Thud! Rolling...
Maki's head, like a firm watermelon, crashed heavily onto the cold, damp ground, emitting a bizarre, muffled sound and rolling across the floor, leaving a stark trail of blood.
The headless body, now separated from the head, sprayed blood high from the neck, creating a gruesome shower of blood several meters high, bathing the underground space in a mournful, bloody rain.
Warm blood with a strong, metallic scent splashed onto everyone's faces and bodies!
Yura's body, pierced through the heart, and Maki's headless torso swayed briefly like cut wheat before finally collapsing with a heavy thud, striking the hearts of the remaining shinobi.
Rasa stared in disbelief at the two corpses and the head rolling in the blood, a trace of unresolved confusion still lingering on Maki's face.
"Maki! Yura!"
Rasa let out a shout filled with extreme rage, then abruptly looked up at the gigantic cocoon that was retracting its murderous tentacles. His pupils instantly became bloodshot with shock and fury.
Rumble!!
The purplish-black cocoon suddenly exploded with a tremendous roar!
An unspeakable terrifying aura instantly erupted, accompanied by thick, swirling, purplish-black mist that rushed toward Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others like a tsunami!
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
Ōnoki's face paled slightly. Almost simultaneous with the cocoon's explosion, the Dust Release he had already prepared was unleashed toward the cocoon's location without hesitation!
Whoosh!
The transparent cube crossed the distance, completely enveloping that area!
Accompanied by a blinding flash of white light, when the cube dissipated, only a neat, square depression was left on the platform's floor.
The exploded cocoon was completely erased from this world, as if by an invisible giant hand, leaving no trace, only the remaining purplish-black mist!
Was the danger over?
Everyone's tension momentarily eased due to the power of the Dust Release.
Shk.
In an instant, a figure appeared beside Ōnoki.
Its speed was even faster than the murderous tentacle from before.
An arm swung out, carrying a terrifying force and a piercing sonic boom, aiming directly for Ōnoki's head.
Boom!!
Massive amounts of Gold Dust instantly surged from the ground, solidifying in the nick of time into a thick Gold Dust Fortification Wall, narrowly blocking the path between the figure and Ōnoki!
The arm, which appeared as slender as a human's, smashed violently against the Gold Dust Fortification Wall, producing a deafening, terrifying roar!
The Gold Dust Wall, strong enough to withstand most ninjutsu attacks, was directly shattered by the blow, exploding into countless glittering golden sand particles!
But this split-second obstruction gave Ōnoki time to react.
His low-floating body suddenly shot backward like a leaf caught in a gale, narrowly avoiding the follow-up of that horrifying strike!
The several individuals who had been clustered together instantly scattered in different directions, adopting defensive stances!
Only now did they finally have a chance to clearly see the figure that had suddenly appeared, instantly killed two Jōnin, and nearly severely wounded Ōnoki!
It was a monster with an appearance and physique similar to a human.
Its skin was a profound, deep black, covered in unsettling purple vertical markings that glowed ominously, extending from the bony mask on its face all the way to its hands and feet.
A pair of dark, bat-like flesh wings stretched out from its back. Its face was covered by a white, bony mask with fangs, and a crimson light shone through its two hollow eye sockets.
A suffocating sense of pressure and a frigid aura emanated from its body like a tangible presence, washing over every person present!
"What is that?" Darui's voice held an almost undetectable tremor.
"Is that Mōryō?" Deidara, clinging to his clay owl, flew high in the air, his eyes eager and focused on the Mōryō below.
"Mōryō, converted into a 'Hollow'?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was incredibly grim. The knuckles of his hand, gripping the Enma Staff, were slightly white from strain.
The monster before them was vastly different from the non-corporeal, colossal demon image they had imagined.
Its size was human-like, and the outline of its form, which resembled clothing, bore a slight resemblance to the priestess robes of the Land of Demons.
This made it look more like a strangely dressed human than the legendary demon, Mōryō.
Or perhaps, it was fundamentally born from human desire and malice.
"That speed and power... Are you kidding me?"
Ōnoki and Rasa's eyes were filled with apprehension. They had felt the speed with which the opponent dodged the Dust Release and the terrifying power of the punch that shattered the Gold Dust Wall most keenly.
Mōryō seemed indifferent to their surprise and fear.
It slowly raised its hand, its head lowered, examining its new body.
"Hollow?" A hoarse, low voice emanated from beneath its bony mask, carrying a sense of surprise. "So, that thing's name is 'Hollow'?"
It gently flexed its fingers, sensing the power contained within.
"A truly perfect creation, fitting for me."
As it spoke, it slowly raised its hand and stroked the pale bony mask on its face.
Crack! Crack!
As it touched the mask, an extremely faint but clearly audible cracking sound occurred.
The once smooth white bone mask split, running a subtle crack from left to right!
"I see!"
Mōryō's voice gained a note of suppressed excitement and longing: "When my power breaks through the limits of this mask, I can completely release the true power deep within my soul!"
"In that case, I no longer need that frail, mortal body."
"If I kill the Priestess lineage, no one will be able to stop me!"
With that, it abruptly lifted its head, sweeping its gaze over the seven people surrounding it, who were on high alert.
"As for you all..." Its voice suddenly turned cold and murderous.
Weng!
Centered on Mōryō, the surrounding space rippled strangely, like water into which a few pebbles had been dropped.
Several sharply pointed, cold-glowing spike tentacles extended from these ripples like venomous snakes. They subtly trembled in the air, locking onto their respective targets!
As Mōryō slowly clenched its fist, the spike tentacles around it stretched taut, like fully drawn bowstrings, their power surging and accumulating!
"You may all die now."
The cold pronouncement clearly reached everyone's ears.
The expressions of the people present changed abruptly, as if countless sharp needles were already pressing against their eyeballs.
The distance was too close!
"Retreat!"
Someone let out a sharp, short cry!
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Six figures instantly exerted force with their feet, driven by instinct, and rapidly retreated backward!
In the very instant they retreated, countless purplish-black spike tentacles shot out from the space surrounding Mōryō, emitting a piercing, ear-splitting shriek!
The penetrating force resulting from such terrifying speed would instantly pierce them. Even the Fourth Raikage, renowned for his physical strength, would be instantly riddled with holes if he were here!
"Earth Release: Super Added-Weight Rock Technique!"
Ōnoki stopped his retreat, his hands moving just as fast, slamming them down after forming the hand signs!
Rumble!
A massive giant constructed of solid rock burst from the ground, its colossal body boldly intercepting the incoming spike tentacles, shielding Ōnoki!
"Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique!" Ōnoki didn't stop, raising his hands to perform a hand sign and then slapping the rock monster.
The rock giant's body weight and density immediately surged. The force of its fists striking the tentacles also increased dramatically.
Bang! Bang!
The spike tentacles slammed into the rock giant's body and fists, producing a dull, heavy noise. They were deflected and thrown off by the suddenly enhanced defense, leaving only a few deep dents on the surface!
"Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi completed his hand signs while retreating, took a deep breath, and his chest swelled high.
A torrent of flames burst from his mouth, splitting into three dragon heads that struck the incoming spike tentacles from the left, center, and right!
Boom!!
Violent explosions erupted, thoroughly shattering and incinerating the tentacles!
"Boil Release: Skillful Mist Technique!"
Mei Terumī's red lips slightly parted, and a highly corrosive torrent of acid erupted from her mouth like a waterfall, meeting the incoming tentacles.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
With a sound that set teeth on edge, the purplish-black spike tentacles rapidly dissolved and disintegrated upon contact with the acid, vanishing into wisps of smoke.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Tri-Prism!"
Rasa performed hand signs. A huge, cold-glowing Gold Dust Tri-Prism materialized, rushing toward the incoming tentacles with a sharp sonic boom, exploding upon contact.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Darui formed hand signs with both hands, spewing a vast volume of water from his mouth, forming a massive water wall. Ao, too, spat out a torrent of water that resembled a waterfall.
But the spike tentacles directly pierced through the water, vibrating and tearing numerous holes in the flow!
"Damn it!" Darui's face changed, and he quickly formed hand signs again.
Lightning Release: Black Panther!
A surge of violent lightning instantly injected into the water wall. The entire Water Formation Wall pulsed with electricity, causing most of the spike tentacles to explode. Yet, several tentacles still shot through.
The only things left in the eyes of the two shinobi were the deadly, ever-enlarging spikes right in front of them. They swung the kunai and long sword in their hands.
Clang! Clang!
Flashing sparks burst and vanished before them.
The spike tentacles aimed at the heart, head, and other vital areas were narrowly deflected or blocked, but the tentacles were too numerous, too fast, and too strong.
Several other tentacles still pierced through the two men, leaving multiple through-and-through bloody holes in their bodies, pinning them fiercely to the rock wall.
"Agh!"
Ao's arm was directly torn off and flung away. He spat out a large mouthful of blood, mixed with fragments of internal organs! His face instantly turned deathly pale, but his Byakugan, which was slightly unfocused from the pain, locked onto the figure in the distance.
Fear... Rage... Unwillingness...
All these emotions ultimately transformed into madness!
His hands began forming single-handed signs even as his heavily wounded body rapidly plummeted! He was also a shinobi who survived the "Bloody Mist Village." He, too, believed in a creed: Even if I die, I'll take a piece of you with me!
"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"
He completed the final hand sign with one hand, a hoarse growl squeezed from his throat. The moisture in the surrounding air and the blood spraying from his mouth were drawn in, rapidly spinning and compressing into a high-pressure, drill-like spiral of water that shot toward Mōryō with a sharp whistle!
As Ao launched his attack, the experienced Ōnoki and Hiruzen Sarutobi did not hesitate either.
"Earth Release: Tectonic Shift!" Ōnoki's palm slammed down onto the ground.
Rumble, rumble!!
The massive section of rocky ground beneath Mōryō abruptly and without warning sank downward. Mōryō's body instantly lost its support, plummeting toward the deep pit below!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes flashed with intensity, and he swung the Enma Staff.
Adamantine Prison Wall!
The Enma Staff instantly separated in the air, transforming into dozens of equally thick staves that interlocked, forming a massive, sturdy cage that completely sealed the pit's exit!
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Boundary Method!"
Rasa's attack followed immediately. He thrust his hands forward.
Countless amounts of Gold Dust furiously surged into the sealed pit, instantly condensing and growing into numerous sharp, pointed Gold Dust spikes within the pit, rising like bamboo shoots after a spring rain! These spikes densely covered every inch of the pit's space, thrusting from all directions toward the plummeting Mōryō, attempting to pierce and immobilize its body!
"Boil Release: Corrosive Mist Technique!" Mei Terumī slightly opened her red lips, and a colorless mist that emitted an extremely high temperature was exhaled into the sealed pit. This mist's acidity and temperature were far stronger than the previous Boil Release, capable of dissolving and vaporizing most substances instantly upon contact.
"Count me in, yeah!"
Deidara, flying in the air after narrowly dodging the tentacles, didn't show fear but an excited smile. He snatched a handful of clay from his pouch. Countless clay spiders scurried and poured into the pit below!
The containment of the Tectonic Shift, the sealing of the Adamantine Prison Wall, the penetration of the Gold Dust Boundary Method, the decomposition of the Corrosive Mist Technique, the explosion of the Clay Spiders, the piercing of the Water Fang Bullet...
Furthermore, after throwing out the Enma Staff, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately formed hand signs and deployed two Shadow Clones, positioning them in the southeast and west.
"Three-Direction Seal!"
The original body and the two clones shouted, forming hand signs in three directions and projecting a three-sided, conical green barrier, completely sealing Mōryō inside.
These ninjutsu formed a perfect, fatal combination, causing all the techniques to detonate within the sinking pit.
Boom!!
A terrifying explosion erupted from the pit. The entire underground space trembled violently, threatening to collapse at any moment!
A large plume of smoke filled the pit. Brilliant fire and chaotic air currents briefly obscured everyone's vision.
Feeling the cold aura weaken, Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively narrowed his eyes.
Was it successful?
"No, wait!" He suddenly realized something, his face changing instantly. "Miroku said that without the Priestess's power, Mōryō cannot be killed."
So, why did Mōryō's aura suddenly weaken? Was it...
Boom!!
A scorching, crimson beam of light violently erupted from the depths of the sealed pit!
The Enma Staff and the "Three-Direction Seal," an S-rank sealing jutsu, were instantly shattered like glass and dispersed into scattered points of light before the 'Cero'!
The crimson beam didn't stop, piercing through the underground space's ceiling, shattering countless falling boulders, and shooting straight into the night sky above the mountain!
An aura even colder, more terrifying, and more despair-inducing than before surged out wildly from the broken pit, accompanied by a purplish-black mist!
Almost the moment the sealing barrier was broken.
Whoosh!
A pitch-black figure, like a ghost, appeared out of thin air right in front of the visibly shaken Hiruzen Sarutobi!
So fast!
Faster than visual capture!
In the distance, Rasa's pupils violently contracted. His reaction was almost instinctive—he raised one hand!
Magnet Release: Gold Dust Wall!
A massive, thick Gold Dust wall instantly rose from the ground, blocking the space between Hiruzen Sarutobi and the dark figure!
However, simultaneously with the wall's rise.
Pshh!!
A piercing tearing sound rang out. Rasa's body stiffened as he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.
He looked down in disbelief to see a section of a cold-glowing, purplish-black tentacle piercing through his abdomen, its blood staining his robes!
"Puh!"
He spat out a large mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning deathly pale. Yet, he didn't dare hesitate for a second, manipulating the Gold Dust to sever the tentacle before it could cut his body.
Rasa stiffly turned his head to look at the space behind him, which was rippling like water. He stared at the spike tentacle shooting out from it, his eyes filled with shock and rage!
Space-Time Ninjutsu?!
He wasn't the only one. Almost simultaneously.
A spatial fluctuation appeared behind Ōnoki, and a spike tentacle silently stabbed out!
But his experience was richer. In the nick of time, relying on his body's instinctual sense of danger, he violently twisted his body.
Shwip! Crack!
The tentacle grazed his waist, tearing his clothes, and causing his old lower back to emit a brittle, unbearable snap!
"My back!" Ōnoki's eyes bulged, a flash of pain crossing his face, his movements instantly losing their form.
The passing tentacle violently whipped out, slamming hard into Ōnoki's side!
Bang!
Ōnoki spat out a mouthful of blood, his body crashing into the distant rock wall!
The same happened to Mei Terumī. She narrowly dodged a piercing attack from a tentacle coming from the side but was swept by its momentum, uncontrollably sent flying, and slammed onto the ground!
As for Ao, whose body was already impaled by tentacles, he had no chance to resist.
"No..." He only managed to let out a short, despairing shriek.
Pshh!
A terrifying tearing sound erupted, and blood rained down!
Ao's body was savagely torn in half by the two tentacles. His internal organs and severed limbs scattered across the floor!
Following Maki and Yura, this Jōnin from Kirigakure, the keeper of the precious Byakugan, was now dead.
At this moment, Mōryō's figure was clearly reflected in Hiruzen Sarutobi's rapidly contracting pupils.
It stood before the Gold Dust Wall that had protected Hiruzen, its voice cold as it clenched its fist and gathered power: "Sealing Jutsus are truly disgusting."
As the words fell, it thrust its clenched fist out. The action was simple and direct but contained terrifying power.
The punch slammed without reservation into the Gold Dust Wall, and toward Hiruzen Sarutobi behind it!
Boom!!
The fierce force instantly penetrated the Gold Dust Wall. Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands completed the hand signs almost simultaneously, slamming them onto the ground!
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
A thick earthen wall rose up, attempting a second layer of defense!
However...
Bang!!
The hastily formed Earth-Style Wall was equally no match for the punch's terrifying momentum, which had already passed through the Gold Dust. It was instantly shattered.
The residual force slammed violently into Hiruzen Sarutobi's lower back and abdomen as he frantically dodged to the side.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's body violently arched. His eyes bulged instantly, and a thick spray of blood mist, mixed with fragments of internal organs, burst from his mouth!
Crack! Snap!
The bones in his lower back and abdomen let out a dense, teeth-grinding series of snaps. His flesh visibly caved in at an alarming rate!
His body shot backward, crashing heavily into the distant rock wall, leaving a human-shaped indentation.
In the blink of an eye, everyone in the underground space was either dead or severely wounded.
The creature's unique ability, which resembled Space-Time Ninjutsu with its bizarre tentacles, combined with the terrifying speed and power afforded by its body, which was close to that of a 'Vasto Lorde' Hollow, had instantly crippled almost everyone present.
Only Deidara, who was flying in the air and constantly moving and dodging on his clay bird, was still struggling to evade the tentacles that appeared out of nowhere from all directions!
Despite being on the verge of death himself, the madman was still constantly tossing down clay bombs, setting off explosions and fire around Mōryō.
"Annoying bug."
Mōryō raised its head, looking at Deidara, and slowly extended its hand.
But just as it was about to strike.
Weng!
A sharp, breaking-the-sound-barrier whistle entered Mōryō's ears.
It instinctively turned its head to look but saw nothing clearly. It only felt a gust of ill wind and scorching hot breath rushing toward its face.
The next moment.
BAM!!
Mōryō felt an unimaginable force slam into its face. Even the hard, white bony mask let out a strained groan.
A fiercely powerful uppercut landed squarely on its lower jaw!
Its entire head and body were forcibly thrown backward and upward. The terrifying force sent its body rocketing straight up like a cannonball!
Rumble, rumble!!
It shot through the ceiling that it had previously breached with its 'Cero', instantly flying out of the dark underground space and into the moonlit night sky of the gorge above!
In the underground space, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had just slumped down from the rock wall, also witnessed the sudden scene.
A figure with pure white wings silently hovered where Mōryō had been standing. The young but currently furious face was so familiar!
"Cough, cough! Kawa?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi blurted out the name, his voice filled with disbelief.
Hearing this, Hyūga Kawa slightly turned his head, glancing at Hiruzen Sarutobi's heavily injured body. A flicker of light passed in the depths of his eyes.
Perfect timing. He had been worried that Mōryō was too weak to injure Hiruzen Sarutobi, but this level of injury was just right.
In this state, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi rushed back to Konoha, he couldn't do anything but watch like a useless bystander.
When the time came, Konoha, with all the pieces in place, would be his alone to command.
"According to 'Kage's' feedback," Hyūga Kawa thought, "The Branch House and the Akatsuki should be making their move soon."
As he thought this, he deliberately suppressed the anger on his face, looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi and saying gravely: "I apologize, Third Hokage-sama, I came late. Please wait here for a moment."
"I will return very soon."
With his words, Hyūga Kawa suddenly lifted his head, his Byakugan locked onto the dark figure high in the sky.
I don't have time to waste with you, Mōryō.
Whoosh!
The pure white wings on his back suddenly beat once. A blast of turbulent air erupted from him, clearing the debris and smoke from the ground!
The air let out a deafening explosion. A clearly visible sonic boom cloud rippled from his original position, and Hyūga Kawa's figure instantly vanished.
In the night sky, Mōryō was still ascending, not yet fully recovering from the shock of the previous punch.
Finally, a flash of rage crossed its eyes. It forcefully stabilized its body in the air, suppressed the momentum, and violently lowered its head, staring intently at the hole in the ceiling below!
It only saw...
At the breached ceiling below, a figure vanished from its position, instantly appearing before Mōryō at the same altitude, moving with a terrifying speed that made even Mōryō's heart tremble!
The plain white robes on the figure's body flapped fiercely in the howling wind!
Hyūga Kawa's fist clenched again, his arm muscles bulging, veins popping, and he slammed it violently toward Mōryō's face.
BAM!!
Another, even more violent roar.
Mōryō had no time to mount any effective defense. It only felt a force even fiercer than before smash into its head.
Its body, moving several times faster, was sent hurtling back down toward the breached ceiling below!
CRASH!!!
Mōryō's body slammed back into the altar like a meteor, impacting heavily on the very spot it had previously occupied.
The terrifying impact caused the entire ground to collapse violently. Spiderweb cracks instantly spread, forming a massive, deep crater, and dust flew into the sky!
Hyūga Kawa plunged down from the sky immediately after Mōryō, like a white streak of light.
RUMBLE!!
An even more horrifying explosion erupted. The entire underground space shook violently. The already precarious ceiling began to collapse, and countless massive rocks came crashing down!
At the center of Hyūga Kawa's impact, an unimaginable colossal force instantly pulverized the already collapsed ground into dust!
A fierce wave of air rolled out like a tsunami, swirling the pervasive smoke and dust, enveloping everything and obscuring visibility!
Simultaneously, five figures appeared in the chaotic underground space using the Body Flicker Technique.
They were Kakashi Hatake, the Fourth Raikage, Yugito Nii, Yagura Karatachi, and Kitsuchi!
As they appeared, they saw the hellish scene before them and the severely wounded or tragically dead forms of the Kage and their subordinates. Their expressions instantly changed.
"Third Hokage-sama!"
Kakashi looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was leaning against the rock wall with a weak aura. He instantly used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside him, carefully helping him up, his voice filled with anxiety.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed oblivious to his injuries. His gaze was fixed intently on the center of the densest smoke.
The smoke slowly cleared, revealing the scene within...
Hyūga Kawa was maintaining a pose with his leg raised high and brought down in a vicious chop, but his ankle was firmly grasped by a hand covered in purple markings!
Mōryō was kneeling on one knee at the center of the shattered crater, covered in dusty grime. The white bony mask on its face was riddled with cracks.
"Bug!"
Mōryō slowly raised its head, staring fiercely at Hyūga Kawa, its tone furious and sinister: "You're seeking death!!"
The bizarre purple vertical markings on its body suddenly flared with a dazzling, ominous glow. A force even more violent and colder than before surged from its body!
The hand grasping Hyūga Kawa's ankle yanked downward. Simultaneously, its other arm shot out like a cannonball, striking at Hyūga Kawa's undefended abdomen with speed and power far exceeding before!
This punch condensed all of its currently boiling rage and power. The air screamed as the fist tore through it!
BOOM!!
The punch landed squarely!
A ferocious wave of air surged outward from the point of impact like a tangible ripple, violently pushing away the surrounding dust!
However, the anticipated sight of Hyūga Kawa being sent flying or clutching his abdomen in pain did not occur!
He was completely motionless?
"What?"
Mōryō's movement abruptly froze. It looked up in shock, its crimson eyes, hidden beneath the mask, staring at Hyūga Kawa in disbelief.
Hyūga Kawa was looking down at it, his handsome face slowly splitting into a cold smile at the corners of his mouth!
A burst of blue light appeared on Hyūga Kawa's chest.
Pure and powerful white-blue markings rapidly spread to his hands and feet, extending upward to his neck, and finally reaching both sides of his lower jaw!
At the same time, two white-blue markings quietly appeared beneath Hyūga Kawa's eyes, adding a mysterious and powerful aura to him.
A vast and immense aura, utterly different from Mōryō's cold and malevolent power, awakened within Hyūga Kawa!
"How does the stolen power feel?" Hyūga Kawa's whisper clearly reached Mōryō's ears. "I have this, too."
Whoosh!
The moment his words fell, Hyūga Kawa's grasped leg spun violently. Using this force, his body abruptly rotated and sprang into the air!
His other leg sliced an arc full of power through the air, carrying a high-pitched shriek that tore the air apart, aiming a fierce kick at Mōryō's cracked white bony mask!
BOOM!!
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