Naruto: Reaching the Stars

Yoruichi sprinted through the forest, her breaths coming in short, rapid bursts as she pushed herself to run faster. The trees blurred past her, each pounding step feeling slower than it needed to be.

She didn’t look back. There was no point in wasting time checking if the enemy was on her tail. She had to trust that Kisuke and Minato were keeping him occupied.

The village wasn’t far. She just needed to reach it and find help. Her mind locked onto the path ahead, calculating the quickest route to the training grounds. That was where she would find the nearest ninja.

The wind whipped through her hair as she leaped over a fallen log, landing smoothly on the other side. She kept running.

‘Kisuke, Minato, you guys better hold on until I’m back.’

Suddenly, a sharp noise whistled through the air behind her.

Yoruichi’s eyes narrowed, and she immediately jumped aside, just as four shuriken embedded themselves in the ground where she had been.

Ahead, she saw the masked ninja land lightly a short distance away after leaping from a tree.

“What happened to Kisuke and Minato!?”

Yoruichi glared, though her heart pounded with panic. She feared something had happened to her friends. Had the enemy already dealt with them?

The masked ninja didn’t answer and instead rushed toward her without a word.

‘Fast,’ Yoruichi thought as she watched his dash. She realized she couldn’t outrun him.

The clone reached her in seconds and struck her in the stomach.

Yoruichi gasped as her body was lifted off the ground, only to vanish in a puff of smoke, replaced by a log.

Yoruichi reappeared behind a nearby tree, crouched low as she gasped for air. Her stomach ached from the punch, even though it had hit her substitution jutsu. She couldn’t afford to take another direct hit.

The clone turned, scanning the area. He didn’t seem fazed by her substitution. With quick movements, he pulled out more shuriken, his gaze sweeping over the trees.

Yoruichi’s mind raced. ‘I can’t outrun him, and I can’t fight him head-on.’ She needed a new plan.

As much as she worried about Kisuke and Minato, she needed to focus on the enemy in front of her first. Even though she was just a kid, she’d often asked the ninjas hired by her father about tactics. With some money, they’d taught her tricks and how a ninja should act in different situations.

According to them, panic could get a shinobi killed. A shinobi must always stay calm, no matter the circumstances. So, she forced herself not to worry about her friends, choosing to trust that they wouldn’t go down so easily.

The clone threw the shuriken in a wide arc, forcing Yoruichi to roll to the side. She narrowly avoided the sharp blades as they embedded themselves in the bark of a tree.

No time to hesitate. She dashed forward, weaving through the trees as fast as she could. She had to reach the village or find any nearby ninja. She wasn’t delusional enough to believe she stood a chance against the enemy after witnessing his strength.

But the clone was relentless. She could hear him behind her. Yoruichi’s hand reached into her pouch, searching for anything that could give her an edge.

She grabbed her last two smoke bombs, having given the rest to her friends, and threw them to the ground. A thick cloud enveloped the area, blocking the clone’s view. Without wasting a second, Yoruichi changed direction, jumped into the underbrush, and transformed into a small rock.

Moments later, a strong wind swept through, clearing the smoke.

Yoruichi remained completely still in her rock form, her heart pounding in her chest as the whirlwind dissipated. She watched the clone through the tiniest of cracks, seeing him scan the area for any sign of movement.

The clone paused, eyes narrowing as he examined the surroundings. Yoruichi knew she couldn’t stay hidden for long. The clone was a skilled ninja, and it wouldn’t take him much time to realize something was off.

She waited, barely daring to breathe. The clone continued scanning, clearly suspicious, but after a moment, he turned away, convinced she had escaped. He took off in the direction of the village, disappearing into the trees.

Once she was sure he was far enough away, Yoruichi slowly released the transformation jutsu. Her form shifted back to normal, and she immediately took off running, desperate to make up for lost time.

But before she could gain speed, a sharp pain shot through her leg. Yoruichi gasped as two shuriken embedded themselves deep into her calf, sending her stumbling to the ground. She barely caught herself, biting back a cry of pain as she tried to move.

She looked back, her heart sinking as the clone reappeared.

‘He tricked me.’

He had been waiting for her to slip up, knowing she couldn’t stay hidden forever.

Blood trickled down her leg, but Yoruichi gritted her teeth and pulled out the shuriken.

‘Kisuke and Minato are waiting for me. I have to escape and bring back help, no matter what.’

Pulling out a kunai, she prepared herself for a fight. She wasn’t going down without one, even though her body screamed in pain.

The clone eyed her and spoke. “There’s no escape for you. Come with me without resisting, and this might end up less painful.”

“Eat shit!” Yoruichi spat back.

The clone’s eyes twitched slightly under the mask before he pulled out a kunai and dashed toward her. “So be it.”

Since she wasn’t the mission target, he decided to eliminate her.

“Here he comes,” Yoruichi muttered, tightening her grip on the kunai. She had no chance of outrunning him, especially now that she was injured.

Just as the clone was about to reach her, a sudden voice interrupted.

“A fully grown shinobi bullying a little girl? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”

The clone halted and looked around.

“Who?”

Yoruichi looked toward the rustling noise. There, she saw a figure stepping out of the tree’s shade.

“You…” Her eyes widened in recognition.

*****

Meanwhile, back at the first battlefield, Kisuke and Minato stood a short distance from their enemy, both battered and gasping for air.

It had only been two minutes since the fight began, but they had already been driven into a corner.

The only saving grace was that the enemy hadn’t created another shadow clone, allowing them to cover for each other when one was attacked. But they still suffered injuries due to their lack of experience in close combat.

“Minato, we’ve got to help Yoruichi!” Kisuke said, urgency in his voice.

The enemy’s main target was Minato, so Kisuke wasn’t sure what he would do if he caught Yoruichi or him. Either he would take them back to the Root or kill them. Neither option sounded good.

Kisuke wasn’t willing to risk Yoruichi’s chance at outrunning a seasoned ninja, no matter how talented she was.

“I know,” Minato replied, equally concerned.

“Got any plan?”

Kisuke paused. “I do, but I’m not sure it’ll be enough. Minato, can you keep him busy and tied up for just a few seconds?”

Kisuke knew he was asking a lot of Minato, essentially asking him to engage in close combat with an experienced ninja. But Minato didn’t hesitate.

“Sure. I’ll do my best.”

The masked ninja, who had been silently observing them, sneered beneath his mask. “Alright, this has been enough of a test of your abilities. Playtime’s over. You’re coming with me, whether you like it or not!”

Just as he finished, he saw Minato dash toward him. “Reckless brat.”

Holding a kunai, the Root ninja engaged Minato in a fast exchange of blows. Sparks flew with each hit.

But Minato was slowly being overwhelmed. He couldn’t keep up with the ninja’s strength or speed, and his injuries were piling up. The Root ninja made sure the injuries weren’t too deep, knowing that too much damage could spell trouble for him.

With a flick, Minato’s kunai flew out of his hand.

“Got you!”

Just as the Root ninja was about to incapacitate Minato, a flurry of shuriken shot toward him.

“Annoying kid,” he muttered, seeing Kisuke as the one who threw them. ‘Isn’t he worried I’ll use his friend as a shield?’

Clicking his tongue, the Root ninja kicked Minato in the stomach, sending him flying, and used the momentum to push himself back.

More shuriken and kunai flew his way, so he readied his kunai to parry them.

But his eyes suddenly widened when he saw a small sphere connected to one of the kunai.

With no time to react, the sphere exploded, creating a cloud of smoke.

“Damn it!” he coughed and cursed as two shuriken hit his shoulder.

As he backed away, Kisuke suddenly emerged from the smoke.

“Wh-what’s that?!” the Root ninja’s eyes widened when he saw a small, swirling blue sphere of chakra in Kisuke’s hand. He had never seen such a jutsu, but he wasn’t willing to take any chances.

Before he could jump out of harm’s way, a kunai embedded itself in his leg, causing him to wince and delaying his escape for just a second.

‘It’s now or never!’

Seeing the enemy retreat, Kisuke channeled chakra into the soles of his feet, using Shunpo. Though he had yet to perfect it, the force propelled him forward, closing the distance in an instant.

“Damn it! These kids...” the Root ninja cursed as he realized he couldn't dodge in time. He decided to exchange injury for injury, thrusting his kunai straight toward Kisuke's eye.

Kisuke's pupils dilated, and his heart pounded in his chest. Time seemed to slow, each beat echoing in his ears. 

For a moment, fear gripped him. His body froze mid-stride, the Rasengan swirling in his hand, so close yet feeling impossibly far away.

*Move!* he screamed in his mind, but his limbs refused to obey. The memory of his previous death surged forward—how helpless he'd felt, the bitter taste of defeat still fresh. And now, it was happening again.

Cold sweat dripped down his face. Was this really it? Was he going to die again, without fulfilling his dreams?

Just then, something changed in the enemy's stance, a split-second hesitation. Kisuke didn't know what caused it, but he seized the opportunity. 

Summoning every ounce of willpower, he twisted his body, shifting his head just enough to avoid the fatal blow. The kunai grazed his cheek and lips, tearing through his skin, but he barely felt it. All that mattered was the Rasengan in his hand.

With a final push, Kisuke drove the swirling sphere of chakra into the masked ninja's chest. The enemy's eyes widened in shock as the Rasengan connected, sending him hurtling backward until he crashed into a tree.

Kisuke staggered, panting heavily. Blood dripped from the deep cut on his face, but he didn’t care. He had survived. He was still alive.