Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

Violent chakra surged from Might Duy's body. Even from a distance, Kushimaru Kuriarare, hiding in the shadows, felt the immense pressure emanating from him.

"We can't let this guy continue—kill him!"

Hidden in the dark, the long needle blade in Kushimaru's hand shot forward rapidly, piercing through the thick mist and heading straight for Might Duy.

"Spotted you!"

"Morning Peacock!"

As the needle struck, Might Duy, standing firm on the ground, suddenly turned his head, his gaze piercing through the fog as if he could see Kushimaru's silhouette. He swiftly spun and began swinging his fists toward the incoming needle. The rapid punches created flames from air friction, sending compressed fire-tinged air hurtling in the direction of the attack.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

The sonic booms from his punches shattered the thick mist, and the compressed air waves struck Kushimaru with incredible force. Blood spurted from Kushimaru's mouth as his chest caved in from the impact. Subsequent strikes obliterated his body, breaking his bones to pieces. He collapsed, lifeless, to the ground.

"What is this monster?!"

As the mist began to clear, revealing Might Duy exuding a terrifying aura, Raiga Kurosuki, who had been preparing to attack, panicked. His heartbeat thundered as he fled without looking back, vanishing into the distant woods.

One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had retreated in fear!

Might Duy ignored Raiga's escape. His focus shifted to Uchiha Fugaku, who was struggling against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Fugaku's kunai supply had run out, and his short sword had been shattered by Jinin's blunt sword. With no weapons left, Fugaku faced a dire situation as four Mist Ninja pressed their assault.

The attackers wielded heavy, devastating weapons like the blunt sword, executioner's blade, and the sharkskin blade Samehada. Fugaku's genjutsu, his specialty, was almost useless in this chaotic battle. Moreover, Samehada had drained a significant amount of his chakra, leaving him severely weakened.

The dissipating mist and earlier sonic booms drew everyone's attention. As Might Duy emerged from the fog, his overwhelming aura stunned the Mist Ninja.

Fugaku, seeing Duy's state, understood the cost of opening all the Eight Gates Technique. With his Sharingan, he could see Duy's life force fading rapidly.

"This guy... really showed up?"

"What's going on with those two?!"

Noticing the shift in momentum, Zabuza Momochi hesitated in his attack. The others, however, continued their assault, seeing Fugaku as a candle about to extinguish.

"Haah!"

Might Duy roared, his red silhouette dashing to Fugaku's side. His sudden appearance startled the Mist Ninja, forcing them to retreat.

"Daytime Tiger!"

Positioning himself to protect Fugaku, Duy unleashed his ultimate move. Despite the searing pain from his entire body, he compressed air into a ferocious tiger-shaped blast of red steam that tore through the Mist Ninja's formation.

Zabuza and Fuguki anticipated the attack and fled immediately. The remaining two, slower to react, were engulfed by the tiger-shaped air cannon. The devastating attack shattered their bodies, leaving them lifeless.

"Crack!"

The immense side effects of the Eight Gates Technique took their toll on Might Duy. His arms hung limply at his sides as he collapsed to one knee, overwhelmed by pain.

"Duy! Duy!"

Uchiha Fugaku hurried to his side, his face filled with worry. Duy turned to him with a distorted but bright smile, his voice weak.

"Fugaku... I'm strong, aren't I?"

"You fool."

Fugaku, deeply affected, struggled to respond. Even he, accustomed to life and death, was overcome with sorrow.

"Fugaku... tell my son that his father was strong. Take care of Guy for me. Tell Raiden... I may not make it to the front line to help him... I'm sorry."

With those final words, Might Duy fell lifelessly into Fugaku's arms. The once-violent chakra surrounding him dissipated as his life faded away, leaving behind a fragile, empty shell.

"DUY!!!"

Fugaku's anguished cry pierced the battlefield as the Sharingan in his eyes transformed. The pain of losing one of his few close friends unleashed a surge of strange chakra that enveloped his pupils, changing them into the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Boom!!!!!"

A distant flash of lightning accompanied by a thunderous roar lit up the sky, but Fugaku remained oblivious. Grief consumed him as he clutched Duy's body tightly, unable to make a sound despite screaming.

The battlefield fell silent.

Ten minutes later, a flash of purple lightning heralded the arrival of a figure. Uzumaki Raiden appeared, his red hair swaying in the wind as he tossed Raiga's lifeless body to the ground. Raiden's eyes fell on Duy's corpse, and for a moment, he was frozen.

"Duy..."

For Raiden, witnessing the death of a close comrade for the first time was a harsh blow. Unlike the natural end of Uzumaki Mito, Might Duy's death was unexpected and heart-wrenching.

Fugaku, now unconscious from chakra exhaustion and grief, remained unaware of Raiden's arrival. The battlefield was eerily quiet.

"After all that, I was too late."

(End of this chapter)