156-160

Chapter 156: Pursuit

"Try it then!"

Kidomaru was about to attack, but Sakon stopped him.

"Don't mess around. This is outside Konoha. If we mess up the mission, neither Lord Orochimaru nor Lord Kimimaro will spare you."

"Don't worry, we won't mess up. I can take care of this guy in ten seconds!"

Kidomaru didn't want to stop there.

He swung his six arms and charged towards Neji.

"This guy is still so playful. If Lord Kimimaro gets angry later, no one will help him."

Tayuya complained.

Facing the oncoming Kidomaru, Neji didn't even move.

Just as Kidomaru's fist was about to hit him, a hand blocked it.

At the same time, a cold voice sounded.

"What are you trying to do?"

Hearing this voice, Kidomaru's fighting spirit instantly vanished, replaced by fear.

It wasn't Neji who caught his fist, but Kimimaro, who suddenly appeared.

"Lord Kimimaro!"

Sakon, Jirobo, and Tayuya quickly greeted him respectfully.

Kidomaru was already covered in cold sweat.

"Lord Kimimaro..."

"Are you even willing to risk your own life for fun?"

"I'm sorry! Lord Kimimaro!"

Kidomaru quickly knelt down, trembling.

The fear Kimimaro instilled in their hearts was no less than Orochimaru's.

Or even more so.

Because Orochimaru wouldn't beat them, but Kimimaro would.

"After returning to Otogakure, go to the punishment room yourself. The sentence is two days."

"Yes! Lord Kimimaro..."

Kidomaru regretted it deeply.

Spending two days in the punishment room was worse than being beaten up.

But he didn't dare to object, otherwise, Kimimaro's methods would make him regret it even more.

"Stay here for an hour."

"Yes! Lord Kimimaro."

Everyone dispersed and entered a state of alert.

"Did Sasuke agree to go?"

Neji asked.

"He didn't say it explicitly, but from the looks of it, he was tempted. He desires the power of revenge even more than you. So I never doubted his choice."

Hearing Kimimaro's answer, Neji didn't say anything more.

An hour passed quickly.

Sasuke, carrying his few belongings, arrived at the Konoha gate.

"Stop! It's so late, where are you going!"

Anbu suddenly appeared, blocking Sasuke who was about to step out of the village gate.

But before he could speak, the Anbu fell down.

Kimimaro then appeared in front of Sasuke.

"It seems you've made your choice."

"Take me to Orochimaru."

"Okay. But before that, we need to find a quiet place and do something first."

"Hmm?"

Sasuke frowned.

The next day.

Sakura, who had fainted on a park bench, was discovered by Anbu and brought to the Hokage's office.

"Fifth Hokage! Something terrible happened! Sasuke... Sasuke was taken away by people from Otogakure!"

Sakura cried her eyes out, recounting the events of last night between sobs.

In short, she was worried about Sasuke and went to see him, only to discover that he was planning to defect from Konoha.

The final outcome was self-evident.

Tsunade crossed her arms, pondered for a moment, and then made a decision.

"Immediately send someone to request aid from Sunagakure. Also, have the newly promoted Chunin, Nara Shikamaru, come here."

"Yes!"

Konoha's current combat strength was severely lacking.

Even Shizune, who had just returned to the village with Tsunade, was sent out on a mission.

Now, the only available combat power was the newly promoted Chunin, Shikamaru, and of course, a group of Genin.

Soon, Shikamaru, carrying Tsunade's orders, went to gather his teammates.

The pursuit team was quickly formed.

Captain: Nara Shikamaru.

Genin members: Uzumaki Naruto, Akimichi Choji, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, Rock Lee.

Tenten and Sakura originally wanted to go too, but Tsunade only gave five spots, so naturally, they couldn't go together.

"Please, Naruto! You must bring Sasuke back, this is my lifelong request!"

Sakura said to Naruto with tears in her eyes.

"Lee, if you have a chance when you see the Sound ninja, ask them about Neji's whereabouts. I believe Neji must still be alive."

Tenten said to Lee.

The pursuit team set off!

In the Hokage's office.

Tsunade watched the departing pursuit team with a solemn expression.

"You must all come back alive."

The pursuit began!

"The enemies we're facing this time are ninja from Otogakure. Everyone has already witnessed their strength during the Chunin Exams.

The Sound ninja sent to retrieve Sasuke won't be weak. So, we need to be prepared. This mission won't be easy."

Shikamaru's expression was extremely serious.

He knew this was a difficult mission.

The number and strength of the enemies were unknown, while his own team consisted of Genin.

Even if they were outstanding and had Chunin-level skills, they were probably no match for the Sound ninja who came this time.

"I hope the opponents this time aren't too strong."

Shikamaru thought to himself.

"Shikamaru, don't worry. We will definitely bring Sasuke back!"

Compared to Shikamaru's worries, Naruto was obviously much more optimistic.

Or rather, he forced himself to be optimistic.

The pursuit began.

At this time, in the Konoha Hokage Tower.

Kakashi, who had just completed his mission, returned.

"What? Sasuke defected?"

Kakashi was shocked.

He originally thought his persuasion yesterday was effective, but he didn't expect Sasuke to still make this choice.

"He left last night, it has been twelve hours since then. Three hours ago, I had Shikamaru lead a Genin team to pursue him, and also asked Sunagakure to send reinforcements.

But the enemies sent by Otogakure this time are unknown, and I'm afraid these people aren't enough. Kakashi, you go too. Otherwise, I'm afraid Naruto and the others won't last long."

"Yes!"

Kakashi immediately set off.

On the road.

Kimimaro and his group were resting.

To be precise, the Sound Four were resting.

Not long ago, Sasuke took the Mind Awakening Pill.

It was a pill that could help Sasuke quickly enter the second state of the Cursed Seal, but after taking it, it needed to be used in conjunction with a certain barrier technique.

Otherwise, he would die.

And the purpose of the Sound Four coming here was this.

After a series of procedures, several hours had passed.

The Sound Four were exhausted and rested for a while.

"It's about time to set off."

Kimimaro stood up and suddenly looked behind him.

"It seems we can't leave for now, an acquaintance has arrived."

Hearing this, Neji's expression tightened.

He activated his Byakugan!

Sure enough, he also saw a familiar figure.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Shikamaru and the others landed one after another.

"What bad luck, we encountered a sensory type. Our plan for a surprise attack ended before it even began."

Shikamaru's expression was slightly helpless.

They had a direct confrontation.

This was the worst-case scenario he had anticipated.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 157: Each Fights Their Own Battle

"Neji!"

Upon seeing Neji, Rock Lee was overjoyed and was about to rush forward, but Shikamaru grabbed him.

"Lee, don't get too excited. Look at his position in the crowd, he's clearly with them. I just don't know if he's being controlled or if he's doing this willingly."

Shikamaru quickly made his judgment.

There were six people in front of them, but Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a large wooden barrel.

If he guessed correctly, Sasuke should be inside the barrel.

As for why they were doing this, Shikamaru didn't know, and now was not the time to delve into it.

"No, it can't be. Neji wouldn't willingly join the Sound Village!"

Rock Lee said excitedly.

Neji wanted to say something, but Kimimaro held him down.

At the same time, a voice rang in his mind.

"If you still want to return to Konoha and change the Hyuga clan, you should pretend to be controlled now. Otherwise, you'll be a rogue ninja. Once you become a rogue ninja, it'll be difficult to regain your normal Konoha ninja status."

Neji looked deeply at Kimimaro, already knowing his intentions.

At the moment, he could only feign a wooden expression.

This way, he would look more like a controlled puppet.

Seeing Neji motionless and held down by Kimimaro, Rock Lee said angrily, "Kimimaro! Let go of Neji! What did you do to him!"

"I'm truly sorry, I didn't do anything to Neji, I don't know anything. This is all Lord Orochimaru's arrangement."

Orochimaru, who was recuperating in the Sound Village, had no idea he was being blamed again.

"Damn it! Orochimaru again! Kimimaro, why are you helping that villain? Didn't you help Lee with his surgery before? You're a good person."

This time, it wasn't Rock Lee who spoke, but Naruto.

Naruto considered Kimimaro a friend, and now seeing him like this, he felt very sad.

"Naruto, you're a good friend. However, I'm a ninja from the Sound Village. Lord Orochimaru is not only my teacher but also the leader of the Sound. I have no choice but to obey."

"If you don't want to, you can leave the Sound Village."

Naruto continued.

"You're so naive, Naruto. Then why don't you leave Konoha? Your days in Konoha are probably worse than mine in the Sound."

"I..."

Naruto was speechless for a moment.

"Enough chatting. Judging by your looks, you're here for Sasuke, right? Sasuke is in this barrel, but I'm afraid you don't have the ability to take him away."

Kimimaro gently patted the barrel, and then, a triangular pyramid about three meters high completely covered the barrel.

"Binding Technique Seventy-Three, Inverse Mountain Crystal!"

The divine technique surprised everyone from Konoha.

Facing the terrifying Kimimaro, the six of them didn't have much chance of winning, let alone with five others by his side.

Even if Neji was being controlled, he was still stronger than them.

And the other four Sound ninja looked like tough opponents.

Under these circumstances, how could they fight?

Shikamaru was already thinking of retreating.

But Naruto and Rock Lee would never retreat.

The person they were looking for was right in front of them, how could they retreat?

"Damn it, I must bring Sasuke back today!"

Naruto charged forward!

"Move!"

Shikamaru knew that retreat was impossible now, so they had to follow the original battle plan and begin!

The battle started!

"Fang Passing Fang!"

"Human Bullet Tank!"

Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru transformed into a spinning gray drill, charging towards Kimimaro.

And Choji expanded his body, turning into a meatball, spinning and charging!

Both of their attacks were powerful.

But just as they were about to hit Kimimaro, two figures from the Sound Four jumped out, blocking their attacks.

Jirobo spread his arms and actually caught the Human Bullet Tank.

And Sakon instantly split into Ukon, each taking on one of the Fang Passing Fang.

"You're not worthy of fighting Lord Kimimaro!"

The battlefield instantly split into two.

Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru vs. Sakon and Ukon.

Choji Akimichi vs. Jirobo.

"You're all mine!"

Kidomaru also joined the fray, spitting out silk that turned into a spider web, shooting towards Shino, Rock Lee, and Shikamaru.

Facing the spider web, Shino made his move.

A vast number of kikaichu bugs surged out, instantly devouring the spider web.

"What!"

Kidomaru was shocked and looked at Shino.

This person seemed to be his counter.

The third battlefield opened up!

Shino Aburame vs. Kidomaru.

"You're mine!"

Tayuya kicked Shikamaru away, opening up the fourth battlefield.

Shikamaru vs. Tayuya.

The fifth battlefield went without saying.

Neji vs. Rock Lee.

"Neji, just hold on a little longer. Once I bring you back to Konoha, no matter what technique is on you, the Hokage will definitely be able to undo it."

Rock Lee took his stance, ready to attack.

The two of them had fought hundreds of times in Konoha.

Every time, Rock Lee lost.

But this time, he couldn't lose.

If he lost, he would lose Neji as a teammate.

At least that's what Rock Lee thought.

So, without any hesitation, he directly opened the Eight Gates.

"First Gate, Open! Second Gate, Open! Third Gate, Open!"

Rock Lee opened three gates in a row, and green energy emanated from his body.

After the last time, Rock Lee had broken through his limits.

Now, opening three gates wouldn't put too much strain on his body.

In this state, he felt he could fight Neji.

"Byakugan, Open!"

Neji didn't hesitate either and immediately entered battle mode.

He was also very interested in fighting Rock Lee with the Eight Gates open.

"Neji, I learned the Eight Gates just to surpass you. Today, I will use it to save you!"

Rock Lee's speed suddenly increased, and he pressed his attack on Neji.

Pak!

On the other side, Kimimaro caught Naruto's punch filled with anger.

"You're no match for me, give up."

"Shut up! I'll never give up! Even if I'm not your opponent, I will definitely win!"

Naruto's blue eyes instantly turned into fox-like vertical pupils!

Nine-Tails Chakra!

Kimimaro frowned, not expecting Naruto to erupt so quickly.

Bang!

He kicked out, hitting Naruto's abdomen.

Naruto's body flew into the air.

"If I rely on my own strength, it's absolutely impossible to defeat Kimimaro. Then, I can only use that move."

Naruto extended his right hand and bit it with his mouth.

Blood spilled out.

He formed hand seals!

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Bang!

Naruto performed the Summoning Jutsu in mid-air, and a massive figure appeared beneath his feet.

It was a gigantic toad.

Holding a pipe and wearing a short sword.

From Mount Myoboku, Gamabunta!

"Hey, why is it you again, brat, summoning me?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 158: Broken Blade!

"Boss Toad, please, I have no chance of winning against this opponent alone."

The humble little brother Naruto went online.

"Geez, you always get me involved in these kids' fights. If I go back to Mount Myoboku, I'll lose face."

Gamabunta was clearly dissatisfied, but he didn't leave.

Apparently, he had already agreed.

After signing a contract, most summoned beasts, except for those who don't follow the rules like Manda, won't easily abandon the person who summoned them.

Moreover, it also discovered that this opponent was not to be trifled with.

Although he was just a teenager, just standing there gave it a sense of oppression.

This young man was definitely not someone Naruto could handle.

He was even stronger than the previous One-Tailed Jinchuriki.

Gamabunta's expression became serious.

Seeing Naruto summon such a huge toad, everyone except Kimimaro was surprised.

"Great, I didn't expect Naruto to have such a trick. That increases our chances of winning a bit."

Shikamaru was happy and started to concentrate on dealing with the enemy in front of him.

"This is troublesome, why is my opponent always a woman?"

Shikamaru complained to himself, but he could only accept this reality.

In this situation, they could only focus on dealing with their own enemies.

If they wanted to help their teammates, they had to survive first.

After all, none of these Sound ninja seemed easy to deal with.

"Gamabunta? Interesting."

Looking at the giant toad summoned by Naruto, Kimimaro's mouth curled up slightly.

This giant toad's combat power was definitely among the top among summoned beasts.

Kimimaro also bit his finger and formed hand seals!

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Bang!

The smoke cleared, revealing the Golden Sword Lion Beast!

"Kimimaro can also use the Summoning Jutsu?"

Naruto was surprised.

"A lion? I've never seen this kind of summoned beast before."

Gamabunta looked at the Golden Sword Lion Beast with a puzzled expression.

"Boss, Kimimaro's summoned beast doesn't look big, it's definitely not your opponent. Let's defeat it!"

Naruto said confidently.

"Kid, now is not the time for you to command me. Next, listen to my instructions and fight."

"Yes! Boss!"

In terms of combat experience, Gamabunta was naturally several times stronger than Naruto at present.

"Every time you summon me, it's always these troublesome guys."

The Golden Sword Lion Beast couldn't help but complain when it saw Gamabunta's huge body.

"Thank you for your hard work. Next time I'll summon you for a big meal."

"That's more like it."

The Golden Sword Lion Beast showed a satisfied expression.

Kimimaro jumped onto the Sword Lion Beast's back, then condensed his right hand's sword finger, and a card-shaped golden light appeared between his fingers.

"The Big!"

With his low shout, the power of The Big Clow Card surged into the Golden Sword Lion Beast's body.

The next moment, the Golden Sword Lion Beast, which was originally only two people tall, quickly grew larger.

Soon, its size was the same as Gamabunta's.

Two summoned beasts, both as tall as mountains, appeared at the same time, and everyone else was shocked.

"As expected of Lord Kimimaro, he has such a terrifying summoned beast. It doesn't look any weaker than Lord Orochimaru's Manda."

Tayuya couldn't help but admire.

Kidomaru glanced at it, and there was more fear in his heart.

"Lord Kimimaro's strength is becoming more and more terrifying."

Neji, who was fighting Rock Lee, also noticed the changes here.

That terrifying power was beyond his imagination.

"This is the true powerhouse."

The battle between the two giant summoned beasts was about to break out!

"Boss Toad, oh no, the opponent's summoned beast can also become very large."

Naruto was anxious.

"I can see that. Size is not the only factor that determines victory. Let me see what this guy's got."

Gamabunta's hands were also itching to fight after encountering such a powerful summoned beast.

It gripped the short sword at its waist, and the blade unsheathed, revealing a cold glint.

"Toad Short Blade Slash!"

Gamabunta leaped into the air!

The short sword in its hand slashed directly at the Golden Sword Lion Beast!

A sharp blade descending from the sky!

Even before the cold blade fell, Kimimaro and the Golden Sword Lion Beast felt the sharp aura.

"As expected, it's not a simple toad."

The Golden Sword Lion Beast nimbly jumped back, dodging Gamabunta's short sword, then stepped on its hind legs and counterattacked!

Its front claws extended, grabbing at Gamabunta.

This attack was also extremely fast.

Seeing this, Gamabunta held the short sword horizontally in front of it.

Clang!

The short sword blocked the Golden Sword Lion Beast's front claws, neutralizing its attack.

"So fast."

Gamabunta's heart trembled. If it hadn't reacted quickly, this attack would have been enough to injure it.

Its front claws blocked, the Golden Sword Lion Beast waved its claws, pushing the short sword away, causing Gamabunta to temporarily lose its balance.

At the same time, it swung its tail, sweeping towards the toad.

Slap!

A hit!

Gamabunta was directly swept away!

"Boss!"

Naruto called out worriedly.

"I'm fine. This guy is quite strong."

After Gamabunta stabilized its body, it attacked again with its short sword!

The giant short sword danced continuously in its hands, even showing a bit of a warrior's temperament.

The Golden Sword Lion Beast dodged repeatedly.

"This smelly toad's swordsmanship is quite troublesome. Kimimaro, think of a way."

"Simple, break its sword! Golden Sword Lion Beast, use Ultimate Crushing Claw!"

"Okay!"

At Kimimaro's command, the Golden Sword Lion Beast immediately launched an attack.

Facing the unpredictable short sword, this time it didn't choose to dodge, but instead extended its right front claw.

A white light emitted from its claw.

"Hmph, you actually want to use your body to resist my short sword, let's see how I break your claw!"

Gamabunta snorted coldly, and the force in its hand increased.

Just as the claw and the sword were about to collide, a card-shaped golden light appeared on Kimimaro's sword finger again.

"The Power!"

The golden light instantly poured into the Golden Sword Lion Beast's claw, and the power of this attack suddenly increased!

Crack!

Only the sound of shattering was heard, and Gamabunta's short sword was actually directly crushed by the Golden Sword Lion Beast's Ultimate Crushing Claw!

The blade broke in half and fell to the ground.

For a moment, the earth shook.

"What!"

Gamabunta was shocked.

The material of its short sword was not ordinary, yet it was crushed by a single claw?

What kind of monster was this!

Looking at the only remaining hilt in its hand, Gamabunta was not calm.

After crushing the short sword, the Golden Sword Lion Beast charged, its head hitting Gamabunta's abdomen and sending it flying into the sky.

The Golden Sword Lion Beast pursued its advantage and leaped high!

Its front claws attacked again!

"Boss!"

Naruto shouted anxiously.

Gamabunta immediately threw the hilt in its hand!

Whoosh!

The hilt was casually knocked away by the Golden Sword Lion Beast.

The distance between the two was even closer.

Gamabunta freed its hands and immediately formed hand seals!

"Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!"

It opened its mouth and spat out a huge water ball towards the Golden Sword Lion Beast and Kimimaro.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 159: The Toad's Retreat

A massive water sphere hurtled towards the airborne Golden Sword Lion Beast, leaving it no room to evade.

"Golden Flying Arrows!"

Unable to dodge, it would counterattack with its own move! The mane on the Golden Sword Lion Beast's neck hardened instantly, then shot out like arrows! In an instant, a deluge of golden mane hairs rained down on the Iron Cannonball.

Thud thud thud! The Golden Flying Arrows pierced the Iron Cannonball, causing countless water splashes. The water sphere, punctured, scattered into rain! The toad landed, its expression grave.

The Golden Sword Lion Beast didn't cease its attack, its neck mane continuing to fire.

"This guy won't stop." Gamabunta grumbled, forced to dodge awkwardly.

"Boss, this won't do. We're too passive, we can't win like this," Naruto said.

"Easy for you to say, do you know how tired I am? This guy's strength is on par with mine. If it were Jiraiya with me, we'd have a chance. But with you, a little brat, I'm at a huge disadvantage," the toad boss complained while dodging.

"Well..." Naruto scratched his head awkwardly.

"This guy's mane is infused with chakra, allowing it to be fired like senbon. If this continues, I'll get hit sooner or later. So, we have to burn its mane. Naruto, I'll spew toad oil, you use fire style to ignite it."

"Huh? I don't know fire style!"

"Any fire will do! Hurry!" Gamabunta said, opening his mouth and spitting out brown toad oil.

"Ah! Fire? Where's the fire?" Naruto wasn't Sasuke, naturally he didn't know fire style.

But he reacted quickly, pulling out an explosive tag and a kunai.

"You'll do, go!" He threw the explosive tag wrapped around the kunai!

The burning explosive tag landed on the toad oil, and the next moment, boom, it exploded!

Flames ignited! The brown toad oil instantly turned into a sea of red fire! Toad Oil Flame Bomb!

The Golden Flying Swords were quickly incinerated in the flames, leaving no trace.

Not only that, the scorching flames also surged towards the Golden Sword Lion Beast and Kimimaro.

"Oh no!" The Golden Sword Lion Beast cried out, too late to dodge.

If hit by these flames, it would become a hairless lion.

At this critical moment, Kimimaro's voice rang out.

"Pride of Heaven, Iron Wall, Dragon's March, Lion's Roar, Tiger's Cry, Wolf's Run, Severing Heaven and Earth before Collapse, Binding Technique Eighty-One, Void Severance!"

His voice was soft but clear, spoken at an incredibly fast pace.

As he finished, a transparent wall appeared before the Golden Sword Lion Beast, blocking all the flames.

The flames were only ten centimeters away from the Golden Sword Lion Beast, yet they couldn't cross, as if separated by an insurmountable chasm.

"Let's end this," Kimimaro said to the Golden Sword Lion Beast beneath him.

"Alright!" Man and beast were in sync.

Gamabunta's face grew even uglier seeing the fierce flames blocked.

It had used all its tricks, but none could harm the opponent.

The lion's strength wasn't much greater than his, the main difference lay in the summoner.

The coordination between Gamabunta and Naruto was still lacking.

And the gap between Naruto and Jiraiya was too vast.

This made many powerful techniques unusable.

"This is trouble," Gamabunta thought to himself, then witnessed a shocking scene.

The flames hadn't fully dissipated, yet the Golden Sword Lion Beast charged straight through them! Gamabunta could clearly see the transparent defensive wall that blocked the flames moving along with it.

"Boss! It's coming!" Naruto exclaimed.

The next moment, the Golden Sword Lion Beast's right front paw emitted a white light again.

"Ultimate Crushing Fang!"

The flames dispersed, Void Severance retracted.

This claw aimed for Gamabunta's abdomen.

Rip!

At the critical moment, relying on years of battle instincts, Gamabunta narrowly avoided a fatal blow.

But its waist was still grazed by the Ultimate Crushing Fang, leaving a wound.

Blood splattered! Gamabunta was severely injured!

"Boss!" Naruto was alarmed.

Gamabunta retreated a few steps, steadying itself.

"Such a strong opponent."

"Boss, are you okay?" Naruto asked with concern.

"I'm fine, I won't die. But my chakra is completely depleted, I can't stay any longer. Naruto, this guy is beyond your capabilities. Retreat!"

With that, Gamabunta turned into smoke and vanished.

Severely injured, it had consumed a lot of chakra and couldn't remain, having to return immediately for healing.

Losing his powerful aid, Naruto landed on the ground.

"Damn it, even Boss Gamabunta is no match for Kimimaro?" Naruto clenched his fists, looking at the white-haired boy above, feeling powerless.

Gamabunta was his strongest trump card, yet still couldn't defeat the opponent. Now, what should he do?

"I'm not interested in bullying children, I'll leave it to you," the Golden Sword Lion Beast said, then released the summoning jutsu and departed on its own.

Kimimaro landed lightly in front of Naruto.

"It seems you have no more tricks, Naruto."

"Kimimaro, why are you doing this? Why take Sasuke away?" Naruto questioned.

"No, I'm not taking him, he's coming with us willingly. The Sound Village has what he needs. Things he desires but Konoha can't provide."

"What things?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Naruto, you say Sasuke is your friend, but do you truly understand him? Do you know the burden he carries? Do you know what he wants?

You know nothing. Your so-called friendship is just a slogan. You're using your values to kidnap Sasuke, forcing him to make choices you deem right."

Naruto was stunned, momentarily feeling Kimimaro's words seemed reasonable.

He knew too little about Sasuke.

This cold boy's past held too many secrets.

"Until you fully understand Sasuke, it's impossible for you to bring him back. So, give up," Kimimaro continued.

"No, I won't give up!" Though Kimimaro's words made sense, Naruto didn't want to give up.

"Not giving up? Look at your friends. If you don't give up on Sasuke, they'll be the ones who die." Kimimaro pointed at the Konoha rookies who were fighting fiercely.

Choji was completely suppressed by Jirobo with his Cursed Seal Level 2 activated and was already severely injured.

Kiba and Akamaru, transformed into a three-headed wolf, launched impressive attacks but were blocked by Sakon and Ukon's summoned Rashomon, exhausting their last bit of stamina.

Lee, having opened the Third Gate, was still no match for Neji, the battle at a stalemate.

Shikamaru was caught in Tayuya's genjutsu and seemed to be in grave danger.

Shino's situation was the best among them, surprisingly suppressing Kidomaru with his Cursed Seal Level 1.

But if this continued, at least three of these five would die.

"This..." Seeing his struggling comrades, Naruto was conflicted.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 160: The Dance of the Early Fern

"Risking the lives of so many companions just to save one person, is this your idea of salvation?"

Kimimaro's words struck Naruto's heart like a series of heavy punches.

He wavered.

Sasuke was his companion, that was true, but so were these people.

If saving Sasuke meant letting Shikamaru and the others die here, he couldn't accept that.

Choice!

Everyone faces such choices.

And people often hold onto wishful thinking, wanting to have both.

But where in the world are there so many easy things?

"No! My companions are still holding on, they're just like me, wanting to save Sasuke!"

Naruto suddenly said.

And as he said these words, the battles changed.

Choji transformed into a butterfly!

His original fat, after consuming his family's secret medicine, the Chili Pill, transformed into massive chakra.

The chubby boy became slim, and a pair of chakra butterfly wings made him look incredibly powerful.

"You're no match for me now, because I'm a hundred times stronger than I was just now!"

Choji said the coolest line he'd ever uttered.

A punch was thrown!

Jirobo, with his Cursed Seal Level 2, couldn't even dodge in time.

This punch directly inflicted heavy injuries on him.

Choji half-kneeled on the ground, his whole body in excruciating pain.

His gaze had already shifted elsewhere.

Shikamaru and Tayuya were in a stalemate, and it looked like he was about to lose.

"I can't fall here yet, Shikamaru still needs me."

Choji endured the intense pain, his wings spread open behind him, and he rushed towards Shikamaru and Tayuya's battlefield at an incredible speed.

"Die!"

Tayuya broke free from Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique, intending to finish him off directly.

But Choji suddenly attacked, landing a punch on her face.

Bang!

Tayuya, in her Cursed Seal Level 2 state, was sent flying instantly.

Choji, in his butterfly form, defeated two members of the Sound Four in a row, and he was already exhausted.

The effects of the secret medicine had worn off.

"Shikamaru, are you alright..."

As soon as Choji finished speaking, the butterfly wings on his back disappeared, and he couldn't even stand steady, collapsing straight to the ground.

"Choji!"

Shikamaru screamed in horror, embracing Choji.

"Shikamaru... The happiest thing in my life was becoming friends with you... I really wish I could be friends with you forever. Thank you for believing in me... Shikamaru..."

A smile appeared on Choji's lips, but his breath became extremely weak.

"Choji! Wake up! Don't sleep! Wake up!"

Shikamaru broke down.

At this moment, he regretted immensely, why did he bring Choji on this mission?

While Choji and Shikamaru had achieved a temporary victory, the situation for the other three wasn't looking good.

"As expected, opening only three gates isn't enough to defeat Neji. Then... Fourth Gate of Pain, open! Fifth Gate of Limit, open!"

Rock Lee was going all out at this moment!

Neji's expression turned serious.

"Lee's Eight Gates Release Formation is even stronger than before."

Previously, when he opened five gates, Lee's entire meridian system was damaged.

But this time, although the burden was still heavy, Lee could already withstand it.

He had become stronger again.

Lee's movements suddenly accelerated!

"So fast!"

Even Neji's Byakugan could barely keep up with Lee's speed.

"Rotation!"

Facing Lee's attack, Neji activated his Rotation to defend.

Within the Rotation, he was absolutely safe.

Lee's speed wasn't fast enough to replicate Kimimaro's maneuver yet.

However, Lee leaped into the air, reaching the sky.

Then, his body began to spin, turning into a green whirlwind, descending from the sky like a drill, smashing into the Rotation!

"What!"

Neji was startled, not expecting Lee to come up with such a way to counter his Rotation.

The blue chakra shield started to crack.

The Rotation dispersed!

Lee punched towards Neji's cheek!

Bang!

A direct hit!

Neji crashed into a large tree.

Lee followed closely, another punch!

"Neji, even if I have to break your arms and legs, I will bring you back to Konoha!"

Facing Lee with such determination, Neji knew he had to stop him quickly.

Otherwise, this idiot might directly open the sixth gate.

At that point, even Tsunade wouldn't be able to save him.

"Lee, I'm sorry."

Neji suddenly said, causing Lee to pause.

He still has his own consciousness?

This was the first thought that crossed Lee's mind.

And this moment of distraction gave Neji an opportunity.

"Gentle Fist Art, One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!"

The Eight Trigrams Formation activated!

"Oh no!"

Lee exclaimed, as Neji's teammate, he knew what this meant, but it was too late.

One hundred twenty-eight palms were struck by Neji at an extremely fast speed, each hitting Lee's acupuncture points.

Even the ferocious Eight Gates Release Formation, after taking this full combo, had its chakra completely sealed!

The immense power within Lee vanished instantly, and he collapsed to the ground due to the side effects of the Eight Gates.

"Neji... come back to Konoha."

Even lying on the ground, Lee continued to persuade.

"I will definitely go back, but not now."

Neji thought silently, but didn't respond to Lee.

"Don't go, Neji!"

No matter how Lee called out, Neji didn't stop.

Observing the battles around, Kimimaro looked at Naruto in front of him.

"Your companions' situation doesn't seem as optimistic as you think."

"I will never give up! I won't let my companions die here!"

Naruto formed hand seals.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

In an instant, over two thousand shadow clones appeared before Kimimaro.

Only Naruto could create such a massive number of shadow clones.

Two thousand shadow clones attacked together, while the rest went to help others.

Kimimaro glanced at the Naruto shadow clones around him and slowly said, "Such a technique is useless against me."

"Whether it's useful or not, we'll only know after trying! Naruto Uzumaki Two Thousand Combo!"

Naruto had truly mastered the art of ganging up.

"Such a nuisance, let's finish this in one go."

Kimimaro's gaze coldly swept over the numerous shadow clones, and the Shikotsumyaku within him began to activate.

"Dance of the Early Fern!"

The next moment, a shocking scene unfolded.

Kimimaro plunged his hands into the ground, and then countless sharp bone spikes erupted from the earth!

In that instant, a forest of bones formed around him, with him at its core!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bone spikes were incredibly sharp, piercing through the vital points of all of Naruto's shadow clones, dispelling them one by one!

Smoke billowed.

Naruto's Two Thousand Combo was instantly broken.

"This guy, what kind of monster is he..."

Naruto looked at Kimimaro with a hint of fear in his eyes.

With his own power, he had actually altered the terrain.

And it was such a sinister forest of white bones.

How did he do it?

(End of Chapter)