The Uzumaki Prodigy [Original]

Chapter 16 - Hinote of the Explosion Release

Upon his landing, eight clones of the red-haired boy revealed themselves as they set kunai evenly around the lookout as they all went into the same set of hand signs.

"Lightning Style: Piercing Lightning Beam" echoed throughout the area as both Naruto and Hinote attached themselves to the room of the outpost to avoid the powerful streams of lightning chakra now covering the floor below them.

Through a millisecond's lapse of concentration from the Uzumaki, Hinote had closed the gap to a deadly degree. Both noticed this lapse. While Naruto tried his best to retain their distance, the experienced shinobi was much quicker than he was, resulting in the two clashing their blades. Kunai against Katana.

With the fair superior speed and strength besting any attempts for evasion, Hinote's hand began to glow a murderous white. Desperate, Naruto launched his katana at Hinote, knowing that he couldn't miss from this range.

With attention solely in front of him, he neglected a small, loose rock behind him. The seemingly insignificant rock became more and more humanoid. And as this happened, Naruto's katana connected with Hinote. Only to result in the body of Hinote turning into stone, as it was at that point. Naruto felt fear.

Spinning at a lightning-quick pace, Naruto met his mistake fully. A brightly white lighted palm descended upon Naruto's small frame whilst Naruto's right arm came to cover his body as best he could.

For Naruto, it seemed time froze for a split second as Hinote's jutsu activated against his arm. His vision turned a bright white at the explosion that was to come. He braced himself, tensing as much as he could until it hit him.

Immediately, an explosion shook the lookout to its foundations. The stone roof began to spew dust in addition to the raining of small stones, as the epicentre of the explosive jutsu held a large crack. The clones of the masked boy all cancelled their jutsu, rushing in a desperate defence of the original.

Hinote landed upon the debris-ridden stone floor as the clones of the child charged at him from all directions. However, the sight before him left him with a bitter taste of victory. Across from him, looking deathly pale and broken, Naruto lay. His left-hand glowed a weak green light over his right shoulder. Blood erupted from it like a grotesque fountain of misery as his eyes centred on the thick blood trail, ending in the bloody arm of the boy, charred and cut-ridden with the bicep of his right arm bearing the most damaged.

Looking back to the boy, Hinote looked on in shock and disgust at the state of the boy's shoulder, charred just like his missing appendage but now not bleeding. The whole of the red head's right-hand side was drenched in blood as his breath was heavy, uneven and forced.

Before he could further inspect the extent of his injuries, the clones had launched themselves towards the hidden Stone ninja. With all but six of them blasted away into dispelling, leaving the two remaining to coordinate their weakened attacks to try and buy what little time they could. Much to Hinote's disregard, the last clone only managed to touch him which, he believed to be dangerous on second thought but justified to himself out of it. He couldn't know that despicable jutsu. If he did then, why didn't he use it?

Slowly walking over to the now kneeling young man, Hinote was hesitant and still on guard for any tricks the Leaf shinobi may attempt but doubted any would come considering he looked close to death's door. He stopped a few feet away from his broken opponent, looking down with pity almost, screaming from his eyes. He knelt across from the boy as he looked at the shattered mask still on the boy's face.

A crack permeated throughout the outpost. With the blank mask's last string broken, it descended off the boy's head, disintegrating upon its contact with the ground. It revealed the whiskered, somewhat scarred face of the boy he had just mortally wounded. It held little innocence. It was hardened like his, devoid of any fat or care. But what it did scream was pain, a level of it Hinote had not seen since the times of war he had endured.