Naruto: Call Me Akuma

After gaining a deeper understanding of the true nature of Satsui no Hado, Akuma finally realized why his body was breaking down whenever he unleashed his full strength. There were three main reasons: 

First, his lack of control over Satsui no Hado. 

Second, his Ki was too weak. 

And third—the most crucial reason—his body and mind simply couldn't withstand its power. 

Akuma could harness as much power as he wanted from Satsui no Hado without losing his mind. It was essentially an infinite source of energy, but his body couldn't handle such immense power. However, after refining his Ki and strengthening his body, he could finally wield Satsui no Hado far better than before. 

Determined to push his limits, Akuma began absorbing more of its power. As he did, a reddish aura flared around him, making him look as if he were engulfed in flames. Whenever he absorbed more energy than his body could handle, the excess leaked out, forming a visible aura. 

"Ahaaaaaaa!!!" Akuma screamed in pain. 

Maintaining this form, however, was incredibly difficult. Akuma had to concentrate intensely to control both his Ki and Satsui no Hado simultaneously. What made it even harder was the searing pain coursing through his body—both energies burned within him, making his veins feel as if they were on fire. 

Using this mode for too long would eventually push him past his limits, causing him to pass out from the overwhelming pain and exhaustion. Even with his 90% recovery rate, the strain on his body remained immense—but the power granted was just as immense. 

To maximize his strength, he tried to contain as much energy as possible within his body. However, doing so made it harder to control. Whenever the power became overwhelming, he allowed some of it to escape before it could cause internal damage. 

With his strength surging, Akuma dashed toward the cave wall, clenching his fist. He focused all of his energy into a single point in his hand, then leaped, punching the stone wall with everything he had. 

"BOOOOOOM!!!" 

As soon as his fist made contact, the wall shattered, sending a cloud of dust and debris flying in all directions. When the dust settled, a massive hole was revealed—approximately 15 feet in diameter, with deep circular cracks and a depth of six feet. 

Seeing the destruction he had caused, Akuma smiled internally. This was the result of just a few months of training. He could hardly imagine how strong he would become in a year. However, this power came at a cost—it was just as dangerous to his own body as it was to his enemies. 

With that one punch, his hand had suffered severe damage. The bones were exposed, his fingers broken and dislocated. The pain was immense, but Akuma didn't care. He simply reset his dislocated fingers without hesitation. As for his broken bones, he made a cast to support them. 

Thankfully, with his 90% recovery rate, his wounds would fully heal within three days. However, if he used Satsui no Hado, he could recover in under six hours—and the more he focused on it, the faster the healing process would be. 

In the Street Fighter universe, Ryu had once survived being punched through the chest, leaving a massive hole behind. Yet, he instantly healed himself using Satsui no Hado. Compared to that, Akuma's healing rate was nothing. 

Shortly after, exhaustion overtook him, and he fainted from mental fatigue. The only thing limiting him wasn't his body—it was his mind. His body could regenerate quickly enough to sustain this form for at least three minutes, but the sheer mental strain of controlling both his Ki and Satsui no Hado was overwhelming. 

Using Satsui no Hado, in particular, drained his mind to an unbearable degree, making it difficult to maintain for even a minute. If he pushed himself too hard, he risked losing control over the energy, which could ultimately kill him. Because of this, he had to be extremely cautious. This form was something he could use only in the direst situations. 

After being unconscious for a few hours, Akuma finally woke up. His entire body was in pain, but he chose to ignore it. 

"Damn it, I lost consciousness again... I need to meditate more—strengthen both my mind and my Ki. Only then will I be able to hold that form for more than a minute without passing out," he muttered to himself. 

Determined, he quickly got up and began practicing his Ki control. After several hours of intense training and meditation, he noticed the sun beginning to set. Realizing how late it had gotten, he quickly ran toward the orphanage. 

=== 

Late at night, Rock Lee was training relentlessly, kicking a massive tree stump over and over. With each strike, he muttered to himself, "I cannot lose to my little brother. I need to be stronger." 

Determined, he pushed himself harder, increasing his speed and power. His sweat mixed with blood, trickling down his legs as his feet began to bleed from the repeated impact. Yet, he refused to stop—until a firm voice from behind halted him. 

"Rock Lee, stop! By doing this, you're not improving—you're only harming yourself!" 

Startled, Rock Lee turned around and saw none other than Guy-sensei. The moment he stopped, the pain he had been ignoring suddenly overwhelmed him. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground. 

Seeing this, Might Guy quickly sat down beside him, his expression filled with both concern and understanding. 

"Guy-sensei, I'm really a dork and a loser," Rock Lee said, his voice shaking as tears started to fall. 

"Why do you think that?" Might Guy asked softly. 

Through his sobs, Rock Lee replied, "A week ago, when we first met, you told me about Akuma—how, despite having no chakra, he still had the lofty dream of becoming the strongest ninja. Hearing about Akuma, I was motivated to become stronger and achieve my dream of being a splendid ninja. But when we met, I realized how pathetic I am compared to him. Even without chakra, he was beating me in taijutsu. The only reason I won was because of chakra, but for him, all he had was his own hard work. And through that alone, he was surpassing me. I lost to Akuma in every way, and he doesn't even have chakra—and he's younger than me. How could I possibly defeat a genius like Neji? I fear that I will never achieve my dream... I'm truly a loser." 

Hearing that, Might Guy said, "Lee, did you forget your ninja way? To work hard and never give up?" 

Sobbing, Rock Lee replied, "Yes, Sensei, I do remember. I thought if I worked harder than Neji—two or three times harder—I could beat him. But with all the hard work I've put in, I still couldn't defeat him. What's worse is, I'm losing to Akuma, who doesn't even have chakra. Even my hard work feels useless. I don't know what to do..." 

Might Guy looked at him with a serious yet caring expression. "You're right, all the hard work is useless if you don't believe in yourself. Akuma, he works hard just like you, but he believes in himself. He believes that he will achieve his dream, and his belief makes me believe he will do it. You need to believe in yourself too, Lee." 

After a few seconds of silence, Rock Lee still didn't respond. Might Guy smiled gently and said, "You know, Lee, I used to be called a loser too." 

"What! You, a loser?" Rock Lee asked, surprised. 

"Yes," Might Guy replied, "But through hard work and believing in myself, I was able to become equal to a genius like Kakashi. So don't give up on your ninja way or your dream. Be strong, be everything you can be, and make me proud! Can you do that for me?" 

After a moment of thought, Rock Lee wiped the tears from his eyes. His face hardened with new determination. "Yes! Guy-sensei, I will make you proud!!!" 

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If we reach 100 stones, I'll reward you all with a bonus chapter!