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Blood Moon Over Kumo
Chapter 4: The Spark of Defiance
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The subterranean prison of Kumogakure hummed with tension, the air heavy with the crackle of chakra and the faint metallic tang of blood. Vorga lay strapped to the steel table, his massive frame bound by glowing chakra-suppressing seals that pulsed like a heartbeat. His chest heaved, each breath a labored growl, but his eyes burned with unyielding fire. The wounds from Toroi's interrogation—cuts, burns, and bruises—were already fading, his Saiyan biology knitting flesh at an alarming rate. The faint golden flicker of his earlier surge had vanished, but the memory of it lingered in the room, unsettling the guards.
Yui, the scientist, stood at her control panel, her fingers trembling as she adjusted the seal output. Her monitor flashed warnings: Subject Energy Fluctuation—Unstable. She muttered to herself, "This… this isn't possible. His cells are rewriting faster than the seals can suppress." Her ambition warred with fear—Vorga was a goldmine, but one wrong move could unleash a catastrophe.
Outside the chamber, the fortress trembled. Distant explosions echoed through the stone corridors, followed by shouts and the clash of steel. The Root agents had breached the western gate, their stealth jutsu slipping past Kumo's outer defenses. In the observation room, Darui gripped his cleaver sword, his calm demeanor fraying. "They're moving fast," he said, glancing at the Fourth Raikage, A, whose lightning aura crackled with barely restrained fury.
"Danzo's dogs," A snarled, his fists sparking. "They think they can steal our prisoner? Let them try." He turned to a squad of elite jonin. "Lock down the facility. No one gets in or out."
As the jonin dispersed, a shadow moved in the ventilation shaft above Vorga's chamber. A Root agent, clad in black, their face hidden behind a blank mask, dropped silently to the floor. In their hand gleamed a syringe filled with a viscous green liquid—a poison designed to kill even tailed beasts. The agent crept toward Vorga, their movements soundless, their intent clear.
Vorga's eyes flicked toward the shadow. His senses, dulled by the seals, still caught the faint shift in air pressure. His lips curled into a bloodied smirk. "Sneaky rat," he rasped, voice low but laced with menace. "You think you can finish me?"
The agent froze, then lunged, syringe aimed for Vorga's neck. But the Saiyan's body surged with a sudden burst of strength. His arm strained against the seals, the steel cuff groaning as it bent. The agent's eyes widened behind their mask, but it was too late—Vorga's hand shot free, grabbing their wrist and crushing it with a sickening snap. The syringe clattered to the floor, its contents spilling.
The agent screamed, but Vorga's other hand tore free, seizing their throat. "Weak," he growled, slamming them into the wall. The impact cracked stone, and the agent slumped, lifeless.
Alarms blared. Yui stumbled back from her panel, her voice shrill. "He's breaking the seals!" She cranked the controls to maximum, the restraints flaring with chakra that burned Vorga's skin. He roared, his body convulsing, but the pain only fueled him. His Zenkai kicked in, a rush of power flooding his veins. The remaining cuffs shattered, metal fragments raining down as he rose from the table.
Yui bolted for the door, but Vorga was faster. He grabbed her by the coat, lifting her off the ground. "You thought you could cage me?" His voice was a guttural snarl, his eyes glowing with primal rage. "Your toys can't hold a Saiyan."
Before he could crush her, the chamber door exploded inward. Darui charged in, his cleaver sword glowing with black lightning. "Drop her, now!" he shouted, slashing a wave of electrified chakra at Vorga.
The Saiyan hurled Yui aside, dodging the attack by a hair. The chakra wave carved a gash in the wall, sparks flying. Vorga's wounds were nearly gone now, his body humming with newfound strength. "Better," he said, cracking his neck. "But still not enough."
Darui didn't hesitate. He wove seals, unleashing Black Lightning: Panther Strike. A roaring beast of dark electricity surged toward Vorga, its claws raking the air. Vorga met it head-on, his ki flaring as he punched through the construct, dispersing it in a shower of sparks. The shockwave knocked Darui back, his boots skidding across the floor.
"You're tough," Vorga said, advancing. "But I'm tougher."
Before he could strike, the fortress shook again—harder this time. A second Root agent appeared at the chamber's entrance, flanked by two more, each wielding poisoned blades. "Target acquired," one hissed, their Sharingan glinting in the torchlight. "Eliminate him."
Vorga's grin widened. "More prey."
The fight erupted in a blur. The Root agents moved with lethal precision, their blades flashing as they wove genjutsu to disorient Vorga. But his Saiyan instincts cut through the illusions—his raw power overwhelmed their finesse. He caught one agent's blade mid-strike, snapping it, then drove his fist through their chest. The second agent landed a cut across his arm, poison sizzling, but Vorga's Zenkai neutralized it, his body adapting faster than the toxin could spread.
Darui seized the opening, slashing Vorga's back with his cleaver. The Saiyan staggered, blood spraying, but turned with a roar, grabbing Darui's blade with both hands. "Nice try," he growled, yanking the sword free and hurling it into the ceiling.
The third Root agent threw a barrage of shuriken, each laced with explosive tags. Vorga tanked the blast, his armor cracking but his body holding. The chamber was crumbling now, stone raining from the ceiling. Yui crawled to the control panel, slamming a failsafe button. A new set of seals activated, flooding the room with chakra-dampening mist.
Vorga's vision blurred, his strength faltering as the mist sapped his ki. Darui, bloodied but standing, retrieved his sword. "You're done," he said, raising the blade.
But Vorga's eyes locked onto the blood moon, visible through a crack in the ceiling. Its crimson light stirred something deep within him—primal, unstoppable. His tail twitched, his aura flaring gold for a split second. "Not… yet," he rasped, his voice shaking the room.
A distant explosion rocked the fortress. The Root attack had breached deeper, and Kumo's defenses were faltering. Darui hesitated, torn between finishing Vorga and joining the fight outside. That moment of hesitation was all Vorga needed.
With a roar, he shattered the mist's effect, his ki surging beyond the seals' control. He grabbed Darui, hurling him through the wall into the observation room. The Saiyan turned, smashing through the chamber's reinforced door, and sprinted into the fortress's labyrinthine halls, leaving chaos in his wake.
As he vanished into the shadows, Yui staggered to her feet, clutching her notes. "He's… evolving," she whispered, fear and fascination warring in her eyes.
Outside, the blood moon burned brighter, its light casting Kumo in an ominous glow. The Saiyan was loose, and the black site's destruction was only the beginning.
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