Hello all. Happy New Year! It really is a happy new year cuz Crow in the Shadows was the humble recipient of a first place award in the December contest! And of course, it's all thanks to you guys! Thanks for the votes and continual support in 2013. I hope I can expect the same in 2014. God willing, this fic SHOULD end this year but that's quite far off. Let's focus on the present and presently I have a new chapter for you all. Hoped to post this and the next chapter last year but I delayed. It's good cuz I can open the year with a very interesting action packed release! Read and Enjoy! =D
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Lest, I forget. Thanks to Chakra Wizard for edits!
“Man,” drawled Himura as he laid back on the grass, propping himself up with one elbow as he squinted at the sun, “Itachi’s really something.”
Sato, who was sitting next to him, did not look nearly as impressed.
“Hmph, he wasn’t that great.”
The crowd gave a warm round of applause to the young Uchiha. Victorious as he may have been, though, the boy’s fighting style wasn't so easily embraced and frankly, many of the onlookers couldn’t understand exactly how he had won. To them, it appeared as though Hoji simply forfeited the match. Regardless of these opinions, though, they accepted his victory and gave a show of approval to Itachi as Hoji approached the boy, and the two formed the seal of reconciliation. The medical-nin was at ease now that the battle was over, having returned to his usual jocund self as he smiled and locked eyes at Itachi, even going so far as to ask if his opponent was injured. Neither combatant had attained so much as a scratch, though, something which made Hoji quite pleased. Shiko rose to his feet and began to speak, raising his voice so everyone around them could hear.
“Alright, training is over. I believe we’re ready to destroy Akakuma now!”
The crowd responded with great enthusiasm; they were even cheering the names of some of the team members, particularly Himura and Sato, something that thrilled the pair and compelled them to wave proudly at their fans. Hoji rolled his eyes at their egotistical behavior. As the team vacated the grassy plot of land, Tenzo rose to his feet and weaved a few hand signs before slamming his hand upon the ground. Immediately, the small area split in two, and the rocky slabs on either side of the gaping hole he had crafted folded inwards, submerging the grassy surface that had suffered severe damage from their matches and replacing it with a smooth flatland. Forming another hand sign, the Mokuton user compelled new grass to grow on this plane until it looked exactly as it did before, perhaps even better. The gardener, who had been observing this from underneath the nearby tree, gasped in shock at how easily Tenzo had performed his regular duties, and all the spectators cheered heartily as the ANBU team left the scene shortly afterwards.
“Kill that monster for me!” squealed one girl as she pressed her lips against Himura’s right cheek before blushing and running off, leaving the Sarutobi with a massive grin on his face. Feeling like they were drawing too much attention now, Shiko jerked his head in a direction pointing away from the crowd, signaling to the rest of his team to evacuate. Quickly vanishing beneath a cloud of smoke, much to the disappointment of their admirers, the ANBU team retreated back to the Odara Inn.
Inside, the inn's bespectacled receptionist, who possessed smooth, short, brown hair and dark eyes, sulked behind the front desk, nearly falling out of her chair as the six shinobi glided past her and towards the stairs.
“Wait!” she yelped before they began to ascend, stopping them in their tracks, “I thought you guys were fighting off somewhere in town. Everybody went to watch but Mikasa-san forced me to stay here…”
She trailed off, scowling as the last few words escaped her lips.
“Please bring lunch to all our rooms.” said Shiko politely.
“Didn’t you guys already have lunch?” she inquired confusedly.
“That was breakfast.” Hoji returned with a small chuckle.
“But, it was at noon. Less an hour ago.” she protested.
“Just bring it, okay?” urged Shiko.
“O-...kay.” she replied, still baffled. “Will you be having a big lunch like your…er…breakfast?”
“No,” returned the team captain, “just rice balls and water for everyone, please.”
“Shiko!” whined Hoji. “Why are you always so chea—”
The glare that the captain gave him as he moved forward to protest left the medical-nin cowering in fear. The receptionist tried her best not to giggle at this, though she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. It was short-lived, however, fading when Shiko returned his gaze to her once more.
“Be quick about it.”
“Uh, I’ll do my best, but like I said, nobody’s around. They all went to watch YOU fight.” she said, adjusting her round glasses.
Shiko sighed as his team began ascending the stairs. “Well, considering that we’re not there anymore, they should be back anytime now. Thank you.”
Echoed footfalls were the only thing heard as they climbed. Every one of them was quite worn out, even Shiko, who did very little in comparison to the rest of them—such was his usual disposition. Quietly, they reached the second floor, their silence persisting as they ventured down the hallway towards their rooms, interrupted only by the jingling of keys and the slight squeaking of doors upon their hinges.
Room 34 was quite airy, as Hoji had left the windows creaked before they left. Sunlight beamed through the parted muslin curtains and draped the carpeted floor and the inner halves of the two beds, which were both neat and well-made, once again the handiwork of the medical-nin—he had taken it upon himself to make both his bed and Sato’s, since it was unlikely that the latter would even think of doing so himself. The two roommates and best friends slumped on their individual beds and let out a tired sigh in unison. After a brief moment of silence, the Hyūga turned to his companion with a disgruntled look on his face.
“So, why did you hold back against Itachi?”
“Wasn't the time and place. It was just an exhibition match, after all. Tonight, though, we're all gonna have to get serious. ...I’m gonna take a nap. Wake me up when our measly rations arrive.”
Sato chuckled and the silence resumed.
The Aoran forest was once again invaded by the ANBU squad at 10:00 PM, a half-moon gleaming dully in the sky as they leapt from tree to tree. Sato, Himura, and Itachi were out in front moving side by side, while Shiko, Tenzo, and Hoji moved in tandem behind them. There was no raw meat with them this time, nor was there any conversation between them—it seemed that the silence from the afternoon had spilled over into the night. The Red Devil was at the forefront of their minds, so fixed were they on him that they were completely indifferent to each other. What was once a hunt for the beast had now become an active pursuit since, thanks to Tenzo’s tracking seeds, they now knew exactly where he was. The tyrant of this gloomy forest, it seemed, had returned to the venue of their last battle: the Aoran Creek, whose waters had become mingled with Shiko’s blood during their previous confrontation, and whose dark depths nearly consumed the corpses of the entire team. It was almost poetic how this scene was now to become the stage for their final clash with the terrifying brute.
The waters of the river gleamed in front of them, bearing the reflection of the partial moon overhead, which had a doleful glow about it. It was as though the celestial body knew it was going to witness murder tonight, and the river reflected its mournful light in agreement. They stood frozen at its bank, and standing at the opposite edge of the water was Akakuma, ramrod straight with his back turned to them, his thorny mane of hair bristling as fiercely as ever.
The tense silence that hung in the air was so palpable, so strong, that it was almost tangible. Akakuma was the first to move, glancing behind him at the six ANBU ninja after sensing their presence. His bright, yellow eyes glowed fiercely as he recognized them, every muscle in his ten-foot mass visibly contracting in preparation.
“As we discussed.” said Shiko.
“Yeah.” assented Himura as he drew his blade, which glimmered in the moonlight, a murderous glint in the eyes of its wielder. Clasping the hilt with both hands, the Angel of Death settled into a battle stance, and Akakuma charged across the river towards them with all the ferocity of a raging lion. Chakra flared across Himura’s sword, extending about six feet outward as he lifted it and slammed it against the approaching beast's massive chest, sending him crashing into the water with a violent splash.
“It’s going to be WAY different this time! Hoji!”
Akakuma was given little chance to recover before receiving a powerful uppercut from Hoji’s Hand of the Titan, sending the beast flying into the sky. Still bleeding from the cut inflicted by Himura’s blade, he was then hit by Sato’s Empty Palm while still airborne, as well as a combined Fire attack from the lips of both the Angel of Death and Itachi, the combined efforts of which sent him crashing onto the land in a sizzling, undignified heap.
Infuriated by this unexpected turn of events, the beast entered a deadly rage. He was in the middle of his signature bloodcurling howl when he was silenced by a Mokuton tendril, which twisted around his neck while several others ensnared the rest of his body. His swelled muscles struggled fiercely against his wooden restraints, but Shiko quickly added his Shadow Binding technique in the next moment, making even the slightest movement of a finger a feat which would require Herculean strength. Still, as a testament to the demon’s power, it was not enough to hold him down for long; even shinobi of their skill knew it was only a matter of time before he escaped. For this reason, Hoji quickly conjured up two colossal arms of earth to wrap themselves around Akakuma, rendering the beast completely immobile, save for the frantic flickering of his lurid eyes and murderous snapping of his numerous serrated teeth.
With the Red Devil totally subdued by this peculiar combination of restraints, Itachi strolled boldly, yet cautiously, towards the giant monster, his crimson dōjutsu gleaming as he took the demon’s head in both hands and pulled his craggy, bestial face towards his, forcing their eyes to meet. The beast's lids fell heavily over his wicked, yellow eyes, his head swaying back-and-forth in Itachi’s grasp before falling limply in front of him. Akakuma’s mind was now as ensnared as the rest of his body, and the monster of Aoran struggled no more.
“Step away, Itachi.” instructed Himura, his sword already coated with wind chakra, the mere presence of which stirred a soft breeze in the air. “I will take his head.”
Itachi stepped back and the Angel of Death proceeded towards the beast's sleeping, kneeling form, which was still entangled by wood, shadow, and stone. Forming half of the Tiger seal with his left hand, he coated his sword in flames.
“By combining Fire and Wind, I should have enough power to tear through his neck.”
Himura wasted no time in testing his theory, lifting his flaming sword and bringing it down upon the monster's thick, muscular throat. It went in a couple of inches and blood began dribbling from the fresh wound, bringing a smile to the swordsman's face.
“Just a little more effort…” he muttered to himself as he pushed his sword down harder and harder, gradually deepening the wound in the monster’s neck as more blood gushed out from it. Several seconds had passed before he was a third of the way through, reaching the halfway point after several more. Before he could proceed further, though, Akakuma’s eyes suddenly snapped open, blazing wildly with anger.
Himura leapt away instantly, leaving his sword stuck inside the beast’s neck. The rest of the team immediately placed some distance between themselves and the demon, as well; they had learned better after their previous experience.
“How is this possible!?”
“He…broke the genjutsu somehow.” said Sato, eyeing Akakuma’s powerful form incredulously. The beast was fully awake, struggling against his restraints with renewed vigor. It wasn't long before the tangles of wood and stone began snapping and crackling uselessly, and the sweat on Shiko’s face made it all too clear that trying to maintain his Shadow Binding jutsu was a lost cause. Akakuma’s strength was simply too great.
“Itachi! Can’t you use a stronger genjutsu!?” inquired Hoji frantically.
“That was my strongest.” Itachi replied with a frown, narrowing his blood-red eyes at the monster.
“Akakuma’s chakra is getting extremely agitated.” explained Sato, inspecting the beast closely with his Byakugan.
“I can sense it with my seeds, as well.” added Tenzo. “The principles of genjutsu dictate that for an illusion to work, the caster must be able to control the chakra in their target’s brain. With Akakuma’s chakra in such a violent state, I don’t know of any illusion that could work on him now. ...To think that Orochimaru managed to create something like this…”
The air was peppered with cracks and snaps as the Red Devil slowly liberated itself. It wasn’t very long until Shiko gave up trying to maintain the Shadow Bind, already panting heavily from his effort.
“We don’t have much time before he gets loose. What do we do!?” hollered Hoji, who was watching with dread as his Hands of the Titan began crumbling away.
“We can’t retreat! We either end this once and for all or die trying!” said Himura.
“You can’t be as smart as me without realizing something very important.” Shiko explained as he wiped the sweat from his brow, “Even the best laid plans can fail. You have to adjust to the situation. We’ll change tactics. Our main goal now is to tear his head off, and Himura’s sword is capable of doing that, so we just have to hold Akakuma down long enough for Himura to behead him.”
In the next instant, all the restraints were obliterated and Akakuma rose to his feet before them. His broad chest swelled and deflated with each quick and raspy breath, both of his arms bulging at his sides, Himura’s blade still stuck in his thick neck, hair dancing violently about him as a reddish tint appeared in his yellow eyes, and his lips drawn back in a bestial snarl. He didn’t remain still for long, taking off so fast that he seemed to have vanished into thin air, only to reappear much closer to the shinobi, his massive fist a hair’s breadth from the shocked expression on Itachi’s face, put there by the incredible display of speed he had just witnessed. If the young Uchiha was ever grateful for his Sharingan before, it was in that moment when they predicted Akakuma’s linear attack, allowing him to shift his head just slightly out of the path of the skull-shattering blow. Itachi quickly leapt to safety as Hoji and Tenzo slammed their hands against the ground, producing a powerful tremor which shook the earth to a point where everyone present, even Akakuma, found it difficult to stand. While the beast tottered across uncertain grounds, several wooden tendrils emerged from beneath it, which encapsulated Akakuma in a cocoon of Mokuton. This restraint was quickly reduced to splinters in the next moment and Akakuma’s fist surged towards yet another astonished member of the team; Hyūga Sato.
An extremely skilled member of a clan renown for its taijutsu, even Sato found himself frozen where he stood, Akakuma's power having caught him completely by surprise. He was hardly a second away from forfeiting his life when he finally regained himself, and a sudden burst of chakra weaved around him and deflected Akakuma’s lethal blow; the absolute Kaiten defense. The beast was thrown back a short ways by the technique, but he was still standing. The slight loss of balance in his footing, however, was opening enough for Hoji’s Hand of the Titan to erupt from the ground and wrap its fingers around his body, rendering him immobile. Himura quickly followed up on this, dashing forward and grabbing the hilt of his sword, which was still sticking grotesquely out of the Red Devil’s neck. Applying every ounce of strength he had, he managed to deepen the wound by a few more centimeters before being thrown back by a loud roar from the beast. Making short work of the Hand of the Titan, Akakuma quickly set his sights on the medical-nin who cast the technique.
Hoji’s sensory barrier was already up, allowing him to block the monster’s first swing, as well as the second. The third, however, was too fast and too strong for him to handle, and it was only through Shiko’s timely execution of his Shadow Binding technique that Hoji’s ribs were saved from being crushed to dust. The team captain’s grinding teeth, as well as the veins throbbing on his forehead, only hinted at the immense strain on his body which maintaining the technique produced. It was hardly enough to stop Akakuma at this point, though, and the beast strolled freely towards Shiko with a cavalier step which seemed to mock this feeble attempt to hold him down, grabbing the shinobi once he was within his reach and crushing him in the next instant.
“Shadows aren't my only specialty!”
The seemingly mangled Shiko suddenly transformed into a large piece of gray cloth, which wrapped itself around Akakuma’s limbs and torso before the beast could react. A complex sealing formula quickly appeared across the fabric as it began snaking its way around Akakuma’s head, encasing him completely. The entire time this was taking place, the real Shiko was standing beside Hoji, his hand resting against his hip.
“It seems my Cloth Clone did the trick. Now, let's hurry up and seal him.”
To Be Continued.
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Lest, I forget. Thanks to Chakra Wizard for edits!
“Man,” drawled Himura as he laid back on the grass, propping himself up with one elbow as he squinted at the sun, “Itachi’s really something.”
Sato, who was sitting next to him, did not look nearly as impressed.
“Hmph, he wasn’t that great.”
The crowd gave a warm round of applause to the young Uchiha. Victorious as he may have been, though, the boy’s fighting style wasn't so easily embraced and frankly, many of the onlookers couldn’t understand exactly how he had won. To them, it appeared as though Hoji simply forfeited the match. Regardless of these opinions, though, they accepted his victory and gave a show of approval to Itachi as Hoji approached the boy, and the two formed the seal of reconciliation. The medical-nin was at ease now that the battle was over, having returned to his usual jocund self as he smiled and locked eyes at Itachi, even going so far as to ask if his opponent was injured. Neither combatant had attained so much as a scratch, though, something which made Hoji quite pleased. Shiko rose to his feet and began to speak, raising his voice so everyone around them could hear.
“Alright, training is over. I believe we’re ready to destroy Akakuma now!”
The crowd responded with great enthusiasm; they were even cheering the names of some of the team members, particularly Himura and Sato, something that thrilled the pair and compelled them to wave proudly at their fans. Hoji rolled his eyes at their egotistical behavior. As the team vacated the grassy plot of land, Tenzo rose to his feet and weaved a few hand signs before slamming his hand upon the ground. Immediately, the small area split in two, and the rocky slabs on either side of the gaping hole he had crafted folded inwards, submerging the grassy surface that had suffered severe damage from their matches and replacing it with a smooth flatland. Forming another hand sign, the Mokuton user compelled new grass to grow on this plane until it looked exactly as it did before, perhaps even better. The gardener, who had been observing this from underneath the nearby tree, gasped in shock at how easily Tenzo had performed his regular duties, and all the spectators cheered heartily as the ANBU team left the scene shortly afterwards.
“Kill that monster for me!” squealed one girl as she pressed her lips against Himura’s right cheek before blushing and running off, leaving the Sarutobi with a massive grin on his face. Feeling like they were drawing too much attention now, Shiko jerked his head in a direction pointing away from the crowd, signaling to the rest of his team to evacuate. Quickly vanishing beneath a cloud of smoke, much to the disappointment of their admirers, the ANBU team retreated back to the Odara Inn.
Inside, the inn's bespectacled receptionist, who possessed smooth, short, brown hair and dark eyes, sulked behind the front desk, nearly falling out of her chair as the six shinobi glided past her and towards the stairs.
“Wait!” she yelped before they began to ascend, stopping them in their tracks, “I thought you guys were fighting off somewhere in town. Everybody went to watch but Mikasa-san forced me to stay here…”
She trailed off, scowling as the last few words escaped her lips.
“Please bring lunch to all our rooms.” said Shiko politely.
“Didn’t you guys already have lunch?” she inquired confusedly.
“That was breakfast.” Hoji returned with a small chuckle.
“But, it was at noon. Less an hour ago.” she protested.
“Just bring it, okay?” urged Shiko.
“O-...kay.” she replied, still baffled. “Will you be having a big lunch like your…er…breakfast?”
“No,” returned the team captain, “just rice balls and water for everyone, please.”
“Shiko!” whined Hoji. “Why are you always so chea—”
The glare that the captain gave him as he moved forward to protest left the medical-nin cowering in fear. The receptionist tried her best not to giggle at this, though she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. It was short-lived, however, fading when Shiko returned his gaze to her once more.
“Be quick about it.”
“Uh, I’ll do my best, but like I said, nobody’s around. They all went to watch YOU fight.” she said, adjusting her round glasses.
Shiko sighed as his team began ascending the stairs. “Well, considering that we’re not there anymore, they should be back anytime now. Thank you.”
Echoed footfalls were the only thing heard as they climbed. Every one of them was quite worn out, even Shiko, who did very little in comparison to the rest of them—such was his usual disposition. Quietly, they reached the second floor, their silence persisting as they ventured down the hallway towards their rooms, interrupted only by the jingling of keys and the slight squeaking of doors upon their hinges.
Room 34 was quite airy, as Hoji had left the windows creaked before they left. Sunlight beamed through the parted muslin curtains and draped the carpeted floor and the inner halves of the two beds, which were both neat and well-made, once again the handiwork of the medical-nin—he had taken it upon himself to make both his bed and Sato’s, since it was unlikely that the latter would even think of doing so himself. The two roommates and best friends slumped on their individual beds and let out a tired sigh in unison. After a brief moment of silence, the Hyūga turned to his companion with a disgruntled look on his face.
“So, why did you hold back against Itachi?”
“Wasn't the time and place. It was just an exhibition match, after all. Tonight, though, we're all gonna have to get serious. ...I’m gonna take a nap. Wake me up when our measly rations arrive.”
Sato chuckled and the silence resumed.
The Aoran forest was once again invaded by the ANBU squad at 10:00 PM, a half-moon gleaming dully in the sky as they leapt from tree to tree. Sato, Himura, and Itachi were out in front moving side by side, while Shiko, Tenzo, and Hoji moved in tandem behind them. There was no raw meat with them this time, nor was there any conversation between them—it seemed that the silence from the afternoon had spilled over into the night. The Red Devil was at the forefront of their minds, so fixed were they on him that they were completely indifferent to each other. What was once a hunt for the beast had now become an active pursuit since, thanks to Tenzo’s tracking seeds, they now knew exactly where he was. The tyrant of this gloomy forest, it seemed, had returned to the venue of their last battle: the Aoran Creek, whose waters had become mingled with Shiko’s blood during their previous confrontation, and whose dark depths nearly consumed the corpses of the entire team. It was almost poetic how this scene was now to become the stage for their final clash with the terrifying brute.
The waters of the river gleamed in front of them, bearing the reflection of the partial moon overhead, which had a doleful glow about it. It was as though the celestial body knew it was going to witness murder tonight, and the river reflected its mournful light in agreement. They stood frozen at its bank, and standing at the opposite edge of the water was Akakuma, ramrod straight with his back turned to them, his thorny mane of hair bristling as fiercely as ever.
The tense silence that hung in the air was so palpable, so strong, that it was almost tangible. Akakuma was the first to move, glancing behind him at the six ANBU ninja after sensing their presence. His bright, yellow eyes glowed fiercely as he recognized them, every muscle in his ten-foot mass visibly contracting in preparation.
“As we discussed.” said Shiko.
“Yeah.” assented Himura as he drew his blade, which glimmered in the moonlight, a murderous glint in the eyes of its wielder. Clasping the hilt with both hands, the Angel of Death settled into a battle stance, and Akakuma charged across the river towards them with all the ferocity of a raging lion. Chakra flared across Himura’s sword, extending about six feet outward as he lifted it and slammed it against the approaching beast's massive chest, sending him crashing into the water with a violent splash.
“It’s going to be WAY different this time! Hoji!”
Akakuma was given little chance to recover before receiving a powerful uppercut from Hoji’s Hand of the Titan, sending the beast flying into the sky. Still bleeding from the cut inflicted by Himura’s blade, he was then hit by Sato’s Empty Palm while still airborne, as well as a combined Fire attack from the lips of both the Angel of Death and Itachi, the combined efforts of which sent him crashing onto the land in a sizzling, undignified heap.
Infuriated by this unexpected turn of events, the beast entered a deadly rage. He was in the middle of his signature bloodcurling howl when he was silenced by a Mokuton tendril, which twisted around his neck while several others ensnared the rest of his body. His swelled muscles struggled fiercely against his wooden restraints, but Shiko quickly added his Shadow Binding technique in the next moment, making even the slightest movement of a finger a feat which would require Herculean strength. Still, as a testament to the demon’s power, it was not enough to hold him down for long; even shinobi of their skill knew it was only a matter of time before he escaped. For this reason, Hoji quickly conjured up two colossal arms of earth to wrap themselves around Akakuma, rendering the beast completely immobile, save for the frantic flickering of his lurid eyes and murderous snapping of his numerous serrated teeth.
With the Red Devil totally subdued by this peculiar combination of restraints, Itachi strolled boldly, yet cautiously, towards the giant monster, his crimson dōjutsu gleaming as he took the demon’s head in both hands and pulled his craggy, bestial face towards his, forcing their eyes to meet. The beast's lids fell heavily over his wicked, yellow eyes, his head swaying back-and-forth in Itachi’s grasp before falling limply in front of him. Akakuma’s mind was now as ensnared as the rest of his body, and the monster of Aoran struggled no more.
“Step away, Itachi.” instructed Himura, his sword already coated with wind chakra, the mere presence of which stirred a soft breeze in the air. “I will take his head.”
Itachi stepped back and the Angel of Death proceeded towards the beast's sleeping, kneeling form, which was still entangled by wood, shadow, and stone. Forming half of the Tiger seal with his left hand, he coated his sword in flames.
“By combining Fire and Wind, I should have enough power to tear through his neck.”
Himura wasted no time in testing his theory, lifting his flaming sword and bringing it down upon the monster's thick, muscular throat. It went in a couple of inches and blood began dribbling from the fresh wound, bringing a smile to the swordsman's face.
“Just a little more effort…” he muttered to himself as he pushed his sword down harder and harder, gradually deepening the wound in the monster’s neck as more blood gushed out from it. Several seconds had passed before he was a third of the way through, reaching the halfway point after several more. Before he could proceed further, though, Akakuma’s eyes suddenly snapped open, blazing wildly with anger.
Himura leapt away instantly, leaving his sword stuck inside the beast’s neck. The rest of the team immediately placed some distance between themselves and the demon, as well; they had learned better after their previous experience.
“How is this possible!?”
“He…broke the genjutsu somehow.” said Sato, eyeing Akakuma’s powerful form incredulously. The beast was fully awake, struggling against his restraints with renewed vigor. It wasn't long before the tangles of wood and stone began snapping and crackling uselessly, and the sweat on Shiko’s face made it all too clear that trying to maintain his Shadow Binding jutsu was a lost cause. Akakuma’s strength was simply too great.
“Itachi! Can’t you use a stronger genjutsu!?” inquired Hoji frantically.
“That was my strongest.” Itachi replied with a frown, narrowing his blood-red eyes at the monster.
“Akakuma’s chakra is getting extremely agitated.” explained Sato, inspecting the beast closely with his Byakugan.
“I can sense it with my seeds, as well.” added Tenzo. “The principles of genjutsu dictate that for an illusion to work, the caster must be able to control the chakra in their target’s brain. With Akakuma’s chakra in such a violent state, I don’t know of any illusion that could work on him now. ...To think that Orochimaru managed to create something like this…”
The air was peppered with cracks and snaps as the Red Devil slowly liberated itself. It wasn’t very long until Shiko gave up trying to maintain the Shadow Bind, already panting heavily from his effort.
“We don’t have much time before he gets loose. What do we do!?” hollered Hoji, who was watching with dread as his Hands of the Titan began crumbling away.
“We can’t retreat! We either end this once and for all or die trying!” said Himura.
“You can’t be as smart as me without realizing something very important.” Shiko explained as he wiped the sweat from his brow, “Even the best laid plans can fail. You have to adjust to the situation. We’ll change tactics. Our main goal now is to tear his head off, and Himura’s sword is capable of doing that, so we just have to hold Akakuma down long enough for Himura to behead him.”
In the next instant, all the restraints were obliterated and Akakuma rose to his feet before them. His broad chest swelled and deflated with each quick and raspy breath, both of his arms bulging at his sides, Himura’s blade still stuck in his thick neck, hair dancing violently about him as a reddish tint appeared in his yellow eyes, and his lips drawn back in a bestial snarl. He didn’t remain still for long, taking off so fast that he seemed to have vanished into thin air, only to reappear much closer to the shinobi, his massive fist a hair’s breadth from the shocked expression on Itachi’s face, put there by the incredible display of speed he had just witnessed. If the young Uchiha was ever grateful for his Sharingan before, it was in that moment when they predicted Akakuma’s linear attack, allowing him to shift his head just slightly out of the path of the skull-shattering blow. Itachi quickly leapt to safety as Hoji and Tenzo slammed their hands against the ground, producing a powerful tremor which shook the earth to a point where everyone present, even Akakuma, found it difficult to stand. While the beast tottered across uncertain grounds, several wooden tendrils emerged from beneath it, which encapsulated Akakuma in a cocoon of Mokuton. This restraint was quickly reduced to splinters in the next moment and Akakuma’s fist surged towards yet another astonished member of the team; Hyūga Sato.
An extremely skilled member of a clan renown for its taijutsu, even Sato found himself frozen where he stood, Akakuma's power having caught him completely by surprise. He was hardly a second away from forfeiting his life when he finally regained himself, and a sudden burst of chakra weaved around him and deflected Akakuma’s lethal blow; the absolute Kaiten defense. The beast was thrown back a short ways by the technique, but he was still standing. The slight loss of balance in his footing, however, was opening enough for Hoji’s Hand of the Titan to erupt from the ground and wrap its fingers around his body, rendering him immobile. Himura quickly followed up on this, dashing forward and grabbing the hilt of his sword, which was still sticking grotesquely out of the Red Devil’s neck. Applying every ounce of strength he had, he managed to deepen the wound by a few more centimeters before being thrown back by a loud roar from the beast. Making short work of the Hand of the Titan, Akakuma quickly set his sights on the medical-nin who cast the technique.
Hoji’s sensory barrier was already up, allowing him to block the monster’s first swing, as well as the second. The third, however, was too fast and too strong for him to handle, and it was only through Shiko’s timely execution of his Shadow Binding technique that Hoji’s ribs were saved from being crushed to dust. The team captain’s grinding teeth, as well as the veins throbbing on his forehead, only hinted at the immense strain on his body which maintaining the technique produced. It was hardly enough to stop Akakuma at this point, though, and the beast strolled freely towards Shiko with a cavalier step which seemed to mock this feeble attempt to hold him down, grabbing the shinobi once he was within his reach and crushing him in the next instant.
“Shadows aren't my only specialty!”
The seemingly mangled Shiko suddenly transformed into a large piece of gray cloth, which wrapped itself around Akakuma’s limbs and torso before the beast could react. A complex sealing formula quickly appeared across the fabric as it began snaking its way around Akakuma’s head, encasing him completely. The entire time this was taking place, the real Shiko was standing beside Hoji, his hand resting against his hip.
“It seems my Cloth Clone did the trick. Now, let's hurry up and seal him.”
To Be Continued.
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The team’s first assault against the Akakuma was commendable ^^ Restraining the creature in order to apply a genjutsu was brilliant! And finally the beast has been pierced lol Whoa, this monster seems unstoppable. It looks like the team is at their limit once more. Himura’s cloth clone was epic. And since the Akakuma seems to be undefeatable, a sealing method seems about right ^^ This chapter was fairly hefty and jam packed with epic action! Wonderful job 