XXXXX - NEJI OF THE BYAKUGAN POV
"West, three hundred meters," Neji said, his Byakugan effortlessly locking onto their quarry. There was nothing that could hide from his sight, and under Danzo-sama's guidance, that truth had only become more absolute. His range expanded constantly, refining his perception to near-perfection.
"On it," his partner responded, vanishing in a blur of speed that even Rock Lee would envy.
Neji forcefully pushed aside any lingering thoughts of his old team. Danzo-sama would not tolerate such distractions during a mission, especially one of this importance.
Tracking his partner was easy. The younger boy weaved through the trees with a grace that left almost no sign of passage. When he finally reached the targets, he moved with an efficiency that Neji's former self might have envied. He dropped from above, kunai in hand, while his other hand flicked five shuriken toward a second enemy.
The projectiles flew in an arc designed to make dodging nearly impossible—unless the Kusagakure Chunin abandoned his position entirely. That retreat, however, sealed his fate.
Sasuke was already upon the other enemy, clashing in a fierce exchange of taijutsu. Flashing red eyes tracked every movement, dissecting his opponent's technique with ease. The Kusa shinobi looked like an academy student under the Uchiha prodigy's relentless assault.
Neji didn't waste any more attention on the battle. The outcome was preordained by destiny. Instead, he focused on the third target—the one who had tried to take a less direct route back to Kusagakure, believing he could escape the Byakugan's gaze.
Foolish.
Adjusting his course for an intercept, Neji moved swiftly.
Minutes later, he was within striking distance.
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm."
The words left his lips in a whisper as he executed the jutsu flawlessly. The Kusa scout, mid-leap, collapsed as the invisible force pierced his heart. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Back at the command tent, Neji and Sasuke executed flawless salutes upon arrival. Around them, the tent bustled with activity—Chunin and Genin moving with purpose, fulfilling the countless administrative tasks necessary for war. Even Neji's genius mind struggled to grasp the sheer complexity of mobilizing an entire nation for battle.
"You succeeded?" their immediate commanding officer inquired.
"Yes," Sasuke confirmed. "All who saw the encampment now rest in the halls of Naraka."
Neji resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Even as a Hyūga, a clan known for their reserved mannerisms, Sasuke outmatched him in sheer dramatism.
"Perfect." The officer nodded. "We move in twelve hours. Rest and prepare yourselves. Your roles in the invasion are of paramount importance."
The Yamanaka turned away, already shifting his attention to other matters. His golden hair flicked over his shoulders as he resumed coordinating the massive operation.
Neji had seen dozens like him emerge in the wake of Danzo-sama's rise to power—shinobi appearing out of nowhere to assume positions of authority.
Whispers in the wind spoke of a secret Anbu division, operating beyond the Third Hokage's control, now fully integrated into Konoha's hierarchy. But Neji dismissed such rumors as nonsense. The idea that the Third had allowed an entire unit of elite operatives to exist outside his command was absurd.
More likely, Danzo was simply promoting individuals from the lesser-known branches of Konoha's military to replace those loyal to the previous Hokage. A logical move.
As Neji exited the tent, a voice called out to him.
"Neji."
He turned to face his partner.
"Hm?"
"I'll be at the stream if I'm needed," Sasuke said before vanishing in a Shunshin.
Neji frowned slightly. Did the Uchiha honestly believe there was anywhere in this camp I couldn't find him within seconds?
Dismissing the thought, he leapt onto a high tree branch, surveying the hidden encampment below. The cover had been meticulously crafted by one of their commanding officers—Tenzo, a man rumored to wield the First Hokage's legendary kekkei genkai, Wood Release.
Another of the many officers who had seemingly materialized after Danzo-sama's ascension.
It was strange. A kekkei genkai as renowned as Wood Release, remaining hidden for so long?
Tenzo was no Senju—that much Neji knew for certain. Even as a branch family member, his clan's records were thorough, and they made it clear that no direct descendants of the First Hokage remained, save for Lady Tsunade.
The Senju had once been Konoha's backbone, yet their numbers dwindled due to their own policies. Unlike the Hyūga, who maintained strict bloodline purity, the Senju had encouraged intermarriage, integrating with civilians and other clans. Additionally, their philosophy of leading from the front lines had decimated their ranks in the first two Shinobi Wars.
When the Second War escalated, it was Senju Genin who were sent into battle first—on the orders of Lord Second himself.
Neji could not imagine a world without the Hyūga Clan. And yet, the Senju were gone.
"I heard you and Sasuke are part of the first charge," a familiar voice greeted.
Neji acknowledged Tenten with a nod.
"Indeed," he confirmed. "Lord Fifth wants us to gain real combat experience against a hidden village's forces. Since Kusagakure is not one of the Great Five, even their Jounin won't be as strong as those from Konoha."
"But why are we doing this at all?" Tenten asked, genuine confusion in her voice. "I get why we'd go after Iwa or Suna—they were the ones who attacked us during the Chunin Exams. But why Kusa?"
Neji considered his response carefully. The information had been shared with him in confidence, but was it truly a secret? Did Tenten not have as much right to know as he did?
"Iwa is already crippled," he revealed. "The Kazekage led a strike team and destroyed the bulk of the village. They'll be rebuilding for years. Suna, on the other hand, is strong. The Kazekage fought a fully manifested Yonbi without sustaining injuries. We're not in a position to challenge him directly—especially not in the desert, where he's at his strongest."
"Then why Kusa?"
"It's one step in a larger plan," Neji explained. "If Iwa becomes a threat again, we'll be positioned to strike. At the same time, it serves as a warning to Suna. They won't make moves against us if they see we won't hesitate to act first."
Tenten frowned. "Suna is in the opposite direction."
Neji opened his mouth to explain further but hesitated. The strategic depth of war wasn't something easily conveyed in a single conversation. Years of training under both the Hyūga and Danzo had given him the necessary understanding, but could he really expect Tenten to grasp it so quickly?
Fortunately, he was spared from answering.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
"Change of plans!" someone shouted from below.
Neji gave Tenten a brief nod before turning away. Their next mission awaited.
XXXXXXXXXX
Neji suppressed the urge to scowl, a skill honed through years of discipline, as he and his partner closed the distance between the forest and the walls of Kusagakure. Their objective was simple: infiltrate the village and assassinate its Head Jōnin—cutting off the snake's head before it could strike.
The problem? The sudden shift in plans.
This wasn't how their mission had originally been outlined. The drastic change could only mean one thing.
This was a test.
Danzo was testing them again.
The realization grated on Neji. He had believed they were past their instructor's relentless examinations, yet here they were, faced with another. What frustrated him even more was knowing they hadn't been informed earlier purely to add an element of surprise. Danzo had planned this well in advance. The man despised rash, impulsive actions with the same intensity a cat loathed a bath. If this change had been premeditated, then their Commanding Officers were undoubtedly aware as well.
A subtle hand signal caught Neji's attention.
"Follow my lead."
Sasuke's fingers moved fluidly, forming one of the dozen variations of Konoha's sign language that Danzo had drilled into them during their earliest weeks of training. Neji watched him closely, his Byakugan inactive—even the slightest flare of chakra risked detection. Kusagakure wasn't one of the Five Great Villages, but it was still a Hidden Village at the end of the day.
Sasuke increased his speed, and in a sequence of movements that would have once bewildered Neji's younger self, he closed the gap with the wall. He planted a foot against its surface, using it as a springboard to propel himself upward. Not a single drop of chakra was wasted—only sheer, practiced agility. He twisted midair, gaining momentum, and landed atop the wall.
The guard didn't even have time to react.
A flicker of silver, and Sasuke's kunai lashed out, slicing cleanly through the man's throat. Silent. Efficient. Final.
Neji inhaled deeply before following suit.
He still disliked the directness of Sasuke's approach, but he couldn't argue against its efficiency. They were on a tight schedule. The body would be discovered soon enough, but with night settling over the village, Neji estimated they had a window of time before the next shift arrived. Long enough to complete their mission.
Now that they were inside the village, they could afford to use small amounts of chakra. Activating his Byakugan, Neji immediately scanned the surroundings, confirming that they had yet to be detected. Beside him, he sensed Sasuke doing the same.
"Follow me."
He signed the command before melting into the shadows, his partner doing the same. Moving without a sound, they navigated through the village's outskirts, weaving through dark alleys and side streets. With the Byakugan and Sharingan, avoiding detection was almost effortless.
This was the power of Konoha's premier Kekkei Genkai.
As they neared their target, Neji studied the structure before them. Compared to Konoha's Hokage Tower, Kusagakure's central government building was underwhelming. While Konoha and other major villages built upwards—symbols of power that pierced the sky—Kusa had taken the opposite approach.
For anyone without eyes like his, it would appear as nothing more than another modest bungalow. But Neji could see beyond the illusion. Beneath the unassuming exterior lay a vast network of tunnels, sprawling beneath the village like a hidden root system.
Kusa had buried its heart beneath layers of earth and deception.
"Is that the only entrance?"
Sasuke's fingers moved swiftly, his eyes never leaving the building as they observed the steady foot traffic.
"Yes. We can't burrow either—landmines everywhere."
A moment passed before Sasuke shifted, stepping slightly into the moonlight. If Neji hadn't been watching him so closely, he might have missed what happened next.
Silent as a phantom, Sasuke grabbed a passing man and vanished back into the shadows. The captive barely had time to register what had happened before he found himself ensnared by genjutsu.
Neji watched as Sasuke rifled through the man's mind, extracting information with ruthless efficiency. When he was done, he released the captive's grip on reality, allowing him to fall unconscious before seamlessly assuming his appearance.
Neji gave a small nod before mirroring the action, capturing another passing guard and doing the same.
Disguised and prepared, they made their way toward the entrance.
GAARA OF THE DESERT POV
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been known as the Professor, the God of Shinobi, for his legendary mastery of nearly every jutsu within the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Gaara had once considered attempting something similar with Suna—cataloging and mastering every technique his village had to offer—but the demands of leadership and survival had made that impossible.
Now, with access to the jutsu archives of Iwa, that ambition should have been even more daunting.
But things had changed.
Why?
The eyeball spinning languidly in his left socket held the answer.
Obito Uchiha's Sharingan, now in Gaara's possession, changed everything. His high intelligence stat had already gifted him with an eidetic memory, but the Sharingan pushed that advantage to absurd levels. It wasn't just about memorization—the Sharingan decoded the nature of jutsu in real time, allowing him to analyze and refine them at a speed no ordinary shinobi could match.
The ability to see the precise flow of chakra within himself accelerated his learning process beyond all expectations.
With this, he wasn't just limited to combat-oriented ninjutsu. He could now strive to master every single jutsu that both Iwa and Suna had to offer.
"Do it again."
Gaara's voice carried no emotion as he issued the command. Across from him, an Iwa shinobi complied, chakra surging as he combined Earth and Lightning Release, triggering the famed Explosion Release. A puff of smoke burst from the man's outstretched hand as the jutsu activated—all under the grip of Gaara's genjutsu.
It was a shame.
The conventional wisdom had turned out to be correct this time.
Everyone knew the Sharingan couldn't copy Kekkei Genkai, but Gaara had only gotten this far by questioning so-called truths. Yet, after a full week of relentless experimentation, the results were undeniable. He could see how the chakra natures merged, could analyze the process down to the smallest fluctuation...
But replicating it? Impossible.
At least, for now.
His wristband vibrated twice, an alert signaling that it was time to move on.
Gaara stepped back from his captive and let out a slow breath before reaching into his pocket. He retrieved a small glass bottle, twisted the cap open, and swallowed two of the bitter pills within. They burned. The sensation crawled down his throat like liquid fire, but he endured it with only the faintest grimace.
He had perfected his regimen of supplements and drugs, optimizing his body's efficiency for this work. The side effects were… tolerable. Unfortunately, making them taste even remotely bearable was an entirely different challenge—one he hadn't figured out yet. Any attempts at flavor improvement came with trade-offs: either reducing their effectiveness or worsening the already grueling side effects.
For now, he would endure.
"Now, show me what Earth Release jutsu you know."
The captive stiffened under the command of Gaara's spinning Sharingan—and obeyed.
JIRAIYA THE TOAD SAGE POV
Jiraiya strolled across Mount Myōboku, stepping out of the humble hut he'd built for himself and toward the one Tsunade had claimed as her own. This was their chosen meeting point, a temporary base of operations while they made their preparations.
The decision had already been made: they would seek out the Kazekage brat.
But only once they had removed all potential weaknesses he could exploit.
He, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were the closest thing to an unstoppable force in the shinobi world, but Naruto? Naruto wasn't there yet. With the Akatsuki prowling, they couldn't afford to risk anything. Giving the boy time to grow stronger before making any reckless moves was the only logical course of action.
"Hyaaah!"
Naruto's voice rang out behind him, followed by the unmistakable sounds of combat.
Jiraiya didn't turn.
He already knew what was happening—his apprentice and Gamakichi were being drilled by Gamabunta in Toad-style Taijutsu. A formalized hand-to-hand style might help patch the glaring holes in Naruto's close-quarters combat.
Jiraiya kept moving forward, his mind focused on the bigger picture.
They needed a plan for approaching the Kazekage.
As the only one among them with direct experience interacting with Gaara—outside of a battlefield—Jiraiya had been given point in formulating their strategy.
Tsunade was waiting when he stepped inside.
"Got something?" she asked, always straight to the point.
Jiraiya exhaled. He did.
But he wasn't sure if he liked it.
"If we go through with this," he said, rubbing the back of his head, "Konoha is going to lose a lot." His voice turned grim. "But it's the only way to save the village from total collapse."
"Then let's hear it."
The snake lounging lazily on the couch—Orochimaru—spoke first, his usual amusement playing at the edges of his words. Jiraiya rolled his eyes. Tsunade had used reverse summoning to transport furniture to their temporary base, and now Orochimaru had fully claimed the most comfortable spot. Typical.
Still, it was because they were together again that Jiraiya felt secure enough to make this call.
"Before Sensei died," he began, "he made a deal with the brat. Gave him land and money as payment for his role in the invasion." Jiraiya exhaled through his nose. "I doubt Danzo ever honored it. We could offer him that."
Tsunade shook her head almost instantly.
"Won't work."
Jiraiya grimaced. He should have known she'd spot the flaw right away.
"He probably sees that payment as something that's already owed to him. We won't get his support just by giving him what's already his."
"But we'd be his only real chance of actually getting it," Orochimaru countered, playing devil's advocate.
Jiraiya smirked despite himself. He'd missed this—Orochimaru arguing for the sake of argument, rather than actual malice.
"Not if he wages war against Konoha." Jiraiya's tone darkened. "Tensions at the Fire-Wind border have never been this high."
Orochimaru tapped a finger against his knee. "Then why bother trying to recruit him? Let him start his war with Danzo. When he's weakened, we eliminate the old fool ourselves."
Tsunade shook her head. "Because we only want Danzo gone." Her voice was sharp, firm. "If we let Wind and Fire go to war, Konoha's military strength will be devastated. Even if we win, we'll be so weakened that Kumo will sweep in and finish the job."
Silence.
Jiraiya leaned back against the wall, folding his arms.
"Then what do we even have to offer him?" Orochimaru asked.
Tsunade turned to Jiraiya. "You know what he wants."
Jiraiya let out a slow breath.
"Land and money, obviously. But the Daimyō won't give up any more land. The initial deal Sensei made will be hard enough to push through. As for money?" He scoffed. "We'd bankrupt the village trying to pay him off. We're still reeling from Iwa's attack—and from the damage he left behind when he defected."
Orochimaru watched him closely. "You wouldn't have brought this up if you didn't have something else in mind. Spit it out."
Jiraiya hesitated for a moment. Then—
"The Scroll of Seals."
Silence.
Then—
"Absolutely not."
Orochimaru and Tsunade spoke at the same time.
Jiraiya sighed. He had expected that reaction.
"The brat wants jutsu," he argued. "My intel says he stole dozens of Kekkei Genkai users when he sacked Iwa. If we give him techniques from the Scroll of Seals—"
"No." Tsunade's glare could have incinerated a lesser man. "That scroll contains the most dangerous jutsu in existence."
Orochimaru, however, simply smiled—a slow, sinister expression.
"You said he wants techniques?"
Jiraiya stiffened.
"I have an idea."
XXXXX—MANGETSU HOZUKI OF THE SEVEN SWORDS—POV
For this mission, he had chosen the Thunder Swords. Against the Tailed Beast they were sent to capture, it was the most effective of the seven, and since he was limited to just one set, he had to pick based on the prey he would be hunting.
The thought nearly made him scoff. That bitch Mei Terumi had the gall to suggest he wasn't strong enough to safeguard the swords—as if he hadn't wielded most of them on his own. Just because she had won a single battle with some bullshit genjutsu, she thought she could look down on him. She gave him orders like he was one of her trained dogs, something to be summoned and sent out at her convenience.
It irritated him.
The fact that she had sent her little Hunter-nin lapdog to fetch him, instead of facing him herself, had nearly pushed him over the edge. He had been tempted—so tempted—to damn the mission and cut her down right then and there. But he waited. If there was one thing his sensei had taught him, it was that patience could make the hunt so much sweeter. That was the goal here. He would wait. And when the time came, he'd be the shark that took the final bite.
"Are you even listening?" The Hunter-nin's voice cut through his thoughts.
Mangetsu grunted. That was all the answer he got.
"This is a highly dangerous mission, boy. Mizukage-sama has made it clear—our priority is to use diplomacy to return the traitor Jinchūriki to the village. The world is going to hell, and we can't afford to be without a Jinchūriki." The bastard's tone was sharp, authoritative. "That means no attacking him, no killing him. You will restrain yourself."
Mangetsu let out a slow breath, barely restraining the urge to roll his eyes.
"And what, exactly, am I here for?" He scoffed. He was no diplomat. Nobody in Kirigakure was. What was the point of sending him if he wasn't supposed to fight?
"Your uncle was the Jinchūriki's former teammate. Reports suggest they developed some level of trust and camaraderie. Your presence is meant to ease the tension—to make him hesitate before fighting or running."
Mangetsu wanted to slam his head into a tree.
"What kind of idiot came up with that bullshit?"
"Watch your mouth, boy," the one-eyed bastard snapped, voice dropping its last trace of warmth. He turned to glare at Mangetsu with his single eye, cold and unyielding.
Mangetsu, uncaring of whatever threat the washed-up relic thought he posed, pushed forward.
"For one, my uncle is long dead." He crossed his arms. "Second, even if he weren't, what does that have to do with me? What, he's supposed to see the family resemblance and decide to play nice?"
"You're not here to question your superiors. Stay quiet and do as you're told."
Mangetsu sneered. Of course.
Mangetsu rolled his eyes. Fine. Whatever. He'd see how this brilliant plan of theirs turned out.
The conversation ended there, silence reigning as they continued their approach. Just as he preferred.
XXXXX
"Utakata, Jinchūriki of the Rokubi," Chōjūrō greeted as they entered the clearing.
Mangetsu resisted the urge to facepalm. Really? The idiot was going to just call out to the guy? No caution, no slow approach? If they didn't want a fight, why the hell were they confronting him in the middle of his own damn home? Sure, Chōjūrō had ditched his Hunter-nin uniform, but he might as well have carried a damn sign saying, "Come quietly or die."
Mangetsu saw it—the split-second decision in Utakata's eyes. There was only one question that ever mattered in a shinobi's life.
Fight or flight?
Utakata chose wrong.
In an instant, the Jinchūriki moved—a blur of motion as he feinted forward before twisting left, diving straight through the window.
"Tch."
Mangetsu and Chōjūrō weren't stupid enough to follow. While the Hunter-nin bolted for the door, Mangetsu stayed still for half a breath—just long enough to spot the bubbles floating in the air.
Then—
BOOM!
The explosion behind him tore through the hut. The shockwave hurled him forward, but Mangetsu twisted mid-air, using the force to push himself further instead of resisting it. He hit the ground rolling, already rising to his feet as he took off after the others.
In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Chōjūrō—somehow still upright, still chasing after Utakata. Mangetsu briefly wondered how the hell the bastard managed to stay on his feet despite being closer to the explosion.
He let the thought go. Whatever. No time for that.
His fingers curled around the hilts of his blades as he unsheathed the Thunder Swords from his back. Lightning crackled along the edges, humming in anticipation.
He grinned.
"Stop running, Jinchūriki. I don't want to kill you."
The lie rolled off his tongue with practiced ease
"..."
"Your voice sounds just like your uncle's when you lie," the Jinchuriki tossed back with a laugh.
'Alright time to Die buddy' Mangetsu shrugged and pointed the swords at his fleeing prey. He channeled his chakra into the blade, but before he could make his move, he felt his legs swept out from under him. The attack missed, and he watched as the lightning sailed past his quarry.
"No killing shots, idiot boy," Cyclops's voice rang down from above, harsh and commanding.
Mangetsu barely registered him. The lightning attack had torn through several trees, but then it stopped, vanishing into thin air. With his vision cleared, he was met by the strangest man he'd ever seen. Piercing black jewelry adorned every visible opening on his face—far beyond what even the most eccentric civilians would wear. Despite the forest, the man was the most imposing presence around. As Mangetsu took in his surroundings, he realized something: his attack had... vanished. It was as if it had been absorbed.
"Utakata, Jinchuriki of the Six Tails. Surrender," another voice cut through the air. This time, a much slimmer man with impossibly long hair stepped forward, his demeanor nonchalant. Mangetsu noted the similarity between him and the first man—too many piercings and the same black cloak adorned with red clouds. What was this, some kind of entertainment troupe?
As the two men approached, another emerged from the forest. He looked nearly identical to the first two, except his eyes. Their eyes. Purple with concentric rings. Mangetsu's gaze sharpened—this was no coincidence. They shared a doujutsu, a bloodline ability, something he'd never encountered before. Despite their strange appearance, their shared power put him at ease. A clan, perhaps? No clan with such a unique doujutsu could have escaped the notice of the wider ninja world. They weren't from a major village, either. The headbands they wore marked them as missing-nin from the Village Hidden in the Rain. If there were any noteworthy shinobi from there, he'd have heard about them.
Not knowing who he was facing only emboldened Mangetsu. These men were probably too weak to warrant his full attention.
"I don't know who you are, but this is private Kirigakure business. If you stay any longer, we'll be forced to disembowel you for national security," Mangetsu threatened, hoping they'd give him an excuse to act. He missed the carefree violence of being a missing-ninja. Back under Yagura's rule, there had been more... excitement. Unlike now, with Mei holding everyone to her 'teamwork' nonsense.
The first of the men to appear let out a barely audible chuckle. "Your impertinence amuses me. Begone, fly," said the second, raising his hand toward Mangetsu and Ao. Before either could react, Mangetsu was thrown back by an invisible force.
It felt as if an unseen giant hand had swatted him across the forest. He, Ao, and several trees were flung into the distance. Only his hydrification technique saved him. He briefly thanked his father for forcing him to learn the difficult jutsu. As he reformed his body, he tried searching for Cyclops, but there was no sign of him. Whatever had hit them had sent them flying over a kilometer. The trees had been obliterated, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. What kind of jutsu could cause that? It outclassed anything Mangetsu could do with his swords.
He took ZERO comfort in knowing he didn't yet possess Samehada. If he had, he might have had a chance against whatever had just been unleashed.
The fight between Utakata and the three men continued. Utakata blew into his pipe, releasing a series of bubbles at his attackers. One of the men raised his hand—the same one who had flung Mangetsu—and sent both the bubbles and Utakata himself flying. The bubbles and the clone Utakata created exploded into steam. Mangetsu's attention flickered to the original Utakata, who had begun fighting the large man. The jinchuriki dodged effortlessly while the fat man pummeled him. One of Utakata's clones detonated, but the larger man touched it, and it simply faded out of existence.
Who were these people? Mangetsu thought, no longer able to dismiss them as insignificant. One could send opponents flying with a wave of his hand; the other could cancel attacks with a touch. These men were powerful.
The spiky haired one, seemingly the leader, stretched out his hand and spoke words that Mangetsu could barely hear. "Bansho Tenin."
Mangetsu realized the jutsu was pulling the jinchuriki in when Utakata suddenly flew downward, confirming that the leader's technique was designed to reel in a target. Utakata had created clones and escaped, but his efforts were futile. The men had closed the distance. As the third man, who had said nothing so far, joined the fight, Mangetsu tensed. With their power, the jinchuriki would have a hard time escaping.
The fight turned chaotic as Utakata's chakra cloak thickened and changed color. His rage was palpable—dark hatred hung in the air. Mangetsu was forced to kneel, shocked at the intensity of the killing intent that seeped into his very being.
When had he fallen to his knees? Blood stained the ground as Mangetsu gasped in disbelief.
A hand was placed on his back, and a voice whispered in his ear, "Calm down. It's the Bijuu's killing intent." Mangetsu turned to find Cyclops beside him, chakra enveloping him to shield him from the pressure. Cyclops was using his Byakugan, scanning the surroundings.
Finally able to observe the fight again, Mangetsu's eyes widened. Utakata's body was consumed by a massive chakra aura as he charged the three men. The leader raised his hand, sending Utakata flying once more. The larger man transformed his hand into a cannon-like weapon, pointing it at the jinchuriki as he prepared for another attack.
In a blink, a beam of pure chakra tore through the air, hitting Utakata head-on. "We will not let these men capture the Six-Tails," Cyclops whispered, his tone grim. Mangetsu couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could they stop this?
The Six-Tails reappeared, more furious than ever. The chakra surrounding it was thick, almost impenetrable, and the sound of its scream was terrifying. As the jinchuriki charged again, the leader dodged, while the larger man blocked with his transformed arm. The fight grew more intense as the two men teamed up, overwhelming Utakata's tailed beast form.
Mangetsu watched in disbelief as the large man was sent flying by a single swipe of a tail.
The long-haired man joined the battle, and together, they began to push Utakata to the brink. Then, the jinchuriki's chakra shroud darkened, and it roared again—a sound filled with primal rage. Mangetsu could feel the intensity building.
As Utakata rushed forward, his movement blurred, and his tails lashed out with terrifying speed. He slammed the large man into the ground, his strength nearly unparalleled.
But the fight wasn't over. As Mangetsu watched, he knew they had to escape.
"Run," Cyclops said, suddenly leaving him behind.
"Why?" Mangetsu asked, hurrying to catch up.
"That's a tailed beast bomb," Cyclops said, his voice urgent. "The Six-Tails is going to destroy this whole forest."
Mangetsu glanced back as the jinchuriki prepared its attack. A ball of energy began to form, and the forest trembled in anticipation.
As the attack reached its peak, the Jinchuriki opened its mouth wide and swallowed the blast, leaving Mangetsu in stunned silence. The next thing he knew, he was thrown off his feet by a shockwave that ripped through the forest.
"What?" Ao muttered in disbelief from the ground beside him.
The energy beam from the jinchuriki's mouth surged toward the cloaked men, but to Mangetsu's astonishment, it began to disappear as it neared them.
"They're absorbing the blast," Mangetsu whispered, stunned.
The realization hit him: he was out of his league. This was no mere battle—this was the stuff of legends.
"Let's just get out of here" He said before he turned around only to come face to face with another man with the same eyes and same cloak.
Oh. He noticed that there was about 6 different "People" with those purple ringed eyes.
"Fuck me"