Chapter 12
The morning sun cast long shadows as Sasuke and his team—Suigetsu, Jugo, and two other members—set out on their mission. It was supposed to be a simple task: gather information and return. Nothing too complicated.
Everything had gone smoothly at first. They had successfully collected the intel they needed and were heading back toward their base. However, as they moved through an open, abandoned street, a sudden feeling of unease crept up Sasuke’s spine. His senses, honed by years of battle, screamed at him that something was wrong.
"Get back!" Sasuke shouted urgently, his voice sharp with alarm.
But before anyone could react, a deafening explosion ripped through the air. The force of the blast sent them flying in different directions. The ground beneath them cracked, and dust and debris filled the air, making it hard to see. Sasuke gritted his teeth as he hit the ground hard, rolling several feet before stopping. His ears rang from the explosion, but he forced himself to get up as quickly as possible.
As the dust settled, his sharp eyes caught movement ahead. Emerging from the smoke, a group of enemies appeared—at least twenty of them, all members of the Bloodhound gang. Among them, he recognized some of the most dangerous ones: Sakon, Tayuya, Kimimaro, and Deidara. These weren’t just ordinary gang members; they were some of Bloodhound’s elites.
Sasuke quickly assessed the situation. His team was already injured from the explosion, and they were heavily outnumbered. Running wasn’t an option—there was no cover, no place to escape. They would have to fight.
With no hesitation, Sasuke lunged forward, drawing his weapon as the enemy gang charged at them. The battle erupted in an instant.
Blades clashed, fists connected, and blood spilled. Sasuke moved like lightning, cutting down any opponent in his path. Despite their injuries, Suigetsu and Jugo fought fiercely, refusing to back down. But the numbers were against them.
In the chaos, Sakon managed to get close to Sasuke. Before Sasuke could react, Sakon struck him with something sharp—a barely noticeable scratch. At first, Sasuke didn’t feel anything unusual, so he continued fighting. He took down six enemies one after another, his movements precise and deadly.
But then—his vision blurred slightly. His fingers tingled, and his legs felt strangely weak.
He clenched his teeth. Poison.
Sasuke realized that the wound Sakon had given him wasn’t just any injury—it was laced with something that was now spreading through his body, making him sluggish. But he refused to go down easily. Gritting his teeth, he pushed through the dizziness and kept fighting, determined to protect his team for as long as he could.
By the time he took a moment to look around, he saw that his teammates were also struggling. Everyone was injured, exhausted, and barely holding on. Meanwhile, four remaining enemies stood in front of them, exuding a dangerous aura. These were the strongest ones yet.
---
Back at the Gang’s Headquarters
At the Kyubi Gang's main office, Naruto sat behind his desk, reviewing reports when his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up immediately.
"Pain?" Naruto said, recognizing the voice on the other end.
Pain’s tone was serious. "Naruto, there’s trouble. Sasuke’s team was ambushed. They were attacked by Bloodhound members, and the situation isn’t looking good. You need to send backup—fast."
Naruto’s heart skipped a beat. His usual confident expression was instantly replaced with concern. He stood up so fast that his chair nearly fell over.
"Sasuke…" he muttered, a flicker of worry in his eyes.
Without wasting a second, Naruto started making calls. First, he contacted Rock Lee—a skilled fighter with immense speed and strength. Next, he called Sakura—they would definitely need a doctor, especially if the injuries were severe. Then he reached out to Neji, Kiba, Chouji, and Shikamaru—a team of strong and capable fighters.
“Meet me at the entrance immediately,” Naruto ordered. His tone left no room for argument.
As he hung up, he clenched his fists. He wasn’t just sending reinforcements—he was going himself.
He couldn't just sit here and do nothing. Sasuke and his team were in danger, and Naruto was going to make sure they got out alive.
Naruto strode toward the entrance of the Kyubi Gang’s headquarters, his mind racing. His usual carefree demeanor was gone—replaced by urgency and determination.
By the time he reached the meeting point, Rock Lee, Sakura, Neji, Kiba, Chouji, and Shikamaru were already there, waiting.
“What’s going on, Naruto?” Shikamaru asked, his sharp eyes narrowing.
“Sasuke’s team was ambushed. Bloodhound set them up. They’re outnumbered and injured. We don’t have time to waste,” Naruto said quickly.
Sakura’s breath hitched. “Injured? How bad?”
“Pain didn’t say much, but if they’re calling for backup, it’s serious.” Naruto’s hands clenched into fists. “I just know that Sasuke—” He stopped, exhaling sharply. “We need to get there before it’s too late.”
Shikamaru sighed, already calculating strategies. “Tch. Bloodhound again. They don’t let up.” He glanced at the others. “Alright, we move fast. We don’t engage unless necessary—our priority is getting Sasuke’s team out of there.”
Naruto nodded. “Let’s go.”
With that, the rescue team rushed out.
---
Back at the ambush site, the fight was going downhill for Sasuke’s team.
Sasuke’s vision blurred again. The poison was spreading faster. He could still move, but his limbs felt heavier, and the dizziness was becoming harder to ignore. He had managed to take down six enemies, but there were still too many left.
Suigetsu was breathing heavily, his sword dripping with blood. “Damn it… they just keep coming.”
Jugo, already in his rage mode, had managed to crush a few enemies, but even he was starting to slow down.
Tayuya smirked as she watched them struggle. “Look at you guys. You’re strong, I’ll give you that, but you’re barely standing now.” She tapped the side of her head. “Poison’s a bitch, huh, Sasuke?”
Sasuke ignored her, forcing his body to keep moving. He couldn’t afford to go down now—not when his team was still fighting.
Then, Kimimaro stepped forward.
“You’ve lasted longer than I expected,” he said, his cold gaze locked onto Sasuke. “But this is the end.”
Sasuke’s grip tightened on his sword. He could feel it—the difference in strength. Kimimaro wasn’t like the others.
And then Kimimaro charged.
Even with his sluggish movements, Sasuke barely dodged the first strike. But Kimimaro was fast. Before Sasuke could counter, Kimimaro’s knee slammed into his stomach.
Sasuke choked, staggering backward. His body screamed in protest. His breathing was ragged. The poison and exhaustion were taking their toll.
Kimimaro didn’t give him time to recover. He moved in again, his attacks precise and relentless. Sasuke blocked, parried, dodged where he could—but he was losing ground.
Then—
A loud crash echoed through the battlefield.
A gust of wind blasted through, kicking up dust and debris. A new presence had arrived.
And then—
Gun fires .
Sasuke barely had time to register what was happening before he saw someone familiar .
Through the settling dust, Naruto stood there, his blue eyes blazing with anger.
Behind him, Rock Lee, Neji, Kiba, Chouji, Shikamaru, and Sakura appeared, ready for battle.
Bloodhound’s members tensed, realizing the situation had shifted.
The Fall of Bloodhound’s Strike Team
The battlefield was silent for only a second.
Then—
Naruto moved first.
The gang members barely had time to react before he was already in their faces. His first target—a thug reaching for his gun—got slammed in the jaw so hard that he spun midair before crashing to the ground, out cold.
Naruto didn’t stop. He turned sharply, grabbing another enemy’s arm before twisting it until a sickening snap echoed through the air. The man screamed, but Naruto shoved him to the ground without mercy.
Meanwhile—
Rock Lee was a blur.
A Bloodhound member tried to lunge at him with a knife, but Lee dodged with insane speed before delivering a brutal roundhouse kick to the man’s ribs. Bones cracked. The poor guy flew back, hitting the ground with a thud.
Another enemy charged at Lee from behind—but Neji was already there.
“You’re in my way.”
Neji sidestepped the attack and struck his opponent’s chest with pinpoint precision. The man gasped, his body locking up instantly. His limbs twitched violently before he collapsed.
Kiba and Akamaru worked together, tearing through the weaker enemies.
“Akamaru, now!” Kiba shouted.
Akamaru leaped, slamming into a Bloodhound member’s chest, knocking him to the ground. Before the guy could recover, Kiba stomped on his face, knocking him unconscious.
A few feet away, Chouji was an unstoppable force.
“Get out of my way!” he roared, charging forward.
A group of enemies tried to dogpile him, but Chouji barreled through them like a wrecking ball. They were sent flying, their bodies hitting the ground hard.
Shikamaru was handling things differently.
While the others fought, he stayed back, analyzing the battlefield. He quickly identified the leaders of the Bloodhound ambush and signaled to Naruto.
“Take out the top guys, and the rest will break,” Shikamaru said calmly.
Naruto grinned. “Way ahead of you.”
With that, Naruto’s eyes locked onto Kimimaro.
The strongest of the group. The last one standing.
Kimimaro had been watching everything. He had seen his gang fall apart within minutes. He was alone.
And Naruto knew it.
Naruto cracked his knuckles. “You ready, or you wanna run like the others?”
Kimimaro’s grip tightened. “I don’t run.”
Naruto smirked. “Good.”
Then he rushed forward.
Kimimaro tried to react—tried to swing—but Naruto was too fast.
A brutal punch to the gut.
Kimimaro’s body jerked. He gasped, his eyes wide in pain.
Naruto grabbed his collar and slammed his fist into his face—once, twice, three times.
Kimimaro’s legs gave out.
Naruto let him go, watching as he collapsed onto the pavement, blood dripping from his mouth.
It was over.
The last of Bloodhound’s strike team was finished.
___
Sasuke watched the whole thing.
Sasuke, still struggling to stay upright, let out a weak chuckle. "Show-off."
Naruto turned to him, walking forward. His expression softened slightly. "Shut up, bastard."
Sakura immediately rushed to Sasuke’s side, kneeling next to him. “You idiot, you’re poisoned!” she hissed, already pulling out what she needed to treat him.
Naruto crouched in front of Sasuke, his blue eyes scanning his injuries. He wasn’t good at medical stuff, but he knew this wasn’t good.
"You look like shit," Naruto muttered.
Sasuke smirked weakly. "You should see the other guys."
Naruto glanced around at the unconscious and broken bodies surrounding them. He snorted.
"Yeah," he said. "I guess I should."
Sakura smacked Sasuke’s shoulder. “Don’t talk! You’re poisoned, idiot!”
Still weakened by the poison, he sat on the ground, leaning against a broken wall while Sakura worked on him. He let out a breathless chuckle.
Sasuke grunted. “Tch. It’s not that bad.”
Naruto crouched in front of him, smirking. “Sakura, don’t waste your energy on him. Let the poison do its thing.”
Sakura glared. “Naruto!”
Naruto laughed. “Kidding, kidding!”
Behind them, Shikamaru sighed. “Well, that was messy.”
Neji crossed his arms. “But effective.”
Kiba grinned. “Damn right! We wrecked them!”
Rock Lee nodded seriously. “A good fight! But we should head back soon.”
Shikamaru glanced at the unconscious Bloodhound members. “Yeah. If more of them show up, we’ll be outnumbered again.”
Naruto stood up, stretching. “Alright, let’s get outta here.”
He turned back to Sasuke and held out a hand. “Can you walk, or do I have to carry your ass?”
Sasuke scoffed. “As if.”
He took Naruto’s hand and pulled himself up. He stumbled.
Naruto caught him.
For a moment, they just stood there.
Their eyes met.
Sasuke opened his mouth—to say what, even he didn’t know—
But Naruto just grinned.
“Don’t fall for me, bastard.”
Sasuke clicked his tongue and shoved Naruto’s hand away. “Idiot.”
Naruto laughed.
And with that, the battle was over.
They had won.