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You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
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"Yamanaka!" Daichi exclaimed.
"Yamanaka... That makes sense," Kenta nodded in approval.
Currently stuck behind the Mud Wall technique, 4 Jonins of Iwagakure were devising a countermeasure to awaken their fallen ally, who had fallen victim to the mind transfer technique.
One was a lean young man with spiky hair, Tora.
Another 2 were middle aged muscular men, one who had a scar running down his eye, and another with a well trimmed goatee, respectively named Raiko and Kenta.
Finally, a short old man in his seventies, functioning as the pivot of the group with his intellect, Daichi.
Daichi confirmed, "Yeah, it must be that technique... We need to wake him up somehow!"
Kenta turned to Tora and asked, "Tora, you can move right?".
"Yeah, I'm low on chakra, but I can make it work," Tora affirmed, his eyes resolute.
"Good," Kenta acknowledged with a smile.
"Let's go," Daichi commanded.
Scattering omnidirectionally, they eyed their enemies with new motives.
Daichi glanced upon the land, the where he could see Ryohei, who stared at him with his byakugan, but he looked around, trying to locate Roshi.
Daichi took a deep breath in, rotating his neck to locate his ally; "ROSHI, WAKE U-!"
*DRIP* *DRIP*
Daichi paused, dread lingering as he witnessed a horrific sight.
Daichi planned to call out to Roshi, and wake him up, but...
A crimson fluid flowed down Roshi's left chest, impaled by a sword wielded by Hayato.
Hayato's sword pressed deeper, piercing the heart of the Jonin before Roshi fell, dead!
Aiko had already commanded Hayato to pierce the heart and kill him, leaving the Iwagakure Jonins stunned. His action had already been fulfilled a few seconds after the Jonins cast a Mud Wall.
Hayato looked at the corpse, musing, 'That felt weird.'
To confirm his action, he decided to stab again, but...
"Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Jutsu!" Kenta declared, releasing a brilliant streak of light at breakneck speed.
Hayato managed to evade with ease, but was unable to confirm his action.
...
"Let's g- !"
Daichi paused.
The trio of Iwagakure, Raiko, Kenta, and Daichi, sensed a signature from above, and a female ANBU member with a dog mask somersaulted elegantly in the air, her hand weaving a single sign, but the trio immediately knew what the technique was!
But Aiko's attention was interrupted, as she saw a figure materialising on the field, beside the dead Jinchuruki!
It wasn't just her, as everyone else felt an odd fluctuation in the air, all simultaneously turning their heads to the source.
Aiko was the first to act!
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu," she chanted, changing her jutsu and firing a scorching crimson at the perpetrator. It didn't matter if Roshi would get caught in the crossfire, as he was already dead.
*BOOM*
Dust flew up, and the earth shook!
Aiko landed on the ground, eyeing the direction of the location where she had blasted the fireball.
However, to her surprise, the enemy was unscathed.
The cloaked, and seemingly ethereal figure, picked up the corpse of the fallen Jinchuruki.
"Fascinating. So this is a Jinchuruki, and luckily he's not dead... yet," spoke the mysterious entity in a deep, otherworldly tone.
"Who the hell are you?!" Daichi called, questioning the entity.
The entity looked back, its hood concealing its features.
"The one that shall thwart the Shinobi world," the entity replied.
While the Jonins were conversing with the entity, Aiko stealthily headed back to Hayato and Ryohei, and whispered, "Now's our chance!"
Hayato whispered back, "What the hell is going on?!"
"I don't know, and it's not any of our business. I only launched that jutsu to avert everyone's attention," she replied, talking about the fireball jutsu she had launched earlier.
"I believe sensei is right Hayato. We can leave with our lives, we have the scroll..." Ryohei paused, turning to Roshi... "And we've gotten rid of a huge threat of the enemy forces. This is a huge win."
Hayato stared at the unconscious Roshi, who lay sprawled beneath the cloaked entity. He still couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that he hadn't properly pierced him.
'Hmm,' he mused. The strike he had inflicted through the heart earlier... Something felt off. It felt as though he pierced it, yet, it felt lackluster.
...
"Lightning Style: Thunderclap Arrow," Kenta declared, dashing toward the cloaked entity in a blur, however, the entity sidestepped, easily avoiding the attack.
Emerging from beneath the earth behind the cloaked entity was Daichi, with his sword, wrapped in flame, attempting to strike the entity from behind. The Thunderclap Arrow was a diversion for Daichi to launch this assault.
However, the cloaked entity shuddered not, merely slightly moving his body, grabbing the old man's arm, and throwing him to Tora.
Tora caught Daichi, and the Iwagakure forces were in a bind!
'Woah,' Aiko thought.
Hayato and Ryohei were also in awe of the entity's efficient maneuver. Aiko wanted to stay longer, as she had a nagging feeling she felt this sinister chakra before... 'Where have I sensed this?' She mused.
However, she decided not to delve into it as it would be wasting time.
"Let's go," Aiko declared.
Hayato and Ryohei nodded in agreement, dashing toward the exit of Kannabi Bridge. It was now or never...
"Humans, beware..." spoke the entity, infiltrating the minds of all, engulfing the terrain in a purple, venomous aura!
The Konoha trio paused in their tracks.
"!"
Aiko was startled, musing, 'This chakra... Ah, yes, now I know...'
Meanwhile, the entity continued, "I shall plunge your kind into an eternal abyss, and rule over this world."
Pointing his finger at the departing trio of Konoha, he asserted, his tone domineering;
"... You, Yamanaka Aiko, will be my first target."
Aiko immediately halted, as did her students.
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"Well, that's not good," Aiko voiced, turning her head toward the cloaked entity. "It's you after all..." She spoke, wielding her kunai from her pouch.
"I have longed for this moment, to exact my revenge!" The entity declared.
Aiko smirked pridefully, "In that case, I guess I'll need to get rid of you right now!"
*WHOOSH*
With a body flicker, she dashed toward the cloaked entity with a fiery kunai, aiming for the throat.
The cloaked entity merely raised a hand, halting her precarious maneuver, followed by a kick on the abdomen.
Aiko intercepted, using her other forearm to block the kick.
'Heavy,' she thought, before backflipping, keeping range.
The cloaked entity watched the near-dead Roshi with an all-knowing gaze; "With this vessel, I shall awaken to my true prime, and plunge this world into chaos."
'What the heck is this guy talking about?' Hayato thought.
However, the phrase stated before was what really bugged him; "Humans, beware. I shall plunge your kind into an eternal abyss, and rule over this world. You, Yamanaka Aiko, will be my first target!"
Aiko turned to Daichi and the other others, and declared, "Right now, we need to work together. I'm sure that will be in our best interests."
Daichi stood up, and nodded, "Agreed, it's a truce for now!"
The old man wielded his sword.
Hayato and Ryohei body flickered, standing beside their sensei.
For the first time, Konohagakure and Iwagakure have decided to truce, and will be fighting alongside each other.
The situation has proven dire.
It's 7 vs 1!
The cloaked entity smirked, "Ho, now this is a rather interesting development."
Hayato called, "Sensei, do you both know each other?"
After all, the entity seemed to specifically call Aiko, harboring a deep resentment, and Aiko also seemed to know it.
"Yeah, an old foe from a long time ago. I'll talk about it later," Aiko snapped back, staring at the cloaked entity that had its arm stretched out, revealing its ethereal palm.
Stretching his arm, a dark blue vortex coalesced on his palm.
"No... No way," Hayato uttered in disbelief.
"That... chakra..." Raiko expressed his dismay as a bead of sweat trickled by his temple.
"It's like a tailed beast bomb!" Daichi concurred.
With a click of his finger, the sphere of catastrophe was released, rushing toward Aiko and her team. It was like a vicious storm in their wake.
Everyone scattered, dodging the blast...
*BOOM*
A loud boom was heard, an explosion that produced an earthquake, leaving a massive crater in its wake.
"Holy crap," Aiko cursed at the collateral damage. One attack was all it took, and it'll be over for any of these people.
Daichi weaved, "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu."
Multiple fireballs erupted forth, rushing toward the cloaked figure.
With a single wave of his hand, a potent wind current dissipated the fireballs.
"This power... What is it?" Daichi mused.
Aiko turned to Hayato and Ryohei, "Both of you, deal with it for a while."
Hayato saluted, "You can count on us."
"Oh and refrain from using Taijutsu as much as possible," she advised.
Though the duo were confused, they agreed and body flickered, immediately closing the gap against the cloaked entity.
*CLANK*
A metal clank was heard, as Hayato's sword engulfed in electricity struck the cloaked figure, yet it seemed to be a futile effort as the entity blocked easily by raising an arm.
"Yo, old man, can I tell you something?"
Daichi turned to the feminine source, noticing Aiko had called.
"What is it?" Daichi arched a brow.
"Yeah, I encountered this a decade or so back. It was in the Land of Demons, and a situation that threatened this world, a demon known as Moryo," Aiko elaborated.
"Moryo? Yeah, I think I've heard of that," Daichi answered.
"From my collision, there seems to be a fragment of chakra in that person, but something seems different..." Aiko said, staring at the unconscious Roshi.
"What do you mean?" Daichi asked.
"I've fought those afflicted with Moryo's chakra, but this one seems extremely abundant. It's almost as though I'm facing Moryo itself... Almost as though I'm facing purely chakra," Aiko explained, placing a finger on her chin;
"The only other way is to seal him with a unique Fuin seal accessible to only the priestess of the Land Of Demons, but none of us here would know of that," she mumbled, to which Daichi could only remain silent.
Pondering a while longer, she continued, "I assume that the vessel can't contain the colossal force, and he's appeared here urgent for another vessel, one that can hold his immense power, hence, he's gone after the 4 tails Jinchuruki."
Daichi pondered, stroking his beard, "I see. So what we're seeing right now is someone overloaded by his chakra... Then we need to pummel him."
"I'd also advise against using Taijutsu. The more you make contact with his chakra, the higher the chance of it binding you, allowing him to dive into your conscience to become his pawn. That's how he attains vessels in the first place." Aiko warned.
Daichi nodded, approving Aiko's expertise on the matter; "I see. A troublesome foe indeed. If he gets his hands on a vessel that can hold him..."
Aiko answered immediately, Yeah, it will spark bloodshed for this world!"
Raiko, who was listening, asked, "Is there a way for us to kill it then?"
"Yeah, we just kill him, and considering the large amount of chakra, we'll need to hit him with everything we've got, in a single strike," Aiko speculated.
"Agreed," Daichi affirmed, wielding his sword. With a single tiger sign, his sword was enveloped in a brilliant orange, emanating a scorching heat.
...
Meanwhile, Hayato, Ryohei, Tora, and Kenta fought against the cloaked entity, or rather, the demon, Moryo. They had moved around quite a bit, forcing Moryo away from Roshi.
Moryo released numerous chakra like tentacles, smacking the terrain, unable to hit the evasive quad.
"Lightning Style: Snake Lightning!" Hayato chanted, releasing a devastating bolt toward Moryo.
*BZZZ*
"Tsk," Moryo grunted. The further the battle prolonged, the more Moryo understood he was at a disadvantage.
Through the hood, 2 crimson dots can be seen, signifying Moryo's eyes seething with wrath!
"DIE PESKY MORTALS!" He roared, lashing out even more against the squad.
"Keep pressing, we can get him!" Ryohei reassured, evading the tentacles and weaving gracefully.
Tora ducked and weaved to the side, pulling something from his pouch in the process. Weaving multiple hand signs, he chanted, "Earth Style: Earth Dragon Jutsu!"
A dragon formed of stone erupted from beneath, rushing toward Moryo, only to be slashed up into bits by his tentacles.
"!"
To Moryo's surprise, the earth dragon was a diversion, as immediately after destroying it, 3 white insects had emerged from within it, producing an orange glow!
A little orange spark revealed itself before Moryo's eyes! Moryo lurched back, attempting to avoid it, but...
He found himself immobilised!
The earth beneath him softened, trapping him in place!
"Earth Style: Mud Swamp!" Kenta chanted.
With his body stuck, Moryo was forced to withstand the soon to ensue explosions!
*BOOM*
A massive explosion concurred, engulfing the demon in flames and smoke.
*WHOOSH*
But the attack proved futile, as Moryo's aura erupted, bathing the terrain in his malicious aura!
"What the heck! Even that didn't work," Hayato whined.
Ryohei, who scanned the cloaked figure, spoke, "This guy... I sense no weakness. It's all sinister chakra, there's no weakness... It's inhuman."
Hayato turned to Ryohei, "What are we even supposed to do at this point?"
"AHHHRRRRRRR!!!"
Moryo roared, spreading forth more tentacles!
Everyone dodged, but...
"Ugh," Kenta groaned, as the tentacle pierced his leg.
"DIE!" Moryo declared, as all of the tentacles rushed toward the pinned Jonin.
"Damn it," Kenta cursed.
"8 Trigrams: Heavenly Rotation!"
Ryohei chanted, dispelling the tentacles, and chopping off the tentacle that had pierced Kenta's leg.
"Let's go!" Ryohei shouted.
Kenta affirmed, and the dance resumed as Hayato, Ryohei, Tora, and Kenta gracefully avoided the tentacles. They danced in a symphony, throwing many kunai's attached with paper bombs, and rarely using jutsu-related attacks, successfully stunning the foe!
...
Meanwhile, Aiko weaved a single sign, her gaze focused on the entity, before she called, "Boys!"
Hayato and Ryohei adhered, scattering into different directions. Tora and Kenta followed, and Moryo was now staring at the Yamanaka with a bewildered expression.
"No!" He grumbled, but it was already too late.
Aiko fainted immediately, but Hayato managed to catch her...
"Ugh," Moryo grunted, holding onto his head. "I can't... hold him much... ugh... longer... quickly... NOW!"
Moryo roared, or rather, it was Aiko.
"EVERYONE, RELEASE YOUR STRONGEST ATTACK!" Daichi commanded.
Everyone nodded in affirmation.
"Everyone wait. Allow me to heighten your chakra output momentarily, only for 3 seconds!" Ryohei suggested.
"QUICK!" Aiko roared, her tone laced with distress.
With no other choice, the skeptical Iwagakure Jonins adhered, accepting the youth's proposal.
With one finger infused with chakra, Ryohei quickly tapped everyone on the chest.
Immediately, everyone felt rejuvenated, and released their most devastating attacks!
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!" Tora roared.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!" Daichi declared.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang!" Kenta chanted.
"Earth Style: Earth Golem Jutsu!" Raiko chanted.
"Lightning Style: Snake Lightning!" Hayato declared.
"8 Trigrams: Air Palm!" Ryohei added.
All Jutsus rushed forth, like a malicious storm in the face of Moryo. Raiko's Earth golem ascended, jumping down with a tremendous body slam.
And at the last fraction of a second, Aiko released her grip on Moryo's conscience, awakening in her own body.
In Moryo's eyes, time was at a standstill, yet despite his predicament, a sinister smile presented itself, reaching to the corner of his eyes, as he uttered, "Integration complete!"
*BOOOOOM!!!*
A massive explosion was heard, shaking the entire terrain with unfathomable force! After all, it was the force of 6 Jonins combined!
All members conceded, falling to the ground as a result of Ryohei's technique.
Aiko's body jolted up, and she whispered, "Have we done it?!"
A bead of sweat trickled by her temple, eagerly anticipating the outcome.
If the plan failed, all of this effort would have been for naught, and death would be lurking right in the corner.
Ryohei and Aiko stood in anticipation as the voluminous amount of dust ever so slowly started to settle...
"Fools!"
A deep voice was heard, belonging to none other than Moryo!
"What?" Aiko stepped back, dismayed by the outcome.
Moryo walked through the cloud of smoke, a sinister smirk visible under his hood, and a large gaping hole through his chest.
"That was a close one... But at long last...!" Moryo clenched and unclenched his ethereal fists.
"... My integration with the body is complete... Do you understand?" Moryo questioned.
Aiko's eyes widened, as she hopelessly whispered, "No!"
Moryo continued, "With the integration complete, I can wield the technique that makes me the most feared!"
Aiko's eyes widened, as she muttered, "He feeds on chakra!"
Moryo's grin widened, "Exactly! It's lackluster, so I couldn't absorb all of it, since I am much weaker, but this should suffice."
Moryo took a knee, evidencing the pain from taking the brunt of the residual force, which resulted in a gaping hole through his chest.
The gaping hole in his chest morphed into slithering protrusions, before stitching up the hole.
He swept his gaze over the fallen Shinobis, gritting his teeth as he yelled, "How dare you mere mortals... Make me kneel!"
*SHLUK*
Hayato's eyes widened, as drops of crimson suddenly pervaded his vision.
"Ugh," Aiko grumbled, as Moryo's thin tentacle pierced her abdomen!
Aiko found herself kneeling on the ground, musing inwardly, 'Not good!'
With a sinister grin across his face, Moryo clarified, "You need to generate a lot more power than that to take me down."
The situation had now taken a turn for the worse, as the glimmer of hope the Shinobi had held onto faded.
The hopelessness etched on everyone's faces served as fuel for the demon, his grin widening as he siphoned the image of everyone's solemn anxiety.
Hayato watched in disbelief as the rapid attack impaled his sensei, his eyes reflecting his sensei's helpless form. The world around him morphed into a palpable silence, his gut wrenching as he digested the view.
Unable to move, he could only shout, "SENSEI!"
His voice echoed, laced with deep-rooted agony, shattering the tranquility of the realm.