Refused To Stay Dead

Was Naruto truly fighting an unbeatable opponent? How could he, a ninja equipped with the Nine-Tails' chakra, be countered so effortlessly?

This couldn't be happening. He needed a new plan, one that went beyond skill and weaponry; he had to think differently. No, what if his opponent predicted this and changed his strategy?

Shoot. Naruto couldn't think now.

This fight was not just about overwhelming Arthur with numbers or force; it was a battle of wits and adaptability, and Naruto was getting the short end of the stick.

Arthur surged forward, closing the distance in a split second. Naruto, instinctively aware of the impending rush, concentrated chakra into his hands. Multiple chakra limbs were sent to capture Arthur and restrain his movements.

However, Arthur was quicker; he glided along the ground, evading the grasp of each of Naruto's arms. Then, with a swift extension of his own arm, he summoned his Explosive Blade and swung it toward the boy.

Naruto reacted instinctively, raising his arms to block the strike. The moment the blade made contact, a tremendous explosion erupted. The force was staggering, throwing Naruto back and enveloping him in a cloud of debris and smoke.

Even as things were happening, Arthur prepared his next weapon: the Blunt Blade. He swung it down, striking Naruto squarely in the shoulder. The impact caused the boy to crash before bouncing off the ground.

Arthur was relentless. He quickly brought out the Thunder Sword and began slicing at the airborne Naruto from various angles. Finally, with two downward chops, Arthur severed both of Naruto's arms before kicking the boy away like a rag doll!

"And you're supposed to be the main character?" He mocked, dematerializing his weapon. "How laughable…"

Coughing up blood, Naruto writhed in agony. Arthur, however, felt no sense of accomplishment. He approached the fallen boy and remarked, "I could tell by your face you didn't even know what weapons you were hit with."

It was true. The speed of Arthur's onslaught had been so blinding that it left Naruto in his Nine-Tails Chakra mode dazed and confused.

"It's over now, boy…" he stated, moving in closer.

His hand poised to pierce through Naruto's heart with his fingers to seal the boy's fate. Arthur struck, and in that moment, an unexpected surge of chakra enveloped Naruto.

"No!" Naruto shouted, catching Arthur's wrist just before the blow could hit.

Arthur was surprised, but he maintained his stoic demeanour. Anyone would be shocked at that remarkable feat, for the boy's limbs had grown back where they had once been severed!

'Not one, but both his arms had reformed in an instant?'

While holding Arthur's wrist, Naruto utilized one fully formed chakra arm to create a large chakra hand. He swung it down with the intent to smash Arthur into the ground.

But Arthur was ready; he slipped away just in time, narrowly avoiding the impact as Naruto's fist crashed into the earth with an explosive force that created a small crater. Arthur still remained composed before landing gracefully a short distance away.

"Since when did you learn to heal like that?" he questioned in amusement.

Naruto, however, didn't answer. How dare Arthur treat this like a game? The humiliation of Naruto's earlier defeat from that last attack was enough to get him angrier.

Little did Arthur know that the healing abilities granted to him by the Nine-Tails had surpassed anything he could fathom. Unlike the previous times Naruto had healed serious wounds, like a Chidori to the chest, this felt fundamentally different.

It was as if this power encompassed more than just his arms or torso; it allowed for something greater—instant regeneration!

Arthur could not be more annoyed at what he was seeing: the main character could regenerate limbs now?

'I wonder what else is new about you,' Arthur thought, casually summoning one Boltsword.

He then brandished it, letting the sound wave against the wind to signify impending doom. "Come on then, boy… Show me what else you can grow back."

"I won't be beaten again!" Naruto yelled before rushing forward without hesitation.

Behind him, three Rasengan whirled, waiting to be unleashed. Arthur dodged the first Rasengan by moving to the side. He then swiped at the second one, dispersing it efficiently with a clean electric slash.

The third Rasengan was almost upon him, but he was too well-trained; he stabbed three times at Naruto's torso, piercing through the boy's chakra armour while causing the attack to completely miss.

Naruto fought to maintain his balance, but as he stumbled, Arthur took the opportunity to swipe at his ankles. The blow sent Naruto crashing down to his knees.

"Try and grow this back," Arthur said darkly, lifting his blade.

He then stabbed toward Naruto's mouth, and the weapon emerged from the back of his skull. In that same instance, he retracted the blade and then kicked Naruto away. The boy flew across the terrain, landing heavily on the ground.

Arthur took a moment to wait things out before he considered this to be the ultimate victory. But to his surprise, Naruto flipped back up almost immediately!

"Darn it, that hurt!" the boy exclaimed.

The impact of the injury was definitely enough to kill anyone, yet Naruto had somehow done the impossible: he had stood up again as if nothing had really happened.

Arthur stared with expressionless eyes.

No shinobi could survive such a fatal strike, especially one aimed directly through the head. This boy's regenerative skill was astonishing, unlike anything he had seen before. No, this simply didn't make sense.

Was this the game's trick to prevent the main character from truly dying? There was only one way to find out: full decapitation.

The wind pulled at Arthur's hair as he stood poised. From his pocket, he drew a small, luminescent yellow chakra pill.

"Let's see how long that skill of yours lasts…" he said, popping it into his mouth.

The moment he swallowed it, instantly, bolting chakra surged through his veins, illuminating his body in a faint, yellow glow. His hair seemed to defy gravity, rising and swirling as if animated by an unseen force.

Then he darted forward, closing the distance between himself and Naruto. There was no hesitation as his weapon sliced through the air like a lightning bolt. Naruto barely had time to react; he blockaded the blow with his own elbow, only to feel the electric impact jolt through his arm.

Again, Arthur pressed the assault. Each swing of the Boltsword sent arcs spiraling outward, jolting the ground while sending dirt and gravel flying.

Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra mode finally faltered under the blistering onslaught. With one twirl, Arthur struck the boy multiple times, bringing him to his knees.

"What a shame…" Arthur hissed. "No more abusing the Nine-Tails."

Summoning every ounce of strength, Naruto retaliated and aimed for a desperate counterattack. With a twist of his wrist, Arthur effortlessly deflected the strike. Then, with a virtuoso arc, he stabbed Naruto directly in the heart, causing the boy to cough up blood.

Arthur wasn't done. Electricity surged from the tip of the Boltsword, engulfing Naruto's body in a blinding flash.

By the time things ended, the boy fell. Arthur casually swiped his weapon to remove the blood from it.

As Naruto lay on the ground, his jacket torn and bloodied, the world around him fell into darkness. The exhaustion and pain from the battle had finally taken their toll, and he succumbed to unconsciousness.

For Arthur, this was a moment of opportunity before decapitation. He approached the boy and, with a steady hand, placed it on Naruto's forehead.

'Eye mind reading jutsu…'

As he slipped into Naruto's mind, he found himself enveloped by a strange, luminous void. Moments later, he saw Naruto walking forward with a look of confusion on his face.

"I've never had a dream like this before," the boy muttered to himself with an echo to his voice.

Arthur observed as Naruto's gaze fixed upon two familiar figures in the distance—Minato and Kushina.

"Mom, dad!" Naruto called out, rushing toward them with uncontainable joy.

It was clear that, because of the other players, Naruto met his mother and father early on. When he reached them, his face lit up with a smile. Minato and Kushina smiled back to show their love for him.

But as they began to speak, Arthur strained to hear their words, finding them muffled and indistinct. It was as if they were caught in a bubble and their conversation lost to him. Yet that didn't stop him from reading their lips.

"Protect the Leaf at all costs," Arthur read from Minato. He could see Kushina nodding, finishing the thought with, "And save the ninja world."

Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted before Arthur's vision, and he felt as if he were being yanked away from Naruto's mind. Returning from the void, he leapt back, feeling more amused than surprised.

That had been strange; he had never met someone who could deter his technique like that before. Not even Alice was able to negate it.

On the battlefield, Naruto slowly regained consciousness. Struggling to his feet, he opened his palm and focused his chakra. A Rasengan began to form.

Arthur's curiosity piqued; just how much chakra did this boy possess? And how many healing properties could he possibly have to survive a stab wound in the heart?

It's then the boy shifted into an attacking stance. Then something peculiar captured Arthur's attention—specters began to swirl around Naruto. Reacting swiftly, Arthur activated his Tamashii and was genuinely surprised to see the ethereal forms of Minato and Kushina standing beside their son.

"Do it, Naruto!" Kushina's voice rang out.

Empowered by their presence, Naruto charged forward, the Rasengan at the ready. Arthur could see Minato and Kushina rush alongside him. As the boy thrust the technique forward, the Rasengan shifted from its traditional blue hue to a fierce red.

"It's over!" Naruto roared, channeling all his frustration and pain into the attack.

With a devastating crash, the Rasengan collided with Arthur and sent him flying back as chakra erupted like a tempest.

Panting heavily, Naruto fell to his knees upon seeing his opponent on the ground. His hands were pressed against the floor for support as he breathed heavily and felt grateful for his parents' help.

"Thank you… mom, dad."

But then he felt an unexpected sensation—a hand lifted him up by his hair. Confused, he looked up to see Arthur coldly staring at him.

But how? He gave everything into that last attack. After looking to see a log where Arthur once was, it finally donned on him; the Substitution technique!

"That was impressive…" Arthur coldly mocked. "For a main character."

Naruto quickly became furious. But before he could summon the strength to strike, Arthur quickly cut his throat with a swift motion of his blade.

Gargling and choking on his own blood, Naruto's eyes widened in shock. Arthur just lingered, watching with cold detachment, fully expecting the boy to succumb. And just as Arthur had anticipated, Naruto's regenerative ability kicked in again. Astoundingly, the wound healed.

Before Naruto could catch his breath, Arthur seized the moment, stomping hard on the boy's trachea.

Bang!

There was a painful gasp from the boy as he struggled to breathe. He could feel the pressure building; the throbbing agony was unlike anything he had endured before.

"You're tough, I'll give you that," Arthur stated with malice. "But we're just getting started."

With cruelty, he continued his ruthless onslaught, killing Naruto over and over again. Each time he slashed, stomped, or twisted, he waited for chakra to rush back into the boy. It became one dose of despair after another.

Though he savoured the this moment, the incessant cycle of death and revival was beginning to bore him; the main character was refusing to stay dead.

Finally, after several rounds, he noticed Naruto's chakra waned. The boy was breathing heavily with fatigue before he ultimately lost consciousness. For good this time.

Arthur brought the bloody Boltsword to the boy's throat and said, "I wonder what will happen if I slice your head off now?"

No matter how powerful or skilled someone's regenerative skill was, it always relied on some form of chakra. And with no chakra, it meant no healing.

Just as he readied himself for the final blow, he felt a vibration in the air. Two more presences were approaching within Arthur's sensing range—the unmistakable chakra signatures of Hinata Hyūga and Kakashi Hatake.