Naruto: In the future world

"What just happened?!"

"Did someone sneak up and attack the King from behind?!"

"This is insane! How did no one notice?!"

"Where's the protection squad?! What in the hell are you doing?!"

Chaos erupted instantly as Naruto stood tall, holding his metal rod. He raised it again and struck the King's head once more, causing blood to splatter violently.

"Naruto?!"

The first to notice him was Kiba, who had been hiding alongside Sasuke among the gang members. He whispered the name, and Sasuke caught it.

"What? Are you saying that's Naruto?"

Sasuke was slightly taken aback.

Elsewhere, Shino and Rock Lee were equally shocked by how things were unfolding.

"This wasn't part of the plan. Did he act on his own?" Shino muttered with clear frustration clouding his face.

"Looks like it. He's unpredictable, after all."

"That bastard! Whatever—let's continue with the plan!"

Shino began leaping through the scattered junk while the chaos raged, attacking anyone who attempted to climb toward Naruto, until he finally reached his destination beside him.

"Listen up, Crushers!"

The crowd gradually fell into silence, all eyes fixed on Shino, awaiting his words.

"We've been humiliated this year by Jin, who defeated us thoroughly that day and stole everything we had built!"

He raised his hands high and declared, "But now it's time for revenge! To reclaim what was once ours! Crushers, let's flip the table and take back everything we lost—tonight!"

He remembered the beginning of the school year, when Jin challenged him to a one-on-one fight. That was the first time Shino ever tasted true defeat—a humiliating loss that haunted him with fear for a long time.

But now, seeing another monster rise, hope had returned.

He wasn't going to let this opportunity slip from his hands.

Shino's short speech was enough to ignite the spirits of the Crushers, who erupted in a unified roar like a trained army.

Without wasting any time, the Crushers launched a brutal assault on the remaining delinquents.

"Kill them all!"

"Leave no one alive tonight!"

The words may have been exaggerated, but they were enough to push the Crushers to fight with everything they had.

"Chaos is breaking loose," Sasuke shouted, dodging attacks as he moved toward Shino.

"Yeah, I can't tell friend from foe anymore. Let's take off these cloaks."

As soon as Kiba said that, the Crushers who were disguised among the gang started shedding their cloaks.

Now, as planned by Shino earlier, the Crushers stood unified in white clothing.

"We need to get to Sakura and protect her."

"Yeah, let's move."

---

Back where Naruto, Shino, and the bound Sakura were...

"Hey, you! What were you thinking when you did that?!"

Shino spoke with irritation, staring at Naruto, who was gazing over the chaotic battlefield.

"Thinking? I wasn't. I didn't expect things to turn out this bad." Naruto closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, locking eyes with Shino, the latter felt as if Naruto's eyes turned blood red—as if a fox-like beast was ready to devour him.

"I should be the one asking—what were you thinking while you stood there and watched Jin do that to Sakura?" Naruto growled with such fury that it left Shino speechless.

A bead of sweat dripped from Shino's brow. He tried to think of an excuse—but they were all bad.

Just as he opened his mouth to respond, another voice cut him off.

"So, this was your plan all along, wasn't it, Shino the Unyielding? I should've known. A fighter like you wouldn't bow down so easily."

Shino's eyes widened in shock as he slowly turned around. How could someone still be conscious after taking such a blow?

That was his last thought before a devastating kick struck his head, knocking him unconscious.

"Shino!" Naruto exclaimed, stunned, watching Jin lower his leg after delivering the strike.

(A martial arts style?) Naruto thought in surprise.

"And what about you? Should I consider you an enemy to kill—like him?" Jin asked coldly, pointing at Shino as if gesturing toward trash.

Naruto gritted his teeth and readied himself. (This is bad. This guy is seriously dangerous!)

"Naruto!"

Sasuke and Kiba arrived just in time to see Naruto standing next to Jin—the so-called King. Sasuke had a faint smile, which immediately faded at the sight before him. Kiba's expression was no better.

"Sasuke, take Sakura and get out of here—now!" Naruto shouted, cutting off their stunned reaction.

Without hesitation, Sasuke nodded and rushed to Sakura, lifting her into his arms.

"Where do you think you're going with my bride, you insect?"

Jin's voice was cold as he raised his leg, aiming to crush Sasuke's head.

But a lightning-fast hand caught his leg mid-air—Naruto had grabbed it from behind.

"What do you think you're trying to do to my friends?"

Jin was slightly surprised that Naruto had managed to stop his kick. Sasuke used the opportunity to escape immediately.

"You're stronger than you look."

Before Naruto could respond, Jin struck with his other leg, landing a kick in Naruto's stomach that sent him staggering back in pain.

Feeling Jin's presence closing in, Naruto swiftly backed off, only to see Jin chasing after him with another kick.

BOOM!

The impact echoed loudly enough to reach Kiba, Sasuke, and Sakura. But Naruto had blocked it.

His hands went numb—he had used his wrist to guard. But he didn't falter and launched his own attacks at Jin.

Jin easily dodged all of Naruto's strikes, despite his earlier injury.

(Damn, this normal body really is weak, Naruto thought. After reaching the peak of power in his previous world, fighting a human like this had never even crossed his mind.)

Now, after losing everything, even fighting weaklings had become difficult—let alone monsters like Jin.

He knew he had to train, and he had been—but training alone wasn't enough. His new body needed to adapt to combat. His mind needed to accept that he no longer had powers beyond human limits. As long as Naruto couldn't fully accept his new reality, he wouldn't be able to unlock the full potential of his body, no matter how hard he trained.

Jin saw an opening in Naruto's offense and took it, striking him with a kick that sent him flying.

"Argh!"

Naruto groaned and clutched his stomach, feeling like he was going to vomit.

(He's using Taekwondo… if I let him keep the distance, he'll destroy me!)

But Jin didn't give him any time—he resumed his assault, forcing Naruto back into defense.

---

Meanwhile, after feeling dizzy for some time, Shino slowly began to regain consciousness.

"Damn that bastard Jin… I can't believe he knocked me out with a single kick. Has he gotten even stronger since then? I didn't see that coming… Dammit!"

He looked around, starting with the bed where Sakura had been restrained.

But she wasn't there—so he assumed, more or less, that she had been rescued.

Hearing the sounds of clashing nearby, he turned his head and saw Naruto and Jin trading blows on equal footing.

Seeing that, Shino realized something important:

Naruto hadn't fought him seriously at all during their previous battle.

(Was he holding back? Even though I brought the elite of the gang that day? Even with all that, he was still holding back? Why?)

Shino might have thought Naruto had been toying with him or fighting at his level—but from Naruto's perspective, that wasn't it at all.

For Naruto, it was his first real fight in his new body, and he wasn't yet in sync with it in combat. That's why he had been far weaker than he was now.

His previous battle alongside Sasuke against those delinquents didn't really count—they were weak compared to Shino.

But after fighting Shino, Naruto's body had begun to adapt. His mind had begun to adjust to the body as well.

That's the reason Naruto could now hold his own against Jin.

Now, as the two fought, Naruto was evolving—adapting more and more to his new body with every passing second.

---

Sasuke and Kiba continued running, with Kiba fending off any enemies that came their way. He was doing all the fighting while Sasuke carried Sakura.

"Do you think Naruto will be okay? And don't you find it strange how easy this path is? Like someone's clearing it for us," Kiba asked, slightly worried.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine. We're talking about Naruto—he'll be alright, no matter what."

Sasuke looked around and added, "Now that you mention it, yeah. This route does seem too easy and wide."

"Exactly. And hey—sorry for doubting. Let's trust Naruto for now."

"You're right," Sakura spoke weakly, staring ahead with quiet conviction. "Naruto will be fine. I'm sure of it."

She still felt numb, but it was slowly fading.

Sasuke and Kiba smiled, then continued running.

---

After several minutes of even combat, Jin was beginning to lose his patience.

"How are you keeping up with me? Just who the hell are you?!"

"I'm just a high school student… trying to live without regrets," Naruto wiped the blood from his mouth and gave a ragged smile.

"What a pathetic answer. Fitting for someone like you," Jin scoffed and lunged forward to attack again.

(He's gotten stronger…) Naruto noticed Jin's movements had become sharper. He was now fighting seriously, leaving no openings.

That change in style made Jin seem nearly invincible.

Naruto took a punch to the stomach that left him gasping. Before he could react, a kick from below lifted his head up harshly.

Blood spurted from his mouth as Jin followed up with blow after blow to his chest and abdomen.

A final kick to the face launched Naruto backward and slammed him into the ground.

His entire body numb, Naruto raised his head and looked at Jin—who was holding his head in visible pain.

(Damn… he was dizzy this whole time? He was still beating me while barely conscious?! Just how monstrous is this guy?!)

Naruto searched for the metal rod he had dropped earlier—but it was nowhere to be found.

"Damn! Where did it fall?!"

"What, looking for this?" a mocking voice said above him.

Naruto looked up to see a boy with fiery red hair. That hair sparked a memory in his mind.

(No way... is that...?!)

"Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"

Naruto didn't know the Red Devil yet.

"I'm the angel of your death. Say your last prayers~"

With a crazed grin, the Red Devil raised the metal rod and swung it down with all his strength—intending to send Naruto to the afterlife—

—but before the blow landed, another figure launched forward and kicked the Red Devil away several meters. The rod slipped from his hands, rolled across the ground, and clattered among the scrap.

The Red Devil slammed into a car door and coughed up blood.

"Shino!!"

It was the boy with glasses who had saved Naruto from certain death.

"If you've got time to stare at me with gratitude, use it to recover! We're in the middle of a fight!"

"Heh… you're right," Naruto muttered, slowly getting to his feet, one eye shut in pain.

They stood back-to-back, guarding each other.

"I'll handle the Red Devil. You take care of King Jin, Demon King."

"Ha ha… With those lines, we sound like characters from some cringe manga."

The Red Devil stood up, cracking his neck with a twisted smile.

Meanwhile, Jin's dizziness seemed to be wearing off.

"But I gotta admit… I like the sound of that. Demon King, huh?"

They split up and charged toward their respective opponents.

---

"I see you've made your decision. I guess your groveling yesterday wasn't cowardice—but courage," the Red Devil said as he traded blows with Shino.

"Who said I grovelled? I was ready to kill Jin, even if I had to come alone. Don't underestimate me!"

Shino landed a solid punch that made the Red Devil stagger—only for the latter to smile wildly, making Shino recoil.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you enjoy getting hit? Are you some kind of masochist?!"

"Watch your mouth! You think I'm into twisted stuff like that?!"

The Red Devil wiped blood from his lips and grinned wickedly. "I just like measuring how much damage I've taken… so I can pay it back double. Seeing you suffer twice the pain I endured—that's what brings me joy. Hehehe…"

"God, I wish you were just a masochist…"

Trying to compose himself, Shino threw another punch—but the Red Devil took it head-on and said, "Nice one. I give it a 6 out of 10."

He tightened his fist and countered with a powerful blow that launched Shino backward.

"And that's a 12 out of 10."

Half of Shino's face went numb. His glasses cracked as he tore them off, revealing his deep forest-green eyes that glowed under the night.

(Damn… was he always this strong? No wonder he's ranked among the top five strongest high schoolers in the city.)

Shino smiled as he removed the broken glasses, his aura shifting.

"It doesn't matter how much damage you take. Winning isn't about how many hits you land… it's about being the last one standing!"

"Then prove it, Shino."

The Red Devil charged again. Shino dodged, clenched his fist, and slammed it into his opponent's gut.

The Red Devil's pupils faded as if he'd overdosed. Blood spewed from his mouth.

"Nice. That's an 8 out of 10. Here's your 16."

The Red Devil raised his fist to strike, but Shino moved swiftly and headbutted him.

That headbutt made him stagger back.

"Not fair to dodge my counter like that, Shino~ That's a 9 out of 10."

Shino didn't let up—he kept pounding the Red Devil relentlessly.

But it didn't last long. The Red Devil's eyes lit up with madness as he laughed.

"Hahaha! This is great! Keep going!"

He stopped flinching from the blows altogether.

And then—it happened. Shino dropped his guard for a split second.

The Red Devil seized the moment and unleashed a devastating kick to Shino's left side.

"Here! 18 out of 10!"

Shino felt his ribs shatter. He collapsed to his knees, breathless and bleeding.

(Damn… I'm drained… and my vision's still blurry from Jin's kick… Is this all I've got left? Get up, Shino…) he thought as his blood dripped endlessly.

But he wasn't the only one hanging on—The Red Devil could barely stand after all the damage he'd taken.

It was now exactly as Shino described earlier: whoever stood first—would win.

"Oy, Shino! Pull yourself together! Since when were you this weak?! Where's the guy who crawled back from death yesterday just to take my head, huh?!"

Despite his own battle with Jin, Naruto couldn't stop watching the fight between the other two. Even if the cost was high—he had to say something.

"It's over for Shino," the Red Devil laughed joyfully. "He's reached his limit. No one gets up after that much punishment."

Naruto smiled as he stepped back from Jin.

The Red Devil scowled. "What the hell are you smiling at?!"

Jin frowned. "Don't say things you're not worthy of saying."

"Hah? What's that supposed to mean? Shino is alrea—"

The Red Devil turned around—and saw Shino… standing.

Trembling violently, bloodied but upright, his green eyes burning with fierce light.

Shocked, the Red Devil rushed him with everything he had left.

Shino took all the hits—he had no strength left to dodge.

"Fall already, damn you! Are you immortal?!"

The Red Devil was panting hard, staring at Shino—who looked like a corpse still standing.

"Immortal? No such thing exists for humans in this world."

Shino raised his arm slowly, whispering, "This is my zero-point punch… Try standing after this one."

The Red Devil clenched his teeth, ready to flee—but Naruto appeared behind him, catching him off guard and kicking him in the face.

"That's a punch with zero power. Why not cling to what's left of your pride… and take it, Red Devil?"

Shino's fist landed.

Instead of sending him flying, he slammed his punch down—and with it, the Red Devil's face smashed into the pile of scrap beneath them.

When Shino pulled his fist away, the imprint of his knuckles was still visible on the Red Devil's unconscious face.

He raised his blood-soaked hand high—and collapsed beside his fallen enemy, victorious before all who witnessed it.

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Scene 17

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Fight to the Death

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To Be Continued...