Rematch II

A few moments passed and, just as the team was about to engage with Shizuku, Kusuna, reached the Palanquin's position where Shiki stood, talking to Shion so as too keep her entertained while they waited fo the others to return.

Poor Taruho was still out, looking as if he was having some sort of nightmare and moaning indeligeably about something but alas, nobody cared.

Suddenly, multiple scalpels, thrown like kunai, flew from within the forest in Shion's direction. HEr palanquin however, was luxury transportation designed by Shiki, so it obviously had certain safety features as a barrier sprung to life, blocking the projectiles.

Shiki then glared directly at Kusuna's location and the sheer killing intent in that gaze made the dark medical nin jump out as if an attack had been launched at him.

"This is?" Shion asked.

"The fourth assailant." Shiki replied

'He stood back, some distance away from the fighting like the first time the group assaulted your compound but, seeing his companions be systematically taken down in the forest, he maybe thought our defense was weak due to me sending out my team to fight the other three.' He further explained.

"Not very smart is he?" Shion asked with a cute inquisitive expression, which seemed to piss of Kusuna.

Shiki chuckled in response.

"No . . . He really isn't." He said.

Kusana was pissed and rightly so. But not at Shion or Shiki, at himself for making such a stupid move. The objective of their foes from Konoha was to protect Shion, of course they would keep the strongest of them back to ensure her safety.

The fact that he thought he had a chance and took such a big risk when he was supposed to hold position away from the enemy to provide chakra to his now defeated companions was a big mistake that might cost him everything.

Kusuna was no slouch in a fight but it was not his specialty. Although he had his Dark Medical Ninjutsu to assist him, he honestly doubted his chances of escaping successfully, much less eliminating his target.

The only option left, was to take a gamble, a truly big one he did not want to take but was now being forced to. By his own stupid decision making of all things . . . Meanwhile, Shiki was eyeing him down, wondering what Kusuna was planning to do while waiting.

Like he had said, if he got involved and had to fight one of the Gang of Four, the team's special assignment was automatically failed so, in doing nothing, he was extending the time so that maybe they could finish up and get back to the palanquin.

Of course, if Kusuna either attacked or attempted to run, Shiki would take him down since there was no sense in letting him wander around after he delivered himself to Shiki's doorstep.

Back to the team, they were now moving in to take down Shizuku, still not realizing that the enemy's team leader had left their combat area and move in on Shiki's position.

Shizuku herself was getting worried, she had been trapped in a strange barrier on way to her target, surrounded by a bunch of traps and left alone without anyone showing up. Everytime she felt like she was making decent progress towards breaking said barrier down, it got suddenly strengthened.

It felt as if someone was watching her and purposely doing so just to piss her off rather than face in battle due to what she perceived as fear from her enemy. Still, having no better idea, she dutifully continued striking at the barrier at a moderate pace so as to not overspend her limited chakra.

All of this didn't stop her from spewing vitriol to whoever she thought was watching and hearing, meanwhile, her two companions were being pummeled and captured.

Sasuke jumped into the barrier from above by using a big tree in the forest as a standing point for his leap. Noticing the intrusion quite easily as Sasuke had built up quite the amount of chakra, Shizuku looked up to spot him.

"You're one of the brats from bef-!" She started but got cut off abruptly.

'Fire Style: Majestic Demolisher Flame!'

Sasuke breathed out a huge volume of fire onto Shizuku who pulled all the water around her with her Water Gathering Gorgon Jutsu to defend her from the Uchiha's colossal fire jutsu.

This resulted in a massive vapor explosion that hurled Sasuke away with some slight burns while Shizuke was also knocked of her feet with even more severe ones.

Shielding themselves with Chakra Burst creating a protective coat around their entire bodies, the Hyuga sisters moven in as restrained Shizuku before she could recover from the steam blast, sealing her lie they had done for her teammates.

The three then gathered up and, having taken Mugetsu's enhancements, Sasuke had already healed from his slight burns.

"And that's three out of three." He said.

"Wait! What about the guy that always stayed behind?" Hanabi suddenly remembered.

Hinata immediately searched his previous position but did not find him and so kept looking around the area as did Hanabi but to no success. They were about to give up and return to Shiki with the fact they had let one enemy escape but, in that very instant, a pillar of energy shot into the sky.

"That's got to him! But that direction . . ." Sasuke trailed off.

"Shiki-san!" Hinata realized.

"Shiki-nii-sama!" Hanabi echoed.

The three then realized and exclaimed in tandem.

"We messed up!"

Shiki was looking with mild surprise at the spectacle happening in front of them.

'This dude has more ball than I thought. I honestly didn't think he go this route . . .' He casually thought to himself.

Kusuna had taken a bunch of snakes filled with Moryo's chakra, which was how he refilled his squadmates' chakra once they ran out. Now though, he had implanted all the small snakes into himself, gaining a massive boost of power.

His hair grew and became more frizzled and spiky, rising up in the hair, his skin became purplish black as his eyes turned pitch black, as if empty holes into the abyss itself.

He rushed Shiki with blinding speed, tearing up the ground as he ran and delivered and powerful punch, straight to Shiki's chest.

The palanquin and Taruho were both protected by a spherical barrier and were thus fine but the rest of the terrain behind Shiki was utterly demolished.

As for the man himself, he just stood there, as the rudely awoken Taruho and even Shion who regarded Shiki very highly for some reason looked in disbelief at the fact that what they considered to be a cataclysmic attack, not even fasing Shiki.

Not only that, Kusuna's hand that he pushed with was shattered from the recoil of hitting SHiki who had hardened his muscles before impact.

"Not bad." Shiki commented.

"Not nearly enough though." He added with a smirk.

'I never get those people that say bullying the weak isn't fun. That my friends, depend on the type of weakling. Those who are arrogant and believe in their superiority are quite fun to bully.' Shiki pondered.

Kusuna on the other hand jumped back, holding his arm in pain and about to have a mental breakdown.

'It can't be this far . . . This bastard can't be this powerful! How can I who received Moryo-sama's blessing to such a degree by so much weaker that him!?' He thought.

'It must be because of the snakes . . . Yes . . . If I drink from the source directly . . . Only then will I get the full power of the blessing.' Kusuna rationalize.

He then brought the snakes out and crushed them, drinking the concentrated liquid chakra from Moryo inside them.

First, he crumpled to the ground in pain but then, power, far, far greater than before started radiating from his body as Kusuna raised an ungodly screech mixed with a roar as his body started to change once again.

He got much bigger, red shining marking covered his body that now looked as if it was made from darkness itself and his eyes were fully shining red as well.

Next up, he grew to extra pairs of arms and two extra heads like Gitai had but much bigger and more monstrous and a single horn rose from each of the heads' foreheads. Finally, his legs turned into a massive snake like tail made of darkness.

Shiki could no longer sense a coherent mind within, only violence and sadistic desires to destroy and inflict pain.

'I am quite curious on his strength though . . .' He wondered.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, Hinata and Hanabi were all rushing back at full speed.

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P.a.t.r.e.o.n is officially up!

The link is: https://www.p.a.t.r.e.o.n.com/lusoba without the extra dots of course.

You'll get to read up to FOUR week ahead, a full month, but I'll still post here.

There's also my other novel Archon of DanMachi, do check it out!

I would greatly appreciate any support since this is going to be my breadwinner.