Unfortunately, Junko had no intention of answering Naruto.
If a kick was blocked, then he'd simply switch to another method of attack.
The sharp arrowhead, now coated in pitch-black Haki, shot toward Naruto's body like a venomous snake.
At the same time, the other knights launched their own attacks at different targets.
Currently, there were four God's Knights on the field, while Naruto had five shadow clones.
In terms of numbers, they didn't hold the advantage.
"Crimson Lotus Hell!"
With Sommers's roar, the Iba Iba no Mi instantly awakened. (T/N: Thorn-Thorn Fruit.)
In an instant, crimson thorns surged from all directions, enveloping Naruto's clone.
"Hah! Hyah!"
Naruto twisted and turned, his muscular body bending into all sorts of flexible poses amidst the thorny onslaught.
This was what it truly meant to 'dodge without a single scratch'.
Unfortunately, these thorns were no ordinary plants. Even without direct contact, an invisible force grazed Naruto's body.
"Hiss-"
There were no wounds, but the points of contact burned with intense pain.
The sensation was so sharp that even Naruto couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.
"Too bad, the ones you love aren't here."
The perverted old man Sommers suddenly appeared above Naruto, his sword now assimilated with the Iba Iba no Mi, extending into sharp spikes.
"Otherwise, I could've shown you what true 'love' feels like."
The spiked sword came crashing down, only for Naruto to catch it barehanded.
His palm, hardened with Armament Haki, was impervious even to steel. Despite the pain, Naruto clenched his grip, stopping the attack dead in its tracks.
"You talk big for an old man."
The next instant, Conqueror's Haki coiled around his other fist before slamming straight into Sommers's wretched face.
Meanwhile, the one clone left without an opponent wasn't idle.
While the others fought, he focused on his own task.
In an instant, another massive Haki-infused Rasengan formed in its palm before being hurled forward with explosive force.
"!"
Shamrock's sword, imbued with the powers of the Mythical Zoan, Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Cerberus, slipped from his grasp, transforming into a three-headed Cerberus wreathed in flames and smoke as it lunged at the clone. (T/N: Dog-Dog Fruit.)
Facing the beast's assault, Naruto's clone still had time to think about random things.
'If I gave this fruit to Kiba, he'd probably lose his mind with excitement.'
The thought of his old friend brought a smile to his face.
Click, click, click!
Just before the Cerberus could reach him, dozens of massive golden chains shot out, binding it mid-air.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains were highly effective against Tailed Beasts, but their power against ordinary targets wasn't as overwhelming.
But that didn't matter.
If elemental advantage wasn't enough, sheer Chakra amount would make up for it.
The three-headed beast thrashed and snarled, biting through the chains, but for every one it broke, another swiftly took its place.
Seizing the opportunity, Naruto fired off another Haki-infused Rasengan.
With his Observation Haki, he sensed yet another group of Celestial Dragons fall by his hand.
Only then did he turn his attention back to the beast.
His fist smashed into the Cerberus's skull.
"You like eating so much? Then eat this!"
He shoved his arm straight into the middle head's maw before forming a Rasengan inside.
"Grrr-!"
The massive dog's neck bulged grotesquely before Naruto yanked his hand free… just as the Rasengan detonated.
The Cerberus howled in agony, its central head drooping limply as blood and metallic shards spilled from its jaws.
Meanwhile, its owner, Shamrock, had no time to worry about his pet's well-being.
Bang!
Naruto's fist slammed into Shamrock's gut, only to be blocked by the knight's forearm-
-right before a vicious knee shot straight for his groin.
If the battles of the weak were about using every dirty trick available, and the battles of the strong were about overwhelming force and sheer dominance-
Then Naruto's fight against Shanks's twin brother was a mix of both, absolute power, followed by every underhanded tactic imaginable.
Normally, Naruto rarely fought like this.
This can be seen from his battle with Golden Lion Shiki.
However, the current situation is special.
After all, as a twin, Shamrock's strength and talent aren't far behind Shanks's.
In terms of Haki, Shanks is slightly stronger, but Shamrock's true power lies more in his weapon.
Now that his weapon was being held up by another one of Naruto's clones, he could only rely on hand-to-hand combat for the time being.
But let's not forget, Naruto here is also a 'nerfed' version.
Not only is he missing Mushoukou, but he also has to conserve his Haki.
As a result, the two ended up trading blows evenly.
Thanks to his monstrous physique, Naruto could often tank Shamrock's attacks before retaliating with a brutal counter.
This was the first time the battle-hardened Celestial Dragon warrior had faced an opponent like this.
"Damn insect, is this all you've got?"
Shamrock, whose vitals had just been assaulted by the Konoha's Ultimate Secret Taijutsu, could no longer maintain his composure, his face twisting in fury.
"Are you mad?"
Naruto's response was just three light words, but they packed a punch.
Upon hearing this, Shamrock's face darkened further, then he coated himself in Haki and lunged at Naruto, only for the latter to dodge effortlessly.
Both were masters of Observation Haki, constantly predicting each other's moves, counter-predicting, and trying to stay one step ahead. It all came down to whose techniques were superior.
Naruto, however, had absorbed the essence of countless fighting styles.
One moment, he'd use Hasshoken. The next, Rokushiki. He even mixed in some of Revolutionary Army's officer, Emporio Ivankov's Okama Kenpo, occasionally seasoning the fight with Konoha's Taijutsu.
Truly, Naruto was just too versatile. His ever-shifting combat style left Shamrock struggling to keep up.
Unlike the heated battles in the other four zones, the fight against Killingham was far more subdued.
Faced with Naruto's clone, which was still wreaking havoc on the Holy Land, this half-human, half-beast Celestial Dragon simply summoned an endless tide of monsters from the cloud-like 'dreamscape'.
These shadowy, grotesque creatures were born from the nightmares of every resident of Mary Geoise.
Their numbers were practically infinite, and judging by Killingham's relaxed demeanor, this level of ability usage didn't even qualify as a real fight for him.
Of course, Naruto had his own way of dealing with the endless horde of nightmare shadows.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave."
The Ninjutsu he shamelessly copied from Kisame was executed at a level even the original user couldn't achieve.
A tsunami-like wave of water instantly drowned all the shadows.
Unlike Kisame, Naruto didn't need this technique to alter the battlefield.
Instead, he fired it off like a high-pressure water cannon, wiping out the nightmare creatures in an instant.
"Truly… an unusual method."
"Now, let me see your fear—"
At this time, Killingham's figure suddenly flickered like an illusion beside Naruto. Even with Observation Haki, Naruto couldn't stop him from activating his ability.
Then, under Naruto's complicated gaze, a massive black Nine-Tailed Fox leaped out from the nightmare.
"A Nine-Tailed Fox?"
Killingham was familiar with the Nine-Tailed Fox Devil Fruit, but as far as he knew, that fruit shouldn't allow the user to transform into a giant fox.
'Had it been awakened?'
As for Naruto, this form was all too familiar.
At this time, Kurama, who had been in the Sabaody Archipelago and 'watching the show' through Naruto's main body, suddenly spoke up.
"Brat, so I'm the thing you fear the most?"
"What?"
For a moment, the real Naruto was confused, but Kurama quickly relayed what he had 'seen' through the Chakra Network connecting the clone and the main body.
This left Naruto silent for a brief moment.
'So, my nightmare is the Nine-Tailed Fox?'
'No, to be more precise, my nightmare is the disaster caused by the Nine-Tails Rampage and the impact it had on my life afterward.'
'If not for my experiences in this world, I would have no idea how many more schemes I would've been subjected to in a Konoha infested with Danzo's machinations.'
"Don't flatter yourself."
Suddenly, Naruto grinned and scoffed.
After a few seconds of silence, Kurama seemed to think of something and abruptly changed his tone.
"Brat, loosen part of the seal. Let me deal with it."
Naruto responded with a look that said, 'Are you stupid?'
Sure, with his current strength and mental fortitude, Naruto wasn't afraid of the Nine-Tails' influence.
But that didn't mean he had any reason to let the fox out.
"Trust me just this once."
Kurama didn't elaborate. After all these days of observation, he knew Naruto had some ability to read minds… perhaps related to the Uzumaki Clan's secret technique, Mind's Eye of the Kagura.
After a few seconds, Naruto suddenly grinned.
"Fine. Let's see what you've got."