( THE LAND OF WAVES PART-16 )

after hearing Akito, sasuke and naruto hurriedly left without saying anything else, they were aware that sakura is not strong enough to kill those chunin level mercenaries. they move toward the east corner of the village and soon reach an expanse of forest, seeing the dense forest in front of them they frown because it was really difficult for them to pin-point sakura's position.

sasuke hurriedly activated his sharingan in order to check sakura's chakra signature, after looking for a while a frown appear on his face and said to naruto.

sasuke: currently my sharingan is not strong enough to sense chakra signature, do you have any way to pinpoint her location.

hearing sasuke a frown appear on Naruto's face, suddenly a thought clicked in his mind and he sat down in a meditative pose, right now he was trying to sense the disturbance in the wind element in the forest, it took naruto around five minutes before he could sense a sharp disturbance in wind, it was coming from their left, around 2000 meters away.

naruto suddenly opened his eyes and said to sasuke.

naruto: there is a high disturbance in wind flow coming from our left, if I am not wrong she is currently fighting them.

hearing naruto a pale expression appear on Sasuke's face and he dash toward his left in full speed, seeing Sasuke's restless behaviour naruto was a little surprised but he decided to not think about it at the moment and follow behind sasuke.

after travelling for around two minutes, they saw a red flare in the sky, just with a single glance they could tell that it was sakura's distress signal, realizing this that sakura was in danger sasuke pushed himself forward with all his might.

while thinking about sakura a strange feeling took birth inside Sasuke's heart realizing his own conflicted emotions sasuke was a little disoriented but he did not put much attention to it and keep running.

after around 30 seconds sasuke saw sakura who was leaning on a tree with an exhausted look on her face, seeing that she was fine a relieved look appear on his face and just as he was about to call her, he saw her dodging a shurikens which strike the tree behind her resulting in a big hole, seeing that she was being attacked, an angry feeling appear in his heart and before he could react he saw zouri appear in front of sakura with a chakra infused sword in his hand, he slashed his sword toward her head, seeing this something inside sasuke broke and a dense killing intent broke out from his body, he took out a kunai, infused his fire chakra in it and shot it toward zouri's heart with all his might with the intention to kill.

seeing the incoming attack zouri flustered and changed the direction of his attack in order to counter the kunai, as both the chakra infused weapons came in contact with each other. a loud blast occurred and due to the impact sakura and zouri were thrown back, Sakura's body flew toward a tree seeing this sasuke moved and hold her from her waist, after he got a hold of her he finally sighed in relief.

sasuke look down only to see sakura's pale face and her bloodied arm, seeing this he was finally not able to hold himself and a horrendous killing intent broke out from his body and unconsciously he activated his sharingan.

sasuke slowly went to a tree and placed sakura beside it and ask with concern.

sasuke: sakura are you alright.

sakura look at Sasuke's worried expression and a smile appeared on her face.

sakura: I am fine sasuke just a little exhausted after the battle.

hearing the word battle sasuke look toward the dead body of waraji and a light flashed in his eyes, naruto silently landed beside them, he crouched down and checked sakura's condition and after realizing that nothing was wrong with her he sighed in relief, he took out a vial and ask her to consume it, while naruto was giving sakura his first aid, sasuke was looking at zouri with killing intent still leaking out from his body.

seeing that a fight was about to broke out naruto made a shadow clone and ask him to carry sakura back to tazuna's home, the clone carried her and start running toward the village, after she left naruto and sasuke look toward the battlefield, while naruto was calm, the air around sasuke was fuming. he looks toward zouri and said.

sasuke: you dared to attack sakura, I will kill you for that.

hearing sasuke zouri snorted, he gripped his sword tightly and channelled his chakra in it, then he raised his hand and slashed toward sasuke.

'SWORD RELEASE: CHAKRA BEHEADER'

(A/N: sword release is something I will be using for the user of a sword.)

as his hand came down a chakra wave was released from his sword which shot itself toward Sasuke's head, seeing the incoming wave of chakra, sasuke channelled his fire style chakra in his kunai and slashed.

'KATON: FIRE DECAPITATOR'

sasuke waved his kunai and a red slash was shot toward zouri's attack, after a moment both the attacks meet and

'BOOOM'

an explosion occurs which blew away the dust on the ground, seeing that his attack was countered a frown appear on zouri's face. zouri was far stronger than waraji, and his power could even rival a mid-level chunin, but he has an advantage toward other ninjas of his level which is his mastery in the sword.

after his attack was neutralized, he dashed toward sasuke with his sword.

.........

on the other side.

naruto was not paying any attention to Sasuke's fight and was looking at waraji's dead body he was still a little shocked that sakura was able to kill him, after looking at him for a moment, he turned and look toward Takafumi and a frown appear on his face.

naruto: a low jounin level mercenary huh, I am surprised that with your strength you are still willing to help a man like gatou.

hearing naruto a frown appear on Takafumi's face, he look toward naruto who was as calm as a still lake, seeing his calmness he was a little surprised and a strange feeling of dread appear in his heart.

Takafumi: interesting you are able to remain calm, even though you know that you are going to die.

hearing him naruto smiled and said.

naruto: well, it is been a while since someone has said that to me, but killing me will not be that easy.

takafumi: big words from a brat who is still wet behind his ears.

naruto ignored his insult and ask.

naruto: you still haven't answered me, why are you helping gatou.

seeing the arrogant behaviour of naruto an angry look appears on Takafumi's face and he said viciously.

takafumi: so you want to know why I am helping him, huh then you will have to make.

saying this his body disappeared from his initial place, seeing the disappearance naruto quickly increased his momentum and made some hand-signs.

'FUTON: GOD OF WAR: WIND ARMOUR'

a white halo appear around Naruto's body, he felt a presence behind him, he hurriedly turned around and punched with all his might, seeing naruto's fast reaction Takafumi was a little shocked and after seeing the white halo around Naruto's body, he did not dare to underestimate him and attacked him with a chakra infused punch. as both, the attack met.

'BOOOOM'

an explosion occurs and naruto was thrown back due to the shockwave, he flew and crashed into trees, realizing how strong his opponent was naruto's expression became serious, he was not injured thanks to his wind armour, after a moment of silence naruto stood up and look toward Takafumi.

naruto: seems like I will need to become serious.

seeing that naruto was not injured a frown appear on Takafumi's face and just as he was about to attack naruto disappeared from his place. he felt a presence behind and hurriedly turned around only to see four naruto running toward him while making hand-signs while one was standing at the back looking at them, soon the four clones completed their hand signs and executed their jutsus.

'FUTON: GOD OF WAR: WIND SHURIKENS'

'FUTON: GOD OF WAR: WIND NEEDLES'

'FUTON: GOD OF WAR: WIND HACK'

'FUTOn: GOD OF WAR: WIND IMPACT'

a barrage of wind attacks was launched toward Takafumi, after executing the attacks the clones disappeared into white smoke, seeing this a sneer appeared on Takafumi's face, he took out the spear which was on his back, infused his chakra in it and start rotating his spear with high-speed in front of his body with both his hands.

'SPEAR RELEASE: CHAKRA SHIELD'

just as the spear starts to rotate, chakra starts to spread out from the spear in a circular manner and in a moment this released chakra transformed into a blue colour chakra shield, the attacks landed on the shield and just as they did small explosion starts to occur but the shield did not budge an inch, seeing this a frown appear on Naruto's face and Takafumi smiled.

after the attacks were blocked Takafumi stopped rotating his spear and dash toward naruto and attacked him with his spear multiple time with his spear's tip pointing in Naruto's direction.

'SPEAR RELEASE: CONSECUTIVE CHAKRA SPIKES'

takafumi thrust him spear multiple time toward naruto and as he did chakra spikes shot out from his spear's point and shot themselves toward naruto, targeting his vital point, seeing the incoming chakra spikes naruto channeled his chakra into his wind armour in order to reinforce it, after reinforcing he took out some shurikens, infused his wind style chakra in them and threw them toward the incoming chakra spikes, both the attack met and

'BOOM'

'BOOM'

'BOOM'

a large number of small blast occurred and dust covered the battlefield, inside the dust naruto suddenly felt a presence beside him, he instictively took out a kunai and slashed toward his left, out of nowhere a chakra infused spear came toward naruto's heart but was blocked by his kunai.

naruto was not able to completely nullify the impact and was thrown back, smashing into a tree, even though his wind armour was able to block the attack he still got some internal injuries because of the collision.

naruto slowly stood up only to see Takafumi looking at him with a scornful expression on his face.

takafumi: he he do not worry kid after I kill you I will make sure that those who are precious to you will join you soon.

hearing Takafumi Hinata's face appear in his mind and an intense anger starts to build up inside his body, suddenly intense killing broke out from Naruto's body and start pressuring Takafumi, feeling this sudden pressure Takafumi's expression changed and he held his spear in a defensive pose.

on the other side naruto slowly bent his knees and made a small shout.

'HAA'

suddenly, black colour energy broke out from his body, his hairs turned pith black from yellow and a light black lustre appear on his skin, his eyes suddenly shot open and he said.

'INNER CHAKRA IMPULSE: 1ST IMPULSE RELEASE'

seeing the changes in Naruto's body. finally, a look of fear appear on Takafumi's face.

to be continued.