Chapter 133: Aka No Jutsu
Naruto's roar, amplified by Kyûbi's chakra, resonated throughout the clearing. Surrounded by three glowing tails and an oppressive aura, he charged Jura with stunning speed and aggression. Jura, although surprised, remained calm, his expression marked by a strange fascination for the brute power of the jinchūriki.
— "Interesting... So, show me what you've got, three-tailed monster," Jura said, sketching a mocking smile.
Naruto rushed at Jura, his chakra claws extending to strike. Jura dodged at the last moment, a slight flash of surprise crossing his eyes as one of the claws narrowly missed his face. He counterattacked with a quick blow charged with Raiton, aiming at Naruto's abdomen. But Naruto, enraged, grabbed Jura's arm before the attack reached its target.
— "You won't escape this time!" Naruto roared, his blood-red pupils fixed on Jura.
He swung Jura with phenomenal force, propelling him against a massive tree that broke under the impact. Jura, although shaken, got up immediately, a smile still anchored on his face.
— "Not bad... But if you think brute force will be enough, you're sorely mistaken," he said, his tone becoming more serious.
Jura quickly composed a series of mudras, and a dozen electric clones appeared around him.
— "Let's see if your beastly instinct can save you now."
The clones attacked simultaneously, moving at lightning speed. Naruto, despite his amplified power, had trouble keeping up. Each clone launched coordinated attacks, forcing Naruto to remain on the defensive.
However, Kyûbi not only amplified his power but also his reflexes. Naruto swept several clones with a tail swipe, dissipating them in an electric explosion.
— "Is that all you've got?" Naruto roared, his claws striking the ground with such force that a shockwave made the clearing tremble.
But at the moment he thought he had gained the upper hand, Jura appeared behind him, striking a precise point on his back with a palm charged with Raiton.
— "Raiton: Paralyzing Palm!"
The attack sent a discharge through Naruto's body, briefly interrupting the flow of Kyûbi's chakra. However, Naruto's brute strength was such that the effect lasted only an instant before he turned around to strike Jura with a violent claw strike.
The battle became increasingly intense. Naruto, guided by his rage, used chaotic but devastating attacks, leveling everything in his path. Jura, for his part, dodged with disconcerting fluidity, using lightning to slow down or distract Naruto.
Naruto, frustrated by Jura's taunts, released even more chakra, a fourth tail beginning to form. The air became heavy, almost unbreathable, and the ground cracked under their feet.
— "Aaaahhh!" Naruto cried, launching a massive sphere of red chakra directly at Jura.
Jura formed a single mudra, and his body seemed to be enveloped in black lightning.
— "Raiton: Shield!"
Naruto's chakra sphere crashed against Jura's barrier, creating a titanic explosion that lit up the night. When the dust settled, Jura was still standing, slightly breathless but unharmed.
Jura knew he couldn't continue to dodge indefinitely. The power of Kyûbi was increasing with each passing moment, and a four-tailed Naruto would be much more difficult to manage without using his hermit mode.
— "It's time to put an end to all this," Jura murmured to himself.
He fixed Naruto in his eyes, his eyes becoming instantly more luminous. activating a technique he had kept in reserve:
— "Aka no Jutsu."
Naruto was instantly plunged into total darkness with two glowing red eyes looking down on him. Even with Kyûbi's amplified senses, he could no longer perceive his environment.
— "What... Where are you?" Naruto shouted, swinging his claws in all directions, but without touching anything.
Jura, invisible in the darkness, approached silently, using the opportunity to strike Naruto at several vital points with precise attacks.
Naruto felt a blinding pain in his head as the environment around him distorted. He saw visions of Konoha destroyed, his friends dead, and Kyûbi himself had unleashed his rage, killing everything in his path. He was guilty, and the villagers, like zombies, were shouting at him, calling him a monster.
— "No... NO!" Naruto cried, trying to break free, but the Genjutsu was too powerful.
Kyûbi's chakra, disturbed by the illusion, began to dissipate, its tails disappearing one by one. Finally, Naruto fell to his knees, his eyes returning to normal before he collapsed, unconscious.
Turning towards Kakashi, still unconscious on the ground, Jura sketched a smile.
— "It was entertaining, but it's time for me to leave."
But before he could act, a new presence made its appearance. A rapid shadow landed between Kakashi and Jura.
— "Enough," a grave and calm voice declared.
It was Shikai, and his arrival immediately changed the dynamics of the battle.
— "Ah, another intervener," Jura said, taking a slight step back. "This is getting... tiring."