The explosion created by King's Blaze directly dealt a heavy blow to Sasuke.
However, Naruto's condition wasn't much better.
Although he had the strong body of a hybrid, his internal organs were still shaken violently, and he couldn't help but cough up blood.
"Wow, this is really insane."
Lu Mingze, who had been watching the whole fight from the start, couldn't help but praise, "No wonder she's the most unpredictable ninja. Always catching everyone off guard. I'm actually starting to like you a bit~"
"If I didn't do this, I might not have beaten Sasuke."
Naruto knew very well in his heart that even though he had gained the power of a hybrid, his chances of winning against Sasuke in that state were very low.
The only way to defeat Sasuke was to fight close-range and see who could endure more!
Simply put, it was a test of who had 'thicker blood'!
After all, no matter how powerful a ninja is, deep down they are still 'fragile.'
But hybrids were different.
Not only did they have amazing recovery, but their defense was also strong.
This gave Naruto the confidence to withstand King's Blaze's explosive attack head-on.
Judging by the result, Naruto's gamble paid off.
"I won. I really won!"
For the first time, he defeated Uchiha Sasuke in a direct confrontation!
Naruto's heart soared with joy. He could barely contain his emotions, his face full of happiness as he wildly pumped his fists.
"Sorry, I have to interrupt you."
Just as Naruto was lost in excitement, Lu Mingze suddenly spoke to interrupt him, "Many people are coming up behind you. They're probably here to catch you. If you don't want to be dragged back, I suggest you leave immediately."
"Okay, got it."
Naruto took a deep breath, but when he glanced at Sasuke, his heart sank.
"She's badly hurt."
She had been hit at close range by King's Blaze—the damage had caused severe burns across her body. It looked absolutely tragic.
Sasuke wasn't a hybrid.
Even though her body had been temporarily strengthened by Shunko, the duration was too short. She wasn't like the Raikage, who could shrug off most injuries.
And King's Blaze was infamous for its destructive power. It was nearly the most lethal Word Soul below the level of forbidden ones.
"You're only realizing this now?"
Lu Mingze looked at Naruto with a speechless expression. When he unleashed King's Blaze, did he not consider the consequences?
"No! Sasuke can't die!"
Naruto's voice trembled with panic as he turned to Lu Mingze, eyes full of desperate pleading.
"Is there any way to save her?"
"Of course there is. But… why should I?"
Lu Mingze looked at Naruto teasingly, amused.
"I... I don't want her to die..."
Naruto gritted his teeth, speaking in a low voice.
"I only wanted to defeat her—not to hurt her this badly."
Though he had acted cold just moments ago, in truth… he never wanted anything to happen to Sasuke.
"Please… I'm begging you. Save her, okay?"
Naruto pinned all his hopes on the 'Devil,' voice shaking.
"A deal… I'm willing to make a deal too!"
He said that last line through clenched teeth.
"Tsk tsk… offering your soul twice for the same woman."
Lu Mingze clicked his tongue in mock amazement.
"I've never seen a customer like you before."
But when he met Naruto's desperate gaze, he finally softened a little and sighed.
"Alright then… consider it a bonus."
"If you truly don't want her to die, then… let your blood drip into her mouth. She'll become a hybrid too."
"She'll become a hybrid… like me?"
Naruto looked at Lu Mingze and asked quietly.
"Of course, if you don't want to, you don't have to," Lu Mingze replied with a shrug.
He grinned and added, "But sharing your dragon blood means she'll have power like yours in the future. You sure you're okay with that?"
Shlick!
Before he could finish, Naruto had already drawn a kunai and slashed his own wrist.
Blood gushed out instantly, splattering across Sasuke's lips.
"That's way too much. Honestly, just a drop would've been enough," Lu Mingze muttered with a crooked smile, but he made no move to stop him.
Watching the blood soak into Sasuke's lips, Naruto still seemed uncertain. "Is this really enough? Should I wait a bit longer?"
"I don't mind," Lu Mingze said, raising his hands. "But the people chasing you? They might not be so patient."
"Don't worry. With that much dragon blood, she'll recover quickly."
"…Alright."
Naruto gave Sasuke one last glance, then turned without hesitation and disappeared into the forest.
Moments later—
Several masked figures from the Anbu Black Ops arrived.
They were acting under the direct orders of the two Hokage advisors, sent to capture the traitor and Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—Uzumaki Naruto.
The signs of battle were clear—burnt earth, shattered trees, lingering chakra in the air. It had been a brutal fight.
The Anbu in the cat-faced mask approached Uchiha Sasuke's side. After a brief examination, he spoke in a deep voice.
"She's seriously injured. We need to get her back for treatment immediately. It looks like she was caught in a large explosion—multiple internal ruptures, severe burns across most of her body."
"This level of injury… she should've been dead by now. Why isn't she?"
The cat-masked ANBU tilted his head slightly, puzzled.
"Also… there's some kind of power… slowly healing her."
"You—take her back to the village."
He stood up and pointed at one of the squad members.
"The rest of you, come with me. We continue the pursuit!"
Land of Fire – Border
After running day and night for three days without rest, Naruto finally arrived at the border.
But the ANBU were still relentlessly pursuing him.
Over the past three days, several fierce battles had erupted, each one pushing Naruto closer to the edge of exhaustion—both physically and mentally.
This was what it meant to face the ANBU.
They completed their missions at any cost.
Until their objective was achieved, they would never give up—no matter what.
Naruto had come to deeply understand just how painful it was…
to become a rogue ninja.
Those ANBU were like hounds, always able to sniff out even the slightest moment of weakness— launching deadly attacks the moment he let his guard down.
If not for the hybrid bloodline that gave his body extraordinary resilience, he would've died a dozen times already.
But even a hybrid body had its limits.
No one could withstand seventy-two hours of nonstop combat and ambushes.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Kunai flew at him from impossible angles, aiming straight for his vital points.
Naruto twisted his body to dodge them—but in that split second of vulnerability, the cat-masked ANBU struck.
With a sudden stomp on the tree trunk, chakra erupted from the soles of his feet.
Body Flicker Technique!
"You can't escape, Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—Uzumaki Naruto!"
The cat-faced ANBU instantly closed in, drawing a short blade that sliced through the air with a cold, sharp gleam.
The chilling blade cut through the air, leaving Naruto with no chance to dodge. He could only watch helplessly as the edge aimed straight for his neck.
However, at the last moment, the short blade was suddenly caught between two fingers.
Clang!
Then, those two fingers gently twisted, breaking the hard chakra blade in half.
The cat-faced ANBU's pupils shrank in shock, but his other hand gripped a kunai and thrust it forward.
Yet, it was kicked away forcefully.
Only then did the ANBU realize who had stopped them—S-rank rogue ninja Orochimaru!
"Enough, everyone," Orochimaru said with a faint smile, casually. "Go back and tell those two advisors—Naruto is mine."
Then, he looked at Naruto and nodded approvingly. "Not bad, Naruto-kun. To escape a hunt organized by the ANBU while still a genin is quite impressive."
At that moment, Naruto's tense heart finally relaxed completely when he saw Orochimaru.
The fatigue and injuries he had accumulated over days made him faint on the spot.
Orochimaru caught Naruto and then glanced to the side. "He needs a vessel."
The four Sound ninjas appeared immediately and placed Naruto into the barrel-shaped container they had prepared in advance.
Orochimaru touched the edge of the container, a faint smile curling on his lips. "Heh, when you wake up, you'll like the gift I've prepared for you."
*******
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