Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
In an instant, Naruto's figures began to appear one after another on the training ground like bamboo shoots after a spring rain! Shadow Clones almost filled half the training ground, surrounding Satsuki in the center, each striking a combat pose.
Satsuki saw Naruto actually using Ninjutsu of this scale, and she scanned the dense crowd of "Naruto" around her.
The next moment, the Shadow Clones moved! They surged like a tide from all directions towards Satsuki, launching a pincer attack!
Satsuki gritted her teeth, her body spinning and shifting like a whirlwind, her fists, feet, elbows, and knees all turning into the sharpest weapons!
Bang! One clone was struck in the chest by her elbow, flying backward, but it didn't dissipate; it merely staggered, regained its footing, and charged back! Slap! Another clone was swept in the neck by her spinning kick, also just being repelled a few steps! Thud! She delivered a heavy punch, knocking back a clone attacking from the front, but that clone shook its head and pressed forward again!
Her attacks were precise and swift, each one effectively repelling the enemy, but... it was only repelling. These Shadow Clones seemed to have become unusually "durable"; not a single one vanished with a 'poof' from her attacks.
Watching Satsuki begin to pant slightly under the clones' siege, her movements still fluid but with a hint of imperceptible impatience, Naruto, mixed in with the clones, directed the attack while speaking, his tone laced with deliberate mockery.
"Hey! What's wrong, little Satsuki? Your punches are too weak, aren't they? So soft, can't even disperse a Shadow Clone?"
"You're a bit too weak like this, aren't you? Truly disappointing."
However, Satsuki still pressed her lips together, fully focused on dealing with the seemingly endless stream of Shadow Clones, seemingly unaffected by his words.
Naruto's gaze sharpened, and he decided to unleash his ultimate move. He took a deep breath, and in a voice not loud but clear enough for Satsuki to hear, he distinctly said, "I... don't like weak women, you know."
These words were like flipping a switch. The next moment—
Satsuki's eyes instantly transformed into a Three-Tomoe Sharingan! A cold and powerful Chakra suddenly erupted from her body!
The next moment, Satsuki's attack style instantly changed! No longer just repelling, bang! Poof! This time, her fists contained true power; one punch directly caused a charging Shadow Clone to burst into a puff of white smoke!
Her movements became faster; with every strike, a Shadow Clone would inevitably dissipate!
At the same time, her hands were rapidly forming hand signs! The instant she cleared a group of clones in front of her, Satsuki took a deep breath, her chest expanding—
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A colossal, scorching fireball, radiating terrifying heat, suddenly spewed from her mouth, fiercely blasting towards the remaining, dense Naruto Shadow Clones!
Boom—!!!
The scorching flames instantly devoured all the clones in its path; the violent explosion and high temperature distorted the very air! White smoke rapidly diffused and dissipated like ice cubes thrown onto a sizzling hot plate!
With just one attack, the remaining dozens of Shadow Clones were completely cleared!
Naruto, at a distance, watched the roaring giant fireball and the instantly cleared battlefield, feeling the heat wave washing over him. Far from being afraid, he instead revealed a look of immense satisfaction and exhilaration.
"Now that's more like it."
— — — — — —
Satsuki was panting heavily, her chest rising and falling. The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in her eyes had long since faded, returning to their original black.
That full-power outburst, holding nothing back, had nearly exhausted all her Chakra, and her body felt a wave of exhaustion and soreness from the excessive depletion.
After finally casting aside all inhibitions and truly engaging in a Ninja duel, Satsuki ultimately lost to Naruto's incredibly resilient Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Now, the battle was over, the restraints lifted, and fatigue washed over her like a tide. Satsuki slowly squatted on the ground, burying her flushed face between her knees. The intense battle had temporarily cooled her mind, allowing for relatively calm thought.
And a question also surfaced in her mind: What exactly was she doing just now...?
Why... did restoring their relationship to normal... require such a fight first?
In a state where she could think calmly, Satsuki finally belatedly realized this. Naruto seemed to have used this method to forcibly pull her out of that overly immersed, anxious "love-struck" state, reactivating her combat instincts and competitive spirit as a Ninja.
However, after understanding this, a strange sense of grievance surged uncontrollably in her heart.
It seems this "love-struck" condition is completely incurable.
Why... did it have to be this way? Even if her rational mind understood that Naruto was doing it for her own good, to break the stalemate, emotionally she still couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of resentment.
To be honest, ever since a very, very long time ago, she never liked the feeling of clashing blades and fighting with Naruto... it made her feel incredibly uncomfortable inside.
Naruto looked at Satsuki, who was curled up on the ground, radiating an aura of sadness and grievance after the battle, and he shed his combat sharpness, slowly walking forward.
"Alright," his voice returned to its usual gentleness, "It seems I won this time. Let's go then, I have some things I want to tell you."
He glanced around, "However, let's go somewhere else, this place isn't quite suitable."
With that, Naruto naturally extended his hand, intending to help Satsuki up.
However, Satsuki, like a sulking child, suddenly recoiled her hand, avoiding his touch. She buried her face deeper, her voice muffled coming from between her knees, with a clear hint of petulance. "...You go first. Don't mind me. I want to be alone for a bit."
Seeing Satsuki so awkward and vulnerable, Naruto had already decided that no matter what, he had to make things clear today; he couldn't drag it out any longer.
So, without any hesitation, he directly bent down, wrapped his arms under Satsuki's armpits and behind her knees, and with a princess carry, easily lifted the light Satsuki, who was weak from exhaustion. He then adjusted his grip and steadily carried her on his back.
"Ah!" Satsuki was startled by the sudden action and instinctively let out a soft cry.
"No can do," Naruto said without turning his head, "We have to clear things up today. I won't leave you here to overthink things alone."
Satsuki lay on Naruto's back, her entire body stiff. Her cheeks instantly flushed uncontrollably. She could clearly feel Naruto's body heat radiating through his clothes, and she could even hear his heartbeat.
She instinctively wanted to struggle a bit, to say something like "Put me down" out of spite, but her body clung to this warmth and sense of security, unable to produce even the slightest action or thought of resistance.
In the end, she merely twisted slightly in a symbolic gesture, then completely gave up, letting Naruto carry her tired body step by step out of the training ground.
And that little bit of grievance in her heart, caused by the fighting style and being "forcibly" pulled out of her comfort zone, rapidly dissolved in this sense of reliance and intimate contact. In its place was an indescribable feeling of satisfaction and security that filled her heart.
She quietly pressed her flushed cheek against Naruto's back, closed her eyes, and savored this warmth that belonged only to her.
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