Naruto: Prodigy

Received the first review, here's the bonus chapter.

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The wind howled through the mountain peaks as I stood at the edge of a rocky cliff, my katana strapped to my left waist. I'd been training for hours, pushing my body and chakra to their limits. Each swing of the katana sent shockwaves through the air, the blade cutting cleanly through the rocks around me.

I moved fast, too fast for most eyes to follow. My chakra-enhanced speed turned me into a blur of motion, a shadow dancing between boulders as my katana sliced through everything in its path. My muscles tensed and released in perfect harmony with the blade, and each strike came with the fluid grace of precision and power. I wasn't just training anymore, I was honing myself, my body, and my sword into something far sharper than before.

Tsumetai Kinzoku responded effortlessly to my chakra. The cold steel gleamed under the harsh sunlight, a dark reflection of my focused mind. Every movement I made felt connected to the blade as if it were part of my body, each strike more precise than the last.

With a quick surge of chakra, I shot forward, my feet barely touching the ground as I dashed between two towering rocks. I twisted my body mid-air, bringing the katana down in a clean arc. The sharp edge cleaved through the stone with ease, leaving a deep gash in the boulder's surface. The rocks splintered and fell, but I was already gone, dashing to the next target.

For the past month, I had trained relentlessly, and the results were clear. My strength, speed, and chakra control had improved to the point where I was now moving like a seasoned shinobi, even though I had yet to face a real opponent. I was at the level of a chunin now, maybe even higher, but it was hard to gauge. I had no real comparison, just the steady progress I felt every day.

I stopped for a moment, my chest heaving as I caught my breath. The landscape around me was marked with the scars of my training, rocks shattered into fragments, boulders split cleanly in half, and deep slashes carved into the earth. The mountains were quiet again, the only sound being the soft breeze that carried away the dust from my strikes.

I sheathed Tsumetai Kinzoku, feeling the familiar weight of it settle against my left waist. My body was drenched in sweat, muscles burning from the intense workout, but I couldn't stop. Not yet. There was always more to learn, more to improve. And something deep inside me told me that soon, I would need every bit of strength I had.

The sun had begun to set, casting long shadows across the mountains as the sky turned a mix of deep orange and purple. I started the walk back to the village, feeling the cool evening air on my skin, calming the heat from my training.

....

As I descended the mountains, the village came into view, small dots of light from the houses flickering like stars in the darkening sky. I was tired, but it was the kind of exhaustion that came from knowing you'd pushed yourself further than the day before. I smiled to myself, thinking about the progress I had made.

But then something caught my eye.

Smoke.

Thick, black smoke rising into the air from the village. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a cold knot tighten in my stomach. My eyes widened, and without wasting another second, I was gone. I pushed my chakra to its limit, vanishing from my spot as I sped toward the village, Tsumetai Kinzoku already drawn and gripped tightly in my hand.

I moved faster than ever, the landscape around me blurring as my chakra surged through every fiber of my body. The smoke grew thicker, filling the sky with a dark cloud that smothered the stars. My mind raced, but I pushed the thoughts away. I had to stay focused. I had to reach the village. Nothing else mattered.

As I approached the village outskirts, I could hear the distant screams, shouts of panic, the crackling of flames, the brutal sound of metal clashing against metal. My heart pounded in my chest as I rounded the final corner, and the full scene came into view.

Destruction.

The village was in chaos. Flames devoured the wooden houses, their flickering light casting eerie shadows across the streets. Bodies lay scattered on the ground, some villagers, others bandits. But what sickened me most was the horror unfolding in front of me. Women screamed, their cries muffled by the hands of filthy men who dragged them into the shadows. Looters ran through the streets, stealing whatever they could get their hands on while others set fire to the homes.

My grip tightened on the hilt of my sword, rage boiling in my chest. My vision tunneled as my eyes focused on one bandit standing over a fallen villager, laughing as he kicked the man's lifeless body.

I didn't think. I didn't hesitate.

I moved.

In an instant, I was on him, my blade slicing clean through his neck. His head hit the ground before his body had a chance to register what had happened. I didn't stop. I couldn't. The anger was a fire burning in my veins, hotter than any I had ever felt before.

They dared to attack this village…

I was already on my next target, my body moving faster than my thoughts could catch up. A group of bandits stood near the burning inn, cheering and drinking from stolen bottles of sake. They didn't even see me coming.

With a single slash, I cut through the first one, his body crumpling to the ground as blood sprayed the dirt beneath him. The others turned just in time to see their comrade fall, but by the time they realized what was happening, I was already on the next one.

I drove Tsumetai Kinzoku through the chest of the second bandit, twisting the blade before yanking it free. His scream was cut short as I slashed upward, severing his throat. The third bandit stumbled back, fear widening his eyes as he tried to draw his weapon, but I was too fast. My blade cut through the air, cleanly slicing his arm from his body. He fell to his knees, clutching the stump, but I didn't give him the mercy of finishing him quickly.

I moved through the village like a force of nature, my blade cutting down anyone in my path. Bandits screamed, tried to flee, but it didn't matter. I was faster. Stronger. My chakra flowed through me like a storm, pushing me forward, guiding my every move.

But the rage inside me wasn't just for the bandits. It was for the villagers, the ones I'd grown close to, the ones who had welcomed me here, the ones who now lay dead or dying because of these monsters. I could feel the anger boiling in my chest, threatening to consume me completely.

I had to protect this village. I had to end this.

My eyes flicked to the horizon, where more bandits, some of them ninjas by the looks of their gear, moved toward the heart of the village, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

My grip on Tsumetai Kinzoku tightened. The black blade hummed with chakra, almost as if it could feel my anger.

I wouldn't stop.

Not until they were all dead.

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