Chapter 366: Akshia Arrives on the Battlefield
"Ah!"
Naruto's hands pressed against the glass dome trapping him. With a furious roar, golden chakra surged violently from his body.
"It's useless. With your strength alone, there's no way you can break through my Imprisonment Sphere," Frieza sneered as he floated atop the sphere, his tone mocking. "Now then, would you kindly tell me who took out the member Great Dark Heaven sent here earlier?"
Naruto frowned, trying hard to recall.
"Idiot, hurry up and tell him!"
Kurama, the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, urged anxiously.
"Kurama...?"
Naruto remembered clearly—Dark Shunhi was indeed a member of Great Dark Heaven, and the one who destroyed her was Akshia, who had been resurrected using Sakura's body.
Letting Frieza and Akshia fight it out while he sat back and reaped the rewards would've been a smart move. But Naruto's personality as Asura's reincarnation, along with his misgivings about Akshia's use of Sakura's body, made him instinctively reluctant to go through with it.
After all, when they were up against Dark Shunhi, Akshia had indeed been an ally.
"Idiot! He's not after you, he's after Akshia. Besides, I can clearly sense it—that body houses a tremendous power. There's no way you or I can take it on alone!"
Kurama stared at Frieza from within Naruto's body. As a beast, his instincts were keen when it came to sensing danger.
"Oh? Looks like there's something rather interesting inside you."
Standing atop the Imprisonment Sphere, Frieza gazed down at the trapped Naruto with a look of fascination. "A beast formed purely of energy, huh? Not all that impressive, really."
Seeing that Frieza didn't seem interested in him, Kurama let out a breath of relief and quickly spoke up, "It's true—a member of Great Dark Heaven did appear earlier, but was taken out by Akshia."
"Hey! Kurama!"
Naruto was visibly annoyed that Kurama had revealed that information without permission.
"Idiot, haven't you figured it out yet? Frieza hasn't even gone all out against us so far!"
"Akshia... I feel like I've heard that name before..." Frieza frowned slightly, then tapped on his intelligent wristband to search for information on Akshia. "I see now—she was the Guardian of Planet Cecilia. I recall that planet was wiped out by Great Dark Heaven ages ago. Didn't expect to see Akshia show up here."
"What are you planning to do!?"
Still confined inside the sphere, Naruto looked up at Frieza.
Frieza jumped down from the sphere and hovered just above the snowy ground, positioning himself so he could look Naruto in the eyes. "Back then, I was assigned elsewhere and didn't get to participate in the destruction of Planet Cecilia. So I've been quite looking forward to facing its Guardian."
The Imprisonment Sphere released, freeing Naruto.
Naruto stayed alert, assuming a combat stance as he faced Frieza.
"Hey! Naruto! Stop being so stubborn!"
Kurama's tone took on a rare pleading quality.
"Even though Akshia froze the Shinobi World, Great Dark Heaven is still our common enemy! Just thinking about the entire universe being plunged into eternal darkness sends chills down my spine. Kurama, you wouldn't want to live in a world like that either, right?"
Even though the world lay in deep freeze, the sun still shone in the sky, its warmth faint but still discernible.
"...You're impossible."
If Naruto insisted, Kurama could only go along with him.
"Kurama, lend me your power!"
"Right!"
While maintaining his Super Saiyan Mode Third Form, Naruto received Kurama's support as the tailed beast joined his hands in a seal, helping Naruto activate the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
"Oh? He can still transform to further boost his power?"
Frieza hovered calmly, arms folded, watching Naruto with interest. He made no move to interrupt.
Suddenly, a sharp tearing sound ripped through the air as a powerful chakra surge burst forth.
This was the Super Nine-Tails Chakra Mode—a fusion of Super Saiyan Mode and Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
Naruto's form subtly shifted.
Layered over his Super Saiyan Third Form was the glowing cloak of the Nine-Tails.
"So it's just a basic fusion of modes..." Frieza sighed, shaking his head with a disappointed look. "Fine. Let's consider this a warm-up before the real fight begins."
"Here I go! Ha—!"
Naruto charged at Frieza, the snow beneath his feet erupting into a cloud of powder as he pushed off.
"Still too slow."
Frieza casually kept his left hand behind his back, blocking Naruto's charge with only his right hand.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
As he closed in, Naruto opened his left palm toward the ground, sending a powerful blast of wind downward to boost himself high above Frieza.
"What?!"
Frieza looked mildly surprised.
"Rasengan!"
Naruto slammed the spinning sphere of chakra in his right hand down toward Frieza's head.
"As if!"
Frieza raised his left hand above his head, catching the Rasengan. "An attack like that? Hardly worth my attention..."
"Kurama!"
"I'm ready, Naruto!"
"Super Giant Rasengan!"
Kurama poured more chakra into Naruto's right hand, causing the Rasengan to rapidly expand. Its growing pressure gradually pushed Frieza down toward the ground.
The immense energy from the Rasengan scattered the snow around them in every direction.
"Hmph!"
Frieza's relaxed expression suddenly turned serious. With a cold snort, he channeled energy into his left hand, forming a glowing red orb to counter the Super Giant Rasengan.
A red beam shot out from the orb, blasting the Rasengan—and Naruto—into the sky.
A few seconds later, Naruto safely landed a short distance away on the snow-covered ground, facing Frieza once more.
"So strong..."
Naruto stared at Frieza in awe. A casual counterattack had completely nullified what he had considered one of his strongest techniques. Without a doubt, Frieza was the most powerful opponent he had ever faced.
But Frieza didn't respond to Naruto's remark. Instead, he turned and looked off into the distance.
"That direction... is that... the Hidden Leaf Village?"
Naruto followed Frieza's gaze.
Chunks of ice were falling from the sky, shattering as they hit the snowy ground—revealing none other than Akshia, frozen within.
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