The ground churned and buckled beneath Kaguya Chiren, the viscous mud clinging to his limbs like a hungry beast. A grotesque dragon head, formed from the mire, lunged forward, spitting molten rock. Each fiery projectile slammed into Chiren, driving him deeper into the suffocating mud.
"Willow Dance!"
With a sudden burst of unnatural flexibility, two sharp blades materialized in Chiren's hands. His body twisted and flowed like a willow branch in a storm, the blades slicing through the clinging mud as he fought to free himself. The Hyuga clan's mastery of fluid movement, combined with his own clan's unique physiology, allowed him to mimic the techniques even without fully awakened bone veins, a testament to his elite status within the Hidden Mist.
Swish! Swish!
Chiren's body swayed and spun, his blades carving arcs through the earth as he lunged towards Kifune. But Kifune was ready, retreating with practiced speed, his hands weaving through another intricate sequence of seals, pushing his chakra reserves to their limit.
"Earth Release: Turn the Road into a Mountain!"
This was a high-level A-rank Earth Release technique from Akagi Tsukasa's arsenal, a potent combination of offense and defense. The drawback was the notoriously complex seals and demanding chakra control. But Kifune's earlier mud and lava assault had been a calculated diversion, buying him the precious seconds needed for this move.
Boom!
The ground erupted with a deafening roar. Two colossal triangular rock formations shot upwards, trapping Chiren's feet in an instant. They slammed together with earth-shattering force, like the clapping hands of a titan. Chiren was caught in the middle, his blades scraping frantically against the unyielding stone.
"Tsubaki Dance!"
His body blurred, accelerating with incredible speed as his blades screeched against the crushing rock, desperately trying to shatter the immense pressure. But Kifune's sustained chakra kept the rocks regenerating, the relentless force beginning to take its toll. For the first time, a flicker of desperation crossed Chiren's face, his features contorting in a mask of fury.
Clang! Clang!
The blades, lacking the inherent durability of fully formed bone weapons, finally snapped under the immense strain. Chiren had no choice but to brace himself against the grinding rocks with his bare hands. Muscles tore, and blood seeped from his straining bones, yet the stubborn resilience of a Hyuga clan member shone through as he fought to resist the inevitable.
Kifune's eyes narrowed, his hands slamming together in a final, decisive seal.
"Combine!"
The two massive rock formations slammed together with a thunderous crash, compressing Chiren within and forming a small, jagged hill. But Kifune wasn't finished. Another seal, and sharp stone spears erupted from the ground, piercing the newly formed hill, transforming it into a grotesque, spiky monument.
Satisfied, Kifune dusted off his hands. The Kaguya clan might be known for their raw power, but strategic thinking wasn't exactly their forte. Strong bodies, perhaps less discerning minds, as the saying went.
"Wait a second… Did I just…?" Kifune's eyes widened in dawning horror as he realized the implications of his powerful attack. He'd used a quasi-Kage level experience card for this fight. If he hadn't managed to salvage anything of value from Chiren's corpse, the whole endeavor would be a significant loss. Frantically, he waved his hands, dispelling the stone prison to reveal the mangled, lifeless form within.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he spotted a faint, familiar yellow glow emanating from the remains. "Phew. Even pulverized, it still counts, right?"
Unseen by Kifune, a small, unassuming brown snake slithered silently away through the undergrowth, its forked tongue flicking out into the air.
Chapter 14: A Man's Mouth
Just as Kifune was catching his breath, a sudden shift in his senses alerted him. He glanced towards the horizon, detecting the distinct chakra signatures of several ninjas approaching rapidly. Their numbers suggested they were likely Konoha shinobi.
If a Kaguya Jonin had managed to slip through their patrols, it was already a significant failure on the part of Hiruzen's assigned sentries. The arrival of another group of hostile ninjas could only mean either gross incompetence or a far more concerning development – a full-scale Mist invasion. Neither scenario seemed particularly appealing.
Kifune swiftly gathered the remains of Kaguya Chiren, using a bit of Earth Release to smooth over the ravaged battlefield. He then rushed over to the still-unconscious Imai Kuriyama, positioning himself protectively in front of the Genin. A thin trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth as he clutched his ninja tool pouch tightly, letting his eyes roll back in a convincing imitation of unconsciousness.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three Konoha Anbu operatives descended silently into the clearing.
"Over here!" one of them called out, landing beside Kifune and Kuriyama. After a quick assessment, he reported, "They're alive."
"Where's the Kaguya?" the lead Anbu demanded, his masked gaze sweeping across the devastated area.
The third Anbu knelt, scooping up a handful of the churned earth. He examined it closely, then brought it to his mask, inhaling deeply. "Hmm… smells like… bad decisions and regret."
Kifune, maintaining his faux unconsciousness, couldn't suppress a wry internal thought: Well, at least someone here appreciates the finer points of a ninja battle aftermath.