"Wind Eagle Crossbow?"
"What's that?"
Hearing Naruto's shout, Orochimaru refocused his attention on him.
With a flash of blue light, a majestic and metallic crossbow appeared on Naruto's right arm.
"Interesting, it seems to be a new technique."
A dangerous glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
These Konoha brats were far too entertaining. If his priority wasn't healing his hands, he wouldn't mind infiltrating Konoha again and capturing a few for research.
"Kabuto-senpai, you used ninjutsu to attack me sneakily just now," Naruto yelled, his voice distorted by the helmet into a muffled, mechanical sound. "Now it's my turn!"
"Hehe, you fool. You have power, but no idea how to use it," Kabuto sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'll stand right here. Let's see if you can hit me. If I were wearing that armor, you'd be dead a thousand times over."
Why did these idiotic brats stumble upon miraculous powers while he, with his meticulous planning and superior intellect, had no such luck?
He couldn't even find meaning in his existence. If not for Orochimaru's recognition, he would have ended his own life long ago.
"Damn it! I'll beat you to a pulp for sure!" Naruto roared, provoked.
As expected, the energy blasts he fired were wild and inaccurate, exploding on the ground nearby, leaving three sizable craters.
The sheer power startled Kabuto. Good thing he'd goaded the idiot first.
"Lady Tsunade, that idiot Naruto is being led around by the nose by Kabuto again," Shizune said, running to Tsunade's side with a helpless expression. "Should we help?"
"That idiot Naruto... but at least he's alright. Let's go help. We can't let Orochimaru escape this time," Tsunade said, face palming.
Naruto was passionate, sure, but he acted without thinking. "Naruto!" she yelled. "Calm down! He's deliberately provoking you so you'll waste your weapon's ammo! Fall back! I'll handle them!"
Naruto froze.
"Huh? Oh, is that it?" Then, realization dawned. "Damn Kabuto-senpai bastard! Sneaky bastard! No wonder I couldn't hit you!"
Shizune rolled her eyes. Kabuto had literally been standing still the entire time.
That's some terrible aim.
"This time, I'll definitely hit you!" Naruto took a deep breath and leveled the Wind Eagle Crossbow.
Perhaps even the Wind Eagle Armor had never encountered such a dense wielder.
As if to compensate, it seemingly lent Naruto a moment of clarity, unlocking a rapid-fire skill: Wind Eagle Barrage.
Naruto grinned and pulled the trigger.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several blue beams shot out.
Kabuto, accustomed to Naruto's slow, erratic blasts, was taken aback.
For the first time, he actively dodged. The dense barrage of blue energy had effectively sealed off most of his escape routes.
Thwack!
One beam pierced through his shoulder.
"Aagh!" Kabuto cried out in pain.
"Yes! He hit him!" Shizune cheered. "Good job, Naruto!"
She was overjoyed.
Kabuto was even more detestable than Orochimaru. He had not only cut her ankle but also exploited Tsunade's fear of blood to injure her severely.
And when Naruto arrived, Kabuto had beaten him black and blue.
Kabuto even managed to land a critical blow on Tsunade.
If it weren't for her Creation Rebirth, anyone else would have been killed.
He also assisted Orochimaru in summoning Manda. He was the undisputed MVP of the battle.
But in this moment, Naruto awakened a miraculous power, finally turning the tables.
"Naruto, go on! Keep it up!" Shizune cheered, rushing forward.
Her ankle had already healed.
But Tsunade was faster, shattering the ground with a single step and leaping forward.
"Haha, I told you I could hit him!" Naruto laughed. "This time, I'll turn them into swiss cheese!" He unleashed another Wind Eagle Barrage.
This time, however, Kabuto and Orochimaru were prepared, using Body Flicker and Substitution Jutsu to evade the blasts.
But they barely had time to land before Tsunade's attack arrived.
Heavenly Foot of Pain!
Rumble.
The ground beneath her foot crumbled as the force of her blow sent shockwaves rippling outward, sending Orochimaru and Kabuto tumbling.
As Tsunade prepared to pursue, a large bulge rose from the earth.
A massive snake head erupted, lunging at her with its fangs bared.
"Get lost, you beast!" Tsunade roared, channeling chakra into her right fist with pinpoint precision.
The air around her surged.
With a thunderous crack, she unleashed her monstrous strength.
A punch that could shatter the ground erupted.
Clang!
Manda, the colossal serpent who had just emerged seeking to wreak havoc, was met with a resounding blow to his mountain-like head.
The impact sent him crashing back down, raising a cloud of dust. It took him a moment to recover.
But the interruption allowed Orochimaru and Kabuto to escape Tsunade's pursuit.
Hiss!!
Regaining his senses, Manda reared his head and hissed, glaring at Tsunade with murderous intent.
"Enough!" Orochimaru, now perched atop Manda's head, commanded.
"We're done here for today. Tsunade, it's your loss if you refuse to heal me. I can find other ways; it'll just be more troublesome." Killer Intent, befitting that of a Kage-level shinobi radiated from him, silencing even the usually arrogant and defiant Manda.
Taking advantage of the distraction, a bloodied Kabuto leaped onto Manda's head. He tossed several smoke bombs, and in a swirling cloud of smoke, he, Orochimaru, and Manda vanished.
Seeing that neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya, who had arrived to confront Manda, made any move to pursue, Naruto didn't charge into the smoke.
But he still muttered under his breath, "Hmph, acting like you won. You just ran away."
"Naruto, you were amazing this time!" Shizune said, giving him a thumbs up.
"Aw, it was nothing. Granny Tsunade was the best," Naruto said, scratching his head sheepishly.
He then realized he was still wearing the armor. Now that the fight was over, it was time to take it off.
As he wondered how to remove the Wind Eagle Armor, it glowed blue. The brilliant light converged, forming a stylish belt with the Wind Eagle Armor's transformation device at the center.
"Is this how you transform?" Shizune asked curiously. "Who gave it to you?"
Tsunade and Jiraiya also turned their attention to Naruto, equally curious.
Naruto scratched his head, feeling something was off.
His transformation device looked different now, completely unlike Chouji's.
But he decided not to dwell on it. He could transform now, and that was all that mattered.
Awesome! He couldn't wait to show his friends.
This trip had been incredibly fruitful: he'd found Tsunade, convinced her to become Hokage, learned the Rasengan, and gained the ability to transform.
It was the best day of his life!
"Well... um... Natsuki gave it to me," Naruto said proudly, flashing a bright, toothy grin. "He's the leader of our Dimensional End's Congregation. He has tons of mysterious powers!"
His smile shone brightly in the sunlight, mirrored by the equally bright, questioning stares of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune.