Naruto: The Medical God

Mizuki's hands moved rapidly, his rage fueling every gesture. He finished the sequence of hand signs, his voice echoing with fury, "Earth Release: Stone Bullet!"

A jagged bullet of stone materialized in front of Mizuki, hovering for only a fraction of a second before rocketing toward Shin with terrifying speed.

Shin's eyes widened at the sudden attack, his body already in motion before his mind fully processed the threat. He dove to the side, the stone bullet whizzing past him, missing his shoulder by mere inches. It slammed into a tree behind him, shattering the bark and leaving a deep, gnarled hole.

Shin landed in a crouch, his breathing quickened but controlled. His emerald eyes remained fixed on Mizuki. He's not holding back anymore. One hit from those, and I'm done for.

Mizuki laughed, his voice sharp and cruel. "You can run all you like, Shin, but you can't dodge forever!" He formed another series of hand signs, chakra swirling visibly around him.

Another stone bullet materialized, and then another. This time, two projectiles hovered menacingly at Mizuki's side before launching toward Shin in quick succession.

Shin gritted his teeth and rolled again, narrowly avoiding the first bullet. The second came too fast. He raised his kunai, deflecting it with a desperate swipe, but the force sent him skidding backward, his feet digging into the earth to regain balance.

The metallic clang of the deflection echoed through the clearing, followed by Mizuki's mocking voice. "Is that really all you've got, Hamada? Where all those fancy jutsu you used in your spar against Sasuke?"

At Mizuki's taunt, Shin clicked his tongue in frustration. I would have used them if I hadn't used nearly all of my chakra against Sasuke… His thoughts raced, but his options were limited. He needed to conserve what little energy he had left.

Mizuki sneered at Shin's silence, his hands once again forming the now-familiar sequence of hand signs. His voice boomed through the clearing, filled with a sadistic glee. "Earth Release: Stone Bullet!"

This time, four stone bullets materialized, hovering menacingly around Mizuki. Their jagged edges glinted in the moonlight as they shot forward in quick succession, faster and deadlier than before.

Shin's emerald eyes locked onto the incoming projectiles. He tightened his grip on his kunai, raising it just in time to deflect the first bullet. The metallic clang echoed through the clearing as the impact sent him staggering backward, his feet sliding against the uneven ground.

The sheer force of the deflection left his arm trembling, his balance precarious. But there was no time to recover. The remaining three bullets were already closing in.

Shin's heart pounded in his chest. I'm out of time… I can't dodge them like this.

"Die!!" Mizuki roared, his voice echoing with savage triumph.

But Shin refused to let his life end here. Not like this!

With a surge of determination, Shin strengthened his grip on his kunai, his mind racing for a solution. In a split second, his gaze landed on the tree beside him. Without hesitation, he drove the kunai into the tree's trunk, channeling chakra into his hand to anchor himself.

Using the kunai as leverage, Shin planted his palm flat on its hilt and pushed off the ground with his legs. His body shot upward in a fluid motion, and with remarkable precision, he balanced himself in a one-handed handstand atop the kunai's handle.

The sharp edge of the kunai dug into the bark, holding firm as Shin's weight pressed against it. His body was perfectly inverted, his legs pointed toward the sky, and his free arm extended for balance.

The three stone bullets tore through the air beneath him, two passing harmlessly below and one grazing the tree trunk inches from his face.

Shin's emerald eyes glinted with determination as he held his precarious position. His chest heaved, his breaths controlled but shallow, while his mind worked to stay one step ahead. I'm still in this fight—

His thoughts froze as his sharp instincts screamed at him. Another stone bullet was barreling toward him, faster than he could react in his current position.

"Oh, shit!" Shin exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency.

With no time to think, he made a split-second decision. Abandoning his balance, Shin released his grip on the kunai and let his body drop toward the ground.

The fall was sudden, and gravity pulled him downward like a rock. The sharp edges of the kunai grazed his palm as he pushed off, but he paid no mind to the sting. The stone bullet shot through the air above him, missing him by mere inches, shattering part of the tree trunk where his kunai had been lodged.

Shin hit the ground hard, landing on his side with a grunt of pain. He quickly rolled to his feet, dirt and leaves clinging to his clothes, his mind racing as he tried to regain his composure.

He glared at Mizuki, his body tense and ready for whatever came next. "You're really trying to kill me, huh?" he muttered under his breath, his voice laced with both frustration and determination.

Mizuki smirked, his expression a mixture of malice and satisfaction. "What gave it away, Shin?"

Shin's lips curled into a defiant smile at Mizuki's taunt. Without missing a beat, he reached for his ninja pouch, fingers instinctively searching for another kunai to hurl at his opponent.

But his hand came up empty.

Shin's smile faltered for the briefest moment as his fingers brushed against nothing but the soft lining of his pouch. No kunai? Damn it! I must've used my last one earlier...

Mizuki's sharp eyes caught the subtle change in Shin's expression, and his grin grew even wider, brimming with malicious glee. "What's the matter, Shin? Run out of toys to play with?"

Shin's mind raced, his fingers still lingering in the empty pouch as if willing another weapon to appear. Think, Shin. You can't let him see you falter.

Mizuki chuckled darkly, taking a confident step forward. "You really thought you stood a chance against me? Pathetic. Looks like your luck's run out."

The tension in the clearing thickened as Mizuki raised his hands, preparing yet another jutsu.

Shin's mind raced for a solution, and then it hit him—Shurikens!

His hand darted to the pocket on the side his pants, his fingers curling around the cold, familiar steel. He still had some left. Without hesitation, he grabbed a handful of shurikens and hurled them toward Mizuki in a wide arc.

But even as the shurikens sailed through the air, another idea struck Shin, sharp and clear like lightning. His hands began moving rapidly, forming the sequence of handsigns of the Kunai Clone Jutsu.

"Shuriken Clone Jutsu!" Shin roared, his voice cutting through the tension.

In an instant, the ten shurikens multiplied in midair, shimmering briefly before splitting into forty identical copies. The barrage of spinning blades filled the clearing, their edges glinting ominously in the moonlight as they streaked toward Mizuki from all directions.

Mizuki's eyes went wide, his cocky grin vanishing in an instant. "What the fuck is this now?!" he barked, panic creeping into his voice.

He stopped the hand signs he had been forming and immediately switched to a new sequence, his hands moving frantically as he tried to conjure a defense against the overwhelming swarm of projectiles.

The shurikens approached Mizuki with deadly precision, their sharp edges cutting through the air with an ominous whistle. His hands worked faster, desperation fueling every motion. By the time he completed the final seal, the shurikens were mere centimeters from his face, their cold gleam reflecting in his wide eyes.

With a panicked shout, Mizuki dropped into a low squat and slammed his hands onto the ground. "Earth Release: Earth Wall Jutsu!"

The earth beneath him rumbled and shifted, and in an instant, a solid wall of stone erupted from the ground, towering in front of him. The first wave of shurikens scraped just above his head as they sailed past, narrowly missing him.

The remaining shurikens struck the wall with a series of sharp impacts. One after another, the clones disappeared in puffs of white smoke, while the real ones embedded themselves into the rugged surface of the wall, their metallic glint standing out starkly against the earthen tones.

Behind the wall, Mizuki's chest heaved as he caught his breath, a thin sheen of sweat glistening on his brow. His momentary panic gave way to a sly grin as he realized he had narrowly avoided being skewered.

"You fucking—" Mizuki began to shout, his voice trembling with rage, but the words died in his throat as a faint buzzing sound reached his ears.

His heart sank. The sound was too familiar.

While Mizuki had been preoccupied dodging and blocking the barrage of shurikens, Shin had seized the opportunity to move. Silent and calculated, Shin had circled behind Mizuki and unleashed another shuriken with deadly precision.

By the time Mizuki realized the danger, it was too late. The shuriken was already upon him, a metallic blur slicing through the air. Instinct took over, and Mizuki jerked his head to the side, just barely managing to avoid a lethal hit.

But the shuriken didn't miss entirely.

A sharp, searing pain tore through the edge of his ear, followed by a thin spray of blood. The severed piece of flesh fell to the ground with a soft thud as Mizuki stumbled forward, clutching at the injury.

The shuriken, after grazing Mizuki, continued on its path and struck the earth wall he had summoned earlier. Its blade sank deep into the hardened surface, quivering slightly from the force of the throw, its impact a stark reminder of how close Mizuki had come to death.

"Ahh!" Mizuki growled, his hand pressing against the side of his head as blood trickled down his fingers. His face twisted in a mixture of pain and fury as his other hand balled into a trembling fist. "You little bastard!"

Shin stood a few meters behind him, his chest rising and falling with effort, but his expression was calm, almost cold. His emerald eyes locked onto Mizuki with unwavering determination.

Mizuki's rage consumed him, his composure shattered by the searing pain in his ear. He had been holding back, reluctant to reveal the full extent of his newfound power. But now, all restraint vanished. This insolent child would die today.

With a roar, dark markings immediately spread across Mizuki's skin, and his body began to enlarge, muscles bulging grotesquely. His features contorted, taking on a feral aspect as his transformation progressed.

Shin's eyes widened in horror as he witnessed the metamorphosis. What the hell is going on? Why... why am I trembling?

Before he could process his fear, Mizuki's transformation completed. He now stood as a towering, bipedal tiger, his eyes gleaming with predatory intent. In an instant, he closed the distance between them, his massive form casting a menacing shadow over Shin.

Paralyzed by the sheer terror of the beast before him, Shin could only stare into Mizuki's feline eyes. Mizuki raised a clawed hand, the sharp talons glinting ominously in the moonlight.

Do I really die like this?

To be continued...

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Sorry for not having uploaded in a while, I was returning from my holiday and I had to start school again.

Also, remember to check out my original novel, Hyperborea!