Naruto unleashed his chakra at full power, his body enveloped in a blue aura. He then drew out as much Nine-Tails chakra as he could, sending a surge of red light shooting into the sky. Suddenly, the red glow vanished entirely, sucked back into Naruto's body.
The chakra seeped through his pores, staining his skin a deep crimson.
Clawing at his skin in agony while letting out gut-wrenching screams, Naruto fell to his knees.
His face stretched forward, forming a fox-like muzzle, his teeth sharpening into fangs. His ears pulled back into his skull before shifting to the top of his head. His hair transformed into fiery red fur that blanketed his body. His muscles bulged as his entire frame grew larger.
His claws extended longer than before.
Still panting heavily on all fours, Naruto had just undergone a brutal transformation. Slowly rising to his feet, he stared at Kimimaro with glowing red eyes devoid of pupils.
With a twisted grin, Naruto said,
"Wow…this really hurt."
Kimimaro asked in shock,
"What exactly are you?"
Scratching his head with a laugh, Naruto replied,
"Call me whatever you like—it's not like it'll matter once you're dead."
That fox-like smirk spread across his face, sending a chill down Kimimaro's spine.
In an instant, Naruto vanished without a trace. Kimimaro looked around frantically. Until now, he had believed no one could move that fast—but suddenly, deep cuts slashed across his body, slicing through muscle down to the bone.
He was forced backward, finally struck across the face by something he didn't even see—an arm? A leg? A knee? An elbow?
The violent assault sent Kimimaro flying like a ragdoll.
Quickly regaining his footing, he spun his arm and launched countless bone bullets.
But from behind, Naruto grabbed his leg and flipped him onto the ground.
Seeing Kimimaro keep getting up after every blow annoyed Naruto, who responded with even more ruthless attacks.
"Nine-Tails, can't you tell I'm trying to finish this mission?"
Inside Naruto's mind, the Nine-Tails bellowed furiously:
"Hear me, brat! Your body is falling apart—it's not fully adjusted to this form yet! End this now—with the [Tailed Beast Ball]!"
"Why didn't I think of that sooner!"
Forming a swirling sphere of chakra in his palm, Naruto hurled it forward.
With a feral roar, he unleashed a beam of light from his maw, firing straight at Kimimaro.
The beam hit Kimimaro head-on, erupting with terrifying force. Debris and dust exploded into the sky, shaking the ground beneath them.
*****
(Konoha Village - Hokage Tower)
Lady Tsunade sat in her office, cradling a cup of sake and massaging her temples:
"This job's gonna be the death of me someday…"
Suddenly, the entire tower shook, knocking Tsunade from her chair onto the floor. Items crashed from shelves and tables. The tremor passed quickly, but she sprang to her feet and rushed to the window. Outside, people were sprawled on the ground, windows lay shattered, and potted plants were strewn across the streets.
Hearing panic from outside, Tsunade muttered:
"What in the world was that?"
*****
(Main Gate of Konoha Village)
Temari, Shikamaru, and Choji threw themselves to the ground for cover as the tremor hit. Tayuya stood frozen in fear, still tied up and completely vulnerable.
Once the shaking stopped, Temari said:
"What the hell was that?"
*****
The ground trembled again. Hearing a sudden sound, Naruto's eyes went wide:
[Dance of the Seedling Fern]!
A cluster of bones erupted from the ground. These razor-sharp bones pierced into the sky.
"No, no, no!" Naruto darted between the bones, whipping his tails around to break his fall.
Suddenly, Kimimaro burst halfway out of one of the bones Naruto was clinging to, an osseous drill attached to his arm.
His skin burned in multiple places, exposing muscle and bone beneath. Time seemed to slow as Kimimaro thrust the bone drill toward Naruto:
"Die!"
The drill struck Naruto, but he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a shattered ninja sword to clatter down exactly where Kimimaro had struck.
Kimimaro collapsed weakly, dying with the bitter regret of failing to defeat Naruto.
Naruto caught his breath, exhaling in relief. "Man, that was close!"
He let out a breath and dispelled his fox form.
Just as Naruto was about to leave, he suddenly collapsed onto the ground, crying out in pain:
"Damn it! What's happening? Why does it hurt so much?"
The Nine-Tails responded:
"I told you your body wasn't prepared. You've suffered multiple fractures. This is what happens when you ignore my warnings… and overdose on soldier pills."
Naruto writhed in pain on the ground:
"I understand now… Still, looking back on everything that just happened… it was all worth it."
Right then, a red-haired figure came into view:
"Did you win?" Gaara asked, looking at Naruto.
Naruto rolled his eyes:
"Do I look like someone who lost?"
He noticed Gaara's sand supporting Rock Lee's body.
Gaara lifted Naruto to his feet with his sand.
Rock Lee's face was scratched and bruised, but he was still breathing.
"He's alive. Sasuke was the one who defeated him."
Naruto clapped his hands together, pushing the pain aside for now:
"Damn… Lee… I couldn't finish my opponent quickly enough to help you." He turned to Gaara, "Let's get back to Konoha. Both of us need medical attention."
Using his sand to support both Naruto and Rock Lee, Gaara started hopping back toward Konoha.
*****
Kakashi stood motionless in The Valley's End. Rain soaked the forehead protector at Kakashi's feet—Sasuke's.
Gazing past Madara Uchiha's statue toward the distant borders, he murmured to himself:
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!