Naruto: Different Path

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After much discussion, the group eventually agreed to Naruto's risky plan, primarily because Yutian was deeply concerned for the safety of his subordinates. 

Naruto devised a detailed strategy to increase the operation's success rate, and it was finalized only after late-night deliberations.

Early the next morning, Naruto and Hinata rented a larger fishing boat, pretending to go out to sea during the day to fish while hiding in the cabin at night. 

The boat anchored quietly by the shore, giving the appearance that no one was aboard.

This time, Genkō and Rūei disguised themselves as patrol ninja. At the same time, Yamato used Earth Style to hide underground, and the remaining three used Water Style to conceal themselves in the nearby waters. 

Once everything was in place, they waited for the enemy to appear. 

Late at night, the dense fog finally rolled in, identical to the one Naruto had encountered earlier. 

Using her Byakugan, Hinata spotted the enemy, but this time, there was a difference—five enemies appeared instead of four, with the fifth possessing significantly stronger chakra than the rest.

Hinata quickly informed Naruto of this development, and while Naruto realized the situation was now more complicated, they had no choice but to follow the original plan. 

If something unexpected happened, they would have to adapt on the fly. Genkō and Rūei pretended to fall unconscious as the flute's melody played. 

The enemy, noticing it wasn't Naruto and Hinata this time, laughed.

"This time, the Hyuga isn't here. Guess we scared them off last time!" one of the enemies chuckled.

"Don't get cocky. Let's take these two and leave," another said.

At that moment, Hinata observed through her Byakugan that two enemies were approaching the shore while the other three remained on the water, watching for potential surprises. 

Naruto realized the enemy was cautious and that defeating them wouldn't be easy. 

Just as the two Mist ninja neared Genkō and Rūei, they sensed danger—Genkō and Rūei sprang to life, executing their combined sword technique. 

Their twin blades worked seamlessly together, launching a coordinated attack on the two Mist ninjas.

However, the Mist ninjas had approached cautiously and were prepared for a counterattack. 

They quickly drew their blades to fend off Genkō and Rūei. 

Though Genkō and Rūei were highly synchronized in their combined technique, the Mist ninja proved equally skilled in taijutsu, having likely rehearsed for such scenarios. 

Despite the ambush, the Mist ninja weren't easily overpowered.

The three Mist ninja standing on the water, noticing their comrades engaged in battle, didn't rush in to help. 

Instead, they remained alert, scanning the surroundings for other threats. Genkō and Rūei remained in combat with the Mist ninjas on the shore. 

Suddenly, wooden tendrils emerged from the ground, wrapping around the two Mist ninjas. 

Preoccupied with fending off Genkō and Rūei's attacks, the Mist ninja could only retreat hastily, but Genkō and Rūei pursued them relentlessly.

As the Mist ninja tried to fend off the combined sword strikes, more wooden tendrils surged from the ground, entangling them tightly. 

They attempted to slash through the wood with their blades, but the tendrils were too numerous and thick. 

Soon, they were completely immobilized, with Genkō and Rūei's blades at their throats.

"Don't move!" they barked.

Observing from the water, the strongest of the Mist ninjas clapped his hands and spoke, "So, Konoha's Wood Style ninjas are here." 

"I didn't expect you to send people this quickly, let alone someone like you. Perfect, I've been wanting to face you in battle."

Even as his comrades were captured, the strongest Mist ninja and his two companions made no immediate moves, their confidence evident. 

With a nod from the leader, the other two began weaving hand signs. 

"Water Style: Water Surge!" 

A massive torrent of water from the sea rushed onto the shore, submerging the ground and forcing Yamato and his team to stand in knee-deep water.

Yamato turned to Genkō and Rūei, "Fighting in water puts us at a disadvantage. Take the prisoners and retreat. I'll hold them off."

Genkō and Rūei quickly escorted the captured Mist ninja away, but as they attempted to leave, they unleashed the two remaining Mist ninjas. 

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!" Twin dragons of water surged toward Genkō and Rūei, aiming to cut off their escape. 

Seeing their opportunity, the three Konoha ninjas hiding in the water—Suitora, Mizu, and Kairai—sprang into action, casting "Water Style: Multiple Water Barricades!" 

The water walls they conjured blocked the dragons, causing a fierce clash of techniques that splashed water everywhere.

At that moment, the strongest Mist ninja charged straight at Yamato, a blade formed from water materializing on his arm. 

Yamato immediately cast "Wood Style: Wood Tendrils," sending sharp wooden spikes toward him. 

Though numerous, the Mist ninja evaded the tendrils with agile movements and effortlessly sliced through them with his water blade, rapidly closing the distance.

Yamato was startled by the speed of his opponent's movement on the water. Fighting on the water gave the Mist ninja a significant advantage. 

As the enemy approached, Yamato quickly made a hand sign: "Earth Style: Earth Wall!" 

A solid wall of earth rose from the water, resembling a fortress, with Yamato perched atop it. 

Against an enemy skilled in Water Style, Yamato's Earth Style was a good counter. The Mist ninja halted, acknowledging Yamato's swift response.

"Your judgment is spot on. Standing on water puts you at a disadvantage," the Mist ninja admitted.

Meanwhile, the other Mist ninjas continued battling Suitora, Mizu, and Kairai using Water Style. 

Though the Mist ninjas were superior in water techniques, the Konoha team had the advantage in numbers, creating a stalemate. 

Water surged and splashed around them, soaking everyone, including Yamato.

Still hidden in the boat, Naruto listened as Hinata relayed everything she observed through her Byakugan. He had a clear understanding of the battlefield. 

Given the scale of the battle and the commotion it caused, the rest of the Mist ninja were likely already aware of the situation. 

Naruto knew he had to find the right moment for a decisive strike—before reinforcements arrived. Only then could they achieve the results they had hoped for.

Yamato knew they couldn't afford to drag this out, so he took the initiative. "Wood Release: Four-Pillar Prison!" 

The Wood Release quickly formed a prison on the ground, trapping the enemy inside before they could react. 

The wooden prison continuously reinforced itself with more wood. 

Still standing calmly inside, the Mist ninja remarked, "The power of Wood Release is indeed impressive, but a prison of this level won't be enough to hold me."

"Water Release: Water Cutting Technique!" A high-pressure stream of water shot out. 

Though the water stream wasn't large, its force was powerful enough to slice through Yamato's Wood Release like a blade, splitting the prison. 

As Yamato watched in disbelief, the enemy launched another attack. "Water Release: Multiple Water Gun Barrage!" 

Several streams of water, as thick as bowls, shot toward the earthen wall Yamato had created. 

Unlike ordinary Water Release techniques, these water streams had immense force. 

The earthen wall shattered under the continuous assault, crumbling into the water with a loud crash. Yamato was forced back onto the water's surface.

He hadn't expected his Earth Release to lose to Water Release. The enemy's power exceeded his expectations, but Yamato quickly responded. 

"Wood Release: Thorn Bind Technique!" Vines of wood whipped toward the enemy, moving fast and from tricky angles, forcing the Mist ninja to retreat continuously. 

Yet, no matter how fast the vines chased, they couldn't capture the opponent. As the Mist ninja stepped back, he began forming hand signs. 

"Water Release: Water Gun Strike!" A stream of water shot straight toward Yamato. If it hit, it would likely pierce through his body.

Yamato quickly formed hand signs: "Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!" 

A thick wooden shield rapidly formed with a slight curve. 

The force of the water stream was partially dispersed upon impact, but even so, the shield was nearly destroyed. Still, it managed to block the water's attack.

"Not bad for a Wood Release user. You're not only strong in offence but also in defence," the Mist ninja remarked. 

"But can you block my next move?" With that, the Mist ninja began forming hand signs again. "Water Release: Sky Water Gun!" 

A water spear descended from the sky at incredible speed, aimed straight for Yamato. 

Knowing his usual Wood Release wouldn't be able to block it, Yamato quickly dodged to the side. 

The spear struck the water's surface, creating a massive shockwave and a surge of water that sent Yamato flying far away.

Yamato, now soaked and looking dishevelled, struggled to get back up. 

Seeing Yamato evade his attack, the Mist ninja commented, "Your reaction time is quick, but you won't be able to dodge what comes next." 

He swiftly completed another set of hand signs. "Water Release: Water Gun Rain!" A barrage of water spears rained down from above like a storm. 

Though each spear wasn't as powerful as the previous ones, the sheer number and area they covered made them impossible to avoid.

Yamato formed hand signs again, creating multiple wooden shields to block the incoming attack. 

As he defended against the water barrage, the Mist ninja charged toward him, knowing Yamato's focus was on defence. 

It looked like this attack would land for sure. But just then, Naruto intervened. In an instant, his Thunder God Sword appeared in front of the enemy. 

However, Naruto wasn't aiming for the Mist ninja battling Yamato. Instead, his target was the two Mist ninjas fighting Suiko's team. 

These two were so focused on their fight with Suiko's team that they didn't notice Naruto's sudden arrival. 

Like a flash of lightning, Naruto's attack hit them, and the electric surge rendered them unable to continue fighting.

The Mist ninja battling Yamato gathered water into a sharp blade on his arm and slashed at Yamato with great speed. 

But Yamato reacted quickly, using a Wood Clone Substitution technique to avoid the attack. 

The Mist ninja cut the wooden clone in half, while Yamato only suffered a light injury on his arm. 

Turning around, the Mist ninja noticed that his two companions had already been subdued by Naruto, who, along with Suiko's team, had surrounded him.

Naruto said, "It looks like you left. Now, it's only a matter of time."

Naruto expected the enemy to show signs of panic or at least hesitation, but instead, the Mist ninja merely smiled faintly and said, 

"Those weaklings are useless anyway. Whether they're here or not doesn't matter to me. But I didn't expect you to have reinforcements." 

Seems like you prepared quite a bit for this." He paused before continuing, 

"I won't go down that easily. At the very least, I can hold out until my backup arrives. Now, let's fight to our heart's content."

Naruto's Thunder God Cloak activated, surrounding him with lightning, and the Thunder God Sword in his hand glowed brightly. 

With a flash of speed, Naruto charged at the Mist ninja. 

The combination of Naruto's incredible speed and his powerful Lightning Release made this attack nearly unstoppable. 

However, just as Naruto was about to strike the enemy, a stream of water formed in front of him, creating resistance against his sword. 

The water, infused with a large chakra, acted like a resilient barrier. Though it seemed soft, it was incredibly tough.

The water resistance slowed Naruto's sword strike until it eventually came to a halt. 

Like an unbreakable balloon, the water barrier absorbed Naruto's attack and then suddenly rebounded, forcing Naruto back. 

He was thrown quite a distance away before regaining his footing. 

As Naruto observed, he realized that the chakra-infused water was slowly reattaching the Mist ninja's body, leaving little visible trace of any damage.

The Mist ninja quickly formed more hand signs. "Water Release: Water Gun Rain!" 

Another large-scale Water Release technique was launched toward Naruto. Yamato reacted in time, using more wooden shields to block the attack. 

Amidst the shattered pieces of wood, Naruto launched another attack, but the result was the same.

The Mist ninja laughed loudly. "It's useless! Your attacks are strong, but this Water Release gradually weakens any impact." 

"No matter how powerful your strike is, it'll always slow down under this resistance."

But inwardly, the Mist ninja thought, Although I'm saying this, maintaining this technique is draining my chakra fast. 

Still, I should be able to hold out until my reinforcements arrive. Naruto also realized this battle had become very tricky. 

After repeatedly attacking, he concluded that the enemy's technique didn't require hand signs to activate. 

It could form instantly whenever defence was needed. It was similar to Gaara's absolute defence, but this enemy used water instead of sand.

From what Naruto could see, both defences had their strengths and weaknesses. 

It wouldn't be easy to break through this in a short amount of time. Feeling anxious, Naruto decided to try using a large-scale technique. 

He began forming hand signs for a new jutsu: "Lightning Release: Thunder Dragon!"

A massive dragon made of Lightning Release chakra shot toward the enemy at high speed.

Since they were fighting on the water's surface, the electricity spread incredibly, hitting the Mist ninja head-on. 

Naruto thought the enemy would have to jump to dodge, but the Mist ninja remained standing on the water, surrounded by that same unique water flow.

Since water conducts electricity, Naruto believed his Lightning Release would travel through the water and directly harm the enemy. 

With the power of this Lightning Release, the enemy should have at least been injured.

However, the result was far from what Naruto expected. 

The Mist ninja stood there, completely unharmed by the Lightning Release, showing no signs of being struck. 

All five of Naruto and his teammates were stunned by this unbelievable turn of events.

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