425.First Encounter
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Kisame grinned slightly at Fuguki's praise, revealing his sharp, shark-like teeth as he chuckled softly.
"All of this is thanks to you, Lord Fuguki."
Fuguki's small, glinting eyes, like tiny beads, flashed with a cold light as he smirked back. His raspy voice carried a sinister undertone.
"Interesting kid."
He glanced at the other Mist Ninjas still engaged in combat and spoke in his coarse voice.
"Finish the fight quickly. Our purpose isn't to linger here."
With that, he turned and began walking away.
His massive frame, resembling a small mountain, exuded an oppressive aura, and the enormous, bandage-wrapped blade strapped to his back only added to his fearsome presence.
Kisame tilted his head slightly, his shark-like eyes lingering on the legendary sword. A glint of ambition flashed in his gaze before he silently followed Fuguki, vanishing with him into the darkness.
Behind them, the battlefield was soon enveloped in a dense fog. The echoes of anguished cries filled the air as the white mist turned crimson, dyed with the blood of the fallen.
---
As time passed, the evening crept closer.
The clouds on the horizon glowed red from the setting sun, resembling the blood-soaked battlefield below. The ominous sight seemed to herald a grim and foreboding future.
---
Meanwhile.
The battles on the Konoha frontlines raged endlessly, the sounds of conflict never ceasing.
The war had continued through a full day and night, with every ninja pushing themselves to their limits. Driven by desperation, they fought as if cursed, their blood soaking the forest floor, threatening to drench it entirely.
High in the trees, the figures of Hueco Mundo's operatives stood scattered across the branches, their postures relaxed but their gazes sharp. They watched the distant battlefield, their expressions calm and unreadable under the red glow of the setting sun.
These were individuals abandoned by the world or those who had grown weary of it. To them, the world's state was irrelevant; their only desire was for it to change, no matter how.
They followed Aizen, ready to witness the collapse of this decayed and twisted era with their own eyes.
---
The forest below appeared silent and lifeless, though closer inspection revealed the scars of battle. The towering trees were marked with countless nicks and cuts from ninjutsu and weapons. Occasionally, distant cries of pain broke the stillness.
Suddenly—
"Whoosh!"
A black kunai sliced through the air, its sharp whistle shattering the deceptive calm.
The kunai landed in a hidden thicket where several Stone Ninjas had been lying in wait for an unknown length of time. Their expressions shifted as one of them shouted.
"We've been discovered!"
But just as they prepared to retreat—
"Thunk!"
The kunai embedded itself into a tree trunk, and before they could act, a figure with golden hair appeared silently in their midst.
His face was calm and composed. In both hands, he held spinning blue orbs of chakra, which he swiftly struck toward the Stone Ninjas on either side of him.
The two ninjas barely had time to react before their bodies were sent flying into the distance, crashing into the trees with bone-shattering force. Their fates were uncertain.
The remaining Stone Ninjas were frozen in fear, their eyes wide with shock.
"Who… who are you?!" one stammered.
Another didn't wait for an answer. Without a word, he turned and fled.
The golden-haired youth's expression remained unchanged. As he darted toward the stationary ninja, his nimble fingers flicked, sending a uniquely designed kunai hurtling toward the fleeing one.
"Rasengan!"
His soft voice murmured the technique's name as he reached the petrified ninja. The spinning chakra orb in his hand slammed into the ninja's abdomen with devastating force.
"Boom!"
The impact sent the ninja flying like a cannonball, his body crashing into the trees.
---
Not far away, three ninjas had just arrived on the scene. They stopped and observed, their expressions growing serious.
One of them, a tall, muscular young man with dark skin, narrowed his eyes as he spotted the fleeing Stone Ninja. A spark of determination lit up in his gaze as he muttered.
"That one's mine."
As soon as he spoke, his body was enveloped in crackling blue lightning. Bending his legs slightly, he launched himself forward with explosive speed.
"Boom!"
The ground beneath him shattered as his figure disappeared in a flash.
"Hey, A, there's no need to—"
The words of a nearby ninja were cut off as A vanished. The speaker, a young man with a sword at his waist, sighed in exasperation.
Standing next to him, a boy wearing sunglasses turned and chuckled.
"Darui, you know big brother doesn't want to lose to anyone. Looks like that guy gave him some motivation."
Darui shook his head with a resigned expression.
"Reckless as ever. That guy is a Konoha ninja. At this rate, we're bound to meet again soon. A didn't need to reveal so much here."
His eyes glinted thoughtfully as he spoke.
---
In the air, the fleeing Stone Ninja leapt from a tree. His face was pale, his heart racing with fear.
I have to escape… I must survive…! he thought desperately.
Suddenly—
"Whoosh!"
The sharp sound of an attack whistled from behind him. His pupils shrank as he twisted his body, barely managing to block the incoming kunai with his own.
"Phew!"
Relieved for a brief moment, the Stone Ninja's expression froze as a figure crackling with lightning appeared beside him.
The ninja's face drained of color as A's voice roared.
"Lariat!"
Electricity surged around A's elbow, which he drove toward the Stone Ninja like a lethal blade.
The attack was blisteringly fast, and before the ninja could react, A's strike was already upon him.
But just as A's voice echoed across the battlefield, a calm, firm voice interrupted from the other side.
"Rasengan!"
A golden-haired figure appeared from the opposite direction, striking the Stone Ninja with another spiraling orb of chakra.
"Boom!"
The impact hurled the ninja's body into the ground below.
In mid-air, A's surprised gaze followed the golden-haired figure as they passed each other.