Shooting Straight

Chapter 19

Naruto launched into a lengthy speech, questioning Sasuke's authenticity, his reasoning being that he'd never seen such cowardice in Sasuke's character. Arrow bit back his own interjection, choosing instead to eye up the enemy; he was searching for any tic that would indicate some sort of exploitable weakness, coming up empty. 

Instead, Naruto and Sasuke's bickering was cut short as the Kusa kunoichi offered a smirk and her own taunts, biting her finger to draw blood before swiping it along her tattooed forearm, leaving a crimson trail along it. Naruto's attention was successfully redirected; he charged her, kunai in hand, ignoring Sasuke's warnings. 

The enemy made quick handsigns, summoning another large snake beneath her. Despite his teammate's cries, Naruto attempted to continue his assault, only for the large snake to try and squish him with its oversized head. He dodged at the last second, dropping to another tree branch in a crouch with his chest heaving harder than he thought possible.

Arrow's gaze scanned the battle, knowing that he would have to enter the fight if Naruto wanted to make it out alive; seeing as Sasuke was unwilling to support or stop the blonde's assail. He tried to stand, only to be grabbed by Sakura, held in place as she looked to him with firm concern. He forced himself out of her grip, ignoring the searing pain in his ribs, knowing there was nothing else to do but deal with it.

Before Arrow could make a move, the giant snake used its tail to break the branch Naruto stood on. The boy crashed down, crashing through multiple other branches before falling on his back. Blood spewed from his mouth along with a cry of pain. His body peeled off the thick bough, falling towards where the snake eagerly awaited the meal. 

Arrow hurled himself from where he stood, using what he could as leverage on the way down, picking up as much speed as possible before throwing his body to Naruto, hooking an arm around him and heaving them both away from the snake, only to be shoved away by the blonde as their eyes connected; forest green meeting scarlet red.

Naruto continued his dissent towards the beast, sending a whirlwind of powerful attacks directly into the face of the giant snake, sending it recoiling as his teammates gaped at his appearance metamorphosing. 

His previously cerulean blue eyes had become deep red, pupils merely slits, as the whisker marks on his face became more defined, his canine teeth elongating into those of a beast himself. His expression adorned a look of pure, unbridled rage. 

Naruto's howls filled the air as he continued his relentless assault, retorting with more force any time he was pushed away. Arrow watched in shocked amazement at the raw power displayed in his teammate's attack.

Tired of watching her snake get bullied by a teenager, Shiore took a deep breath, releasing it in a steady stream of fire, engulfing Naruto in it. The boy's shadow could be seen losing momentum before falling, landing on a bough below. 

Shiore's eyes narrowed in a lecherous gaze, an unreadable expression on her face as her beast turned to launch itself at Sasuke, who remained frozen in his spot, eyes wide with fear.

The snake was intercepted as Naruto appeared in front of it, plunging two kunai deep into the beast's snout, eyes downcast and shadowed as Sasuke stared at him, speechless. Arrow refrained from moving, his gut telling him it would be a mistake to get between the two boys.

Naruto's chest rose and fell rapidly with his breathing; the only noise in the wood, as if time had frozen to focus on him and Sasuke alone. Shiore didn't move, nor did her snake. Sakura watched from the sidelines, fidgeting anxiously with her fingers.

Still, with his face downcast, Naruto's voice filled the silence by repeating familiar taunting words at the Uchiha prodigy standing in front of him. If it were possible, Sasuke's eyes widened further. He recognized the taunting words as the same he had said to Naruto when they embarked on the journey to the Land of Waves before Arrow had joined their team. He hadn't realized that the Uzumaki remembered, much less word for word.