Chapter 66: Adamantine Sealing Chains
Jiraiya was caught off guard by the incoming water shark.
He had intelligence on Kisame, knowing he was one of the best Water Style users around.
But facing it head-on... he had to admit, he had underestimated his opponent.
He hadn't seen a Water Style of this scale since the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
With no time to think, he slammed his hands down. "Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
A thick wall of earth rose from the ground, only to be smashed to pieces the instant the shark hit it.
Jiraiya grabbed Naruto and retreated rapidly. The water shark brushed past their clothes. Fortunately, the Earth Wall had weakened it enough that it didn't cause major damage.
Kisame stood with Samehada on his shoulder, a mocking smile on his blue face, as if that terrifying jutsu had just been a warm-up.
"The title of 'Sannin' doesn't seem to mean much," Kisame taunted. "You can't even block one of my Water Style jutsu, and you want to protect the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
Naruto poked his head out from behind Jiraiya, glaring at the arrogant Kisame. His eyes instantly turned red with rage.
He broke free of Jiraiya's grip, clenching his fists to charge. "Don't get cocky! Pervy Sage just wasn't ready!"
"Naruto, get back here!" Jiraiya grabbed him, his voice stern. "Don't be reckless. He's trying to provoke you!"
"'Pervy Sage'?" Kisame's laugh became shrill. "What a ridiculous title. It seems your only 'expertise' is in peeping. No wonder your defense is so pathetic."
"Shut up! Pervy Sage is the strongest ninja ever! He just wasn't fighting you seriously!" Naruto yelled.
"Naruto!" Jiraiya pressed down hard on Naruto's shoulder, making the boy flinch. "Don't fall for his taunts!"
Kisame laughed even harder. "What? Can't even control your own student? How pathetic, Legendary Sannin."
The mist suddenly thickened, dropping visibility to less than five meters. Jiraiya's expression darkened—Itachi Uchiha had vanished into the fog. That terrifying opponent was likely lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"Kid, listen," Jiraiya whispered rapidly. "I'm going to create an opening. You use Shadow Clones to confuse them, and then..."
Before he could finish, a black shadow shot out of the mist, moving too fast to track.
"Kisame, stand by. Watch Jiraiya."
Cold steel flashed in Itachi's hand. A kunai aimed straight for Naruto's throat!
"Rasengan!"
Naruto shouted instinctively, thrusting his right hand forward. A blue sphere of chakra swirled violently in his palm.
The jutsu came so fast and sudden that it forced Itachi to alter his attack mid-air, dodging to the side.
"Oh?" A flicker of surprise crossed Itachi's eyes. "I didn't expect you to have mastered that jutsu."
"There's a lot you don't know!" Naruto gritted his teeth, forming a seal again. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Over a dozen clones appeared in the mist, surrounding Itachi.
Every single clone held a Rasengan. It was a spectacular sight.
Jiraiya stared, dumbfounded. Since when did my student get this strong?
And how can he create so many clones with Rasengan in such a short time?
"Interesting," Itachi said calmly, though his Sharingan was spinning rapidly. "However, against the Sharingan, numbers are meaningless."
His crimson eyes locked onto the real Naruto. Itachi moved like a ghost, weaving through the net of clones, aiming straight for the original.
By the time Jiraiya realized it, Itachi was already in front of Naruto.
"Naruto!"
Jiraiya shouted in panic, but it was too late.
A cloud of white smoke from dispelled clones obscured his vision as the two clashed.
As he waited, a voice called out, "Pervy Sage, I'm okay!" Jiraiya's heart dropped back into his chest, but he immediately tensed again.
He stared at the lingering smoke, ready to strike. He knew Itachi's methods too well; behind a calm attack often lay a fatal trap.
The smoke thinned, revealing the situation inside.
Adamantine Sealing Chains? Since when could Naruto use that?
Chains extended from Naruto's back, wrapping around Itachi's arms as if they had a life of their own.
"Th... This is impossible..." Jiraiya muttered subconsciously.
He wasn't unfamiliar with this technique. He'd even experienced it personally a few times.
It was the ability Kushina, his student Minato's wife, had mastered. It could forcibly bind Tailed Beasts and seal chakra. Even a Sannin-level ninja would struggle to break free.
He knew other Uzumaki members could use it, but it was an ability reserved for those with pure Uzumaki blood.
His student, Kushina's son, didn't even have red hair. He didn't look like someone who should be able to use this.
"No."
Jiraiya's gaze locked onto a sudden splash of red at the tips of Naruto's hair. His heart clenched, and his breathing quickened.
He rubbed his eyes, thinking it was a trick of the mist. But looking closer, the red wasn't a stain. It was spreading from the roots of his golden hair, a warm, vibrant color... exactly like Kushina's dazzling red hair.
"I see... I see now!" Jiraiya's voice trembled slightly. His fingers brushed the yellowed notebook at his waist, which held a photo of him, Minato, and Kushina on a mission.
He finally understood. Naruto wasn't "unlike" an Uzumaki. The bloodline had just been suppressed by the Nine-Tails' chakra. It was only Itachi's fatal strike that had triggered the latent power deep within his blood, revealing the Uzumaki traits for the first time.
The smoke cleared completely, exposing the scene.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains on Naruto's back grew thicker. Five golden chains tightened around Itachi's arms, digging into his black cloak.
The red in Naruto's hair was still spreading slowly. Most of his bangs were now dyed crimson, and even the whites of his eyes showed faint red veins.
"Uzumaki bloodline awakening..." Itachi's voice was grave for the first time. He tried to summon chakra to break the chains, but every time his energy touched them, it was instantly devoured.
"You have more than just the Nine-Tails inside you. You were hiding a trump card like this."
Naruto gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. The red at the tips of his hair trembled with his breath.
This warm power reminded him of his mother's embrace in his dream. Though sudden, it felt strangely reassuring, as if this power had always been meant to be part of him.