Hiro and the assembled Hagaromo Clan members exchanged bewildered glances. The sudden shift from the hopeful camaraderie of a potential alliance back to the harsh reality of their precarious situation had caught them off guard. In the brief respite, the lingering threat of their pursuers had faded from their immediate awareness, overshadowed by the prospect of a new beginning.
"Head South! We will try to delay the enemy!" Akashi's urgent shout sliced through the lingering air of hopeful anticipation, snapping them back to the brutal present.
"Akashi, what are you doing? We have to get out of here, too!" Kuroko exclaimed, his grip tightening on Akashi's shoulders, his voice laced with alarm. "Don't you remember what I said before the battle?"
Akashi met his sensei's worried gaze, his own eyes filled with a resolute fire. "Hn. I remember, Sensei. You told us to retreat if things became overwhelming, to prioritize our lives. But Sensei, the calculus has changed! They are no longer just the Hagaromo, a wandering, hunted clan. They are Hagaromo of the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools. My village! Your village! And I will not abandon them to slaughter." His voice resonated with a conviction that belied his young age.
The Hagaromo warriors, witnessing this exchange, were visibly moved. A new light flickered in their eyes as they looked upon the Uzumaki Genin, a mixture of surprise and burgeoning respect.
Oyashiro, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by a steely resolve, stepped forward to stand beside Akashi, facing Kuroko. "Sensei, I am no coward! I may enjoy a relaxed pace, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to the urgency of this moment. The time to act is now. To ensure our new clansmen reach their home safely."
"Argh! The two of you will be the death of me," Kuroko groaned, his chakra flaring erratically for a fleeting moment, causing hairline cracks to spiderweb across the ground beneath his feet. Then, a grim determination settled on his face. "Luckily for both of you, I'm not entirely heartless." He swiftly unsealed a storage scroll, revealing a stark white Shinigami mask, identical to those worn by the hidden Anbu. He donned it without hesitation, and an immediate, chilling shift permeated his aura.
"The moment I sense the Hagaromo have reached a safe distance, you will both run. No questions asked. Understood?"
"Yes, Sensei," Akashi and Oyashiro replied in unison, their voices firm.
"Good." Kuroko turned to face Hiro and the assembled Hagaromo clan. "Head south as fast as you all can. With luck, we will see you again in the village."
"You heard him, men! Begin leading everyone south!" Hiro commanded, his voice ringing with authority. He and a handful of other heavily armed clansmen stepped forward, their expressions grimly determined, while the rest of the Hagaromo began to shepherd the non-combatants southward.
"Huh? Why are you still here? Aren't you going to take care of your clan and make sure they arrive safely?" Akashi asked Hiro, surprised by his decision to stay.
"We Hagaromo are not cowards either," Hiro stated, his stance solid, his grip tightening on the massive axe in his hands. "And I refuse to leave children to fight my battles." His chosen warriors mirrored his stance, their eyes burning with a fierce loyalty.
As if materializing from the very air, four more figures joined their small defiant group. Each wore an identical Shinigami mask to Kuroko's, their presence radiating an aura of lethal expertise. The Hagaromo warriors visibly startled, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons until they registered the familiar masks and the tell-tale hair colors of the Uzumaki Anbu.
Looks like the Anbu recognize the gravity of this situation as well. Not good.
In the distance, the rapid rustling of leaves and the distinct thrum of multiple chakra signatures heralded the swift approach of their pursuers. Leading the charge, leaping effortlessly between the trees, was a familiar, hate-filled face. Daichi.
Hahaha… I can almost taste their deaths! It's fortunate that A and B haven't fully departed for the Land of Frost yet. With the strength of two Kage-level shinobi, how can we possibly fail?
Indeed, at the forefront of the rapidly closing enemy force were the imposing figures of A, the Fourth Raikage, his dark skin crackling with raw lightning chakra, and Killer B, the Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails, the world's most unconventional rapper, his eight tails swaying rhythmically behind him. After his humiliating retreat, Daichi had raced to intercept A's departing group, painting a vivid picture of an Uzushio invasion and the Hagaromo's treacherous alliance. Outraged by the perceived audacity of Uzushiogakure, A and B had immediately turned back, their intent clear.
"To think Uzushio had the gall to invade our lands! Colluding with traitors, no less. What do you make of this, B?" A's voice boomed through the forest, laced with barely suppressed fury.
"Invading be easy thinking it breezy till they run into the A B Combo! Escaping, they crazy, gonna be confused when things get hairy! Fool ya fool!" B responded, his rhymes a bizarre counterpoint to the impending violence.
"Haha, you're right, B. Those fools won't be going anywhere," A growled, already accustomed to his brother's eccentricities.
It didn't take them long to reach the ravaged clearing. They immediately noted the majority of the Hagaromo clan retreating southward, leaving behind only a small, defiant rearguard alongside the unmistakable crimson-haired Uzumaki.
"So it's true. The Uzumaki really have invaded our lands! Colluding with traitors, no less," A's voice thundered, his eyes blazing with righteous anger.
The word "traitor" visibly stung the Hagaromo warriors, their grips tightening on their weapons, their horns lowering in a silent threat. At that exact moment, arcs of crackling blue lightning began to emanate from A's imposing frame, the air around him charged with raw power. They all knew what that meant.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu (影分身の術, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu)!" Akashi roared, creating twenty identical copies of himself.
"Adamantine Chains (金剛封鎖, Kongō Fūsa)!"
Before A could unleash his inevitable lightning-fast assault, thick, shimmering chains of adamantine erupted from the ground, forming a dense, intricate net in his path. While Akashi's initial chains provided a fragile barrier, the other Uzumaki clones simultaneously unleashed their own adamantine chains, lashing out at the approaching Kumo shinobi.
Sadly, the chains were not enough. A's speed was simply too phenomenal. He blurred through the defensive net, a lightning-infused gale, and slammed into one of the Anbu, his fist piercing through the masked warrior's chest, killing him instantly.
Oyashiro, positioned closest to the Raikage's devastating entry, instinctively tried to ensnare A in a powerful genjutsu, the crimson patterns of his Ketsuryūgan swirling menacingly. But A, with the battle-hardened instincts of a Kage, deliberately avoided eye contact, his gaze fixed on his next target as he dashed forward with terrifying speed.
Damn! He recognizes Oyashiro as a Chinoike!
The battle had just begun, but the odds were already stacked against them.
"Adamantine Chains(金剛封鎖, Kongō Fūsa)!" Akashi roared again, sending a barrage of the golden chains towards the lightning-clad Raikage, attempting to ensnare or at least impede his relentless advance. He moved his hands like a frantic maestro, desperately trying to control theAdamantine Chains like guided missiles, but nothing seemed to work. A was simply too fast, too powerful.
A, visibly annoyed by the persistent golden restraints, finally locked his gaze on Akashi, a predatory glint in his dark eyes, before rocketing towards him with a speed that defied Akashi's visual perception. Reacting on pure instinct, Akashi slammed his hands onto the ground without hesitation.
"Barrier Seal (結界封印, Kekkai Fūin)!" A shimmering, complex barrier of swirling seals erupted in front of him, a desperate attempt to halt the Raikage's devastating assault. Looking up, all Akashi's widening eyes could register was a massive, lightning-infused fist as it crashed through his hastily erected barrier, tearing a gaping hole in its protective weave. On pure instinct, Akashi twisted his torso, trying to evade the blow, but he was agonizingly too slow.
The Raikage's fist, trailing arcs of blue lightning, sliced past his left side, tearing through flesh and muscle in a searing, agonizing rip.
"Akashi!"
The sheer force of the Raikage's blow sent Akashi flying backward, his body crashing heavily to the blood-soaked earth. Dazed and reeling from the pain, he could only watch the unfolding battle as a helpless spectator, the thunderous descent of the Raikage's power overwhelming everything around him.
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End of 26th chapter