Naruto: Different Path

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As Naruto and his team continued moving forward, the 21 pursuers behind them rushed to catch up, not expecting an ambush. 

Suddenly, the group leader sensed something was wrong, but it was too late. "Earth Release: Multiple Earth-Style Wall!" 

Several earth walls rose from the ground, trapping the pursuers within. 

They were confused, wondering how there could be an ambush, when they saw all four of their targets running ahead. 

But Naruto gave them no time to think. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The earth walls left them with no space to escape, and Naruto's fire jutsu, launched from above, instantly reduced the pursuers to ashes. 

Watching the enemies disappear in the flames, Naruto remarked, 

"Never lower your guard against an enemy, even if they appear to be running at full speed." 

If the pursuers had split up, Naruto wouldn't have been able to kill them all at once.

Just then, a figure hiding in the shadows made their move, attacking Naruto from behind. 

It seemed as if Naruto was unaware, but when the enemy sliced off Naruto's head, they were shocked to realize it was just a shadow clone. 

"Rasengan!" 

The enemy closed their eyes in disbelief and regret as they were defeated. 

Naruto looked down at his fallen opponent and said, "Your enemy might be hiding better than you think," before dispelling the clone. 

The real Naruto immediately understood what had happened through the clone's experience.

At that moment, a masked figure appeared out of nowhere. "No wonder the daimyo sent me to eliminate him." 

"If his shadow clones are already this powerful, who knows how many lives he'll claim when he grows stronger." 

This person had such excellent concealment abilities that neither Naruto nor the tracking ninja dog, Pakkun, had detected them.

Meanwhile, Naruto's group was still chasing Sasuke. 

Naruto received the information from his shadow clone, knowing the pursuers had been dealt with, and urged Pakkun to hurry. 

"We're almost there," Pakkun said. Naruto then saw Sasuke using Chidori against Gaara. 

Even Shukaku's body was split open by Sasuke's attack—Chidori was a jutsu worthy of being Kakashi's original technique. 

However, Sasuke's chakra was limited. 

This was his second Chidori, and if he used it one more time, he wouldn't be able to suppress the Curse Mark any longer.

Gaara's body, although damaged, kept regenerating, and Shukaku's power was growing stronger and faster. 

If it weren't for Sasuke's Sharingan, he would have been defeated long ago. 

Thankfully, Naruto arrived quickly and shouted, "Sasuke, you've used too much chakra. This guy isn't a normal ninja. Let me handle him from here." 

Seeing Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru arrive, Sasuke, exhausted and nearly out of chakra, warns, 

"Be careful, Naruto. This guy is really fast," before stepping back to rest. 

Sakura stays beside Sasuke to care for him, while Shikamaru, upon seeing Gaara's monstrous appearance, is afraid and wants to run away.

Naruto created ten shadow clones and launched a barrage of shuriken at Gaara, forcing him into a defensive stance. 

At the same time, Naruto performed a combination jutsu: Tornado of Flames. 

This technique had never failed before, but this time, even as Gaara suffered within the flames, Shukaku's power grew, bringing him closer to his full form. 

This monster had completely surpassed anything Sakura, Shikamaru, or even Sasuke could comprehend. 

It was Naruto's first time facing a Tailed Beast, and he realized that standard jutsu wouldn't be enough to defeat it. 

As Shukaku's power grew, so did his size. Naruto knew he had to proceed cautiously, as even his current strength might not be enough. 

Sasuke and the others had no idea what to do when facing such a monster. 

Sakura worried for Naruto, and Shikamaru was overwhelmed by the difference in power. Sasuke began to question his progress.

Seeing no choice, Naruto bit his finger and carefully controlled his chakra to summon a toad of the right size to deal with Shukaku. 

"Summoning Jutsu!" 

In a cloud of smoke, the enormous toad, Gamabunta, appeared with a large smoking pipe in his mouth and a huge short sword in hand.

Upon seeing Gamabunta, Sasuke was in disbelief. 

Though he hadn't seen Naruto use the Rasengan, he hadn't expected Naruto to possess such power, which put him on another level.

Sakura and Shikamaru had seen Naruto's Rasengan before, but even they were shocked by Gamabunta's massive size.

Looking up at Naruto, Gamabunta said, "So you're the kid Granny Shima mentioned? You've got some impressive chakra for someone so young." 

"I acknowledge you." Then, noticing Shukaku's Jinchuriki, Gaara, he muttered, 

"Let's hope Shukaku doesn't wake up. If he does, even I might struggle to handle him."

However, Gaara, seeing Naruto summon Gamabunta, immediately used the Feigning Sleep Jutsu, causing Shukaku to awaken. 

Delighted by his freedom, Shukaku's joy was short-lived when he noticed his old foe, Gamabunta. 

Shukaku, though the weakest of the Tailed Beasts, still possessed immense chakra. 

He continuously fired Air Bullets at Gamabunta, forcing the toad to dodge repeatedly and unable to get close. 

Shukaku's barrage seemed endless, and Gamabunta was at a disadvantage.

Naruto turned to Gamabunta and said, "Boss, leap into the air and distract him with your attacks. I'll take him down." 

After creating shadow clones, Naruto began preparing his Rasengan. 

Gamabunta used his tongue to launch Naruto into the air while he slashed at Shukaku with his sword. 

Moving with incredible speed, Naruto struck Shukaku with his Rasengan, destroying one of his arms, while Gamabunta landed a solid hit with his sword.

Shukaku howled in pain, "That hurts, that hurts! You've made me angry, kid!" 

As yellow sand surged toward Naruto, more Air Bullets were launched at Gamabunta. Naruto quickly dodged while preparing another Rasengan. 

Shukaku, knowing the Rasengan's power, fired sand bullets to stop Naruto. 

The sheer number and size of the projectiles made it impossible for Naruto to evade them all.

Naruto summoned his Lightning Armor, which now covered his entire body, giving him enhanced speed and defence. 

Though he managed to dodge most of the attacks, two sand bullets hit him, leaving him with minor injuries. 

He then charged Shukaku with his Rasengan again, but this time, a massive wall of sand blocked his attack. 

Although Shukaku was damaged, the attack wasn't enough to seriously injure him.

Naruto tried using his Rasengan multiple times but couldn't land a decisive blow while his chakra was quickly draining. 

Naruto changed tactics, realizing he couldn't defeat Shukaku without breaking Gaara's Feigning Sleep Jutsu. 

He created hundreds of shadow clones and sent them all charging toward Gaara. 

Though Shukaku managed to block most of them, a few reached Gaara, and Naruto woke him with a single punch.

Although Gaara regained consciousness, he tried to control the sand to attack Naruto. 

However, under the relentless assault of Naruto's shadow clones, Gaara was soon overwhelmed. 

Despite his strong sand jutsu, Gaara wasn't physically strong and was quickly beaten down. As Gaara fell, Shukaku's body began to crumble.

Seeing this, Gamabunta grew more impressed with Naruto's strength, while Sakura admired Naruto with newfound respect. 

Shikamaru could only comment on how this battle was far beyond what humans should be capable of. 

Sasuke, on the other hand, started doubting his growth.

Gaara, lying defeated at Naruto's feet, was filled with fear as Naruto slowly approached. 

He never imagined he would one day face death like this. But Naruto didn't strike. 

Instead, he told Gaara, "I understand the pain of being a Jinchuriki, but that doesn't justify walking the path of darkness." 

"Living in that darkness only brings more suffering. I hope you can realize that."

Gaara is surprised that Naruto didn't kill him, but he is soon rescued by Temari and Kankuro, who take him away. 

Naruto, now nearly out of chakra, let them leave without resistance.

Just as Naruto finally dealt with Gaara and Gamabunta returned to the summoning realm, Naruto was preparing to sit down for a well-deserved rest. 

Suddenly, he felt a sense of danger and quickly jumped back. 

At that moment, a masked figure appeared where Naruto had just been, wielding a sharp blade. 

Seeing Naruto evade his attack, the masked man laughed and said, "As expected from the legendary genius." 

"I thought I could kill you silently, but it seems you sensed me. I'll have to put in more effort than I thought." 

"But your chakra is nearly depleted. How do you plan to defeat me?"

Naruto intended to rest briefly and then rush back to save the Third Hokage. 

Still, given the current situation, he realized that if he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape, not only would he reveal his jutsu, but Sakura, Sasuke, and Shikamaru might get killed. 

Although he had exhausted much of his chakra, he decided he would have to defeat this enemy first.

The masked man disappeared from Naruto's sight and reappeared behind him. 

Sensing something was wrong, Naruto quickly used the Substitution Jutsu to dodge the attack. 

However, it was as if an invisible ghost kept attacking him relentlessly. 

Naruto could only keep dodging, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't land a hit on his opponent. 

As he started to accumulate more wounds, the situation became dire. From a distance, Shikamaru saw Naruto was in trouble and hurried over. 

"Sasuke, use your Sharingan to track the enemy's movements near Naruto." 

"Sakura, stay on guard and be ready to support him," Shikamaru instructed. 

Though the enemy was using some jutsu to conceal their presence, the Sharingan's ability to track chakra made it a powerful tool.

Sasuke began to observe, calling out, "Naruto, left! Right! Behind you!" He warned Naruto of each incoming attack. 

However, the masked man's strikes grew faster, and Naruto had to rely on Sasuke's directions to react in time. 

As more wounds accumulated, Naruto activated his Lightning Armor, lightning flickering around his body.

The masked figure reappeared, impressed by Naruto's chakra control. 

"Not only do you have an immense amount of chakra, but your control is also remarkable. To be able to use such advanced Lightning Release..." 

"You're a real handful." His blade began to glow with chakra, aiming to pierce Naruto's Lightning Armor. 

Naruto noticed the enemy's attacks growing faster, and while the armour protected him from damage, it took significant chakra to maintain.

Naruto was running low on chakra after his fight with Gaara, and he could feel his strength fading. 

The enemy sensed this, too, and increased the pressure. 

Sasuke could see what was happening, while Shikamaru was deep in thought, trying to figure out the enemy's jutsu.

As the masked man prepared for a decisive strike, Naruto closed his eyes, entering his subconscious in the critical moment. 

He found himself in that familiar space—a dripping prison, the massive iron gate with the seal etched on it, and behind the gate, the enormous fox. 

In this situation, Naruto didn't expect to meet the Nine-Tails for the first time.

The Nine-Tails roared from behind the bars, "Brat, I'll kill you!" Their first meeting was, unsurprisingly, hostile. 

Naruto responded, "This is our first time meeting, huh? You must be the Nine-Tails. My chakra is exhausted, and I need your power. Save the chat for later." 

The Nine-Tails sneered, "Brat, take it. Consider it a reward for meeting me."

Naruto is surprised at how easy he gets, but he may guess that the Nine-Tails had its motives. 

However, he had no choice but to rely on its power. 

Although it felt like an eternity in his mind, only a moment passed in reality. 

Naruto's eyes turned red as the masked man was about to strike, and a red chakra emanated from his body.

Feeling the surge of power from the Nine-Tails, Naruto realized his speed, strength, and healing abilities had all been greatly enhanced. 

He quickly leapt backwards, forming hand signs mid-air. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" 

The Fire Release technique was much stronger, now powered by the Nine-Tails' chakra. 

Based on his calculation, Naruto thought there was no way the enemy could escape the attack's range.

However, the expected sound of the enemy being engulfed in flames never came. 

The masked man disappeared again, only to reappear after the fire dissipated, still holding his blade, seemingly unharmed.

"Did he dodge it, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. Sasuke replied, "I saw him vanish in the fire. It didn't look like he dodged, but he reappeared afterwards."

At that moment, Shikamaru shouted to Naruto, "Naruto, use that Fire Jutsu again!" Without hesitation, Naruto launched another Great Fireball. 

Sasuke, watching closely with his Sharingan, noticed that the enemy disappeared again but saw something this time: as the heat from the fire began to dissipate, water vapour slowly started to gather, and the enemy reappeared.

"I see..." Shikamaru muttered, finally understanding. 

He whispered to Sasuke, "Use your Sharingan to scan the surroundings. Can you manage one more Chidori?" 

Sasuke responded, "I've used much chakra to keep the Sharingan active. I don't think I can pull off another Chidori."

"That complicates things," Shikamaru said. 

Seeing his Fire Jutsu ineffective, Naruto reactivated his Lightning Armor and re-engaged the masked man, but he was clearly still at a disadvantage. 

Fighting an invisible enemy was nearly impossible, and large-scale attacks didn't seem to work either.

Just as Naruto was desperate, Shikamaru shouted, "Naruto, retreat as fast as you can!" 

Although unsure why, Naruto trusted Shikamaru's intellect and quickly retreated. The masked man's laughter echoed through the air. 

"Are you finally giving up? Even though you're strong, you can't escape from me."

As Naruto retreated, Shikamaru yelled again, "Naruto, use your strongest Lightning Release!" 

Naruto formed hand signs without hesitation and released a powerful wave of lightning from his body, the Thunder God Technique. 

The intense lightning spread out, and in its glow, Naruto spotted a shadow hiding behind a nearby tree.

At the same time, Shikamaru used his Shadow Imitation Technique to bind the enemy. 

Though the masked man's face was hidden, his shock was apparent. "How...? How did you discover me?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

Shikamaru explained, "When Naruto first used his Fire Jutsu, I suspected you were using Water Release." 

"Water Release is known for its ability to hide effectively. After the second fire attack, I confirmed it: you weren't attacking Naruto with your real body." 

"You were using a water clone. After the fire jutsu, the air lacked moisture, so you couldn't immediately reform your body." 

"You had to wait for the temperature to cool down. That's why I had Sasuke observe the area with his Sharingan." 

"You can hide your chakra flow, but when you tried to break through Naruto's Lightning Release, you had to form hand signs and channel chakra into your clone, making it impossible to hide fully."

As the masked man let out a scream, Naruto finally defeated the troublesome enemy. 

However, in his current state, there was no way he could go and save the Third Hokage, and it was probably too late anyway. 

But perhaps, for the Third Hokage, dying a heroic death was what he had wanted all along.

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