Though his words were steady, a knot tightened in his stomach. The thought of his late master's face being used against him—it was disgusting. The fake Jiraiya had been nothing more than a tool, a cheap ploy to throw him off balance, but it had worked. And Naruto hated that it had. Zero, for once, was silent. So, he doesn't know either? Naruto narrowed his eyes. That meant the Fake Pervy Sage had acted independently—whatever that thing was must've extracted something from him without Zero's direct knowledge. Zero's lips curled into a smirk, an eerie chuckle escaping him. "Does it really matter how we got what we needed?" His tone was smooth, laced with venom. "You were weak. That's all there is to it." Naruto's expression remained unreadable, but his piercing blue eyes burned with a silent rage. Zero continued, stepping forward. "But if you're so curious… perhaps I should enlighten you." He spread his arms wide, as if relishing the moment. "You see, true despair isn't just about losing battles. It's about losing yourself. And that, my dear little leech, is something you will soon come to understand." Naruto remained still, staring him down. Zero was playing his usual mind games—trying to keep control of the conversation, trying to rattle him. But Naruto saw through it. He let out a short, humorless laugh. "Tch. You're bluffing." His voice was sharp, unwavering. "You have no clue how it happened, do you?" Zero's eye twitched, his smirk faltering for just a fraction of a second. Naruto pressed forward. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You're just throwing cryptic crap at me, hoping I'll slip up and give you something to work with." He exhaled through his nose, his voice dropping lower. "Too bad for you—I don't play that game." Zero's grin snapped into a snarl, a dark aura crackling around him. "You insolent leech—!" But Naruto only cracked his knuckles, his own energy flaring to meet the threat. "Alright, then. Enough talk." He rolled his shoulders, shaking off the last remnants of his imprisonment. "Let's finish this." Zero's face twisted in rage, but Naruto didn't care. Zero's aura pulsed like a violent storm, the sheer force of his presence cracking the ground beneath him. A sinister grin spread across his face, his crimson eyes gleaming with exhilaration. "You know… of all the insects buzzing around this little alliance of yours," Zero began, his voice carrying a twisted sort of admiration, "you were the only one I truly saw as a threat." His fingers twitched, raw magic surging between them. "That's why I had you sealed. I couldn't let my greatest obstacle run loose, could I?" Naruto's eyes remained locked onto his opponent, unshaken by the words. He had already figured as much—if anything, this just confirmed it. Zero's smirk widened. "And now here you are, the Orange Leech standing before me once more. Yes... this is right." His body trembled slightly, not with fear, but with sheer anticipation. "You being the last obstacle in my path… that's exactly the kind of wall that must be destroyed!" With a single motion, Zero slammed his palm against the ground. A wave of pure destruction erupted outward, obliterating the very earth they stood on. The ground fractured violently, sending chunks of debris flying in every direction. Naruto reacted instantly, pushing off with his foot and weaving through the collapsing terrain. His movements were sharp, precise—every dodge executed with the finesse of a seasoned warrior. Zero's laughter rang through the chaos. "DODGE, DODGE, DODGE ALL YOU LIKE!" He raised his hand, a violet glyph forming in the air. "BUT HOW LONG CAN YOU RUN?" "Dark Rondo!" A sphere of swirling dark energy shot toward Naruto, spiraling like a drill. Naruto's foot dug into the cracked earth as he pivoted sharply, sidestepping the incoming projectile. The moment it whizzed past, his form blurred—lunging forward like a predator striking its prey. Zero barely had time to react before Naruto was already within range. The blonde's fist shot forward, aiming straight for his gut. THWACK! Zero's body folded slightly from the impact, the force sending a shockwave rippling outward. Yet, instead of recoiling in pain, he laughed—a deep, crazed laugh. "Oh, you do hit hard!" Zero grinned, blood trickling down his lip. "But tell me, Orange Leech, what happens when that power of yours is rendered meaningless?" Before Naruto could react, Zero twisted his fingers into a clawed formation. "Genesis Zero!" A flood of ominous light erupted from Zero's outstretched hand, engulfing Naruto in an instant. For a brief moment, all Naruto could see was white—an endless, suffocating void. He felt his body freeze, his senses dulling as the overwhelming magic tried to consume him. Then, he felt it—the creeping sensation of despair clawing at the edges of his mind, whispering false truths. "Give up." "There is no point." "You are nothing." But just as quickly as the darkness crept in, it was ripped away. Naruto's body pulsed. Not with magic, but with something far more dangerous—his presence. The moment Zero's spell attempted to consume him, the energy was siphoned away, like ink bleeding into water. His very existence repelled the magic, swallowing it like an endless abyss. A sharp inhale left Zero's lips as he staggered back, eyes widening slightly. "...Interesting." His grin faltered for a brief moment, but it quickly returned, twisted with intrigue. "No magic… yet you can devour it? That leech-like nature of yours truly is something else." Naruto cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah, and it's your problem now." Without another word, he lunged forward again, fist cocked back. Zero's excitement flared. "YES! SHOW ME MORE!" The longer the battle dragged on, the more Naruto came to understand Zero. It wasn't just his overwhelming magic or his thirst for destruction—it was his mentality. The way he spoke, the way he regarded his own comrades as nothing more than tools, the way he saw himself above all others… it was eerily familiar.
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