Naruto: Venomous

Chapter 8: What Lies Behind The Mask

Naruto's anger was at its boiling point. "You just made a terrible mistake!" He shouted, staggering to his feet. Sasuke dashed over next to him.

"Oh?" The masked man asked, dropping from the branch. Before he hit the ground, he stopped in mid air, and gently floated to the ground.

He uses that Kekei Genkai to fly... Naruto thought, putting on a grin.

"What mistake did I make, exactly?" The man asked, unbuttoning his cloak and letting it blow away with the wind. He revealed a sleeveless, red robe with a black under shirt. The hood remained attached to the black shirt, and there were still no village symbols.

"You gave away your position!" Sasuke shouted, activating his mangekyou sharingan. Purple chakra erupted around his body, forming a skeletal rib cage and right arm. He thrust his arm out, grabbing for the masked man.

Susanoo, eh? He is powerful... The masked man leaped back, dodging the attack. Sasuke formed another arm and struck again. The masked man ducked. He thrust out his hand, and Sasuke was launched backwards into a tree.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shrieked, running to his side.

"Stay here!" Naruto said to Hinata, and gathered every ounce of chakra he could in his palm. He started sprinting towards the masked man. "Take this! Wind style: rasen-shuriken!" The rasengan in his palm sprouted blades from the center, and Naruto hurled it with all oh his might.

The second it left his hand, Naruto coughed up a puddle of blood. He thought he heard Hinata say something, but his head was pounding too hard to understand it. He looked up in time to see the rasen-shuriken blast into the masked man. Or so he thought.

Looking closer, he saw the man slowly pushing back the rasen-shuriken. Naruto was baffled. He's actually repelling my chakra...

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted, kneeling by his side. "Are you okay?"

"Get out of here! He's too strong!"

"Here, catch!" The man said. He pushed outwards, sending the rasen-shuriken spinning directly at Naruto and Hinata.

"Get down!" Naruto shouted, tackling Hinata to the ground just as the rasen-shuriken zipped over them, cutting through several trees before exploding on the ground.

"Hey!" Sasuke shouted, "Watch where you're throwing those things!" He bolted passed them, a chidori flashing around his hand, the loud screeches echoing through the forest.

"Ooo! A lightning blade!" The man shouted.

Sasuke tried to hide his gasp. How does he know about the chidori?! I need to end this... Sasuke rushed in, a roar of anger escaping his lips. He thrust his hand out towards the mans chest.

Finally, some excitement! He pushed out with his hand, and Sasuke was stopped in his tracks. He desperately tried to break the mans control, an enraged cry echoing from him. "C'mon, Uchiha brat! Make a move!" He dared. Sasuke screamed, moving his hand forward barely an inch, and suddenly the chidori disappeared from his hand. "Dammit! And I thought you'd be a challenge..." The man flicked his hand, and Sasuke was flung to the side, bouncing off the ground twice before rolling to a stop.

"Anyone else?" He dared, beckoning for a new challenger. Naruto struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his lips. His eyes morphed into black slits, and red outlining surrounding his eyelids.

Sage mode should give me a boost of chakra. "Sasuke! Sakura! Remember the bells!"

"Ugh... Right..." Sasuke muttered, activating his mangekyou sharingan.

"Okay! Let's do it!" Sakura shouted, clenching her fists. Each one of them knew exactly what Naruto was talking about.

"Teamwork!" They shouted in unison. Sasuke's rinnegan eye twitched, and he teleported behind the man, slashing out with his katana. The man deflected the blows with telekinesis, unaware of Sakura bolting towards him, fist winding back. With a roar of anger, she pounded into the man, nearly smashing his skull before he could push her back. The two attacked him furiously, each blow being deflected, but it was clearly difficult to keep up.

"Hinata, find me a weak spot!" Naruto shouted. Hinata nodded and activated her byakugan. Of all of his chakra points, the one on his brain was the largest, and most exposed.

"The star on his forehead conceals his main chakra point!"

"Right!" Naruto dashed forward, the pain in his sides increasing with every lunge, but he pressed on. He charged up the chakra in his palm, gunning for his forehead. This ends now! He reached the others just in time. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. With one hand, the man blocked Sakura's punch. With the other, he blocked Sasuke's sword. Naruto lunged at his face, thrusting his palm directly at the star. "Rasengan!" The man stopped it barely an inch in front of his forehead, pushing it away as hard as he could. Naruto let out a furious roar. And with one final push, the rasengan connected with the man's forehead.

The mask cracked, shattering to prices as he was flung backwards several yards. He landed on his back, running his face. The three ninja panted, grinning. A steady flow of blood was pouring from Naruto's mouth and nose, but he ignored it.

"Nice job, Naruto!" Sakura shouted, turning to face him, and her heart sank. The blood was gushing, and the color was drained from his face. Hinata jogged over, byakugan at the ready, and gasped when she saw the blood.

"N-Naruto, wha-?!"

"Don't worry about me," Naruto said, cutting her off. "Worry about him!"

The man was getting up, staggering to his feet. Suddenly, he started laughing. "I never thought I'd have to use this again!" He shouted, staring at them with madness in his eyes. The group finally had a good look at his face. He had thick, black hair, and a scar running from his forehead to his neck. But once the group noticed the last feature, their hearts sank all at once.

Impossible... Sasuke thought, sweat pouring down his face.

Where the man's right eye should have been was a mangekyou sharingan.