Naruto Zaraki

Chapter 11

The riverbank bore the scars of the ferocious battle, its serenity obliterated by the power of the combatants. Jiraiya stood on the ground now, breathing heavily as he dismissed Gamabunta with a single hand sign. The Boss Toad vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving only the two opponents and the faint rush of the river nearby.

"It's time to stop playing," Jiraiya said grimly, biting his thumb and slamming it into the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

In an instant, Ma and Pa appeared on his shoulders. The elderly toads glanced at the battlefield, their expressions serious.

"Jiraiya-boy, you've gotten yourself in deep again," Ma chided, her tone sharp but concerned.

"Who's the kid?" Pa asked, narrowing his eyes at Naruto, who stood motionless, his reiatsu swirling like a storm.

"That's Naruto," Jiraiya replied, his voice tinged with regret. "I need your help to stop him."

Ma and Pa nodded. "Let's get to it, then," Pa said.

Jiraiya's body changed as the power of Sage Mode overtook him, his features became more toad-like, and the markings on his face deepened. His chakra flared, radiating overwhelming strength.

Yachiru had climbed down from her perch and stood beside him, her smile unwavering.

"Kenny, you're really gonna fight for real now, huh?" she asked cheerfully.

Naruto's grin was faint, his voice soft. "Yeah… He's not holding back, so I won't either."

He drew the tanto and held it aloft, the blade gleaming under the light. Then, in a startling motion, he sliced his palm, letting blood coat the weapon.

"Drink, Nozarashi!"

The tanto transformed, in its place, a massive weapon appeared, a hybrid of a giant axe and a war cleaver. The blade was jagged and weathered, radiating an aura of destruction. The weight of his reiatsu intensified, pressing down on the battlefield like a hurricane.

Jiraiya's eyes widened, and even Ma and Pa seemed taken aback.

"What kind of monster is this child?" Pa muttered.

"Focus, Pa," Ma snapped.

Something peculiar drew Jiraiya's attention to Yachiru.

He narrowed his eyes, focusing on her presence. There was no chakra emanating from her, yet she was undeniably there. Stranger still, her energy felt identical to the weapon Naruto now wielded. The realization struck him like a thunderclap.

"That girl… She's not human," Jiraiya murmured.

"What are you muttering about, Jiraiya-boy?" Pa asked, his voice sharp.

"She's… his sword. Nozarashi," Jiraiya said, his voice laced with disbelief.

Naruto hefted Nozarashi onto his shoulder with ease, his smirk returning. "This won't take long," he said, vanishing in a blur of speed.

---

Naruto wasted no time. He swung Nozarashi in a wide arc, and the sheer force of the swing sent a shockwave tearing through the air, splitting the river in two and carving a deep gouge into the earth.

Jiraiya leaped into the air to avoid the attack, his Sage-enhanced agility making him a blur. "Sage Art: Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!" he shouted, sending a crescent-shaped blades of wind hurtling toward Naruto.

Naruto responded by swinging Nozarashi upward, cleaving through the wind. The remnants of the technique dissipated harmlessly around him.

"You'll have to do better than that," Naruto taunted, dashing forward with incredible speed. He swung the massive blade down, aiming to cleave Jiraiya in two.

Jiraiya sidestepped at the last moment, but the attack left a massive crater in the ground.

---

Jiraiya countered with a flurry of strikes, his punches and kicks now capable of shattering boulders. He moved with incredible speed, his sensory abilities in Sage Mode allowing him to predict Naruto's movements.

"Sage Art: Fire Release: Giant Flame Bomb!" Jiraiya shouted, launching a massive ball of fire at Naruto.

Naruto swung Nozarashi, the blade cutting through the flames as if they were nothing. He charged forward, bringing the cleaver down in a diagonal slash.

Jiraiya blocked with both hands, but the force of the strike sent him skidding back, the ground beneath his feet cracking.

---

Jiraiya didn't relent. He formed a series of hand signs, slamming his hands into the ground.

"Sage Art: Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"

The ground beneath Naruto turned into a viscous swamp, attempting to trap him. Naruto reacted instantly, leaping into the air and bringing Nozarashi down in a devastating overhead slash. The swamp exploded outward, the sheer force of the attack obliterating the terrain.

"Not bad," Naruto admitted, gripping Nozarashi tightly. "But let's see how you handle this!"

He dashed forward, his reiatsu flaring as he swung the massive blade in a horizontal arc. Jiraiya ducked, the blade missing him by inches but slicing clean through a row of trees behind him.

---

"Ma, Pa, now!" Jiraiya shouted.

"Sage Art: Goemon!"

A torrent of oil, fire, and wind erupted from their mouths, creating a blazing inferno that surged toward Naruto. The attack consumed everything in its path, the heat so intense that the river itself began to evaporate.

Naruto swung Nozarashi with both hands, channeling his reiatsu into the blade. The resulting shockwave clashed with the inferno, creating a massive explosion that rocked the battlefield.

When the smoke cleared, Naruto stood unscathed, his reiatsu still raging. Nozarashi's edge glowed faintly, as if hungry for more destruction.

---

Jiraiya leaped into the air, a massive Rasengan forming in his hand. His Sage-enhanced speed and strength made him a blur as he descended toward Naruto.

Naruto raised Nozarashi, meeting the attack head-on. The collision was cataclysmic, a blinding explosion of energy that sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.

Both combatants were flung backward. They both landed on their feet.

Naruto eyes narrowed as the toads began chanting.

Jiraiya kept Naruto busy until the toads finished.

"Demon Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant!"

Naruto, caught within its grasp, felt the world shift around him. The vibrant destruction of the riverbank faded. He found himself stuck in a tube of water.

Four towering toad samurai emerged outside the tube, their massive forms armored and imposing. Each wielded a colossal stone blade, their eyes glowing with otherworldly light. They surrounded Naruto, forming an impenetrable barrier.

"Your movements and mind are sealed here," came Jiraiya's voice, echoing across the void. "This doesn't have to go any further, Naruto. Stop fighting, and let me help you."

Naruto grinned, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Help me? Now you want to help me?" He clenched his fists, his reiatsu flaring in defiance. "Where was that help when I was alone? When everyone hated me? You think showing up after thirteen years makes you some kind of savior?"

Jiraiya flinched, his regret palpable. "I failed you, Naruto. I know that. But I'm trying to make things right."

"Too late for that, old man," Naruto snapped.

The toad samurai moved, their stone swords raised. One of them struck, its blade stabbing Naruto's shoulder.

Another followed, its sword aimed for his thigh. The strike landed, forcing Naruto to one knee. Blood seeped into the water beneath him, yet his defiance remained unshaken.

"Give it up, kid," Ma Toad said, her voice strained. "You're strong, but this genjutsu is Unbreakable. Stay down, and let us end this without more pain."

Naruto chuckled darkly, his smirk unwavering despite the blood dripping from his wounds. "Unbreakable, huh? Guess I'll have to prove you wrong."

---

The toad samurai closed in, their stone blades raised to deliver more non-lethal yet devastating strikes.

Jiraiya's voice rang out, his tone desperate. "Naruto, stop this! I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have!"

But Naruto didn't stop. His reiatsu surged violently, shaking the very fabric of the illusion. The water beneath him rippled, and the towering forms of the toad samurai faltered for a moment.

"You think some old trick can hold me?" Naruto snarled, his voice a roar. His reiatsu spiked to unprecedented levels, the sheer force of it causing cracks to form in the illusory ocean. "I've fought too hard to be stopped now!"

The toad samurai staggered, their movements slowing as the barrier began to crumble under the weight of Naruto's reiatsu. Ma and Pa Toad gasped, their chanting faltering as the oppressive energy threatened to overwhelm even them.

"This... aura," Pa Toad muttered, his voice trembling. "It's monstrous!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened as he felt his body grow heavy, his limbs paralyzed by the sheer force of Naruto's spiritual pressure.

---

Naruto's reiatsu continued to climb, tearing through the illusion like a storm. The toad samurai vanished, their forms dissolving into mist as the genjutsu shattered completely.

Back in the real world, Jiraiya stumbled, his knees nearly buckling under the weight of Naruto's spiritual energy. Even Ma and Pa Toad seemed shaken, their usual composure replaced by unease.

Naruto stood amidst the devastation, his breaths ragged but his resolve unbroken. His eyes burned with fury and sadness, his body trembling as tears streamed down his face.

"This was fun," Naruto said, his voice quiet yet filled with emotion. He raised Nozarashi, the massive cleaver-axe glinting ominously in the fading light. "But I'm done playing."

Jiraiya stared at the boy he had failed to protect, tears welling up in his own eyes. "Naruto... it doesn't have to be this way."

Naruto's grip tightened on Nozarashi's handle as he lifted it over his head, preparing for a Ryodan strike. The sheer weight of his reiatsu caused the ground beneath him to crack, and the air grew thick with tension.

"Then why," Naruto whispered, his voice breaking, "didn't you come sooner?"

Jiraiya didn't answer. He couldn't.

The scene froze in that moment, both warriors crying as Naruto prepared to bring Nozarashi down with all the strength and pain in his heart.

Tbc