Suppressed Battle

Before Iruka could react,

Naruto's figure quickly moved, taking a rapid sidestep and positioning himself directly in front of Iruka.

"No! I will absolutely not run away, Iruka-sensei! Leave this to me; I will defeat him!"

Run away? No!

Even though the situation with Mizuki had taken a drastically different turn from the original story, and even though Naruto now felt the imminent threat of death due to the unknown green liquid, he would never abandon Iruka.

In this village, almost everyone was someone Naruto held resentment toward. Since arriving in this world, he had spent twelve long years filled with hatred. But even in such a world and life, there was still a glimmer of light in Naruto's heart.

In this glimmer of light, Iruka was an undeniable presence. For six whole years, Naruto could clearly see and feel Iruka's sincerity, his care. Iruka treated Naruto like a younger brother, and Naruto wouldn't, couldn't, abandon him—even if it meant risking his life in this moment.

Naruto's right hand, gripping the kunai, trembled slightly, but his unwavering determination remained steadfast. After coming to this world, Naruto had long been prepared for the worst. If he wanted to take someone's life, he had to be prepared to lose his own.

His courage surged, and at this moment, Naruto's blue eyes radiated a brilliant golden halo.

"Iruka-sensei, I'll defeat Mizuki, and then you have to admit that I've graduated! You promised you'd personally put that headband on me, right?"

Naruto's confident and infectious smile conveyed his unwavering resolve.

Iruka was left speechless by Naruto's words, which left him with a lump in his throat.

In this moment, Iruka was mesmerized as he looked at the figure that stood in front of him, not particularly tall but unwavering in his protection.

"Naruto, you've grown up..."

This was the only thought that flashed through Iruka's mind at that moment.

Mizuki stared at Naruto, who had shielded Iruka, with a predatory gaze. He listened to Naruto's words and the confidence in his voice, which only further fueled his fury and cruelty.

"Defeat me? Become a Genin? You little brat! You have no idea how insignificant you are! Well, let me show you how I'll tear you apart! Want to be a ninja? Try again in your next life!"

Just a slight distraction allowed Mizuki to be ambushed by Naruto, who had not yet graduated from the Ninja Academy. To someone like Mizuki, who considered himself powerful, this was an unbearable humiliation. He had to repay Naruto a hundredfold for this disgrace.

"Die, brat!"

Mizuki's face twisted with a bloodthirsty expression, and his pupils emitted a menacing red light.

In the next moment,

A terrifying surge of power erupted from him.

With every step,

He moved like lightning,

Swift as the wind.

"Boom!"

The overwhelming momentum burst forth.

In an instant,

The figure rapidly closing in.

"Shadow Clone…"

Naruto's pupils suddenly contracted. He wanted to form hand seals, but time was running out. In less than half a second,

The approaching figure.

Taking Iruka into consideration,

Forced Naruto to confront Mizuki head-on.

Naruto had no choice but to face Mizuki, who was launching a fierce assault.

The kunai thrusting towards him.

Naruto shifted his body, altering his position horizontally, attempting to dodge Mizuki's attack.

"Clang!"

A sharp and piercing sound echoed as their weapons clashed once again.

In the next second,

The overlapping figures.

The two kunai intersected.

Instantly,

A spark burst forth.

The metallic luster refracted into the air.

"So heavy!"

Naruto was clearly overpowered in terms of strength.

Before Naruto could fully react,

In front of him, Mizuki launched a swift twisting motion,

"Not good!"

In a flash,

The sudden movement.

Naruto's expression slightly changed.

In an effort to counterattack, he swung his arm, attempting to use the momentum to move away from Mizuki.

"Huff! A little trick!"

But Mizuki saw through Naruto's intentions and, using the injected green liquid, displayed an astonishing burst of power far beyond the original story. Combined with his superior combat experience, this unbridgeable gap in power.

"No good!"

Mizuki didn't give Naruto any chance to breathe. With a quick turn of his body,

"Clang!"

Another fierce collision between their kunai.

In the next moment,

Mizuki's swift body movement.

"Clang!"

His left arm, which had injected the green liquid, executed an exaggerated action, forcefully dragging Naruto's kunai to the side. Before Naruto could react, in less than half a second,

The kunai thrust into Naruto's left shoulder.

The sound of metal piercing flesh.

Spurts of blood.

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed.

Clamping down on his lower lip, he forcibly suppressed the urge to scream.

With a sidelong movement, Naruto tried to pull away to the side, hoping to evade Mizuki's relentless assault.

"Whoosh!"

However, Mizuki clearly had no intention of letting Naruto off so easily. He quickly leaned in and launched his left leg with incredible force, striking Naruto with all his might.

"Bang!"

A powerful blow.

"Wow!"

Naruto felt a twisting pain in his abdomen, his throat went dry, and he couldn't help but spew out a mouthful of blood.

His body was sent flying.

"Thud!"

He crashed heavily onto the ground.

A cloud of dust billowed into the air.

Before it had even dispersed,

"Boom!"

Mizuki's pupils glowed with a crimson light, and in the next moment, he bent his body and leaped toward Naruto once more.

"Naruto!"

As Naruto was sent flying and Mizuki closed in, Iruka's face turned pale. He tried to get up and rush to Naruto's aid, but suddenly,

His legs went weak.

Intense pain surged through his entire body, making it impossible for him to even stand, let alone help Naruto. His desire to assist crumbled away.

(End of this chapter)

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