NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Mist and Blood
The fog seemed to thicken with each passing second, enveloping the forest in a stifling and almost supernatural cocoon. Naruto, out of breath, sought refuge in a hollow tree trunk, his heart pounding furiously. He brought a trembling hand to his injured arm, the blood still slowly oozing. Clenching his teeth, he tore a piece of his jacket to improvise a tourniquet, attempting to stem the bleeding. His breathing was heavy, his head spinning slightly, but he refused to give in to panic.
In the heavy silence, a voice rose, clear and sharp as a knife: "Where are your grand airs now, Naruto Uzumaki? You were playing the hero just a few minutes ago, and here you are now hiding like a rat. Is this the strength of the so-called most powerful Jinchūriki?!"
Naruto clenched his fists, his jaw tightening in response to the provocation. "She's trying to lure me out... he thought. But I must remain calm."
The voice continued, even more cutting: "And with this pitiful strength, you dream of becoming Hokage? Of protecting what you love? What a joke... you bring shame to your family and your clan."
Naruto felt the rage building up inside him. He wanted to respond, but he knew she was trying to make him lose his composure. However, when she mentioned his family, something in him snapped.
"You talk a lot for someone who cowardly attacked me from behind!" he shouted, finally emerging from his hiding spot, his eyes burning with fierce determination.
The masked figure appeared again in the mist, her movements fluid and almost unreal, like a specter. "Naive as always," she replied coldly. "Do you think there are rules or honor in war? If that's what you want, then I will show you how weak you truly are."
A black cape fluttered around her, and a mask still covered her face. Naruto squinted to see her better. Then, without hesitation, he threw a kunai directly towards her head. The woman gracefully dodged the projectile, which landed in a tree behind her.
Naruto wasted no time. Leaping forward, he attempted a roundhouse kick, but she blocked his attack with her forearm, absorbing the impact without flinching. Before he could react, she countered with a quick blow to his abdomen, sending him stumbling backward.
Naruto rolled on the ground, coughed, then stood up, his gaze defiant. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he shouted. Two clones immediately appeared by his side, charging towards the masked figure.
The battle intensified. The clones attacked in perfect synchronization, with quick and precise strikes. Naruto threw kunai after kunai from the rear, creating constant pressure. But the woman moved with inhuman agility. She dodged, countered, and dismantled the clones one by one with surgical precision. Every move seemed calculated, every dodge perfectly timed.
However, one kunai managed to reach her. The blade sliced through the mask, shattering it in two. As it fell to the ground, Naruto caught a glimpse of her face. The same girl from the small house, but this time, something seemed different... her eyes gleamed with a cold and relentless intensity. She ran a finger over the slight cut the kunai had left on her cheek, her expression darkening slightly.
"Do you think you're the only one who can use techniques?" she taunted, her voice tinged with restrained annoyance. "Let me show you what real strategy looks like."
She quickly formed a hand sign. Two identical clones of her suddenly appeared in the mist. Naruto eyed them warily, then let out a scoff.
"Is that all? Two clones? Seriously?"
The woman flashed a cold smile. "That's all you deserve."
Without warning, the clones lunged at Naruto. He sent two of his own clones to intercept them, but his were destroyed in an instant. One of the enemy clones unleashed a series of devastating attacks, forcing Naruto to step back. The other launched a barrage of shurikens, which Naruto barely managed to block with a kunai.
"She's on a whole other level," he realized, his breath becoming short.
Naruto decided to use his last resort. He created two additional clones, sending them to distract the opponents while he focused on a Rasengan. His chakra concentrated in his palm, the luminous sphere spinning with increasing intensity.
The clones desperately engaged the woman and her replicas, creating an opening. Naruto leaped forward, his Rasengan ready to strike. Surprise briefly crossed his enemy's face, but she quickly regained her composure.
He struck with all his might. The impact destroyed one of the woman's clones, dispersing the mist around them. But his triumph was short-lived. A sudden pain pierced his side, and he realized too late that it wasn't her, but a clone he had hit.
Before he could react, a powerful blow sent him to the ground. His vision blurred, his strength fading. Lying in the cold earth, he could hear the woman's footsteps approaching.
"I warned you," she murmured, her voice sounding distant. "You are not ready."
Naruto tried to get up, but his body no longer obeyed him. Darkness finally enveloped him, and he slipped into unconsciousness.