In the night sky over the Land of Demons.
Upon a cloud of sand formed from golden iron sand, Rasa stood with his arms crossed, while his two guards, Maki and Yura, scanned the darkness below from behind him.
A gigantic owl, sculpted entirely from white clay, followed closely, flapping its heavy wings. Deidara, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Mei Terumī stood upon the owl.
"How much longer until we get there?" Deidara whined impatiently, controlling the clay owl. "Five people are really heavy. My art is about to be flattened, un!"
Ōnoki, floating beside the owl, frowned and asked in a low voice, "Mist Ninja, what's the situation? Are we close?"
The owl's talons firmly gripped a pale-faced Darui and Ao.
Hearing the question, Ao fought off the urge to vomit, forced himself to focus, and made a hand sign. Veins immediately bulged around his right eye socket.
Byakugan! Activate!
The Byakugan beneath his eye patch activated, his vision penetrating the layers of mist and rock, precisely locking onto the canyon depths.
Moonlight spilled onto the rugged, fang-like rock walls below, outlining a jagged and grotesque silhouette. The canyon depths were shrouded in mist and darkness, exuding a chilling stillness.
"It's in the canyon below." Ao's voice carried a hint of unease. He pointed, "The stone soldiers are coming from there..."
Before he could finish, Deidara's eyes lit up, and a look of eagerness crossed his face. "Haha, finally found it! Un!"
He immediately piloted the clay owl, which let out a sharp shriek as it dove toward the direction Ao indicated!
"Ah!"
The sudden acceleration, the feeling of weightlessness, and the violent jolting caused Ao and Darui, clutched by the owl's talons below, to let out long, drawn-out screams of misery.
"Follow!" Rasa and Ōnoki exchanged glances and instantly burst into an even higher speed, similarly diving down from above the canyon.
Following the diving clay owl, they were like two streams of light, plunging into the impenetrable darkness and mist of the canyon depths!
The moonlight struggled to pierce the mist, barely illuminating the bottom of the canyon.
A massive stone structure, ancient in design and distinct from the common architecture of the Shinobi world, lay silently in the deepest part of the canyon. Its surface was marked by the erosion of time.
More chillingly, the area around the structure was densely packed with countless rigidly moving stone soldiers, moving like an ant colony, and continuously pouring out of the building.
"It's right there!" Ao, fighting dizziness, pointed toward the entrance of the gigantic structure. "That's where..."
Before the word left his mouth, Mei Terumī's cheeks puffed slightly, and she rapidly formed hand seals in front of her chest.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
Rumble!
A tremendous torrent of water spewed from her mouth, transforming in the blink of an eye into a water dragon several meters long!
Almost simultaneously, Darui's hands quickly formed seals. Savage Lightning Release Chakra crackled around his body like silver snakes, hissing wildly.
Lightning Release: Black Panther!
Sizzle!
A profound, pitch-black lightning burst forth from his palm!
The lightning took the shape of a swift and explosive black panther. Carrying a terrifying, all-tearing might and a speed beyond visual perception, it merged into the water dragon, overtaking it!
The previously clear water dragon instantly swelled in size as the lightning panther merged, its entire body covered in savage, pitch-black lightning!
Compound Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
Boom!
The lightning-water dragon slammed into the dense cluster of stone soldiers in front of the building's entrance.
The air ionized, producing an ear-splitting crackle. The dazzling lightning illuminated the canyon floor as if it were daylight.
The hard stone was defenseless against this savage power, instantly being ripped apart and pulverized. The statues were scattered, debris shot outward, and dust billowed skyward.
In just a single breath, the area in front of the building's entrance, previously occupied by the stone soldiers, was utterly cleared, leaving behind a deep pit marked by scorch marks and debris!
A passage to the structure's ominous entrance had been violently carved out!
Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Ōnoki narrowed their eyes, glancing at Darui and Mei Terumī, respectively.
This level of Lightning Release and Water Release mastery?
It seemed both the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist had worthy successors to their Kage titles.
However, their own Hidden Leaf/Hidden Stone villages weren't lacking either, save for the Hidden Sand Village...
"Hmph."
Sensing their gazes, Rasa snorted, his face darkening.
Whoosh!
He accelerated his sand cloud into a streak of light and instantly plunged into the gloomy entrance of the huge stone structure through the forcefully created passage. The others followed suit.
Beyond the entrance was a long, downward-sloping tunnel. Ancient and eerie murals were carved into the stone walls on both sides, and the tunnel was also filled with numerous stone soldiers!
"A nuisance!"
Apparently sensing their Kazekage's displeasure, Maki held his index and middle fingers together, instantly condensing highly compressed Wind Release Chakra at his fingertips.
Wind Release: Wind Blade!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Maki's hand slashed, and several invisible wind blades, thin as cicada wings yet emanating a razor-sharp aura, shot out!
The wind blades precisely sliced the necks of the stone soldiers. Their heads rolled heavily to the ground, and their bodies crashed down with a dull thud.
Rasa nodded imperceptibly. He glanced at the others present, but seeing their lack of reaction, his face grew even darker.
Among all shinobi who had mastered the five nature transformations, those with Wind Release nature were relatively rare.
Therefore, judging by Maki's ability to use such a level of Wind Release Ninjutsu without forming hand seals, his strength could rank highly even among the Jōnin of the Five Great Nations.
However, one had to consider the competition.
The most proficient Wind Release user in the entire Shinobi world right now was Hyūga Kawa, a fact even the Fourth Raikage couldn't dispute.
Compared to Hyūga Kawa's Wind Release, Maki's was simply not impressive enough.
Rasa understood this, feeling only helpless bitterness in his heart.
His own strength was not weak among the current generation of Five Kage, but the Hidden Sand Village was desperately poor in resources. The situation of the village being short on young talent always gave him a headache.
Fortunately, he was still in his prime. After this Five Kage Summit concluded and the Five Great Nations entered a period of peaceful de-escalation, he would have ample time to cultivate successors.
With this in mind, Rasa's mood calmed considerably.
At this moment, the group passed through the tunnel unimpeded, and their vision suddenly widened!
A massive, underground square-like space appeared before them.
The dome of the space was high, the walls around them were rough rock, and a huge altar was vaguely visible in the center, though it was obscured by pervasive mist!
However, the instant the nine stepped into this underground space.
Rumble, rumble!!
The entire underground space violently trembled. The rock walls on both sides and above frantically swelled, pressing and closing in on them!
Like a giant hand closing, it instantly completely enveloped and sealed the area where the nine stood, forming a massive rock prison!
Earth Release: Earth Corridor!
Their vision was completely stripped away. The surroundings plunged into a pitch-black darkness where they couldn't see their own hands, and only the roar of crushing rock echoed fiercely in their ears!
"Byakugan!"
Ao roared in the darkness. His vision pierced through the thick rock walls, clearly revealing two chilling figures next to the altar in the underground space.
—Yomi!
At this moment, his main body and a Shadow Clone were simultaneously pressing their palms to the ground.
Clearly, the Earth Corridor had just come from him!
What changed Ao's expression was that intense flames suddenly surged around Yomi's main body. The flames rotated at high speed around him, compressing into a ring of fire.
Fire Release: Fatal Floating Fire Lotus!
Yomi's main body abruptly lifted his foot, and the fire ring around him shot into the prison that contained the nine.
Simultaneously, Yomi's Shadow Clone also formed hand seals, and a violent hurricane manifested out of thin air in front of him.
Wind Release: Divine Wind!
The violent hurricane arrived, entering the rock prison as well—wind fueling the fire!
Boom!!
The compressed fire ring instantly expanded and burst open upon contact with the savage hurricane, transforming into a storm of red flames!
The entire rock prison was instantly filled with this savage fire and wind. The internal temperature instantly skyrocketed to a degree capable of melting steel!
The air warped from the high heat, the inner rock walls let out groans of unbearable stress, and firelight shone through the rock crevices, illuminating the space in a fiery red, like a heated furnace!
Next to the altar, Yomi looked at the trembling rock prison, engulfed by the wind and fire. Feeling the temperature radiating from it, a smug and cruel smile surfaced on his lips.
"Hmph," his voice carried a hint of contempt. "The Five Kage are nothing special."
The power granted to him by Mōryō was indeed formidable, nearly equivalent to mastery of the Five Elemental Chakras.
But his inherent strength was too weak.
Yomi's smug and cruel smile had not yet fully blossomed.
Rumble!!
A deafening, terrifying roar suddenly erupted from the rock prison consumed by the wind and fire.
The sturdy rock prison was instantly burst open and ripped apart from the inside by a torrent of gold-colored liquid.
Countless rock fragments were hurled outward by the immense force, carrying searing hot air and unextinguished flames. They shot and splattered in all directions, making dull impact sounds, stirring up debris and dust!
The gold sand, like a breaching flood, surged out of the broken prison, sweeping across half of the underground space!
Magnet Release: Gold Sand Tsunami!
Rasa spread his hands, controlling the flowing gold sand, his eyes cold as he looked toward Yomi.
The others followed closely, stepping out of the still-dissipating heat. Though their clothes were slightly singed by the scorching air, they were utterly unharmed.
"How is that possible?!"
The smugness on Yomi's face froze, replaced by a look of profound horror and disbelief.
His full-power combined attack of wind and fire, the terrifying high temperature that could melt steel, hadn't even managed to burn the edges of their clothes?
As his mind reeled in shock, Rasa had already raised his hands to form a hand seal.
"Magnet Release: Gold Sand Shower!"
Rasa's cold voice echoed clearly in the space. The gold sand that had scattered in the air was shaped by an invisible force, condensing into countless senbon needles that glinted with a cold light.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The sky-full of gold sand senbon, accompanied by an ear-splitting whistle, transformed into a lethal rain of death that covered the area above, shooting toward the still-horrified Yomi!
Pfft! Pfft!
A dense, sickening sound of penetration rang out. Yomi's body was instantly riddled with holes by countless gold sand senbon, and blood poured out from numerous puncture wounds!
"Tsk..."
Looking at the unrecognizable, bloodied Yomi, Deidara frowned and said with contempt, "He's that weak? Un!"
"Hoo-hoo-hoo..."
As he spoke, a hoarse, low laugh emerged from the bloody figure, who should have been dead!
The laugh echoed in the silence, sounding especially eerie and grating.
Yomi, who had been pierced by countless gold sand senbon, had the bloody holes on his body violently twitch and heal at a visible rate.
The torn flesh rapidly mended, and broken bones made a crisp crack as they reconnected!
In just a few breaths, Yomi's riddled body was restored to its original state.
Aside from the clothes that were tattered by blood and sand, not a single scar remained on his body.
He twisted his neck, producing a painful-sounding grind of bone-on-bone, then looked up, a sneer on his face, at the figures in the distance.
"I possess the power of Mōryō; you cannot kill me!" he declared.
Faced with this almost-immortal, bizarre sight, the faces of the Kage and their guards showed no reaction. Instead, they wore an extremely strange expression.
It was as if they had heard a joke, mixed with a hint of pity.
"Cannot kill you?"
Ōnoki slowly narrowed his eyes. He raised his hands and clasped them together in front of his chest, an invisible force compressing and gathering between his palms.
Then, he suddenly spread his hands apart, and a transparent cube materialized out of thin air between his palms!
Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!
The tiny transparent cube instantly vanished from Ōnoki's palms. It reappeared, enlarged, completely enveloping Yomi, who still had a sneer on his face!
Yomi didn't even have time to react, his sneer not yet fully frozen.
Buzz!!
There was no explosion, no flash of light, no scream.
Yomi's body—from skin to muscle, bone, internal organs, cells... all the matter that constituted his existence instantly decomposed and dissipated!
Like a pencil drawing erased by a rubber, in just one breath, Yomi's figure had completely vanished without a trace within the transparent cube.
He left no bloodstain, no piece of broken flesh, no sign that he had ever existed, as if he had never appeared in this world.
Only the transparent cube, having fulfilled its purpose, slowly shrank and dispersed into the air.
"Hmph."
Ōnoki slowly lowered his hands, glancing at the spot where Yomi had vanished, as if he had merely casually slapped away a noisy fly.
Dust Release could decompose objects into atoms. This meant that even water would be decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
Unless one could dodge during the charging and aiming phase, or if the body was an energy construct similar to a Tailed Beast, it was impossible to survive Ōnoki's "Kekkei Tōta: Dust Release."
Yomi's so-called immortality was nothing but a joke in the face of the unique properties of Dust Release.
After Yomi was completely erased by the Dust Release, the chilling aura permeating the underground space seemed to dissipate considerably.
The stone soldiers, which had been surging forward like a tide, gradually stopped moving. The light in their eyes flickered and died, and they froze rigidly in place.
Silence once again enveloped this colossal underground space.
"Was it that easy to resolve?"
Mei Terumī frowned slightly, a flash of doubt in her emerald eyes. She scanned the stone statues and asked, "Where is the terrifying Mōryō that the priestess spoke of?"
The eyes of the group turned in unison to the deepest part of the altar.
There, a purple-black cocoon several meters high stood quietly.
The cocoon had a dull, dark color, like solidified blood, and its surface was covered in raised, vein-like patterns that seemed to pulse rhythmically, like a beating heart.
From this cocoon, the group sensed absolutely no fluctuation, no aura, and not even a hint of threat.
It stood there, quietly pulsing, as if it were nothing more than a meaningless ornament.
"Although it consumed a bit too much chakra, and it doesn't look like a threat, but just to be cautious..."
Ōnoki slowly exhaled and raised his hands to form hand seals again. "I will simply erase it."
As he spoke, the white light of Dust Release once again began to gather between his palms.
However, as Ōnoki formed the seals, Ao activated his Byakugan. The veins around his eye socket bulged, and his vision pierced the seemingly harmless purple-black membrane, looking into the cocoon's interior.
Just one glance!
Ao's pupils instantly contracted to their limit. The color drained completely from his face, and his body began to tremble violently. Boundless terror overwhelmed him, twisting his features.
Inside that cocoon...
Ao opened his mouth wide, using all his strength to try and issue a warning.
But the next moment.
Chii!
An extremely faint tearing sound suddenly rang out.
A strange, purple-black tentacle, sharp as a spear tip, burst from the cocoon with a speed that exceeded the absolute limit of everyone's visual capture and neural reaction!
Fast! It was impossibly fast!
Yura, a Jōnin, didn't even have time to react. The look of caution on his face hadn't even completely set.
Pfft!
The purple-black tentacle effortlessly pierced Yura's left chest, entering his front and exiting his back, dragging out a plume of warm blood and fragments of internal organs!
Yura's body suddenly stiffened. He stared at the tentacle piercing his chest, his eyes filled with bewilderment and shock.
After penetrating Yura, the tentacle savagely slashed to the side, cutting through him like a hot knife through fat!
Shlank!
A sharp tearing sound rang out. Yura's body was sliced open, and Maki, who stood next to him, equally unprepared, was simultaneously slashed across the neck by the same strike!
Almost instantly, a hairline-thin line of blood appeared on Maki's neck and rapidly extended.
There was no pain, only a bone-deep coldness that spread through both of them.
Maki only felt a sensation of falling, and then his vision suddenly flipped. He saw a familiar body wearing a Hidden Sand vest, but it had no head...
Is that... me?
The final thought crossed his mind, and then his consciousness sank completely into the darkness.
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