Naruto: Forbidden Arts and an Immortal Agenda

The sun sank westward, and the autumn wind howled bleakly.

Those atop the mountain still bathed in the sun's glow, but a chill had begun to settle in the air.

As for those at the base, they had been trapped in unending darkness for what felt like forever. The endless void sapped their vitality, turning once-powerful slashes against the rocky walls into weak, sluggish strikes.

Thinking of his clansmen still in danger underground, Uchiha atop the mountaintop felt a rising sense of urgency.

The battle between Aozora and Akai remained locked in a tense stalemate.

Both had abandoned perfect defense and precise attacks.

Except for vital areas, Akai's skin across his body had already returned to normal color.

Aozora no longer tried to control his movements deliberately, instead relying purely on instinct.

This kind of fight was even more dangerous.

Each exchange left several fresh wounds on Akai's body and deep bruises on Aozora's frame.

Logically, such a battle should end soon.

But neither was ordinary; their bodies were far too resilient.

Aozora's steel-forged kunai could barely break Akai's skin.

Akai's powerful punches only caused minor internal damage to Aozora.

Akai bled heavily, while Aozora spat blood frequently.

Yet both continued fighting fiercely, evenly matched for now.

While they remained deadlocked, the outcomes on the other three battlefields had already become clear.

Shuichi attempted to break the impasse — his long blade moved so fast it lost shape entirely, leaving only cold flashes of sword light.

Under these relentless waves, his opponent could do nothing but desperately parry.

Strike after strike landed, gradually wearing down the enemy's stone armor, scattering shards of rock and bloody flesh into the air.

At the same time, the counterforce from the armor traveled up Shuichi's blade. He made no effort to absorb or redirect the impact, instead letting his palms bear it directly until his hands quickly deteriorated into a bloody mess.

While Shuichi raced desperately toward victory, Cangxi and Shin'ya continued their messy struggle.

Shin'ya, internally wounded by heavy punches, kept coughing up blood. Cangxi bled continuously from an abdominal wound pierced by earth spikes.

Even so, whenever an enemy rock ninja showed any sign of trying to assist someone else, both would rush forward immediately without caring whether it was real or fake.

Everyone knew the mountaintop battle now balanced on a fragile edge.

Once broken, whoever gained freedom first would completely tip the battlefield in their favor.

Aozora wasn't the type to passively wait — he held no hope that his companions might finish off their enemies and come to his aid.

He refused to leave his fate in others' hands — it was time to play his final card.

[Burning Blood!]

A calm voice echoed slowly in Aozora's mind.

As the last syllable faded, his entire body turned bright red, steaming with heat.

Stimulated by fire-nature chakra, every cell in his body surged with energy. His blood surged like a mighty river that never ceases, flooding every part of his body with boundless power.

This was a Secret Jutsu passed down through the tradition of the Lightning-Fire Golden Body, and he had recognized its potential the moment he first saw it.

After diligent practice, it finally bore fruit today.

Aozora's sudden burst startled Akai, who briefly showed surprise in his eyes before regaining his composure.

Circulating earth-nature chakra across his body, Akai silently hardened his skin and generated a rocky armor layer.

He knew that engaging an enemy enhanced by secret techniques in direct combat was the worst possible choice.

After activating the secret technique, his opponent had gained overwhelming power over him.

But this advantage was temporary.

Like a flash of fireworks—brilliant yet meaningless.

He believed that if he held his defense strong enough, ultimate victory would be his alone.

Aozora clenched his fist, feeling explosive power surge through his body.

"The fight is over!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a residual afterimage and a massive crater remained where he once stood. Aozora had already rushed straight in front of Akai.

Without delay, Aozora launched a lightning-fast assault against Akai.

Previously, he had been faster than Akai—but only slightly. Now under the effect of the secret technique, he finally surpassed Akai by a hair's breadth.

Dodging left and right, striking from all directions, Aozora moved like a wind spirit guided by the dynamic vision of his Sharingan, maintaining clear perception of both his own and his opponent's movements even at high speed, never losing control of his body.

Combining speed and agility, Aozora became an embodiment of wind itself, attacking Akai relentlessly from every angle.

Akai had faced many ninja using secret techniques before, but none had mastered their explosive strength after activation as quickly as Aozora had.

Faced with such rapid attacks, he could only resort to tight defense.

No matter how fierce the winds blew from eight directions, he stood firm—his arms like wide shields, blocking incoming strikes left and right.

His defense was solid, nearly flawless, yet still insufficient to completely stop Aozora's storm-like and lightning-fast attacks.

Akai could clearly see Aozora's punches and kunai, yet found himself helpless.

All he could do was block Aozora's kunai with his arms as best he could.

All he could manage was shifting critical areas away from direct hits.

"Thud!"

"Hiss!"

"Crash!"

"Smack!"

"..."

Again and again, Aozora's kunai stabbed into Akai's body.

Sometimes blocked by his arms, sometimes hitting non-vital areas, occasionally grazing dangerously close to vital points.

Forced to constantly reposition himself, Akai used whatever sparse rocks existed on this mountaintop to evade Aozora's attacks.

Soon enough, more wounds marked Akai's body. The hardened rock protecting his vitals grew thinner and weaker, yet a smile slowly emerged on his face.

Aozora's speed was slowing down.

Slow enough for him to track. Slow enough for him to strike back.

In the next exchange, he deflected Aozora's kunai thrust and landed a direct punch onto him.

"Crack!"

With a dull thud, Aozora was sent crashing from midair to the ground below.

"Cough! Cough!"

Clutching his chest, Aozora coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Aozora felt shortness in his breath—unsure which rib had just snapped inside.

One hand gripping his chest, the other braced against the ground, Aozora locked eyes with Akai.

Bloodied and pale-faced, Akai still showed clarity in his gaze.

"I didn't misjudge you. You truly could be the next one to send shivers down Iwagakure's spine."

"But—"

"I won't let that happen!"

Cold words spilled from his lips, like a final judgment.

With that, he began forming hand seals.

Due to his injuries, his pace slowed, yet every hand seal he formed remained precise and flawless.

Seeing this, Aozora suddenly smiled.

"Do you really think it's over?"

He locked eyes with Akai, the two tomoe within his gaze visibly spinning.

Akai saw only a single figure suddenly appear on the battlefield.

Golden hair fluttered in the wind, and piercing sapphire eyes glared coldly.

"The Golden Flash!"

A chill shot down Akai's spine, but he snapped back into focus instantly. His hands formed seals rapidly. "Release!"

The genjutsu shattered immediately, and he leapt backward without hesitation.

Sure enough, Aozora's kunai flew right where he had stood.

As he retreated, he didn't even have time to adjust his posture before his Rocky Armor faded away.

Luckily, his hands were still free to move.

"Thud!"

The kunai pierced his arm, sending sprays of blood flying.

He smiled—but in the next instant, that smile vanished.

"Thud!"

Without warning, a streak of green light shot from the rocks behind him, piercing straight through his heart.

His vitality slipping away, Akai's eyes filled with disbelief.

The green light returned to Aozora's hand like a bird returning to its nest.

"You're telling me Uchiha's kunai are alive?" Akai asked weakly.

"No!" Aozora smirked. "But my little treasure has spirit—it knows how to come back!"

Understanding, Akai gave a faint nod, closed his eyes, and fell.

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