Chapitre 148: Chapter 148: The Retreat
"Hey, why did you use that? Now more people will definitely come, and in your current state, is it really a good idea? Is that kid really that strong?" Kisame exclaimed in surprise, seeing the fiery red skeletal structure of Susanoo. He knew the toll this technique took on Itachi, even in full health, and Itachi had already used Tsukuyomi twice.
Sure enough, before Itachi could locate Natsuro's position, he started coughing violently.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
As Itachi coughed up blood within Susanoo, Natsuro's voice rang out again. He wasn't going to let up. This wasn't even the fully-formed version of Susanoo, just a seemingly strong shell.
In the next instant, a massive compressed air blade cut through the fiery red skeleton of Susanoo with ease, continuing toward Itachi.
"What?" Itachi's eyes widened. He hadn't expected his Susanoo to be so easily broken. Just how sharp was that wind?
Vacuum Wave was a technique that concentrated the cutting power of wind to an extreme, and with Natsuro's mastery of nature transformation, it had become even stronger, especially after his recent breakthroughs.
Although the Vacuum Wave didn't have the same sheer destructive power as some techniques, very few things could withstand its cutting edge now.
Realizing this, Itachi was forced to move again. Luckily, Susanoo had blocked most of the attack, allowing him to narrowly dodge the deadly strike. Susanoo had served its purpose, for now.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
At the moment Susanoo was cleaved apart, Kisame sensed danger. Seizing the brief moment of shock, he quickly completed a series of hand seals.
In the blink of an eye, Kisame spat out an immense volume of water, creating what looked like a lake, followed by a massive wave that surged toward everyone.
The sheer scale of the wave caused Natsuro to frown. Sensing that Itachi was being carried off by a shark-like water creature, he knew that staying in Kisame's water-dominated terrain was unwise. He immediately used a Body Flicker technique to move to higher ground.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Kakashi, fighting off the effects of Tsukuyomi, forced himself to gather his chakra and performed hand seals, erecting an earthen wall to block the incoming wave.
Fortunately, the area they were in was already a lake, so the wave didn't reach its full potential. The earthen wall, though, managed to stop the remainder of the water.
As soon as Kakashi completed the technique, his exhausted body gave out, and he collapsed, unconscious.
Once the wave subsided, Guy, soaking wet, dragged himself back to the shore, panting heavily.
He had been caught directly by the wave and slammed to the bottom. Had it not been for his strong physique, he might not have made it out alive.
As for Kisame and Itachi, they had already vanished, using the wave to make their escape.
Sasuke, still in a daze, faintly saw Natsuro and overheard some of his words. He had witnessed the overwhelming power of Susanoo, but he had also seen that "god-like" figure get cut down by Vacuum Wave.
A faint smile appeared on Sasuke's face before he finally allowed himself to succumb to the exhaustion, falling unconscious like Kakashi.
"So strong..." Kurenai and Asuma exchanged glances, their eyes wide with amazement. After disengaging from battle, they had been able to watch the latter part of the fight.
They had fought Kisame and Itachi earlier, fully aware of their terrifying power. But once Natsuro arrived, the tide seemed to turn almost instantly.
Especially Asuma, a Wind Release user himself, couldn't imagine his own Vacuum Wave being capable of cutting through something as formidable as Susanoo.
Yet, in Natsuro's hands, that terrifying Susanoo looked like it was made of paper.
Asuma found himself slightly in awe. He had always known Natsuro as the polite young man who came to pick up Ino, but now he realized just how powerful he had become.
They weren't aware of how much energy Itachi had expended using Tsukuyomi twice, but Natsuro understood this very well. His advantage had largely come from Itachi's prior exhaustion.
He knew that Itachi had seen through all his moves, as if his lightning-fast attacks were slow in Itachi's eyes. But Itachi's body simply couldn't keep up.
Next time, it wouldn't be this easy. Itachi now knew some of his capabilities, and a ninja like him would quickly come up with countermeasures.
Fighting Itachi without finishing him quickly would only become more dangerous with time. This reality gave Natsuro a headache.
Still, he confirmed that his abilities were a direct counter to Itachi's. Itachi wouldn't dare use Amaterasu or Tsukuyomi on him; Amaterasu would waste chakra, and landing it on someone as fast as himself was improbable.
Moreover, Susanoo was vulnerable to Vacuum Wave, which could focus its cutting edge precisely enough to breach even its defenses.
However, even with all this, Natsuro knew better than to be overconfident. A ninja like Itachi could turn the tables if given the slightest opening.
"I'll check on them," Natsuro said as he took Sasuke's limp body and examined his injuries.
After a moment, Natsuro frowned. Sasuke's physical wounds weren't serious, but the mental trauma left by Tsukuyomi was more complicated.
Treating brain injuries was no easy task. A wrong move could cause irreversible damage, even death.
"Is it bad?" Guy asked, glancing at Kakashi, clearly concerned.
"Yes, it's pretty serious. I'll need to find the head of the medical department," Natsuro responded.
His chakra control was good enough, but his medical skills weren't up to the task. The medical department head had the opposite problem—excellent skills but insufficient chakra control.
Normally, this level of injury would require Tsunade's expertise, but Natsuro was confident that with the right collaboration, they could still manage to treat it.
"Leave it to me! I'll take these two to the medical center!" Guy declared, hoisting both Kakashi and Sasuke over his shoulders and rushing off.
The remaining three watched in silence, their eyes twitching slightly at Guy's exuberant handling of two unconscious bodies.
"Well, Asuma, Kurenai, you two can go back to your date. I'll head to the medical department," Natsuro said with a grin.
Kurenai blushed at the mention of a date, but her impression of him had clearly improved. Asuma laughed and replied, "Of course, but there's one more thing, Natsuro."
Asuma's face turned serious as he prepared to speak.
"What is it?" Natsuro asked, puzzled.
"Thank you for saving that stubborn old man from our family earlier," Asuma said, bowing deeply toward Natsuro while holding Kurenai's hand. It seemed that while they weren't officially married yet, their relationship was pretty much settled.
Reflecting on the original story, Natsuro felt he truly deserved this gesture and accepted their thanks.
"Alright, I appreciate the gratitude, but what I did was my duty," Natsuro responded sincerely.
Asuma then looked him in the eyes and said, "If you ever need our help in the future, whether it's for anything important... or even when it comes time to go for that position, just say the word. We'll fully support you."
"Deal. Now I need to hurry to the medical center before Guy loses his patience," Natsuro replied with a smile, sealing the promise with Asuma before heading off.
Asuma and Kurenai watched Natsuro walk away, both reflecting on his excellence—so young, so powerful, and seemingly flawless.
"Do you really have no interest in that position?" Kurenai asked quietly.
"I guess I do, a little. But I'm just not cut out for it. Even though the old man laid some groundwork for me, I've never been able to walk that path." Asuma sighed. Of course, the Third Hokage had paved the way for him, giving him the prestigious role of leading the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, but that was about as far as it went. For one, Asuma's strength wasn't enough, and for another, he wasn't overly invested in the Hokage title.
So, with someone like Natsuro, who was more suited for the role, Asuma felt at peace with the idea.
"Yeah." Kurenai nodded in agreement. Though the title of Hokage's wife was certainly tempting, she understood Asuma's personality and knew he wasn't a good fit for that responsibility.
"Well then, Kurenai, where should we go for our next date?" Asuma suddenly smiled.
Kurenai sighed. Once again, she realized just how unsuited Asuma was for that kind of role. Natsuro had jokingly suggested they continue their date, and Asuma had taken it quite seriously. "Asuma, don't you think there are more important things going on right now than going on a date?" she scolded gently.
"Heh heh," Asuma scratched his head with a sheepish laugh.
"Alright, let's keep patrolling around the village and maybe pick up a few things along the way," Kurenai finally relented.
"Sounds good!" Asuma agreed enthusiastically, and the two of them went off to patrol Konoha, under the guise of a "date."
...
"Yo, Natsuro! You're late! Youthful energy waits for no one—you have to move faster and with more passion!" Guy greeted him with his usual boundless energy.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Asuma had something to talk to me about. You can hand Kakashi and Sasuke over to the nurses now," Natsuro said, noting how close Guy had come to waking Kakashi and Sasuke with all his bouncing around.
"Got it! I'll leave it to you then!" Guy handed Kakashi and Sasuke over to the nurses, who watched in horror at how casually Guy handled the unconscious ninjas.
"We'll take care of them. Just... please be more gentle next time!" one of the nurses said, visibly relieved.
"Huh?" Guy scratched his head, realizing he had been admonished.
"Alright, Guy, go report everything to Lord Third. I need to find the medical chief to discuss the treatment plan," Natsuro instructed.
"Got it! I'm on it!" Guy gave Natsuro a thumbs up, flashing his trademark gleaming smile.
After Natsuro left, Guy paused, suddenly realizing that he didn't fully know what had happened during the battle...
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