The quiet jungle trail suddenly erupted with a massive shockwave, tearing trees from their roots and sending debris flying in all directions.
Yamato braced himself, raising a wooden barrier to block the violent winds.
Behind him, Roshi and Sakura huddled for cover.
Roshi, usually calm, looked shaken.
"Konoha really attracts trouble, huh?" he muttered.
"Two monsters like this in one fight... Are you sure you don't want to remove my seal?"
But his words were ignored—all attention was locked on the battlefield ahead.
The storm from Naruto's transformation had settled, revealing the aftermath.
In the center of a massive crater, Naruto crouched on all fours like a beast.
His body was no longer human.
A dark red, fluid-like chakra pulsed around him, twisting into four tails.
His breath came out in steaming bursts, his eyes burning with savage instinct.
Roshi let out a low whistle.
"This is stronger than my incomplete transformation... As expected of the Nine-Tails."
Indeed—Naruto's presence alone was suffocating.
His chakra boiled, wild and untamed, painting him as nothing short of a living monster.
"Raaagh!"
The four-tailed Naruto let out a low, guttural growl, his eyes locked onto Kisame.
A small smirk tugged at Kisame's lips as he casually pointed Samehada at Naruto.
"Come on then."
Naruto's muscles coiled.
With one powerful lunge, his claws tore into the ground like butter, cracking the earth beneath him.
Then—boom!
The ground exploded beneath his feet as he launched into the air.
In an instant, he was above Kisame, a massive chakra claw swiping downward.
Kisame's instincts screamed danger.
He leapt back, narrowly dodging as Naruto's attack obliterated the ground where he had stood.
At the same time, Kisame formed a quick seal.
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
A powerful sphere of water shot from his mouth.
But Naruto didn't flinch.
His claw slammed into the earth—
BOOM!
A shockwave ripped through the battlefield, sending rocks, dust, and shattered debris hundreds of meters into the air.
Even Yamato and the others, who had been watching from a distance, felt the impact.
Originally, Yamato had been observing calmly behind his wooden barrier.
But now—cracks formed in the defense, and the force nearly knocked him off his feet.
As the dust settled, everyone stared in shock at the newly-formed crater.
It was as if a meteor had struck.
Yamato swallowed hard.
"He changed the entire landscape with a single strike..."
Sakura, standing beside him, nodded grimly.
"We need to fall back."
Roshi cast a glance at Itachi.
"You think he'll let us?"
Then, shaking his head, he muttered, "Forget it. Let's just move before we get caught in this mess."
And with that, Yamato and the others withdrew—just as the real fight was about to begin.
Itachi remained unfazed.
As the shockwave tore through the battlefield, he instinctively shielded Sasuke, ensuring his younger brother wasn't caught in the blast.
If he had pursued Naruto, Sasuke would've been crushed under the sheer force of the clash.
Kisame chuckled.
"That's some serious destructive power. Transforming like this really makes a difference... Nine-Tails is on a whole other level."
But this time, Kisame wasn't taking any chances.
His hands blurred through hand seals.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Shockwave!"
In an instant, a massive surge of water erupted, flooding the battlefield.
Towering waves crashed down, swallowing everything in their path.
From a distance, Naruto—now fully in his four-tailed state—seemed tiny against the massive tsunami.
But he wasn't afraid.
With a single leap, he landed atop the wave, clinging effortlessly to the shifting surface.
Within moments, the roaring tide settled, leaving the entire area transformed into an endless sea.
The once-dense forest was gone.
All that remained was a vast stretch of water.
Nearby, Yamato and Sakura stood atop the surface, still trying to process what had just happened.
Yamato exhaled sharply.
"Unbelievable... His water release changed the entire terrain."
Sakura, wide-eyed, nodded.
"That guy is a complete monster."
Suddenly, bubbles broke the surface.
Pffft—
A head popped out of the water.
Roshi gasped for air, then immediately started swearing.
"Damn it! If I couldn't swim, I'd be dead by now!"
Then he turned to Yamato and Sakura, glowering.
"Hey! You two just stood there while I almost drowned?! Hurry up and remove my seal! If you don't, I swear I'm gonna—"
But before he could finish, Yamato and Sakura slowly turned toward him.
Their expressions were ice-cold.
A chill ran down Roshi's spine.
His words caught in his throat.
Without another word, he sank back into the water, leaving only a trail of bubbles behind.
-----
Kisame vanished after casting his jutsu.
Naruto, now in his four-tailed form, crouched on the water's surface. His dark red chakra cloak sizzled as it touched the water, creating a hissing sound.
Suddenly, bubbles began to rise from below.
Naruto's glowing eyes narrowed in confusion.
Then—without warning—Samehada burst out of the water, swinging straight at him!
Naruto barely had time to react.
The massive blade slammed into him, sending him flying.
Kisame smirked.
But before he could savor the moment, a chakra clone of Naruto suddenly emerged—its razor-sharp claws slicing toward him.
Kisame's instincts kicked in.
He dropped Samehada and barely dodged the attack in time.
Meanwhile, Naruto felt something was off—his chakra was draining rapidly.
Kisame chuckled.
His hands flashed through hand seals before slamming the ground.
"Water Style: Five Feeding Sharks!"
Immediately, five massive sharks formed from the water and lunged toward Naruto.
With a single swipe, Naruto's elongated chakra claws struck down the incoming sharks.
But instead of disappearing, the sharks regenerated and attacked again!
Naruto exploded with raw chakra, shattering them once more.
This time, he extended his chakra arms and swung toward Kisame.
But Kisame wasn't there.
His body melted into a puddle of water.
The real Kisame, hidden beneath the surface, gripped Samehada tightly and struck again!
Naruto had just dealt with the clones when—
BAM!
Kisame erupted from the water, Samehada smashing into Naruto's side.
Naruto was sent flying into the air.
He struggled to regain control—
But then, a terrifying realization hit him.
Samehada was draining him.
His chakra cloak flickered.
His tails began to fade.
And before he knew it—
The transformation was gone.
Naruto, drained of his chakra, collapsed into unconsciousness.
Kisame smirked, catching him midair before landing effortlessly on the water.
Holding Naruto like a trophy, Kisame turned to Yamato with a grin.
"Now... it's your turn."
Rōshi's face tensed. He shouted urgently—
"Quick! Release my seal!"
Yamato hesitated.
Sakura bit her lip, her fists clenched.
They both knew—the situation was completely out of their control.
Itachi, watching from a distance, felt a rare sense of unease.
So much noise.
Why hasn't Konoha's backup arrived yet?
Then, suddenly—
Naruto's body began to glow.
A surge of energy pulsed from within him.
Kisame's instincts screamed danger.
Without hesitation, he threw Naruto away and jumped back.
BOOM!
A blinding explosion of energy erupted from Naruto's body, forming a three-meter repelling shield.
Everything within range vaporized in an instant.
As the intense light faded, everyone's eyes widened at the scene before them.
Standing in the exact spot where Naruto had been—
A young girl held him effortlessly in a princess carry.
Her expression was cold, her gaze piercing.
Kisame raised an eyebrow.
"A little girl?"
Sakura gasped.
"Sakiya!"
Even Yamato's eyes widened.
"The Angel of War..."
Rōshi, still floating in the water, was just as confused.
"Why is she here?"
Then, a realization hit him.
Maybe this isn't so bad.
"If even the girl who beat me down is here, these two bastards might finally be in trouble."
Kisame chuckled.
"You're not all seriously thinking of this kid as your savior, are you?"
Despite his words, Yamato and Sakura regained some confidence.
"If we use genjutsu, we can escape. That should be enough!"
Sakiya, still holding Naruto, walked toward them.
Without hesitation, she handed him over to Yamato.
"Take care of him," she said coldly.
"I'll handle the rest."
Her tone was flat. Emotionless.
As if she wasn't about to fight deadly enemies—
But merely stepping on a few ants.
Sakura's eyes flickered with realization.
"Wait... Are you a clone? Sakiya! Can't you just use that illusion technique?"
Sakiya shook her head.
"The Holographic Projection Technique takes too much chakra. I can't sustain it for long."
Sakura murmured.
"So that's how it is..."
Kisame, growing impatient, clapped his hands together.
"Alright, enough chit-chat."
He slammed his palm onto the water.
"Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!"
The battle resumed.
___________
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