A Growing Affection

Chapter 79: The Infinite Abyss

Despite his earlier  bluff, Naruto knew he could not increase his speed much further without  resorting to an actual jutsu, and Madara could copy that. But another  idea came to him.

"There's more than one way to fight a fast  opponent," Naruto announced, remembering two events from the Hidden  Sound invasion, "Ninja Art: Blood Clone Jutsu!"

The red liquid on  the floor flew up to join the material covering Madara's hands, forming  into a copy of Naruto, already gripping Uchiha's arm. Unable to move  away, the Akatsuki leader was forced to send chakra into his palm to  block Kitsune, and the blade still cut deep into his hand. He kicked  Naruto back, and then slammed his fist into the clone's jaw to break  free. The Akatsuki leader was annoyed that the clone was not killed;  instead the duplicate painfully snapped the dislocated jaw back into  place, the bruise fading even as it formed.

"You're not fast enough to fight two of me," the fox-faced men echoed one another.

Sasame dug in her heels, sending chakra to her feet. She hauled back  on her thread, also sending power to her muscles. The cord was  crisscrossed one hundred forty seven times underneath the demon and  anchored to the walls of the valley. As she pulled it taut, the  Three-Tails feet started to leave the riverbed. But the huge monster  struggled, kicking its feet and whipping its tails, and Sasame was  yanked forward. Just as she was about to be pulled off her feet, letting  the demon touch down again, Kiba and Akamaru appeared in front of her,  grabbing the thread.

"Hold on, we got you," Kiba said firmly, and  Akamaru ruffed through the thread clenched between his teeth. With the  additional muscle, the demon's feet were lifted a full meter off the  ground. Shino dashed over, and took hold of the line as well.

"Can  you hold it for a minute?" Sasame asked her teammates worriedly. Kaede  had finally made up her mind between helping Lee and helping Team Yugao.  The elder Kunoichi grasped the chakra thread and braced herself.

"We  have it," Shino said evenly. Sasame released the cord with one hand,  and drove ten of her dwindling supply of needles into the bedrock. She  quickly began to wind the thread between the spikes, creating a pattern  that spread the force of the Bijuu's mass between the anchors, making  them more secure as the creature thrashed about.

"You can let go,"  she said with a relieved sigh. Kiba and Akamaru did so immediately,  both Shino and Kaede were more tentative. But the impromptu net held,  and the demon was suspended four feet above the ground. With the already  limited mobility of the Three-Tails neck, there was no way its spitting  attacks could reach them, and the threat of its tails was also  diminished. The demon continued struggling, giving Shino pause.

"Are you sure it will hold?" he asked squarely, "It broke your threads before."

"I  made this thread stronger," she reassured him, "and it doesn't have any  leverage like it did last time. But if there are any cracks or soft  spots in the walls, it might be able to work the needles free, so we  should defeat its master as soon as we can."

Aburame nodded, and the five warriors began to creep forward under the demon.

The  woman named Daisuke had continued to whine nonstop, even as she dodged  all of Lee's attacks. She produced no more weapons and refused to use  Taijutsu, and his constant blows kept her from forming a jutsu.

"That's  not fair," she complained as the turtle was hoisted into the air and  immobilized. She retreated so she could have a chance to sign, firing a  low-level water jutsu at Lee to buy herself time. He split the water  with his 'chucks and chased after her.

"Multi Clone Shadow Jutsu,"  she announced, completing her second technique, and instantly there  were dozens of duplicates of the Akatsuki aspirant. Half closed in on  Lee, and the rest fell back. Lee swung his left hand nunchacku at the  first duplicate to approach him. She caught the weapon, and held it  while another copy moved in and kicked at his knee. Lee moved his leg  out of the way, and tried to counter, but the clone easily avoided his  bludgeon.