ALL NOVEL Chapter 3: 3
Clash of Chaos
Beneath the crimson moonlight, Naruto stood in his Mephisto transformation, his mischievous grin stretching unnaturally wide. He twirled his umbrella lazily, his sharp teeth glinting as he faced Tobi in an open field surrounded by the whispers of the night. The air between them crackled with tension, and for a moment, only the eerie hum of the wind filled the silence.
Tobi tilted his head, his lone Sharingan glowing ominously behind his mask. "I don't know what you are, but you're in my way. That's a mistake you won't live to regret."
Naruto, no, Mephisto, laughed, the sound echoing unnaturally. "Oh, how delightful! A man with a mask threatening the King of Chaos? This is going to be fun." He snapped his umbrella shut with a sharp click, pointing it at Tobi like a weapon. "Let's dance."
---
Tobi moved first, vanishing in a blur. He reappeared behind Naruto, his chains whipping forward to bind him. But Naruto, with Mephisto's instinctive agility, spun on his heel, opening his umbrella to intercept the chains. The umbrella's frame shimmered with a strange energy, deflecting the chains harmlessly.
"Not bad," Mephisto taunted, "but you'll have to try harder."
Tobi's Sharingan spun, and he launched a burst of fire from his mouth. The flames roared forward, merging with the spiraling vortex of his Kamui to create a deadly inferno.
Naruto leapt into the air, snapping his fingers. A door materialized beneath him, its ornate carvings glowing with eerie light. He stepped through it, vanishing just as the flames consumed the space where he'd been.
Tobi narrowed his eye, his senses sharp. He felt the shift in the air and spun, slashing his sword in a wide arc. Naruto reappeared from another door behind him, umbrella raised to block the strike. The force of the blow sent him skidding back, but he landed gracefully, his grin unshaken.
"Not bad yourself, Masky," he quipped, twirling his umbrella. "But let's see how you handle this."
---
Naruto raised his hand, and the ground beneath them shifted. Strange, clock-like symbols appeared, ticking ominously as the space distorted. Time seemed to stutter, the flow of movements jerking unnaturally.
Tobi lunged, his body phasing through the distortions as he aimed a punch at Naruto's gut. Naruto twisted, barely dodging the blow, but the strain of manipulating time was evident as a sharp pain lanced through his side.
"Overextending already?" Tobi mocked, his voice calm but cold.
Naruto's grin faltered briefly before returning, though it was tighter now. "Who, me? Never!"
He thrust his umbrella forward, and a swarm of tiny, glowing butterflies erupted from its tip. They flitted around Tobi, their delicate appearance belying the deadly explosions they caused on contact.
Tobi activated Kamui, letting the butterflies phase through him harmlessly. But as they passed, Naruto snapped his fingers again, and the butterflies reformed into chains of energy that wrapped around Tobi's form.
"What,?!" Tobi growled, struggling as the chains solidified the moment his Kamui deactivated.
Naruto darted forward, aiming a kick at Tobi's head. The Uchiha ducked, breaking free of the chains with a burst of raw chakra. He retaliated with a swing of his sword, the blade glinting as it sliced through the air.
Naruto blocked with his umbrella, but the impact jarred his arms. "Ooh, strong! But how long can you keep up, I wonder?"
---
Tobi planted his hand on the ground, and thick wooden roots erupted from the earth, spiraling toward Naruto. The roots lashed out like serpents, forcing him to dodge and weave.
Naruto clicked his tongue. "Wood Release? Really? Bit old-fashioned, don't you think?"
As the roots closed in, Naruto conjured a large, spinning clock from thin air. It hummed with power, grinding the wood to splinters as it rotated. But the effort left him winded, his body trembling slightly.
"Using my abilities comes at a price, boy," Mephisto's voice echoed in his head. "Don't push too hard, or you'll tear yourself apart."
Naruto ignored the warning, his grin widening despite the pain. He lunged at Tobi, his umbrella transforming into a jagged, glowing blade. Their weapons clashed, sparks flying as they exchanged rapid blows.
Tobi's superior taijutsu and Sharingan reflexes gave him the edge, but Naruto's unpredictability kept him on the defensive. At one point, Naruto's blade shattered into shards, only for the shards to explode, forcing Tobi to phase away.
"You're relentless," Tobi admitted, his voice laced with annoyance.
Naruto panted, his body screaming in protest. "And you're boring. Let's spice things up!"
He raised his hand, summoning a massive cuckoo clock above them. The clock's hands spun wildly before a barrage of gears shot toward Tobi like missiles.
Tobi countered with a spiraling vortex of fire, the attacks colliding in an explosion that rocked the battlefield.
---
Naruto leaned on his umbrella, his breathing labored. "You've got some bite to go with that bark, Masky. I'll admit, this is shaping up to be quite the show."
Tobi remained silent, his Sharingan glowing ominously as he summoned more weapons from his Kamui dimension. A massive scythe appeared in his hand, and he twirled it effortlessly.
"Done talking?" Naruto asked with a smirk. "Good. I prefer action anyway."
---
Tobi vanished, his body flickering as he phased through space. Naruto's sharp eyes darted around, tracking the faint distortions in the air.
Behind!
Tobi reappeared, swinging his scythe with deadly intent. Mephisto barely managed to parry with his umbrella, the force of the blow sending him skidding backward.
"Impressive," Tobi remarked, his tone mocking. "Most can't keep up with me."
Naruto straightened, his grin returning. "Flattery will get you nowhere, darling."
He spun his umbrella, creating a whirlwind of energy that hurled debris toward Tobi. The masked man phased through it, but Naruto was already moving, closing the gap.
With a flourish, Naruto summoned a flaming pentagram beneath Tobi's feet. The fiery symbol erupted, forcing Tobi to leap into the air.
"You like to play with fire," Tobi said, hurling several kunai at Naruto mid-air.
Naruto dodged the projectiles, but one nicked his shoulder, drawing blood. He winced, his body already feeling the strain of overusing his powers.
---
"I can't keep this up much longer" Naruto thought
Kurama "This isn't a fight you should be in, brat. That power is tearing you apart."
"I don't care," Naruto shot back. "If I can take this guy down, it's worth it."
Mephisto's voice chimed in, calm and amused. "Relax, kid. You are letting your rage cloud your judgment"
---
Tobi formed a series of hand signs, and a massive torrent of flames surged toward Naruto. The fire twisted and combined with Kamui.
Naruto spun his umbrella, creating a shield of energy that barely held against the onslaught. The edges of his outfit singed as he gritted his teeth.
"Creative," Naruto admitted, his voice strained. "But you're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve."
With another countdown in German, Naruto summoned a scroll-like object above his head. The scroll unfurled, revealing a portal that swallowed the remaining flames and redirected them toward Tobi.
Tobi phased through the counterattack, reappearing behind Naruto. His scythe swung down, but Naruto turned just in time, deflecting the blade with a metallic clang.
"You're persistent," Tobi said, his voice low and menacing.
"And you're predictable," Naruto shot back, his grin never faltering.
---
Tobi activated his Wood Release, summoning a massive wooden dragon that surged toward Naruto. The dragon's jaws snapped, forcing Naruto to retreat.
"Nowhere to run," Tobi taunted, the dragon's form extending to ensnare Naruto.
But Naruto laughed, his voice echoing through the battlefield. "Run? Oh, my dear Masky, I never run."
He slammed his umbrella into the ground, summoning a massive chocolate-colored adhesive. The sticky substance coated the dragon, halting its movements.
"Schokolade Kleber!" Naruto declared with theatrical flair. "A little sweetness to stop your sour attitude."
Tobi scowled beneath his mask. "Enough of this nonsense."
He phased through the sticky remains of the dragon, appearing directly in front of Naruto. His Sharingan spun rapidly, and for the first time, he abandoned his playful tone.
"You're out of tricks. Surrender."
Naruto's grin widened. "Oh, I'm just getting started."
---
Naruto's energy was nearly spent. Inside his mind, Kurama roared. "You're going to get yourself killed, brat!"
"Not yet," Naruto thought, his resolve unwavering.
Naruto raised his umbrella one last time, his voice calm and composed. "Let's finish this dance."
He slammed the umbrella into the ground, summoning a final, massive pentagram. The symbol glowed with intense energy, its flames licking at the sky.
Tobi stared at the display, his Sharingan analyzing every detail. "You're bluffing."
"Am I?" Mephisto said, his voice laced with amusement.
The pentagram erupted, sending a shockwave of energy toward Tobi. The masked man activated Kamui, but the sheer force of the attack forced him to retreat into his dimension.
---
Naruto's Mephisto form flickered, his energy waning.
Tobi's Sharingan glowed brighter, his chakra reserves still strong. "You're running out of tricks," he said, stepping forward.
Naruto chuckled weakly, leaning on his umbrella. "Maybe. But you know what they say about cornered foxes…"
Before Tobi could react, Naruto opened his umbrella, revealing a glowing seal inside. The seal pulsed, emitting a blinding light that forced Tobi to shield his eye.
When the light faded, Naruto was gone.
Tobi's gaze darted around, his Sharingan spinning furiously. "Clever brat…" he muttered, lowering his guard slightly.
High above, perched on a rooftop, Naruto reverted to his normal form, clutching his side as he gasped for breath.
"That…was fun," he said with a weak grin, his voice laced with exhaustion.
Mephisto's laughter echoed in his mind. "Oh, my dear boy, that was just the beginning."
Tbc