Naruto's POV (Old Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)
The clone exploded with a loud boom, enveloping the area in smoke and shooting off bits of earthen debris. Naruto sank to his knees, tired but smiling happily. He finally had gotten the bastard.
But before he could fully relax his muscles, Mizuki appeared before him in a blink. Unlike the other attacks, the blonde could tell this one had done damage. Mizuki's left arm was reduced to a charred stump. His body and face were burned on the left side. His entire body was covered in bruises. His legs bled through gashes and looked liable to collapse at any moment. Though Mizuki was seemingly unaffected by his state, slamming his foot into Naruto's chest and pinning him to the ground. As the blonde gasped for air. It felt like the man was literally crushing him, he could feel his bones creak…
"You damn demon, I actually felt that! "Muzuki barked. "This makes no sense! This drug was supposed to make me superhuman! How did this happen?" He called brokenly before he started to stomp on Naruto's chest. "How? How? How?! HOW?" He screamed with each stomp.
Naruto needed to escape, but he was running on empty and couldn't breathe due to the harsh stomps. Mizuki must've landed eight before Naruto's vision started to dim. The blonde was being beaten to death; if he was a normal human, he'd likely already be dead… Naruto could feel his bones flex with the blows, bruises forming and blood rushing… He needed to use his ace. He promised he wouldn't, but he couldn't die here! He wouldn't!
Luckily, before Mizuki could land a killing blow or Naruto could activate his "ace," Lee appeared and quickly landed a massive overhand punch that sent the Chunin flying. Before the man could touch the ground, Lee seemed again, landing a high kick to his chin, sending Mizuki flying into the air. All the while, Lee smiled, seemingly proud of him.
"You were the most youthful I've seen, Naruto. We must spar after this!" Lee said casually before leaping into the air behind Muzuki, the bandages on his arm seemingly coming to life and wrapping around Mizuki tightly. "I'm sorry to use this on you, my former sensei, but you leave me no choice! Youth always comes to an end." Lee said morosely. "Front Lotus!" They spun through the air, approaching the ground head first. Lee let go of Mizuki just before they crash-landed; as he did, he kicked Mizuki into the ground to further increase the impact and rise through the air again. Landing in a combat roll to bleed off the force and stand easily.
Naruto stared at the massive cloud of dust the attack had kicked up and the rain of debris. Mizuki had impacted the concrete headfirst— even that crazy drug-fuelled bastard was surely down for the count now...
Once the dust cleared, Mizuki seemed partially buried in the ground, with only his feet sticking up like a human tombstone. Naruto smiled widely at Lee, excited they had managed to survive.
"I can't believe we just did that…" Lee said with a sigh as he sat next to the still body of Mizuki. Naruto, recognizing Lee was still accepting things. Stepped forward and felt the wrist of Mizuki's remaining arm. It was an erratic but slow pulse, but a sure sign of life all the same. But more than anything, Naruto was impressed; he had thrown everything at Mizuki and barely hurt him. Yet Lee had defeated the man with ease…
"Bastard is alive, so don't feel too bad," Naruto announced to Lee, noticing the man relax slightly. The blonde understood his tension. Naruto had never liked Mizuki, yet even he had felt sore about hurting a man who was supposed to be not only his teacher but also his ally. "Besides, I didn't realize just how legit you were. How the hell did you do that? I could barely see you move!"
Lee sighed, Naruto noticing the chakra around him settling and the man wincing. "Our less than youthful former friend was a considerable threat. And with him intending to take our lives, I determined the situation worthy of my true ability. It is one I was forbidden from using during the Academy; I believe I'd be ranked much higher otherwise… that is to say, my friend, I can understand holding back… however I must admit you holding a secret like this can be unyouthful, it is one thing to hold it from a new friend like myself, but your team will be the ones a youthful man would bare their soul to."
Naruto sighed. First, the weirdo had shown him up, and now he was giving decent advice; what a damn day. "I know, but can you really blame me? Telling your teammates you're a walking bomb isn't great news, ya know?"
"I would not think so little of our peers Naruto." Lee politely countered. "They were taught of jinchuriki and will surely see you as I do. They will not look down upon you for something you cannot control, I swear it!" Lee said with a smile. "If not them, rest assured your secret is in good hands with me! Just call for me if you ever require support!"
"You a real nutjob, Bushy Brows," Naruto said with a roll of his eyes. "But it sounds like a plan anyway…"
"Guys! Guys! Please tell me you're okay!" Choji called out, worried, as he ran over. The man was carrying his burnt arm and limping, the short assault from Mizuki having wreaked considerable damage. But the man smiled as he dropped beside them, seeing them okay and Mizuki down. "Dear Kami, you beat him! I was coming over to help but was not looking forward to more pain…"
"We beat a Chunin…" Naruto said with a smile of pride.
"Should've killed me after!" Mizuki said suddenly, ripping himself from the earth and leaping back away from them. "Now I get to survive, survive to kill you another day Kyuubi!" The man pulled out a scroll as he landed, Naruto and Lee warily standing, preparing for another bout of combat. However, the scroll revealed a complex seal: "Summoning Jutsu!" He called.
The three watched as a cloud of smoke appeared between both parties. As it parted, a strange man was seen standing within it. His eyes glowed a dim red, and pupils went in the light of the kanji for the "seal" on the left and the kanji for release on the right. His lower face was covered in a long, ragged red cloth, which covered the top of his shoulders as well. He had long, unkempt red hair, and his presence was different. Mizuki cackled in glee as Naruto and Lee froze.
"Who's that"? Choji began, but he froze with Lee and Naruto as a burst of chakra and killing intent hit the three.
"I indeed gave you this scroll as a last measure, Mizuki. However, I thought you would only use it without risking myself…" The man spoke calmly. Mizuki fearfully froze as his eyes landed on him.
"It was the plan, Ikam! But we underestimated the Kyuubi and these two dropouts!" Mizuki explained, panicked. "They were going to capture me! I had no choice but to call you! We need to leave now!" Mizuki was suddenly silenced however.
"Ikam" moved quickly. He appeared within Mizuki's guard and buried the handle of a now revealed katana into his gut, knocking him out in an instant. The man caught the Chunin on his shoulder with a shake of his head. Lifting him up with an annoyed ease.
"Working with low lives is tiresome," Ikam admitted. "However, it is good that he called me. Hello, Leaf shinobi. My name is Ikam, and I'm sure you've noticed Mizuki's little ploy here was my own orders."
Naruto gritted his teeth, regaining his bearing and stomping forward. Riptide pointed at Mizuki and Ikam protectively. "Then you better surrender. We already beat him, and your plan failed."
"Your naivety is showing." Ikam taunted. "The fool summoned me for assurance. The all-too-important goal for today will still be completed. Merely by my hand instead of his."
Naruto glanced back at Choji and Lee. The Akmichi was shaking and attempted to stand but was too drained. Lee gulped and stepped forward, fresher than the Akimichi but surely worn out as well. Naruto grit his teeth; they were tired and worn out but now had a new enemy raring to go. One if his senses were right, a much worse one…
Naruto and Lee worked well together. Just as they had with Mizuki the two intended to caught their foe off guard. Lee appeared forward, flying through the air with a flying kick, while Naruto appeared behind the man. Riptide poised to behead the man with the power behind it.
However, Ikam easily caught Lee's kick and Riptide with his own blade. With his grip on leg, the man threw Lee into Choji and kicked up dirt with such force and speed of their collision. Naruto flinched, as he roared and used his free hand to attempt to punch Ikam in the face. However, the man deflected Riptide with a flick of his wrist and smashed the handle of his own sword into Naruto's face. The blonde stumbled back, stunned; he blinked and was now on the ground, katana to his neck.
"My mission today is simple Naruto Uzumaki…" Ikam spoke calmly to Naruto, who hatefully glared at the man from the ground.
"How the hell do you know my name? Why the hell did you do all this?" Naruto spat hatefully. "What did I ever do to you?"
"Nothing directly, to be fair, Uzumaki," Ikam admitted with a shrug. "However, you merely find yourself in the path of my ambition. For the last near two decades, I have worked tirelessly for a single purpose: to eradicate my own bloodline, to ensure the Uzumaki have been razed from this earth… So today, I choose you as my next target. Die trash!"
Naruto flinched as Ikam thrust his blade. However, before it could pierce his face, scarlet chains shot between the two and wrapped around the blade stopping it in place. Naruto blinked in shock as they forced the man back, and two more people landed on the training ground, opposing Ikam and standing protectively in front of the three.
It was Iruka and his mother! Both were geared in combat gear and looked murderous as they faced Ikam and Mizuki. His mother spoke first; a long-forgotten confidence and fury tinged her voice and aura. Naruto hadn't seen his mother this serious or prepared in years, she must've recognized Ikam as the same level of threat he had. "My name is Kushina Uzumaki, Jounin of the Hidden Leaf Village, joined by Iruka Umino, a Chunin of the same. We are currently investigating the traitor in your arms; we demand you hand him over and surrender for trespassing and interfering with Leaf matters. If you struggle or resist in any way, we will move to lethally disable you, and for harming my son… I'll make it painful, ya know…"
Ikam, however, smiled brightly at the two fresh fighters. "Ah, of course the Leaf would catch on by now. A Jounin and Chunin have arrived to deal with me; your primary goal is to apprehend Mizuki, you said?" Ikam dropped the man from his shoulders, a scroll unfurled from his hip, and with a pop of smoke, the man was sealed away. "I'm afraid my partner would be less than happy to lose a lab rat… you'll have to take me if you want him… besides I've been looking forward to meeting you, Kushina Uzumaki."
Iruka and Kushina tensed further, unleashing chakra in preparation for high-level combat. "He sealed away a living being… there's no doubt about it; he's an Uzumaki through and through," Kushina said with a frown. "Only one of us could use such high level Fuijutsu casually… What are you here for?!"
"Well, today, I'm testing out a product from my partner and attempting to rid the world of a nuisance all at once," Ikam admitted with a shrug. "However, it seems an easy death for the two of you isn't in the cards. It's no real problem though, it will be far from my last attempt at your life…"
Naruto rose shakily to his feet. "The bastard was talking about killing Uzumaki, even calling himself one." The blonde informed Iruka and Kushina between heavy breaths. "He's dangerous."