised to strike. And Kimimaro, battered but unbroken, stepped forward, his bone spear gleaming under the moonlight.
Naruto charged forward, his red chakra flaring wildly as it fed into his grotesque wooden arm. The limb twisted and ballooned, inflating to an almost cartoonish size as bark split and gnarled roots sprouted like veins. It wasn't elegant, but it was massive, an absurdly oversized fist that pulsed with the same malevolent energy coursing through his body.
"Mokuton: Transformation Jutsu!" Naruto roared, bringing the swollen wooden arm crashing down toward Kimimaro with all the force of a landslide. The sheer size of the attack eclipsed Kimimaro entirely, blotting out the moonlight as the massive fist descended.
Kimimaro didn't flinch. His pale yellow eyes gleamed with cold calculation as he crouched low, plunging his skeletal tail into the earth beneath him. "You really don't know when to give up!" he declared, his voice calm but filled with menace. "Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
The ground trembled violently, and a deafening crack erupted as massive white bone spires burst forth like a grotesque forest. The bones grew with terrifying speed, jagged and gnarled, spiraling upward like ancient, twisted trees. Each spire was as thick as a tree trunk, their surfaces jagged and sharp, gleaming in the moonlight as they clawed their way skyward.
Naruto's massive wooden fist slammed into the forest of bones, but the spires didn't stop. They pierced through the wood with sickening cracks, shredding the inflated arm into splinters. Naruto leapt back, landing hard next to Tayuya as the remains of his wooden arm hung limply at his side, a mangled mess of broken roots and bark.
"The hell is this?" Naruto asked, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He didn't even seem to notice his ruined arm, his crimson eyes darting around the battlefield as the forest of bones continued to grow, spreading across the hillside with relentless speed.
Tayuya played her flute softly, recalling her Doki ogres to her side as she assessed the situation. "It's Kimimaro's ultimate technique," she explained, her voice grim. "Those bones are an extension of him. Meaning he can travel through them at will. No matter what you do, don't drop your guard." Her fingers trembled slightly as she lowered her flute. She had seen this technique before, but never on such a scale.
As if to emphasize her point, the bone forest continued to spread, its growth accelerating as the spires clawed toward the heavens. Smaller bones sprouted between the larger spires, filling the gaps and turning the battlefield into an impenetrable labyrinth of death. The bones gleamed like polished ivory, jagged edges glinting dangerously as they rose higher and higher. The moonlight bathed the scene in an eerie glow, casting sharp shadows that danced across the ground like ghostly claws.
Naruto glanced at his mangled arm, flexing it experimentally. The red chakra swirled around it, and to Tayuya's disbelief, the wood began to regenerate. Roots wriggled like live snakes, knitting themselves together as the arm reformed in mere seconds. By the time it was done, it looked as if it had never been damaged at all.
"What kinda monster are you?" Tayuya blurted out, unable to hide her shock.
Naruto grinned at her, his sharp teeth gleaming. "The kind that never goes back on his word," he said simply, the statement carrying an unshakable confidence that made her grit her teeth in annoyance.
The forest of bones showed no sign of stopping. Spires burst from the ground in rapid succession, creating a tangled maze that grew thicker and denser with each passing second. The entire hillside was transforming into a hellish landscape, a field of jagged death that left no safe place to stand.
Naruto extended his wooden arm, splitting it into three branches that shot out and scooped up the unconscious forms of Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru. The branches retracted, depositing them behind him in what little space was still clear of the growing bone spires.
At the same time, Tayuya raised her flute to her lips. Her Doki ogres stood ready, their grotesque forms poised to strike. "Listen, I got one final trump card," she said, her tone low and urgent. "But I need you to buy me time somehow."
Naruto didn't hesitate. "You got it!" he said, forming a familiar seal. "Taju Moku Bunshin no Jutsu!"
In an instant, dozens of clones appeared, spreading out across the battlefield in a sea of orange. The clones wasted no time, leaping into the bone forest and attacking the growing spires in an attempt to halt their progress.
But Naruto wasn't done. Clapping his hands together, he shouted, "Mokuton Hijutsu: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The clones transformed into twisted trees, their roots writhing like living creatures. The trees grew rapidly, their gnarled trunks intertwining with the bone spires in a chaotic clash of nature and death. Thick roots spread out across the ground, wrapping around the base of the bone spires and slowing their growth. Branches burst upward, colliding with the bone spires and breaking some of them apart with sheer force.
The battlefield transformed into a nightmarish hybrid of bone and wood. Jagged spires of ivory twisted around blackened trees, their branches reaching skyward like skeletal fingers. The roots of the trees crawled beneath the ground, fighting against the growing bones in a silent, subterranean battle. The moonlight filtered through the chaotic canopy, casting fragmented shadows that danced across the ground like specters.
Tayuya watched in stunned silence, her flute trembling in her hands. The battlefield was a grotesque war of opposing forces, a hellish collision of nature twisted beyond recognition. She had never seen anything like it.
"You're full of surprises, I'll give you that…" Tayuya muttered, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. She had thought she understood the power dynamics at play when this battle began. Kimimaro had been leagues beyond Naruto, his strength a chasm too wide to cross. Yet now, with every new technique Naruto revealed, it was like watching him scale that chasm one impossible leap at a time.
She had heard stories of prodigies who thrived in the crucible of battle, whose abilities blossomed under pressure, but she had never seen it happen. Not like this. Not at this speed.
"I know already!" Naruto interrupted her thoughts, his wild grin as unshakable as ever. He strode boldly into the tangled battlefield of wood and bone that he had created. "You said you had a trump card, yeah? Well then, I'll leave it to you, along with them!" He nodded toward his unconscious teammates, their battered bodies now gently cocooned by protective roots. Those roots pulsed faintly with his red chakra, wrapping them like a second skin and slowly mending their wounds.
"Since you're the one that knocked them out, take some responsibility!" Naruto added with a cheeky smirk.
"Asshole," Tayuya grumbled, but the insult lacked venom. Despite herself, she felt her lips twitch upward in a small, reluctant smile. It was an unfamiliar feeling, one she hadn't experienced in years—if ever. Was this what it meant to fight as a team? Not just tolerating allies because the mission demanded it, but trusting them with something as vital as your back? It was alien to her. She had been in squads before, yes, but none of them felt like this. With Orochimaru's underlings, there was no room for trust—only survival and hierarchy.
But this kid… this reckless, infuriating blond brat… he made her want to believe, even if her instincts screamed at her not to.
She exhaled, her resolve hardening. If this was the gamble she had chosen, then she would see it through. No half-measures, no hesitation. "Fine. But don't go dying in there, you dumb bastard," she muttered to Naruto's retreating back.
Turning to her Doki, Tayuya felt an unexpected pang of guilt. These three towering, grotesque forms had been with her longer than anything else in her life. They weren't living creatures, but to her, they might as well have been. They were remnants of her mother's legacy, tied to the flute passed down through her family.
And they were all she had left.
No, that wasn't entirely true, she realized. There was one other thing—this thing. A power she had always been forbidden to use. Her mother's voice echoed faintly in her mind, issuing that old warning with sharp clarity: Only when there's no other choice. Only when you believe.
Tayuya clenched her jaw. If she was right about the Hyūga girl—if she was right about the future she wanted to fight for—then that time was now. The conditions had been met. The choice had been made. This wasn't just about survival anymore. This was her way of believing.
"Thank you… for everything," she whispered, her voice barely audible. The Doki couldn't hear her, of course, and even if they could, they wouldn't have understood. But that made it easier to say goodbye. She opened her arms wide, red hair whipping wildly around her face as a golden glow began to radiate from her chest.
The first chain shot out, a glimmering length of pure golden chakra tipped with a razor-sharp spike. It pierced the first Doki like a harpoon, the impact sending tremors through the ground. A second and third chain followed, each one impaling the remaining Doki with precision. They didn't thrash or resist; they stood still as if they understood what was happening. The chains began to retract, pulling their massive forms toward her. The once-imposing ogres began to shrink, their bodies dissolving into streams of radiant chakra that flowed through the chains and into Tayuya.
It was a sealing technique, but unlike any she had ever used. The chains weren't merely binding; they were fusing, transferring the essence of the Doki into her. Their strength, their presence, their history—it all became a part of her.
Tayuya staggered slightly as the process completed, the golden glow fading as the last of the chains vanished into her chest. The battlefield was quiet for a moment, save for the rustle of Naruto's forest and the distant creak of bone spires shifting in place.
She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat steady beneath her palm. She didn't feel different—not in any obvious way. Yet the absence of the Doki was a weight in her chest, a hollow ache she hadn't anticipated. She looked at her flute, the familiar weight of it in her hand now feeling strangely foreign.
This was the power her mother had left her—a forbidden gift from a family she barely remembered. Her mother had never explained it, only muttered cryptic phrases about their heritage. About a clan whose bonds were their strength, whose bloodline carried unshakable will.
Her mother had died before she could finish the lessons. Orochimaru's forces had seen to that.
Tayuya shook her head, banishing the thoughts. This wasn't the time for sentimentality. The power was hers now, and it was up to her to wield it. She raised the flute to her lips, her fingers trembling only slightly.
"This is for you, Mom," she whispered, then began to play. The melody that emerged wasn't the discordant tune she used to control the Doki. It was something else entirely—stronger, sharper, resonating with a force she didn't fully understand but knew she could trust.
The chains hadn't disappeared after all. They glowed faintly around her now, a radiant web of golden light coiling protectively at her back. This wasn't just her mother's legacy. It was hers now, too.
Tayuya darted into the chaotic forest, the unnatural amalgamation of bone and wood casting eerie shadows in the moonlight. The air crackled with tension, the clash of Naruto's clones and Kimimaro's relentless attacks filling the space with the sound of splintering wood and the guttural cries of clones popping out of existence.
Her sharp eyes caught a glimpse of Kimimaro emerging from one of the massive bone ferns, his upper body twisting as his spear arm pierced through a Naruto clone. His movement was so fluid it was almost unnatural, his body sliding seamlessly back into the bone like a predator slipping beneath the surface of water.
The moment the clone vanished, the remaining ones turned as one, their movements deceptively chaotic as they rushed toward where Kimimaro had been. But before they could reach him, Kimimaro appeared again, yards away, striking down another clone with surgical precision before disappearing back into the bone. The cycle repeated with deadly efficiency, Kimimaro playing his lethal game of whack-a-mole while Naruto's clones scrambled in vain to corner him.
Tayuya crouched behind the base of a tree, her fingers brushing the cool bark as she analyzed Kimimaro's movements. Her heart thudded in her chest, the golden chains of her inherited power coiled around her like living extensions of her will. The strength of her Doki surged through her veins, amplifying her senses and sharpening her reflexes. She could feel it in the way her muscles coiled like springs, in the way her vision seemed clearer and her mind more focused. The power was intoxicating, but it came with a weight—a responsibility she had never truly understood until now.
Kimimaro's movements had no predictable rhythm. He didn't need one. He struck wherever the clones left an opening, each attack precise and efficient, never lingering long enough for them to retaliate. It was a perfect strategy, and one that would have demoralized anyone less stubborn than Naruto.
"If it's gonna be like that, then I'll just have to mess up your game," Tayuya muttered under her breath. She inhaled deeply, letting the power coursing through her solidify her resolve. Her feet dug into the soft earth, her muscles coiling tighter as she prepared to spring into action. The golden chains surrounding her pulsed faintly, their energy responding to her determination.
"Hey, you! Shit for bones!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the cacophony of battle. Kimimaro emerged from his latest strike, his body twisting gracefully as he landed atop another bone fern. His spear arm retracted slightly as he turned his cold, calculating gaze toward her.
"…Tayuya." His voice carried no anger, only mild surprise. "You still haven't given up?" His eyes swept over her, lingering on the golden chains glowing faintly around her torso. A flicker of something crossed his face—was it curiosity? Wariness? It didn't matter. Tayuya had no intention of giving him time to analyze her.
She didn't respond with words. Instead, she moved. The tension in her body exploded outward as she launched herself across the forest floor, her speed blinding even to her own enhanced senses. The ground blurred beneath her feet, the wind howling in her ears as she closed the distance to Kimimaro in a heartbeat.
Her target wasn't Kimimaro himself. It was the base of the bone fern he was growing out of. He had no reason to think she could damage it; the ferns were made of the same indestructible material as his absolute defense. Even the combined strength of her Doki couldn't have dented them when the power was divided.
But this wasn't divided strength anymore. It was focused—amplified by the golden chakra flowing through her. She could feel the power of her Doki resonating within her, their strength no longer separate from her own. It was as if her body had become a living weapon, every ounce of her being honed into a single purpose.
Her fist struck the base of the fern with the force of a battering ram. There was a moment of resistance, the bone holding firm against her strike. Then, with a sickening crack, it gave way. The entire fern snapped like a brittle tree trunk, crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom.
Kimimaro's eyes widened. "Impos—" He didn't have time to finish. The fern toppled, severing his connection to the rest of the network. He tried to retreat back into the broken base, but the moment the fern hit the ground, the bone fractured further, cutting him off completely.
Kimimaro slipped free of the fallen fern, his movements desperate and uncharacteristically clumsy as he scrambled on all fours toward the nearest intact bone structure. He was vulnerable now, forced to abandon his seamless strategy and fight like a cornered animal.
"Not so smug now, huh?" Tayuya shouted, her voice filled with adrenaline and triumph. The chains around her glowed brighter, coiling and uncoiling like serpents ready to strike. She glanced toward Naruto, who stood at the edge of the battlefield, his wooden arm pulsing with crimson energy.
Naruto grinned back at her, his confidence infectious. "Nice one! Now let's finish this bastard off!" He and his clones closed in on Kimimaro like a pack of wolves circling their prey. Kimimaro, bloodied but unyielding, scrambled toward the nearest fern, his body dragging and his movements labored.
"Where the hell do you think you're going!?" Naruto roared, his voice echoing through the chaos. "Mokuton: Transformation Jutsu!"
As one, the wooden right arms of all his clones expanded, ballooning into massive, grotesque fists brimming with crimson energy. Each arm pulsed with a malevolent glow, the chakra making the wooden constructs shimmer like molten steel. Naruto's clones leaped into action, their movements perfectly synchronized as they closed the gap.
The first clone landed directly in Kimimaro's path, its oversized fist raised high.
"U—!" the clone yelled as it swung downward with incredible force. The impact was like a cannon blast, driving Kimimaro into the ground before launching him skyward in an arc.
"Zu—!" The second clone intercepted him mid-air, its inflated arm colliding with his body and redirecting him higher into the sky. The sound of cracking bones echoed through the battlefield.
"Ma—!" Two clones struck simultaneously, their balloon-like fists smashing into Kimimaro in a devastating pincer maneuver. The sheer force was enough to shatter the remnants of his bone armor, blood spraying as the impact crushed through his defenses. Kimimaro's body jerked violently, his blood arcing through the moonlit forest like crimson rain.
"Ki!" The final clone leaped into position, swinging its enormous fist upward in a perfectly timed uppercut. The blow sent Kimimaro hurtling straight toward the original Naruto, who stood ready at the forest's edge.
Naruto's wooden arm had swelled to monstrous proportions, glowing an ominous crimson as it drank in the raging chakra swirling around him. The force of the transformation was enough to make the earth tremble, the trees bending as though bowing to some ancient force awakened in their midst. The air crackled with raw energy, and Naruto's voice rang out like a thunderclap.
"Naruto Rendan!"
He launched himself forward, his colossal wooden fist tearing through the air with a deafening roar. The ground split open beneath him, the shockwave flattening the forest floor as the attack descended like judgment itself. The sheer force of it warped the air, bending light and sound in its wake.
Kimimaro's body was caught mid-motion, frozen for the briefest moment as the massive blow connected. And then—impact.
The earth shattered. The explosion of force carved a crater so deep it seemed to swallow the forest whole. Trees uprooted and splintered, their trunks flung outward like twigs. Dust and debris shot skyward, blanketing the battlefield in a suffocating haze. The sound of it was apocalyptic, louder than thunder, louder than anything Naruto had ever summoned before.
Kimimaro's body rocketed out of the devastation, hurtling through the air as though he'd been fired from a cannon. He struck the distant city wall with catastrophic force, stone crumbling around him as a crater bloomed outward like the petals of a deathly flower. Cracks spiderwebbed along the massive structure, chunks of stone raining down as if the entire village was weeping from the blow.
Naruto stood in the epicenter of the destruction, his wooden arm slowly shrinking back to its original form. His breaths were ragged, his body aching from the chakra expenditure, but his grin never faltered. He planted his feet and thrust a fist into the air.
"How's that for a finisher!?" he bellowed, his voice carrying through the clearing like a victory cry.
The sound of his triumphant shout hung in the air, but Tayuya barely heard it. She stood frozen at the edge of the battlefield, her eyes wide and locked on Naruto. Her pulse hammered in her ears, louder even than the echoes of destruction still fading around them.
She had been about to cheer, the absurdity of what she'd just witnessed tugging at the corners of her mouth—but then he said it, syllable at a time.
Uzumaki.
The name hit her like a knife to the gut. It stuck there, twisting. She couldn't look away now—couldn't unsee him. The impossible grin, the wild energy that defied every rule of combat, the way his reckless style shouldn't have worked but did. It wasn't just the strength. It was the sheer audacity.
Her hands trembled as she whispered, more to herself than to him. "What… what did you just call that move?"
Naruto tilted his head, still high off his victory, absently flexing his fingers as his arm returned to normal. Her question must've registered a moment later because his grin somehow widened even more.
"You like it?" He threw her a thumbs-up, completely oblivious to the storm of thoughts spiraling behind her eyes. "It's my original combo! Named after yours truly—Uzumaki Naruto!"
The words rang out, loud and unrepentant. Tayuya's breath hitched. Uzumaki. The name was branded in her mind now, impossible to ignore. It wasn't just the name itself—it was everything it carried. And now this idiot—this unstoppable, chaotic force—had claimed it like a banner he waved proudly for the whole world to see.
Her fists clenched. Was this what power looked like? Not just strength but conviction—the kind that didn't waver even in the face of monsters?
She hated how it made her feel—hated that some part of her admired it. She glared at him, trying to summon her usual sharp words, but none came.
The dust began to settle, but the echoes of the battle lingered—shattered stone, broken earth, and the faintest glimmer of something new.
As Naruto stood there, fists clenched and eyes blazing with determination, she couldn't help but feel that—just maybe—this was how legends started.
Chapter End
AN: Bit of a brutal chapter this time for Naruto. Him losing his arm is just another thing I'm carrying over from canon, only making it happen much earlier and replacing it with a wooden one. This will have major ramifications coming up very shortly.