The Sasuke Recovery Mission [3]

The sound ninjas were lounging around when suddenly a kunai dropped into the middle of their resting spot,

"Explosive Tag..." one of the ninjas identified, as they all sprung away from the kunai just in time for it to explode...

"Well, well, well... You guys have some quick reflexes..." Naruto taunted from his perch on a tree branch.

"You... You're that leaf village ninja..." one of the ninjas recognized.

"Going by the description, he's Uzumaki Naruto, the one Lord Orochimaru warned us about..." the sound ninjas muttered amongst themselves.

"Man, those hushed voices and soft chatter, they're a real pain when you can hear everything from a distance..." Naruto declared, as he sprang from a tree branch, landing squarely in front of the sound ninjas.

"So, you thought you'd just show up here by yourself? Got a death wish or something...?" One of the sound ninjas questioned.

"A death wish, huh? Guess you could say that, only, it's not mine... it's... Yours..." Naruto retorted, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"You're quite the cocky kid... aren't you...!" One of the sound ninjas remarked...

"No sweat, we'll cut you down to size..." chimed in the other Sound ninja, charging towards Naruto with a battle cry. Yet, Naruto only offered a faint grin in response. Just as the ninja lunged, Naruto simply vanished, reappearing behind him in a blink of an eye, "Miss me..." he murmured with a cool composure. He then used a kick on the unsuspecting Sound ninja, sending him hurtling into a nearby tree...

"Powerful hands often hold... an inflated ego..." Naruto remarked, smirking all the while.

The surviving members of the Sound Four, namely Jirōbō, Kidōmaru, and Sakon, assumed a combative posture, looking at Naruto with a blend of rage and fear.

"Sakon, give the signal to Jirōbō!" The most massive of the sound ninjas sprang into action, his form increasing in size as the curse mark started to spread over his skin. With a ferocious roar, he lunged his fists towards Naruto.

Naruto, with little effort, dodged the attack, "A bit sluggish, don't you think?" he said coolly, landing a speedy kick to Jirōbō's stomach, which sent him reeling backward.

Then, Kidōmaru jumped into the fray, his physical appearance changing into a horrid spider-like creature as the curse mark started to take control. He spurted a series of webs at Naruto, aiming to trap him. But Naruto skillfully sidestepped the attack, his movements quick and erratic.

"Your tactics are easy to see through..." Naruto stated, swiftly closing the distance between him and Kidōmaru. He hit Kidōmaru with a punch that knocked him off his feet.

Sakon, the sole remaining member of the Sound Four, watched as his comrades were effortlessly beaten. As the curse mark spread over his skin, he too lunged at Naruto, giving out a loud war cry.

But Naruto just smirked, "Time for me to step in..." he said, and in an instant, he was at Sakon's back. Before the Sound ninja could respond, Naruto landed a robust punch that sent Sakon crashing into a tree.

As they gathered themselves to launch another attack, they noticed the barrel containing Sasuke was no longer where they had left it...

Catching their bewildered expressions, Naruto smirked, "Looks like the strategy paid off after all..." he quipped.

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A short distance away, Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji were handling the barrel...

"Do you reckon Naruto can handle them by himself?" Kiba questioned.

"Nope, that's why, you and Shikamaru will transport the barrel, and we'll go back to assist Naruto..." Neji responded.

"What about Naruto's strategy..." Choji wondered.

"Naruto told us to get this barrel out of here and that's exactly what we're doing. But it doesn't make sense to leave four of us here, so two of us will go back and help Naruto. Shikamaru, you and Kiba, along with Akamaru, take the barrel back to the village. We'll regroup with Naruto..." Neji clarified.

Shikamaru and Kiba nodded, acknowledging that Neji's experience surpassed theirs.

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"So, you were just buying time to grab that barrel, huh?" Sakon expressed, his voice heavy with annoyance.

"That's right!" Naruto confirmed, a wide smirk on his face. "I was just buying time." Naruto smiled.

"This is the same cursed seal that's on Anko Sensei, huh? So they're using this to boost their power," Naruto pondered.

Sakon's curse mark spread further, his form expanding and contorting into something monstrous. "You'll regret underestimating us," he growled, lunging towards Naruto.

Despite the increased speed and power, Naruto dodged with ease, as if he saw the attack coming before it was even launched. "Your movements... they're still too predictable," Naruto taunted as he send Sakon flying back with a swift kick.

At that moment, Jirōbō and Kidōmaru's curse marks also began to spread, their bodies mutating into grotesque forms. They joined the fray, attacking Naruto from different directions. However, Naruto's effortless dodges and counterattacks remained unbroken.

"You guys really need to work on your teamwork," Naruto chided, his voice filled with amusement.

Just then, Naruto's eyes widened slightly, "Ah, look who's finally decided to show up," he said, not even looking back as Neji and Choji made their entrance.

"Naruto, you're handling them pretty well," Neji observed, quickly assessing the situation.

"Handling? Nah, I'm just playing with them," Naruto responded with a grin.

Amidst the treacherous war zone, the Sound ninjas, taken aback by Naruto's boldness, allowed their curse marks to reach the second level. The transformation was far from pleasant. Their bodies contorted into grotesque shapes, their physical forms twisting as their strength multiplied. It was a desperate last resort, an attempt to swing the battle in their favor against Naruto, Neji, and Choji.

"Let's see how you deal with this!" Sakon, a Sound ninja, bellowed, his voice resonating ominously across the war zone as they launched themselves at their rivals like a wave of sinister intent.

However, Naruto, unfazed by their intimidating advance, merely grinned at their hopeless attempts. "Okay, let's wrap this up," he announced, his voice a serene counterpoint to the chaotic scene around him. He lifted his hand, fingers moving to form a complex sequence of hand signs.

With the final hand sign in place, a strong whirlwind began to circle around him, a tangible display of his chakra. "Wind Style: Expansive Wind!" he declared, his voice defying the looming disorder. The hurricane-like winds forced the Sound ninjas back, interrupting their advance and making them falter.

As they fought to regain their balance, Naruto didn't allow them a moment's rest. He rapidly formed more hand signs – a different set this time. The atmosphere around him began to bristle with power once more. "Wind Style: Wind Dragon!" he shouted, and a dragon, made entirely of wind, awakened around him. It rushed towards the Sound ninjas with blinding speed, pushing them back further.

In spite of their frantic efforts to resist, the Sound ninjas found themselves helplessly overpowered by the sheer might of Naruto's wind jutsus. Their curse marks, previously a source of formidable power, started to retract under the pressure, weakening them further.

"Seems like your curse marks aren't as potent as you thought," Naruto teased, a hint of triumph coloring his words.

Sakon, though, wasn't ready to give up. Refusing to concede, he staggered upright, determination flaming in his eyes. "This isn't done...!" he growled defiantly.

Naruto simply raised an eyebrow at Sakon's tenacity. "Alright then, let's settle this once and for all," he stated, his hands weaving one last series of signs.

A new jutsu took shape, the spiraling cyclone of wind chakra around him taking the form of a shuriken. "Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!" he declared, his voice resonating with finality. With a quick movement, he hurled the Rasenshuriken at the Sound ninjas.

The resulting blast was deafening, a testament to the power contained within the Rasenshuriken. Dust and debris clouded the war zone, hiding the aftermath from sight. When the dust finally cleared, the Sound ninjas lay defeated on the ground, their curse marks completely disappeared.

"Didn't I say it was over?" Naruto stated, his voice reverberating across the now quiet war zone.

"Nice one, Naruto!" cheered Choji, giving a thumbs-up to Naruto.

"You did well, Naruto..." Neji added mildly.

"Where are Kiba and Shikamaru?" Naruto questioned.

"They've gone ahead with Sasuke's barrel to the village..." Neji explained.

"Alright, let's catch up with them then..." Naruto suggested and they all started moving in the direction from where Neji and Choji had come, leaving behind Shikamaru and Kiba.

A while later...

"It feels like we're closing in on them, but I'm only sensing two of them. Sasuke isn't there..." Naruto observed.

When they reached their destination and jumped down from a tree, they saw signs of a fierce battle. Shikamaru and Kiba, along with Akamaru, were lying on the ground, battered.

Rushing towards them, Naruto, Neji, and Choji found them conscious but severely wounded...

"Naruto... Sasuke... This guy took the barrel. We tried to stop him, but..." Kiba stammered.

"Do you know who he is?" Naruto queried.

"No, but he was a pale, slender guy with white hair and red markings under his eyes. He... was really strong, Naruto..." Kiba managed to say.

"We're not done yet..." Naruto declared. "Neji, Choji..." He turned towards them. "These two are hurt pretty bad and need immediate medical attention. Why don't you guys take them back to Konoha and get them treated..." He proposed.

"What about you?" Choji wondered.

"I'll track Sasuke again using the seal..." Naruto assured.

Neji wanted to protest but given the state of Shikamaru and Kiba, he consented.

As Choji carried Kiba and Akamaru, and Neji carried Shikamaru, they left the scene, while Naruto continued to pursue Sasuke's trail.

"Whoever this guy is, he's gonna regret attacking my friends..." Naruto thought determinedly.

"He's getting further ahead of me. I need to pick up the pace..." Naruto muttered to himself.

After some time of relentless tracking, it was getting close to nightfall...

Naruto arrived at an open field, devoid of any trees or obstacles. From a distance, Naruto spotted the man carrying the barrel on his back.

"Hey, you! Why don't you just stop right there?" Naruto called out, standing a little way off from the man. The man halted and turned around.

"Just like Kiba described - pale skin, white hair, and red markings..." Naruto observed quietly to himself.

"You're not a Sound ninja... Who are ya?" Naruto asked, his body tensing, ready for another brawl.

Kimimaro didn't rise to Naruto's bait. He simply stated, "I've been instructed by Lord Orochimaru to ensure Sasuke's safe arrival..."

"Sasuke ain't goin' anywhere..." Naruto shot back, his eyes burning with resolve. "He's comin' back to the village with me."

Kimimaro just chuckled. "You actually believe you can stop me?" he questioned, his voice filled with an air of superiority.

Naruto answered with a cocky grin, "I don't believe, I know."

With that, Kimimaro discarded the barrel and charged at Naruto. He swiftly extracted a bone from his body, morphing it into a blade, and swung it at Naruto.

Naruto nimbly dodged the assault and countered with a quick punch that sent Kimimaro backward. "I thought you were supposed to be good at this..." Naruto teased.

Kimimaro recovered swiftly and charged at Naruto again. This time, he pulled out more bones from his body, morphing them into long, lethal spears.

Naruto evaded the barrage of bone spears, moving around the battlefield with the speed and grace of a tornado. "You're gonna have to do better than that," he shouted, his voice self-assured and full of fun.

Kimimaro didn't reply. His face hardened, and his assaults became more aggressive. He fired a series of bone spikes at Naruto, but Naruto remained untouched, his movements quick and unpredictable.

"You're fast," Kimimaro acknowledged, a trace of astonishment in his voice.

"Not just fast, I'm powerful too..." Naruto retorted, landing a hefty kick on Kimimaro's chest, sending him backward.

Kimimaro quickly recovered and lunged himself at Naruto again. He attacked relentlessly, his bone weapons extending and retracting as he attempted to hit Naruto.

But Naruto kept dodging, his movements fluid and elegant. He treated the fight more like a dance than a battle, his body swaying to a rhythm only he could hear.

Meanwhile, the barrel that Kimimaro had been carrying began to shake. A few moments later, Sasuke emerged from it, looking around bewildered. He noticed Naruto and Kimimaro fighting and decided to sneak away unnoticed.

"I gotta wrap this up fast..." Naruto thought, rapidly forming a plan in his mind.

But just as he was about to spring into action, he noticed Sasuke slinking away from the corner of his eye. "Sasuke!" he yelled out, momentarily distracted.

Capitalizing on the opportunity, Kimimaro lunged at Naruto, his bone sword aimed directly at him.

Naruto turned his gaze towards Kimimaro. "I need to catch up to Sasuke, but I doubt he'll let me pass without a fight... What a drag..." Naruto thought to himself.

[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]