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Everything is free! All the fanfics will be published and completed here. But by supporting me, you can read the drafts and the upcoming chapters before they are released. Currently, there are three chapters available: Chapter 7 of Legacy of Uzushiogakure: Kakashi vs Zabuza Chapter 8: Preparation and Chapter 9: Training. And for the House Lucifer, the draft of Chapter 10: The Battle For The Bridge (Part 1) is already available.
Thanks to Robert and Michael for their support!
Naruto sighed and let the chakra flow through his body. The energy circulated through all his chakra pathways until it reached his hands, where it enveloped a crystal sphere that glowed with a blue color.
"You're doing well, Naruto," a familiar voice praised voice to the boy. "Don't get distracted. You have to maintain the same constant flow, or the crystal will break."
Naruto frowned when his chakra, due to the seal on his abdomen, started to become more erratic and difficult to control.
"Take a deep breath and exhale. Breathing is important to maintain control over the chakra."
Naruto did as he was advised. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, watching as his heart began to beat normally again, and his control over the chakra returned to normal.
"I'm going to increase the difficulty a bit." A hand touched his abdomen, and a heartbeat later, his chakra went crazy again.
Uzumaki's jaw tightened with a frown. It was becoming difficult to make it flow evenly through all his chakra points and then envelop the crystal sphere with an equal and sustainable amount.
"Concentrate. Don't lose the flow; flow with the chakra. Don't force it; it's not your enemy, it's an ally. Let yourself be carried by it as if it were a wave."
"It's easier said than done," Naruto commented through gritted teeth. His chakra became a kind of tumultuous ocean with erratic waves that were becoming difficult to encompass.
"The purpose of this exercise is to make your chakra erratic so that you have to control it. If it were easy, there would be no point in practicing it in the first place."
Naruto nodded at his master's words in silence, his forehead wrinkled. The tumultuous chakra waves inside him were becoming increasingly difficult to control. Slowly they flowed toward his hands to the crystal, imbued with more and more chakra. The crystal began to send small electric shocks through Naruto's body to warn him that he was doing it wrong.
Uzumaki felt his hands go numb from both the shocks and the amount of chakra he was starting to concentrate in that region. Before he could regain control, the crystal cracked with a sound that rumbled in his ears like a lament. A heartbeat later, it shattered, and a powerful electric shock ran through Naruto's entire body, making him shudder.
"Are you okay?" His master was by his side in a moment with a voice that did not lack concern.
"I'm fine," Naruto nodded without opening his eyes, still recovering from the shock. It wasn't the first time it had happened to him.
He sighed, then sat back up and opened his eyes. Between his legs were small fragments of the crystal sphere.
"I'm sorry, I lost control," Naruto apologized, directing his eyes towards his master.
Kaito, his master in chakra control, gave him a gentle smile. His pale violet eyes still held a slight tinge of concern.
"You don't have to apologize," Kaito said in his usual soft voice. "You've come a long way in these past three years. These trainings are already for someone who has taken the pills."
"That's no excuse. I'm one of the last Uzumaki. There will be those who, upon knowing about the crystals, will come to take my life. I have to become stronger and faster." Naruto's expression turned somber.
"No one will harm you while you're under the protection of Konohagakure and the Hokage," Kaito replied in a reassuring voice. "You're a genius, Naruto. You've advanced faster than any Uzumaki I know."
Naruto shook his head, stubborn.
"It's thanks to the time dilation inside the crystals. Thanks to how fast time passes, I can learn faster what would take me days or even months outside."
Kaito sighed, defeated. His student was certainly a very stubborn person. He scratched his neck, then ran his hand through his scarlet red hair.
"Let's try again," Naruto decided with a determined look.
"No," Kaito refused with a somewhat serious and firm look. "It's getting late outside, you should sleep. Tomorrow you have missions with your team."
Those words only served to draw an annoyed growl from Naruto's lips.
"Missions," he repeated with a bitter snort. "It's all bullshit. Babysitting children, fetching animals, buying things, and farming. I didn't become a ninja for such stupidities."
"Naruto!" reprimanded Kaito in an iron voice unbecoming of him. "You should be thankful that you are in a time of peace. Don't crave combat or war. Believe me, I have lived through war and it is something that takes its toll. Whether mentally or physically."
Naruto, who had opened his eyes wide at his master's outburst, lowered his gaze in shame.
"I'm sorry," Naruto apologized with a slight blush.
"You're a child, Naruto, enjoy your childhood before wanting to go to war or fight. Believe me, the first death you see will be something that will mark you for life."
"Technically, I am already over twenty years old."
"The years you've spent training inside the crystals have been pure training. They don't count as true age. You may be a bit more mature than your generation's peers, but it's not enough." Kaito shook his head. "Since you don't want to sleep, how about taking advantage of the night and starting the process of absorbing the first pill?"
"Really?" Naruto's eyes gleamed like excited stars.
Seeing the innocence in Naruto's eyes, Kaito couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Sometimes, even he forgot that Naruto was no more than twelve years old.
"Yes. I think you're ready to take the first pill," Kaito spoke with a serious expression. It was his duty as an expert in medicine and the pills to decide when Naruto was ready to take the pills. "Do you remember what you have to do?"
"Yes." Naruto nodded with a smile.
"Remember that, even if the risk of death is low, it still exists. I think it's three percent."
"I won't die," Naruto declared firmly. "I have a dream to fulfill."
"Good. I wouldn't like to lose a student and even less the last descendant of the Royal Family." Kaito ruffled Naruto's hair as he stood up. "Now get out of the crystal and start absorbing the pill."
Naruto closed his eyes, and a blinding light enveloped him. Suddenly, he felt as if he were in a very enclosed room. His body began to fall into the void, and with a gasp, he woke up in reality.
"I'll never get used to getting out of the crystals," murmured Uzumaki with a grimace. He was sitting in a lotus position with two clones by his sides who were in the crystals of Kaida and Haruto.
Naruto stood up. A silver beam of the full moon slipped through the window, illuminating the room with its dim light. Naruto took out a key hidden under the bed and opened a small chest from which he took out a black pill.
The first of the eight pills: The Black Serpent Pill. To make it, some ingredients were necessary that weren't too difficult to obtain: Black Ginseng Root, Shadow Serpent Scales, and Carbon Powder.
Now, the process of making it was a bit more difficult. First, the black ginseng root was carefully washed to remove any dirt. Then, it was cut into small slices and left to dry in the sun for several days.
The shadow serpent scales had to be clean and free of any residue. Then, they were lightly toasted over low heat to strengthen their properties.
The charcoal powder had to be ground until it became a very fine powder, so it was necessary to use a mortar and pestle to ensure the powder was uniform.
To combine the ingredients, the dried black ginseng slices were first placed in the mortar and ground into a fine powder. Next, the toasted shadow serpent scales were added and ground until well mixed with the ginseng powder. Finally, the charcoal powder was gradually incorporated while continuing to grind the mixture, ensuring all the ingredients were well integrated.
Once everything was well integrated, a small amount of purified water was added to help bind the ingredients. The mixture was kneaded until a consistent dough was obtained, and then it was shaped into round pills by hand. Finally, the pill was placed in a cool, dry place to harden, a process that could take several days.
Naruto signed a bit nervous. He took off his clothes, as it was one of his master's advices.
"Here we go." Naruto swallowed the pill and grimaced at the sour and acidic taste of the pill. He quickly began to focus chakra in his abdomen, where the pill was dissolving and its properties were being absorbed by his body.
A few minutes after swallowing the pill, Naruto felt a warmth in his abdomen, the chakra of the pill. Using his chakra, Naruto distributed that warmth throughout his body, from head to toe. Uzumaki's temperature increased, and it was undeniable that he had a fever. His head was spinning, and his ears had a strange ringing, just as his eyes burned with a sharp pain.
None of that distracted him, and despite the high fever, Naruto continued to distribute his chakra throughout his body. The chakra of the pill and Naruto's chakra swirled harmoniously as it was distributed throughout his body.
Uzumaki let out a sigh, his body drenched in sweat. He didn't know how much time had passed until the fever subsided to a tolerable level, and his head stopped spinning. The ringing in his ears disappeared, and the pain in his eyes faded. The worst was over. Naruto continued to distribute the pill's chakra for what seemed like several more hours.
By the time he finished, a golden light was hitting his face. With a grimace, Naruto raised a hand to shield himself from the light. When he opened his eyes, he realized it was no longer the moonlight but the sun's golden rays bathed the village as it rose.
Naruto stood up from the floor and, with squinted eyes, wondered if the sun had always been so bright. His pupils took a moment to dilate and adjust.
On the other hand, his nostrils flared as a nauseating smell invaded him. He covered his nose and frowned.
"What's that awful stench?" He left his room and went to the dining room to check his garbage, but it was empty. "How strange..." murmured the Uzumaki.
But that wasn't the only strange thing. A small, soft snoring sound had been resonating in his ears for hours. But he didn't have any of his clones sleeping; the only clones Naruto had active were in the crystal.
"What the hell?" Naruto stepped back, confused, and bumped into the dining table. The plates on the edge wobbled and then fell. It was an instant, but everything seemed to move slower for Naruto, who instinctively caught all the plates in the air with ease.
The Uzumaki's eyes widened in surprise.
It was his senses; they had all sharpened thanks to the effects of the pill. But it wasn't just that; he noticed how his chakra was more powerful, his body lighter and stronger.
Naruto smiled as he looked at his hands. But then he frowned when he saw how his body was covered in a black substance all over. It was slimy and sticky to the touch, and when he brought it close to his nose, Naruto turned his face away with a disgusted expression.
He had forgotten that Kaito had warned him that the pills clean and expel impurities from his body.
"Looks like I'll need a good bath."
. . .
In one of the forests of Konohagakure, Team Seven was on a mission.
"This is Sasuke, I'm at point B."
"This is Sakura, I've reached point C."
"This is Naruto, at point A."
"Alright, unit 7..." Kakashi spoke through the communicator. "Eh? The target has moved."
A figure jumped from the branches of the trees and hid in a bush to evade its pursuers.
"Alright, it's there," affirmed Naruto, having a clear view of the target.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke advanced and hid behind some trees not far from the bush where the target was.
"What is the distance to the target?" Kakashi inquired seriously.
"Five meters, I'm ready to take action," Naruto responded.
"Me too," Sasuke agreed.
"And me as well," added Sakura.
"Okay. Let's go!" Kakashi gave the order to capture the target.
Naruto's senses heightened, and everything around him went silent. His vision became sharper and more precise. The target, hidden within a bush, was nervously looking around. It knew it was being hunted. But it didn't have time to react when, with an explosive step, Naruto launched toward it at a surprising speed.
"I've got it."
The Uzumaki grabbed the cat with one hand. It meowed furiously at being captured. It extended its claws and tried to scratch Naruto's arm to free itself, but Naruto's skin remained unharmed; it was as if it were scratching a rock.
"Does it have a bow on its right ear? Is it our target, Tora?" Kakashi asked curiously.
"It's our target, for sure," Sasuke affirmed confidently after glancing at the cat, which matched the description their master had provided.
"Good. 'Operation Capture Tora, the lost pet,' complete."
They returned to the village to deliver Tora back to its owner, who was the wife of the Fire Country's feudal lord: Madam Shijimi. Upon retrieving her cat, she gave it a bear hug, with the cat meowing uncomfortably. Though no one had the courage to tell her.
"Ooooh! My sweet Tora! Mommy was so worried."
"That cat got what it deserved," Naruto whispered to himself with a grimace. 'Even so, when it tried to scratch me, it couldn't hurt me,' Naruto continued in his thoughts, looking at his intact arm.
"Now I understand why it ran away..." murmured Sakura with a sympathetic look.
"Well... the new mission for Team 7 is... umm..." The Hokage read a paper with several mission requests with a thoughtful look. "Babysitting the feudal lord's grandson, going shopping in the neighboring village, and helping to plant potatoes."
"I refuse!" Naruto said with a determined look. "I want to take on important missions! Give us another one!"
'I agree,' thought Sasuke to himself.
'Oh god, how exasperating,' Sakura reflected.
'Shh... I knew he would react this way,' thought Kakashi with a tired look.
"Idiot! You're just a beginner!" Iruka reprimanded him in a severe tone. "We all started with simple missions! You have to progress step by step!"
Naruto understood, especially after his conversation with Kaito. He wasn't looking for a mission to assassinate a target or where conflict was expected. But he also didn't want to be babysitting or shopping. He hadn't been training for years for that.
"But! But... our useless missions are worthless!" Naruto complained irritably. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he quickly moved to the side, dodging a strike from Kakashi.
Everyone seemed surprised, especially Naruto himself, who still wasn't fully accustomed to his new senses.
"Shut up for a while!" Kakashi ordered in a serious voice, though his eyes shone with a curious glint.
"Naruto! It seems I have to explain to you the reason for these missions," the Third Hokage spoke calmly. "Listen, this village receives numerous requests every day, from babysitting... to assassinations. In the mission registry, there are different types of missions... They are classified by difficulty ranking, with letters according to their level of difficulty, being A, B, C, and D, from highest to lowest. The village is divided by skill level, starting with me, followed by the Jonin, the Chunnin, and the Genin."
Naruto nodded, he understood that: the Hokage was the leader and, therefore, the strongest ninja. The Jonin were the elite among the ninjas in his village. The Chunnin were the mid-rank, and the Genin, like him, were the lowest rank, just above the Academy students.
"Distributing the missions is up to the higher-ups, and we assign them to each ninja according to their abilities."
The D-rank missions were usually given to the Genin, with a few exceptions where they were given C-rank missions when they were a more advanced Genin team. The C and B missions were regularly given to the Chunnin depending on their skill level. And the A-rank missions were reserved only for the elite, the Jonin.
"And... if the mission is successfully completed... we receive the reward money," Hiruzen continued, observing how the wife of the Lord of Fire paid the reward. "You have just become Genin; D-rank missions are more than sufficient."
"I should buy more weights to properly exercise my body. I still don't know my level of strength after absorbing the pill." Naruto completely ignored the Hokage.
"Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" Hiruzen scolded, then narrowed his eyes. "Have you already started consuming the rebirth pills, Naruto?"
"Yes... but that doesn't mean I'm going to share the recipes," Naruto commented, then gave a sly smile. "But I can share a couple of techniques that would help improve chakra control if maybe, you gave us a more exciting mission."
"Alright, I understand," Hiruzen spoke, raising his voice. "If you insist... I will allow you to take on a C-rank mission. It involves escorting a person."
"Really?" Naruto beamed with a joyful smile. "Who? A feudal lord or a princess?"
"Calm down, you'll meet them shortly. You may enter now."
Naruto and his team turned their gaze as the door opened, revealing an older man with gray hair and glasses.
"What's going on now? This is nothing but a bunch of brats," the man said, then took a large swig of his alcoholic drink. "Hey! Is that red-headed sissy really a ninja?"
"A drunk? Is this really the best you've got?" Naruto turned to Hiruzen with a blank look. "The quality of the missions is starting to drop."
Kakashi gave Naruto a chop to the back of the neck, which he couldn't dodge this time.
"Be a little more respectful to the man we have to protect."
"I am the expert bridge builder, Tazuna. Once I return to my country, you must protect my life with yours until I complete the bridge," introduced the alcoholic elder.
. . .
The next day, Team Seven met with Tazuna at Konoha's gates to start their journey.
"Finally, a real mission!" Naruto celebrated with a smile.
"Why are you so excited?" Sakura asked with a frown.
"It's just that I've never left the village," Naruto revealed, taking a deep breath of the outside air.
"Hey! Am I really safe with this fool?" Tazuna questioned, pointing at Naruto.
Kakashi let out a small nervous laugh. "Well... don't worry, I'm a Jonin."
'This old man is unbearable,' Naruto thought bitterly. 'I'll just have to put up with him for a few days.'
"Hey old man, don't mess with someone you don't know," the Uzumaki retorted with a serious look. "You don't know what I'm capable of," he added, his smile brimming with confidence. "I'm a descendant of the Uzumaki clan—the strongest clan this world has ever seen. Remember my name because soon it will be that of a legend, old man. Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Uzumaki? Wasn't that the clan that formed its own village? Uzushio-? Bah, I don't know what else. They weren't a big deal. If they were so strong, why were they defeated? To me, they were just a clan of talkers-" Tazuna said disdainfully.
Everything happened in an instant. Tazuna took a step back as his survival instinct screamed danger. His skin prickled, and he began to sweat cold when an enormous pressure was placed on his shoulders. Thanks to that step back, he managed to narrowly avoid the slash of a katana that whistled through the air near his neck.
Tazuna's eyes widened with a frightened glint. He stumbled and fell to the ground, the bottle of alcohol slipping from his hands that quickly went to his neck. He checked them to make sure there was no blood. There wasn't any, but he was sure he felt the cold steel on his throat. In front of him was the red-haired boy whose clan he had mocked.
The Jonin restrained him and shouted orders, but Tazuna couldn't hear any of it. All the sounds around him fell silent as if they had been caught in a jutsu. The only thing Tazuna saw were the sapphire blue eyes with a purplish tint of the boy who had tried to kill him. The gaze of someone emitting a powerful killing intent.
The boy writhed like a trapped animal, struggling against the jonin's grip. His face was distorted and red with anger, his jaw tense, and his eyes were two violet flames full of hatred that threatened to burn him to ashes. His companions, surprised, didn't know how to react. They had to protect Tazuna, but they never expected they would have to protect him from their own comrade.
The black-haired boy was the first to react, positioning himself between Tazuna and the red-haired brat after the Jonin gave the order. The girl stayed behind with a pale face of fear.
Several minutes passed in which Tazuna remained silent. His labored breathing and his heart pounding like a drum in his throat were the only signs of life in his paralyzed body. A sharp, annoying ringing dominated his ears, blocking out any other sound from the outside world.
The boy stopped writhing under the Jonin hold, who kept him in control with a lock.
"Have you calmed down, Naruto?"
The response took several seconds to arrive, in what was one of the most uncomfortable silences for Tazuna.
"Yes," Naruto said, his expression overshadowed by his hair and with a voice that cut like swords.
"Will you not attack Tazuna?"
"No."
The Jonin hesitated for a moment before releasing him, but after a few moments of reflection, he freed the boy from the hold.
"One more outburst like that, and this mission is over, understand?" the Jonin warned coldly.
"Yes." Naruto stood up and sheathed his katana. He shot a furious look at Tazuna before setting off with a sullen expression.
Tazuna felt a lump in his throat and the fear tightening his stomach. The Jonin approached and extended his hand to help him up. Tazuna accepted it.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to let him go?" Tazuna asked with a trembling voice.
"No problem. I'll keep an eye on him," the Jonin responded calmly. "Though I recommend not messing with his clan again. It's a," he grimaced, "delicate topic for him."
Tazuna swallowed and nodded. The brat who had tried to kill him was ahead, with his companion watching over him. Naruto looked over his shoulder at him, lips pursed in a sour grimace.
After that, they all set off with a silence so tense it could be cut by anything.
"Um... Mr. Tazuna?" Sakura spoke in an attempt to calm things down.
"What?"
"You're from the Land of Waves, right?"
"Yes, so what?"
"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura directed her curious green eyes toward her teacher. "Are there ninjas in that country too?"
"No, there are no ninjas in the Land of Waves, but... yes, in the rest of the countries," Kakashi replied. "There are other hidden villages. Therefore, also shinobis, although they have different cultures and customs from ours," he continued. "Of all the countries in this area... the existence of ninja villages is equivalent to the military power of the country. In other words, that's how they manage to maintain relationships with neighboring countries. But the villages are not dominated by the country, in theory, they are on the same level. On a small island, like the Land of Waves, where it's difficult to be influenced by other countries... there's no need for a ninja village. Among the countries that have ninja villages... are the five countries of Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, and Earth... which occupy a large part of the area, and their powers are immense, that's why they are known as the five great ninja villages. Land of Fire: Hidden Leaf Village. Land of Water: Hidden Mist Village. Land of Lightning: Hidden Cloud Village. Land of Wind: Hidden Sand Village. Land of Earth: Hidden Rock Village. Only the leader of each hidden village is deserving of the title 'Kage.' Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, and Tsuchikage, also known as the five Kages... are the ninjas who lead hundreds of thousands of ninjas in the countries around the world."
"Wow! The Hokage is amazing!" Sakura praised with a smile, but inside she thought otherwise. 'Is that old man really that incredible? I don't believe it...'
Naruto had the same thought, with a disdainful look on his face, remembering the time he defeated him using the Sexy Jutsu to steal the scroll.
"You doubted the Hokage's power, didn't you?" Kakashi asked.
The three Genin shuddered at being discovered. Sakura shook her head. Naruto looked up and started whistling. Sasuke remained calm.
"Don't worry, there won't be any combat between ninjas on a C-rank mission," Kakashi revealed calmly, patting Sakura's hair.
"Then, there's no need to worry about encountering foreign ninjas," Sakura said.
"Of course."
Tazuna grimaced and looked down, an expression that did not go unnoticed by the Uchiha.
'A puddle of water?' Naruto thought with a frown. 'No. It's a person!' The Uzumaki placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it.
"Calm down, Naruto," Kakashi spoke with his single eye smiling, placing his hand on his student's shoulder.
'Did he notice too?' Naruto wondered to himself with a puzzled look. The Uzumaki relaxed a bit and removed his hand from the hilt of his sword, but he remained alert.
They took a few more steps, and suddenly, two ninjas appeared and wrapped Kakashi with a chain.
"What?!" Kakashi asked in surprise.
"Huh?!" Sakura turned around, surprised.
"One down," one of the two ninjas said, pulling hard on the chains that bound Kakashi. To everyone's astonishment, they witnessed Kakashi's body being dismembered into several parts.
Sakura screamed in fear.
"K-Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled in surprise. He was sure Kakashi had noticed that two ninjas were hiding in the puddle. So how was it possible for him to be caught off guard and defeated?
"Two down," two voices spoke in unison behind the Uzumaki, who shuddered.
The Uzumaki turned to see the two ninjas wielding two identical claws connected by a chain. The sharp claws glinted in the daylight as they began to approach Naruto, who, due to fear, remained paralyzed.
Sasuke was the first to react. He jumped into the air and pulled a shuriken and a kunai from his tool pouch. He threw the shuriken to trap the chain that connected the claws to a tree. Then he threw the kunai at the center of the shuriken to secure it, preventing the ninjas from moving the claws.
"He jammed it," one of the ninjas commented, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.
Sasuke landed on the two ninjas' claws. Then, with a quick movement, he delivered two kicks to his opponents' faces.
'Incredible,' Naruto thought, surprised.
The ninjas growled and quickly activated a mechanism that separated the chain from the claws, allowing them to move freely. One of them lunged at Tazuna, and the other towards Naruto, attempting to attack him from behind.
Naruto's sharp reflexes allowed him to see it clearly. But the Uzumaki couldn't move; his body was paralyzed with fear. All his muscles were tense and hard as a rock.
'Here... it comes!' Sakura thought as she saw the other ninja approaching, trying to end Tazuna's life. 'I have to do it! I have to do it!' she repeated to herself.
"Sir, back!" Haruno managed to move and pull out a kunai as she placed herself between the ninja and Tazuna.
Sasuke moved at great speed and placed himself between Sakura and the ninja, extending his arms to protect her. But the ninja's attack never came. In an instant, both ninjas were defeated by Kakashi, who appeared out of nowhere.
'Kakashi-sensei... is alive?' Sakura thought with a happy smile.
'Bah, he must be showing off,' Sasuke reflected with an accusatory look.
Naruto's eyes widened. He directed his gaze to where Kakashi's remains were supposed to be, only to see that there were only wooden logs. Kakashi had used a kawarimi to save himself.
Tazuna sighed in relief, seeing that the situation was under control and that they were safe for now.
"Sorry, Naruto, I didn't save you right away. You're hurt..." Kakashi's gaze fixed on the slight cut on Naruto's hand. "But I didn't think you would freeze up like that," he continued, then directed his gaze to his other students. "Anyway, good job, Sasuke. Sakura, too."
'I couldn't do anything,' Naruto thought helplessly as he got up from the ground. His sapphire blue eyes were fixed on Sasuke. 'But he... it was his first real fight, wasn't he scared? He acts like nothing happened, and he doesn't have a speck of dust on him... he even saved me.'
"Hey!" Sasuke called out to Naruto. "Are you okay, scaredy-cat?" the Uchiha asked with a mocking smile.
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, and he pressed his lips into a thin line.
"Naruto, leave that for later," Kakashi intervened before they could start fighting. "Their claws are poisoned, we need to get it out quickly," the Jonin continued. "We need to open the wound and get the poisoned blood out of your body. Don't move, or the poison will spread even faster."
Naruto frowned as he looked at the wound on his hand.
"What's wrong?" Tazuna asked nervously.
"I need to speak with you," Kakashi replied, looking over his shoulder at him. He then tied up the enemy ninjas with a rope around a tree. "They seem to be Chunnin from the Hidden Mist Village. These ninjas are known for fighting no matter what."
"How did you realize our movements?" one of the ninjas questioned Kakashi.
"On a sunny day like this, when it hasn't rained in days, there can't be a puddle," Kakashi answered calmly, pointing out the obvious.
"If you already knew, why did you let the brats fight?" Tazuna asked curiously.
"If I wanted to, I could have killed them instantly, but..." Kakashi gave the client a serious look. "I wanted to know who their target was."
"What do you mean?" Tazuna asked.
"It means they were after you or one of us. I didn't know there were ninjas following you. Our mission is simply to protect you from thieves and gangs," Kakashi replied, turning to Tazuna. "This has turned into at least a B-rank mission. This was supposed to be simple protection until you complete the bridge," he continued, to which Tazuna lowered his gaze with a frown. "If I had known there were ninjas after you, this mission would have been classified as B-rank, making it more costly. I'm sure you had some reason, but you caused problems by lying about the mission. Now we are operating outside our orders."
"They seem to be Chunnin from the Hidden Mist Village."
"We're not ready for this mission," Sakura commented. "Let's withdraw! We need medicine for Naruto's wound. Let's return to the village and take him to a doctor..."
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully.
"This might be too much..." Hatake said with a reflective voice. "I think we should go back to the village to heal Naruto."
Naruto gritted his teeth. He took out a kunai and stabbed it into his wounded hand, surprising everyone.
'Why is there so much difference?' Naruto asked himself internally, gritting his teeth in frustration. 'Why always me? Damn it!'
"Naruto! What are you doing?!" Sakura asked worriedly.
'I should be getting stronger and stronger...' Naruto thought, remembering all the training he had done since obtaining the crystals. 'I've completed many missions and even practiced ninjutsu every day on my own.' Naruto clenched his jaw, recalling all the training he had received from Kaito, Haruto, and Kaida for three whole years. Had it all been in vain? No! He refused to think that. 'I will never need to be saved again. I won't be scared, nor will I try to run. I won't lose to Sasuke. I swear by the pain in my left hand.' Blood gushed from Naruto's wound, and he felt the burning and sharp pain of the wound like a whip lashing through his entire arm.
How could he become Hokage if he froze every time, he entered combat? Naruto had fought multiple times, yes, but they were all training. This was the first time he had a real fight where his life was truly at risk. With the blood he shed as a witness, he repeated to himself that he would not freeze again. To fulfill his dreams.
"With this kunai..." Naruto spoke, turning to everyone. "I will protect the old man. Let's continue with the mission!" Naruto promised with a determined look and a big smile.
. . .
"You failed?! I paid you a lot of money because I heard you were very powerful ninjas." The dry, resounding blow of the cane echoed in the room, and the rhythm became faster and more abrupt as Gatou's anger grew. He was a small man with light brown, fluffy, and unkempt hair. Behind his dark glasses, anger flashed in his eyes. He was not a man who liked failure, especially one where he invested a lot of money.
The ninja who received the complaint rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, strapped to his shoulder. An extremely long blue hilt that he took and, with a quick movement, extended it towards the person complaining, who took a step back in fear. The Decapitating Knife was the name of the large, broad sword, 250 centimeters long, shaped like a butcher's knife. The blade itself had two cutouts: a circle near the top and another semicircular one closer to the hilt, the first of which aptly fit the sword's decapitation purpose.
"Enough complaints. Now I will go with this head-cleaving sword. And I will kill them," the ninja promised in a cold voice. The ninja was tall and muscular, with tanned skin. The ninja headband was tied to the side, covering part of his short, spiky black hair. His small eyebrows and dark brown eyes, which showed no sign of fear in the face of the magnate's anger, seemed calm but penetrating. The lower half of his face was covered with bandages, like a mask.
"Are you sure?" Gatou questioned with a trembling voice. The sword was just a few centimeters from him. "It seems the enemy hired skilled ninjas. And with the defeat of the demon brothers, they will surely be better prepared."
"Who do you think I am?" the ninja with the large sword replied calmly. "For some reason, I am called the demon of The Village Hidden in the Mist, Zabuza Momochi."
Perhaps many people wonder or feel dissatisfied about why Naruto froze when the Chunin attacked him. The truth is that, although Naruto is stronger than Sasuke, he has not had any real combat experience, except for training sessions where he always knew he wouldn't be killed. On the other hand, Sasuke has the experience of the Uchiha Massacre. That's why Sasuke can act, while Naruto freezes, as he has never been in a situation where his life was truly in danger.
Now, about the pills—this is something I have never seen in any other Naruto fanfiction. I don't want to say that I'm inventing them or that I'm revolutionizing fanfiction with an idea that has never been seen before. For starters, pills were already something shown in Naruto. Kiba used some during his fight against Naruto, and Choji, if I remember correctly, also used them during his battle against one of Orochimaru's subordinates.
Although the concept of pills was already present in Naruto, my inspiration for introducing them mostly came from Korean Murim novels. These pills will play an important role in Naruto's power progression. Let's say, if crystals represent knowledge and techniques, pills symbolize the enhancement of physical strength, speed, and endurance.
If you want to read three more chapters right now. Write: "www. Pa treon . com(Slash)ApheliosFanfic in the Websearch (without spaces) (Slash) = /
Before I go I want to thank Robert and Michael for his support. Thank you very much.