The massive white figure soared into the sky.
Deidara's clothes fluttered wildly as the turbulent winds from his ascent failed to calm the turmoil in his heart.
'That's right… there was no mistaking it. It's those eyes!' Deidara fought the urge, but still couldn't help glancing back.
The spinning tomoe had connected, forming a deep, blood-red vortex that seemed to pull his entire being into its depths, leaving no escape.
His concentration faltered, and the world tilted. Deidara nearly lost his balance, but quickly steadied his clay bird as he took a deep breath, his expression turning wary.
"I never expected this…"
The mouths on his palms twitched, tongues licking eagerly in anticipation.
Now, Deidara set aside his earlier frustration at not facing the Kyubi and began to seriously assess the white-haired Ninja before him.
…
Logan also noticed Kakashi's left eye. The moment the Mangekyo Sharingan activated, its brilliance was almost comparable to the Rinnegan.
A streak of vivid red sliced through the air, far more mesmerizing than the three-tomoe. Logan wondered when Kakashi had unlocked it.
Kakashi, who had revealed his trump card, glanced briefly at Logan. Their eyes met, but no words were exchanged. In an instant, Kakashi was already chasing after the unsteadily retreating Deidara.
Thanks to Logan's earlier warning, Deidara knew better than to fight recklessly here, especially with his Explosion Kekkei Genkai, which risked harming the already injured Sasori.
So, he wisely withdrew, splitting the battlefield into two.
Whoosh, whoosh…
Several sharp projectiles tore through the air. Logan remained still, swaying slightly to evade them with ease.
The spinning shuriken thunked into the tree trunk behind him.
Sasori, who was leaning against the tree, slowly turned his head. The gust of wind ruffled a strand of hair on his forehead as he stared at the razor-sharp shuriken embedded mere inches away. He fell into silent contemplation.
Swift footsteps closed in. Naruto leaped high into the air, with his fingers forming the cross-shaped seal as he shouted, "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Logan glanced back at Sasori, who averted his gaze awkwardly, pretending nothing had happened.
Smirking internally, Logan reached into his pouch and faced his fearless student, who was charging straight at him.
With a flick of his wrists, he unleashed a barrage of kunai, "Naruto, don't jump so high right off the bat."
Nearly all the weapons he had 'borrowed' or outright stolen over the past few days were now flying forward, weaving a deadly net around his target.
Naruto's pupils reflected the glint of the incoming blades, yet his expression remained unshaken.
Bang, bang!
His shadow clones was still summoned.
Hearing that familiar, long-missed voice only made Naruto's heart heavier. Suppressing his emotions, he muttered, "Don't underestimate me, Hattori-sensei."
The two shadow clones on either side of him grabbed his arms, gathering strength for a moment... Then, Naruto suddenly charged toward Logan at an even faster speed, effortlessly dodging all the shuriken in the process.
"You're the one who taught me this… this is how shadow clones are supposed to be used!"
His fist shot straight forward, with no flashy tricks, just raw anger and confusion fueling the punch.
Logan's eyes flickered slightly as he raised his hand to meet it. The force of the impact made him sink slightly, but he caught it effortlessly, "Not bad."
When the first punch failed, Naruto immediately followed up with a side kick, unleashing a barrage of close-quarters Taijutsu in the tight space.
There was no room for hesitation, and Logan had no choice but to shift his footing, dodging and countering, using precise movements to deflect and redirect the attacks.
In just a few seconds, over a dozen exchanges took place. Logan defended flawlessly, subtly guiding the fight away from certain areas. He smirked, "But I did that move you just used a few years ago."
The calm, almost mocking tone struck a nerve, causing Naruto to growl in annoyance, "Damn it!"
Whoosh!
A heavy punch whiffed through the air, leaving Naruto momentarily off-balance.
The instant his fist met empty space, he knew it was a mistake, and sure enough, Logan seized his wrist without hesitation, yanking him forward and hurling him away with brutal force.
"You bastard!" Naruto tumbled across the ground, rolling uncontrollably until he came to a stop, covered in grass and dirt, the taste of soil filling his mouth.
Logan used the opening to leap back, but Naruto charged again without hesitation.
Bang!
Another punch collided, but this time, Logan's expression remained cold.
Ssszzzt!
A sharp, blinding blue light crackled up his arm without warning. The Chidori Current seared through half of Naruto's body before he could even react.
"Ahhh!" Naruto screamed as the searing pain wracked his body.
Logan grabbed his collar and tossed him away like a ragdoll, sending him flying even farther.
'That should be enough.'
Logan dusted his hands off, the residual electricity fading. He turned his gaze toward Sasori in the distance, which is now several dozen meters away, so there was no risk of accidentally hitting him.
Sasori met his eyes, understanding that Logan had deliberately moved the fight away. He frowned and felt a little unhappy, 'He was just a brat. Does he think I, Sasori of the Red Sand, can't handle myself?'
Leaning against a tree trunk, Sasori shakily stood up, 'Hmph. A minor injury means nothing...'
But before he could even shoot Logan a glare, his legs gave out, and he collapsed back onto the branch. The tree was very tall and the wind was very strong. Sasori barely managed to cling to the trunk to avoid falling.
"..."
'Damn it.' Sasori couldn't bring himself to look at Logan anymore. After all, this was so shameful and humiliating. Where was his pride supposed to go after this?
Sasori's usually expressionless face somehow felt like it was burning. He felt he had to do something. With a dark expression, he hugged the tree trunk and slowly shuffled to the other side.
Sometimes, the most awkward situations aren't as bad as you think.
Logan didn't notice Sasori's little drama. Once he confirmed the distance was safe, he turned his attention back to Naruto, who was still full of fighting spirit.
"Are you still in the mood to be distracted?" Naruto charged again, creating a dozen shadow clones without hesitation, as if his Chakra was infinite.
Using sheer numbers, Naruto surrounded Logan completely. Smoke from dispelled clones kept filling the air, but no matter how many Logan destroyed, more seemed to take their place. Finally, he stopped bothering.
Seeing the opportunity, all the shadow clones, including the real Naruto, piled onto him, pressing down like a human avalanche, trying to pin him in place.
However, a flash of blue lightning erupted from the gaps, and with a loud bang, Logan unleashed his Chidori Current at full power, wiping out every clone in an instant. He also grabbed the real Naruto and threw him away just like before.
Thud!
Naruto hit the ground hard. The consumption was too great this time, so he breathed slowly as he gritted his teeth.
His fingers dug into the grass. He had been completely focused. But every move, every counter, every calculated strike… no matter what he did, Logan handled it all with ease, never once breaking a sweat.
'Is Taijutsu not enough...?'
Memories flashed through his mind… training with Jiraiya, enduring hardships he never imagined, pushing through exhaustion. Nights where thoughts of lost comrades and mentors kept Naruto awake, leaving him with nothing but relentless Chakra training.
Before the battle, when Kakashi had laid out the plan to stall, Naruto had agreed, as it made sense. But deep down, hadn't he still hoped? Hadn't he still wanted to believe he could win?
He wanted to defeat Logan himself. He wanted to bring Sasuke back. He wanted to reclaim everything he'd lost.
Bang!
His fist slammed into the grass. Naruto forced himself up. He wouldn't give up.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Naruto, haven't you learned anything new? Show me something original."
Logan watched as Naruto regaining his energy like nothing happened, with a faint glimmer of something unreadable in his eyes.