Chakra Scalpel

"I think you were snoring, Yugi-chan," Naruto continued teasing her. "But I think that sound, just like everything else about you, is lovely to hear and lovely to look at. All right, I should go." With that, he gave her cheek another quick peck, then turned, blurred into an afterimage, and vanished into the night.

Oh my god, Naruto-kun, what have you done to me? Yugito stood frozen, her mind blank, staring dazedly in the direction he had disappeared.

You've fallen head over heels for him, my little kitten. Stop denying it. You should chase after him right now, make him yours, and spend the night with him. Then he'll be yours forever. The Two-Tails' voice rang out in her mind again.

You're right. I really have fallen for him. He only just left, and I already miss him. But what you're suggesting is practically rape. I would never do that. Yugito answered the Tailed Beast inside her and turned to walk into the hotel.

The next day, in Naruto's hotel room.

Naruto woke in the bedroom and went to wake his teacher, only to discover that Jiraiya wasn't in the room at all. Just then, someone knocked at the door. He assumed Jiraiya had gone out to buy breakfast, but when he opened it, he found Shizune standing there, her face filled with anxiety.

"Naruto-kun, Lady Tsunade isn't here with you, is she? She never came back last night." As she spoke, Shizune rushed into the hotel room, searching everywhere for her headstrong teacher.

"She's not here, Shizune. And Pervy Sage didn't come back last night either." Naruto had barely finished speaking when a kunai shot through the air with a whistle and embedded itself in the frame above the window. They turned to see Jiraiya leaning weakly against the wall outside, barely able to stand.

"Hey, Pervy Sage! What happened to you? How did you get hurt this badly?" Naruto asked at once.

"Tsunade drugged me last night. Shizune, you have to tell me exactly what Orochimaru offered her." Jiraiya climbed through the window as he spoke, then fell heavily to the floor.

Cold sweat broke out on Shizune's forehead. She didn't want to betray her teacher, but she also hated Orochimaru with all her heart for destroying her hometown.

"He promised to bring Nawaki and Dan back to life, but he needs two living sacrifices," Shizune said quietly. She was terrified that Tsunade might actually agree to those terms, and even more frightened that Naruto and Jiraiya would become the sacrifices for that resurrection technique.

"We have to stop her! We can't let her heal that pedophile bastard's arms!" Furious, Naruto sprang to his feet and started toward the door.

"Wait. If you go now, you won't stand a chance against the two of them. Shizune, can you remove this poison? It isn't lethal, but it's left my whole body weak and thrown my chakra into disarray," Jiraiya said. Shizune immediately nodded and stepped forward to begin treating him.

A few minutes later, Jiraiya stood up again and could walk normally. "You should be fine within a few hours, though your chakra flow will still be a little erratic," Shizune said. Jiraiya nodded, then headed toward the window, motioning for the others to follow.

A few minutes later.

They finally found Tsunade, but something was terribly wrong with her. Her entire body shook uncontrollably, and a silver-haired ninja was kicking her over and over as though she were a rag doll.

"Hey! Get away from her!" Naruto roared, launching himself forward like a cannonball to drive the ninja away from the fallen Sannin.

The ninja narrowly dodged Naruto's kick and leaped backward, giving the boy a smug sneer.

"Hey, Pervy Sage, what's wrong with her? She looks like she's seen a ghost," Naruto asked worriedly as he watched Tsunade tremble.

"She has a phobia of blood. Blood terrifies her," the Toad Sage replied.

"What? The famous, legendary medical ninja is afraid of blood?" Disbelief spread across Naruto's face. Then he turned toward Tsunade's attacker and took the opening stance of Toad Style Taijutsu. "Kabuto, you were a spy all along, weren't you? I don't care what you're after. You're not laying another finger on this old lady. She might be a cranky old drunk, but she's still a Konoha ninja. We protect our own."

"Oh? Then let's see if you can back up those words." Kabuto sneered, chakra glowing around both his hands.

Kabuto charged straight at the blond Genin. Naruto swiftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack, then countered with a kick at Kabuto's head, only for Kabuto to dodge it easily.

Damn it, I can't afford to drag this out. At least Pervy Sage seems to be doing fine against that snake. Naruto instantly released the restricting seal on his body. His speed surged, and he blurred into an afterimage, rushing right up to Kabuto and sending him flying with a vicious punch.

"That punch had some strength behind it, Naruto-kun. You even made me bleed. Unfortunately for you, I heal quickly, just like you do. As long as I concentrate my chakra, I can heal almost any wound." The moment Kabuto finished speaking, his wounds closed. Then he charged at Naruto again, moving far faster than before. He was clearly taking this seriously now.

Even with his seal released and his speed far beyond that of an ordinary person, Naruto gradually began to struggle to keep up with Kabuto's movements. The silver-haired spy's reflexes were much faster than his, and the chakra scalpel in his hands made every attack incredibly dangerous.

Naruto struggled to get back to his feet, only to discover that he couldn't move at all. Looking down, he saw that Kabuto had severed his Achilles tendons.