บท 142: Chapter 142: The Unshaking Defense
Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 142: The Unshaking Defense
Naruto activated his movement technique and vanished from his spot.
He appeared to Kimimaro's left side and sent a powerful kick aimed at his head.
"Oh?" Kimimaro murmured, as bones extended from his shoulder, blocking the strike. He had not known anything about Naruto's fighting style of his choice. But it would be good for him if it was close-range combat. That was also his preferred style.
Naruto's kick should have been strong enough to bend steel, but the bones barely suffered a few fractures.
He took a step back and tried again, this time aiming a punch at Kimimaro's stomach. But as six sharp bones shot up to intercept his fist, Naruto withdrew just in time to avoid having his hand pierced.
"What a bizarre ability… What's with all those bones?" Naruto wondered if this was some kind of jutsu he hadn't seen before. Not only they were coming out instantly, but they must also be enormously fortified in order to withstand his attacks.
Kimimaro met his gaze with calm indifference. "This is my bloodline limit. My clan can transform our bones at will and reinforce them to be harder than steel."
"How convenient…" Naruto thought, realizing that attacking close-range was a poor strategy unless he used enough force to break through those defenses.
He moved again, this time positioning himself safely behind Kimimaro.
"Fire Release… Great Fireball!"
The massive sphere of flames shot toward Kimimaro, who remained motionless, covering himself with a thick shield of bones. The fire dissipated, leaving a dense cloud of smoke and charred grass in its wake.
"I see…a distraction. " Kimimaro murmured as Naruto emerged from the smoke, Rasengan in hand.
Dark lines appeared on Kimimaro's skin as he activated his first level of the cursed seal. His bone shield darkened to a deep gray as he braced for impact.
Naruto's Rasengan surged, growing three times its original size as he channeled more of the Nine-Tails' chakra into it. The blue sphere of energy ground against the bone shield, filling the air with a shrill, grating noise.
Naruto could tell his jutsu was wearing down the shield, but the process was excruciatingly slow. This defense was remarkably resilient.
Seeing no point in wasting more chakra, Naruto released the jutsu and leaped back. The Rasengan went out of control, exploding and leaving deep grooves in Kimimaro's shield. But these quickly regenerated, and the shield returned to pristine condition.
"You gave up too quickly… You could have destroyed my defenses if you'd kept at it," Kimimaro remarked.
Naruto chuckled. "I doubt it. You still haven't shown your full power, have you? That cursed seal can go one step further, right?"
Kimimaro's face remained impassive. "So, you know about that, too…" He then looked directly at Naruto. "But you haven't shown me your full power, either. Is three tails your limit?"
Naruto didn't answer. Since Orochimaru had witnessed it, he likely knew Naruto had unleashed five tails to kill Kabuto. However, three tails was the maximum amount of demonic chakra he could use without seriously harming himself. He had only gone that far before because Tsunade was nearby in case he went too far and required extra healing.
But the mission wasn't over yet. Even if he defeated Kimimaro, he still needed to catch up to Sasuke and bring him back.
'So that's his plan… He's stalling, forcing me to go all out and exhaust myself. Which can only mean one thing,' Naruto mused, studying Kimimaro.
"Why are you giving up without a proper fight?" Naruto asked.
Kimimaro smiled faintly. "You're sharp." He moved his arms slightly, though his expression didn't show it, the pain was constant.
"I don't have much time left… Had I been in my prime, I would have done everything to kill you." His eyes flashed with anger as he looked at Naruto.
"You're a thorn in my Master's side, and if I thought I could end you, I would."
"Are you sick?" Naruto asked.
"Even if I stayed in bed, I wouldn't have lasted another month. This way, I can at least be of use one last time." As Kimimaro spoke, another shield of bone formed on his other arm.
"I'll keep you here for as long as I can. I won't allow this mission to fail."
"You're confident you can withstand anything I throw at you, huh?" Naruto said.
"I am!" Kimimaro replied, his determination evident. Until his last breath, he would not leave this place and he would not allow Naruto to leave either. This was his goal from the beginning.
"Since you're so eager to be useful, I'll use you to test something. I was only given this technique three days ago, so forgive me if I'm a little rough with it." Naruto said, as the chakra within him began to stir.
To convince Maito Guy of his sincerity, Naruto shared a partial truth about himself. If he had lied and claimed his knowledge came from some legacy left by his parents, it would have backfired, as Kakashi was close to them and would have known if they'd had techniques like the ones Naruto possessed.
Reincarnation was not a foreign concept in this world, it seemed, and with few other explanations, Guy had mostly believed him and sworn to keep his secret.
Of course, the man believed Naruto was simply a reincarnation of an older inhabitant of this world. He could never guess the full truth, and it was better that way.
The complete truth must never come to light, for his own sake.
But he had to admit...the technique had been worth revealing that sliver of information.
"First Gate… Open!"
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