Naruto: The Clanless Prince

Seeing Uzumaki Kushina crying while being bullied, Sora's blood surged with fury.

He had sworn an oath to protect Uzumaki Kushina's smile!

Sora's eyes turned bloodshot as he arched his body slightly, condensing Lightning Style chakra.

The Genin, who had looked down on Sora at first, suddenly froze in shock as he noticed lightning flickering around Sora's form.

As a Genin, he had only learned one C-rank jutsu so far.

However, the intense way Sora's body surged with thunder and lightning made it obvious this technique was on a much higher level.

The Genin's confidence faltered. He quickly let go of Uzumaki Kushina's hair and formed hand seals.

"Earth Style: Rock Pillar Gun!"

A sharp stone thorn shot up from the ground toward Sora.

However, the speed of the jutsu was too slow, and there was only one. Sora easily evaded it with a single step back.

With his left thumb, Sora partially unsheathed his sword.

"Breath of Thunder: First Form - Thunderbolt Flash!"

As soon as the word "Flash" left his lips, Sora transformed into a streak of lightning and darted straight at the Genin.

The Genin first heard the deafening roar of thunder, then saw a flash of blue light. Finally...

He spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

"Elder brother!"

The kid standing nearby widened his eyes in shock, unable to comprehend how his brother was suddenly lying on the ground, coughing up blood.

Then, he heard the crackle of lightning behind him.

The kid stiffened, slowly turning his head to see Sora, now carrying Uzumaki Kushina, staring at him with crimson, bloodshot eyes.

The kid's pupils shrank, his body frozen as if plunged into an ice cellar. Fear overwhelmed him, and he stumbled backwards, collapsing onto the ground.

The Genin, struggling to breathe, glanced up at Sora in disbelief.

Though Sora had used the back of his sword, the Genin's chest was now visibly dented, with several ribs clearly broken. The Lightning Style chakra coursing through the attack left his body numb.

How could someone still in the academy, not even a proper ninja yet, possess such powerful techniques?!

Uzumaki Kushina, still cradled in Sora's arms, stared blankly at his face.

While Sora appeared terrifying in the eyes of the Genin and the kid, to Uzumaki Kushina, he looked incredibly handsome.

Her heart pounded wildly, an unfamiliar feeling stirring within her.

Sora's voice was low and steady: "Kushina, wait here for me."

He gently placed Uzumaki Kushina on the ground, unsheathing his sword fully this time as he advanced toward the Genin and the kid, his expression murderous.

The Genin and the kid recoiled in fear, dragging themselves backwards.

"W-What do you want to do?!"

"It's against the rules to attack your comrades!"

Sora's face twisted with rage. "Comrades? Do you dare speak of comrades? What were you doing just now?! Don't worry, I won't kill you. But I will break every limb you have!"

As Sora raised his sword, a kunai flew straight toward him.

Without hesitation, Sora deflected the kunai with his blade.

Sora turned his gaze toward the direction where the kunai had been thrown.

Namikaze Minato stood on a tree trunk, addressing Sora. "Enough, Sora. They've been punished."

Sora's face darkened. "You were watching this whole time?"

Namikaze Minato hesitated, caught off guard, and said nothing.

It was true. He had been watching.

Namikaze Minato had followed Uzumaki Kushina here, intrigued when he saw her running. Secretly, he admired her and wanted to get closer to her.

However, he hadn't expected the Genin to attack Uzumaki Kushina. Although he knew that kid often caused trouble for Kushina at the academy, she always managed to defeat him soundly.

This time, though, the kid and his brother had ambushed her for revenge. Namikaze Minato was conflicted about intervening.

In the academy, Namikaze Minato maintained a friendly rapport with everyone, and he felt torn. He hadn't helped the kid when Kushina had beaten him up before, but stepping in now to help Kushina might seem unfair.

Sora's voice dripped with sarcasm as he broke the silence. "So, you've been here all along. You watched Kushina get bullied and did nothing. But when I take revenge, you step in to defend them? Namikaze Minato, you're really something."

Namikaze Minato hastily explained, "No, that's not it!"

Sora pointed at the kunai on the ground. "Not it? You threw a real kunai at me. What kind of person does that?"

Namikaze Minato's chest tightened. "That kunai isn't mine! It's the same one he threw earlier when he attacked Kushina!"

Hearing this, Sora's expression darkened further. "They threw a real kunai at Kushina?"

Sora flipped his sword, the sharp edge now facing outward. "I'm going to cut off all their hands and feet!"

With a powerful leap, Sora shot toward the kid and Genin, who was paralyzed with fear.

Namikaze Minato's scalp tingled as he realized the danger. This is bad! He immediately rushed to intercept Sora.

Minato grabbed the kunai from the ground and managed to block Sora's tachi just before it struck Genin's left leg.

The Genin burst into tears, overwhelmed by terror. If not for Minato's intervention, Sora's blade would have severed his leg.

"Sora!" Minato pleaded. "If you cut off their hands and feet, you'll be punished too!"

Sora's crimson eyes burned as he growled, "So what? They threw a kunai at Kushina first. If I cut off their hands and feet, who can blame me?"

He jabbed a finger toward Minato. "And you, Namikaze Minato. You saw them attack Kushina and did nothing. Now you want to play the hero? If you're just going to stand there, get out of my way. But if you plan to help them, I'll cut you down too!"

"Sora! Calm down!" Minato shouted back. "They're from our village! They're your comrades!"

Sora sneered, his voice laced with contempt. "Your comrades, huh? What about Kushina? She's not your comrade? You want to protect them, fine—that's your choice!"

"Breath of Thunder: Second Form – Rice Soul!"

Five lightning-shaped slashes erupted from Sora's blade in a flash.

Namikaze Minato's instincts screamed at him. With his top-tier reflexes, he rolled backwards, narrowly evading the strikes.

As he rose to his feet, Minato's heart raced. He had noticed Sora's speed earlier when he used his Thunderbolt Flash, but now, facing Sora head-on, he fully understood just how fast Sora truly was.

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