Chapter 18: Sharingan
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A/N: Before starting, I changed the fanfic cover. I had it custom made. That is how MC looks, well he looks very similar to Tobirama, except that his hair has quite a bit of red. What do you guys think?
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Without warning, Naoki's senses flared up with alarm. Powerful presences, much stronger than him and Itachi, and a couple even matching Shisui's strength, filled the area.
"Crap... It's an ambush." The urgency in Naoki's voice was palpable. Shisui and Itachi, trained to respond instantly to threats, sprang into readiness as gigantic earth spikes rocketed towards them with frightening speed. They were dangerously close to being skewered on the spot, their lives hanging by a thread.
"Stay close to me!" Naoki's voice cut through the air, a clear note of urgency ringing through each syllable. His hands blurred into motion, forming a rapid-fire succession of hand seals that would have been a mere blur to an untrained eye.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall"
A torrential surge of water erupted from seemingly nowhere, spiraling outwards to form a formidable barrier encircling Naoki, Shisui, and Itachi. The wall of water bristled with chakra-infused might, standing as a bulwark against the earth spikes that bore down on them. Yet, the spikes, empowered by their natural superiority over water, were rapidly piercing through.
A string of curses slipped from Naoki's lips as he poured more chakra into the formation, the water wall roaring with newfound vigor. It was a desperate, draining move, and Naoki could feel his chakra reserves dwindling with every passing second. But, after what seemed like an eternity, the onslaught of earth spikes lost their deadly momentum and finally came to a halt.
As the immediate threat receded, Naoki dispelled his jutsu, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. However, they were far from safe. Seven figures, clad in full-sleeve shirts and shinobi pants adorned with brown flak jackets, stood around them. The Iwagakure forehead protector, marred by a horizontal slash, glinted ominously in the ambient light.
Shisui, ever the stalwart warrior, was already at the ready, his hand resting lightly on his tanto blade. His gaze, sharp and discerning, flicked over to Naoki. His voice was serious, yet calm, a testament to his years of experience, "Can you gauge their strength?"
Naoki, matching Shisui's seriousness, responded, "There are two Jonin's, and the other 5 are elite Chunin. Although, I can't tell exactly how strong those Jonin's are, I know one of them is around elite Jonin level."
Shisui's gaze followed Naoki's assessment, his eyes narrowing on the Jonin. His voice, steady as a rock, carried a plan, "I can take those 2 Jonin's, you guys will have to take on those 5 Chunin. You guys will just have to hold on long enough for me to try to help. Also, Naoki, try to separate the Chunin from the Jonin."
Naoki nodded in agreement, his gaze meeting Itachi's. Their shared look was one of understanding, a silent promise of teamwork. Turning back to face the Chunin, Naoki launched into a series of hand seals, his chakra flaring brightly.
"Water Style: Water Vortex Jutsu"
What followed was a spectacle of water manipulation. Five compact water vortexes sprung into being, each one aimed at a different Chunin. Despite being a scaled-down version of the Giant Water Vortex jutsu, the smaller vortexes were no less impressive. They spun with a ferocity that belied their size, each vortex a swirling testament to Naoki's skill, chakra control, and reserves.
The vortexes struck true, their impact successfully corralling the Chunin into a single area. With the enemies sufficiently separated, Shisui seized his opportunity, launching himself at the Jonin with a flurry of the Phoenix Flower jutsu. As the fiery petals soared through the air, the battlefield was once again engulfed in the chaos of battle, each shinobi locked in their own fierce struggle for survival.
The aftermath of Naoki's separation jutsu found the battlefield a flurry of movement, raw power, and highly-focused chakra. With the two formidable jonin now engaged by Shisui, Naoki and Itachi swiftly turned their attention to the five chunin adversaries. The air crackled with tension, each shinobi sizing up their opponents, eyes gleaming with steely determination.
"Three on me, two on you," Naoki declared, directing his gaze towards Itachi. His tone carried no bravado, no inflated confidence. His words were not a boast but a tactical assessment. Even though Naoki was around chunin level himself, the leap from that to the status of an elite chunin, especially one hardened by the rigors of war, was a vast one. His choice to confront the majority of the enemy was rooted in his diverse jutsu repertoire and his more extensive combat experience, compared to Itachi.
Without missing a beat, Itachi gave a firm nod of agreement, his hand resting on the hilt of his tanto blade. Simultaneously, Naoki reached for his Thunder Sword, a weapon he had come to master under Shisui's careful tutelage. As he pressed the activation button, a surge of vibrant yellow electricity coursed through the weapon, morphing into a compact, radiant blade of lightning.
Propelled by a burst of chakra, Naoki's body flickered, a blur of movement that zipped towards one of the chunin. His sword swept through the air, leaving behind an arc of electricity, aimed squarely at the chunin's head. The chunin ducked just in time, a swift punch directed at Naoki's ribs. Naoki, anticipating the attack, sidestepped gracefully, his blade swirling in a clockwise direction, inching dangerously close to severing the chunin's outstretched arm.
The attack was interrupted abruptly as another chunin's foot connected with Naoki's side, sending him skidding across the dusty ground. His agility and shinobi reflexes allowed him to regain his footing quickly, positioning himself several meters away from his adversaries.
"Thanks, Aoki," the first chunin, who had narrowly escaped losing an arm, expressed his gratitude, his breath coming out in ragged pants, "That could have turned out bad."
Aoki, the second chunin, nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze fixed warily on Naoki, "Indeed, he's pretty strong. We can't underestimate him."
The third chunin, Jirobu, joined the duo, his eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and caution, "Aoki, Iwate, looks like we'll have our hands full with this guy. From the intel we received, I knew he was strong, but to already be around mid-chunin level at age five is insane."
Iwate, the chunin who had initially engaged Naoki, let out a low whistle, "Oh, Jirobu. Yeah, he surprised me there and caught me off guard. However, we should finish this up soon and then take down Shisui of the Body Flicker. I heard he's crazy fast and strong."
Their words hung heavily in the air, a testament to the intensity of the battle that was to come. The anticipation of the fight was palpable, each shinobi's senses sharpened to a razor's edge, ready to react at the slightest twitch of their opponents. The stage was set for a monumental clash of power, skill, and wit.
The three Chunin exploded into action, their bodies flickering as they moved to encircle Naoki in a meticulously calculated triangle formation. In perfect unison, they initiated a series of complex hand seals, their voices rising in a harmonious echo.
"Earth Style: Earth and Stone Bamboo Shoot Jutsu!"
The earth beneath them quaked, responding to their call. It roared and writhed, birthing an array of vicious spikes that lunged towards Naoki from all angles. These earthen fangs, hardened by chakra and honed by nature, sought to skewer him, to turn him into a morbid testament of their power.
Seeing the imminent onslaught, Naoki reacted with a swift plunge of his Thunder Sword into the ground. A pulsating electric forcefield sprang to life around him, its shimmering yellow aura defying the earth spikes' invasion. Despite their imposing size and raw power, the spikes fractured and crumbled upon contact with the field. Lightning, the natural nemesis of earth, had held its ground.
Jirobu, one of the three Chunin, grimaced in frustration, his eyes searing into the protective bubble around Naoki. "Tch, he's a bigger nuisance than I thought." His words bristled with resentment, his voice a grating growl.
Undeterred, the Iwagakure rogue-nin continued their assault, bombarding Naoki with an array of earth style techniques. Naoki, ensconced within his forcefield, was a picture of deep contemplation. His mind was a whirlwind of strategy and anticipation, racing against the clock to formulate a counterattack.
"DO NOT STOP! I don't believe he can stay there forever." Iwate's words sliced through the din of their relentless onslaught, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
Naoki was acutely aware of his dwindling time. His forcefield had a limited lifespan, and the barrage of earth jutsu was gradually eroding it. He needed to act, and act fast, to turn the tide. The situation demanded a high-risk, high-reward strategy.
His mind made up, Naoki began to weave an elaborate series of hand seals, fingers dancing in a complex choreography of motion. Two minutes stretched out like a lifetime as he completed a staggering 65 hand seals, a testament to the challenging technique he was about to invoke.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
His water scrolls unfurled, disgorging a torrent of water that swirled and coalesced into a massive water dragon. Its scales shimmered, each a tiny liquid mirror reflecting the grim determination in Naoki's eyes. The formidable creature, although not quite at A-rank, exuded an undeniable aura of raw power.
As the water dragon emerged from Naoki's forcefield, it absorbed the residual electricity, its form crackling with enhanced energy. This fusion of water and lightning amplified the creature's ferocity, transforming it into a fearsome hybrid entity. It lunged towards Aoki, its eyes ablaze with predatory anticipation.
Aoki's face paled at the sight of the electrified water dragon bearing down on him. In desperation, he hastily performed a series of hand seals and laid his hands on the earth, invoking his defense.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
A formidable barricade of earth erupted from the ground, shielding Aoki from the impending assault. The wall absorbed the brunt of the dragon's attack, crumbling under its relentless onslaught. Aoki was about to let out a sigh of relief, but before he could even draw breath, a piercing pain shot through his heart. His eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to find Naoki's lightning sword embedded in his chest. He looked back, his vision blurring at the edges, to see Naoki standing behind him, his face devoid of any emotion.
"How?" His voice was barely a whisper, his life force ebbing away with each fleeting second.
"As soon as your wall got destroyed and dust and rubble flew everywhere, obscuring everyone's vision, I body flickered here," Naoki explained, his voice as cold as ice, his eyes mirroring the ruthless determination that had fuelled his actions.
Naoki pulled his sword out, a chilling smile playing on his lips. He knew he'd been fortunate to eliminate at least one Chunin. A frontal assault wouldn't have allowed him to complete the 65 hand seals necessary for his water dragon technique. He would have been decimated before even invoking the jutsu. Yet, here he was, standing victorious over the fallen Chunin, his mind already racing ahead to the next phase of the battle.
His victory, however brief, sent a clear message to his remaining adversaries: he was a formidable opponent, one who refused to be defeated easily.
As the dust from the water dragon's destructive rampage settled, the two remaining Chunin took in the scene of devastation. Their eyes scanned the battlefield, eventually landing on the small silhouette standing ominously behind a motionless form. As the final wisps of dust dissipated, their worst fears were confirmed: Naoki was standing over the lifeless body of Aoki, a cruel smile playing on his young face.
A guttural scream tore through the silence, echoing across the battlefield. It was Iwate, his face twisted in rage, his eyes burning with an insatiable desire for revenge. His voice was raw and broken as he roared, "YOU... HOW DARE YOU KILL MY OLDER BROTHER!"
In a fit of uncontrollable rage, Iwate charged towards Naoki, his body a blur. Naoki cursed under his breath as he felt a powerful force bearing down on him. His body was spent, drained from executing such a powerful jutsu.
Iwate's first blow was a brutal punch, augmented with the Fist Rock Technique. Naoki barely managed to block the attack with his Thunder Sword. But before he could recover, a second punch, just as fierce, crashed into his ribs, launching him into a nearby house.
Pain exploded in his body as he collided with the wooden structure, sending debris flying everywhere. Naoki could feel his bones breaking under the force of the impact. His body screamed in protest as he forced himself up, only to be met with a devastating kick to the head. His vision blurred as he was sent crashing into another house.
In the midst of the onslaught, Naoki's mind raced to Itachi. If he was in this dire condition, what about Itachi? His eyes scanned the battlefield, landing on Itachi, who was in a similarly precarious situation. Jirobu was closing in, a murderous intent gleaming in his eyes.
Summoning the last vestiges of his strength, Naoki pushed himself off the ground and lunged towards Itachi. Ignoring the protest of his battered body, he pushed himself to the limit, reaching Itachi just in time to shove him out of the way. The cost was high, as Jirobu's blade found its mark in Naoki instead.
Itachi's world seemed to slow down as he watched Naoki being impaled. A maelstrom of emotions raged within him: grief, regret, sorrow, and a burning anger that seared his very soul. The world turned red, a sharp pain in his eyes heralding the emergence of a single tomoe in each eye - the Sharingan.
Tears streamed down Itachi's face as he looked at Naoki, "Naoki...Why?"
Naoki's reply was barely audible, his voice choked with pain, "I don't know...it was like my body was being controlled by another."
Jirobu, pulling out his sword from Naoki, sneered, "He's still alive after that? Doesn't matter, he'll die soon enough."
Something in Itachi snapped at those words. With a roar, he lunged at Jirobu, his sword aimed at his throat. Jirobu deflected the attack and spun around to decapitate Itachi. But with his newly awakened Sharingan, time seemed to slow for Itachi. He ducked under Jirobu's blade, kicked him brutally and, in one swift motion, decapitated him.
The battlefield fell silent once again, a stark contrast to the fury and violence that had just unfolded.
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A/N: How is the chapter? I tried making the fight as best as I could, and expressing emotions as best as I could. I came up with the fight scene on the spot, so I hope it's satisfactory.
Like I said previous chapter, Plot armour does not exist. While yes, MC will be powerful, he isn't invincible and certain actions have consequences.
Another important factor is that there isn't anything like nerfs in this fanfic, just know MC will come back stronger from setbacks.
Also expect some more action next chapter.
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Also, if you have any critiques or suggestions for the story like a certain mission or arc you wish me to write, please comment. I'm only a single entity and cannot come with a lot of ideas by myself, which is why I tend to change the story as it goes on, since I think of better ideas. The plot itself is kinda concrete, however, the journey there is not. So do give some ideas. Also do comment information about events that occurred during this time, such as missions.
So do comment and send powerstones as it feels like people are truly engaging with the story and it's a massive motivation factor for me.
https://discord.gg/vgJrmuV7
Hope you enjoyed, see you next chapter~
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