The moon hung high in the sky, casting its pale light over the rugged mountains. A sharp breeze rustled the trees, and the sound of footsteps on soft earth echoed through the otherwise quiet forest.
Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke moved through the shadows, their eyes scanning the darkness. They were on Hiruko's trail, but something felt off, too many false leads, too many traps set to throw them off course.
Kakashi's sharp senses were on high alert. He'd been tracking the rogue ninja Hiruko for days, following what seemed like a false trail of decoys. But today, they had finally found something. His chakra hummed beneath his skin, fueling his instincts and making his senses sharper than ever before.
Naruto, who had been unusually quiet for the past hour, suddenly spoke up, his voice cutting through the silence. "Kakashi-sensei, are we close?"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he looked ahead. "We're getting there. Hiruko's left us a trail, but it's not easy to follow. He's trying to throw us off with decoys."
"We've been walking for hours. If that Hiruko's not careful, we'll catch up soon." Sasuke, walking beside Naruto, glanced at the surroundings with a cautious gaze.
"And when we do, we'll show him how strong we've become!" Naruto grinned, his cocky attitude returning.
"Stay alert. We'll be in the heart of danger soon." Kakashi glanced at his two students with a serious expression.
Just as Kakashi spoke, a rustling noise came from the trees ahead. The three ninjas immediately tensed, ready for whatever was coming their way.
Suddenly, three figures appeared from the shadows. Their chakra was strange, muted, and twisted in ways that were unmistakably the result of Hiruko's experiments.
The first shinobi wore a headband from the Land of Grass, but his eyes were completely white, veins pulsing along his temples, resembling a twisted Byakugan.
The second had arms that seemed to stretch unnaturally long, crackling with dark chakra. The third was a woman, her skin ashen and her chakra flowing in chaotic waves. The air around her seemed to warp as she moved.
"Well, well," the shinobi with the Byakugan said, his voice distorted. "I didn't expect Kakashi Hatake himself to come hunting for us."
"Hiruko's creations, I assume?" Kakashi stepped forward, his eyes flashing.
The shinobi with the long arms cracked his knuckles, a sick grin on his face.
"We're more than just creations. We are his improvements, we are his masterpiece."
"You're no match for us." Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his hand inching toward his kunai.
"Yeah, you guys are about to be sorry." Naruto cracked his knuckles, ready to go.
"Stay back. Let me handle this." Kakashi raised his hand and stopped them.
He stepped forward, his expression calm. He bit his finger and formed the necessary seals with. The air around him shifted slightly as he summoned his trusted companion.
A massive, serpentine form appeared with a roar, appearing in the clearing. The giant snake Garaga's eyes glowed with irritation, and his deep voice rumbled through the air. "So, we're finally fighting Hiruko's pets? Let's get this over with."
"We need to move quickly. I'll take the Byakugan user. You handle the others." Kakashi gave a small nod.
"I'm ready! Hikaribi, let's do this!" Naruto jumped forward.
As he said that Naruto also summoned, his radiant, silver-white snake, Hikaribi, which emerged with a puff of smoke, its body shimmering with golden patterns. The air around it pulsed with energy.
"Let's go, Hikaribi!" Naruto shouted, his voice full of excitement. "We've got this!"
"Stay focused. I'll deal with this one." Sasuke, with his Sharingan activated, focused on the shinobi with the long arms.
The battle erupted in a flurry of movement.
Kakashi instantly entered the fray, using his high Kage-level speed and power to his advantage. He moved with lightning speed, avoiding the twisted shinobi's attacks with ease.
The Byakugan user fired a barrage of chakra-infused kunai at Kakashi, but Garaga was faster. The giant snake whipped its tail through the air, deflecting the weapons with a single movement before striking at the shinobi with its fangs.
The shinobi with the Byakugan leaped backward, narrowly avoiding Garaga's bite.
"Not bad," he sneered, his chakra swirling violently. "But it'll take more than that to beat me."
Kakashi's Sharingan flickered to life as he analyzed the shinobi's moves. With a burst of speed, he charged forward, his hand crackling with lightning.
"Chidori!" he shouted, thrusting the technique toward the shinobi.
The Byakugan user tried to react, but the speed and intensity of the Chidori overwhelmed him. The electric chakra surged through his body, sending him crashing to the ground with a violent jolt. Kakashi stood over him, his expression cold. "You're not going anywhere."
Meanwhile, Sasuke was engaged in his own battle, his eyes locked on the modified shinobi with the long arms.
The shinobi struck with terrifying speed, his arms stretching toward Sasuke with brutal force. Sasuke ducked and dodged, using his Sharingan to predict the moves, his body moving in a fluid, graceful dance as he avoided the incoming strikes.
Sasuke's eyes flashed with determination as he performed his hand seals. "Chidori!"
With a surge of lightning, Sasuke rushed forward, his hand extended. The Chidori pierced through the shinobi's chest, sending him hurtling backward. The modified shinobi slammed into the ground, his limbs twitching from the shock.
"Pathetic," Sasuke muttered, his gaze cool as he stepped away from the fallen opponent. "You're done."
Naruto wasn't far behind. His summon, Hikaribi, was having a field day. The radiant snake launched itself at the remaining shinobi, its glowing body illuminating the forest like a burst of light.
The woman with the ashen skin attempted to block the attack with a wave of dark chakra, but Naruto wasn't about to let her win.
"Rasengan!" he shouted, and with a twist of his wrist, he unleashed the technique.
The powerful, compressed sphere of chakra struck the woman's dark chakra barrier with explosive force, shattering it and sending the shinobi flying backward. She landed hard on the ground, dazed and struggling to rise.
"Radiant Pulse!" Hikaribi hissed with amusement. The snake released a blinding flash of light, overwhelming the woman's senses and leaving her stunned.
"I told you we'd show you how strong we've gotten." Naruto landed next to his summon with a wide grin on his face.
Kakashi stepped forward, wiping a bit of dust from his forehead. His Sharingan gleamed as he surveyed the scene. All three modified shinobi were down, unable to continue the fight. He let out a sigh of relief but remained cautious.
"We've dealt with them for now," Kakashi calmly said.
"But Hiruko is still out there. We need to press on." He added.
Garaga slithered up beside him, its massive body coiling around the area. "So, what's next? We're not done yet, are we?"
"Not by a long shot. We need to get to Hiruko before he can escape." Kakashi nodded, his mind focused.
"See? We make a great team, huh?" Naruto punched Sasuke's shoulder, laughing.
"Don't get cocky. We're not finished yet." Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow at Naruto's antics.
"You've both grown stronger. But stay alert. Hiruko's not an easy target." Kakashi glanced at both of them.
The trio gathered together, and with their summons at the ready, they moved deeper into the mountain range. They knew that the worst was yet to come.