Naruto hoisted his Chainsword, the muscles in his shoulders bulging slightly. The faint heat steaming from his body due to rapid self-healing turned into a wisp of white smoke in the damp, cold air.
He ignored his body, which had not yet fully recovered, and his ice-blue gaze swept over the figure wearing a blank mask.
"Zero."
His voice was hoarse, yet firm and resolute.
"Return to the shadows, be our eyes and ears, and scout the path ahead. I only need Orochimaru's traces; no need to report anything else. Do not show yourself without my command."
Zero said nothing, merely nodding slightly.
The next second, his figure silently vanished into the shadows of the bushes, as if he had never existed.
Naruto turned around and walked towards Haku, who was examining Sasuke's injuries.
"How long will it take for his condition to stabilize?"
Haku didn't look up; his fingers were still gently pressing around the cursed seal on Sasuke's neck, sensing the flow of that evil Chakra.
"Political Commissar, this power is eroding his meridian system. Ordinary medical Ninjutsu can only delay it, not eradicate it. To restore his mobility, we must first suppress the spread of this power."
He took out a specially made scroll from his Ninja tool pouch and unrolled it on the ground.
Dozens of senbon of varying lengths were neatly secured on the scroll, each made of ice crystal, shimmering with a chilling gleam in the faint light of the forest.
Haku looked up at Sakura, who was sitting with her knees hugged, her eyes hollow.
"Medic."
The address made Sakura's body tremble violently.
Haku pushed the scroll in front of her, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.
"These senbon are hollow inside and can guide Chakra. Remember the thirty-six acupoints I just taught you. Use your purest Chakra control to insert them and guide the rampaging Chakra within Uchiha Sasuke back on track."
He paused, his clear eyes fixed on Sakura.
"This is an order, and it is your first test."
Sakura stared blankly at the cold, deadly weapons, then at Sasuke's pained face.
Her hands began to tremble violently, uncontrollably.
She picked up the shortest ice senbon, its tip aimed at an acupoint on the side of Sasuke's neck.
In her mind, every meridian map taught at the Ninja Academy was incredibly clear; theoretical knowledge screamed at her.
But the reality was, her comrade, the boy she secretly loved, was lying on the ground like a rag doll, his life dependent on her trembling hands.
Her mind was blank.
The needle tip wavered, hesitant to descend.
The fear was still intense, making it impossible for her to breathe.
"Every second of your hesitation, the 'pollution' takes deeper root within him."
Naruto's cold voice, without warning, sounded behind her.
Sakura's body stiffened.
Naruto slowly walked to her side, looking down at her.
"Your hesitation, for him, is a detriment."
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over her, instantly extinguishing all the chaotic emotions in Sakura's heart.
In their place was a fierce resolve, born of being pushed to the brink.
She bit her lip hard, the metallic taste of blood spreading in her mouth.
The pain forced her to calm down.
She concentrated all her Chakra into her fingertips, and her trembling hand miraculously steadied.
She no longer thought of him as Sasuke, no longer thought of the consequences of failure.
In her eyes, there was only a "target" that needed to be precisely pierced.
Just as her needle tip was about to touch Sasuke's skin—
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three dark figures, with a whooshing sound, descended from the sky, forming a triangle that tightly surrounded them.
They wore the uniform of the Hidden Rain Village, the symbol on their headbands still clear in the dim light.
The leading Hidden Rain Ninja's gaze greedily swept over the scroll on the ground, then looked at the fallen Sasuke and the seemingly heavily injured Naruto, finally settling on Haku and Sakura.
Two seemingly frail youngsters.
"Looks like good luck, kids."
The leading Hidden Rain Ninja sneered, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
"Hand over your Heaven and Earth Scrolls, and we might consider sparing your lives."
This sudden turn of events was like the last straw, completely crushing the psychological defense Sakura had just built up.
The ice senbon in her hand clattered to the ground, shattering into several ice crystals.
Naruto didn't even turn to look at the uninvited guests.
His gaze remained on Sakura, a calm look mixed with disappointment and scrutiny.
He gave an order to Haku beside him.
"Protect those two."
His tone was as if stating a trivial matter.
"These trash aren't worth me using my Chainsword."
Naruto formed hand signs.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Bang! Bang!
Two Shadow Clones identical to him instantly appeared, without any superfluous movements, each moving to engage the two Hidden Rain Ninja on the left and right.
Battle erupted in an instant.
Naruto's Shadow Clones used no Ninjutsu, only pure, brutally efficient Taijutsu.
Fists, elbows, knees—each attack came with a muffled whoosh, precisely striking the opponent's most fragile joints and vital points.
The two Hidden Rain Ninja had no time to react and were swept into a storm of attacks, able only to parry clumsily, retreating step by step.
The leading Hidden Rain Ninja's expression changed; he hadn't expected the Shadow Clones of this seemingly heavily injured youngster to possess such terrifying strength.
He no longer hesitated, forming hand signs to prepare a Ninjutsu, but Naruto didn't give him the chance.
"Sakura Haruno."
Naruto spoke again, his voice not loud, but clearly overriding the sounds of fists and feet colliding.
"They are coming for us."
"Their appearance is because your previous hesitation wasted valuable time."
"Now, every breath you take consumes the remaining value of this 'weapon.' And your value is currently being assessed by me."
"Execute the order, Medic."
Every word was a stab to the heart.
The color drained from Sakura's pale face.
She bent down, this time without any hesitation.
Pfft!
The senbon accurately and precisely pierced the acupoint.
"Ugh..."
Sasuke, still unconscious, let out a suppressed groan, his tightly furrowed brow seeming to relax slightly.
It worked!
Sakura's heart leaped with joy, and she immediately found the second, then the third acupoint... Her movements became faster and steadier.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the battle was decided.
With two dull cracks of bone, Naruto's two Shadow Clones had cleanly incapacitated the Hidden Rain Ninja's limbs.
Only the leading Hidden Rain Ninja remained, watching everything in horror.
He finally realized what kind of formidable opponent he had stumbled upon.
Escape!
As this thought arose, an intense surge of killing intent erupted from behind him.
It was the silent companion whose limbs had been incapacitated; he had actually bitten open a scroll with his teeth!
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
A Genin, incredibly, carried a B-rank Ninjutsu scroll.
A huge water dragon appeared out of nowhere, roaring as it charged towards Sakura, who was providing aid, and Sasuke on the ground!
This was clearly a suicide attack.
Haku's figure instantly blocked in front of the two, forming hand signs.
"Secret Art: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"
However, that undisguised, pure killing intent, like a key shoved into an already rusted lock, became the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Sasuke, who had been unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes.
They were not his usual black pupils.
They were a blood-sea crimson, with two black tomoe spinning wildly within them.
The cursed seal on his neck, like a living thing, spread rapidly with visible speed, instantly covering half of his body and face.
An ominous, violent Chakra, filled with hatred and a desire for destruction, surged skyward.
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