章 85: Fight For Survival
Glancing outside a window at the topmost room in a hospital was Rock Lee.
The sterile walls of his room offered him little comfort, his body immobilized in a cast. But the arrival of Jada, his cheerful friend, turned things around.
"How're you feeling today, Lee?" she asked after opening the door. A wide smile spread across his face as she entered the room.
"Jada!" he exclaimed in a joyful tone. "You came to visit!"
She returned his smile and replied, "Of course, Lee. I promised I wouldn't miss a day until you recovered."
She drew closer to his bedside, her hand gently resting on his arm. He sighed slightly, admitting, "I miss training… I miss the thrill of working hard."
Jada squeezed his arm reassuringly and said, "I know, but you need to rest. You'll be back on your feet in no time."
"I'm glad you have so much hope for me," he replied. There wasn't a single ounce of doubt in his eyes. "Is this Tsunade really as good as you say she is?"
"She is!" she happily said.
"But what if I never recover?"
Jada's smile faltered as she said in a firm tone, "Don't talk like that. Tsunade will heal you. She's the best medic in the world."
He nodded, apologizing for making her worry.
"Sorry for asking," he said.
Jada punched him in the arm, causing a jolt of pain. He squealed, questioning the reason for the hit.
"Because," she answered, flexing her arm, "you have to say it with the power of youth!"
A comfortable laughter fell between them, followed by a pleasant quietness. They sat in companionable silence.
He looked at her with a sense of appreciation. She had always been there for him, a constant source of support and encouragement.
Jada had a reputation in the Leaf, one that many in her age group couldn't amount to. She was well known throughout the village and respected among her fellow ninjas.
He didn't envy her, but he most certainly wanted to get back into the action.
Breaking the silence, he confessed, "Jada, I get pretty nervous when I think about it."
Her expression softened as she gently said, "It's okay to be nervous, Lee. Everyone is afraid of something. Like me, I'm afraid of spiders. Ha-ha."
Lee nodded and said, "That's not what I meant… I've faced Neji hundreds of times and Jasper once. But none of them compared to Arthur."
Jada's demeanour shifted, her face growing serious.
"Arthur?" she calmly repeated, letting the name hang in the air.
Lee nodded and continued saying, "He's something else… I've never met an opponent like him before. It was like fighting a ghost. He predicted my every move and saw through my attacks like they were nothing. It was terrifying, to say the least."
Jada listened intently, unwilling to say anything. No one knew how she felt about Arthur. And the description Lee gave her was chilling.
Without a moment's notice, she arose from her seat and said, "I think I need to leave for a moment."
Lee looked at her, unable to make out her face. Confused, he asked, "Is something wrong?"
She simply nodded with a grave expression and said, "I'll be right back…"
Remembering what she said earlier about youth, he confidently pumped his fist and announced, "Please, try not to let him or anyone bring you down! That's what Guy-sensei always—"
The door closed behind her before he could finish.
"Huh…?" he wondered. He was alone to ponder what could have disturbed her so much. What did she know about Arthur that he did not?
The Land of Tea.
Team 7 could be heard discussing the situation amongst themselves, their words filled with confusion and concern.
Naruto was trying to defuse the situation, while Sasuke remained cautious, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Sakura, as always, was trying to be the voice of reason, looking for a peaceful solution.
"Quit messin' around already!" Naruto shouted.
Arthur ignored the outburst, prompting Sasuke to step forward.
"Open your eyes, Naruto," he said in a low, menacing tone. "I'd recognize that look from anywhere… Who's to say he's not one of them?"
Arthur held back his smile. Leave it to the sole genius among them to understand the situation.
The tension in the air grew more palpable as Arthur gestured for them to attack.
Blood boiling, Naruto rushed forward.
"Wait!" Sasuke yelled. But it was too late. He was forced to follow him.
Arthur crossed his arms, bracing himself for the impact. Naruto slammed a fist right into his defenses, the collision sending him flying upward.
Sasuke leapt right off Naruto's shoulders, meeting Arthur in the air. He tried to spin Arthur around, but Arthur knocked back his hand.
"Uzumaki barrage!"
Arthur turned his head, only to see Naruto's foot coming down from above. He caught it with one hand, but Sasuke capitalized on the attack.
"Lion's barrage!"
The Uchiha's kick connected. As Arthur began to fall, he saw Sakura activate a series of hand signs. A long rope erupted from the ground, covered in explosive tags.
He landed with a thud, the impact followed by a large detonation!
Team 7 had indeed turned the tables on him, their teamwork and coordination flawless. So much so that he hadn't known that their earlier attack was taken from one of the video games.
"Did we get him?" Naruto asked after landing with Sasuke.
The cloud created by the aftereffects finally cleared, revealing Arthur dusting himself off, his body unscathed!
"That's the best you three could do?" he taunted in a calm and collected voice.
Idate's reaction was one for the record books. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Arthur, his mind struggling to comprehend what he had just witnessed.
Naruto and Sasuke, still determined, moved into a defensive stance. They knew that Arthur was a formidable opponent, and they would need to work together to defeat him.
The main character was the first to move. Naruto's fist connected with Arthur's face, a thunderous impact that echoed through the shore!
The force of the blow should have sent Arthur reeling, but he remained unmoved. His face, however, bore the mark of Naruto's attack, a red imprint slowly fading away.
"You call that a punch?" he asked in an amused tone.
He grabbed Naruto's wrist with an iron grip. Then, with a swift motion, he twisted Naruto's arm, sending the boy crashing to the ground.
"Think I'm done?" he taunted, still holding the boy's wrist.
Naruto, his bravado shattered, was picked up like a ragdoll and slammed several times. Each impact sent a loud thud echoing across the battlefield.
Sakura gasped as she witnessed the raw power being displayed. The Naruto Uzumaki was being reduced to a helpless figure!
When Arthur finished, he stood over the boy with cold eyes.
"You're supposed to be the main character?" he questioned with a hint of contempt. "How laughable."
Naruto, struggling to regain his footing, glared at Arthur. He was hurt and angry, but his eyes still showed determination. He would not be defeated. Not without a real fight.
"We're not finished yet!" he shouted in defiance.
Sasuke appeared right above Arthur from behind, aiming a well-timed kick. Arthur managed to dodge, blurring away, but was forced to release Naruto's arm.
Naruto, eager for revenge, launched another attack. His fist connected with Arthur's chest, but the impact was absorbed by Arthur's powerful physique. Undeterred, Naruto continued his assault, sending a flurry of punches and kicks.
Arthur remained calm throughout. His movements were deliberate and precise as he dodged and weaved. When he saw an opening, he countered and sent a strike right to the boy's chest.
The blow caused Naruto to cough up stomach fluid. His breathing became laboured, but he refused to give up, a resilience that even Arthur was impressed by.
Suddenly, that Naruto vanished, replaced by several identical copies of himself.
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he understood what was happening. Naruto had used the Multi-Shadow Clone technique. Now he knew why this was the main character's most-used technique—he hadn't even seen when Naruto performed the hand sign!
The clones attacked from all directions with synchronized movements. Sasuke joined them, forcing Arthur to get on the defensive end.
He quickly pulled out a katana and began cutting through the clones one by one. Sasuke almost had his head sliced off had another Naruto not pulled the Uchiha back in time.
But the clones weren't finished. One appeared behind Arthur, his fist drawn back for a powerful punch. Arthur spun around, causing his katana to cut the Naruto in two.
The clone dispersed, and Arthur began to understand why the Multi-Shadow Clone technique was forbidden. He was being overwhelmed, forced to constantly be on his toes.
Suddenly, all the clones pulled out kunai. Arthur ran to a clear opening to get some breathing room. One by one, they chucked the kunai in the direction he was headed.
With a fluid motion, he stopped in his tracks and used his katana to deflect all of them!
The clones were skilled, but they were no match for his experience.
As they closed in, Arthur unleashed a barrage of attacks, fast enough not to be seen. The clones were cut down one by one, their bodies turning into puff clouds.
Idate watched in horror as the clones were being defeated.
"It's alright," Sakura assured after seeing his worried face. She reached for something in her pouch. "Just wait."
When Idate looked, he understood their strategy. The clones weren't the real attack; they were being defeated on purpose so that a larger puff cloud could be formed to cloud Arthur's vision.
From inside, Arthur remained stoic, standing amid the swirling smoke. Looking around, he noticed something odd with the smoke. The colour of it was mixed with white and purple—poison!
It was a desperate attempt by Sakura to let her team gain a tactical advantage, but it was a futile effort.
'Tamashii…'
His vision pierced the veil of obscurity. Naruto and Sasuke, their forms covered by the smoke, launched their attacks. Naruto's Rasengan and Sasuke's Chidori, two powerful techniques combined into a devastating assault.
Arthur, however, remained unfazed, watching them close the distance.
With a swift movement, he dropped his katana and intercepted their wrists, causing a loud shockwave powerful enough to clear the entire dust cloud.
When Sakura and Idate looked, they were beyond flabbergasted. The combined force of the Chidori and the Rasengan had been stopped!
Arthur stood his ground, holding them in place by their wrists. Sounds of one thousand birds chirping and chakra flowing filled his ears as he stared down at the two main characters. Their eyes were the same, showing how much they were willing to take him down.
"These are each of your most powerful jutsus, aren't they?" he asked. "But it's still not enough."
In another swift motion, he flung both ninjas behind him. Naruto and Sasuke, their attacks repelled, managed to safely land. They regrouped with Sakura, knowing that they had to find a new strategy—a way to defeat their formidable opponent.
Arthur, sensing their hesitation, pressed the attack. Startled, the two boys met him in the middle.
They fought back with all their might, but they were being overwhelmed. It was as if they were fighting air, each of their attacks being ineffective no matter what they tried.
Sakura, watching the battle unfold, thought of a different approach. She activated a few hand signs, creating an illusion around Arthur. Her hope was to disrupt his focus and give her teammates an opportunity to strike.
Arthur, however, was not fooled. He saw through the illusions instantly. When that failed, she tried setting up another trap like before. But he dodged them, as if knowing where they were placed.
"How is he doing that?!" Idate wondered.
"I… I don't know," she admitted.
She looked closely while the three were fighting and noticed something odd. Arthur's eyes were different. They hadn't looked like that before he had emerged out of the poisonous puff cloud; they were glowing ominously red.
Then it hit her—this was his Kekkei Genkai!
週次パワーステータス
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