Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

"Boss, what do we do?"

"Kill them!"

Seeing the two boys completely ignore their presence, the Grass ninja leader didn't hesitate for even a moment before issuing the order.

"Yes, sir!"

The nearest Grass ninja immediately responded.

Drawing their weapons, they charged straight toward Naruto and Sasuke at the bow of the ship.

It's over...

Karin instinctively shut her eyes.

She couldn't bear to watch two boys around her age die right in front of her.

It would make her feel as though her own fate was no different.

Reality was cruel.

Even with her eyes closed, her sensory ability remained active.

And almost immediately...

Several chakra signatures vanished.

Huh? Several?

Karin froze.

She hurriedly opened her eyes.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The Grass ninja who had just leaped toward the ship came crashing down in front of her.

They hit the ground one after another, leaving shallow craters in the sand.

None of them moved again.

"What?!"

The Grass leader's eyes widened.

"Hey, Sasuke."

"Want to make this a competition?"

The moment Naruto spoke, Sasuke vanished from his side.

Naruto blinked.

Then immediately shouted down below.

"You're stealing a head start again?!"

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Sasuke completed a series of hand seals while leaping from the ship.

Numerous fireballs burst forth like brilliant fireworks, raining down toward the Grass ninja below.

"It's just Fire Style! I'll handle it! Water Style—"

One Grass ninja began forming seals.

Suddenly his vision blurred.

A blade crackling with lightning shot straight through the incoming fireball.

Before he could finish his jutsu, the sword pierced his shoulder.

"AAARGH!"

"Inoue!"

"Damn it! I'll help—"

BOOM!

Naruto's Rasengan arrived first.

The spinning sphere slammed into the Grass ninja rushing to assist.

The man was blasted away instantly.

Naruto looked up and immediately spotted the Grass leader.

A bright grin spread across his face.

"You're the boss, right?"

Realizing things had gone terribly wrong, Karin quickly found a place to hide.

Kusagakure was famous for being good at learning.

Or, less politely put—

They specialized in stealing.

The village's techniques were a chaotic collection gathered from other nations.

Most of their jutsu had been copied, stolen, or reverse-engineered.

The shinobi world praised them for their ability to counter foreign techniques.

In reality, Grass ninja lacked any true specialization.

They learned whatever they could find.

As much as possible.

Without any real foundation.

"Water Style: Water Bullet—Gah!"

"Lightning Style: Lightning Sphere—Urk!"

"Wind Style—"

"Damn it! Why is that red-eyed brat so fast?! How are we supposed to hit him with ninjutsu?!"

Watching his comrades get taken down before they could even complete their seals, one Grass ninja finally gave up.

He abandoned his half-finished jutsu.

With a furious roar, he hurled a handful of shuriken and kunai before charging directly at Sasuke.

If ninjutsu wouldn't work—

Then he'd settle things with taijutsu!

Yet Sasuke, moving at high speed under the enhancement of Lightning Release chakra, didn't even bother looking at him.

Seeing the charge, Sasuke simply retreated.

Creating distance.

Then, under the man's stunned gaze, he completed another set of hand seals.

His hand cupped before his mouth.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive fireball surged forward.

The Grass ninja, who had already committed to close combat, nearly cursed himself to death.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Sasuke didn't even bother watching.

The moment the fireball swallowed the man, he was already moving again.

Straight toward Karin.

"Huh?"

Karin stared blankly.

She had been completely absorbed in watching the battle.

Only now did she realize—

From Sasuke's perspective...

She was one of the Grass ninja.

"Hmm?"

Through the incredible perception of his Sharingan, Sasuke frowned.

Something felt off.

Unlike the others, this red-haired girl displayed almost no combat awareness.

No hostility.

No killing intent.

Rather than a combatant, she looked like someone who had accidentally wandered onto a battlefield.

The White Fang Blade shifted in his hand.

Instead of striking her, Sasuke swept past her.

His attack redirected toward another Grass ninja standing nearby.

The chūnin who had been dragging Karin around never expected Sasuke to target him.

Caught off guard, he was defeated within moments.

Several wounds opened across his body before he collapsed.

"Hah... hah... hah..."

Only after Sasuke disappeared did Karin finally collapse onto the ground.

Her chest heaved violently.

Fear and relief mixed together in her eyes.

He... spared me?

But just as she tried to stand—

A large hand suddenly seized her throat.

She was yanked backward.

Before she could react, the man bit directly into her face.

Like a starving beast tearing into prey.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Karin screamed in agony.

"?"

Sasuke stopped immediately.

Turning around, he saw the wounded Grass chūnin standing once more.

The injuries Sasuke had inflicted were visibly healing.

What a strange ability.

The chūnin slowly rose to his feet.

Using Karin as a human shield, he held her tightly against him.

A kunai pressed against her neck.

"You're not fooling anyone, Leaf brat!"

"You knew she was an Uzumaki! That's why you didn't attack her earlier, wasn't it?!"

Uzumaki...? Same surname as Naruto?

A flicker passed through Sasuke's eyes.

His expression remained unchanged.

Leaf...?

Only now did Karin realize who their targets actually were.

No wonder the mission details had been hidden from the lower-ranking ninja.

Officially, Kusagakure and Konoha maintained friendly diplomatic relations.

Seeing Sasuke hesitate, the chūnin mistakenly assumed he'd guessed correctly.

His grip tightened.

Karin struggled for breath.

"If you want to save her, throw down your sword and let me leave!"

My life has nothing to do with him...

Karin's consciousness was already beginning to blur.

She fully expected Sasuke to say exactly that.

Instead—

Sasuke casually slid his sword back into its sheath.

"Let her go."

"You can leave."

The chūnin's heart leaped with joy.

Just as expected.

A kid was still a kid.

He'd fallen for it.

Glancing behind Sasuke, he noticed several allies quietly approaching.

Perfect.

He could buy even more time.

"If I let her go, won't you just kill me?"

"Put your hands over your head."

Watch out!

Karin desperately wanted to warn him.

Two Grass ninja were sneaking up behind Sasuke.

But fear choked the words in her throat.

She didn't want to drag this boy down with her.

Yet she was even more afraid of dying.

Sasuke merely sighed.

Instead of obeying, he stepped forward.

"You want her dead that badly—"

The chūnin grew visibly nervous.

His grip tightened further.

But as he stared intently at Sasuke—

A giant three-tomoe Sharingan suddenly seemed to fill his entire vision.

The next moment...

His body went limp.

He collapsed.

"Honestly."

Sasuke walked over calmly.

With a single slash, he severed the arm still gripping Karin.

"I already spared you once."

Looking down at the fallen man, he spoke coldly.

"A third-rate ninja who doesn't even know better than to stare directly into an Uchiha's Sharingan during combat."

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