That guy now looks like a forest ninja-version of the Yondaime, Ryota thought. She was about to say something when…
"I assure you that this is no henge if that's what you're thinking," Naruto made clear, "I am the real thing."
"When did this change happen," she asked.
"Never mind that," Naruto retorted, "It's time to fight! Kage Bushin No Jutsu!"
Naruto summoned an army of 20 solid clones and surrounded the girl. He jumped off the branch and onto the ground.
"Get her," Naruto order his clones. Obeying, the clones charge at the kunoichi to do battle with her. Confident in her own abilities, Ryota performed a couple of hand seals, which in effect signaled the glowing rocks around her to shot themselves at the clones coming at her. During the momentarily distraction…
"Kuchiyose No Jutsu," Naruto said after biting his thumb and thrusting his bleeding thumb into the ground, summoning a half-human/half-fox humanoid masked woman dressed in ceremonial battle attire.
"Naruto-sama," the masked fox woman greeted and bowed, "What do I owe the honor?"
"Your assistance Tao," Naruto said, "This Iwa kunoichi has been a thorn at side for some time now."
Tao nodded as she jumped into the air and yelled, "Henge!"
A burst of smoke surrounded the masked fox woman as she transformed into a red and orange staff with a large blade at the end of the staff. Grabbing the staff, Naruto swung and maneuvered it a couple of times to get a feel for it. By the time he was done, all of his clones were all gone, leaving with alone with the Iwa Jounin kunoichi, who now turned to him and noticed the staff in his hand.
When did he acquired that weapon, she wondered with a perplexed expression before deciding to forget about it.
"I had just about enough of you," Naruto said he posed the blade of the staff in her direction. The girl didn't look the least bit intimidated and she smirked, "You think that little butter knife will be affective against my power?"
Naruto started swinging the staff around him in a graceful display almost as if he was dancing with it before facing her again.
"Let's find out shall we," he invited.
"Let's," she said as she started firing her rocks at him, only to see Naruto slice and hack at the rocks with fast and fluid movements, not one of them touching his body. Irritated, she performed another series of hand seals and combined all of the rocks together, forming a stone-carved looking katana with it.
"Iwa No Tsurugi (Rock Sword)," Ryota said as she grabbed her katana and swung it around get a feel for it as Naruto did with his staff. When she was done, both Naruto and Ryota looked at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move as the wind blew pass them. After what felt like an eternity, both Naruto and Ryota, with narrowed eyes, dashed and rushed at each other with their selected weapons.
Meeting each other, a fierce staff and sword fight commenced between the two shinobis. Clash after clash with their weapons, they struggled to gain dominance over the other and neither looked like they were going to give in to the other. Loud sounds of their weapons clashing against each other repeatedly echoed around their surroundings. From the way they were fighting, one would assume they were dancing with each other, but this was a deadly dance with death between two skill ninjas.
Jumping high into the air the two fighters raced at each other through the air and continued with their battle as they clashed their weapons. Before Naruto could block, Ryota swiftly swung her swords and slashed it across Nauto's left arm, causing a deep gash to result from it. The blonde kicked away from her and landed down on the ground with his now bleed arm gushing blood out of his wound. Ryota landed down gracefully with her bloodstained rock sword in hand.
"You've put up a good fight I must admit," the kunoichi said before her expression and voice turn cold, "But I think I've played with you long enough. I'm afraid that I have to take you down now."
Taking her threat seriously, Naruto rose back up…
"Kage Bushin No Jutsu," he said as he summoned seven clones to him, all them bearing a staff like his own.
"It doesn't matter how many clones you make," Ryota said as went into killer mode, "You're still going to die."
"Sorry," Naruto said, "But like I said to you some time before, I plan on living pass today."
Naruto and his six clones charge at the kunoichi. With grace and swift movements, the Iwa nin did battle with Naruto and his clones. Much to her surprise the clones proved to be more of a problem than before as they were dealing harder and more effective blows against her. Focusing her chakra into her katana, her weapon started shining brightly in her hands. She then plunged her sword into the ground surging chakra from the sword and into the ground at Naruto and his clones. A glow appeared underneath Naruto and the clones before stone-carved blades burst from the glow and stabbed Naruto and the clones through their chests and out of their backs. The six clones puffed out of existence. Naruto coughed out blood while the stone blade was still deeply embedded into him.
Ryota pulled her sword from out of the ground, which into effect caused the blade impaled into Naruto to come out of his chest. The blonde dropped his staff as he fell to his knees and held his bleeding chest. Seeing his weakening stated, Ryota walked over to him with her blade in her right hand ready to finish him off. Standing in front of him, she said, "I told you no matter how many clones you make you were still going to die."
What happened next caught her off her guard; Naruto started chuckling.
"…?," Ryota looked at his questionably.
"And I told you not to underestimate me," Naruto said before he lunged at her and held onto her tightly. A moment later, Naruto started glowing before he suddenly exploded on her. Ryota was sending flying backwards with crashing into several trees. Weakened and injured, the kunoichi got up and staggered back to her feet.
"…Shit…," she cursed before she came to realize something, "Wait a minute. He created seven clones, which meant there was eight of him. But only six came at me, and Naruto himself. That would mean that he hid the eighth clone and…the eighth clone was a Daibakuretsu Kage Bushin (Exploding Shadow Clone). He used Kawarimi and replaced himself with it just before I used my attack on him. I wasn't expecting that…I'd have possible died had it not been for my armor…"
Her clothes under her partly charred armors were now torn in a few places as a result of the explosion on her, but it was nothing serious. With her remaining chakra, she readied herself for another fight as she looked around for Naruto but unsuccessful in finding him.
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