The thundering dong dong echoed through the narrow alley, shaking the air itself.
The walls collapsed with a crash—but even as they fell, a black layer coated their surface. No matter how hard they struck it, the barrier refused to break.
Both men froze, staring wide-eyed. They turned to look around—above them, the night sky glittered with stars.
They leapt upward in unison.
Then came a loud, familiar shout—
"Da Dīshu no Jutsu! (Whack-a-Mole Technique!)"
Before they could react, a shadow shot out at blinding speed and smashed them both back down.
The man wearing the red Yasha mask took the brunt of the blow. Blood flowed from his nostrils, seeping out beneath the mask.
"Ah! I'm bleeding!" he yelled loudly, half in pain, half in disbelief.
The other man used Raiton (Lightning Release) and tried to escape, but Shigeo (Hyūga Shigeo) lashed out again—wooden branches cracked like whips, striking him back to the ground.
If Shigeo couldn't use Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique), they might have escaped today.
Unfortunately for them, he could.
Those who mastered the Body Flicker had sharp eyes. They could track a target in an instant and respond to movement without hesitation. Shigeo held the advantage of position—concealed, watching, striking at the perfect moment.
They couldn't even locate him precisely.
Outside, his laughter echoed.
"Ha ha! So, little moles, when will you pop up again?"
"That's him—the one with the bodies of nine tailed beasts!" the man in the black mask snarled, glaring toward the rooftops.
They couldn't use Doton (Earth Release). Even if they could, the surrounding area was sealed by Jiton (Magnet Release).
Could they escape underground? Impossible. Their only path was upward.
"Kill him!" the red-masked man roared in fury.
Blood streamed from beneath his Yasha mask, tracing red lines down his neck.
This time, the two didn't charge. Instead, they took out their cursed instruments—Evil Koto and Demon Drum.
A furious twang of two-stringed melody spilled from the koto, the plucking infused with Raiton chakra. The sharp, metallic rhythm carried lethal intent.
The other struck his crimson drum, each blow shaking the alley, a thunderous roar reverberating through the night.
The Magnet Release barrier didn't block sound. Even Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Flow Wall) could only dull the noise slightly—and the music was now more than ten times louder than before.
Shigeo's head throbbed painfully, his brows furrowing.
Below, the red Yasha screamed, "All of you—die!"
The drumbeats quickened, merging with the string's deadly rhythm. The combined sonic waves burst forth like a crashing tide, blowing apart every brick and wall of the alley.
Nearby Konoha ANBU who heard it also collapsed—some convulsing, others bleeding from eyes and ears. The deadly resonance tore through the air, unstoppable even if one covered their ears.
Shigeo's eyes turned scarlet. The Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life.
His hair bristled; his chakra surged into the spectral armor of Susanoo.
With one colossal strike, his palm slammed down.
Though the music of the Evil Koto and Demon Drum shattered buildings, Shigeo's earlier preparation worked in his favor. What was meant as a trap—"catching turtles in a jar"—turned into salvation.
The Jiton walls sealed the alley completely.
The two could not escape.
Susanoo's hand descended. The magnetic walls cracked and burst apart, crushing the two beneath.
The piercing demonic sound stopped instantly.
Silence returned to Konoha.
Shigeo lowered his hand, his chakra aura fading.
He stood atop the remains of the Magnet Wall, looking down at the two broken figures. He stretched out his hand; the red drum and two-stringed koto flew up to him, sucked into his large sealing scroll.
Without their noise-making tools, they were helpless.
The two men lay sprawled, blood gushing from their noses and mouths. Their bodies were shattered, pain twisting their faces.
Several Konoha ANBU surrounded the scene.
One jumped down, ready to arrest them.
"Wait. These two are mine," Shigeo said calmly.
He was curious—what did faces hidden behind eyeless masks look like?
He activated Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push), drawing the two into his grasp, and sealed them inside his Kūkan no Jutsu (Space Isolation Technique).
The ANBU hesitated, then nodded. They knew Shigeo was acting under the Third Hokage's orders—to protect Konoha. They withdrew.
Outside the village, Uzumaki Naruto and the others had already pushed their battle with the One-Tail, Shukaku, far beyond the walls.
High above the rooftops, inside the barrier of Shishienjin (Four Violet Flames Formation), Orochimaru's duel with the Third Hokage had ended.
The Third used Shiki Fūjin (Reaper Death Seal) to bind the resurrected First and Second Hokage and cripple Orochimaru's arms—at the cost of his own life.
Wounded, Orochimaru fled.
...
In the east, dawn broke.
Golden sunlight spread across the quiet, bloodstained Konoha. The red clouds reflected the rising sun.
Peace, at last.
Shigeo stretched his arms and turned to leave—his task complete.
"Sir, won't you stay?" one ANBU asked.
They didn't know why, but something about him made them wish he would remain.
"No need. The cleanup's yours." Shigeo spoke lightly, then turned to depart.
But he paused.
He sensed a strange chakra spreading somewhere in the village—faint, waiting, like a trap ready to strike.
"Oh, right," he said with a grin. "I'm a bit hungry. Can someone grab me something to eat?"
He lingered deliberately, testing whether that odd chakra would reveal itself.
Sitting atop a rooftop, he ate a bowl of instant noodles.
Still nothing.
So—they were waiting for him to leave.
Then he would smoke the snake from its hole.
A whirlpool of air spiraled open. Shigeo stepped into his inner dimension.
Inside, the two masked men writhed in agony. When they saw him appear, they rasped, voices full of venom, "Someone… will avenge us! Just wait—"
Shigeo didn't bother to answer.
Even inside, his senses remained locked on Konoha's surface. The two men's whining only made him frown.
With a flick of his hand, two Jiton sheets slapped over their mouths, silencing them instantly.
Outside, in Konoha—
The hidden presence felt Shigeo's departure and finally made its move.
A surge of abnormal chakra erupted across the village.
Moments later, over a dozen Otogakure (Hidden Sound Village) jōnin appeared in the center of Konoha.
Their faces were etched with cursed marks. Surrounded by Konoha shinobi, they each pulled out a small pill and swallowed it.
As the drug took effect, their bodies transformed—
Hair color shifted, eyes bulged like copper bells, muscles swelled, skin turned purplish-red.
Cursed seals spread like veins, and faint violet chakra shimmered around them.
The group formed a tight circle, back to back, hands flying through identical hand signs—proving they were performing the same jutsu.
Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy, having just finished their own battles, rushed over.
Seeing the transformation, they exchanged a quick glance—
Then charged forward together, aiming to strike before the enemy could unleash whatever came next.
(End of Chapter)
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