Chapter 14:
The night sky was a canvas of swirling red and black, ominous clouds reflecting the demonic aura radiating from the battlefield. A crimson haze lingered, staining the wind with the scent of blood and despair. The once-proud forests near Konoha were now charred and twisted ruins—an arena for the wrath of a monster.
Naruto—the Crimson Demon—towered over the fallen, his grotesque form hunched and rippling with malice. The markings of his transformation glowed violently, shifting like living veins beneath his shadowed skin. His eyes were slits of fiery crimson, and his lips twisted into a wicked grin, stained with the blood of shinobi who dared defy him.
Gai lay sprawled on the ground, the Eight Gates' furious aura now a mere ember. Blood leaked from his mouth, and his limbs trembled from the strain. He had given everything, and it still wasn't enough. Beside him, Lee knelt, clutching his sensei's broken body with tear-filled eyes.
"Gai-sensei!" Lee's desperate voice cracked. "Please, stay with me!"
The Crimson Demon sneered. "How sentimental. Your hope is pointless."
Naruto's clawed hand extended, a flicker of red energy crackling as the air thickened with malevolent intent. He aimed at Lee and Gai, savoring the fear etched into Lee's face. But before the fatal blow could land, a wall of sand erupted between them, shielding the fallen shinobi.
The Crimson Demon's eyes narrowed as the sand solidified, morphing into a protective sphere. Gaara stood atop it, arms crossed, eyes hard with determination. The Kazekage's expression was grim. He wore the weight of a leader who had faced too much death.
"Gaara," the demon growled. "You think sand will save you?"
Gaara's eyes burned with a fierce resolve. "I won't let you destroy this world, Naruto."
The demon cackled, a dark, twisted sound. "Naruto is gone. I am something far greater—a nightmare incarnate."
Gaara's sand surged forward, tendrils whipping toward the demon like serpents. The Crimson Demon swatted them aside effortlessly, but the Kazekage was relentless. Sand cascaded, forming colossal hands that tried to ensnare the beast.
"Desert Imperial Funeral!" Gaara roared, his sand closing in with crushing force.
The ground trembled as the sand constricted, a massive tidal wave enveloping the demon. The pressure intensified, squeezing the beast within a cocoon of suffocating grains. Gaara's brow furrowed in concentration, pushing his chakra to its limits.
A tense silence lingered. Then, a low rumble echoed.
The sand coffin exploded. A shockwave of crimson energy burst forth, hurling debris and dust across the battlefield. Gaara staggered back, eyes widening. Emerging from the wreckage, the Crimson Demon stood unharmed, dark energy licking his form.
"You think cheap tricks will save you?" the demon taunted.
Gaara clenched his fists, refusing to retreat. Sand coiled around him protectively as he prepared for the worst. The demon's monstrous grin widened as he vanished in a flicker of speed, appearing directly before the Kazekage.
Gaara reacted instantly—sand formed a shield. But the demon's claws tore through, shattering the barrier. Gaara gasped, barely avoiding the lethal swipe as sand surged up to push him away. The demon advanced, undeterred.
"I've grown tired of your resistance," the beast snarled. "Fall."
A swipe of his hand sent a wave of crimson energy crashing into Gaara. The impact shattered his defenses, sending him sprawling. Blood trickled from Gaara's mouth as he struggled to rise. His vision blurred, but determination blazed in his eyes.
"For my village…my friends…I won't surrender!" Gaara cried, summoning his chakra. Sand swirled violently around him, taking the shape of a massive Shukaku—a manifestation of his former tailed beast.
The construct lunged, jaws wide. The Crimson Demon met it head-on, dark energy colliding with sand. A violent clash ensued, explosions rippling across the forest. The Shukaku's claws raked against the demon's hide, but the beast's raw power overwhelmed it.
The demonic chakra tore through Gaara's construct, reducing it to shreds. The Kazekage stood defenseless, blood dripping from fresh wounds. The demon's eyes gleamed with savage glee.
"Die, Kazekage."
The beast's clawed hand impaled Gaara through the chest, piercing his heart. Gaara's eyes widened as blood spattered the ground. The sand crumbled around him, chakra fading. The demon hoisted him upward, smirking cruelly.
"Your struggle was amusing," the demon mocked.
Gaara's lips curled into a faint smile. "I…believed in Naruto…"
The light faded from Gaara's eyes as his body went limp. The Crimson Demon tossed the lifeless form aside like a broken doll, letting it crumple to the earth. Silence settled, heavy and cold.
Lee's scream tore through the air. "GAARA!"
But there was no time to mourn. The Crimson Demon turned his gaze toward Lee and Gai once more, bloodlust burning in his eyes. Before he could strike, a blur of yellow lightning flashed before him.
A forceful kick struck the demon, sending him skidding back. The Raikage, A, stood firm, electricity crackling around his body. Mei Terumī and the Tsuchikage joined him, grim determination etched on their faces.
The demon chuckled darkly. "More prey to slaughter."
Mei's eyes hardened. "You won't claim any more lives tonight, monster."
The Kage trio lunged forward, a storm of elemental fury crashing upon the Crimson Demon. Fire, lightning, and earth ripped through the air, battering the beast. But the demon's laughter only grew louder, reveling in the chaos.
The fight raged on—vicious and desperate. The ground quaked, and the sky wept ash. Blood spilled freely, and the demon's monstrous power carved paths of destruction.
The Raikage fell first—burned and broken by a blast of crimson energy. Mei's acid was reflected back upon her, leaving her charred and gasping. The Tsuchikage was crushed beneath the demon's fist, bones snapping like twigs.
The battlefield was silent once more. The Crimson Demon stood victorious, bodies littering the ground. The wind howled, carrying the scent of death.
He gazed toward Konoha's walls, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Soon," the demon growled. "This world will kneel."
The nightmare continued, blood painting the moonlit earth. The hunt for survival had begun, and the darkness was unrelenting.
Please give more power stone ❤️