kinghadouken
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Chapter 14: Demonic Crisis Averted!
A demonic figure emanating a mixture of black, blue and red chakra hovered above Saito Hibiki and Gaara of the Desert, apparently thinking that it had already won the battle. Yet a hooded figure stood by just a few meters away from the field.
Momura Rouzuke’s wings flapped rhythmically with the howling of the sandy winds. He looked down at his prey, trying to decide whether to take both down or enjoy hearing their bloodcurdling screams of pain one by one.
He dived towards Hibiki first, already pulling back his right arm for a devastating blow. Hibiki anticipated the attack, raising his arms in defence, while Gaara tried to halt the punch with a thick wall of sand. Rouzuke’s right hand burned black and red, leaving tracks of smoke in his descent. The air suddenly felt warm as he continued his path to Hibiki. The assault connected without being bothered by the sand wall, as Rouzuke successfully grasped Hibiki’s neck with his clawed hand.
“Game over, kid,” Rouzuke growled, apparently sounding triumphant. “Your path ends here.”
“H-how,” Hibiki gasped, trying to break from the monster’s grip. “How did you do it? I should’ve been able to teleport right into your blind spot!”
Gaara was already shaken by the abrupt pause of the combat, yet he knew that he needed every moment of diversion to counter their strong opponent. However, Rouzuke guessed that he was in the line of fire with the Kazekage’s sand so the former flew up in the air to prevent any interruption, Hibiki still clasped in his hand.
“I know of your sneakiness, you ****,” Rouzuke yelled, referring to Gaara. He then faced Hibiki, who was still struggling for air. “You have seen the extent of some of my abilities, and you’ve even noticed the Demon Sage Mode’s effectiveness against space and time techniques.”
“Although, I have to admit that you’ve been a pushy brat,” he continued while his grip started to tighten at a slow rate, causing his captive to writhe in pain. “For me to be cornered and forced to use so many abilities in one fight, you’ve really piqued my interest, Saito Hibiki.”
“I will show you,” he paused, somehow thinking whether to play with his prey or not. He tossed Hibiki higher in the air then charged up a massive and expanding ball of crackling black chakra in his left palm which he intend to slam onto the former. “The reason why you can’t use your cowardly technique on me now is because this mode prevents the transfer of chakra from your body into mine, which is why you will die hapless from this final attack. Eat this, Sage Art: Ultra-Big Oblivion Shadow Storm Ball!”
Hibiki knew of his current situation, which spoke ill of his survivability. However, he had another trick up his sleeve. He smirked at this thought, which Rouzuke mistook as a sign of surrender, yet wasn’t going to stop the latter from the impending blast.
Just a few moments before the black chakra ball came in contact with Hibiki, he disappeared in thin air, avoiding damage. Rouzuke’s eyes expressed shock and puzzlement with his prey’s impossible escape. Still holding his Sage technique, he searched for his target. He saw Hibiki safely perched on one of the risen clumps of earth from his earlier battle, in the area about twelve feet from Gaara’s four o’clock. Hibiki was holding one of his special kunai he pulled from one of the boulders, an insurance which he threw even before interrupting Gaara and Rouzuke’s battle, anticipating that the possibility of being in a pinch was high considering the uncalculated strength of the opponent. Rouzuke seemed to have picked up the meaning of the current situation, and was amused with his prey’s advanced planning.
“I see,” Rouzuke murmured, still looking for other possible objects, places and people that Hibiki might’ve marked as well. “So you weren’t just a little *****, eh? To have thought of having a way to cowardice like this, I am really entertained.”
“However,” he continued, his voice suddenly becoming ominous. “I wonder how long your chakra reserves will hold for that shitty technique of yours, as I’ve already guessed that your chakra usage is directly proportional to the range of the marked object.”
Rouzuke’s remark touched a nerve. Hibiki’s temples throbbed, nostrils flaring, and his chakra leaked and went haywire. He launched the kunai towards Rouzuke, who mindlessly dodged the projectile. Hibiki took the opportunity and was instantly up in the air with the kunai. Rouzuke realized his mistake a second too late, as he was axe-kicked on the head, sending him diving to the ground at increased velocity, his Sage technique already nullified. Hibiki wasn’t through, as he threw the kunai downwards to the opponent while slugging two more in both his three and nine o’clock.
Rouzuke made the earth tremble and explode while flinging rocks, dirt and sand everywhere. Hibiki was ready with another large Spiralling Sphere continuously expanding on his right palm. Upon teleporting to the first kunai, he pounded Rouzuke with the technique, creating more turbulence and quakes while smoke from dust and earth hovered and thickened.
Hibiki retreated to one of the kunai to his left side far from the crater then began weaving seals for a Lightning Release: Thousand Volts Beam, which he aimed at the spot where Rouzuke landed. The explosion was imminent, this time the general area was riddled with electric sparks that crackled all over. Hibiki followed that by teleporting to the last kunai and throwing the one he was holding up in the air; he then wove seals for a Fire Release: Grand Fireball. Before the fireball reached the area, he teleported to the kunai that was in mid-air, and wove seals for a Wind Release: Kamikaze. Just as the fireball came in contact with the crater, the Wind Release technique pushed the flames down the hole and ignited it further. Hibiki finished by teleporting to Gaara’s position.
They waited for a response from the blazing gap in the ground. Hibiki already ate one of the pills and already felt his strength returning. From the flames, a silhouette rose, and seemed to be staggering. Rouzuke unsurprisingly survived the carnage, yet might have sustained too much injury that attributed to his current staggering gait.
It appeared that he activated his Susano’o to defend against the salvo of attacks. Although somehow he seemed to be in a weakened state despite the fact that he gathers chakra at any point in time. He was still in his Sage Mode, yet Hibiki noticed that the Cursed Seal markings were creeping up on Rouzuke’s body, quickly blending with the Sage skin. At that point, Rouzuke knelt down on one of his knees, the Susano’o started to flicker, and his left arm muscles began to wriggle and emit gurgling noises.
HIbiki didn’t know what it was or what was happening at that time, yet he noticed that the skin on the left arm was stretching, as if there were something trying to escape from the arm. He saw that it wasn’t only one but at least nine entities were writhing underneath. Rouzuke was sweating and trembling, even though his arm looked painful he still maintained his grotesque forms and the Susano’o. Black smoke emanated from the ground which started to crack when Rouzuke’s arm began to swell. The smoke was indeed chakra that turned into a chakra cloak as soon as it touched the skin, and proceeded to engulf Rouzuke’s whole body with thick, bubbling black chakra.
“GAH!” Rouzuke exclaimed, evidently in pain as the chakra continued to flow its way to his head. “MAKE IT STOP! MAKE THE BURNING CEASE! AAARRRRRGGHHHH!”
Gaara somehow knew that something bad will happen if they let this continue, which was why he immediately commanded Hibiki into attacking while the opponent was still in a vulnerable position. Instantly, they dashed towards Rouzuke, who was by then already inside a gleaming black ball. Gaara made his sand rise over Rouzuke’s area while Hibiki unleashed another Fire Release technique at the ball. Gaara covered the ball and the technique with the sand, as though trying to toast Rouzuke alive inside the sand pit.
As the conflict continued, a hooded masked man standing still on top of a large boulder formation was watching, his eye dilating with a mixture of envy and impression. He noted how the attacks of Gaara and Hibiki were futile against this strange phenomenon. Strategically speaking, the man seemed to be just surveying the playing field, yet was hooked by the current battle.
“Momura Rouzuke,” he murmured with his voice tense with fury. “Whatever existence that is living inside of your arm, I must have it. You’ve proven yourself to be worthy of my time. However, the war can wait, as the Kazekage will be seriously injured by the time you’re done.”
The sand pit was still blazing inside, even Hibiki broke a sweat just imagining how hot inside would be. He was still vigilant, as he had never seen such a strange event happen in his life. He was still assessing the situation when the flames inside the pit suddenly died out. Gaara felt that something was coming and thus prepared a countermeasure: sand mixed with paper bomb tags. He let the sand seep into the tiny holes of the pit, and hardened the walls of the pit itself. He let the tags explode in the pit, creating a muffled noise and puffs of smoke.
The pit wasn’t damaged, and Gaara decided to wrap things up by crushing Rouzuke with the sand once and for all. The pit contracted hard around Rouzuke with a loud bang, with smoke from dust and rubble fogging the field. Gaara knew that the opponent most probably survived the attack, and followed it by sending a raincloud of sand shuriken aimed towards Rouzuke. More puffs of smoke came. Hibiki shot at the area with another Lightning Release attack.
The last technique seemed to have made the impact, as the spot exploded a few minutes after the lightning hit the crater. The clouds of smoke were blown away, and a clawed appendage coming from the gap reached for the upper ground and hauled up the body it belonged to. The creature that owned the monstrous arm landed on all fours, smashing the land with unbelievable force.
The creature amazed and even instilled fear on Gaara and Hibiki. It had glowing violet orbs for eyes. Its head still had the horns from the Demon Sage Mode just as its hands and feet wielded the same claws as well, while it retained the dragon-like wings from the Cursed Seal Form, including the merging of the Dragon Sword and the Fang Blade to its forearms. The black chakra composition similar to a Jinchuriki’s red chakra enveloped its entirety while bones like the ribs, skull and the spine formed to position; it has nine different shaped waving tails behind it and a tenth following up. There were mists of blue and red chakra floating around it, while violet lightning surrounded its skin. The ears that formed were similar to a rabbit’s. Its hair was also notably long and swayed in sync with its tails. The Susano’o armor was still there, though the appearance changed, with the ribcage on horizontal protecting the four-legged monster, the Susano’o head started to merge with the owner’s face and gave it a mask-like form; the eight arms were still present as well, each clutching varying weapons from the katana to the naginata. The sight of the being was really fearsome and mesmerizing. Its eyes began to stare at the two, undoubtedly thinking of its next move.
“Shit, what is that thing?” Hibiki asked, even though he knew no one would answer. “If that’s still the guy we were fighting, it’s got to be a ****ing joke!”
“He is a frightening and a powerful fighter,” Gaara commented, apparently too shocked to speak too much. “That man might as well be a Jinchuriki, seeing as he possesses tails like one.”
“I guess I can’t back out from this shit now,” Hibiki replied, still undecided whether or not he should still fight. “I was supposed to end this already, but the bastard is just too persistent.”
Both were sweating and panting with fatigue from the fight, and they were already losing hope. Nevertheless, they raised their guard, prepared for another assault. The monster was already being surrounded by tissues and muscles just as it decided to go on the offensive, charging at the enemies in its sight.
Before the two could even dodge the impossible speediness of the lunge, the hooded man stepped in between the two opposing teams, catching the creature off guard and kicking it hard in the face. The creature tried to recover by jumping back, yet the stranger was quicker and placed a sealing tag on its forehead, making the black chakra, Susano’o and the Cursed Mark dissipate without any event. As soon as the last tomoe marking retreated to Rouzuke’s back, the man instantly sucked the former into a warp hole without further notice. The man turned to face the two, who saw the whole thing with disbelief, as though their efforts were made null by the technique of the intruder.
“Consider it as a favour for you Allied Shinobi,” the man announced with a deep voice. “It’ll be a shame if the Kazekage would be lethally wounded even before the war starts, am I right?”
And without another word, the man disappeared in the same fashion as Rouzuke. Gaara was dumbfounded and finally knelt down on one knee, looking straight on the ground.
“That guy just earlier,” Hibiki spoke, after a few moments of registering what just happened. “Who was he? And what did he mean by ‘even before the war starts’?”
“Uchiha Madara,” Gaara replied, reaping a shocked look from Hibiki. “He was the one who declared the Fourth Shinobi World War, and he just saved me for the sake of me being able to participate in an upcoming hateful battle.”
The sun had set, and the breeze was pleasing to the skin. The clouds have parted to shower the world with the bright and twinkling stars. As a shooting star passed by, a bald and tattooed man clad with a dirty robe looked longingly up the sky.
To be continued...
A demonic figure emanating a mixture of black, blue and red chakra hovered above Saito Hibiki and Gaara of the Desert, apparently thinking that it had already won the battle. Yet a hooded figure stood by just a few meters away from the field.
Momura Rouzuke’s wings flapped rhythmically with the howling of the sandy winds. He looked down at his prey, trying to decide whether to take both down or enjoy hearing their bloodcurdling screams of pain one by one.
He dived towards Hibiki first, already pulling back his right arm for a devastating blow. Hibiki anticipated the attack, raising his arms in defence, while Gaara tried to halt the punch with a thick wall of sand. Rouzuke’s right hand burned black and red, leaving tracks of smoke in his descent. The air suddenly felt warm as he continued his path to Hibiki. The assault connected without being bothered by the sand wall, as Rouzuke successfully grasped Hibiki’s neck with his clawed hand.
“Game over, kid,” Rouzuke growled, apparently sounding triumphant. “Your path ends here.”
“H-how,” Hibiki gasped, trying to break from the monster’s grip. “How did you do it? I should’ve been able to teleport right into your blind spot!”
Gaara was already shaken by the abrupt pause of the combat, yet he knew that he needed every moment of diversion to counter their strong opponent. However, Rouzuke guessed that he was in the line of fire with the Kazekage’s sand so the former flew up in the air to prevent any interruption, Hibiki still clasped in his hand.
“I know of your sneakiness, you ****,” Rouzuke yelled, referring to Gaara. He then faced Hibiki, who was still struggling for air. “You have seen the extent of some of my abilities, and you’ve even noticed the Demon Sage Mode’s effectiveness against space and time techniques.”
“Although, I have to admit that you’ve been a pushy brat,” he continued while his grip started to tighten at a slow rate, causing his captive to writhe in pain. “For me to be cornered and forced to use so many abilities in one fight, you’ve really piqued my interest, Saito Hibiki.”
“I will show you,” he paused, somehow thinking whether to play with his prey or not. He tossed Hibiki higher in the air then charged up a massive and expanding ball of crackling black chakra in his left palm which he intend to slam onto the former. “The reason why you can’t use your cowardly technique on me now is because this mode prevents the transfer of chakra from your body into mine, which is why you will die hapless from this final attack. Eat this, Sage Art: Ultra-Big Oblivion Shadow Storm Ball!”
Hibiki knew of his current situation, which spoke ill of his survivability. However, he had another trick up his sleeve. He smirked at this thought, which Rouzuke mistook as a sign of surrender, yet wasn’t going to stop the latter from the impending blast.
Just a few moments before the black chakra ball came in contact with Hibiki, he disappeared in thin air, avoiding damage. Rouzuke’s eyes expressed shock and puzzlement with his prey’s impossible escape. Still holding his Sage technique, he searched for his target. He saw Hibiki safely perched on one of the risen clumps of earth from his earlier battle, in the area about twelve feet from Gaara’s four o’clock. Hibiki was holding one of his special kunai he pulled from one of the boulders, an insurance which he threw even before interrupting Gaara and Rouzuke’s battle, anticipating that the possibility of being in a pinch was high considering the uncalculated strength of the opponent. Rouzuke seemed to have picked up the meaning of the current situation, and was amused with his prey’s advanced planning.
“I see,” Rouzuke murmured, still looking for other possible objects, places and people that Hibiki might’ve marked as well. “So you weren’t just a little *****, eh? To have thought of having a way to cowardice like this, I am really entertained.”
“However,” he continued, his voice suddenly becoming ominous. “I wonder how long your chakra reserves will hold for that shitty technique of yours, as I’ve already guessed that your chakra usage is directly proportional to the range of the marked object.”
Rouzuke’s remark touched a nerve. Hibiki’s temples throbbed, nostrils flaring, and his chakra leaked and went haywire. He launched the kunai towards Rouzuke, who mindlessly dodged the projectile. Hibiki took the opportunity and was instantly up in the air with the kunai. Rouzuke realized his mistake a second too late, as he was axe-kicked on the head, sending him diving to the ground at increased velocity, his Sage technique already nullified. Hibiki wasn’t through, as he threw the kunai downwards to the opponent while slugging two more in both his three and nine o’clock.
Rouzuke made the earth tremble and explode while flinging rocks, dirt and sand everywhere. Hibiki was ready with another large Spiralling Sphere continuously expanding on his right palm. Upon teleporting to the first kunai, he pounded Rouzuke with the technique, creating more turbulence and quakes while smoke from dust and earth hovered and thickened.
Hibiki retreated to one of the kunai to his left side far from the crater then began weaving seals for a Lightning Release: Thousand Volts Beam, which he aimed at the spot where Rouzuke landed. The explosion was imminent, this time the general area was riddled with electric sparks that crackled all over. Hibiki followed that by teleporting to the last kunai and throwing the one he was holding up in the air; he then wove seals for a Fire Release: Grand Fireball. Before the fireball reached the area, he teleported to the kunai that was in mid-air, and wove seals for a Wind Release: Kamikaze. Just as the fireball came in contact with the crater, the Wind Release technique pushed the flames down the hole and ignited it further. Hibiki finished by teleporting to Gaara’s position.
They waited for a response from the blazing gap in the ground. Hibiki already ate one of the pills and already felt his strength returning. From the flames, a silhouette rose, and seemed to be staggering. Rouzuke unsurprisingly survived the carnage, yet might have sustained too much injury that attributed to his current staggering gait.
It appeared that he activated his Susano’o to defend against the salvo of attacks. Although somehow he seemed to be in a weakened state despite the fact that he gathers chakra at any point in time. He was still in his Sage Mode, yet Hibiki noticed that the Cursed Seal markings were creeping up on Rouzuke’s body, quickly blending with the Sage skin. At that point, Rouzuke knelt down on one of his knees, the Susano’o started to flicker, and his left arm muscles began to wriggle and emit gurgling noises.
HIbiki didn’t know what it was or what was happening at that time, yet he noticed that the skin on the left arm was stretching, as if there were something trying to escape from the arm. He saw that it wasn’t only one but at least nine entities were writhing underneath. Rouzuke was sweating and trembling, even though his arm looked painful he still maintained his grotesque forms and the Susano’o. Black smoke emanated from the ground which started to crack when Rouzuke’s arm began to swell. The smoke was indeed chakra that turned into a chakra cloak as soon as it touched the skin, and proceeded to engulf Rouzuke’s whole body with thick, bubbling black chakra.
“GAH!” Rouzuke exclaimed, evidently in pain as the chakra continued to flow its way to his head. “MAKE IT STOP! MAKE THE BURNING CEASE! AAARRRRRGGHHHH!”
Gaara somehow knew that something bad will happen if they let this continue, which was why he immediately commanded Hibiki into attacking while the opponent was still in a vulnerable position. Instantly, they dashed towards Rouzuke, who was by then already inside a gleaming black ball. Gaara made his sand rise over Rouzuke’s area while Hibiki unleashed another Fire Release technique at the ball. Gaara covered the ball and the technique with the sand, as though trying to toast Rouzuke alive inside the sand pit.
As the conflict continued, a hooded masked man standing still on top of a large boulder formation was watching, his eye dilating with a mixture of envy and impression. He noted how the attacks of Gaara and Hibiki were futile against this strange phenomenon. Strategically speaking, the man seemed to be just surveying the playing field, yet was hooked by the current battle.
“Momura Rouzuke,” he murmured with his voice tense with fury. “Whatever existence that is living inside of your arm, I must have it. You’ve proven yourself to be worthy of my time. However, the war can wait, as the Kazekage will be seriously injured by the time you’re done.”
The sand pit was still blazing inside, even Hibiki broke a sweat just imagining how hot inside would be. He was still vigilant, as he had never seen such a strange event happen in his life. He was still assessing the situation when the flames inside the pit suddenly died out. Gaara felt that something was coming and thus prepared a countermeasure: sand mixed with paper bomb tags. He let the sand seep into the tiny holes of the pit, and hardened the walls of the pit itself. He let the tags explode in the pit, creating a muffled noise and puffs of smoke.
The pit wasn’t damaged, and Gaara decided to wrap things up by crushing Rouzuke with the sand once and for all. The pit contracted hard around Rouzuke with a loud bang, with smoke from dust and rubble fogging the field. Gaara knew that the opponent most probably survived the attack, and followed it by sending a raincloud of sand shuriken aimed towards Rouzuke. More puffs of smoke came. Hibiki shot at the area with another Lightning Release attack.
The last technique seemed to have made the impact, as the spot exploded a few minutes after the lightning hit the crater. The clouds of smoke were blown away, and a clawed appendage coming from the gap reached for the upper ground and hauled up the body it belonged to. The creature that owned the monstrous arm landed on all fours, smashing the land with unbelievable force.
The creature amazed and even instilled fear on Gaara and Hibiki. It had glowing violet orbs for eyes. Its head still had the horns from the Demon Sage Mode just as its hands and feet wielded the same claws as well, while it retained the dragon-like wings from the Cursed Seal Form, including the merging of the Dragon Sword and the Fang Blade to its forearms. The black chakra composition similar to a Jinchuriki’s red chakra enveloped its entirety while bones like the ribs, skull and the spine formed to position; it has nine different shaped waving tails behind it and a tenth following up. There were mists of blue and red chakra floating around it, while violet lightning surrounded its skin. The ears that formed were similar to a rabbit’s. Its hair was also notably long and swayed in sync with its tails. The Susano’o armor was still there, though the appearance changed, with the ribcage on horizontal protecting the four-legged monster, the Susano’o head started to merge with the owner’s face and gave it a mask-like form; the eight arms were still present as well, each clutching varying weapons from the katana to the naginata. The sight of the being was really fearsome and mesmerizing. Its eyes began to stare at the two, undoubtedly thinking of its next move.
“Shit, what is that thing?” Hibiki asked, even though he knew no one would answer. “If that’s still the guy we were fighting, it’s got to be a ****ing joke!”
“He is a frightening and a powerful fighter,” Gaara commented, apparently too shocked to speak too much. “That man might as well be a Jinchuriki, seeing as he possesses tails like one.”
“I guess I can’t back out from this shit now,” Hibiki replied, still undecided whether or not he should still fight. “I was supposed to end this already, but the bastard is just too persistent.”
Both were sweating and panting with fatigue from the fight, and they were already losing hope. Nevertheless, they raised their guard, prepared for another assault. The monster was already being surrounded by tissues and muscles just as it decided to go on the offensive, charging at the enemies in its sight.
Before the two could even dodge the impossible speediness of the lunge, the hooded man stepped in between the two opposing teams, catching the creature off guard and kicking it hard in the face. The creature tried to recover by jumping back, yet the stranger was quicker and placed a sealing tag on its forehead, making the black chakra, Susano’o and the Cursed Mark dissipate without any event. As soon as the last tomoe marking retreated to Rouzuke’s back, the man instantly sucked the former into a warp hole without further notice. The man turned to face the two, who saw the whole thing with disbelief, as though their efforts were made null by the technique of the intruder.
“Consider it as a favour for you Allied Shinobi,” the man announced with a deep voice. “It’ll be a shame if the Kazekage would be lethally wounded even before the war starts, am I right?”
And without another word, the man disappeared in the same fashion as Rouzuke. Gaara was dumbfounded and finally knelt down on one knee, looking straight on the ground.
“That guy just earlier,” Hibiki spoke, after a few moments of registering what just happened. “Who was he? And what did he mean by ‘even before the war starts’?”
“Uchiha Madara,” Gaara replied, reaping a shocked look from Hibiki. “He was the one who declared the Fourth Shinobi World War, and he just saved me for the sake of me being able to participate in an upcoming hateful battle.”
The sun had set, and the breeze was pleasing to the skin. The clouds have parted to shower the world with the bright and twinkling stars. As a shooting star passed by, a bald and tattooed man clad with a dirty robe looked longingly up the sky.
To be continued...
