The burly Cloud ninja was exaggerating.
Claiming his Lightning Release Body Technique ranked third in the entire Cloud Village was a boast he could only use to fool the young members of Konoha's Team 7. If he had said that back in his own village, the other Jonin would have probably ganged up to smash his head in.
There were many Jonin in the Cloud Village who specialized in the Lightning Release Body Technique. Aside from the Fourth Raikage, A, and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, none of the others considered anyone their superior.
Even the recently famous Jonin, Darui, wasn't fully accepted by his peers, despite the lazy young man having already become a member of the Fourth Raikage's guard squad. And even though the Raikage personally guided Darui in cultivating the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the other Cloud Jonin still weren't convinced of his abilities.
The Fourth Raikage's strength was the greatest; having inherited the name 'A', he was deservedly number one. Lord Killer B, who contained the Eight-Tails, Gyuki, and was the Raikage's partner for their ultimate Lightning Release Body Technique, ranked second. As for the other Jonin, none of them submitted to another in their hearts.
Every one of them felt they were third.
The ninjas of the Cloud Village were mostly a group of brutes, and their culture revered fierceness. If you wanted to earn the respect of these rough men, you had to beat them into submission one by one with your fists. This was not something an ordinary person could accomplish.
On the forest battlefield, as Naruto was on high alert due to the enemy's identity, a flash of lightning suddenly streaked across his vision, followed by the slash of a ninja sword.
"Too slow, kid!"
The burly Cloud ninja shook his head in disdain. Although Naruto avoided a fatal blow, the sword still cut a wound on his body. Blood immediately stained his orange jacket.
Naruto didn't dare focus on his injury. He formed a Rasengan in his hand, staring intently at the Cloud ninja, trying to anticipate his next move. In a blur, the tall figure charged forward again.
Naruto thrust his palm out abruptly, and the Rasengan shot out as a beam of chakra, crashing head-on into the charging ninja. "Spiral Shockwave!"
The tall figure dissipated into smoke. It was just an ordinary clone.
The real Cloud ninja attacked from the side, swinging his sword down. "Kid, your ninjutsu is surprising! Its speed can actually compare to a Lightning Release technique..."
So fast...
Naruto frowned, looking at the two new wounds on his body. The Cloud ninja's speed was overwhelming. His Spiral Shockwave had missed, which only made the enemy more vigilant. It would be difficult to use it again. On top of that, the man was constantly attacking with his sword, which was precisely Naruto's weakness. His kunai was too short.
If he tried to use another ninjutsu, the enemy could easily seize the opportunity. The slightest misstep could result in a fatal blow.
Faced with this dilemma, Naruto sank into his spiritual space and walked toward the giant beast in the cage. "Nine-Tails, it's time to pay the rent. Lend me your chakra!"
"..."
The fox snorted and ignored him.
The small boy extended his palm and issued a threat. "If you don't agree, I'll just absorb the chakra from your body..."
"Brat..." The Nine-Tails opened its eyes, staring at the boy who wasn't even as tall as its pupils, and shook its head. "The last bit of chakra was something I spent a long time leaking through the seal. Do you think breaking through it is that simple?"
"Right now, I have no way to send chakra out! Unless you undo the seal on the gate, only then can I lend you enough power!"
"..."
Naruto looked up at the water prison. He didn't know how much of what the Nine-Tails said was true, but the red chakra bubbles that usually appeared in the water had indeed vanished. Even he couldn't sense them.
In reality, the Nine-Tails was lying.
Ever since Naruto had erupted into his four-tailed state, the fox had come up with a plan. It stopped using its chakra to corrode the seal to prevent any from leaking out. The next time Naruto was in a crisis and came to borrow Tailed Beast chakra, the Nine-Tails could demand he undo the seal. The plan had a very high chance of success.
"Is that so?" Naruto scratched his hair.
A hint of surprise flickered in the giant demon fox's pupils. It was obvious this yellow-haired kid was tempted. He would surely act soon.
To keep Naruto from noticing its scheme, the Nine-Tails suppressed its excitement and said with forced calmness, "Naruto, we are one. If you die here, I can't live either. I wouldn't joke about something like this."
The yellow-haired ninja nodded and suddenly asked, "Nine-Tails, then how much chakra can you lend me right now? Is it enough to make my speed surpass the enemy's?"
The Nine-Tails was stunned. "..."
If it gave too little chakra, it would obviously seem fake. But if it gave too much, this little brat would use its chakra to defeat the enemy, then use his own jutsu to absorb it.
The demon fox lay down again. A small stream of chakra flowed out from under the bars and into Naruto's body. It said weakly, "Brat, time is too short. I can only lend you this much for now..."
The Nine-Tails's calculation was precise. The bit of chakra it lent Naruto wasn't even enough to form the first-tail cloak.
"..."
Naruto looked at the demon fox's weak appearance, frowned, and said softly, "Then you rest first. I'll find a way myself."
Nine-Tails: "..."
Wait, what do you mean? I already told you the way! Just undo the seal, and we can be honest with each other, talk face-to-face about our master-servant relationship. What other way are you going to think of?
The Nine-Tails watched as the yellow-haired kid disappeared from its sight, gritting its teeth. Is there something wrong with this jinchuriki's brain?
Back in the forest, because Naruto hadn't gotten enough Tailed Beast chakra, his expression was faintly worried. He swung his kunai, fending off the enemy's attack while pulling back to instruct his teammate. "Sakura, find a chance and get Sasuke out of here first..."
"Naruto! What about you?" Sakura Haruno immediately grew nervous.
Another wound appeared on Naruto's body, but he persisted stubbornly. "Don't worry, I might have to use a ninjutsu I've been wanting to develop here..."
"If that jutsu fails, the force of its explosion will be huge, which is why I'm telling you to take Sasuke and go first..."
"Okay, I understand."
Sakura carefully hid behind a large tree. Noticing that the enemy wasn't paying attention to her, she ran toward Sasuke's position. However, just as she reached him, a series of shuriken traced arcs through the air and pinned her limbs.
The burly Cloud ninja sneered, "Brats, the only thing I really want is the Sharingan. You're just coming here to die yourselves..."
"...Sigh."
Naruto shook his head helplessly. Although his plan to get his teammates to safety hadn't been achieved, the Cloud ninja's shuriken toss had finally given him a moment of respite, allowing him to form a Rasengan.