"Bastard! You dare call me brainless?!"
Guren's voice rang sharp with fury, her face flushing with rage. "I'll kill you for that insult!"
She snapped her hands together, intent on forming seals, only to feel her blood run cold—the familiar crystalline chakra that always obeyed her will faltered, fracturing the moment she tried to shape it. Her Crystal Release, her pride, her life's blade… useless against him.
Naruto tilted his head, watching her stumble. "And now you think taijutsu will help?" His brows furrowed as if the thought annoyed him. "Idiot."
Before Guren could react, his fist sank into her stomach with brutal precision.
Thud!
Her breath exploded from her lungs, eyes rolling back. The blow launched her like a ragdoll across the clearing, tumoring over the earth before crashing hard into the ground a hundred meters away.
She lay there, coughing, chest heaving, rage and disbelief twisting in her expression. "Why… why is every one of my techniques broken by you?!"
Naruto walked toward her step by step, each footfall deliberate, steady. His voice was calm, almost lecturing.
"First of all, the fatal weakness of your Crystal Release… is sound."
Her eyes widened.
"As long as the frequency is high enough, the structure of your crystals shatters instantly. My Wind Release: Rasenshuriken is perfect for this—it tears through the molecular bonds of your jutsu before they can take form."
He raised one hand, chakra humming faintly around his fingers. "And your taijutsu is weaker than your ninjutsu. On top of that, I'm fighting in Sage Mode. Facing me head-on? That's suicide."
Guren's chest rose and fell rapidly as his words cut deeper than his fists. Every answer unraveled the confidence she had built through years of loyalty to Orochimaru. Even if she wasn't the most cunning kunoichi, the truth was undeniable—she was restrained at every turn, and by a boy who seemed to anticipate her every move.
Her fists clenched in the dirt. She hated it, but she understood. I… can't beat him.
Still, her pride wouldn't let her bow. She lifted her head, glare sharp despite the ache in her body. "Tell me, then. What is your purpose here?"
Naruto's lips curled into a faint smile. "Now you're asking the right question." He didn't bother softening his tone. "I want your loyalty. Swear yourself to me."
The words landed like a slap.
Guren's face twisted with fury. She surged to her feet, spitting her response. "Loyalty? To you? Don't make me laugh!" Her voice cracked with raw defiance. "I will never betray Lord Orochimaru! And you—" she rushed forward, fists swinging wildly in anger—"you don't deserve to command me!"
Her punches flew fast, but sloppy, driven by rage instead of skill. Naruto caught her wrist effortlessly, twisting her momentum aside. His gaze was steady, unshaken by her fury, as if her rebellion barely registered as a threat.
Meanwhile, across the lake—
High upon the rocky outcrop, Kabuto Yakushi watched with narrowed eyes. At his side, the frail boy Yuukimaru tugged at his sleeve. "Where's Sister Guren? Why can't I see her?" His small voice wavered with worry.
Kabuto's glasses glinted as he forced a kind smile. "She's in danger right now. If you care about her, Yuukimaru, then you have to help her."
He drew out a small case. Inside lay dozens of ominous red pills. He pressed them into the boy's trembling hands. "Take these. All of them. Only then will you have the strength to protect her."
Yuukimaru's eyes widened in fear. "So many… I-I can't—"
"Swallow them," Kabuto ordered, voice suddenly sharp, commanding. His hand clamped down on the boy's shoulder, no trace of kindness left.
Tears welled in Yuukimaru's eyes as he obeyed, choking down the pills one after another. His body convulsed, veins bulging, chakra exploding outward.
"Aaahhhh!" His scream ripped through the clearing as his eyes rolled back, white overtaking the pupils.
A storm of chakra burst from his small frame, a surge ten times stronger than before. The sky itself seemed to recoil, clouds scattering as if blown apart by the raw, unnatural force.
At the sealing site, Shizune and the young kunoichi of Konoha reeled as the ground trembled beneath them.
The sealing circle surrounding the Three-Tails shuddered violently. Water erupted like geysers as the massive turtle beast thrashed, its roar echoing across the lake.
"Hold it steady!" Shizune shouted, sweat dripping down her temple as her hands flew through the final sealing signs.
Ino's face was pale, her chakra nearly spent. "Shizune-senpai! My reserves… they're almost gone!"
"Endure!" Shizune urged, her voice strained. "We're close to finishing the seal!"
Hinata's Byakugan flared, veins bulging at her temples as she forced her chakra into the array. "No… It's breaking free! Half the sealing formula is already undone!"
Sakura clenched her teeth, chakra trembling as she pressed her palms against the glowing symbols. "We can't… hold it much longer!"
Shizune's heart pounded. Damn it… the Three-Tails is too violent!
Not far away, the other Konoha shinobi prepared themselves. Kakashi's lone eye narrowed, his hand resting on a kunai. "Everyone… be ready. If the seal breaks, the Three-Tails will rampage. We'll have no choice but to suppress it directly."
Yamato nodded grimly, hands already glowing with Wood Release chakra. Shino, Kiba, and Sai tensed at his side, each ready to leap into the fray.
And further still, hidden among the treetops, two figures observed the chaos.
Deidara clicked his tongue, scowling at the sight of the rampaging tailed beast. "Tch. This is a mess. If Konoha manages to seal the Sanbi, it'll be a huge problem for us."
Beside him, Tobi waved his arms in mock panic, his voice muffled behind his mask. "Deidara-senpai, this looks bad! If they seal the Three-Tails, Leader-sama will be furious, and then it'll be me who gets yelled at! I don't want that, no no no!!!"
"Shut up, you idiot!" Deidara snapped, glaring sideways. His patience was razor-thin. "If you don't keep quiet, I'll blast you with my clay and be done with it!"
Tobi flinched dramatically, cowering. "S-so mean, senpai!"
But Deidara's eyes never left the battlefield. He smirked faintly. "Heh. Still, this could be interesting… let's see how long they can hold out against a beast's true power."
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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