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Undead Army
The night burned with unnatural chakra as Shinkuro's undead shinobi marched on Konoha's outskirts.
"This is wrong on every level," Hana muttered, readying her Chakra Bloom.
"Doesn't matter," I said, stepping forward. "We end them here."
---
New Technique – Storm Seal: Eternal Lock
I flashed through new hand signs I'd been working on since Kaien's defeat.
"Storm Seal: Eternal Lock!"
Storm chakra condensed into a glowing sigil, shooting into the ground, spreading like veins under the soil. As the undead approached, lightning arcs erupted from the ground, pinning them in place.
The seal pulsed again—this time pulling the chakra right out of the animated corpses, collapsing them instantly.
"You… developed sealing techniques?" Hana gasped.
"Had to. You can't kill something that's already dead," I replied, activating the seal again to wipe out another cluster.
---
Shinkuro's Counter
A shadow emerged from the horde—Shinkuro himself.
"Impressive," he said calmly. "You adapted faster than I expected."
"This ends now," I growled.
"No," he replied, smirking. "This is just the first wave."
He slammed his hand on the ground, summoning three elite undead, all former ANBU operatives.
"Let's see if you can kill your own predecessors."
---
Cliffhanger
I glanced at Hana and nodded. "We take them down—together."
Storm chakra surged as Hana activated her Chakra Bloom in full force.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Always," I said, launching forward.
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---
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Aftermath
Hours later, the battlefield was silent, the undead crumbling to dust under the final wave of Eternal Lock seals.
Shinkuro had escaped—again—but we had stopped the invasion.
Hiruzen summoned me to the Hokage Tower immediately.
"Arashi," he said firmly, "you've proven more than capable. From this day forward, you have full operational autonomy in ANBU matters. Your Storm Division answers only to me."
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Kakashi's Observation
Outside, Kakashi leaned against a railing, watching me leave.
"Kid's moving fast," he muttered.
"Reminds you of anyone?" Hiruzen asked knowingly.
Kakashi's visible eye softened. "He's got more leadership instinct than I did at that age. If he keeps this up… Hokage's not out of reach."
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Hana's Reaction
Later, Hana met me at the memorial stone.
"Full freedom, huh? That's… huge," she said, clearly proud.
"Means more responsibility," I admitted.
She smiled, hugging me suddenly. "You can handle it. You always do."
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Cliffhanger
I stared at the Hokage monument in the distance, storm chakra subtly humming under my skin.
"This village… I'll protect it, no matter what it takes," I whispered.