Ninja Recruitment System - Chapter 422
When Zhang Miao’s team set out again at the Tazuna Bridge on the Grass Wave Coast, the battle between Konoha’s Team 7 and Zabuza had reached a critical point.
The fight between Zabuza and Kakashi was still a stalemate. Still, Haku, who had activated his “Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals,” had an absolute advantage in his battle with Naruto and Sasuke.
At this point, Naruto had not yet learned the Rasengan. The only jutsu he knew was the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Although the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu is an A-rank jutsu that can create physical clones, its drawback is its large chakra consumption.
In the previous battles, Naruto had already used the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu multiple times, which consumed a significant amount of his chakra. Coupled with the physical exhaustion from fighting, he quickly succumbed to fatigue and collapsed.
Compared to Naruto, Sasuke was in a better condition. After activating his Sharingan, he could block most of Haku’s attacks and even began to counterattack as the battle progressed.
Facing this situation, Haku quickly changed his strategy. Instead of attacking Sasuke, he aimed his senbon needles at the defenseless Naruto lying on the ground.
This was a tactical trap. If Sasuke hadn’t acted, Naruto would undoubtedly have been struck by Haku’s attack. But if Sasuke tried to save Naruto, he would expose himself to a lethal strike from Haku.
Saving Naruto could mean they would die, but not keeping him might mean at least one could survive.
Faced with such a difficult choice, even Zhang Miao, observing the battle two kilometers away, clenched his fists in tension.
“It’s okay, it’s okay… In the original story, Sasuke saved Naruto. Even if he doesn’t, the kind-hearted Haku wouldn’t kill him outright. Otherwise, how could these two rookie genin stand a chance against him?”
After comforting himself, Zhang Miao felt more at ease, but his attention remained focused on the battle at the Tazuna Bridge.
As expected, when Haku rushed toward Naruto, Sasuke immediately moved to shield him. He used his body to block Haku’s senbon needles aimed at Naruto and, with all his strength, flung Haku away from Naruto.
At that moment, Naruto regained consciousness. Seeing Sasuke covered in senbon needles, protecting him, he was utterly stunned.
“Why? Why did you protect me?”
“Why… I don’t know. I clearly… clearly hate you the most… but my body moved on its own…”
With those words, Sasuke collapsed from his injuries. Naruto, realizing what had happened, quickly caught him and cried out in panic.
“Sasuke!”
Seeing Naruto’s panicked face, Sasuke’s eyes seemed unfocused.
“That… that man… I can’t die before I defeat my brother…”
With these words, he slightly turned his head toward Naruto and, with great difficulty, spoke again.
“You better not die…”
Sasuke’s raised hand fell heavily as soon as he finished speaking, and his eyes slowly closed.
Seeing this, tears began to well up in Naruto’s blue eyes. He said nothing, only silently hugging Sasuke tightly.
Witnessing this scene, Haku, who had just been thrown aside, stood up and spoke slowly.
“He… to protect someone important, even knowing it was a trap, courageously charged forward. Truly a respectable ninja. Is this your first time facing the death of a comrade? This is the path a ninja must walk.”
After speaking, Haku’s body merged into the ice mirrors, ready to resume the fight.
Naruto didn’t respond to Haku. He continued to hold Sasuke tightly, staring at him.
Looking at Sasuke’s face as if he were merely sleeping, Naruto’s voice trembled with emotion.
“Shut up… I hated you too…”
He gently placed Sasuke on the ground as he spoke, and his sadness gradually turned into anger.
“Unforgivable!”
As Naruto uttered those words, a red chakra suddenly erupted from his body and shot into the sky!
This was the Nine-Tails’ chakra!
Due to his immense grief and emotional turmoil, the Eight Trigrams Seal on Naruto’s body loosens, allowing the Nine-Tails’ chakra to leak out.
Under the influence of this chakra, Naruto’s body began to change.
When he looked up at Haku again, his blue eyes had disappeared, replaced by a pair of blood-red, rage-filled, and murderous slit pupils!
“I’m going to kill you!”
Staring into those beast-like eyes, calm Haku couldn’t help but be moved.
“How can there be such chakra… Impossible… Chakra taking a physical form, and such a hateful chakra at that. Who is this boy?”
As Haku marveled in shock, Kakashi outside the ice mirrors showed a look of alarm.
“Is it Zabuza? No… This catastrophic chakra seemed to have appeared long ago… Could it be…”
Kakashi recognized the Nine-Tails’ chakra. Although Zabuza didn’t, he could sense something was wrong.
“How can there be such chakra? It feels very unsettling… Is it Kaka…? No, Kakashi doesn’t have such massive chakra. Who could it be?”
“It’s Naruto!” At this moment, Kakashi had already identified the source of the chakra, and his expression changed dramatically. “How could this happen? Has the seal been undone? I need to hurry!”
Kakashi knew very well that if the Nine-Tails’ seal on Naruto was utterly broken, the ensuing situation could only be described in two words—
Disaster!
If the Nine-Tails escaped, it could destroy the entire Land of Waves and neighboring towns. Not only would Konoha lose a valuable Jinchuriki, but they would also be blamed for failing to manage the tailed beast properly.
Most importantly, Kakashi knew how much Zhang Miao cared for his brother Naruto. If anything happened to Naruto, Zhang Miao would not let it go.
“Uzumaki Ryuunosuke has been away for years and has no real attachment to Konoha. If something happens to Naruto and he takes it out on Konoha, the village is finished!”
With this in mind, Kakashi’s expression turned more serious than ever.
“I can’t delay any longer. I must deal with Zabuza quickly!”
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