Naruto Zaraki

Chapter 6: The Battle Escalates

The forest was a maelstrom of chaos, reiatsu, and chakra. The oppressive weight of Naruto's power collided with the refined abilities of Itachi and Kisame. The ground splintered, trees shattered, and the air crackled with energy. Yachiru was as cheerful as ever, kicking her legs and clapping in excitement.

"Kenny! You're doing so good!" she chirped, her voice somehow cutting through the roaring sounds of the battle.

Naruto's grin was feral, his yellow reiatsu blazing around him like a storm. "You two better stop holding back, or I'm going to lose interest!"

Kisame wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth, his grin as wild as Naruto's. "This kid's something else. I haven't had this much fun in years!"

Itachi's eyes narrowed, the Sharingan spinning ominously. He had seen battles of great intensity before, but this one was different. Naruto was learning, adapting, and evolving mid-fight. What started as raw instinct had begun to shift.

"This boy... He's unlike anyone we've faced," Itachi muttered.

Kisame laughed. "No kidding! But let's see how long he can keep this up."

---

Kisame formed a series of hand seals at a speed that only seasoned shinobi could track. "Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave!"

A massive torrent of water erupted around him, flooding the area and turning the forest into a watery battlefield. The once solid ground was now an ocean, and Kisame stood atop the water with Samehada in hand.

Naruto landed on the water effortlessly without faltering. He grinned as his reiatsu flared. "Water's no problem for me. Let's see what you've got!"

Kisame smirked. "Cocky brat."

The water surged toward Naruto in a massive wave, Kisame riding atop it like a predator. Naruto didn't flinch. Instead, his reiatsu flared, creating a burst of pressure that split the wave in half, sending water crashing in all directions.

"Not bad!" Kisame roared, launching himself at Naruto with Samehada. Naruto twisted his body mid-air, narrowly avoiding the strike and countering with a powerful kick to Kisame's side.

The force sent Kisame flying, but he landed gracefully on the water, laughing. "This kid keeps surprising me!"

---

While Kisame engaged Naruto head-on, Itachi moved silently, his Sharingan watching every movement. As Naruto darted toward Kisame, Itachi formed a single hand sign. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu."

A massive sphere of flames roared toward Naruto, its heat scorching the air. Naruto's instincts kicked in, his reiatsu flaring to create a shield that absorbed the brunt of the attack. The fire dissipated, but the force pushed him back, leaving him vulnerable.

Itachi appeared behind him in an instant, kunai in hand. "Your movements are still predictable," he said, thrusting the weapon toward Naruto's back.

Naruto twisted just in time, the kunai grazing his side. He retaliated with a wild swing of his stolen blade, forcing Itachi to leap back.

"Not bad, Naruto," Itachi said, his voice calm but his Sharingan spinning dangerously.

"Kenny!" Yachiru called from her perch. "Stop letting them hit you and start hitting harder! You're way cooler than them!"

Naruto smirked. "You heard her," he said, his reiatsu surging again.

---

Kisame, tired of testing the waters, placed a hand on Samehada. The blade shuddered, its scales extending as it absorbed the water around them. "Time to get serious, kid," Kisame said, merging with his sword.

His body transformed, his features becoming more shark-like. His chakra spiked, and the water around him churned violently. "Let's see how you handle this!"

Naruto's grin widened. "Finally, some real fun!"

Kisame darted forward with incredible speed, the water bending to his will as he attacked Naruto from all angles. Each strike was faster and more powerful, forcing Naruto to rely on his instincts and reiatsu to block and counter.

But Kisame wasn't finished. He slammed his hands together, chakra flowing into the water. "Water Prison Dome Technique!" he bellowed.

The water around him surged upward, encasing both him and Naruto in a massive sphere of water. The swirling currents inside the dome pressed against Naruto from all sides, threatening to crush and drown him.

Outside the dome, Yachiru tilted her head, her pink hair swaying. "Oh, Kenny's in a bubble now! It looks fun!"

Itachi, watching the scene unfold, remained composed but vigilant. His Sharingan followed Naruto's movements, analyzing his struggle against the water. "This will test whether the boy can adapt under true pressure," he murmured.

---

Inside the water prison, Kisame's shark-like grin widened. "This is my domain, brat. Let's see how long you can last without air!" He shot through the water like a torpedo, slamming into Naruto with bone-crushing force.

Naruto spiraled from the impact, his lungs already burning from the lack of oxygen. His reiatsu flared, pushing back the water momentarily, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the relentless currents.

Kisame's laughter echoed through the water. "Struggle all you want, it won't save you!"

Naruto's vision blurred as his lungs screamed for air. "I won't give up! Not here... not to him!"

His reiatsu surged, forming a protective aura around him, but even that was being drained by the water's crushing pressure. Kisame launched another attack, his claws aiming for Naruto's throat.

Naruto twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the strike. His lungs burned as he pushed himself to his physical limits, every second a battle to maintain consciousness. He clenched his teeth. I need to end this... now!

---

The Breakthrough

Naruto's reiatsu began to concentrate, the yellow energy condensing around his body. Kisame noticed the change, his grin faltering for the first time. "What's this...?"

With a feral roar, Naruto unleashed his reiatsu in a massive burst. The sheer force shattered the water prison, sending a shockwave through the battlefield. Water erupted in all directions, drenching the area and leaving Naruto standing tall, his reiatsu blazing like a second sun.

Kisame was thrown backward, landing heavily on the soaked ground. He coughed, momentarily stunned by the force of Naruto's attack.

Outside the now-collapsed dome, Yachiru clapped enthusiastically. "Yay, Kenny! That was so cool! You popped the bubble!"

Itachi's eyes narrowed, his Sharingan analyzing the aftermath. "He's stronger than I anticipated," he muttered, his tone tinged with intrigue.

---

Kisame growled, forcing himself to his feet. "You're tougher than you look, brat. But I'm not done yet!"

Naruto smirked, his reiatsu still surging. "You're not done? Good. I'd hate for this to end too quickly!"

The two clashed again, but this time, Naruto had the upper hand. His movements were sharper, his strikes were more powerful. He forced Kisame onto the defensive.

With a final, earth-shaking strike, Naruto sent Kisame crashing into the ground. The impact created a massive crater, and Kisame laid motionless, his body reverting to its normal form. Samehada fell from his grasp, its scales retracted as it retreated.

Naruto stood over him, breathing heavily but victorious. "That was fun... but next time, try not to hold back so much."

Yachiru celebrated. "Kenny! You won! I knew you'd beat the fishy guy!"

Naruto chuckled"Of course I did. Did you ever doubt me?"

Itachi stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "You're more dangerous than I expected," he said, his tone calm but calculating.

Naruto's grin widened. "You haven't seen anything yet."

Tbc