Chapter 72
The word Juzo uttered, after putting distance between himself and Naruto, seemed to possess a certain magic.
"Jinchuriki?"
A flash of lightning shot through Sako's mind, as if she had grasped something.
Juzo's main body didn't continue attacking, but instead quickly retreated.
Splash, splash... The sound of the river rushing past reached their ears.
Juzo raised his hand and formed a hand seal.
"Ever since that thick-browed guy in the ridiculous green jumpsuit destroyed our team of seven... I've been very cautious around Konoha guys..."
Naruto's sudden display of Jinchuriki power immediately put Juzo on high alert.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Might Duydefeated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
As one of the victims, Juzo, having witnessed Konoha's hidden power, had since then harbored extreme vigilance towards any Konoha Ninja.
"Even if you're just a brat..."
You still can't be underestimated.
After all.
I've truly seen how strong a Jinchuriki can be, like the current Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.
"Water Release... Water Clone!"
Accompanied by the breaking sound of the river, multiple identical figures suddenly shot out from it.
This thoroughly confirmed the opponent's origin from Hidden Mist.
Water Release: Water Clone Technique is a C-rank Ninjutsu.
By utilizing a water source, it can continuously create a large number of clones with very low Chakra consumption.
Each clone inherits 10% of the main body's abilities.
It's abilities, not strength.
In other words, if only considering close combat, the Water Clone Technique would be an excellent physical Clone Technique.
"Don't blame me for being so cautious... brats..."
Juzo's faint voice, his main body hidden in the mist, came from afar.
And so, like restless living corpses, the Water Clones charged at Naruto, one after another.
Sako: "What exactly is a Jinchuriki?"
Sako's soft murmur was caught by Juzo, who had excellent hearing.
Strong individuals capable of freely manipulating the Hidden Mist Technique invariably had good ears.
"Brat, you don't know? Then I'll tell you. The true identity of your companion... this blond kid..."
A certain malice was contained in Juzo's voice.
Sako swallowed, feeling her heart slowly clutched by an unseen force.
Juzo: "A Jinchuriki, you see..."
Through Juzo's explanation, Sako gradually understood Naruto's essence.
"Stuffing a terrifying Tailed Beast into a human body makes them an object of fear for everyone... Haha, don't misunderstand, I'm not just referring to this blond kid. There are 8 other monsters like him in this world. Every Jinchuriki, more or less, will have a tragic childhood or life... whether they chose it or not. The moment they become a Jinchuriki, they are no longer human, but... a monster. A ticking time bomb that could go berserk and wreak havoc on the Village at any time. Everyone would loathe and hate him, wouldn't they... So... your companion, this blond brat, he is the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that once wreaked havoc on your Konoha."
Swoosh!
The Water Clone's blade, like a real greatsword, cut wounds into Naruto's body.
Blood splattered.
Naruto staggered back a few steps.
"Naruto~~!"
Sako rushed over in a panic, but then suddenly stopped.
Because of Juzo's description, the strange feeling she got from Naruto turned into terror.
Although he looked human, a terrifying Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was sealed within his body.
The destruction caused by the Nine-Tailed in the Village was still vivid in memory.
Even without personal experience as a baby, one could learn of the Nine-Tailed's horror and the pain it caused through others' descriptions.
"Cough, cough..."
Just then, Gekkō Hayate coughed a few times; he had woken up.
Hayate, unaware of the cause and effect, only saw Naruto injured and Sako standing still.
"Hey! Brat, why are you just standing there? Hurry up and help!"
Clutching the wound on his abdomen, Hayate shouted with all his might, which made his lips even paler.
He received no reply.
On the other side.
The injured Naruto hung his head, and because he was wearing goggles, Sako couldn't see Naruto's face clearly.
Drip... drip... Blood dripped from his body.
And what Naruto did next was... "Nine-Tailed, it's time to pay the rent..."
Accompanying the low murmur, an orange-red light instantly shot up, engulfing Naruto's body.
A fierce wind raged, and the Nine-Tailed's power began to surge.
Spiraling Chakra rose, appearing above Naruto's head, faintly forming the head of a roaring Nine-Tailed.
"Astonishing power..."
Juzo commented.
"Brat, your companion... is a complete monster!"
Facing Naruto's release of Nine-Tails Power, Hayate was instantly stunned.
The fierce wind seemed to blow away some of the mist.
Immediately after, Naruto leaped up, crushing the surrounding Water Clones one by one!
The situation instantly reversed.
Naruto gained the upper hand, easily destroying Juzo's Jutsu.
In a certain gap, Naruto landed and turned to look, his face more serious than ever: "Don't worry, I'll take care of him in a bit, and then... you can return to your Clan..."
"Ugh~."
The scene before her, and the words Narutouttered, completely tightened Sako's heart.
She felt like she couldn't breathe.
"I actually..."
This Uzumaki Naruto guy tried so hard to be her friend, doing his best to protect her.
Even getting injured for it.
Yet she hesitated because of the enemy's words... Nine-Tailed Demon Fox or monster... no matter what, he was her friend~, Uzumaki Naruto!
From their first meeting, that cautious attitude.
Then the bewilderment of being ostracized by the villagers.
And then closely following her, persistently wanting to be her partner... So that's how it was... The identity of a Jinchuriki plunged him into despair and darkness, from which he sought light... So that's how it was... Understanding everything, understanding Naruto's background, a strong emotion surged in Sako's heart.
It continuously pounded her heart like ocean waves.
Self-reproach, shame... and also concern and pity for Naruto, caused her body to heat up, a furnace-like warmth flowing through her.
These warm currents surged into her brain... This was an emotion, an experience she had never had before.
A spark of light emerged from the darkness.
Sako reached out with the hand of her will, grasping towards the spark... Chapter 13. Opening the Sharingan out of pity, Sako's Sharingan.
As the Water Clones shattered, even more Water Clones appeared from the mist.
Utilizing the endlessly flowing river, Biwa Jūzōcould almost recklessly create hundreds or more Water Clones.
As long as he kept depleting their resources, victory would be easy to achieve.
Even if a Tailed Beast's Chakra was infinite, a Jinchuriki's stamina was limited.
And this brat wasn't very old.
Even if he unleashed the Nine-Tailed's power, it would certainly be impossible to release all of its tails, which also meant his power would definitely not last long.
Juzo hid in the shadows, anticipating the outcome.
Sako: "Hand seals!"
Naruto, Juzo, Gekkō Hayate: "?"
Sako suddenly shouted, but no one understood what she meant.
"The opponent is using Ninjutsu... we'll use Ninjutsu too... Hmm..."
Her brain was suddenly enveloped by a strange sensation.
This feeling was like a dream one has before waking up every morning.
Various knowledge... suddenly appeared in her mind.
"As long as we use Wind Release..."
Among the five elements, at the same level and with the same Chakra output, the Wind Release is the easiest to achieve the greatest range of destructive power.
However, the Wind Release is also the rarest attribute in Konoha.
The environment nurtures the people; most Konoha Ninja's primary attribute is 'Fire'.
The most representative example is the Uchiha Clan.
"... we can wipe out these Water Clones and the Hidden Mist Technique in one go!"
Gekkō Hayate: "?!"
This Uchiha brat makes a lot of sense, but her attribute is 'Fire'.
Unless she was an Uchiha Jonin.
A Jonin could possess at least two nature transformations, and only then would it be possible to use Wind Release.
"Naruto... learn from me!"
Sako raised both hands, a crimson glow flashing in her eyes.
"..."
Naruto looked over and saw Sako forming hand seals.