Naruto - Azure Awakening

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The first wave of Kiri's forces had failed, most of them were already slaughtered and the victory boosted Takimura's morale and confidence. However, those in charge knew that the situation hadn't truly changed as the next wave of Kiri's forces had already come. 

The Takimura shinobi were now wounded and exhausted, and even if a second wave from Kiri happened to be weaker, they could still easily overwhelm them. Survival depended on every shinobi pushing themselves beyond their limits, with the strongest among them bearing the heaviest burden. They would have to face not only hundreds of Kiri nin but also their most powerful fighters simultaneously.

Kaoru, locked in combat with a Hozuki jonin, understood the urgency. He needed to end this fight quickly and then assist his comrades. To his surprise, he realized he was far stronger than he had thought. 

The premium soldier pill he'd taken was effectively negating his biggest weakness - his low chakra reserves. In truth, his reserves weren't small; it was just that the Suijingan consumed so much chakra that it often felt insufficient.

'If my chakra reserves hadn't grown exponentially over the last few years, I'd be in serious trouble right now,' Kaoru thought. 

His reserves were now almost at jonin level, albeit on the lower end, but still impressive for his age. 

'The problem is, the growth of my reserves has slowed down. In a few years, it might stop entirely.' Kaoru's thoughts were interrupted as the Hozuki jonin began forming hand seals. 

"Water Release: Water Mist Jutsu!"

His eyes widened as a thick mist enveloped the battlefield. But he wasn't scared or threatened, he was puzzled. 

'Why would he use a mist technique against me? I can sense water particles. This is like giving me a free sensory field.' A faint smile tugged at his lips. 'Let's use this mist to create my area of control.'

Kaoru's eyes glowed brighter as the mist in the air began to dissipate - or rather, gather into dozens, if not hundreds, of dark blue water droplets. The Kiri jonin's eyes widened in disbelief. 

'He can take control of my own technique? There was nothing about this in the report!' 

The Takime clan's abilities were a mystery, not because they were well-hidden, but because Kaoru was only the second person in the clan's history to fully awaken the Suijingan and control water so freely.

Meanwhile, Kaoru was also surprised, but he was surprised by the chakra consumption.

'I didn't realize taking control of already-formed mist would require so much chakra,' he thought, his brows furrowing. This fight was proving to be a valuable learning experience, but he had no time to dwell on it. His opponent was already preparing for another attack, and Kaoru couldn't afford to experiment now.

'Since my water release is useless against you,' the Hozuki jonin thought, 'I'll close the distance and fight you where I have the advantage.'

The Hozuki clan, like the Takime, were heavily inclined toward water affinity. However, their primary fighting style was close-range combat, a trait shared by most of Kirigakure's shinobi.

After witnessing Kaoru's superior reach with his Nagizume, the Hozuki jonin realized that closing the distance would be difficult, especially since Kaoru controlled the distance perfectly, leveraging his speed to maintain the upper hand.

The Kiri nin flickered, forming hand signs even before he reappeared. 

"Water Release: Water Clone!"

Kaoru, unsure of his opponent's plan, retreated and launched a barrage of dark blue needles toward him. 

'So, the Blue Needle of Takime finally uses his signature move,' the jonin sneered. Kaoru's tactics were no surprise. His reputation had spread far and wide, even surpassing some of Takimura's stronger shinobi. His dojutsu was simply that extraordinary.

'If this kid analyzes my attack patterns and devises an effective strategy, he'll become nearly impossible to deal with,' the jonin's frustration was growing. Now that his water techniques had proven to be completely useless, his only chance to win was to force a close-range fight, where his experience, superior skills and raw strength could turn the tide, but it was easier said than done.

The jonin dodged the needles and charged forward, but his water clone was pierced by several projectiles and dissolved into a splash of water. 

Kaoru watched carefully as he contemplated, 

'Should I conserve chakra and engage in close combat?' He knew his opponent was stronger and more skilled in kenjutsu, but he had his own advantages. 'Nagizume provides superior reach, allowing me to maintain a safe distance while attacking. So if I defeat him without using too much chakra, later, I can use the high-density water droplets to eliminate the rest of Hozuki forces still on the battlefield.' But he quickly dismissed the idea.

'Mei might not be able to hold out much longer,' Kaoru realized. The Hozuki clan's forces were slowly gaining the upper hand as more Terumi shinobi fell. Mei, now facing the Hozuki clan's head and another jonin, was barely able to defend herself. 

The other two Terumi jonins were pinned down by their own opponents, unable to assist. Kaoru couldn't afford to waste time.

He reached out his hand, and the water droplets hovering in the air transformed into needles, launching toward the Hozuki jonin, who was still pursuing Kaoru. 

'I should not block these needles, I have to avoid them,' the jonin thought, having learned his lesson. The dark blue needles carried immense force, making deflecting them truly difficult.

Twisting his body, the jonin narrowly avoided the projectiles. But just as he thought the danger had passed, Kaoru appeared in front of him, abandoning his retreat. He charged forward, swinging his Nagizume in a deadly arc aimed at the jonin's neck.

The jonin reacted quickly, raising his blade to block the incoming attack. But the moment his blade made contact, Kaoru in front of him dissolved into water. 

'A water clone…' His eyes widened in terror as the water, instead of splashing to the ground, morphed into a sphere and surrounded him.

"Water Release: Water Prison!"

Kaoru clenched his fist, smirking faintly as he watched the jonin struggle. He was not mocking his opponent - he was enjoying his progress. 

'Shinobi with high water affinity are useless against me,' he thought proudly, his confidence growing. Kaoru was a natural counter to Kiri nin. Their only hope was close combat, but his superior speed made that impossible.

The water sphere tightened around the jonin, its surface rippling as he thrashed violently. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free. To make matters worse, water spears materialized inside the prison, piercing his body in multiple places. He couldn't even scream, the water drowned his voice, leaving him in silent agony.

'To die at the hands of a kid…' The jonin's final thought was one of bitter regret. Slowly the clear blue sphere turned into ominous crimson. The jonin's gaze shifted toward his clan head, who was completely focused on Mei, oblivious to the fact that one of his strongest shinobi had just been killed by a child.

'We underestimated Takimura' thought the jonin as his eyes lost the focus.

Kaoru's proud smile faded as he turned away from the lifeless body still floating in the water sphere. There was no time to dwell on his victory, he needed to help his allies. 

If he rushed to help Mei now, there was a good chance he'd end up in a stalemate. Instead, he decided to assist the two Terumi jonins first. With their help, he could turn the tide of the battle and support Mei.

'Just hold on a few more minutes,' Kaoru thought, sending a silent encouragement to Mei. With a flicker, he vanished, reappearing near his next targets.

<<<>>>

"Noooo…" Akane screamed, tears streaming down her face. She had been placed in Mei's squad since she was a Terumi, and Sugeru had followed her, determined to be there if she needed help. He had pestered everyone he could until he was finally placed in Mei's squad. A decision he never regretted, not even when a Kiri nin's blade pierced his heart.

Sugeru wanted to say something meaningful with his final words, but he could not find the strength within him. The initial pain faded quickly, leaving only cold and fear. He was afraid of dying. There were so many things he still wanted to experience…

"Why did you do this? He couldn't have killed me!" Akane cried, cradling Sugeru's head in her hands. For a moment, it felt as if the battle had paused, allowing them their final moment together. But the illusion shattered as a Kiri nin seized the opportunity, charging at Akane's exposed back.

'I need to kill this brat while she's distracted,' the Kiri nin thought. Akane had proven to be a formidable opponent, she was fast, strong, and deadly. Each swing of her blade had claimed a life, and the new technique she'd accidentally created during a near-death experience was now refined and devastating. The only drawback was that after it ran out, she would be left completely defenseless, requiring hours to recover. She had been saving it for a stronger opponent...

The Kiri nin's blade was inches from her neck when the air around Akane distorted violently, forcing him back. 

'What the hell is this chakra?' he thought, his confidence wavering. For a moment, he felt genuine fear from the sheer violence radiating from her aura.

"I'll be back, Sugeru. I'll kill all of them," Akane whispered through clenched teeth as she stood. Her gentle, soft gaze was gone, replaced by nothing but hatred and rage.

"All we wanted was to live peacefully!" she said, her voice rising with every word. "We didn't kill anyone, didn't attack anyone, didn't rob anyone. So why are you attacking us? Why did you have to invade us?"

Akane wasn't seeking an answer. She was unleashing her emotions, her grief transforming into raw fury. In an instant, she flickered behind the Kiri nin, her blade already in motion.

'I can't avoid this,' the chunin thought, raising his weapon to block. But when steel met steel, the sheer force of Akane's strike sent him flying. She didn't give him a moment to recover. Before he could even hit the ground, she was there, her blade slicing through the air. This time, it found its mark, severing his head from his body. He didn't even have time to struggle - Akane's movements were too fast, too relentless.

Akane didn't stop. She flickered from enemy to enemy, cutting them down without hesitation. Her blade soon turned crimson, dripping with blood. Her once beautiful and bright face was now splattered with blood, chunks of her enemies clinging to her armor. 

Even an elite chunin had no means to defend themselves from her attacks. Even though she fought without regard for her safety, her opponents could not take advantage of that as her attacks were ferocious and relentless, giving them no opening. Usually, people would prioritize their own self and make less risky moves. However, Akane no longer cared about her safety, her only goal was to inflict as much damage as possible.

'I'll kill all of you… kill… kill…' her mind was in a haze, thoughts focused on one, single goal.

The other Terumi ninja watched in awe and fear. This wasn't the Akane they knew, her fighting style now resembled the certain tigress. 

Her rampage turned the tide of the battle, and soon, her squad overwhelmed their opponents. When the fighting finally ended, Akane stood motionless, drenched in blood, surrounded by bodies. The battlefield was silent in motion, except for the sound of blood dripping from her blade and armor.

"Sugeru…" she whispered, her voice breaking as she ran back to where his body lay. He was no longer breathing, his body growing colder with each passing moment. Akane reached out, gently closing his eyes. She had no words left. All she wanted was another chance, a way to change the outcome of the battle.

'I should have used this power from the beginning,' she thought, her mind heavy with regret. She searched for mistakes, for ways this tragedy could have been avoided. But no matter how much she thought or despaired, nothing could change the truth - life never gives second chances. 

Sugeru was gone.

**

A/N -

I found it surprisingly difficult to kill one of my OC, but after the first one the rest should become easier xD

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