Iruka, who couldn't be rescued.
Mizuki faced the rapidly approaching Naruto, a bloodthirsty, cruel smile tugging at his lips, and murderous intent gleaming in his eyes.
Naruto, sprawled on the ground, felt a chill creep through him.
Ignoring the piercing pain in his abdomen,
Naruto rolled quickly, putting a little distance between them. With a flick of his hand, he drew several shuriken and hurled them toward Mizuki without even looking.
Clang, clang, clang!
The sound of blades slicing through the air rang out.
The shuriken that cut through the air only managed to slow Mizuki for an instant before he effortlessly knocked them aside.
The next second,
Mizuki's figure darted right up beside Naruto.
The intense red gleam of murderous intent in his eyes
was unmistakably clear to Naruto.
With no time to think, Naruto could only rely on his body's instincts. Just as Mizuki's sharp blade pressed in close,
Naruto swiftly twisted to the side.
At an impossibly narrow angle, he dodged Mizuki's thrust. But Mizuki seemed to have anticipated that Naruto would evade the attack. He twisted in midair, quickly adjusting his posture.
As he turned,
his left hand flicked.
Another kunai slipped into his grasp, its razor-sharp edge sweeping without hesitation toward Naruto's neck.
A fierce, icy glint flashed.
Before the kunai even reached him,
its cold sheen and sharp edge had already sent a prickling sensation across Naruto's neck.
Naruto's pupils contracted abruptly.
All he could see was a flash of cold steel.
Naruto jerked his head aside, narrowly avoiding the incoming strike once more.
Then he twisted his arm and thrust the kunai in his right hand straight at Mizuki's shoulder.
Mizuki grinned viciously.
He swiftly shifted his body,
then abruptly lifted himself up.
His right foot snapped out and kicked hard against Naruto's wrist.
The pain made Naruto lose his grip, and his kunai fell to the ground.
Then,
another keen flash of steel followed close behind.
In his haste,
Naruto couldn't mount an effective defense,
and could only just manage to protect his vital spots.
Shhk!
Once again, metal pierced flesh.
Mizuki's kunai tore a gruesome gash beneath Naruto's right chest.
Naruto cried out in pain.
"Ugh!!!"
As blood sprayed,
Naruto could barely endure the bone-deep pain. He clenched his lower lip, blood seeping from it, and pushed off with his foot to quickly put some distance between himself and Mizuki. That last strike hadn't been fatal,
but the wound looked horrifying.
The beads of sweat dripping from Naruto's forehead,
and his trembling arm, made it clear that he was already nearing his limit. It wasn't just a matter of being outmatched in strength.
Mizuki also had far more combat experience.
He was far beyond what Naruto had expected.
And most importantly, Mizuki's relentless attacks had made the fight seem much longer than it was. In truth, it had all happened in just a second or two, without a single pause. Naruto hadn't been given any time or opportunity to form Hand Seals. Even for the Shadow Clone technique, which required the fewest seals, Naruto was certain that the moment he assumed the stance, Mizuki would rush him. Naruto couldn't form seals as quickly as the powerhouses in the original story. The original Naruto's casual use of Shadow Clone might have looked as simple as a quick shout, but it still involved controlling and releasing the chakra inside his body.
In a ninja battle,
even a single second could decide the victor!
Most importantly, Mizuki was clearly far stronger than he'd seemed in the original story. That was the biggest departure from the original plot.
If only Mizuki were even a little slower,
Naruto could form his Hand Seals without a problem.
At the very least, he could overwhelm the man with sheer numbers.
As for why Naruto hadn't used Shadow Clone earlier, before his presence was revealed, that came down to his own lack of experience and carelessness. He'd only thought about closing the distance and using a surprise attack to kill Mizuki in one blow. He hadn't expected Iruka's life to be threatened, and Mizuki's reaction had been faster than anticipated. The sneak attack hadn't worked—or, more accurately, it hadn't worked completely. It had only left Mizuki a little disheveled. Then, after Mizuki injected the drug and instantly boosted his strength, Naruto lost any chance to form Hand Seals.
In other words, Naruto had brought this predicament entirely upon himself.
"Damn it! I should've used Shadow Clone from the start!"
Naruto lightly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, thinking in frustration.
But now,
it was too late.
Naruto knew that Mizuki only seemed relaxed and unhurried because he wanted to toy with him. The moment Naruto showed any sign of forming Hand Seals, or made any other sudden move,
at this distance,
Mizuki could leap at him in a fraction of a second.
Just like before.
"Looks like there's only one option left..."
Naruto took a deep breath. In the space of less than a second, countless thoughts raced through his mind. As he looked at Iruka, collapsed on the ground nearby, a resolute glint flashed in Naruto's eyes. He made up his mind.
He had only one chance, and he had to seize it.
When he couldn't form Hand Seals—or when doing so would put his life at risk—
Naruto had only one choice: close-quarters combat.
He lacked combat experience and awareness.
Close-quarters combat was his best option.
His keen senses could make up for some of the difference in speed and strength.
And the rest—
would come down to whether he was ruthless enough,
and whether he could seize that one fleeting opportunity!
As for the option of running away?
It had never even been a possibility for Naruto.
After making his decision in just a second or two,
Naruto looked at Mizuki as he approached with a cruel smile. A cold expression appeared on Naruto's face, and he flipped his right hand. A sharp kunai appeared in his palm once more.
He summoned every ounce of strength he had, tensing every muscle in his body. Naruto fixed his gaze on Mizuki, who stood a short distance away.
Seeing Naruto poised as if preparing for a desperate fight,
Mizuki gave a sinister smile and ran his tongue over his lips.
He looked just like a carbon copy of Orochimaru.
"Die, brat!"
Mizuki leaned forward. The instant the words left his mouth,
his figure flashed abruptly,
and once again he charged toward Naruto.
A burst of air exploded around him.
His overwhelming momentum swept forward.