Emerging from another portal, Tobio stepped into a realm he immediately regretted entering. He was surrounded by chickens.
Yes, chickens.
They strutted around confidently, clucking and pecking at the ground as though they were in complete control of the universe. The sky above was a riot of feathers and floating eggs, while the ground beneath him was a strange mix of straw and cracked shells.
"This has to be a joke," Tobio said, his voice dripping with exasperation.
This was the domain of Gallorius, the God of Chickens. Tobio had heard rumors of this god before strange, whispers about a divine being obsessed with poultry. Now, he was living the nightmare.
It didn't take long for the chickens to notice Tobio. A particularly large hen with golden feathers strutted over, eyeing him suspiciously. Behind her, a flock of smaller but equally intimidating chickens gathered, clucking aggressively.
Tobio raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Look, I don't want any trouble. I just need to find a place to use my technique, and I'll be out of your... feathers."
The golden hen squawked loudly, and the other chickens attacked.
Tobio found himself in the most ridiculous fight of his life. He dodged pecks and scratches, using his shinobi agility to stay one step ahead of the feathery onslaught. A well-timed smoke bomb allowed him to escape the immediate chaos, but he could still hear the angry clucks pursuing him.
"Why do gods like this even exist?" he muttered, sprinting toward what looked like an open clearing.
Reaching the clearing, Tobio realized he wasn't out of danger yet. A massive rooster, easily twice his size, stood guard over a glowing nest in the center. The portal to his next destination shimmered just above the nest.
The rooster's eyes glowed red as it let out a deafening crow.
"Oh, come on," Tobio groaned, drawing Kagekiba.
The battle that followed was intense and absurd in equal measure. The rooster was surprisingly nimble, using its wings to unleash powerful gusts of wind that sent Tobio flying backward. It also pecked with enough force to leave deep gouges in the ground.
Tobio countered with shadow-based ninjutsu, creating decoys to confuse the beast while he maneuvered for a better position. Finally, with a well-placed strike, he managed to incapacitate the rooster long enough to leap toward the glowing nest.
As Tobio activated his space-time technique and the portal began to open, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The air around him grew heavy, and an ominous presence filled the clearing.
Just as he stepped into the swirling vortex, a hand shot out from the shadows and grabbed him by the arm.
"What the—?!" Tobio yelled, struggling against the grip.
The figure that emerged was cloaked in darkness, its face obscured by a hood. Its voice was low and gravelly as it spoke.
"You've been meddling where you shouldn't, shinobi. It's time we had a talk."
Before Tobio could react, the portal twisted violently, and the world around him dissolved into blackness.