Naruto wasn't going to give Mizuki a chance to fight back. Kindness to the enemy was cruelty to himself.
"Fire Release—Fireball Jutsu!"
As Naruto charged at Mizuki, his hands flashed through a series of seals with practiced speed.
His cheeks puffed slightly, then—whoosh!—a thin line of fire sprayed from his mouth.
As it traveled, the flames expanded rapidly, transforming into a massive fireball that roared toward Mizuki.
The once-dark forest was instantly illuminated, as if daytime had arrived. Birds resting in the treetops scattered in panic, their wings flapping wildly against the night sky.
Mizuki had seen Fire Release techniques before, but experiencing it firsthand—especially from Naruto—was another matter entirely.
This level of power… even a Chunin would struggle to pull this off!
Gritting his teeth, Mizuki kicked off the tree trunk, narrowly dodging the incoming inferno.
But just as he thought he had escaped—
Slash!
A sharp pain tore through his lower back, as if a kunai had sliced deep into his flesh.
Instinctively, Mizuki swung his own kunai backward, but it was already too late.
Naruto had already pulled out his bloodstained blade and leaped back to a safe distance.
"When… when did he get behind me?!"
Mizuki clutched his bleeding wound, but the crimson liquid gushed through his fingers uncontrollably. His face turned pale from the rapid blood loss.
"I told you," Naruto said coldly. "You're on my death list. You're not leaving here alive."
Naruto stood there, watching Mizuki struggle, his expression unreadable.
It was as if he wanted Mizuki to drown in despair, to taste the fear of death creeping in.
"You little brat…!"
Mizuki's bloodshot eyes burned with hatred. His hands trembled as they fumbled inside his ninja pouch.
Clink!
A small red vial appeared in his palm.
With gritted teeth, he yanked the cap off and swallowed the liquid inside in one gulp.
"ARRRGHH!!"
A monstrous howl erupted from Mizuki as his entire body convulsed violently.
Blue veins bulged across his skin, and his muscles began to swell at an alarming rate.
Before long, his entire form had undergone a terrifying transformation.
His body was now covered in thick yellow fur, his face contorted into a beastly snarl. His arms and legs had bulked up like massive logs, each muscle radiating raw power.
Mizuki was no longer human—he had become a hulking, humanoid tiger.
"You… forced me into this, Naruto!" Mizuki bellowed.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight.
An afterimage?!
Naruto's pupils shrank.
Damn it!
He had been too careless. The moment Mizuki pulled out that red vial, Naruto knew he had made a mistake.
That wasn't just some ordinary drug.
The Curse Mark Potion—Orochimaru's failed experiment.
Even though it was an incomplete version, it still granted a temporary surge in speed and strength.
Naruto's mind raced.
Ninjutsu? No, Mizuki was too fast. He wouldn't have time to complete a seal.
Taijutsu? No, Mizuki's raw strength now far outclassed his own. A direct fight was suicide.
Stalling for time?
That… could work.
Naruto had read about Orochimaru's curse mark experiments. The power boost came at a cost—it drained the user's life force.
It wouldn't last forever.
I just have to survive for a few minutes.
But before Naruto could act—
BOOM!
Mizuki's massive fist whistled past Naruto's head, shattering a tree trunk into splinters.
Naruto leaped, his chakra-infused feet kicking off the bark as he shot into the treetops.
"Mizuki! Just admit it—you were never my match to begin with!"
"SHUT UP!!" Mizuki roared, his monstrous form bounding up the tree in pursuit.
His speed was now twice Naruto's.
In a matter of seconds, he had caught up.
SWOOSH!
Another fist came hurtling toward Naruto's skull.
Naruto barely twisted his body in time—the attack missed, but the sheer force sent shockwaves through the air.
CRACK!
The tree behind him exploded into splinters.
Cold sweat dripped down Naruto's back.
If that punch had landed, he wouldn't just be injured—he'd be dead.
Hokage's Office
Inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the battle unfold through his crystal ball, his brow furrowed.
The transparent sphere reflected the intense chase—Mizuki, in his monstrous form, relentlessly attacking Naruto.
"When did Naruto become so powerful?" Sarutobi murmured.
For a long time, he had suspected a traitor lurked within Konoha. That's why he had allowed Mizuki to lure Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals.
But in truth, the Anbu had been ordered to withdraw from the area—by Sarutobi himself.
It was all part of his test.
One reason was to expose Mizuki's treachery.
The other… was to see the true nature of Naruto's heart.
Would he betray Konoha? Would he succumb to the darkness of his past?
Or would he choose a different path?
And now, seeing Naruto fighting back—not for revenge, but to protect himself—Hiruzen felt relieved.
This wasn't a child consumed by hatred.
This was a shinobi of Konoha.
"Hokage-sama," an Anbu member spoke beside him. "Naruto can't hold out much longer. Should we intervene?"
Sarutobi took a slow drag from his pipe, his sharp eyes fixed on the crystal ball.
"Not yet."
"But—"
"Naruto still has potential that hasn't been forced out yet," Sarutobi stated firmly. "Have the Anbu follow closely. The moment Naruto is in real danger, move in and rescue him."
"Understood."
With a nod, the masked figure flickered away.
Back in the forest, Mizuki was growing impatient.
Naruto's relentless dodging was beginning to frustrate him. His enhanced form was strong, but maintaining it drained his stamina rapidly.
"Naruto!!" Mizuki roared. "Stop running and fight me like a man!"
But Naruto only smirked, leaping from tree to tree.
He had noticed something—Mizuki's movements were becoming sluggish.
The effects of the potion were fading.
Just a little longer.
Naruto's eyes sharpened.
The moment Mizuki slowed down just enough—
He would strike.
(End of Chapter)