Naruto Zaraki

Chapter 7

The forest lay in ruins, water flooding the battlefield from Kisame's earlier attacks. The Akatsuki swordsman was down, his unconscious form floating lifelessly on the water. Yachiru still sat perched on her tree branch, swinging her legs cheerfully, seemingly unaffected by the devastation around her. 

Naruto stood amidst the chaos, his body tense, his clothes tattered, but his grin remained. His golden reiatsu flickered around him like a storm, his body battered but still eager to fight. 

Itachi regarded him carefully, his Sharingan spinning as he assessed Naruto's condition. "You're stronger than I expected. But you lack discipline and precision," Itachi said coldly. 

Naruto wiped blood from his lip, his feral grin unwavering. "Yeah, yeah. You can lecture me after I win!" 

Without a word, Itachi raised his hand, forming a series of rapid hand seals. 

---

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flame Scarlet Claw!" 

From his mouth, Itachi unleashed a barrage of small fireballs, each one zigzagging unpredictably toward Naruto. 

Naruto darted to the side, leaping across the water's surface, his speed barely enough to avoid the scorching flames. "You're going to have to do better than that!" he shouted. 

Itachi's Sharingan glinted. "Very well." 

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" 

A massive gust of wind roared toward Naruto, picking up water and debris, turning the attack into a devastating whirlwind. Naruto crossed his arms, his reiatsu forming a protective barrier around him. The wind cut into his shield, forcing him to brace himself. 

Before he could recover, Itachi struck again. 

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" 

A colossal dragon formed from the water, its serpentine body crashing toward Naruto. He leapt high into the air, but the dragon followed, twisting upward to strike. 

Naruto's reiatsu flared, and with a swing of his stolen tanto, he sliced through the water dragon, dispersing it into harmless droplets. He landed back on the water, panting. 

"Not bad," Naruto admitted. "But I'm just getting warmed up!" 

---

Itachi's voice was calm, almost emotionless. "You rely to much on brute force. Let's see how you handle this." 

His Mangekyo Sharingan spun, its dark power pulling Naruto into a separate reality. 

Naruto blinked, suddenly finding himself bound to a wooden cross in a dark, endless void. A blood-red moon hung overhead, casting a sinister glow. Multiple Itachi's appeared around him, each holding a blade. 

"This is the world of Tsukuyomi," Itachi said. "Here, I control time, space, and matter. For the next 72 hours, you will know only pain." 

Naruto snarled, struggling against his restraints, but it was futile. 

The first strike came swiftly, Itachi's blade cutting deep into Naruto's chest. Then another, and another. Time seemed to drag as Naruto was repeatedly attacked, each wound feeling agonizingly real. 

"You won't last," Itachi's voice echoed. 

But Naruto refused to scream. His reiatsu flickered faintly, his defiance burning even in this fabricated reality. 

---

After what felt like an eternity, the illusion shattered. 

Naruto collapsed to one knee in the real world, his breathing ragged, sweat dripping down his face. His body trembled from the lingering pain of Tsukuyomi, but his eyes still burned with determination. 

Itachi's gaze narrowed. "You survived? Impossible." 

Naruto grinned weakly. "You'll... have to try harder than that to break me." 

Yachiru clapped excitedly from her perch. "Kenny, you're so cool! That weird eye trick didn't even stop you!" 

---

Itachi stepped back, his Mangekyo flaring once more. The air grew heavy as a skeletal figure began to form around him. In moments, the fully formed Susanoo stood tall, it's armored body radiating a sense of invincibility. 

In one hand, it held the Yata Mirror, said to reflect and nullify any attack. In the other, it conjured the Yasaka Magatama, spinning beads of chakra capable of devastating destruction. 

"Let's see how you fare against this," Itachi said, his voice calm yet commanding. 

Naruto's grin returned. "Finally, something worth cutting down!" 

The Susanoo launched the Yasaka Magatama, the spinning projectiles tearing through the air. Naruto barely managed to evade, the explosions sending shockwaves that rocked the battlefield. 

Charging forward, Naruto swung his blade at the Susanoo's chest. The Yata Mirror intercepted the strike, reflecting the force back at him. Naruto was sent flying, crashing into the water with a loud splash. 

Itachi's voice echoed. "This is the end." 

---

The Voice Within

As Naruto struggled to stand, a faint whisper reached his ears. 

"Call to me." 

Naruto froze, his hand gripping the tanto tightly. "Who's there?" he muttered. 

The voice was soft yet commanding. "Call my name, and I shall give you the strength to cut down anything." 

Naruto's brow furrowed. "Your name?" 

The voice grew louder. "Say it... say Noza..." 

The name was on the tip of his tongue, yet he couldn't fully hear it. Still, he understood what he needed to do. 

---

Naruto stood, blood dripping from his forehead. He raised the tanto, a feral grin spreading across his face. 

"If you're gonna help me, then let's do this right." 

He slashed his palm, letting blood coat the blade. The weapon began to glow, its shape shifting and expanding as Naruto roared: 

"Drink, Nozarashi!" 

The tanto transformed into an enormous battle axe, jagged and brutal in design. It radiated raw power, it's presence shaking the very air around them. 

Itachi's eyes widened slightly. "That blade..." 

Naruto swung Nozarashi, the sheer force of the swing creating a shockwave that split the water and cracked the ground. 

The Susanoo raised the Yata Mirror, but Nozarashi cleaved through it effortlessly, shattering the legendary shield. The axe continued, cutting deep into the Susanoo's chest, causing the construct to waver and crack. 

"No way!" Itachi muttered, his calm demeanor finally breaking. 

Naruto leapt forward, his reiatsu flaring brighter than ever. "You're not stopping me, Itachi!" 

With a final, thunderous strike, Nozarashi cleaved through the Susanoo entirely, the massive construct disintegrating into shards of energy. Itachi was sent flying, landing hard on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth. 

---

The battlefield fell silent. Yachiru cheered, her voice echoing through the wreckage. "Yay, Kenny! You did it!" 

Naruto stood tall, Nozarashi resting on his shoulder. His grin was wild, his reiatsu still blazing like a storm. 

Itachi pushed himself up weakly, his Sharingan fading. "You're... far more dangerous than I anticipated." 

Naruto smirked. "And I'm just getting started." 

Yachiru leapt down from her perch, landing beside Naruto. "That was awesome! You're the best, Kenny!" 

The fight was over, but Naruto knew this was only the beginning. With Nozarashi in hand, his journey had taken a turn he never expected, and the world would never be the same. 

Tbc