Chapter 2: The Crimson Hunt
The Black Mountain roared with the fury of a thousand storms, its jagged cliffs slick with freezing rain and illuminated by lightning. Amid the carnage of the Chunin Exams' second test, Naruto Uzumaki stood as a harbinger of death, his blood-soaked form a nightmare etched in crimson and black.
Naruto's laughter echoed, a maniacal cackle that drowned out the thunder. As his laughter faded, his gaze fell on the shattered medallions at Dosu's feet, their Heaven and Earth symbols crushed in the chaos. His grin widened, a sadistic gleam in his eyes.
"Guess I'll go hunting. Time for a proper slaug...ahem, medallion hunt." His voice, a chilling blend of Naruto's bravado and Sukuna's malice, promised bloodshed.
The Black Mountain was a labyrinth of cliffs and chasms, teeming with genin teams scrambling to reach the summit with their medallions. Naruto's senses, sharpened by Sukuna's cursed energy, picked up their flickering presences, Mist, Iwa, Taki, Rain. He cracked his knuckles, his four-armed silhouette flexing, and set off, a predator in pursuit of prey.
---
Naruto descended a misty ravine, the air thick with fog and the stench of saltwater. Three Mist genin, a wiry swordsman, a kunoichi with water jutsu, and a hulking taijutsu specialist, guarded a narrow pass, their Heaven medallion glinting on the kunoichi's belt. They sensed his approach, but nothing prepared them for the monster that emerged.
Naruto's taijutsu stance was low, predatory, his claws gleaming. "Hand over the medallion, or I'll carve it out of you," he taunted, his eye smile unnerving.
The swordsman charged, his blade flashing with Water Release: Blade Dance. Water-coated slashes aimed for Naruto's chest, but Naruto dodged with inhuman speed, his Reverse Cursed Technique (RCT) flaring to heal a shallow cut from a near miss. He countered with a claw strike, raking the swordsman's arm, blood spraying as muscle tore. The nin screamed, dropping his blade, and Naruto grabbed his wrist, triggering Cleave. The slash severed the arm clean, the stump gushing blood as the swordsman collapsed, writhing.
The kunoichi unleashed Water Release: Torrent Bullet, a barrage of high-pressure water spheres. Naruto slid under the attack, claws digging into the wet rock, and flicked his wrist, sending Dismantle. The invisible slashes shredded the kunoichi's legs, her screams echoing as she fell, blood pooling. Naruto rushed her, delivering a knee strike to her jaw, shattering bone.
The taijutsu specialist roared, charging with Mist Fist Barrage, a flurry of chakra-enhanced punches. Naruto met him head-on, his four-armed silhouette flickering. He blocked with one arm, slashed with another, and grappled the nin's neck, claws sinking into flesh. A spinning elbow smashed the nin's skull, blood and teeth flying, and Naruto finished with a Cleave to the neck, decapitating him. The head rolled into the ravine, the Heaven medallion now Naruto's.
Blood dripped from his claws as he pocketed the medallion, his laughter chilling the fog. "One down. Who's next?"
---
Naruto scaled a crumbling cliff, rockslides threatening to bury him, when he spotted three Iwa genin, huddled in a cave, clutching an Earth medallion. Their earth-based jutsu had carved a defensive perimeter, but Naruto's arrival shattered their confidence.
"You look cozy," Naruto said, his crimson eyes glowing through the rain. "Mind if I crash the party?"
The demolitions expert hurled Earth Release: Explosive Clay, chakra-infused bombs shaped like birds. Naruto dodged with acrobatic flips, the explosions shaking the cliff. A stray blast grazed his arm, blood trickling, but RCT healed the wound instantly, his tattoos pulsing. Naruto retaliated with Dismantle, the slashes detonating the remaining clay mid-air, shrapnel raining down.
The genjutsu user cast Earth Mirage, distorting the cave into a maze of stone illusions. Naruto's enhanced senses pierced the trick, his crimson eyes tracking the user's chakra. He rushed through the illusions, claws slashing the user's chest, blood spraying as ribs cracked. A Cleave to the stomach split the nin vertically, organs spilling onto the cave floor, the illusions fading.
The spear-wielder lunged with Earth Release: Stone Lance, his weapon hardened by chakra. Naruto parried with his claws, sparks flying, and grappled the spear, snapping it with a twist. He slammed the nin into the cave wall, a claw strike tearing through his shoulder, blood gushing. The nin's desperate punch landed, bruising Naruto's ribs, but RCT mended the damage. Naruto touched the nin's throat, delivering a Cleave that severed his head, the Earth medallion falling into a pool of blood.
Naruto snatched the medallion, his four-armed silhouette towering as the cave trembled. "Two for two," he grinned, licking blood from his claws.
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Naruto navigated a waterfall-choked chasm, the roar of water masking his approach. Three Taki genin, stood on a rocky outcrop, their Heaven medallion hidden in a sealed scroll. The sensory ninja detected Naruto's cursed energy, shouting a warning, but it was too late.
"Found you," Naruto said, leaping from the waterfall, his taijutsu stance ready. "Let's make this quick."
The bubble user cast Water Release: Bubble Blitz, launching chakra-infused bubbles that exploded on contact. Naruto wove through the blasts, some of the bubbles landed, blood seeping. RCT healed the wounds, and he countered with Dismantle, slashes popping the bubbles and cutting the user's arms, blood spraying as she screamed. Naruto rushed her, a claw strike crushing her throat, blood bubbling from her mouth.
The sensory ninja threw Water Release: Mist Veil, shrouding the area in dense fog to disrupt Naruto's senses. Naruto's crimson eyes glowed, tracking the ninja's chakra. He tackled the nin, claws tearing into his back, blood soaking the rocks. The nin's kunai stabbed Naruto's shoulder, but RCT sealed the wound instantly. Naruto delivered a elbow to the nin's skull, cracking it.
The dagger fighter attacked with Twin Fang Strike, dual daggers flashing. Naruto blocked with his claws, sparks flying, and countered with a knee to the nin's stomach, blood spitting from his mouth. He grappled the nin's arms, snapping them with a twist, bones crunching. A Cleave severed the nin's torso diagonally, organs sliding out as the Heaven medallion scroll fell.
Naruto grabbed the scroll, his laughter echoing through the waterfall. "Halfway there. This is too easy."
---
Naruto reached a storm-lashed plateau, lightning panthers prowling nearby, when he spotted three Rain genin, guarding an Earth medallion. His grin was feral, sensing the chance to unleash his flames.
"Last stop," Naruto said, his aura flaring. "Hand over the medallion, or burn."
The barrier specialist erected Water Release: Rain Dome, a shimmering barrier of water to deflect attacks. Naruto tested it with Dismantle, slashes carving ripples but not breaking through. The poison mist user unleashed Poison Mist Cloud, a toxic fog that burned Naruto's skin. RCT neutralized the poison, healing the burns, and Naruto charged through the mist, claws ready.
The chain-wielding kunoichi lashed out with Chain Storm, chakra-infused chains whipping toward Naruto. He dodged with acrobatic spins.
Naruto grabbed the chain, yanking the kunoichi forward. His claws slashed her arms, blood spraying, and a Dismantle cut her horizontally, her torso sliding apart, blood pooling.
The poison mist user threw Poison Needle Barrage, chakra-infused needles laced with venom. Naruto deflected with his claws, but one pierced his thigh, pain flaring. RCT expelled the poison, healing the wound, and he retaliated with Dismantle, slashes tearing the nin's chest, blood gushing as he screamed. Naruto grappled his neck, delivering a Cleave that decapitated him, the head rolling toward a lightning panther.
The barrier specialist reinforced the Rain Dome, desperation in his eyes. Naruto's eyes glowed brighter, his cursed energy surging. "Time to end this," he said, raising his hand. Divine Flame erupted, a roaring inferno of crimson fire, hotter than any Fire Release, incinerating the barrier in seconds. The specialist screamed as the flames engulfed him, his flesh melting, bones charring to ash. The Earth medallion fell, scorched but intact.
Naruto pocketed the medallion, the plateau a smoldering ruin. His laughter rang out, the storm trembling. "Four for four. Anyone else want a turn?"
Epilogue
Naruto stood atop the plateau, blood and ash clinging to his tattoos, his crimson eyes scanning the horizon. The Black Mountain's summit loomed, but more genin teams lurked below, their medallions calling to him. His curse energy pulsed, his claws dripping, his aura a storm of its own. Inside, a flicker of Naruto's old self stirred, guilt for the slaughter, worry for Sasuke and Sakura, but Sukuna's voice drowned it out, urging more carnage.
"Keep hunting," Naruto muttered, his grin returning. "The mountain's mine."
He leaped into the storm, a crimson blur, as screams echoed in his wake.