50: Chapter 50 Watching from the Sidelines vs. Fighting to the Death with TeammatesThe dense forest rushed past beneath my feet.
Five figures darted through the treetops, moving so fast that only blurry afterimages remained.
Nara Shikamaru, who was in the lead, looked grim.His brain was working at an unprecedented speed, analyzing every trace left by the enemy and planning the most time-efficient pursuit route.
Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru were at the forefront, sniffing around, while Neji Hyuga activated his Byakugan to keep watch on the surroundings, and Choji Akimichi followed closely behind, ready to provide support at any time.
Naruto Uzumaki ran in the center of the group, the position that theoretically needed the most protection.
His face displayed just the right amount of anxiety, and his eagerness to help his comrades inspired the entire squad.
But in his mental world, everything was cold.
[Mission Objective: Uchiha Sasuke.]
[Secondary target: The Sound Four, Kimimaro.]
[Harvesting Type: High-intensity battle emotions, including but not limited to [despair], [struggle], [tragic], and [anger].]
This is a grand, mobile feast.
"Stop!"
Shikamaru suddenly raised his hand, and the five of them landed simultaneously, hiding behind the dense shade of a giant tree.
Not far ahead, a fat man with an orange mohawk leaned against a tree, looking bored.He was wearing the clothing of the Sound Ninja.
Jirobo.
"We've been discovered.What a bunch of annoying flies." Jirobo straightened up, formed a hand seal, and slammed his hands onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Prison Hall Without End!"
Boom!
Thick earthen walls rose from the ground on all four sides, instantly enveloping the five people and forming a huge earthen prison.
The earthen wall continued to writhe, frantically absorbing their chakra.
"It's a ninjutsu that absorbs chakra!" Neji immediately warned.
Shikamaru's forehead was covered in cold sweat.This was troublesome; he had encountered the most difficult type in the very first hurdle.
"Someone has to stay behind to break this technique, while the others continue the pursuit," Shikamaru quickly decided.
Choji Akimichi stepped forward, his usually honest face now filled with determination.
"I'll go."
"Choji!" Shikamaru exclaimed in surprise.
"Only my Expansion Technique can generate the strongest physical destruction from within." Choji glanced at Naruto."Naruto, you promised Sakura you would bring Sasuke back.Let's go."
[Ding!You have received 7800 [Determination] from Choji Akimichi!]
[Ding!You have received 6500 [Scorching] items from Nara Shikamaru!]
Naruto looked at Choji and nodded heavily, his performance of "emotion" and "trust" was just right.
"Choji, you have to keep up!"
Don't worry.
Choji smiled and took out a pill made by the Akimichi clan from his ninja tool pouch.
Green spinach balls.
He swallowed it without hesitation.
Bang!
Naruto formed a hand seal, and a shadow clone remained behind.
"I'll leave a clone to help you!"
The main body, along with Shikamaru, Neji, and Kiba, rushed out the instant Choji smashed through the earthen wall with his Human Boulder.
The shadow clone that remained in place simply stood indifferently at a distance, observing.
Choji swallowed the yellow curry pill, which greatly increased his power, but he was still suppressed by Jirobo, who had activated his Cursed Seal state two.
He was knocked down time and time again, and the sound of his bones breaking could be clearly heard.
[Ding!Sensing the target [Akimichi Choji]'s extreme [pain] x12000!]
Finally, Choji, with trembling hands, took out the bright red chili pepper ball.
That was a forbidden drug that required burning one's life force to gain power.
He remembered his father's teachings, Shikamaru's trust in him, and Naruto's unwavering determination to bring Sasuke back.
"For our comrades."
He put the pill in his mouth.
boom!
The immense chakra materialized into tangible butterfly wings, unfolding behind him.
At that moment, all his fat transformed into pure power.
He threw his final punch at the cost of his life.
Jirobo's contemptuous face, along with the mountain rocks behind him, was reduced to dust by that punch.
Choji's thin body slowly collapsed, and the breath of life completely dissipated.
[Ding!You have received 25,000 of the ultimate [tragic] attribute from Choji Akimichi!]
[Ding!You have received 21,000 of the ultimate [Guardian] from Choji Akimichi!]
After collecting the last of his emotional points, Naruto's shadow clone turned into white smoke with a bang.
Naruto, who was running at top speed, received all the battle data and emotional fluctuations in his mind.
A perfect harvest.
He didn't pause at all and continued forward.
The atmosphere in the team became incredibly oppressive.
Choji's death weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like a boulder.
Neji quickly stopped.
"There are enemies ahead, who have covered the entire forest with invisible threads that only my white eyes can see."
Kidomaru.
"You guys go first, I'll deal with him." Neji's voice remained unwavering.
[Ding!You have received 13,000 [Death Will] from Hyuga Neji!]
Shikamaru gritted his teeth; he had no time to hesitate.
"Please, Neji!"
The three continued on their way.
Not long after, Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru also stopped, their noses twitching as they roared madly at an open space.
Close to the left and close to the right.
"These two smell weird.There are two people, yet it's also one person!" Kiba shouted at Shikamaru."Leave this to me and Akamaru.You guys get out of here!"
[Ding!You have received 11,000 [Rage] from Kiba Inuzuka!]
Shikamaru's heart was bleeding, but he could only make the most rational choice.
"Walk!"
Now, only he and Naruto are left.
They finally saw the huge wooden barrel containing Sasuke, not far ahead.
But then the final barrier appeared.
Tayuya is a woman with waist-length red hair and a flute in her mouth.
"Game ends here"That's enough, you brats from Konoha.
A piercing flute melody rang out, and invisible sound waves transformed into a deadly illusion, assaulting the area.
Shikamaru's Shadow Binding Technique repeatedly failed due to the complex jungle terrain and the opponent's strange sonic interference.
His mind raced, calculating everything, but the opponent's ninjutsu was beyond his comprehension.
His forehead was covered in cold sweat; for the first time, he felt his wisdom was exhausted.
"Naruto!" Shikamaru yelled at Naruto after a clumsy dodge, "You go first!Go after Sasuke!I'll hold her off here!"
He was prepared to sacrifice himself.
Naruto glanced at him, and in those azure eyes, there was still that unwavering determination to "do it for his comrades."
"Shikamaru, you come along too!"
After saying this, he didn't hesitate at all.In a flash, he bypassed Tayuya's attack range and rushed straight towards the barrel.
Shikamaru stared in disbelief at Naruto's back, which showed no sign of turning around or even hesitating.
That orange dress seemed so jarring at that moment.
He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Choji died.
Neji and Kiba's fate remains unknown.
They all sacrificed their lives one after another for the goal of "bringing Sasuke back" and for Naruto, the "core," to continue moving forward.
Is this really a "companion"?
Or were they, from the very beginning, merely pawns that could be discarded at any time to achieve a certain goal?
Once this idea takes hold, it grows wildly.
The troublesome yet irreplaceable bond he had always believed in began to crack at this moment.
[Ding!You have received 18,000 Extreme [Shakedown] from Nara Shikamaru!]
[Ding!You have received 15,500 [Suspicion] from Nara Shikamaru!]
Naruto felt nothing as he watched the golden numbers refresh on the system panel.
To use someone else to do one's dirty work.
He used his teammates' lives to clear all obstacles for his own final appearance.
At the same time, you can also experience their purest and most passionate emotions.
This is an incredibly good deal.
He finally caught up with the barrel.
Once you break through it, you can face Uchiha Sasuke directly and begin the climax of this emotional feast.
Just as his hand was about to touch the barrel.
A white figure, ghostly and silent, blocked his way.
He was a boy with pale skin, green eyeshadow, and two bright red dots on his forehead.
His expression was utterly indifferent, as if nothing in the world could attract his attention.
Kimimaro.
He didn't even look at Naruto, but calmly extended his right hand, palm up.
A sharp, white bone spur slowly grew out of his palm.
"Your time has come to an end."
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