28. Naruto Implosion

Ryusei and Naruto moved swiftly through the dense forest, their footsteps silent as they leaped from branch to branch, the looming silhouette of the Akatsuki fortress just beyond the horizon. The air was thick with tension, and Ryusei's mind raced as he kept a close watch on the terrain ahead. He knew they needed to be stealthy, but more than that, they needed to be unpredictable if they were to make it past the countless traps and scouts likely waiting for them.

As they weaved through the trees, Ryusei glanced at Naruto, who was still brimming with excitement from his earlier success with the ranged Rasengan attacks. The kid's energy was infectious, but Ryusei knew they had to stay focused—this was far from over.

"Naruto," Ryusei called quietly, his voice carrying just enough to reach Naruto's ears over the sound of rustling leaves. "We're about to enter an area where they're likely setting traps. You've got the Rasengan range down, but we're going to need more than that to keep up the pace. It's time to develop new tactics."

Naruto gave a quick nod, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Right. What do you have in mind?"

Ryusei's eyes flickered ahead, sensing faint chakra signatures in the distance. They were still a good way from the Akatsuki fortress, but the enemy was already on high alert. "Think about the Void energy you've been using. It destabilizes chakra, disrupts the flow. What if you used that same principle, but instead of aiming to destroy, you create distractions? Small void disturbances that draw attention away from our real movements."

Naruto blinked, a little surprised by the suggestion. "You mean like…throwing a mini Rasengan but making it fizzle out halfway or something?"

Ryusei nodded as they both jumped to another set of branches. "Exactly. Instead of throwing a full-powered attack, try creating unstable versions—Void orbs that collapse after a few seconds. Make them unstable enough to release a burst of energy or noise before they vanish. That way, when the enemy senses it, they'll think we're somewhere we're not."

Naruto grinned, already getting the hang of it in his mind. "I like that! It's like shadow clones, but for jutsu!"

"Exactly," Ryusei agreed. "And since we're in enemy territory, the fewer actual confrontations we have, the better. We need to save our energy for the real fight once we're inside the fortress."

They continued moving, with Naruto experimenting as they progressed. His first few attempts weren't perfect—the Void orbs wobbled in midair before fading too soon, barely creating a ripple. But after a few more tries, Naruto started getting the hang of it. He tossed a Void orb to the left, watching it drift through the air and burst with a quiet, subtle pop. The resulting distortion was enough to throw off the chakra sensors ahead, making them focus in the wrong direction.

As the two continued to advance, Naruto deployed the technique several times, drawing enemy scouts toward empty patches of the forest. Each time, they adjusted their course slightly, moving away from potential danger. The strategy was working, and Ryusei could feel the enemy forces scrambling to figure out where they were coming from.

"We're getting closer to the outer defenses," Ryusei said after a while, his voice low. "But we still need to stay cautious. Keep up those distractions, and don't get reckless."

Naruto nodded, his face serious as he threw another unstable Void orb to the right. It disappeared into the distance, and a few seconds later, the air rippled slightly as it burst, creating enough of a disturbance to fool any enemy chakra sensors nearby.

They pressed on, their movements fluid and synchronized as they traversed the thick forest. But as they moved closer to the Akatsuki fortress, Ryusei felt the energy shift. The traps became more sophisticated, and the air itself seemed to grow heavier with the presence of powerful shinobi.

Suddenly, Ryusei's senses flared. He felt a massive surge of chakra ahead—an enemy patrol, but stronger than the others they had encountered so far. This wasn't just a scouting party; these were elite shinobi, likely tasked with guarding the outer perimeter of the Akatsuki's stronghold.

Ryusei raised his hand, signaling Naruto to stop. They crouched low on a thick branch, peering through the dense foliage. Just ahead, a group of five shinobi stood at the ready, their eyes scanning the area. They were alert, well-trained, and their chakra levels were high.

"These ones are different," Ryusei muttered. "We can't just avoid them like the others. We'll need to take them out quietly."

Naruto frowned, his hands already forming a Rasengan, but Ryusei shook his head. "No. We can't afford to let them alert anyone else. Use the Void energy subtly. Create a disturbance, then hit them when they're distracted."

Naruto's brow furrowed in concentration, but he nodded. "Got it."

With a flick of his wrist, Naruto sent another unstable Void orb toward the group. This time, he infused it with just enough chakra to make it last a bit longer. The orb drifted through the trees, unnoticed by the enemy shinobi, before it burst with a quiet ripple of energy. The sudden distortion caught their attention, and the group turned in unison, focusing on the disturbance.

"Now!" Ryusei hissed.

Naruto and Ryusei sprang into action, moving silently through the trees. Naruto sent a focused Rasengan into the back of one shinobi, while Ryusei used a combination of Void and Time energy to destabilize the chakra of another, rendering him unconscious before he could react. They moved swiftly, disabling the group without a sound.

As the last of the shinobi collapsed to the ground, Ryusei and Naruto regrouped, their breathing steady.

"Nice work," Ryusei said, his eyes scanning the area for any more threats. "We're almost there. Just a little further over the ridge, and we'll have a clear view of the fortress."

Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow and grinned. "That Void distraction thing is pretty handy. I think I'm getting the hang of it."

Ryusei smirked, nodding in approval. "Good. You'll need it once we're inside. Keep practicing as we move—there's no telling what kind of traps they've got waiting for us up ahead."

They continued onward, the trees thinning slightly as the landscape shifted once more. The Akatsuki fortress was now in clear view, looming ominously on the horizon. But Ryusei knew this was only the beginning. They had made it past the scouts and patrols, but the real challenge still lay ahead.

"We're close," Ryusei said quietly as they reached the crest of the hill, the fortress now just below them. "One last push, and we'll be inside."

Naruto looked at the dark, foreboding structure, his grin fading into a determined scowl. "I'm ready, Ryusei. Let's do this."

Ryusei nodded. "Let's move."

Ryusei and Naruto stood at the crest of the hill, the dark silhouette of the Akatsuki fortress looming ahead. But between them and their goal, two groups of reanimated shinobi marched in formation, their presence a dark and oppressive force on the battlefield. These weren't ordinary troops—they were organized, and the sheer number of them was enough to make any normal shinobi hesitate. But Ryusei and Naruto weren't normal shinobi.

Ryusei squinted, his sharp eyes picking out the details of the two separate mini-armies that moved ahead of them, each operating independently but with lethal coordination. One group, the larger of the two, was to the left, its members wielding a mixture of elemental jutsu. The smaller army to the right, though fewer in number, radiated a darker, more dangerous energy—likely infused with the power of Edo Tensei, making them harder to kill.

"Hold on," Ryusei said, his voice low but commanding. "You see there's two mini-armies running separately? I'll take the larger one. You handle the smaller group."

Naruto's eyes lit up, his excitement evident. "Sounds good to me. Smaller group or not, I'll take 'em down fast."

Ryusei nodded, his gaze never leaving the battlefield. "We'll move into position first. Once you strike, I'll join the fight. Remember, precision. Hit them fast and hard before they can react. Use the Void chakra to destabilize their attacks, and don't give them a chance to regroup."

Naruto grinned, giving Ryusei a confident nod before darting off into the trees to the right. Ryusei took a deep breath, focusing his senses as the world around him began to ripple. He didn't just move through space—he shifted through time itself, his body phasing out of the present and into the future for a brief moment. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared ten seconds ahead, standing directly in front of the larger army. He crouched behind a jagged rock formation, his eyes locked on the shinobi marching toward him, waiting for Naruto's signal.

As the seconds passed, the tension built, the air thick with anticipation. Ryusei could feel the weight of the enemy's chakra pressing against his senses, but he remained perfectly still, his left hand subtly charging with energy as he prepared for the strike.

Suddenly, from across the battlefield, a flash of blue light erupted in the distance. It was Naruto's Rasengan—a signal that he had begun his assault.

Without hesitation, Ryusei rose from his position, the energy in his left hand surging to life. Within the span of two seconds, the energy grew, expanding into eight glowing spheres of pink ki and blue chakra. The power within them was immense, crackling with raw force as it condensed tighter and tighter. With a flick of his wrist, Ryusei launched the orbs into the air above the army in front of him.

The moment the orbs reached their peak, they detonated, releasing a rain of pink ki and blue chakra tendrils that shot downward like lightning bolts. The tendrils weaved through the air with deadly precision, striking through the ranks of the reanimated shinobi as they scrambled to react. Ryusei watched as several of the soldiers attempted to dodge, their movements swift but not swift enough.

The tendrils were relentless, piercing through armor and flesh alike, leaving trails of blue and pink energy in their wake as they tore through the enemy ranks. Screams filled the air as the reanimated shinobi fell one by one, their chakra threads severed by the sheer force of Ryusei's attack. Even the most skilled among them, those who managed to avoid the initial strike, found themselves ensnared by the tendrils' unpredictable movements.

But the army wasn't about to go down without a fight. As the survivors regrouped, several of the shinobi hurled massive fireballs and lightning jutsu toward Ryusei, hoping to overwhelm him with elemental power. The ground shook as the jutsu collided with the earth, sending debris flying in every direction.

Ryusei moved like a ghost, weaving effortlessly between the attacks. His body seemed to blur, shifting between moments in time as he dodged fireballs that should have incinerated him and lightning strikes that would have paralyzed anyone else. His movements were fluid, almost ethereal, as though the very fabric of reality bent to his will.

With a single leap, Ryusei closed the distance between him and the enemy's front line. His hands moved in a blur, summoning twin orbs of condensed energy—one pink, one blue. With a swift motion, he slammed the orbs into the ground, and the resulting explosion sent a shockwave rippling through the battlefield.

The force of the blast was immense, tearing through the enemy ranks and sending several shinobi flying into the air. Those who remained standing charged forward, their weapons drawn, hoping to overwhelm Ryusei with sheer numbers.

But Ryusei was already prepared. As the first wave of enemies reached him, he raised his hand and released a pulse of Void energy. The air around him distorted, and in an instant, the shinobi closest to him crumpled to the ground, their bodies unable to withstand the disruption in their chakra. Those farther back hesitated, realizing too late that they were dealing with an enemy far beyond their understanding.

With the larger army momentarily stunned, Ryusei took the opportunity to glance over toward Naruto's side of the battlefield.

Naruto was in the thick of it, his body moving in a blur as he unleashed a barrage of Rasengan on the smaller group of reanimated shinobi. His Void-infused attacks sent shockwaves through the enemy ranks, destabilizing their chakra and causing several to fall apart before they could react. But it wasn't enough—these shinobi were stronger than the ones they had faced before, their Edo Tensei bodies more resilient to damage.

"Naruto!" Ryusei called out as he dodged another strike from an enemy ninja, using a pulse of time energy to freeze his attacker for a split second before delivering a swift punch to the chest. "Use more Void energy in your Rasengan! Make the implosions bigger!"

Naruto, hearing Ryusei's command, grinned. "You got it!" He quickly formed another Rasengan, this time channeling more Void chakra into the sphere. The orb in his hand darkened, the edges flickering with unstable energy. With a roar, Naruto hurled the Rasengan toward the center of the enemy ranks.

The moment it made contact, the Void energy within the Rasengan detonated, creating a massive implosion that sucked in everything around it. The reanimated shinobi were pulled toward the center of the explosion, their bodies disintegrating as the Void energy tore through their chakra threads. Within seconds, the smaller army had been reduced to rubble, their bodies crumbling to dust as the Edo Tensei jutsu failed.

Ryusei, now facing the last few survivors of the larger army, charged forward with renewed energy. His hands crackled with pink and blue light as he summoned twin blades of ki and chakra, each one glowing with lethal intent. He dashed between the remaining shinobi, slicing through them with surgical precision. Each strike severed their chakra threads, rendering them powerless before they could mount a counterattack.

The last of the enemy forces fell to the ground, their bodies disintegrating as the energy around them dissipated. Ryusei stood amidst the wreckage, his breathing steady, his eyes sharp as he surveyed the battlefield.

Naruto landed beside him, wiping the sweat from his brow as he took in the scene. "Phew! That was intense! But we took 'em down."

Ryusei nodded, his expression calm but focused. "You did well. Your Rasengan is getting stronger, but you need to keep pushing yourself. The Akatsuki won't go down this easily."

Naruto grinned, despite the exhaustion creeping into his body. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But hey, we've made it this far, right? What's a few more fights?"

Ryusei smirked, his eyes drifting toward the fortress in the distance. "This was just the beginning. The real fight starts now."

As the two of them stood on the battlefield, the eerie silence that followed the battle settled over them. The Akatsuki fortress loomed closer than ever, and they both knew that what awaited them inside would be far more dangerous than the enemies they had just faced.

But they were ready. Together, they had faced countless challenges, and this one would be no different.

Ryusei glanced at Naruto, a hint of a smile on his face. "Let's keep moving. There's no turning back now."

Naruto nodded, his grin wide and full of determination. "Right! Let's go kick some Akatsuki butt!"

With that, the two of them sprinted forward, their bodies moving in perfect harmony as they made their way toward the dark fortress that awaited them. The real battle was about to begin, and nothing would stand in their way.