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For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.

Micah 7:8

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The nostalgic aroma of air infiltrated Moryo's entirety, as he had found himself released from his genjutsu state. However, that momentary nostalgia was short-lived as a yellow-haired youth had impaled his sword right through his heart... Or to be more precise, heart area.

Merely being pierced through critical areas will amount to nothing, as the vessel he held was merely a carcass with the sole to contain his immense energy.

Yet, Moryo felt an ominous premonition, and it had something to do with the sword planted through him. His high perceptivity could ascertain that the sword was imbued with some sort of mechanism that functioned to deplete chakra!

His chakra was rapidly dwindling thin, and should this continue, he would cease to exist!

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Moryo roared, quaking the terrain merely with his shout. The crimson skies quickly morphed into an ominous shade of purple, reflecting his turmoil.

However, Hayato persisted, clinging on like a parasite despite the storm besieging him.

"DIE!"

Moryo roared, raising his fist to Hayato's face. However, Hayato merely sidestepped a mere fraction, maintaining his posture as his sword plunged deeper, disintegrating Moryo's aura.

"Kkkk!" Moryo ground his teeth, noticing the youth who stood before him bore unwavering resolve. He could tell that no matter what he did, Hayato would leech onto him.

However, suddenly, Hayato found himself floating above ground... No, rather, he and Moryo were floating... steadily rising 10 feet into the air!

'This guy can fly!' Hayato mused.

*WHOOSH*

Moryo dashed across the terrain with Hayato clinging like a leech, doing his utmost to take the parasite off him.

"HAYATO!" Ryohei and Kaede called as they witnessed their friend's departing figure, who had become a blur as Moryo bulldozed the entire forest!

"GET OFF ME!" Moryo roared.

Moryo became an amethyst streak as he randomly swirled at bullet speed, crashing into trees and monoliths, leveling the forest to get the leech off him, yet the leech clung on through sheer will.

Few of Hayato's bones had been fractured, yet he persisted. His attire had become more tattered, and blood was accumulating on his features. The pain was multiplying, yet

Hayato held on.

"DAMN YOU!"

Moryo roared, crashing his body into the ground, scraping Hayato along with him, but Hayato was holding on like a parasite.

Moryo had the opportunity to take control of the world, it was within grasp, but this brat would become the reason for his failure.

There was no way he could live with that!

Moryo twisted and turned, crashing forth more and more, but the brat's sword remained impaled, and his ragged body flew alongside him like a flag in the wake of a perilous storm.

And it was then, that Moryo had discovered that the brat was... unconscious!

Yet he held on?

How was that possible?

However, Moryo had no time to ponder at all. He was in an extremely tight predicament, one that would lead to his subsequent erasure if he wasn't careful.

But...

Moryo couldn't deny he was panicking, so he halted his pointless maneuver, descending to the ground gracefully. While he stood straight and unblemished, the corpse clinging to him begged to differ.

Tattered clothes, unconscious as his knees buckled to the ground, yet the clutch on his sword was abnormally tight.

No human was capable of this, hinting at another mechanism at play!

That was the only plausible theory.

Moryo was fighting Shinobi, strategists.

Nobody was around, it was only him and this feisty child. Something was strange.

Sure, the child retained the same appearance as that yellow-haired brat, but at the same time, he wasn't... Something felt amiss.

Moryo raised his hand and pierced the youth through the heart!

*SHLUK*

It was at this moment, Moryo had killed Hayato, and he was astounded that the youth, still seemed to clutch onto the sword.

But did he kill the youth?

It felt like flesh, but something just didn't feel right.

He felt no sense of vigor, no rather, it felt unsatisfactory.

"Hahaha, look who we have here," a voice shouted, earning Moryo's attention as he gazed skyward.

His crimson eyes widened in dismay, as he found himself surrounded by multiple individuals.

Roshi, the 4 tails Jinchuruki.

Uchiha Kaede

Hyuga Ryohei

Namikaze Hayato

But even Namikaze Hayato? Then the person who had been clinging to Moryo?

Turning his gaze back on the figure who clutched onto the sword, Moryo watched with anxious eyes as the figure slowly disintegrated into fine dust particles...

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

- FLASHBACK-NO-JUTSU -

Just when Hayato, Ryohei, and Kaede were about to jump into action...

"Young ones!"

A voice called.

The trio looked behind them, noticing 2 familiar figures; one was a young man, who was helping the old man beside him stand as he draped his arm over him in support.

They were Tora and Daichi.

The duo approached the trio, and Daichi spoke, "I apologise, but tell me all the resources you have. I'll help formulate a plan... And perhaps I can help with one of my jutsus."

The trio looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders and told the old man everything that had in their arsenal, and their next plan of action.

"I see... It's well thought through, but isn't there a higher chance this young one will be risking his life... Maybe even die?" Daichi concurred.

The plan was Hayato would imbue his entire sword with his chakra, and no ordinary chakra, but he'll imbue it with his "antichakra."

Ryohei will be the first decoy, and plant Kaede's "Enhanced Illusionary Seal" tag, which will place Moryo in a powerful genjutsu.

And then Hayato will deliver the finisher with his sword, however, he'll have to cling on.

To increase his chances of remaining latched onto Moryo, Kaede will implant a Fuin tag, in which Hayato, will remain latched onto Moryo like a parasite, no matter what happens.

As such, the ploy was especially dangerous for Hayato. Even Kaede had rebuked this line of action, but Hayato insisted, saying he could deal with it, saying, "I mean... All he's probably gonna do is punch and kick. It's not like he can fly."

[So much for that]

Understanding this, Ryohei acknowledged Daichi's statement, "True, it is dangerous for Hayato."

Daichi smiled at Ryohei's expertise, and proposed, "Then I shall use the last of my chakra to mold something useful..."

Turning to his accomplice, Tora, he asked, "Tora, my chakra is low, can you share with me some?"

"Sure," Tora accepted, sharing some of his chakra to Daichi.

Steadily rejuvenating, at last, Daichi muttered, "Perfect," before eyeing Hayato.

He elaborated, "This jutsu will reduce the risk of you dying, so trust me on this."

Hayato, skeptical at first, allowed the old man to place a hand on his shoulder...

"If this was me, I could do it in a minute, but since I'm doing it for you, it'll take quite longer," Daichi speculated.

"Okay," Hayato nodded in acknowledgment.

"Chant the tiger seal, and I'll do the rest," Daichi instructed.

Hayato followed his command.

After a few minutes of solemnity; "Dust Release: Splitting Technique!" Daichi chanted.

And before everyone's very eyes, a replica of Hayato had been constructed right beside him.

The cloned individual opened his sapphire eyes, looking at Hayato, and Hayato looked back.

"So isn't this just a clone type of jutsu?" Hayato asked.

Diachi shook his head and explained, "No. it's a perfect replica of you, in which one must expend half of their chakra... It can do everything you can do, but its functions are limited to half... And I have used half of my chakra instead of your chakra."

Hayato's eyes widened, revealing his awe, "Whoa, a jutsu like that!"

Tora interjected, "Yeah, it's a rare jutsu of a Kekkai Tota, known as the Dust Release."

"A-Amazing, a Kekkai Tota!" Hayato expressed his amazement.

Kekkei Tota is an advanced form of elemental nature transformation. It involves combining three different nature transformations simultaneously to create a new and unique element. Kekkei Tota techniques are considered rare and highly advanced, requiring an exceptional level of skill and chakra control to perform.

"Indeed, it's a very formidable jutsu... Definitely useful as a decoy," Ryohei supported.

"Mhm, and maybe even stuff like espionage," Kaede chimed in.

Daichi rubbed his nose pridefully, "Well, that's flattering."

"So that's the plan huh?"

Another voice intervened... No rather, it was familiar, but it didn't belong to Hayato.

All eyes turned to the constructed clone formed through Daichi's Dust Release.

The clone continued, "That's pretty smart, using me as a sacrificial lamb."

The clone's shoulders took a slumping posture, as though whining; "Welp, let's get this over with already."

"Haha..." Hayato wryly chuckled as a bead of sweat formed behind his head. He raised his mouth to the Daichi's ear, "That's really a clone, right?"

He was skeptical whether it was even a clone in the first place... He felt like he was the clone instead.

Daichi answered, "Yes it is, you need not worry. I must also agree, the first time I cast this technique myself, I was also skeptical."

And then, Hayato raised his next concern, "Old man, why are you helping us? Wouldn't it be better for you if we just died?"

Daichi looked back into the brimming sapphire in Hayato's eyes. A momentary silence unfolded, before he answered, "Perhaps through this ordeal... I have gotten quite soft."

Aiko, who reclined against a tree and listened, supported, "Yeah, perhaps. From enemies, to allies that will save the Shinobi world... The irony in that."

Daichi smiled at Aiko's remark, "Indeed."

Hayato turned around, eyeing his clone, raising a fist.

"I'm counting on ya."

The clone pumped his fist, and asserted, "You bet."

"Old man..." Hayato called, to which Daichi looked;

Turning his back, and facing in the distance of the cataclysmic battle, Hayato expressed his gratitude, "Thank you."

And so, everyone had disappeared, intent on taking the reigns.

Aiko, Daichi, and Tora remained in place.

Tora muttered, "The rest is up to them."

"Yeah, they'll get him for sure," Daichi concurred.

Massaging her temple, Aiko intervened, "Don't worry guys. They may be a couple of brats, but they're formidable."

She raised her head to meet their flickering pupils, and a smile graced her lips, "You can count on them."

- END-OF-FLASHBACK-NO-JUTSU -

Hayato watched as the clone of him disintegrated into dust, and he spoke in a trembling tone, "That would've been me... The old man saved my life."

He shuddered at the thought of the state his body would've been in, sending a shiver down his spine.

Ryohei acknowledged, "Yeah, and that gives us all the more reason to win right here and now!"

Hayato clasped his hands together in the motion of prayer, tears trickling from his eyes as he paid his condolences, "Rest in peace brother. You will be remembered."'Idiot,' Ryohei thought.

Meanwhile, Moryo snapped his tongue, extracting the impaled sword. He noticed that his energy had diminished drastically.

"He's weakened significantly," Ryohei asserted, turning to Roshi. "You're our last best!"

Roshi nodded in confirmation, "No worries, I can pull it off."

And so, everyone stared at the enraged demon, who seemed to emit an even stronger malice.

"DAMN IT AL-!"

Moryo's roar ceased as Roshi immediately closed the gap in front of him, a bubbly foam enveloping his entirety! Additionally, a bubbly foam wrapped around Moryo, as Moryo now found himself in the clutches of Roshi.

"Everyone, get out of here. I'll end this now!" Roshi yelled.

"Haha, perfect, that was easy!" Hayato said.

"So we're done here? We don't have to do anything anymore?" Kaede asked warily.

"Yeah, seems that way. Let's go," Ryohei instructed.

"Yeah," Hayato and Kaede supported.

The trio vanished, leaving Roshi and Moryo alone.

"Haha, what could you even-"

Moryo stopped, as his crimson gaze reflected a colossal beast flaring out of Roshi, and Roshi stood in the mouth of the beast.

The beast was a chakra form of the 4 tails!

Thereafter, from the mouth, emerged something that made Moryo's spine tingle in anxiety.

"This-!"

Moryo couldn't speak, as the magnificent orb in front of him ascended the heavens!

"FOOL, I CAN ABSORB THAT!" Moryo declared, his voice tinged with slight fear.

Sensing the slight fluctuation in Moryo's tone, Roshi whispered coldly, "I smell fear."

At this moment, Moryo hated to deny it, but in front of this colossal beast, he was... scared!

Sure, he can absorb chakra, but there are limitations.

For example, in the first encounter, when the other Shinobi had launched their strongest jutsus, even though he managed to absorb most of it, he still ended up with a massive gaping hole through his torso.

However, this attack was multitudes of times more powerful. This time, fear had gripped the heart of Moryo, as he may very well depart this planet.

"DAMN IT!" Moryo roared, tone laced with desperation.

His aura rocketed out of his vessel, an ominous purple hue, and he declared, "COME AT ME, PUNY HUMAN!"

Roshi smiled, followed by a remark, "I'm no puny human, for I have Son Goku by my side..."

Roshi closed his eyes, and whispered, "I thank you, Son Goku!"

Reopening his eyes, his pupils reflected the torrential swirling of Moryo's sinister chakra.

But to Roshi, it seemed like the monster was dancing to its death, a rhythm he didn't mind dancing to, but it already took all of his concentration to focus as he felt he could sleep in any second now.

Roshi mumbled, "Can't wait to sleep."

And finally, the magnificent ball had charged, crackling with venomous electrcity additionally fracturing the earth. Its mere presence shifted the geography of the terrain, its former tranquility now replaced by screeching howls, and a loud mechanical humming noise.

Finally, Roshi, with a wave of his hand, commanded the sphere of destruction's descent upon the immobilised demon.

Moryo's life flashed before his eyes, and the last thing he saw was Roshi's parted lips, which produced no sound. He could hear nothing as the noise caused by the attack drowned every other noise!

But following his lip movement, it became a gentle whisper that echoed in his mind, a sensation he will never forget for the rest of his life!

"Bijuudama!"

Moryo's aura slammed into the Earth, crushed by the weight of the tailed beast bomb!

The landscape had entirely changed!

*BOOM*