Naruto: The new beginning

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The Snake Man deftly dodged Itachi's kunai, his serpent-like left arm spitting out a smaller snake that, in turn, unleashed a barrage of shuriken.

Most struck Itachi, who appeared unable to evade. But before the Snake Man could gloat, Itachi's body dissolved into a flock of crows that reformed into his figure in midair.

From this position, Itachi threw a shuriken straight at the Snake Man's chest. Panicked, the Snake Man's serpent arm transformed into a net of smaller snakes, spreading out to entangle Itachi.

At least, this was how the battle appeared in the Snake Man's eyes.

From the perspective of everyone else, however, both Itachi and the Snake Man were locked in place, their gazes dull, with their facial expressions shifting rapidly between triumph, shock, and rage.

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Not far away, the whip-wielding woman dubbed "Sister Yu" by Naruto realized her ally was ensnared in a genjutsu. She began forming hand seals to release him, but Kakashi's Water Dragon Jutsu intercepted her.

Sakura, watching the impressive display, muttered under her breath, "Kakashi sensei is so rough with his jutsu."

Naruto, always ready to defend his teacher, added, "Hey, at least his Water Dragon is… uh, more refined than mine."

Kakashi pretended not to hear, but inside, he winced. 'Can't you two keep your commentary to yourselves?'

Sister Yu glared at Kakashi. "You want to die that badly? Fine! My little cuties will handle you!" With a flick of her wrist, she sent two mechanized ninja dogs charging toward him.

Naruto smirked. "Sakura, check it out. This technique is called Robbery by Evil Dogs."

Sakura rolled her eyes in disgust. "Gross."

Kakashi, ignoring both of them, dodged the dogs with ease. "What kind of students do I have? They don't help, but they always have something to say," he muttered, landing a decisive kick that sent one of the dogs flying.

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Kakashi spun a kunai stylishly around his finger before aiming for Sister Yu's weak point. But before he could land the strike, she lashed out with her whip. Kakashi caught it mid-air, yanking her forward, and delivered a clean kick to her face, sending her sprawling next to her dogs.

Enraged, Sister Yu screamed, "You'll pay for that! Psychic Communication: Ghost Bud Formation!"

In a puff of smoke, a grotesque ninja beast appeared a hulking, dragon-turtle hybrid about a third of Gamabunta's size.

Unlike standard summonings, however, the beast's body was fused with Sister Yu herself. Her upper torso emerged grotesquely from its head, a clear result of the Ghost Bud Formation Technique.

"Let's see you survive this!" she roared as the beast charged, shaking the ground with every step.

Kakashi remained unfazed. Raising his forehead protector, the Sharingan activated. Lightning surged in his hand as he darted up the creature's leg, moving too fast for Sister Yu to react.

"Chidori!"

The piercing lightning struck true, impaling Sister Yu's chest. She screamed before collapsing, lifeless, atop the beast, which disappeared into smoke.

Itachi, meanwhile, had already subdued the Snake Man. He glanced briefly at Kakashi, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "That took you long enough."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "What can I say? I like to give my students a chance to shine."

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Meanwhile, at the summit of the Golden Wheel Mountains, Sasuke had reached Hiruko's lair a grand hall perched atop the mountain. Hiruko himself, a short man wrapped in white robes and bandages, greeted him with a twisted grin.

"Welcome, Sasuke Uchiha," Hiruko said, his voice filled with glee. "You're the final piece of the puzzle. With your Sharingan, I will achieve perfection and become an invincible ninja immortal!"

Sasuke, still under the effects of the curse mark, didn't respond, his movements resembling a zombie's awkward shuffle.

Hiruko, unperturbed, turned and began leading the way. "Come, Sasuke. Together, we will become one. Join me, and together—"

Hiruko's monologue was cut short as Sasuke suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder. Before Hiruko could react, Sasuke muttered, "Your mother is dead," and slammed a Big Ball Rasengan into his chest.

Hiruko flew backwards, slamming into the stone floor and carving a long trench as he slid to a stop. Naruto's clone, disguised as Sasuke, smirked. "Did you think I'd let you touch the real Sasuke, old man?"

The clone spat on the ground. "Disgusting. An old man dreaming of 'becoming one' with Sasuke? Creepy much? Did the Diddy get reincarnated?"

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The real Sasuke had been intercepted earlier. After sensing Hiruko's location, Naruto and the team decided to take precautions. With Itachi's help, they subdued Sasuke, tied him up, and handed him over to the Uzumaki Express for safe delivery back to Konoha.

Mikoto, surprised to see her youngest son returned safely, thanked Naruto with a smile. "You've been a wonderful friend to Sasuke. Please, come by for dinner sometime."

Naruto, always eager for free food, grinned. "Don't worry, Aunt Mikoto. I'll be back!"

Back at the Golden Wheel Mountains, Naruto's clone pointed at Hiruko, still sprawled on the ground. "So, how does it feel to get a surprise, huh? You thought you were the hunter, but you were the prey."

The clone dispersed as the real Naruto and the team arrived. Itachi cracked his knuckles. "Let's finish this."

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