Ryūmyaku

During a lull in the battle, Naruto couldn't help but glance back. He saw Koki with her head down, completely still, and his heart clenched involuntarily.

He understood that Koki's eyes must have been tormented by pain once again.

Anxiety and tension welled up in Naruto's heart.

The enemy, like a cunning fox, keenly sensed Naruto's momentary lapse in concentration and swiftly completed the Hand Seals like a cheetah.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!" A loud shout pierced the air, and a surging torrent of water shot straight into the sky.

In the instant the water surged, before Naruto could even turn around, his instincts compelled him to retreat swiftly at the critical moment.

However, as his gaze swept ahead, his heart sank into an abyss.

The ninja had already gripped the sharp blade and charged straight at Koki with lightning speed.

Naruto leaped forward with tremendous force, his figure flashing past with astonishing speed, closing in on the ninja.

He turned and unleashed a powerful kick in mid-air, accurately sending the ninja's blade flying.

But a sly glint of triumph flashed in the ninja's eyes.

He suddenly bent down, Hand Seals with his hands, and pressed himself down to the ground.

"Secret Technique: The Cage Lock!"

With that deep command, a dark black circle appeared beneath Naruto's feet.

He felt an immense binding force locking him firmly in place, as if he were nailed down by invisible nails, unable to move.

"At a time like this, you're actually disregarding your own safety and worrying about him?" The ninja slowly stood up, speaking as he walked towards Naruto.

He lightly pressed his short sword against Naruto's throat, while glancing warily at Koki to confirm that he was indeed weak and unharmed before relaxing slightly.

Naruto gritted his teeth and struggled desperately, but no matter how hard he tried, his body was blocked by an invisible barrier, and he could not break free.

His heart was filled with resentment. He could not be imprisoned and allowed the ninjas to do as they pleased. Koki was still in danger.

The clamor of battle abruptly ceased, and Koki struggled to open her heavy eyelids.

The scene before him pierced his heart like a knife; he saw Naruto's desolate figure surrounded, with ninjas poised to end his life.

A resolute glint flashed in Koki's eyes. Her gaze shifted slightly, catching sight of a solitary sword on the stone path. It gleamed pale in the dim sunlight, but unfortunately, it was too far away to reach.

The sealed weapons on his body were too conspicuous, and using them would take too long, making it impossible to provide timely assistance.

At this moment, the only thing available was the Kunai sealed with the mysterious "eye," which was within easy reach.

Koki's fingers trembled slightly. He knew almost nothing about the Kunai, and once its seal was broken, the situation might become even more dangerous. In his current state, he was simply powerless to deal with the unknown variables.

However, Koki knew there was no way out; to save Naruto, he had no choice but to take the risk.

"That's enough." The ninja's voice was cold and indifferent, and the short sword gleamed with a chilling light in the dim light, about to sever Naruto's lifeline.

"Go to hell!" At that moment, the air seemed as heavy as lead.

Just as the short sword was about to fall, a resolute glint flashed in Koki's eyes.

He swung his arm suddenly, slicing through the silent air, and the Kunai was released from the bow in an instant.

The speed was astonishing, leaving only a blur in the air, too fast for the ninja to react.

The ninja had assumed that Koki was weak and powerless, and therefore did not take him seriously.

Now, he only had time to catch a faint whistling sound before his eyes widened suddenly.

Blood dripped down the Kunai, and the ninja's body, devoid of life force, collapsed heavily to the ground, silent.

Naruto suddenly realized that the binding force had disappeared and hurriedly turned around.

Koki's hand remained frozen in the moment of throwing the Kunai, but it hung limply, unable to be raised even an inch.

Naruto felt a chill run down his spine, his anxiety evident, and he desperately wanted to rush over to check on Koki's condition.

At that very moment, a deep and earth-shattering roar suddenly echoed within the hall, like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting, causing a sharp pain in the eardrums.

The earth's pulse intensified, and the stone pillars and walls of the hall seemed to tremble, on the verge of collapse.

Koki turned her head, her gaze fixed intently on that mysterious "eye".

As he watched the sealing incantation on the "eye" vanish rapidly like a streak of light, an ominous premonition rose in his heart.

Although it was anticipated that removing the Kunai would cause a disturbance, such a violent reaction was unexpected.

Just as the spell completely dissipated, the crack in the "eye" suddenly opened.

Those eerie, enormous pupils darted rapidly from side to side before locking onto Koki.

Koki was taken aback, never expecting that it was actually a real eye.

He gritted his teeth, forcefully resisting his body's resistance, trying to escape the entanglement of that gaze.

However, those eyes seemed to possess a spirit, remaining fixed on him, making the atmosphere increasingly eerie.

Naruto also sensed the strangeness of the eye. He quickly rushed to Koki's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with Koki, watching the eye warily.

What is this?

Koki shook her head. "I don't know, but it's definitely not a good thing."

In the deathly silence of the darkness, that eye seemed to be imbued with a soul, slowly rotating as if silently scrutinizing everything around it.

Koki's expression involuntarily turned serious, and a strange emotion, like morning mist, filled his heart, making his breathing heavy.

A faint purple glow permeated the air, sending a chill down one's spine.

Suddenly, the eye contracted sharply, its pupil narrowing to a slit like that of a wild beast, Koki's heart skipped a beat.

At the same time, his eyes involuntarily turned blood red, and his Mangekyō Sharingan bloomed.

Immediately afterwards, the sealing array on the ground suddenly burst into a dazzling purple light, instantly illuminating everything around it.

Before Koki could react, the incantations snaked and twisted like serpents, quickly binding his feet and then spreading throughout his body.

He struggled desperately, only to find that his own strength was insignificant in the face of this power.

In an instant, a destructive force erupted from the sealing array, as if the air itself was being torn apart.

The powerful impact made Koki feel a tightness in his chest, followed by an overwhelming pressure that held him firmly in place.

He was unable to move, his breathing was rapid, and his eyes were in excruciating pain, as if they were about to be burned to ashes.

Upon witnessing this, Naruto hurriedly rushed towards Koki.

However, as soon as he got close, he was blasted away by the invisible currents surging from the sealing array.

Naruto gritted his teeth and struggled to lunge again, but still failed.

He was unwilling to give up and fought on despite repeated defeats, but he could never break through that invisible barrier.

The increasingly turbulent air currents rose like a storm, lifting Koki's body and slowly ascending into the air.

His clothes and black hair fluttered in the wind, as if drawn by a mysterious force.