Hello you all! My new fanfiction, "Marvel: Familia System," is now out. You can find it on my profile or search by name. Please add it to your reading lists and give it a chance. I really enjoyed writing it and hope you'll like it as well. Thanks!
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Karin, who had watched the entire scene unfold, felt a shiver run down her spine. She had seen Horyu in battle, had witnessed his ruthlessness against their enemies, but this was different. This was a cold, calculated execution, delivered without a moment's hesitation. She knew Horyu was not a man to be trifled with, but the reminder was stark and chilling.
Kurenai, standing quietly to the side, kept her emotions in check. She knew Horyu had acted out of necessity. Kankuro's outburst was dangerous, not just because of his accusations, but because it threatened to fracture the fragile unity of the shinobi. In this hellish reality, any sign of weakness or division could spell their doom.
Horyu's eyes swept over the group, noting the fear in their eyes. It was good—they needed to understand the stakes, to realize that hesitation and doubt would only lead to more death. But fear alone wouldn't be enough. They needed to be reminded of what they were fighting for.
"Listen to me," Horyu began, his voice cutting through the heavy silence. "We are in the middle of a war. The specters don't care about your village, your clan, or your personal grudges. They exist to destroy, and they will tear apart anyone too weak to stand against them. You think blaming the Uchiha will bring back your loved ones? You think it will stop the specters? It won't."
His words hung in the air, brutal in their truth. "I'm not here to be your friend, your leader, or your savior. I'm here to ensure that I and a few people I care about survive, that we make it through this alive. And if that means cutting down anyone who gets in the way, then so be it."
He turned his back on the group, sheathing his sword with a finality that signaled the end of the discussion. "Anyone who doesn't like it can leave. But know this—if you're not with me, you're against me. And you'll face the same fate as this fatty here."
The room remained silent, the weight of his words pressing down on them all. No one moved, no one spoke. The message was clear: fall in line, or face the consequences.
Karin, still shaken but resolute, stepped forward to stand beside Horyu. She didn't need to say anything—the gesture alone was enough to show where her loyalties lay. Kurenai followed suit, her gaze meeting Horyu's with a silent understanding.
Horyu turned to Karin, who nodded and led him to a small, dimly lit room within the bunker. The atmosphere was heavy with the weight of unspoken fears and the lingering scent of battle. Horyu sat down on the cold, rough-hewn stone bench, his expression impassive as he looked at Karin.
"Do you know where the others are?" he asked, his voice steady, though there was a hard edge to it. "No, scratch that. Tell me everything from the beginning."
Karin took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts before she began. "After you opened the portal, things fell apart fast," she said, her voice tinged with a mix of frustration and sorrow. "Hashirama and Mito were quick to blame Tobirama for betraying you. The tension among them was palpable, but they knew they had to set aside their differences. They gathered every available shinobi, even arming civilians who could hold a weapon, and formed a makeshift army to face the oncoming threat."
Horyu's eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained silent, allowing her to continue.
"The specters… they came through the portal in waves, overwhelming our forces. We tried to hold them back, but it was like trying to stop a flood with our bare hands. Then the Shinigami…" Karin hesitated, her voice faltering as she recalled the events. "It broke free from its restraints. Hashirama, Tobirama, and Mito—the strongest of us—went to confront it directly."
Karin's fists clenched at her sides, her knuckles turning white. "The Shinigami could release the souls trapped in its stomach and force them to complete the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. It used those souls to target whoever it wanted, bypassing its own restrictions. In no time at all, the strongest of humanity fell."
A heavy silence hung in the air as Horyu processed the information. "And the others?" he asked.
"After Hashirama, Tobirama, and Mito fell, the rest scattered. It was chaos. The Uzumaki, those with their Mind's Eye of the Kagura, could still sense where the specters were, so we split up, each one guiding small groups of survivors away from the carnage. It was the only way to save as many as possible."
Horyu's expression remained unreadable, but there was a slight tightening of his jaw. "And now people think it's the Uchiha's fault that the gate to the Realm of Specters was opened," he stated, more than asked.
Karin nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Yes. The rumors spread quickly. They blame the Uchiha for everything… for the portal, for the deaths, for the chaos. They think it was a deliberate act."
Horyu let out a slow breath, his eyes narrowing as the weight of the situation settled on him. "They're not wrong," he muttered, more to himself than to Karin. The reality of his actions—opening the portal to the Spectral Realm—was inescapable. He had done it to survive, to protect himself and Kurenai, but the consequences were far-reaching. He understood that people would blame him, blame the Uchiha, for the chaos that followed. In truth, he didn't care about the millions of lives affected. His life and the lives of those he cared about were all that mattered.
Closing his eyes, Horyu focused on the chakra in the air around him. Karin watched in astonishment as the atmosphere seemed to respond to him, the energy gathering around him in a controlled, almost reverent manner. She had known that Horyu had mastered Sage Mode with the Kurohana Owl Tribe, but this was the first time she had seen him use it.
Horyu's skin took on a faint, almost imperceptible grayish hue, and small, owl-like features began to manifest. His eyes, already intense, now had a sharper, more predatory focus, the pupils narrowing into slits. Tiny, feather-like patterns appeared around his temples, and his senses heightened beyond their usual limits.
The Kurohana Sage Mode was different from others. It wasn't just about physical enhancement or sensory amplification—it was about harmony with the environment, with the energy that permeated all things. The owls of the Kurohana Tribe had taught him to blend his chakra with the natural energy around him, creating a balance that allowed him to sense things far beyond the normal range of even the most skilled shinobi.
With his new form, Horyu extended his senses, tapping into the Mind's Eye of the Kagura technique. It allowed him to detect and track chakra signatures over vast distances, even through barriers and obstructions. He reached out mentally, searching for the familiar signatures of Hinata, Hanabi, Ino, and Tsunade.
The world around him faded, and Horyu's consciousness expanded. He could feel the ebb and flow of chakra in the environment, the faint pulses of life scattered throughout the ruined lands. Each signature had its own unique rhythm, a distinct presence that made it recognizable among thousands. His mind filtered through the noise, discarding the weaker signals, focusing only on the ones that mattered.
Minutes passed in silence as Horyu searched. Karin stayed still, barely breathing as she watched him work, amazed by the control he displayed. She had seen other sages before, but none like this. Horyu's connection to the Kurohana Tribe had given him an edge, a level of mastery that was both awe-inspiring and a little terrifying.
Then, suddenly, Horyu's eyes snapped open, the predatory focus sharp in his gaze. "I've found them," he said, his voice low and steady, but with an underlying tension that told Karin the situation was far from simple.
"They're scattered," Horyu continued, his expression hardening as he processed the information. "Hinata and Hanabi are together, but they're being pursued by specters. Ino is hiding with a group of civilians, and Tsunade… she's fine with a group of people."
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