Naruto: The Medical God

Shin wiped his forehead, his fingers trembling slightly as he maintained the complex flow of chakra necessary for the Genjutsu. His breathing was uneven, his chest heaving from the effort. Keeping Naruto trapped in the illusion was more exhausting than he could have imagined.

"Why... why is this so much harder?" Shin thought, his mind racing to find an answer. When he had practiced the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Jutsu on himself, it had been far simpler. Back then, manipulating his own chakra flow and disrupting his senses hadn't felt exactly easy, but it wasn't this difficult. Now, against Naruto, it felt as though he were wrestling with a wild animal.

"Naruto wasn't lying," Shin muttered to himself, recalling Naruto's earlier complaints about his chakra. "His chakra... it's a complete rampage. It's like it's fighting back on its own, refusing to let me control it."

Infiltrating Naruto's chakra network had been the first challenge. It was unlike anything Shin had ever encountered. Instead of flowing evenly through his system like it should, Naruto's chakra surged chaotically, rushing through his tenketsu like a raging river. The sheer force of it had made penetrating his system feel like trying to punch through a steel wall while dodging debris.

Even now, as the Genjutsu held, Shin could feel the constant pushback. Naruto's chakra wasn't just passive energy; it felt alive, retaliating against the foreign intrusion. Every second felt like he was in a battle of wills, his chakra clashing against Naruto's with relentless intensity.

And then there was Naruto's body itself.

"His constitution... it's insane," Shin thought, glancing at the faint blue glow of chakra threads connecting them. "Even if I can bypass his chakra's defenses, the way his body processes it... it's stronger than normal. It's like his cranial nerves were built to resist manipulation."

Shin clenched his jaw, his fingers twitching slightly as he reinforced his hold on the illusion. "No wonder this is taking so much out of me. It's like everything about him is fighting me at once."

The sweat on his brow dripped down his face, and his muscles ached from the strain. He had expected this to be a sparring match, he had just wanted to test his Genjutsu on someone. But keeping Naruto under control was proving to be an ordeal unlike any he had faced before.

Shin's breath quickened, each inhale feeling heavier and harder to draw than the last. His chest heaved as beads of sweat dripped from his face, falling to the dirt below. His hands trembled, chakra slipping further and further out of his control. He could feel the strain deep in his core; the Genjutsu was consuming far more energy than he had anticipated.

"Come on… just a little longer," Shin muttered through gritted teeth. He tightened his focus, pouring the remnants of his chakra into maintaining the illusion, but the connection between him and Naruto grew fainter by the second. Naruto's chakra continued its wild, erratic dance, thrashing against Shin's control like an untamed beast. It felt as though his own energy was being swallowed whole by the relentless tide.

A cold wave of dizziness washed over Shin, his vision beginning to blur. His body felt heavy, almost numb, and the strength in his legs faltered. "No... I can't… hold it…" he thought, the words barely coherent in his overwhelmed mind.

Finally, with a sharp gasp, Shin released the Genjutsu. The chakra threads connecting them dissolved in an instant, and Shin stumbled backward, barely managing to stay upright. His hands fell to his knees as he fought to steady himself, his vision swimming. He was on the verge of passing out, his body screaming in exhaustion.

Naruto's eyes snapped open at the same moment, wide and wild. His entire body jerked as if he had been yanked out of a nightmare. His face was pale, beads of cold sweat glistening on his forehead, and his hands trembled uncontrollably. For a moment, he just sat there, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. His eyes darted around, unfocused, as though he was still searching for the specters of his illusion.

Shin, despite his own exhaustion, noticed the terror etched onto Naruto's face. It was a look that made Shin's chest tighten with a mix of satisfaction and concern. "It worked," Shin thought, managing a weak, shaky smile. "My Genjutsu… it reached him." The evidence was undeniable—Naruto had been forced to confront something deeply personal, something that shook him to his very core.

But as Shin straightened up, his knees still weak and his body trembling, he couldn't ignore the unease creeping into his thoughts. "What… did he see?" he wondered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Naruto's distraught expression. The usual fiery determination in Naruto's eyes was missing, replaced instead by something fragile, something broken.

"Naruto," Shin said, his voice hoarse and quiet, "are… you okay?"

For once, Naruto didn't answer right away. He sat there, staring at the ground, his mind clearly elsewhere, lost in the remnants of whatever fear the Genjutsu had forced him to face.

Shin's voice broke through the tense silence, shaky but persistent. "Naruto… Naruto! Can you hear me?"

Naruto didn't respond, his gaze still locked onto the ground, as if he were seeing something far away. His breathing was uneven, his hands trembling slightly at his sides. Shin took a step closer, his body still weak from exertion, and called again, louder this time. "Naruto!"

The words finally seemed to register. Naruto's head jerked up, his eyes meeting Shin's. The confusion and fear in his expression slowly gave way to recognition. "Shin…" he murmured, his voice low and unsteady.

Shin let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "You okay, Naruto?" His concern was evident, his usually confident tone replaced with worry. "I… I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have put you under that Genjutsu. I didn't mean to—"

Before Shin could finish, Naruto's lips curled into a bright, reassuring smile, one that lit up his face despite the lingering traces of fear in his eyes. "Don't worry about it, Shin! I'm fine," he said, his voice carrying a forced cheerfulness. But then, noticing Shin's unsteady stance and the way his chest heaved with effort, Naruto's smile faded into concern.

"Wait a minute," Naruto said, stepping closer. "Are you okay? You look like you're about to keel over!"

Shin chuckled weakly, his breath still ragged. "I'm fine… mostly. But, yeah… putting you under a Genjutsu was really difficult." He paused to catch his breath, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Your chakra really is as wild as you say… it's like it has a mind of its own, fighting back at every turn."

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Heh, yeah, I guess it is kind of a handful…"

Shin smiled faintly, but there was a glint of excitement in his eyes despite his exhaustion. "But… maybe I figured something out."

Naruto tilted his head, curious. "Figured what out?"

"A way for you to perform the Clone Jutsu," Shin said, his voice soft but filled with conviction.

Naruto's eyes widened, a mix of hope and disbelief flashing across his face. "Wait, really? You mean it?"

Shin nodded slowly, his legs trembling as he forced himself to stay upright. "Yeah… I think… it might actually work…"

Naruto's grin returned, brighter and more genuine this time. "That's awesome, Shin! You're amazing!"

Shin smirked, even as his knees buckled slightly. "Hold your compliments… until we see if it actually works," he said with a wry chuckle. "If it works, maybe you'll be able to pass next week's graduation exam!"

To be continued...

***

***

How was this chapter? Liked it?

Sorry for not having updated these days, I was on a little, short, relaxing holiday.

Be sure to check out my original novel, Hyperborea! You won't regret it!