Naruto - Azure Awakening

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<<<>>>

Kaoru stood among the gathered Takimura shinobi, his gaze fixed on Akura as he stepped forward to address the army.

"Take pride in knowing that we have done everything possible to prepare for this battle. Now, it's time to prove that we can defend our families, our homes and our people.

Forget pride. Forget honor. Forget dignity.

None of that matters.

We fight for the future, for those we love, for those who cannot fight alongside us.

Do not hesitate. Do not falter.

Hesitation can cost lives. Hesitation can destroy the future of those you swore to protect.

Some of us will not see tomorrow. But those we protect, those who survive, will remember us. They will know that when Takimura was threatened, we stood and fought back.

So when the battle begins, when the enemy stands before you, remember why you fight.

For your families.

For your people.

For Takimura!"

Akura's words had a miraculous effect.

Every shinobi roared, their voices filled with fire, their eyes burning with determination. They roared not for war, not for glory, but for what they were protecting - for the people they were willing to die for.

Some had children, some had parents, some had spouses, lovers, friends. But every single one of them had someone. That was Takimura's strength, it was a village built on bonds.

Kaoru didn't join in the frenzy, but he felt his heart roaring in his stead. His chest tightened and a lump formed in his throat as the tears threatened to rise.

Now, he understood why a speech mattered.

It wasn't just about motivation.

As long as most shinobi felt ready to fight, their energy would lift up the rest, even those untouched by Akura's words.

The tension had transformed as it was no longer fear - it was resolve.

<<<>>>

Mei and Shin moved first, signaling their squads to follow. Kaoru and Mizuki stood together, their gazes locking for just a moment before they flickered forward. They were both behind Shin, moving toward their designated positions.

This was their moment.

Everyone had worked to create the perfect battlefield for them. Now, they had to prove why the leaders had put so much trust in them.

Kaoru drifted to the side, his own battleground waiting for him.

He would be fighting alone. He was responsible for cutting down a smaller Kiri squad before they could reinforce the main force.

Landing on the damp soil, he took in his surroundings.

The ground stretched out before him like a spiderweb, interwoven with water-filled ditches that acted as its strands. Takimura had worked relentlessly to divert the river, pulling it deep into the land so that Kaoru would have a powerful source of water at his disposal.

This was his battlefield.

Taking his place in the center of the water-filled terrain, he drew a deep breath, letting the cool air fill his lungs.

'Kaoru, everyone depends on you. I don't care how, but you must win - then help the others. Your mission isn't just to survive. It's to help Takimura win.'

His eyes remained closed, savoring the fleeting moment of peace before the chaos.

Slowly, he opened them as he felt the Kiri shinobi getting closer.

His usual cyan irises were gone, replaced by a brilliant glow, his Suijingan was fully active.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pill, and without hesitation, he swallowed it.

'Seventy-two hours. After that, I'll be nothing but a motionless log.'

The premium soldier pill dissolved instantly, sending a surge of chakra through his body, nearly overwhelming him.

His veins pulsed, his entire being brimming with energy.

His body could barely handle the boost, but he had no choice.

His targets had arrived.

The Kiri nin flickered toward Kaoru, their faces twisted in amusement, confidence dripping from every movement.

"Look at this! They actually left a kid alone, hahaha!"

"How pathetic do you have to be to send children to fight your battles?"

"Don't get distracted. We eliminate him and join the main force."

"Why are you even worried? He's nothing but a br…"

The words were cut off as he saw something mesmerizing but also threatening.

The ground beneath them rippled as water began to rise, forming small, dark blue droplets that hovered ominously in the air.

Kaoru's domain was still incomplete, lacking its finishing touch, but even in this state, it was one of the deadliest techniques ever seen.

"What the hell is that?"

"Should we charge?"

Some of the Kiri-nin hesitated, watching the unnatural droplets swirl in the air. But hesitation was dangerous in war so they followed the squad ignoring their ominous feelings.

The majority didn't stop, so neither did they.

However, a few slowed down, falling slightly behind.

'Let these idiots test what the brat can do. His chakra isn't huge, but it's flaring. This technique is definitely dangerous.'

They couldn't communicate telepathically, but the higher-ranking shinobi shared the same instinctive thought.

Kaoru's Suijingan kept darting from one Kiri nin to another, scanning the incoming squad with precision.

He had already identified the biggest threats.

Three shinobi stood out as their chakra reserves were larger than the rest. The others were standard chunin level, which could only mean one thing.

They were his first targets.

His Suijingan's glow intensified as the dark blue droplets shifted, shaping themselves into needles.

The Kiri-nin were close enough now to see the transformation.

"This is the Blue Needle of Takime!"

"Who?"

"What kind of lame name is that?"

Some of them laughed at the moniker, but the ones who knew why the kid was called the Blue Needle immediately tensed up.

"Shut up and get ready. This kid is a menace."

While Kaoru had yet to leave any real scars on Kiri, the village had information on him.

During his last mission, when he defeated the Aburame shinobi from Root, there had been no survivors to tell the tale.

But Kiri knew.

Their Chunin Exams delegation guardian had returned with reports, and word had spread fast.

The Takime Clan had never been the most renowned, but the chaos and casualties they left behind during their escape were still etched into the memories of many in Kiri.

But even those who were wary had no idea what was coming next.

This was the first public appearance of Kaoru's Domain Technique.

The hundreds of high-density water needles that had hovered ominously in the air just a second ago suddenly launched forward.

There was no warning, no movement to predict the attack.

They were impossible to see, too thin to stand out, too fast to track.

Only those with sensory abilities could detect the incoming massacre.

One moment ago full squad of Kiri nin was charging toward Kaoru.

The next, only seven remained alive, but even their survival was not caused by their skill - it was Kiri's brutal training. Without hesitation, they had used their own comrades as shields, sacrificing their allies to stay alive.

But even some of those who had survived were wounded, bleeding, some of them barely standing.

The battle had just begun and they were already falling apart.

'I can't continuously control that many needles… if I could, they'd all be dead.'

The reason he was able to launch hundreds of needles at once was simple - he wasn't actively controlling them after the initial command.

Just like most shinobi couldn't manipulate a technique after it was cast, Kaoru did the same.

He formed the needles with the initial order to hover, then changed that order, directing them toward a set location. But once they were launched, their trajectory was fixed, he couldn't adjust them mid-flight.

It was a devastating technique, but it had its flaws.

The surviving Kiri-nin dropped the corpses of their comrades, their makeshift shields no longer useful. But the moment their vision cleared theyr eyes widened in surprise and terror.

Kaoru was gone.

"Where is he?!" one of them shouted.

The only answer was a scream of agony.

Their best sensor collapsed as his head was slashed in two before he even realized what happened.

Kaoru had already brought Nagizume out of the storage seal and closed the distance in an instant. The steel rod's tip was shaped into a glaive

He had become comfortable with his weapon. He wasn't exceptionally strong, nor was he a close combat specialist, but his insane speed, paired with the Chakra Rotation technique and a deadly weapon with extended reach, made him a menace in close quarters.

And unlike his domain technique, this fighting style consumed far less chakra.

"Where the hell did this monster come from?!"

"Kill him! Do whatever it takes, just kill him!"

They charged, but Kaoru was already gone.

In his place, a wave of dark blue needles remained, launching toward them instantly.

One shinobi managed to evade as his reflexes were sharp. But the others weren't as fast.

Another tried the same tactic, grabbing his wounded comrade and using him as a human shield, hoping to survive by sacrificing another life.

But this time, Kaoru was expecting it.

Before the Kiri-nin could even process his own survival, a sharp pain tore through his back. His body stiffened and his breath caught in his throat.

Kaoru stood behind him, his blade dripping red, his cold cyan eyes locked onto the shinobi's lifeless back as he dropped to the ground.

'I… didn't expect him to go down so easily. Have I really become this strong? Or is the combination of close-range attacks and my Suijingan this overwhelming?'

Kaoru's glowing gaze swept across the battlefield, looking for the only remaining Kiri nin.

However, this one was not panicking. He was assessing him. He had realized he wasn't just a kid with a powerful technique. He was something far worse, but the Kiri nin was not a weakling himself either.

This would be Kaoru's first real fight against an actual jonin.

Now that he had only one opponent left, Kaoru took a better look at him, scanning his appearance, searching for any clues about his fighting style.

The man stood tall, his build was lean but deceptively powerful with muscles hidden beneath pale, almost ashen-white skin. His short, wild silver hair was slicked behind, sharp features framed by blood-red markings running down from his eyes. 

Kaoru's brows furrowed.

'Is he from the Kaguya clan? But… he's too calm, too calculated. Aren't they supposed to be in a frenzy whenever they fight?'

There was no wild bloodlust, no reckless desire for slaughter. This shinobi was collected, patient, and dangerous.

But it didn't matter.

No matter who his opponent was, the fact remained the same - only one of them would leave this battlefield alive and Kaoru was determined to be that one.

The Kiri jonin smirked.

"Kid, you did great, but unfortunately for you…" His body vanished in a flicker. "This is where you die."

Kaoru's eyes widened.

'I don't know anything about him, but he knows about me. Fighting head-on is too risky.'

He immediately disengaged, flickering backward as his hands flashed through seals. 

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

This was the first time Kaoru had ever used a shadow clone in battle. 

The Kiri jonin's eyes narrowed.

'This kid knows shadow clones?'

It wasn't an impossible skill outside of Konoha, but few shinobi outside the Hidden Leaf used them in direct combat, let alone children.

Then, to his surprise, Kaoru created another clone.

The jonin's brows twitched.

'He split his chakra again? What's the point? Is this him panicking, or is this a strategy?'

He had fought far too many battles to be easily tricked.

'I'll destroy his clones first and end this quickly.'

He charged at the nearest shadow clone, kunai flashing, but the moment his attack connected the clone blocked him. Not just that, but the second clone charged at him as well.

The jonin prepared to counter, swinging his kunai to cut down the approaching clone, but the moment his blade made contact the clone's body turned blue, liquefying into water as it started dissolving.

His eyes widened in realization.

"Shit!"

"Water Release: Water Prison!"

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A/N -

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