Naruto - Azure Awakening

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As soon as the Water Prison started forming around the Kiri jonin, Kaoru moved to strike holding Nagizume firmly, preparing to finish him before he could escape.

But before the technique could fully take hold, a sudden, sickening crack filled the air.

Kaoru's Suijingan flared, catching the movement before it even happened - bones.

The jonin's forearm twisted, and in an instant, razor-sharp white protrusions erupted from his elbow, stabbing directly outward and tearing through the water prison with raw force. The water structure collapsed, unable to contain him, and the jonin landed back on solid ground, unharmed.

Kaoru clicked his tongue.

'So he can use it after all…' He clearly remembered the menace Kimimaro was. Even Gaara and Rock Lee struggled against him, so Kaoru was not happy with the idea of facing someone so challenging.

The jonin flexed his fingers, shaking off the last of the water. A smirk tugged at his lips.

"You almost had me there, kid," he said, cracking his neck. "Almost."

Kaoru didn't respond.

His eyes carefully tracked every movement.

'Kaguya Clan's Kekkei Genkai…'

Sharp, dense and nearly indestructible bone protrusions extended from the jōnin's knuckles.

Kaoru's fingers tightened around Nagizume.

'I knew he was Kaguya, but I hoped he could not use this kekkei genkai… it is rare after all.'

For a moment, Kimimaro came to mind.

The only Kaguya in recent history known to be monstrously skilled in battle.

Kaoru didn't know how good this man was, but he knew one thing, he couldn't underestimate him. The jonin smirked. 

"What's wrong? You're fast, but can you handle this?"

Kaoru said nothing.

The jonin charged.

His speed was faster than before, likely enhanced by his bone reinforcements or maybe he was simply more determined and focused now. His movements weren't wild, he wasn't fighting like a berserker, but he was definitely more aggressive.

Kaoru's Suijingan tracked each motion.

A bone blade slashed toward Kaoru's ribs, but he twisted just in time to avoid it.

Another jab shot toward his chest, however, Kaoru was done fighting in close range as he flickered to the side.

The jonin pressed forward relentlessly.

'He's faster than before, but he's still slower than me. His bones give him an advantage, but only if he can land a hit.'

The Kaguya jonin understood that if Kaoru increased the range and managed to escape his relentless assault then he'd be in a disadvantageous position, so he charged.

Kaoru ducked under another strike and countered instantly.

His glaive slashed in a clean arc, aimed at the jonin's side.

For a moment, Kaoru was sure he had landed the hit, but with an unnatural, jerking motion, the jonin's ribs extended outward, creating an organic armor of bone to block the strike.

Kaoru jumped back just in time to avoid the counterattack.

'That was... dangerous.'

His eyes narrowed.

'He's nowhere near Kimimaro's level. He doesn't have the same speed or fluidity. His technique looks… limited.'

But that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. Kaoru couldn't afford to get careless.

'His weakness is his range. I have the advantage in speed and distance, I just need to keep pressing him from afar.'

Even if Kaoru engaged in close combat, thanks to Nagizume, he still had the advantage. The Kaguya jonin seemed unable to extend his bones far, limiting his attacks to very close range.

However, this was still just a theory, and Kaoru had no intention of gambling his life on a mere deduction - not when he had a safer alternative.

Without hesitation, he flickered backward, forming dark blue needles in his wake.

The jonin's face darkened as he realized what was about to come.

The needles launched forward, piercing through the air with lethal speed.

He gritted his teeth, using every ounce of his skill to defend himself. He deflected some, slashing them out of the air with bone blades, but a few still pierced his body. One in his shoulder, another in his thigh.

'This kid is troublesome… and now that I've shown him my trump card, I have nothing else to catch him off guard with.'

Even though he was a jonin, he was one of the weaker ones. In close range, he was truly dangerous, but when faced with a faster opponent, he struggled.

And Kaoru could see it clearly.

This fight was his to win.

The Kiri jonin took a deep breath, suppressing the pain from the needles lodged in his body. His chakra was starting to drain faster than expected. His wounds weren't deadly, but they were slowing him down. He had to act now while he still had a chance.

But Kaoru didn't let up, immediately launching another barrage of high-density water needles, each one aimed precisely at the weak spots in the jonin's movements.

The Kaguya flickered to the side, attempting to evade, but Kaoru's Suijingan tracked him perfectly.

A sharp pain exploded in his side as another needle pierced through his ribs.

'Damn it, he's predicting me.'

Kaoru wasn't just attacking blindly. He was reading his movements and launching attacks toward several possible spots before the Kiri jonin even moved.

The glow of his Suijingan was almost blinding now, the premium soldier pill was allowing Kaoru to use his dojutsu to the fullest.

This wasn't a fight anymore.

It was a hunt.

'If this keeps up, I'll be dead in the next two minutes.'

The jonin exhaled sharply, blood dripping from his wounds.

'I have one shot at this.'

His only option was to close the distance.

But Kaoru had been keeping just far enough away, never allowing him to engage properly.

'He thinks I'm done. That I'll keep dodging. But if I make it look like I'm retreating… I might have a chance.'

Gritting his teeth, he flickered backward, feigning a defensive retreat.

Kaoru narrowed his eyes.

'He's trying to lure me in.'

He had seen this exact tactic before, an opponent pretending to lose momentum, only to strike back the moment their enemy lowered their guard. 

But Kaoru wasn't falling for it. Shin prepared him very well for this war, they went through various tactics and thanks to that Kaoru gained experience through safer spars with Shin.

So, instead of pursuing, he shifted his stance and immediately fired a precision shot - one single dark blue water spear, aimed straight for the jonin's exposed leg.

The Kaguya nin barely managed to react, twisting his body to avoid the full impact, but the spear still grazed his calf, cutting deep into the muscle. If he had been healthy, dodging such an attack would not have been a problem, but he was much slower now.

His movement staggered and Kaoru wasted no time.

He flickered to the side, moving faster than the jonin could follow, reappearing at a new angle before firing another barrage of needles.

The Kiri nin snarled, bones bursting from his arms as he tried to shield himself, but he was too slow.

Several needles tore through his defenses, embedding themselves deep in his chest and side.

His vision blurred, breath coming out in ragged gasps.

Kaoru watched him carefully, making sure it wasn't another trick.

The Kaguya jonin was finished, he could barely even look at him. The only thing left was to end it.

"What are you waiting for, kid? Finish me. Take pride in knowing you're killing the last member of this cursed Kaguya bloodline."

The jonin's voice was strained, but his smirk remained. If he thought his words would spark curiosity or hesitation, he was mistaken. There was no place for mercy on the battlefield, especially when Kaoru was the defender and Kiri was the aggressor.

Kaoru's expression remained cold, his Suijingan gleaming in the dim light.

"Die peacefully, knowing you are not the last."

His words were calm, final, before a dark blue needle pierced through the jonin's skull, freezing his last expression - a flicker of shock at the realization that another Kaguya still lived.

Kaoru turned away, not sparing another glance at his fallen opponent.

'Though that one won't live much longer either.'

Kaoru had zero intention of involving himself in all that Orochimaru drama, however, he had already changed many details and who knows maybe Kimimaro would not have to die the way he did, still, his illness would take his life regardless.

'The fight ended too easily. This group was weaker than Kiri-nin are supposed to be. That means the others are facing stronger opponents than expected. I need to help them.'

There was no time to rest.

Shin had told him to return to base camp after securing victory, to await further orders. If he had finished his battle sooner than expected, he was supposed to report back.

But Kaoru had no intention of following that order.

He had been given freedom and he was going to use it.

'I will roam the battlefield and change the course of this war. I know I can do this!'

Determination burned in his chest, confidence surging through his veins. The premium soldier pill was still coursing through his body. It would grant him enough chakra and stamina to keep fighting for another two days.

Kaoru felt strong, he had just killed a jonin without giving him a single chance after all.

But was he strong enough to change the outcome of an entire war?

That was a question only he could answer.

<<<>>>

Unlike what Kaoru had expected, the closest allies to his location weren't Shin's squad, but a small, independent group from the Noda Clan.

This group of shinobi had been handpicked by their clan head, who had personally requested Akura to let them operate separately. The reason was simple - Noda Clan had a secret technique, much like the Nara Clan's shadow jutsu or the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Body Switch technique.

And now, Kaoru was witnessing exactly why.

The Noda Clan was massacring Kiri shinobi, cutting through them with brutal efficiency despite being outnumbered four to one.

But that wasn't even the most unbelievable thing.

The battlefield was covered in a dense, red mist. Kaoru tried stepping inside but immediately staggered, his breath catching in his throat.

He felt weak as if his strength was leaving his body. His limbs became heavier and even his vision slightly dimmed. It felt like there was less oxygen in the mist.

'What the hell is this technique?'

Kaoru had never seen it before, but he could still observe and analyze its effects.

'It boosts their strength and speed.'

He watched as Noda Clan shinobi darted through the battlefield, moving with impressive agility, their strikes shattering bones, their blades tearing through flesh effortlessly.

Kaoru had sparred with a few of them before.

When he returned to Takimura after the negotiations and encountered this new clan, he was curious. He tested their skills and found them to be painfully average.

For a clan that claimed to specialize in taijutsu and kenjutsu, they hadn't even been stronger than Kaoru himself, and he wasn't exactly exceptional in those areas.

But this?

'It's not that they've become much stronger…'

Kaoru's eyes narrowed.

'It's their opponents. They're much slower, weaker, and even… sluggish.'

The red mist wasn't just empowering the Noda Clan, it was weakening their enemies.

'Oh, it makes sense now.'

Their secret technique, the Bloody Mist, depended on numbers. If one shinobi used it, it would be worthless. But if used in a group, like they were doing now, it would be extremely lethal.

The Noda shinobi were releasing their own blood into the mist, which in turn drained their opponents while enhancing their own strength, speed, and even regeneration. This was why the Noda Clan head had demanded independence. The technique could not be used together with allies, because anyone who was not using the Bloody Mist technique would be weakened.

While Noda Clan's secret technique was undoubtedly strong, it was unable to overcome the gap between them and an S-rank shinobi. Someone at that level would still be able to defeat them as the sheer difference in skill would make the debuff insignificant.

But against regular jonin and chunin they were unstoppable.

Kaoru chuckled, watching the carnage unfold.

"These guys are monsters."

With that, he turned away, deciding to help someone else.

The Noda Clan didn't need his assistance.

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A/N -

I hope you liked Noda clan's secret technique ^^

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