Chapter 186: When I Become Hokage, I'm Gonna Beat You Up
Whiz! Whiz!
Clang! Clang!
Sasuke Uchiha leaped into the air, using the ruins of a destroyed building as a springboard to evade a massive tidal wave sweeping across the ground below.
Rumble!
A dragon's head suddenly lunged out of the water, snapping its jaws at him.
Roar!
Boom!
Sasuke tossed a kunai wrapped with an explosive tag, blowing the dragon's head apart. Only then did he take control of his shuriken, launching an attack toward the Hidden Mist enemy in the distance who was still weaving hand signs.
Swish! Swish!
Is this Captain Tonbo's true strength? To create such a realistic battlefield environment! Sasuke thought, even while in the heat of combat. He realized he had underestimated Tonbo Tobitake.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive sphere of flame erupted from his mouth, incinerating the enemy who had just dodged his shuriken.
Huff... huff...
After unleashing the fireball, Sasuke was panting. At his age, using such a high-level jutsu was a heavy burden on his body.
"Decent skill, but this is the end."
A translucent figure appeared behind Sasuke, bringing a blade down toward his neck.
Poof!
However, the "Sasuke" the blade struck turned into a log—a log rigged with explosive tags.
"When did he—?!"
Hiss! Boom!
The explosion sent the enemy flying, shattering the invisibility jutsu.
"The moment you got close to me," Sasuke muttered, driving a kunai into the man's chest and ending his life.
In his frequent spars with Kiba, Sasuke had learned many hard lessons about unconventional combat. He had refined his tactics through countless repetitions. Just now, because his body temperature was elevated from the fight, he had sensed a slight, unnatural chill behind him and instantly performed a Substitution Jutsu.
As he expected, the enemies were never alone. He looked around at the devastated landscape. It looked as if all of Konoha had been razed. Houses were reduced to rubble. In the distance, the Hokage Rock was a mess; only the Third's face remained somewhat intact, while the other faces were unrecognizable.
This genjutsu was too real. It felt as if this had actually happened.
Whiz! Whiz!
While Sasuke was lost in thought, he met his end. Exhausted and low on chakra, he was eventually swarmed by a group of enemy Genin and killed. After a brief warp in the environment, he returned to a starting point, his stamina and chakra fully restored.
Does this genjutsu only reset after I run out of energy and get killed? Sasuke analyzed. So, the purpose of this training is to build combat instincts and teach us how to eliminate enemies using the minimum amount of chakra. With this kind of training... can I defeat Itachi?
He paused. No. I'll only be able to tell how much I've improved once I leave this illusion and face a real battle. He didn't blindly trust these "experiences," knowing they weren't yet reality.
"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Facing an enemy ambush, Naruto grew frustrated and went straight for his ultimate move. Hundreds of Narutos appeared and swarmed the attacker. The enemy, unable to block hundreds of hands at once, was beaten into a pulp.
"Hehe! I really am amazing! As the man who's gonna be Hokage, I only need one move for guys like this," Naruto bragged, wiping his nose. "But where am I?"
He looked around. He was in the center of a giant crater. Suddenly, he spotted his classmates—Hinata, Kiba, Sasuke, Sakura—all lying on the ground nearby. Some were missing limbs, others had gaping holes in their chests. They were dead in every way imaginable.
Further away, Grandpa Third was pinned to the ground by a long sword through his chest. Captain Tonbo was slumped against a high stone wall, his head hanging lifelessly.
"Naruto... run..." a voice croaked. Naruto turned, his eyes widening in horror.
"Iruka-sensei!"
Iruka's chest was pierced by a blade. His blood-stained hand reached out toward Naruto, urging him to flee.
"What's happening?!" Naruto screamed. Just a moment ago, he was waiting for a reward; now, everyone was dead. The fox whiskers on his cheeks grew thick. His blue eyes bled into a deep crimson, and orange-red chakra began to leak out.
Squelch!
Before the transformation could complete, Naruto's head was sent flying into the air.
I haven't become Hokage yet... how can I die here? And who... who killed them all...
Before he could finish the thought, the scenery warped again. He was back at the start.
"Kid, you're the only one left. Die!" A familiar voice rang out. Naruto turned to see the same enemy he had just killed, lunging at him with a murderous gaze.
Naruto reacted quickly, dodging and using his previous tactics to kill the enemy with Shadow Clones. Then he looked at the surroundings again. It was the same. Everyone was dead.
"What is going on?!" Naruto clutched his head in terror. In the distance, Iruka appeared again, stumbling.
That's right! Iruka-sensei! I have to save him! Naruto rushed forward to support Iruka. He remembered the battlefield first-aid lessons from the Academy—thanks to Kiba and the others being so competitive, he had actually learned a bit. He began treating Iruka's wounds.
But in his rush to save a life, he forgot the enemy. A sword ran him through from behind.
Warp—
"Again?!" Naruto growled. He repeated the process: killed the first enemy, rushed to Iruka. But this time he was smarter. He stayed alert. While treating the wound, he sensed a movement and whipped a kunai behind him.
Thud.
He turned to see the enemy who had killed him twice already lying dead on the ground. "Phew, good thing I'm smart," Naruto wiped his brow.
"Iruka-sensei—"
Stab!
Just as he turned back to Iruka, a kunai pierced his chest. He looked at "Iruka-sensei" and saw a complete stranger wearing a cruel smile.
Warp—
Naruto reset once more.
"I get it now! This is a genjutsu! This is all Tonbo-ojisan's doing!" After several cycles, Naruto finally realized the truth.
"AAAAAAGH! DAMN YOU, TONBO-OJISAN! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!" Naruto roared at the sky, his fists clenched. To use a genjutsu that made him think everyone he cared about was dead... it was cruel.
Just wait until I become Hokage, I'm gonna punch you for this! Naruto thought, realizing Tonbo was using his most precious bonds to provoke him. He turned his gaze back to the "enemies." Since it was an illusion, he could go all out.
Rumble—
When the scent of the Nine-Tails' chakra first leaked out, the Jonin and the Third Hokage tensed up, nearly stepping in to stop Tonbo's jutsu. But when the chakra receded and stabilized, they finally let out a sigh of relief.
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