Weaving through the dense forest, Shino led the remaining Konoha ninja. They had placed their trust in him, and he was determined not to disappoint them. "Our objective is close..." The terrain began to change. The trees thinned out, and the dense underbrush gave way to open ground. Soon, they emerged onto the shore of a large river, the banks were almost barren, with little to no vegetation on either side.
The river's waves crashed violently against the shore, sending sprays of water into the air. On the opposite bank, Kidomaru and Tayuya stood, their eyes locked onto the approaching Konoha ninja. Kidomaru smirked at Shino as he crushed his parasitic insect between his fingers.
"Well, aren't you full of surprises," Kidomaru muttered as he bent down to place the coffin on the ground. "Go on ahead. These pests aren't as weak as we thought. Deliver Lord Orochimaru's vessel…" His voice trembled slightly, betraying his fear. "He's not someone you keep waiting..."
Tayuya picked up the coffin and tied it to her waist. Before leaving, she turned back with a hint of irritation, "Don't go dying to a bunch of pampered kids. It would ruin my reputation otherwise." She flicked her hair and then flickered away.
"I'm sorry to say, but I am no longer able to track Sasuke's whereabouts," Shino said, his voice calm yet resolute. From beneath his sleeves, a thick swarm of insects poured out, forming a dark, buzzing smog that settled on the ground beneath him. The air seemed to hum with their collective energy. "I will stay behind and face this enemy."
"I'll remain here as well," Neji added, stepping forward with unwavering determination. He assumed the Gentle Fist's basic stance, his feet firmly planted and his body slightly angled. His left palm was raised, open, facing forward.
"No.." Naruto lifted his arm before Neji blocking his path "Shino will stay behind, but you'll move ahead with the rest us". Neji was appalled by Naruto's words, "You want me to leave him behind, so that he may fend for himself... I cannot do that".
Kidomaru stood back, the longer they spoke the further he can stall for time. Don't be fooled for a second, despite his care free demeanor, he was far from idle, the konoha ninja were already caught within his web.
"What are you getting all worked up for? All I'm saying is that you're not needed here," Naruto said, biting his thumb and going through a set of seals. His hands blurred with inhuman speed as he slammed his palm into the ground.
*POOF*
Within the cloud of smoke, ash emerged. He wore a simple black haori, its fabric loosely flowing around his small frame. The haori's edges were frayed, hinting at the countless struggles he had experienced in the persuit for strength. Despite his unassuming stature and the absence of any visible weapon or armor, his presence drew the attention of all present. His eyes calmly locked with those of the Sound ninja in front of him.
"What a cute little frog" kidomaru snickered drawing everyone's attention from him "your summon is nice and all but....., mines better". Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled and cracked open. The force of the impact sent them hurtling into the sky. From the depths emerged a colossal spider, its serrated mandibles aimed to devour the Leaf ninja suspended in the air.
As their bodies succumbed to gravity, the Konoha ninja plummeted from the sky, hurtling towards the death trap awaiting them below. Ash's expression remained stoic, his expression unwavering, as he performed a series of hand signs. *Inu, Hebi, Tori, Hitsu*.
Water rose from the river, swirling into Ash's hands, and took the form of a clear blue blade that shimmered as the sun's rays filtered through it, creating a dazzling display of refracted colors.
As he descended towards the giant spider's maw, Ash lifted the blade above his head, *vmmm* the blade emitted a deep, resonant hum as its sharp edge suddenly began to flow like a raging river. With a swift, effortless motion he decisively lowered the blade. landing gracefully behind the spider, the hum of the blade fading into the wind.
For a moment, the creature remained eerily still. Then, as if its fate had been momentarily delayed, it split in half down the middle. Kidomaru tensed, caught off guard by the unforeseen outcome.
Without a moment's hesitation, Kidomaru released a stream of fluid from his mouth that instantly solidified into a massive white spider web, threatening to envelop the still-airborne Konoha ninja. A few among them sustained mild injuries from the sudden attack from below. In the air, their options to intercept the technique were both limited and costly.
Under the influence of his chakra control, the blade in Ash's hand changed its form into that of shuriken, one in each hand. With a swift flick of his wrists, he hurled them towards the encroaching webs. The shuriken spun rapidly, their edges gleaming as they shredded through Kidomaru's webs, clearing the way for the Konoha ninja to land safely.
Shikamaru and the rest of the Leaf Shinobi stood in between the remains of the giant spider. "Hinata!" Shikamaru urgently signalled Hinata to use her Byakugan.
"Y-yes, Byakugan!" Hinata activated her Byakugan, her eyes widening in alarm. "Underground… there's a swarm of smaller spiders!" she exclaimed, her brow furrowing as a single drop of sweat trickled down her chin.
A sudden jolt of inspiration came to Naruto at this moment "Leave it to me, Multi shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto crossed his fingers into the clone seal.
Poof
Poof
Poof
Ten clones appeared in a puff of smoke, all leaping into the air simultaneously. "Fang Over Fang!!" they shouted in unison. Among them, Naruto spun at inhuman speeds along with his clones to the Leaf Ninja's shock. they descended rapidly, tearing through the ground with incredible force. The earth trembled and cracked under the assault, sending debris flying in all directions.
Kidomaru's summoned spiders had nowhere to hide and most were obliterated within seconds, a lucky few managed to cancel their summoning in the nick of time. The surrounding trees shook violently, their leaves rustling as if caught in a storm.
Ash, with swift precision, siphoned water from the nearby river into his hand, it's form turned into that of a sword. The adept amphibian cleaved through a massive chunk of rubble that nearly crushed Shino, saving him just in time. The impact disoriented the Leaf Shinobi, who narrowly dodged the scattered rubble. They shielded their faces from the dust and debris, their hearts shook with astonishment at the sheer power behind Naruto's attack.
"Why does he know… How can he use that technique?" Neji marveled at the destruction in front of him. The dying screams of countless spiders echoed from the underground tunnels. Kidomaru felt a sudden sense of foreboding. 'Why haven't I heard anything about someone as strong as him before? From all the information kabuto had gathered in the past, Konoha doesn't possess anyone of his caliber within his age group. It's not possible for us to have overlooked someone like him. I can't deal with this. They were talking about leaving behind only a few of their comrades… maybe I should let them through, sorry.... Tayuya'.
The rumbles gradually subsided, leaving an eerie silence. From the depths of the earth, Naruto emerged, the sole survivor of the chaos down below. Covered in dirt and in a green viscous substance, Naruto looked utterly filthy. His hair was matted with grime, and his clothes were caked in mud. His face was almost unrecognizable beneath the layers of muck. He stood there, dizzy and disoriented, his sight blurred as he scanned the battlefield.
Splash
Suddenly, with a resounding splash, a torrent of water surged up from the nearby river. Naruto stumbled, tripping over his own feet, but the water caught him, it formed a sphere around him with Naruto in its center. The water flowed around him, stripping away all the grime covering his body, cleansing every inch before floating back and merging into the river carrying Naruto's grime downstream, leaving Naruto clean and refreshed.
"Whoah, thanks Ash, you're a real life saver y'know". From its original blue Ash's entire body turned red, he suppressed his embarasment as he tried to retain his stoic appearence "Frogadier...".
"N-Naruto-kun, ....where d-did you... learn kiba's technique?" Hinata stammered, her eyes wide with surprise. She had been watching over Naruto for a long time, and every time he and Kiba crossed paths, they were always at each other's throats. The idea that they could get along well enough to share their secret techniques had never crossed her mind.
"Huh?, I learned it from Garm. He's a quick learner isn't he?" Naruto stept back into his position within the formation. 'You're not one to talk Naruto, no one's seen you train and here you are proficiently using a well guarded technique of the Inuzuka clan. If they ever find out... They'll bother me for days, what a drag'. Shikamaru's wore a helpless look on his face as he sighed in resignation
"The enemy has been sufficiently weakened and by the look on his face, I'd say we're free to leave" shikamaru eyed Kidomaru with caution as he lead his team after the fleeing Tayuya leaving behind Shino and Ash. The mission was at risk the closer they were to the borders of the land of fire, the closer they got to loosing one of their comrades, they had no time to spare.
"I would like to introduce myself. I am Shino Aburame, a Leaf Genin. My clan specializes in using insects to achieve various goals. I have, of course, heard of and seen you before. Communication is not your strong suit, so I will attempt to coordinate our strategies. However, communication is also not my strong suit, but I do happen to know more than one word," Shino went through a long-winded monologue that Ash found hard to follow until the end.
"FROGAAA!!"
Ash took offense at the innocent comment and yelled back at Shino, "I agree we should make the first move. The six-armed enemy won't stand still and watch us introduce ourselves." Shino completely misunderstood the intention behind the frog's outburst, they trully were not the best match.
A massive grin spread across Kidomaru's face, his odds were much more manageable now. "Pray tell," as the words left his lips, so did a golden fluid, in mere moments it solidified into a great bow, intricately designed with a menacing appearance. "Was it a wise decision to leave only the two of you behind?"
Wavy markings spread from his curse mark seal, snaking across his body. His skin turned an ashen red, and his hair tuned into a wild, spiky white. Horns sprouted from his forehead, and spikes emerged from his shoulders. His mouth widened, exposing his sharp teeth, and his eyes turned completely black. As he removed his ninja headband, a third eye opened on his forehead.
He spat more golden fluid, which morphed into deadly arrows, each one aimed unerringly at Shino. The arrows gleamed with a sinister light, their sharp tips promising swift and certain death. Kidomaru's eyes narrowed with malicious intent as he drew the bowstring back, ready to unleash his lethal barrage.