Wind Release: Nine-Tails Bomb (Continued)

The ever-rising earth walls defended against the highly penetrating rain of Chakra needles.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto promptly used the Shadow Clone Jutsu, having a clone throw her into the air. The poor clone was instantly pierced into a hedgehog by the Chakra needles.

"What a rip-off!"

The clone, riddled with needles, raised its middle finger at Naruto before turning into smoke and vanishing.

Naruto, who had been thrown into the air, transformed into a flying eagle amid a cloud of smoke. She spread her wings and was utterly lost in the wind.

How am I supposed to fly?

Naruto nearly fell, hurriedly straightening her wings and gliding through the air. When she reached directly above Haruki Hyuga, she undid her transformation. Wind Release Chakra compressed at her fingertips as the Nine-Tails' Chakra poured into it, and she recalled the move she had used before under the Nine-Tails' control.

Naruto instinctively fused her Chakra with the Nine-Tails' Chakra just as the Nine-Tails had done. A dark crimson, rapidly spinning projectile condensed at her fingertips.

"Wind Release: Nine-Tails Ball!"

"Hey, hey! Why drag me into this?" The Nine-Tails froze upon hearing the name of Naruto's ninjutsu, then controlled its eyeball and glared at her in displeasure.

"Because it's a ninjutsu made with both your Chakra and mine! The inspiration came from the move you used before, too!" Naruto replied with a faint smile upon hearing the Nine-Tails' dissatisfied voice.

The Nine-Tails Ball fired from her fingers instantly expanded several times over, forming a rapidly spinning sphere of Chakra that pierced straight through Haruki Hyuga's body.

Haruki Hyuga stopped spinning and lowered his head to look at the enormous wound in his chest, caused by the Nine-Tails, through which the scenery behind him could be seen. Cracks spread across the scales covering his body.

"Crack, crack—!"

The scales shattered. Haruki Hyuga fell to the ground, and though he had regained consciousness, he did not die immediately.

"Naruto Uzumaki... I hate you... Even after gaining such great power, I still couldn't..." Before he could finish, Haruki Hyuga breathed his last, his eyes remaining wide open in death.

"..."

Naruto had thought Haruki Hyuga would reveal who had bitten him. She had not expected him to utter such an incredibly venomous sentence before dying. What a thoroughly undeserving creature.

At the same moment Haruki Hyuga died, Orochimaru sensed his death. A sinister smile appeared on his face as he used the Curse Mark to see what Haruki Hyuga had seen before his death.

"Naruto Uzumaki... That little brat who defected from Konohagakure is Minato's daughter... Hahaha! This truly gives me someone worth being pleased to see."

Meanwhile, Naruto, who was treating Yakushi Nonō, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She rubbed her goosebump-covered arm and instinctively looked around.

"What? Could it be..."

Mikoto Uchiha activated her Sharingan. Seeing Naruto's reaction, she thought another enemy had arrived.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little cold."

Naruto looked at the skirt exposing her legs, then touched her twin tails and could not help wanting to sigh.

I really want to send her back.

Ah! With her around, I can't avoid wearing women's clothes...

By evening, Yakushi Nonō awoke from her coma.

"I..."

Upon waking, Yakushi Nonō found herself leaning against Mikoto Uchiha's shoulder. The heat radiating from the campfire warmed her body.

"Have some water."

Mikoto Uchiha handed her the water.

"Where's Naruto? She's not hurt, is she?"

Yakushi Nonō did not drink. Unable to see Naruto anywhere, she was worried.

"Naruto is over there practicing the Body Flicker Technique. Don't worry. Have something to eat."

Mikoto Uchiha pointed at the food warming over the campfire.

The Body Flicker Technique used Chakra to activate the body's cells, allowing rapid movement too fast for the naked eye to see. After Mikoto Uchiha's explanation, Naruto, who had only half-understood the technique, formed hand seals and sensed the cells in her body becoming more active under the stimulation of Chakra. She opened her eyes and ran forward.

"Bang—!"

Naruto had not yet fully adapted to the sudden surge in speed and slammed heavily into the tree trunk ahead. Her iron head smashed a dent into the thick tree.

"Pfft..."

The Nine-Tails, watching from the side, could not help bursting into laughter. Fortunately, Naruto had not noticed what the Nine-Tails was doing in her inner world, or she would surely have been furious to see it rolling around on the ground, pounding the floor with both hands as it laughed.

The Nine-Tails had seen countless ninja, yet this was the first time it had ever seen one crash into a tree while using the Body Flicker Technique!

Rubbing her cheek, which had been imprinted with the tree bark's pattern, Naruto formed hand seals again. This time, she slowed down, then gradually increased her speed after becoming familiar with the slower pace.

"I'm such a genius!"

"Thud—!"

An unripe fruit fell from the tree Naruto had just struck and hit her on the head, interrupting her self-admiration.

"Hahahahaha!!!"

The Nine-Tails could no longer hold back and burst into loud laughter.

After learning the Body Flicker Technique, Naruto had intended to show off in front of the Nine-Tails. Yet the moment she entered her inner world, she saw it clutching its stomach and laughing uproariously.

Furious on the spot, she jumped onto the Nine-Tails' head, tugged its ear, and shouted, "Nine-Tails! What are you laughing at?!"

"Nothing, I wasn't laughing at anything... Pfft!"

Seeing the bump on Naruto's head, the Nine-Tails, which had somewhat restrained itself, started laughing again.

"Aaaah! Nine-Tails, you're actually making fun of me! I'll bite you to death!" Furious, Naruto bit the Nine-Tails' nose right on the bridge.

"Ah! Naruto! Let go!"

"#@￥#..."

Naruto bit down on the Nine-Tails' nose and muttered something indistinctly. Her azure eyes were filled with anger; she was clearly complaining about the Nine-Tails making fun of her.

"I only laughed at you once. Was there any need to get this angry? Naruto, you're far too petty, aren't you?"