My Name Is Naruto Namikaze

CHAPTER WORDS:- 1091

Chapter 23: Intense Killing Intent

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Standing atop the tree trunk, Mizuki let out a laugh that sounded as though he had just heard the greatest joke in the world. His unrestrained, maniacal laughter echoed in the night, accompanied by the sudden appearance of shuriken in his hand and words filled with killing intent. His face contorted into a twisted, terrifying smile, and the killing aura in his eyes was left completely exposed.

The cold metallic gleam. The chilling aura spreading through the air. These elements only added to the deadly atmosphere of the moonlit night.

Mizuki's blatant and undisguised killing intent, met by Iruka's gaze, was mirrored in his blood-red eyes.

It caused Iruka's heart to grow colder. what Iruka had to do now was clear. He had to eliminate this rogue ninja right here, right now! This was his duty as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village!

Aside from that, Mizuki's last few words gave Iruka a slight sense of relief.

It seemed that Naruto had only been deceived by Mizuki and hadn't become his accomplice. He hadn't betrayed the village out of resentment or hatred, either.

This matched Iruka's initial suspicion.

Now Mizuki's words had indirectly confirmed it. But even this minor reassurance was enough to ease Iruka's mind. Furthermore, from the current situation, Mizuki had yet to encounter Naruto. Things had not reached their worst-case scenario yet.

Thus, all Iruka needed to do was take care of Mizuki here, find Naruto, retrieve the Scroll of Seals, explain everything to the Hokage, and have Naruto apologize. That should perfectly resolve the problem.

This was Iruka's plan.

After all, the naive Iruka could never have imagined that everything happening here was already within the calculations of the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi. Most importantly, a certain famously unpredictable ninja was already racing to the scene—or perhaps already lying in wait nearby.

Of course, Mizuki, who fancied himself a genius but was truly just a fool, had no idea that his every move was being monitored by the Hidden Leaf, entirely under the control of the Third Hokage.

At this moment, Mizuki was still dreaming gleefully about killing Iruka, finding Naruto, and taking the Scroll of Seals for himself.

"Iruka! Go to hell!"

Boom!

A sudden burst of energy. A figure darting forward at astonishing speed.

Swish!

Mizuki's swift advance, accompanied by his chilling shout, closed the distance between him and Iruka in the blink of an eye. Simultaneously, his arm swung outward.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

The shuriken in his hand shot out rapidly, aiming straight for Iruka's vital spots.

Clang!

The gleaming shuriken streaked through the air. Iruka's eyes narrowed as he quickly tracked their trajectories. With a swift twist of his body, he dodged several of them, while his kunai flashed through the air, deflecting the rest.

In the next instant, before Iruka could even catch his breath. Mizuki was already closing in. Grinning maniacally, Mizuki's expression was feral as a kunai suddenly appeared in his palm.

The cold, piercing aura. The shadows crossing paths. Mizuki's relentless charge. The glint of cold metal reflected in Iruka's eyes. Iruka's pupils shrank abruptly as he instinctively turned and raised his arm to defend.

Clang!

In the darkness of the night. Two kunai clashed fiercely, Sparks burst forth from the impact, scattering into the air. Though it appeared to be an even contest, though Upon closer inspection, The slight trembling of Iruka's arm clearly showed that Mizuki's brute strength had the upper hand in this confrontation.

The oppressive pressure and the sharp, icy glint of Mizuki's kunai caused Iruka to feel a faint stinging sensation.

'Is Mizuki really this strong?' Struggling to withstand Mizuki's assault, Iruka's pupils flickered with a trace of disbelief. As if reading Iruka's thoughts, Mizuki licked his lips, his grin growing even more savage and terrifying.

Leaning his body forward, Mizuki pressed even harder, increasing the force behind his strike.

Mizuki's kunai inched closer and closer to Iruka's face.

"Iruka! Unlike you, I'm no pampered failure! A peaceful life and those childish games at the Academy have made you completely useless, haven't they? You're not even qualified to be called a ninja!"

The moment the words left his mouth. Mizuki's expression turned vicious as he swiftly sidestepped, twisting his body forcefully. His left leg swung fiercely toward Iruka's lower body. As his kunai forced Iruka back, it drew a deadly arc, heading straight for Iruka's chest.

Clang!

The direct assault, in A desperate reaction, Iruka barely managed to block Mizuki's kunai at the last moment. although,He couldn't avoid the simultaneous attack From below.

Mizuki's left foot slammed into Iruka's abdomen with tremendous force. In an instant The sheer impact made Iruka felt a sharp pain as he was flung backward, unable to react.

Bang!

His body slammed into the trunk of a tree behind him with a heavy thud. The sharp pain radiating from his back and the burning sensation in his abdomen.

Iruka let out a muffled groan, tasting blood in his throat. He couldn't stop the red liquid from spilling out of his mouth, the crimson staining him and making his figure look even more pitiful.

"Hahaha! Do you see the difference in our strength now, Iruka? You are A Chūnin? What a joke! with skills like yours, you're not even as good as a Genin!"

Looking at the miserable state Iruka was in. Mizuki's sneer deepened. Like a cat toying with a mouse, Mizuki was in no hurry. Glancing at the kunai in his hand, he noticed a small chip in the blade.

Frowning slightly, he flicked his wrist, discarding the damaged weapon. With a quick motion, a new kunai appeared in his palm.

'Iruka-sensei!' At that moment, in the span of a few seconds, Naruto had already drawn close to the scene.

Originally planning to wait for the right moment, Naruto's heart clenched as he witnessed Iruka being completely overpowered and humiliated. for years, he had formed a gueniune relationship with Iruka, something that he cared, since Iruka was one of the Four people in this Village that the current Naruto cared for.

Yet even in this moment. Naruto forced himself to remain calm and avoid acting recklessly. He crept slightly closer, Looking for an opening.

A true ninja danced on the edge of life and death, concealing their presence and reducing their footprint. In the darkness of the night, the ideal strike would end the battle in one blow, leaving no need for a second attempt.

(End of Chapter)

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