Something Precious

Chapter Seventy One

Naruto spun in around and held his sword high just in time to deflect the on coming attack from the clone. Having not expected and therefore not had time to properly brace himself, Naruto stumbled and found his back pressed rather uncomfortably to the jagged stone wall. The clone and he struggled for a few moments before it withdrew. The sound of metal on metal grated against his sensitive ears.

In the small space between the action of pulling away the action of attacking again, Naruto made use of his back on the wall and braced against it while he kicked out with both feet and landed a powerful kick square in the clones chest.

The clone stumbled back and clutched it's chest looking. . . winded? Naruto was never sure because when previously faced with a clone it never hung around long, but he didn't know of a clone becoming winded. In fact he was previously unaware that they even had lungs, though now he didn't see why they wouldn't.

The clone swiftly pushed itself to it's feet, it's sword now lit once more, with lightening, just like Saskue's once had.

It's not him, he told himself sternly as his own blade gracefully accommodated his own elemental chakra and it's wind nature sharpened it's edges to a deadly point that could draw blood before it even touched his opponent's skin.

As the clone approached him again, they circled eachother warily and Naruto couldn't quite bring himself to look into the clones cloudy eyes that would look so much like his.

Naruto couldn't keep from sparing a cautious glance to Madara who was comfortably reclining on his little throne, a indecipherable smirk on his wrinkled face. On his left, Naruto saw a white Zetsu flump to the ground in heap.

The clone stuck his sword to ground and sent an arch of lightening towards the blonde who easily evaded. And yet. . . should a clone really have this much power? He supposed if it was Saskue's chakra that was copied, a lightening arch shouldn't so unexpected.

Shifting his footing, Naruto swung his sword to the side, quickly cutting down the Zetsu as it reached to grasp his arm as if to restrain him just as the sound of other Zetsu falling from the wooden tendrils echoed out to him.

In the same movement he swung up in a sharp movement, narrowly missing cutting out the clone's right eyeball.

The clone and Naruto fought at an easy pace as they both remained vaugly cautious of the other. Because it was Saskue's chakra that had been absorbed, Naruto wasn't sure to what extent his abilities would have been replicates. From experience, Naruto knew that the more powerful the shinobi the more uncertain this aspect was. For example, there was a time in the early stages if the war that a clone had been able to absorb Kakashi's chakra and the result was rather pathetic. It was only to copy his lightening style, however was not able to copy his sharingan - though this may be because it wasn't actually Kakashi's - or his summoning or anything else of his jutsu arsenal; even it's taijutsu had been dismal. And yet, this technique had proved vary effective on both both Sakura and Choji, copying both of them almost without flaw. The only time this technique was flawlessly perfect, was when a low-level ninja whose chakra had yet to develop any personal complexity was targeted. For this reason Naruto had quickly decreed that any and all gennin and fresh chunnin were not permitted in areas where the clones were most prone to be upon assuming the office of Commander in Chief. Though, sadly, this decree was unable to be maintained as more and more shinobi were cut down.

Naruto narrowly dodged a kick aimed to his legs and retaliated with a swift punch to the clones face, hitting it square round the head.

The clone jerked back and Naruto quickly cut down two more Zetsu's with an inaudible sigh. He really didn't need this right now.