The King Of Fighters

The battlefield crackled with tension as Naruto took a moment to steady himself, standing amidst the chaos with a grin that carried both pain and exhilaration.

"Hehe, this is the feeling," Naruto said to himself, his voice a low murmur laced with determination. His hands moved rapidly, forming a series of seals before slamming into the ground. A puff of smoke erupted, and four shadow clones materialized, each immediately charging at one of his enemies.

The clones engaged Akuma, Terry, Rugal, and K' in a chaotic melee, their relentless assaults giving Naruto a much-needed moment to recover. His body glowed faintly as he directed healing chakra to his wounds, patching up the worst of the burns and fractures.

Through the communication seals on Mary and Leona, he reached out:

"Have you found the goal yet?"

Leona's voice came through, tired but resolute. "I'm working on it. Give me five minutes."

"Take your time," Naruto responded, his tone confident. "I've got this under control."

With his injuries stabilized, Naruto turned his attention back to his foes. In his palm, a miniature Rasenshuriken began to form, spinning with a high-pitched whine as the wind chakra compressed into a deadly weapon.

'This would be dangerous if I didn't know how to throw it or minimize it,' he thought, focusing on the technique he'd mastered after years of training.

Locking onto Akuma first, Naruto hurled the Rasenshuriken with precision, its destructive power slicing through the air with an audible roar. Another quickly formed in his hand, and this one he sent hurtling toward Terry.

Akuma, mid-combat with a clone, sensed the incoming attack and instinctively gathered all his energy to defend. His body radiated a fiery aura as he braced himself, knowing the stakes. Terry, similarly occupied, activated his nature-infused energy, which formed a protective armor around him.

Both were engulfed by the Rasenshuriken's explosion. The attack unleashed millions of microscopic wind blades that could slice through diamond, tearing into their defenses with relentless ferocity. The clones nearby were obliterated by the shockwaves, leaving the battlefield momentarily still.

When the dust cleared, Akuma and Terry were still standing, but just barely. Their energy reserves were nearly depleted, their bodies battered and bloodied from the strain of fending off the attacks.

Krizalid, watching from his perch, narrowed his eyes. He had seen enough. Allowing Naruto to continue unchecked would only lead to his victory. Decisively, he activated the base's integrated systems.

An enormous explosion erupted, centered on Naruto's position. The blast tore through the room, sending tremors throughout the base and forcing everyone—ally and enemy alike—to brace themselves.

Naruto, caught in the heart of the explosion, was sent flying. His Rasenshuriken, still forming in his hand, detonated prematurely from the impact, its backlash burning his hand and leaving his face scorched. Smoke and ash clung to his skin as he struggled to regain his footing.

Before he could recover, Maxima capitalized on the opening. The training room's advanced systems synced with Maxima's cybernetic enhancements, allowing him to fire a barrage of concentrated energy beams.

The beams merged into a single, devastating attack, aimed directly at Naruto. He managed to erect a chakra barrier and enhance his body with wind chakra, but it wasn't enough. The energy pierced through his defenses, creating a gaping wound in his abdomen.

Blood spilled onto the floor as Naruto staggered, one hand pressed against his side to stem the bleeding. His breathing was labored, and his vision blurred momentarily. Yet, even in this dire state, his mind remained sharp.

'Should have used more clones,' he thought wryly, analyzing the situation. The overwhelming power of the beams made the use of additional clones impractical, as they'd simply be wiped out too quickly.

'I guess it's time to stop playing around.'

Naruto's lips curved into a smirk as he closed his eyes. The clone he had hidden at the start of the battle—strategically placed to gather nature energy—dispersed, transferring the accumulated power to him.

The change was immediate. His injuries began healing at a visible pace, and his presence shifted. The air around him grew heavy, charged with an aura of pure natural energy. His eyes opened, now with the toad-like pupils of Sage Mode.

"You should've run when I was just playing around," Naruto said, his voice low and deadly. His body radiated a newfound strength, his chakra flaring wildly. He adjusted his stance, every muscle in his body coiled like a spring, ready to unleash hell.

"Take this lesson with you to the afterlife."

The real battle was about to begin.

The tension in the air was suffocating as Naruto unleashed the full power of his Sage Mode, delivering a seemingly phantom kick. At first glance, it appeared as though his attack had missed, given the considerable distance between him and his foes. Yet, the force of his kick reverberated like a shockwave through the air, connecting with their faces simultaneously.

Destructive Precision

K and Maxima, having already gauged Naruto's seriousness, instinctively braced themselves. They channeled their Ki to create barriers, but the sheer magnitude of the blow sent them crashing through the already crumbling walls. Their defenses mitigated the damage, but the impact still left them groaning in pain amidst the debris.

The clones, however, were not so fortunate. Lacking the same level of defense, they bore the brunt of the attack. Rugal's neck snapped with a sickening crack, while Terry and Akuma were launched through the walls. Their battered forms lay crumpled on the ground, their necks barely holding their heads upright.

From his vantage point, Krizalid immediately sensed the overwhelming danger. Activating his advanced barrier, he managed to cushion the blow but not entirely evade its effects. The barrier shattered under the immense pressure, and his arm broke from the residual force.

Naruto's cold, calculating gaze locked onto him as he assessed the situation. With Sage Mode amplifying his power by a factor of 15, Naruto had surpassed not only the clones but Krizalid himself.

The difference in power was insurmountable.

Naruto didn't waste the opportunity. Darting forward with incredible speed, he delivered a straight punch that connected with Krizalid's torso, sending the man hurtling through the room and into the hallway beyond. The clones, already on the brink of collapse, exploded in a burst of energy as collateral damage.

Among the rubble, Maxima managed to rise to his feet. Seeing his friend K unconscious and severely injured, he made a quick decision. Lifting K over his shoulder, he activated his internal systems, analyzing escape routes.

The mission was a failure, and there was no point in prolonging a hopeless battle. "Retreat," Maxima muttered to himself, dashing away from the battlefield with K in tow.

As he moved, Krizalid's voice crackled over the communicator.

"Maxima, unleash the space cannon and destroy the base."

The order was clear and cold, leaving no room for argument. Maxima quickly accessed the cannon's controls, linking his systems to the orbital weapon. Within moments, it locked onto the base with deadly precision.

Naruto's eyes widened as his danger sense flared, the ominous presence of the space cannon's energy signature washing over him. He immediately reached out through the seals to warn his team.

"RUN!" Naruto's voice thundered through the seals, a mixture of urgency and command.

Leona, Mary, and the remaining Ikari warriors didn't hesitate. Despite their battered states, they pushed themselves to their limits, smashing through walls and sprinting down corridors in a desperate bid to escape.

Krizalid, realizing that he had no chance of defeating Naruto in direct combat, launched a desperate counterattack. Hundreds of fiery explosive spheres materialized around him, forming a swirling vortex of destruction. He unleashed them all at once, filling the air with flames and chaos.

At the same time, his aura surged, cutting through the battlefield like a tsunami. It wasn't just an attack; it was a distraction, buying him precious moments to slip away through an escape route hidden beneath the training room.

Naruto ignored the incoming firestorm, focusing instead on stopping the imminent destruction. With both hands on the ground, he channeled Sage Mode's energy into the earth, causing it to collapse and condense. The sudden implosion disrupted the base's structural integrity, cutting off the escape route entirely and ensuring Krizalid couldn't return to the fight.

Sensing Krizalid's lifeforce vanish from the base, Naruto immediately bolted toward the exit. His body, still radiating the power of Sage Mode, moved with incredible speed.

He emerged from the base just as the space cannon fired, unleashing a concentrated energy beam that obliterated everything within a 100-meter radius. The blast eradicated the base in an instant, leaving behind a smoldering crater.

Even with Sage Mode, Naruto knew he wouldn't have survived such an attack unscathed. The sheer power of the beam was enough to threaten his life—a sobering reminder of the danger they faced.

Naruto stood on a rocky outcrop overlooking the smoldering ruins, his breath heavy and his body weary despite Sage Mode's enhancements. He turned to the remaining members of his team, his eyes scanning their battered forms.

"Did you get it?" he asked, his voice calm but strained.

Leona, pale and barely standing, nodded weakly as she held up a small device. "Mission accomplished."

Naruto's gaze softened momentarily, though the relief was tempered by the weight of their losses. Several Ikari warriors had fallen during the battle, their sacrifices etched into the weary expressions of those who remained.

None of them spoke, too exhausted to process the cost of their victory. They had survived, but at what price?

As the wind carried away the ashes of the base, Naruto clenched his fists. The battle was over, but the war was far from won.

The group gathered on the rugged terrain overlooking the destruction of the base. Smoke rose in thick plumes from the crater left by the space cannon, and the air was heavy with the acrid scent of charred metal and scorched earth.

Leona, her usually composed demeanor cracked by exhaustion and the weight of their losses, stepped forward. "We got something," she said, her voice tinged with frustration. "But it wasn't about the bases—just information they used for the clone experiments."

Her gaze turned to Naruto, recognizing the extraordinary effort he had put into ensuring their survival. Without his intervention, they would likely have been wiped out.

Naruto nodded, the lines of fatigue etched deeply into his face. "Information is better than nothing," he said quietly, his tone measured. "At least we've got something to show for all this."

Mary, clutching her broken arm tightly, forced a tired smile as she limped over to stand beside him. "It's progress," she said, her voice strained but determined. "And without you, Naruto, we wouldn't even have that. So… thanks."

Unbeknownst to the others, Naruto had managed to salvage more than they realized. During the chaos of the battle, he had used his clones to scour the base's systems and storage. His haul included files on various warriors—detailed data on their abilities, fighting styles, and even genetic blueprints used in the clone experiments.

He had also snagged a few pieces of advanced tech, including laser weaponry from the labs. While he didn't rely on such tools himself, he knew they might be useful to analyze or even trade for resources later.

Kyo, who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the aftermath, surveyed the destruction one last time. His face was grim, the normally fiery determination in his eyes dampened by the day's toll. "Let's go home before the army shows up," he muttered.

The space cannon's beam had been anything but subtle. Its bright, destructive power was likely visible for miles, and it wouldn't be long before authorities—or worse, enemy reinforcements—arrived to investigate.

The group began their slow march away from the battlefield. Their movements were labored, each step a testament to the physical and emotional strain they had endured.

As they moved, Naruto glanced back at the smoldering ruins. The mission was over, but its cost was undeniable. Some of the Ikari warriors had fallen, and the rest bore wounds that would take more than time to heal.

"We'll figure out what to do with the information we've got," Naruto said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "This isn't the end—it's just the beginning."

His words, though quiet, carried a weight that gave the others a glimmer of hope. For now, all they could do was retreat, regroup, and prepare for the battles yet to come.

As the ragged group disappeared into the wilderness, the faint echoes of their struggles lingered, carried away by the wind.