New chap folks. It's nice to finally get back on schedule. That is, releasing on the weekends. Anyways enjoy! Special thanks to Chakra Wizard for editing.
Akakuma continued to tear viciously at the fabric which encased him, but it merely repaired any damage he dealt to it. His actions were not completely fruitless, though, as he did manage to prolong his imminent incapacitation. Himura, not willing to give their foe even the slightest chance of escape, ran towards him and grabbed the hilt of his blade, channeling wind chakra into it—which he proceeded to strengthen with a breath of fire—and resuming his previous attempt at beheading the beast.
The fabric ensnared the Red Devil’s hands, preventing him from shredding the cloth, along with the rest of his monstrous form. Meanwhile, Himura managed to cut another two inches into Akakuma’s thick neck. All the while, the beast continued to send his echoing howls across the great landscape, but the trees did not tremble before his impotent cries as they had done before. Rather, they seemed to shake their branches and leaves as one might shake their head in pity, while the partial moon overhead seemed to look down upon him in sympathy, and the waters of the river stood placid in mournful silence. In but a few more minutes, the monster of Aoran would be no more.
But Death did not claim him.
All their efforts came to naught within a single instant. The fabric which encased Akakuma was torn to ribbons, Himura’s blade was expelled from his neck and broken in two, while its owner was thrown back by a great blast of energy. A haze of dust filled the air and surrounded Akakuma, rendering him unseen by everyone present. When the dust settled, the eyes of the shinobi widened in shock at what was left in its place. Akakuma had increased in size, now standing a whopping fifty feet tall, with a face as long as a man and a mane of hair as bushy as the towering trees of the Aoran forest. His neck was now fully connected to his titanic body, his powerful muscles rolling beneath his deep-red skin, which was now coated with thick reddish-brown fur like rusted iron, except for his face, hands, and feet. Both hands were clenched at his sides, and they rose and fell with each heavy breath that swelled the monster's broad chest and poured from his flared nostrils. His bristled hair flowed behind him, some stray locks falling over his reddish-yellow eyes, and his serrated teeth grinded against one another between his foaming lips, which were drawn back in a savage snarl.
The moon cast its dull glare on this freak of nature, this bastard son of Orochimaru’s insanity whose dark shadow stretched ominously over the entire team, foreboding their imminent deaths. Akakuma raised a battle cry louder than any that had ever been heard before, causing the whole forest to quake. Trees thrashed about, the waters of the Aoran creek shook violently, and the ANBU were forced to lift their hands to shield their faces from the terrible squall that stirred in the air. Wave after wave of foul chakra rippled from the monster’s towering frame and filled the battlefield with his insatiable hunger for blood and death.
At this time, Himura returned to his feet from the spot where he was thrown by the abrupt blow which marked this horrible transformation. Still groaning from the sharp pains in his chest and back, he wiped the grime off his face and rejoined his teammates, who were gaping in disbelief at the level of power their opponent was giving off.
“So, Shiko...” Hoji said feebly, his eyes fixed upon their opponent’s terrifying face, “...any ideas?”
The team captain gave no reply. It seemed that even his brilliant mind was finding it difficult to comprehend the bleakness of their current situation, Akakuma's incoming fist eventually helping him realize how one-sided this battle had become.
“H-Hoji! Barrier!” he ordered their medical-nin.
Within seconds, the four purple walls of Hoji’s signature barricade encased the team of shinobi as the giant beast’s attack fell down upon it, immediately setting his fist ablaze. The Red Devil didn’t even flinch as the flames began scorching his flesh, but merely shook his hand until the fire went out.
“This won't buy us much time!” said Hoji grimly, as he and his three doppelgangers struggled to keep the barrier active.
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do.” said Tenzo. “He’s just too powerful. Should we retreat?”
“No!” replied Shiko. “We can’t leave here now! Look around you!”
His teammates stared at him for a moment, confused by his request.
“I mean it! Look around you!” Shiko gestured to the forest around them.
His team promptly obeyed his command and surveyed their surroundings, quickly noticing that the trees had become leaner, their leaves gradually turning yellow before falling from their branches, some of the branches themselves snapping off and plummeting to the ground along with them.
“What happened?” inquired Tenzo. “Their life force is…”
“Akakuma consumed it.” explained Shiko. “I was wondering why the forest was littered with so many dead leaves when most of these trees are supposed to be evergreen. Remember what the Hokage told us? He said that Akakuma can convert anything to chakra, even the energy in trees. I guess he must have consumed so much that he’s become—”
As he spoke, Akakuma dealt a deafening blow to the barrier wall, damaging it severely with that single hit.
“—gigantic!” finished Shiko.
The air was filled with mighty peals of thunder as Akakuma rained hit after hit upon the purple barricade, sending numerous cracks shooting up its walls. It continued to fight back by setting Akakuma’s fists ablaze, but the beast merely extinguished the flames without even the slightest loss in vigor. Within seconds, the barrier was covered in innumerable fissures, and Akakuma raised his smoldering hands to deal one final crushing blow. It gave way with no resistance whatsoever, shattering like glass into a million pieces. Akakuma roared triumphantly in light of his success before turning his attention to the six shinobi standing amongst the ruins of the broken defense, determined not to let them escape again. The burns on his hands already fully healed, he lifted his right arm over his head, fingers closed into a fist, and brought it down upon them with all the strength he could muster.
The ANBU team quickly leapt away to safety as the ground where they once stood shattered, scampering into the deeper parts of the Aoran creek and away from Akakuma. The monster of Aoran was hot on their trail, though, following them into the water. While the shinobi used chakra to run across the water as if it were dry land, Akakuma was not gifted with this particular skill, and continued to sink further and further into the creek as he moved onward.
“Draining the energy from trees…but how did he do it? We were sealing him, weren’t we?” inquired Itachi, as he and his team scurried over the water.
“I think I have an idea.” Sato cut in, having been quiet up until now.
“It’s the hair.”
“What!? It was the hair last time, too! What’s with his hair!?” demanded Hoji in annoyance, the shadow of their mighty foe still looming over them. The monster himself just a few meters behind them, his legs already completely submerged beneath the river.
“My guess is that it’s a variation of the Shadow Clone technique.” explained Sato. “My Byakugan can see small tufts of Akakuma’s hair lodged inside the healthy trees in the forest, while there aren't any inside the ones that are already shriveled. The healthy trees are slowly becoming emaciated even as we speak, while the chakra in his hair is increasing. From what I can see, when a tree is completely depleted of its energy, the hair inside it vanishes and Akakuma’s chakra increases. So, basically, the hair inside the trees is acting like a parasite, converting all the energy inside the trees into chakra. When they deplete the trees, they dispel like clones and transfer the chakra to Akakuma.”
“So,” began Itachi, “he must have had them in the trees all this time and activated their chakra absorption when Shiko was about to seal him—”
“—then dispelled them in order to increase his chakra and transform into this!” finished Shiko.
Having shortened the distance between himself and his prey enough to allow for an attack, Akakuma reached down in an attempt to catch them. His intentions were foiled, however, as all six leapt away from his incoming hand, regrouping once they were a safe distance from him.
“So, we know how he did this. How do we stop him?” inquired Himura.
“Well, maybe he’ll drown if we take him deeper into the water.” suggested Hoji.
“We could try that,” mused Shiko, “but I don’t particularly have faith in that plan.”
“I thought so.” sulked the medical-nin. “Well, I guess there’s no other choice. Sato, we’ll have to use that technique.”
“What!?” shrieked Sato.
Hoji wouldn't have time to answer him, though, as tuffs of Akakuma’s massive mane rained down upon the team, each bundle of hair moving swiftly, ending in pointed tips that bespoke death. Defense tactics were immediately put into action, Sato unleashing his Kaiten defense, Himura brandishing his broken blade and slashing mercilessly, Tenzo summoning a multitude of wooden tendrils from the palm of his hand, Itachi weaving several hand signs and calling forth pressurized water in the shape of drills, while the Shiko and Hoji stood behind them. When the attack was successfully neutralized, the team continued their retreat further downstream as Akakuma followed.
“What is 'that technique'!?” asked Shiko.
“Enough secrecy, Hoji!” said Himura in a flat tone, “what do you mean by that!?”
“Oh, you’ll just have to wait for now.” replied the medical-nin. “Now cover me and Sato. We’ll need to prepare ourselves.”
“For what?” asked Itachi.
“Just do it!” Hoji shouted as he began digging into his weapons pouch, extracting several soldier pills which he hurriedly swallowed before flinging some to Sato, who did the same.
“I just hope we have enough power for this.” muttered the Hyūga as he chewed on the chakra supplements.
“Are you sure whatever you're planning will work?” questioned Shiko with a grave expression on his face, glaring at Hoji with his piercing eyes. The medical-nin chuckled, hands now clasped into a seal as he began kneading chakra.
“We won’t know until we try, will we?”
“Alright, we’ll hold off Akakuma until you guys are ready.” said Shiko as the team stopped their retreat and spun around to face the monster.
Hoji and Sato positioned themselves behind the others as they gathered chakra for their mysterious technique, but not before Himura took the former’s ANBU sword from its sheath to replace his own. Pouring wind chakra into the steel weapon, the Angel of Death rushed towards Akakuma at top speed, the chakra coating around his sword growing longer with each passing second. By the time he was in attack range, his blade was already a startling fifteen feet in length. He leapt into the air and over the giant's head as he lifted his sword—the movement of the blade stirring the air around him into a violent gale which sent his hair into a frenzy—bringing it down with all his might. Himura’s blade failed to connect with the Red Devil’s skull, though, the beast having lifted his massive right hand to block the attack, nearly severing it as it collided with the sword. Akakuma howled in pain, clasping the wound with his left hand as blood gushed from the deep gash, running down his fingers and falling in large drops into the river below as the Angel of Death landed on its surface, a triumphant smile on his face.
“Don’t be careless, Himura.” Shiko scolded him. “There’s no need to go in alone.”
“My sword is having an easier time cutting through now.” said Himura, his eyes fixed on the howling, bleeding behemoth before them. “Is Akakuma’s body weaker?”
“The horned transformation he took in our last battle also weakened his body as I explained before.” added Shiko. “It appears that every transformation he takes magnifies a specific attribute of his at the expense of his defensive strength and raw stamina. Last time, it was piercing power. This time, it was his size.”
“It seems every technique really does have a weakness.” remarked Itachi.
The injury dealt to Akakuma arm was quickly beginning to heal, the bleeding having already ceased, a small wisp of vapor trailing skyward from the gash as it did. The team watched with disdain as the deep cut vanished in a matter of seconds and Akakuma lifted the restored hand, squeezed it into a fist, and attempted to crush them with it. Tenzo immediately sprang into action, manifesting several wooden tendrils from his right palm which coiled around his wrist, stopping it in midair. The snapping sounds that pierced the air shortly afterwards did not bode well for this defense, and in a few seconds, Akakuma reduced the restraining wood to splinters.
Luckily, the team relocated before the beast could crush them with his liberated hand—still in their previous formation with Hoji and Sato standing behind the rest—only suffering a large splash of water which Akakuma’s fist had violently displaced. Drenched ANBU uniforms were the least of their worries, though, as Akakuma clapped his hands into a seal, much to the shock of the onlooking shinobi. It was the first time this beast, seemingly incapable of reason, had ever done something so coordinated—and it unnerved every last one of them. Akakuma's long, bushy hair suddenly lengthened and began firing off spears of hardened black hair at the ANBU team. The attack was swift and expansive, leaving little time for them to react and no chance of evasion. A small fraction of time was all they needed, though, as Itachi and Himura combined their flames into a veritable wall of fire which deflected the approaching projectiles with their immense heat and conflagaration. The air quickly filled with steam from the heat of the flames acting upon the water of the river. Deciding it was time for a counterattack and taking advantage of the temporary fog, the four engaged ANBU charged at their massive foe.
The first thing to emerge from the haze was the elongated sleeves of Shiko’s dark shirt, which divided and broadened into several tendrils which latched onto Akakuma’s hands. Once this was done, the team captain proceeded to spin his body twice, effectively wrapping the restraining sleeves around his own body, as well, while simultaneously increasing the chakra directed to his feet and strengthening their hold on the surface of the river. The next thing to come forth was several slithering ropes of wood, surging from the palm of Tenzo’s hand, which supported the bindings which Shiko had already implemented. With their opponent restrained—although the sound of tearing cloth and shattering wood made it clear that these binds were only temporary—Himura launched himself into the air once more, soaring towards Akakuma’s face and delivering a deep horizontal slash right across his eyes.
His glimmering reddish-yellow eyes now reduced to hollow, bleeding sockets, Akakuma was effectively rendered blind, his agonized scream only reflecting the incredible pain which this brought him. A few moments later, he tore through the fabric and wood that ensnared his hands, only to claw emptily at the air around him and sweep his mighty limbs uselessly across the water at his feet, searching desperately for the enemies which he could no longer see. In vain, his hair lashed out like a thousand serpents. In futility, his arms darted out like charging bulls, but the shinobi evaded them with embarrassing ease.
“His eyes should be regenerating soon if I’m not mistaken. We need to act fast.” stated Shiko, his confidence restored for the time being.
“Leave that to me!” cried Hoji who, with a wicked grin lining his face from ear to ear, weaved a few hand signs and slammed his palm on the surface of the water. Every eye widened in anticipation for the technique in which the medical-nin had placed so much confidence, the secret trump card which he and Sato were so certain would bring this deathmatch to a close. However, apart from a small sputter of water from the spot where his palm touched the river, there was nothing to be immediately observed.
“Nothing happened, Hoji! Are you kidding me!?” hollered Himura, his face red with anger.
“Wait for it…” muttered the medical-nin, staring with full concentration at the spot where his palm was touching the water.
“We don’t have time for this!” growled the Sarutobi, veins now throbbing on his forehead as his brows constricted into a deadly frown. The expressions painted on the faces of their teammates showed that they were also quickly losing their patience.
“Wait for it…” Hoji repeated, eyes still fixed on the water.
Meanwhile, Akakuma had the good fortune of overhearing this little conversation, allowing him to pinpoint their location by the sound of their voices. With their exact position now determined, Akakuma’s fist rose high into the night sky and fell upon the team with all the speed, fury, and coordination he could muster. The six shinobi, however, were far too distracted by Hoji’s technique—or seemingly failed attempt at one—to notice their impending doom and act accordingly, and by the time Itachi had lifted his gaze and caught wind of the beast's massive hand, all he had time to do was don an expression of horror and shock.
However, like all of Akakuma’s previous attempts to destroy them, this was also a failure. A giant hand of stone—equal in size to the beast's own—quickly emerged from the watery depths of the Aoran Creek and sent the monster flying nearly sixty feet back with a single punch, nearly reaching the shoreline. By the time he regained his bearings, his damaged eyes were also fully restored, allowing him to see what managed to deal him such a heavy blow.
However, this arm that emerged from the river to attack him was not a mere appendage, but part of an even greater construction. Attached to it was a colossal torso—also composed of rock—which slowly rose from the river, along with a head carved into the likeness of a man, topped with that appeared to be the armor-plated helmet of a samurai. It quickly became clear to everyone present that this technique of Hoji’s was a giant statue—similar in size to Akakuma’s enlarged form—clothed in the accoutrements of a battle-ready samurai. This giant had four limbs emerging from its torso—two on either side, their hands fisted—while its massive legs were submerged beneath the river.
As the ANBU team stood atop this colossal monument, Hoji stepped forward with excitement burning in his eyes and both arms outstretched. Then, addressing the river, the trees, the moon, and even the bewildered Akakuma, he thundered:
“BEHOLD THE TITAN, IN ALL ITS MONSTROUS GLORY!”
To Be Continued
Akakuma continued to tear viciously at the fabric which encased him, but it merely repaired any damage he dealt to it. His actions were not completely fruitless, though, as he did manage to prolong his imminent incapacitation. Himura, not willing to give their foe even the slightest chance of escape, ran towards him and grabbed the hilt of his blade, channeling wind chakra into it—which he proceeded to strengthen with a breath of fire—and resuming his previous attempt at beheading the beast.
The fabric ensnared the Red Devil’s hands, preventing him from shredding the cloth, along with the rest of his monstrous form. Meanwhile, Himura managed to cut another two inches into Akakuma’s thick neck. All the while, the beast continued to send his echoing howls across the great landscape, but the trees did not tremble before his impotent cries as they had done before. Rather, they seemed to shake their branches and leaves as one might shake their head in pity, while the partial moon overhead seemed to look down upon him in sympathy, and the waters of the river stood placid in mournful silence. In but a few more minutes, the monster of Aoran would be no more.
But Death did not claim him.
All their efforts came to naught within a single instant. The fabric which encased Akakuma was torn to ribbons, Himura’s blade was expelled from his neck and broken in two, while its owner was thrown back by a great blast of energy. A haze of dust filled the air and surrounded Akakuma, rendering him unseen by everyone present. When the dust settled, the eyes of the shinobi widened in shock at what was left in its place. Akakuma had increased in size, now standing a whopping fifty feet tall, with a face as long as a man and a mane of hair as bushy as the towering trees of the Aoran forest. His neck was now fully connected to his titanic body, his powerful muscles rolling beneath his deep-red skin, which was now coated with thick reddish-brown fur like rusted iron, except for his face, hands, and feet. Both hands were clenched at his sides, and they rose and fell with each heavy breath that swelled the monster's broad chest and poured from his flared nostrils. His bristled hair flowed behind him, some stray locks falling over his reddish-yellow eyes, and his serrated teeth grinded against one another between his foaming lips, which were drawn back in a savage snarl.
The moon cast its dull glare on this freak of nature, this bastard son of Orochimaru’s insanity whose dark shadow stretched ominously over the entire team, foreboding their imminent deaths. Akakuma raised a battle cry louder than any that had ever been heard before, causing the whole forest to quake. Trees thrashed about, the waters of the Aoran creek shook violently, and the ANBU were forced to lift their hands to shield their faces from the terrible squall that stirred in the air. Wave after wave of foul chakra rippled from the monster’s towering frame and filled the battlefield with his insatiable hunger for blood and death.
At this time, Himura returned to his feet from the spot where he was thrown by the abrupt blow which marked this horrible transformation. Still groaning from the sharp pains in his chest and back, he wiped the grime off his face and rejoined his teammates, who were gaping in disbelief at the level of power their opponent was giving off.
“So, Shiko...” Hoji said feebly, his eyes fixed upon their opponent’s terrifying face, “...any ideas?”
The team captain gave no reply. It seemed that even his brilliant mind was finding it difficult to comprehend the bleakness of their current situation, Akakuma's incoming fist eventually helping him realize how one-sided this battle had become.
“H-Hoji! Barrier!” he ordered their medical-nin.
Within seconds, the four purple walls of Hoji’s signature barricade encased the team of shinobi as the giant beast’s attack fell down upon it, immediately setting his fist ablaze. The Red Devil didn’t even flinch as the flames began scorching his flesh, but merely shook his hand until the fire went out.
“This won't buy us much time!” said Hoji grimly, as he and his three doppelgangers struggled to keep the barrier active.
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do.” said Tenzo. “He’s just too powerful. Should we retreat?”
“No!” replied Shiko. “We can’t leave here now! Look around you!”
His teammates stared at him for a moment, confused by his request.
“I mean it! Look around you!” Shiko gestured to the forest around them.
His team promptly obeyed his command and surveyed their surroundings, quickly noticing that the trees had become leaner, their leaves gradually turning yellow before falling from their branches, some of the branches themselves snapping off and plummeting to the ground along with them.
“What happened?” inquired Tenzo. “Their life force is…”
“Akakuma consumed it.” explained Shiko. “I was wondering why the forest was littered with so many dead leaves when most of these trees are supposed to be evergreen. Remember what the Hokage told us? He said that Akakuma can convert anything to chakra, even the energy in trees. I guess he must have consumed so much that he’s become—”
As he spoke, Akakuma dealt a deafening blow to the barrier wall, damaging it severely with that single hit.
“—gigantic!” finished Shiko.
The air was filled with mighty peals of thunder as Akakuma rained hit after hit upon the purple barricade, sending numerous cracks shooting up its walls. It continued to fight back by setting Akakuma’s fists ablaze, but the beast merely extinguished the flames without even the slightest loss in vigor. Within seconds, the barrier was covered in innumerable fissures, and Akakuma raised his smoldering hands to deal one final crushing blow. It gave way with no resistance whatsoever, shattering like glass into a million pieces. Akakuma roared triumphantly in light of his success before turning his attention to the six shinobi standing amongst the ruins of the broken defense, determined not to let them escape again. The burns on his hands already fully healed, he lifted his right arm over his head, fingers closed into a fist, and brought it down upon them with all the strength he could muster.
The ANBU team quickly leapt away to safety as the ground where they once stood shattered, scampering into the deeper parts of the Aoran creek and away from Akakuma. The monster of Aoran was hot on their trail, though, following them into the water. While the shinobi used chakra to run across the water as if it were dry land, Akakuma was not gifted with this particular skill, and continued to sink further and further into the creek as he moved onward.
“Draining the energy from trees…but how did he do it? We were sealing him, weren’t we?” inquired Itachi, as he and his team scurried over the water.
“I think I have an idea.” Sato cut in, having been quiet up until now.
“It’s the hair.”
“What!? It was the hair last time, too! What’s with his hair!?” demanded Hoji in annoyance, the shadow of their mighty foe still looming over them. The monster himself just a few meters behind them, his legs already completely submerged beneath the river.
“My guess is that it’s a variation of the Shadow Clone technique.” explained Sato. “My Byakugan can see small tufts of Akakuma’s hair lodged inside the healthy trees in the forest, while there aren't any inside the ones that are already shriveled. The healthy trees are slowly becoming emaciated even as we speak, while the chakra in his hair is increasing. From what I can see, when a tree is completely depleted of its energy, the hair inside it vanishes and Akakuma’s chakra increases. So, basically, the hair inside the trees is acting like a parasite, converting all the energy inside the trees into chakra. When they deplete the trees, they dispel like clones and transfer the chakra to Akakuma.”
“So,” began Itachi, “he must have had them in the trees all this time and activated their chakra absorption when Shiko was about to seal him—”
“—then dispelled them in order to increase his chakra and transform into this!” finished Shiko.
Having shortened the distance between himself and his prey enough to allow for an attack, Akakuma reached down in an attempt to catch them. His intentions were foiled, however, as all six leapt away from his incoming hand, regrouping once they were a safe distance from him.
“So, we know how he did this. How do we stop him?” inquired Himura.
“Well, maybe he’ll drown if we take him deeper into the water.” suggested Hoji.
“We could try that,” mused Shiko, “but I don’t particularly have faith in that plan.”
“I thought so.” sulked the medical-nin. “Well, I guess there’s no other choice. Sato, we’ll have to use that technique.”
“What!?” shrieked Sato.
Hoji wouldn't have time to answer him, though, as tuffs of Akakuma’s massive mane rained down upon the team, each bundle of hair moving swiftly, ending in pointed tips that bespoke death. Defense tactics were immediately put into action, Sato unleashing his Kaiten defense, Himura brandishing his broken blade and slashing mercilessly, Tenzo summoning a multitude of wooden tendrils from the palm of his hand, Itachi weaving several hand signs and calling forth pressurized water in the shape of drills, while the Shiko and Hoji stood behind them. When the attack was successfully neutralized, the team continued their retreat further downstream as Akakuma followed.
“What is 'that technique'!?” asked Shiko.
“Enough secrecy, Hoji!” said Himura in a flat tone, “what do you mean by that!?”
“Oh, you’ll just have to wait for now.” replied the medical-nin. “Now cover me and Sato. We’ll need to prepare ourselves.”
“For what?” asked Itachi.
“Just do it!” Hoji shouted as he began digging into his weapons pouch, extracting several soldier pills which he hurriedly swallowed before flinging some to Sato, who did the same.
“I just hope we have enough power for this.” muttered the Hyūga as he chewed on the chakra supplements.
“Are you sure whatever you're planning will work?” questioned Shiko with a grave expression on his face, glaring at Hoji with his piercing eyes. The medical-nin chuckled, hands now clasped into a seal as he began kneading chakra.
“We won’t know until we try, will we?”
“Alright, we’ll hold off Akakuma until you guys are ready.” said Shiko as the team stopped their retreat and spun around to face the monster.
Hoji and Sato positioned themselves behind the others as they gathered chakra for their mysterious technique, but not before Himura took the former’s ANBU sword from its sheath to replace his own. Pouring wind chakra into the steel weapon, the Angel of Death rushed towards Akakuma at top speed, the chakra coating around his sword growing longer with each passing second. By the time he was in attack range, his blade was already a startling fifteen feet in length. He leapt into the air and over the giant's head as he lifted his sword—the movement of the blade stirring the air around him into a violent gale which sent his hair into a frenzy—bringing it down with all his might. Himura’s blade failed to connect with the Red Devil’s skull, though, the beast having lifted his massive right hand to block the attack, nearly severing it as it collided with the sword. Akakuma howled in pain, clasping the wound with his left hand as blood gushed from the deep gash, running down his fingers and falling in large drops into the river below as the Angel of Death landed on its surface, a triumphant smile on his face.
“Don’t be careless, Himura.” Shiko scolded him. “There’s no need to go in alone.”
“My sword is having an easier time cutting through now.” said Himura, his eyes fixed on the howling, bleeding behemoth before them. “Is Akakuma’s body weaker?”
“The horned transformation he took in our last battle also weakened his body as I explained before.” added Shiko. “It appears that every transformation he takes magnifies a specific attribute of his at the expense of his defensive strength and raw stamina. Last time, it was piercing power. This time, it was his size.”
“It seems every technique really does have a weakness.” remarked Itachi.
The injury dealt to Akakuma arm was quickly beginning to heal, the bleeding having already ceased, a small wisp of vapor trailing skyward from the gash as it did. The team watched with disdain as the deep cut vanished in a matter of seconds and Akakuma lifted the restored hand, squeezed it into a fist, and attempted to crush them with it. Tenzo immediately sprang into action, manifesting several wooden tendrils from his right palm which coiled around his wrist, stopping it in midair. The snapping sounds that pierced the air shortly afterwards did not bode well for this defense, and in a few seconds, Akakuma reduced the restraining wood to splinters.
Luckily, the team relocated before the beast could crush them with his liberated hand—still in their previous formation with Hoji and Sato standing behind the rest—only suffering a large splash of water which Akakuma’s fist had violently displaced. Drenched ANBU uniforms were the least of their worries, though, as Akakuma clapped his hands into a seal, much to the shock of the onlooking shinobi. It was the first time this beast, seemingly incapable of reason, had ever done something so coordinated—and it unnerved every last one of them. Akakuma's long, bushy hair suddenly lengthened and began firing off spears of hardened black hair at the ANBU team. The attack was swift and expansive, leaving little time for them to react and no chance of evasion. A small fraction of time was all they needed, though, as Itachi and Himura combined their flames into a veritable wall of fire which deflected the approaching projectiles with their immense heat and conflagaration. The air quickly filled with steam from the heat of the flames acting upon the water of the river. Deciding it was time for a counterattack and taking advantage of the temporary fog, the four engaged ANBU charged at their massive foe.
The first thing to emerge from the haze was the elongated sleeves of Shiko’s dark shirt, which divided and broadened into several tendrils which latched onto Akakuma’s hands. Once this was done, the team captain proceeded to spin his body twice, effectively wrapping the restraining sleeves around his own body, as well, while simultaneously increasing the chakra directed to his feet and strengthening their hold on the surface of the river. The next thing to come forth was several slithering ropes of wood, surging from the palm of Tenzo’s hand, which supported the bindings which Shiko had already implemented. With their opponent restrained—although the sound of tearing cloth and shattering wood made it clear that these binds were only temporary—Himura launched himself into the air once more, soaring towards Akakuma’s face and delivering a deep horizontal slash right across his eyes.
His glimmering reddish-yellow eyes now reduced to hollow, bleeding sockets, Akakuma was effectively rendered blind, his agonized scream only reflecting the incredible pain which this brought him. A few moments later, he tore through the fabric and wood that ensnared his hands, only to claw emptily at the air around him and sweep his mighty limbs uselessly across the water at his feet, searching desperately for the enemies which he could no longer see. In vain, his hair lashed out like a thousand serpents. In futility, his arms darted out like charging bulls, but the shinobi evaded them with embarrassing ease.
“His eyes should be regenerating soon if I’m not mistaken. We need to act fast.” stated Shiko, his confidence restored for the time being.
“Leave that to me!” cried Hoji who, with a wicked grin lining his face from ear to ear, weaved a few hand signs and slammed his palm on the surface of the water. Every eye widened in anticipation for the technique in which the medical-nin had placed so much confidence, the secret trump card which he and Sato were so certain would bring this deathmatch to a close. However, apart from a small sputter of water from the spot where his palm touched the river, there was nothing to be immediately observed.
“Nothing happened, Hoji! Are you kidding me!?” hollered Himura, his face red with anger.
“Wait for it…” muttered the medical-nin, staring with full concentration at the spot where his palm was touching the water.
“We don’t have time for this!” growled the Sarutobi, veins now throbbing on his forehead as his brows constricted into a deadly frown. The expressions painted on the faces of their teammates showed that they were also quickly losing their patience.
“Wait for it…” Hoji repeated, eyes still fixed on the water.
Meanwhile, Akakuma had the good fortune of overhearing this little conversation, allowing him to pinpoint their location by the sound of their voices. With their exact position now determined, Akakuma’s fist rose high into the night sky and fell upon the team with all the speed, fury, and coordination he could muster. The six shinobi, however, were far too distracted by Hoji’s technique—or seemingly failed attempt at one—to notice their impending doom and act accordingly, and by the time Itachi had lifted his gaze and caught wind of the beast's massive hand, all he had time to do was don an expression of horror and shock.
However, like all of Akakuma’s previous attempts to destroy them, this was also a failure. A giant hand of stone—equal in size to the beast's own—quickly emerged from the watery depths of the Aoran Creek and sent the monster flying nearly sixty feet back with a single punch, nearly reaching the shoreline. By the time he regained his bearings, his damaged eyes were also fully restored, allowing him to see what managed to deal him such a heavy blow.
However, this arm that emerged from the river to attack him was not a mere appendage, but part of an even greater construction. Attached to it was a colossal torso—also composed of rock—which slowly rose from the river, along with a head carved into the likeness of a man, topped with that appeared to be the armor-plated helmet of a samurai. It quickly became clear to everyone present that this technique of Hoji’s was a giant statue—similar in size to Akakuma’s enlarged form—clothed in the accoutrements of a battle-ready samurai. This giant had four limbs emerging from its torso—two on either side, their hands fisted—while its massive legs were submerged beneath the river.
As the ANBU team stood atop this colossal monument, Hoji stepped forward with excitement burning in his eyes and both arms outstretched. Then, addressing the river, the trees, the moon, and even the bewildered Akakuma, he thundered:
“BEHOLD THE TITAN, IN ALL ITS MONSTROUS GLORY!”
To Be Continued
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