Kisame barely reacted in time.
He blocked a swipe from Lunulupae, the gargantuan claws smashing into Samehada. Kisame braced against the sword, putting all his weight to combat the insane strength of the beast before him.
He lasted all of about a few seconds, before his might failed him.
Kakuzu watched his teammate get smacked aside like a sack of potatoes. The body flew aside like its strings were cut, then sunk into the canal. Try as he might, the missing-nin from Iwagakure couldn't move. The phantasmal beast in front of him was unlike the few others he had seen or heard of.
This one was powerful. Extremely powerful.
And he was right.
Lunulupae had fought Heinrich and Eugen at her weakest, after she had given birth. Those two even had unique magic just to equalize with her. A pair of sisters who had fought together for years, with perfect teamwork. What were two disorganized mercenaries going to do against her?
This wasn't against the same weakened phantasmal beast.
Kisame and Kakuzu were up against a fully recovered Lunulupae.
She exerted her presence, the aura of an apex predator birthed from the energy of Gaia bearing down on the humans in the area. Everyone except the S-ranks fell to their knees, some falling unconscious and crashing on the floor like dolls.
Lunea watched as the Beast Group around her fell, their grip on her disappearing. Unlike them, she was used to her mother's aura. The young wolf had spent much time inside the spatial artifact to visit her. Being there every step of the way to watch her parent's power return.
And what a sight it was.
Kakuzu stood no chance. The heavy oppressive feeling of fear weighed upon all five of his hearts. Kisame may have some resistance, the madman always eager at the prospect to fight strong opponents. But he was not Kisame. He was Kakuzu.
Should the phantasmal beast reach him, his death would be certain.
The anger she carried could not be taken lightly.
He tried to move, but his limbs were paralyzed. None of his hearts had the willpower to fight. With one command, his black thread pierced his Windheart. The shocking sensation of losing one heart was enough to jerk his body into gear. He jumped back while releasing the rest of his bodies. Fireheart, Waterheart, and Lightningheart all broke off from him, black threads warping into malformed bodies for them. Windheart was a terrible loss, but it was the only choice he had. If he didn't act on his fear, then he would die here.
Much better to lose four hearts than five.
He leapt backwards, the other three bodies surging forwards to attack the beast. Waterheart and Lightningheart combined their techniques, a blast of high pressure water shooting combined with lightning at Lunulupae.
She growled. The attack splashing on her harmlessly. Her concept as a child of Gaia made her immune to any attacks with a concept so deeply ingrained into the world.
Kakuzu's eyes twitched at seeing his efforts slapped aside. No matter. The three hearts should be more than enough to buy him time to escape.
Or so he thought.
One blink, and the phantasmal beast tore through the waters. Reaching the three bodies faster than they could relocate.
Fireheart stabbed itself into the face, briefly using a lifetime's worth of potential in a single instant, detonating a massive explosion. Pressure and heat blasted into his retreating form, Kakuzu desperately running as fast as possible.
The beast was faster than him, and would only take a few seconds to catch up.
Somewhere behind him, he felt Waterheart disappear in his threads, the heart succumbing to the claws that pierced it. Lightningheart also went along a moment later, a straight diagonal slash cutting the body apart.
But it was enough.
Kakuzu reached land. He sank into the ground immediately, and an instant later, his position exploded, Lunulupae landing on it.
Underground, his body shot through the soil at fast speeds, escaping the beast who lost sight of him.
…
…
…
Eugen knew the risks when she released Lunulupae.
Seeing Kisame and Kakuzu eliminated quickly only reminded her of their battles from years ago. Their combined warship-level strength was enough to face the beast head-on, their magic soul and body magic effective in its own right.
But for everything else? They were on the backfoot.
The battlefield was always to the offspring of Gaia, the beast controlling the environment and mana with it. That was why Eugen and Heinrich relied on their magic to fight her, essentially debuffing her strength by attacking the body and soul.
Not this time. Eugen needed to save her sister, not capture a beast.
So it came as expected that once the beast returned, her eyes locked on to the two criminals who imprisoned her. Eugen only had enough time to tear some of the threads on her sister's body before tossing her aside. One slam later, and she was sent hundreds of meters back, straight into the steel walls of a building. The metal bent around her like paper, the loud impact audible for the entire battlefield.
It was the only sound that could be heard, for nobody else could move in the presence of the apec predator.
Heinrich tore more of Kakuzu's threads from her arms and legs, but wasn't fast enough. Next, it was her turn to fly in the air after Lunulupae's tail swipe. It wasn't that painful, the sisters were homunculi designed after warships, and they carried similar, if not the same capabilities.
Which only made everyone shrink back further, if they weren't trapped under Lunulupae's presence.
To most of them, this was the first phantasmal beast they had seen. Four S-ranks fighting against each other was already dangerous enough, everyone fighting from a relatively safe distance away from the S-ranked combatants. Only for one phantasmal beast to wipe them out in a few moments.
Eugen dropped back into the canal with a frown. She had traded one threat for another. Furthermore, Pein would be less than happy with them after learning that the phantasmal beast was free.
Lunulupae was supposed to be their weapon against Tobi. The phantasmal beast was SS-ranked at her weakest, which should've been more than able to push back Tatsumi and Esdeath at full strength.
Pein was convinced that Lunea was the answer to making the beast subservient. But that was in the beginning. Nowadays, Lunea has become much like a little sister to them.
But that wasn't how Lunulupae saw it. She knows her daughter loves them. Even more, she knows how much Lunea clung to them after the loss of Shirou.
What she didn't agree with, was them dragging Lunea into the criminal organization, and turning her precious baby girl into what she was today. Hearing Shirou's recounts of their missions and the Lunea's fascination with fighting strong opponents was fine, up until Lunulupae learned of her warped sense of justice and value of life.
Lunea had become accustomed to killing.
And Lunulupae knew whose fault it was.
"Ma! No!" Lunea jumped inbetween her and Eugen. Holding her arms out in an effort to block any other attacks.
Lunulupae bristled angrily. Life was much easier back when it was just the three of them. Without the sisters, without Akatsuki. Lunea wouldn't challenge her decisions, and Shirou was a reliable friend.
Shirou was gone now. Leaving Lunulupae alone to keep her daughter in check.
"Step aside Lunea." She softened. It hurt to see her daughter against her, but Lunulupae needed to express her stance.
"No! Not unless you stop!" Lunea shouted. Eugen and Heinrich were already battered from the earlier fight. They couldn't hope to survive her mother at full power.
"You don't understand. Shirou is dead. I won't let them, or Akatsuki, continue placing you at risk anymore. Not after what he did to keep you safe." Lunulupae growled. The energy around her spiked angrily, pressing down on everyone like an immovable weight.
Heinrich finished picking off the rest of the threads entangling her. "It was not our intention to risk their lives. We wanted Shirou and Lunea back safely." She stood straight, facing the rampaging beast. "You are right. It was us who dragged Shirou and Lunea into Akatsuki. Therefore it is only right for us to take responsibility."
"You care about Lunea. We care about her too. We will do anything as long as it means protecting her."
"Anything?"
Lunea's eyes flickered between her Lunulupae and Heinrich.
"Shirou's death is our fault. We don't want to lose her either." Heinrich continued, her voice filled with audible honesty. The heartfelt words were a result of the loss. Shirou had become like a little brother to them, and Heinrich would admit it.
The words didn't have to be said, but Heinrich had an idea what Lunulupae wanted from them.
She just had to confirm it.
"Very well. My demands are simple." Lunulupae's eyes drew towards her daughter's, meeting the defiant glare she carried. They carried the will of a girl used to a rough life. A life wrought with battle and hardship.
But that would not stop her.
"From this day forth, I will take Lunea away from Akatsuki."
Kisame nursed his arms in pain.
"Please don't move the limb aggressively. It won't heal properly if you do!" The doctor squeaked, panicking over his overt motion. Kisame grimaced as sharp pains burst from numerous areas. Gritting his teeth at the throbbing muscles.
"If you are finished, then leave the chambers." Their employer declared.
The doctor tripped over his own feet, quickly picking up his tools and running out the door. They closed behind them with a bang, leaving the trio in silence.
Kakuzu was beside Kisame, the usually stoic man carrying a visible frown on his face. In front of them sat one infamous shinobi, the only man standing in the way of Akatsuki and Amegakure.
"Report." Hanze the Salamander demanded. He was displeased, as evident from the tone of his voice.
Who wouldn't? He hired Kisame and Kakuzu to fight off, and if possible, weaken Akatsuki.
None of which they accomplished, judging from the reports of his forces. Worse, they were on the brink of success, only to completely collapse and retreat after the appearance of a renowned species of myth and legend.
A phantasmal beast.
Said phantasmal beast that was now terrorizing a lengthy area of the frontlines.
Kakuzu closed his eyes in irritation, not at their employer, but at his losses. "We engaged Heinrich, Eugen, and Lunea from Akatsuki. We held the upper hand, easily beating back both girls, even capturing Heinrich. Seeing how easily we routed the two members, we decided to bring them both back for interrogation."
"Bullshit. You wanted to sell them both off for a higher bounty. I just wanted to fight." Kisame grunted.
Kakuzu ignored him and kept going. "Nearing the end of our fight, Eugen pulled out what I assume was a spatial artifact. Afterwards, the phantasmal beast appeared. It was too powerful, with neither me nor Kisame being able to put up a fight." It was unexpected too. Nobody had known that Akatsuki was in possession of a full-fledged adult of the Beast Race.
They didn't stand a chance.
Kisame escaped after tanking one attack head on. The lucky bastard managed to escape by swimming underwater and away from the beast, who targeted him instead. Kakuzu was pissed about that. He lost four of his five hearts, which he restored by killing some Amegakure ninja. Their subpar elemental affinities being a disappointing replacement after the high quality hearts he collected throughout the years.
He preferred it if Kisame just died right there and then.
Hanzo narrowed his eyes. He had paid good money for their services, yet they were proving incapable. One was injured, and the other weakened.
Alas, they were still necessary if he wished to beat Akatsuki back.
"Rest for two days. Return for your next mission." Hanzo walked past them, leaving the room to meet with his generals. The doors closed behind him with a loud bang, his frustration obvious to the two mercenaries.
…
…
…
Kakuzu tensed, watching as space tore, a spiral appearing followed by a man in a black robe. He looked up at the man, the bright spiralling orange mask meeting his glance. Beside him, Kisame grinned. The man's sharp teeth were visible from his grin.
"Heh. You didn't tell us those girls had an adult phantasmal beast with them." Kisame shot at the person.
"It was unexpected. I knew they returned with new recruits, but to have kept that beast a secret from me all these years…" Tobi tapered off. His mind rumbling with thoughts.
Contrary to Shirou's knowledge, Tobi knew about Pein's stance against him. The beast was kept hidden by the sisters, who were loyal to Pein.
Pein was the first to recruit members to his side, approaching Eugen and Heinrich. Tobi only responded in kind, one-upping his opposition by inducting two SS-ranks in the form of Tatsumi and Esdeath. Pein may have added two A-ranked children to his side, but Tobi was content to ignore the two brats, confident in the strength of his side.
But now? Not so much.
Pein had fooled him all this time. Tobi had become complacent, thinking he had the measure of his puppet. The man had kept an adult beast behind his back, of which Tobi was not even sure if Tatsumi and Esdeath together could beat.
Good thing that Tobi attempted to cut off loose ends. Shirou's death could be linked to him, and he wanted the sisters and Lunea out of the picture. To act outside of Pein's view, he hired Kakuzu and Kisame to act as extra hands. Sending them to work under Hanzo as a ruse, and ordering them to eliminate the sisters along with Lunea.
Learning that he didn't know everything about Pein worried him, but also proved that hiring Kakuzu and Kisame was the right move. The information they discovered proving more valuable than the elimination of three Akatsuki members.
"Keep working under Hanzo until further instructions. I need to handle a few problems of my own." Tobi ordered the two mercenaries. One moment later, he was gone. As if the man was never there.
Kakuzu exhaled with relief, his body relaxing after tensing in the presence of the most dangerous man he had ever met. This Tobi was playing both sides of the war, assisting Hanzo while also acting like an Akatsuki member. As much as Kakuzu found it uncomfortable to work for him, the pay was dangerously good.
Now, the duo were free for the next two days.
Kakuzu hoped to find a good hearts to replace his old ones.
Half a week after his escape, Shirou found himself in a dinky street.
The street was filled with Ame citizens, all hobbling in a rush. The war had made life harder, any and all areas being targeted ruthlessly by both sides. They hurried back and forth, spending longer times in the streets meant risking death should any fights break out nearby.
Shirou was hidden among them, also matching the frantic pace of the crowd as he maneuvered his way through them.
His destination? The local bar.
The bell rang as Shirou entered, other customers turning his way to eye the new stranger, only for them to return back to their drinks as they found him boring.
After all, he was just another stressed out civvie like them. Or at least the illusion his traced noble phantasm created.
Shirou made his way to the bar, purchasing a beer and drinking straight from the lip. HIs illusion drank the beverage, but Shirou didn't let a single drop enter his mouth.
He wasn't here to drink. He was here to find answers.
Especially after recent discoveries.
"Have you heard about the beast?"
"You mean the one at the frontline?"
Shirou's eyes zeroed in on the two people speaking at a side table.
"Yeah, that one."
"Last I heard, both sides retreated from it. There have been no more battles in the area for the last few days."
"Of course nobody wants to risk it! Four S-ranks couldn't even handle it! They all retreated!"
Shirou had been hearing about the sudden appearance of a phantasmal beast, along with the retreat of "two girls" that day from other bars he had visited. As it was, Shirou was operating alone in Amegakure. Alone, without backup, and woefully lacking information about the status of the war. He was collecting information of the Akatsuki whereabouts before making his move, but lacked any solid support for his end.
So far, the conflict still continues unabated. The forces around what Shirou assumed to be Lunulupae had been reshuffled into other fronts, with a small remainder reformed to watch over the area.
Shirou debated if he should contact the phantasmal beast. For one, it would relay his survival to Lunea. He knew that his death must've been heavy on the girl, and hearing him alive would relieve the pain on her end.
But that brought its own risks. Should any of the Akatsuki members see Lunea's sudden recovery, then Tobi would notice. Shirou could not let that happen.
Maybe he could only inform Lunulupae of his survival? She knew about how dangerous the Gedo Mazo was, since Shirou already approached her about it. She even wanted him to continue investigating the statue alone instead of confronting the sisters about it.
…
In the end, Shirou could only shake his head. He needed something, anything, that could tip the scales in his favor. Acting alone would only hinder his chances to tackle the Gedo Mazo. Besides, having Lunulupae was the equivalent of having a nuke. She was easily the strongest being currently in Amegakure.
With a sigh, Shirou turned and left the bar. The rest of the talk was about the frontlines and where they fought. Information that Shirou already knew.
For now, he would have to find a way to contact Lunulupae for help.
"You intend to ask the sisters about this?! The very same members who kidnapped you if you had forgotten no less?!" Lunulupae asked incredulously. She was clearly agitated after the revelation.
"There's no time! I can't investigate the statue and Akatsuki now. Everyone's being regrouped to focus on the Konoha assault. If I make any suspicious moves, the organization would easily come down on me!" Shirou argued back. He was banking on the fact that the sisters would give him something, anything, about the statue. Their relationship had long deviated from being that of a kidnapper and kidnappee, but to something like comrades.
It still puzzled him how he grew to even befriend the girls.
"You're forgetting that these girls have been part of Akatsuki before meeting you. Ask the wrong questions and you'll get yourself killed." Lunulupae shot back.
If there was anything Shirou would take pride in, it was his ability to survive. Copied from tracing the fighting style Counter Guardian EMIYA honed in centuries of conflict against superior foes.
At best, Shirou could catch his enemies off guard. Enough to kill them if needed. At worst, he would barely match them, holding on just enough to guarantee his life.
His repertoire of weapons and tricks should buy him enough chances for at least one to work. Just a single one was needed to win the battle. Whereas his opponents would find him as weak and annoying as a cockroach that never dies.
And that was what made Shirou confident in his ability to face any Akatsuki member despite the large gap between him and them.
That slight edge that kept him going, until the very end.
Just like back then, when he faced Primate Murder.
A simple human with a broken craft against the first of the twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors.
In another life, Primate Murder would've grown into Cath Palug, beholder of the fourth rank amongst the Beasts.
Primate Murder was the apex of predators, the ultimate killing machine.
Shirou didn't have any chance in the first place.
Yet, it was because of EMIYA's skills that he carved himself a tiny chance out of the impossible.
What should've been an impossibility for Shirou became an improbability. Only limited to how many chances he was able to throw at the beast.
What ultimately held him back was his ability, the weak quality of his prana, the human vessel he was locked in, and the limitation of his mind.
To use the same technique for Primate Murder, against Akatsuki no less? The organization wouldn't survive the true magnitude of the traitor in their midst.
Even Shirou hesitated using EMIYA's skill set against them. Not because he found it too powerful, but because he cared enough not to kill some of them.
His second life may have taught him how to be human again, but he still carried the same sword he was from the previous life.
A sheathed dagger, held to the backs of criminals.
"Yes, I know Heinrich and Eugen are enemies. But they are my only choice. Akatsuki attacks Konoha in two months, that is all the time I have left before their Jinchuuriki becomes a sacrifice for this abomination. I cannot let them take a step closer to their objective." Shirou reasoned with the beast.
"Do as you will. Don't expect my assistance in this matter once you bring danger to my daughter." She growled, angrily turning away from him.
If he was not going to follow her advice, then what good would it do?
Shirou crept up the broken staircase, gently maneuvering around the broken debris from battle.
He was in one of the buildings at the border of the area Lunulupae staked. The modernesque structures gave him goosebumps. Amegakure's form was eerily similar to the ones from his world. Their technology wasn't as advanced, but Shirou could see where they were going with it.
He snuck up the building quietly, still retaining the same measured pace and vigilance since the beginning. It was necessary because any mistake could alert the nearby Revolutionary forces of his locaton. Shirou had approached Lunulupae's area from their side, the Revolutionary's fewer forces being easier to bypass than the ones from the Loyalists.
Shirou's eyes traced the floor ahead of him. It was dark, very dark. The small amount of moonlight bounced from the walls closer to the broken exterior of the building, illuminating the interior portion at the bare minimum. Any normal human eye would struggle to accurately read the scattered debris ahead of them without any magical assistance. Yet here Shirou was, noting the areas to avoid, walking through the mess quickly. He had a small window of opportunity before the Revolutionary patrol swept through the area again, and he needed to be out of range, without leaving any evidence.
That meant Shirou was forced to traverse to the top without using any spells, including Reinforcement.
What should've been a difficult attempt turned into a manageable risk, if not for the extremely dangerous chance of being discovered. Luckily for Shirou, his constant Reinforcement training had a side effect. It was a breakthrough in his Reinforcement craft. In his old world, his Reinforcement lasted temporarily, only working as long as he supplied it with prana from his circuits.
In this world? It had developed a new ability that Shirou never imagined possible.
Passive Reinforcement (A+).
It was a new world, and with it came new discoveries.
Shirou's body, after thousands of Reinforcements through the years, had started to change. He continued his first form of training, pushing his circuits to their limits in various exercises. Like a muscle, they grew from the intense exercises, improving his prana output to a visible degree.
It wasn't only his circuits that evolved from Passive Reinforcement. So did his body.
His muscles had grown stronger from the constant rush of prana, scaling his movement and reaction accordingly. That was the physical side of things. When it came to the mental facet, Shirou found himself thinking faster. Combined with his constant training by studying the near infinite number of swords in his reality marble, the brain was trained accordingly, pushing him ahead of his old peak.
Shirou was confident that his tracing ability was getting awfully close to his old body, the 13 year old teenage form possibly within range of his 27 year old in terms of casting speed. In terms of prana quality? The difference was like night and day. He found the stronger weapons easier to trace due to the higher quality of mana from this world, and his new body was naturally accustomed to it. Had it been his old body dropped into this world, the mana density would've surely shot his control to hell.
So with his stronger, faster, and better form, Shirou was able to do more things that the average human couldn't.
Like for one, his uncanny ability to break the veil of night, even without reinforcing his eyes.
Shirou leapt across a hole that would've been missed by anyone else, easily clearing the gap in a moment. He looked up at the crumbling staircase to the roof, the final obstacle before he exposed himself to the outside world once again. Shirou quickly navigated the deteriorating hurdle before pausing on the doorway to the roof.
This was his last chance to back out. Shirou could continue operating in Amegakure alone, keeping his presence a secret, or he could gain the vital support that could tip the tides in his favor. He didn't know how Lunulupae would react, but he knew she would grill him like barbeque after his supposed "death".
Making the decision final, Shirou crept up into the open night air, crawling against the roof's silhouette. His black outfit combined with the shadow of the rooftop, made him all but invisible to the naked eye. It would take a ninja on the opposite rooftop to see him, that's considering they even notice him at all.
But Shirou risked it. He needed a straight sight deep into the territory if he wanted to draw Lunulupae's attention.
Just like that day years ago, Shirou scanned the entire canal and surrounding area, looking for the white phantasmal beast.
…
…
…
Lunulupae's ears perked. She opened one eye as her instincts warned her of a pair of eyes staring right at her. Her honed senses zeroed in on the location of the offending onlooker. Her eyes flashed in the direction to find…
I must be in a dream.
Lunulupae blinked owlishly, stumped at the scene she was seeing.
Shirou, alive, and on his knees, kowtowing rapidly on a rooftop some couple hundred meters away.
I am definitely dreaming.
She turned her head back, intent on waking up to find the illusion gone.
It didn't.
Then, a scent reached her nose. It was impossible to detect by normal people, or animals by that point, the source coming from hundreds of meters away. The aroma wafted in the air high above her, but her phantasmal senses easily caught on to the smell.
It was food. Eerily familiar food that only a dead redhead could only cook.
Lunulupae looked back at the illusion.
Sure enough, Shirou was still kowtowing there. But this time, there was a small plate of food in front of him.
Finally accepting that this wasn't a dream, and that the boy was actually alive, Lunulupae naturally gravitated to the most important thing on her mind.
She smashed her presence down on the boy begging for forgiveness, his body freezing up as her strength locked him in place.
I'm going to kill you later for breaking Lunea's heart. But first, give me the food.
A second later, something flashed in the air.
The Hiraishin kunai plopped right beside her, followed by a bright yellow flash and her food.
How convenient. Instant delivery.
…
…
…
Shirou swallowed audibly.
Lunulupae was pissed.
Her presence immediately disappeared once the food arrived. Him scrambling back into the safe cover of the building. His heart beating against his chest.
I swear, if it's not death by the sisters, it's death by beast. Why am I friends with such monstrosities?
At least, Shirou now had a method to contact Lunulupae.
A few days after the emergence of a phantasmal beast on the battlefield, Pein called for a meeting.
All members gathered together, their shadowy figures standing atop each finger of the Gedo Mazo.
Except instead of ten, there were nine of them.
Pein glanced over the missing member's position. "Heinrich, where is Lunea?" The young fox had replaced Shirou's slot after the sisters handed his ring over to her.
"Ehe…about that…" Eugen scratched her head awkwardly.
"The phantasmal beast demanded Lunea be returned to her. Her terms included Lunea's withdrawal from the organization and war." Heinrich summarized quietly.
The rest of the members took in the news quietly. Nobody wanted to interrupt the leader.
"I see…that is troubling news." More than troubling. His fallback plan had been discovered no doubt. Worse, without Lunea there was no way for him to keep the phantasmal beast in line.
Inwardly, Pein was cursing. He had lost his trump card, while also exposing a secret to Tobi. It was already bad enough that Tobi had become more active in the past few weeks, his own plans progressing while Pein and his faction were locked down in Amegakure.
"Will this hinder your flank's operations?" Konan asked.
"No. Losses continue to accumulate as expected. Instead, our main support has lost a significant portion of power. Lunea carried the team whenever we had to fight."
"What about the beast? She won't be attacking us anytime soon?"
Eugen shook her head. "She doesn't want Lunea in danger. That was the main reason she took her away. We couldn't stop her, but Lunea promised us that she would at least keep her mother from attacking us."
"I wonder how strong she really is…can we fight her?" Esdeath grinned at the prospect of fighting the legendary race.
"Now's not the time to think about it, Esdeath. We're supposed to be focused on the war." Tatsumi sighed.
"Then let's start on your reports. How are the frontlines?" Pein switched topics, moving from the sisters' situation to the war effort.
"Bad. Really bad. Holding lines isn't proving effective. We've had to give up some areas and withdraw the Revolutionaries to defensible positions while transforming some groups into raid parties. The commander on our side told us that sending them to disrupt enemy supplies would be the better option." Tatsumi reported.
"Tatsumi's flank is under heavy pressure. I've asked around if we can send some of my men to reinforce his side. I can't push my lines forward because his flank becomes our weakness. Overextending would only collapse our forces if I keep pushing." Esdeath grumbled.
"Zetsu, look into sending some clones for Tatsumi's flank. That way they can start pushing."
Just like that, the Akatsuki members discussed the current war circumstance for the next hour or so.
Shirou triple checked the time before he teleported.
The surroundings flashed yellow, followed by his arrival. Already waiting for him on the other side was Lunulupae in her human form. They were in one of the buildings scattered around the canal, far from either faction. Here, no one would see their meeting.
He blinked. This was the first time he was seeing her transformation, despite knowing the phantasmal beast for three years.
Instead of looking like a wild beast in the body of a human, Lunulupae looked more like those innocent maidens from folktales. Pale white skin that glowed in the moonlight, a long white gown that was more magical than normal, and four well-conditioned tails, almost as if they were attended to on a daily basis. The only thing that differed was her eyes, vivid and sharp, they mirrored the predatory aspect she had.
Of course, the same old presence of her ancient phantasmal beast power masked the area, a familiar one Shirou had grown accustomed to.
"Is there any reason why you're in this form?" He raised an eyebrow.
Lunulupae was sitting on the edge of a broken wall, her back leaning against an adjacent wall. She stopped looking at the moon, turning towards him. "Is there a problem? This is the form I used to travel in the human cities."
It didn't exactly fit in with what Shirou considered human. Anyone could tell that there was more to her from one glance alone, and if not, were likely attracted to the beauty in white.
"It's too overt. Everyone will notice you."
"You're forgetting that the world is my friend. It's easy to control the ambient mana to mask my presence, and I am able to modify my transformation further than this. Though this is my favourite form, as this was the first one I managed."
Shirou hummed quietly while he considered her words. "I guess that could work…"
Lunulupae crossed her arms. "You asked for my help. If you're coming to me for assistance, then this must be something you couldn't handle alone."
Shirou sighed. "Tobi has moved the Gedo Mazo. It is no longer in the same cave. I have spent the better part of the last two days checking other likely locations to move the massive statue to, but none of them were used. I traced the cave as well, but nothing came out of it."
"And you want me to try my luck and sniff out that statue?" Lunulupae narrowed her eyes.
He knew that asking a favor from Lunulupae was a big thing. She was a phantasmal beast, acting on her whims on a regular basis. To have a human requesting her assistance was going to be hard. But he needed her help, and Shirou knew even Lunulupae would be worried of leaving the threat around, seeing as it could come back to bite her or Lunea in the future.
"I am willing to prepare you a month's worth of food after we find and deal with the Gedo Mazo." It was going to take a big chunk from his savings, but money was meant to be used, not left collecting dust. Besides, he could earn more down the line.
"Two months worth of food."
"You're going to make Lunea cry."
"I'm punishing her. I will not allow her to continue killing mercilessly. The fact she enjoys killing scum is already a problem as it is."
Shirou closed his eyes. Cooking two months of food for Lunulupae without informing Lunea about it was akin to betrayal. He would not live the betrayal down if the wolf girl ever heard of it.
"As long as Lunea doesn't learn anything about it."
"She thinks you're dead. If I tell her about the food, she will start tracking you down. I will not allow her to roam the battlefield and risk her life."
"Thank you."
"But that does not mean that I would continue hiding it from her after all this is over with."
Yeah, that would do it. If the sisters failed to kill him, and so did Tobi, it would be his partner to finish the job.
"Master Jiraiya, this does not seem like a good plan."
"We've trailed the kid for a solid week. He hasn't found out yet. Whatever this cave is, it must be important if he spent more time here compared to the others he visited."
Jiraiya continued poking around the massive cave, studying the place. So far, there seemed nothing special about it aside from the size.
Nothing except the massive hole in the middle, its depth easily comparable to the height of the ceiling.
"This is our single biggest clue yet. Something was here, and it was massive. Whatever it was, Shirou clearly thinks it's important."
The trio of Konoha shinobi had followed Shirou's trail from Ame's outskirts. An experienced mercenary Shirou may be, but that was only limited to his knowledge in a previous life. IN this world, there were many ways to track people using magic. Ways that Shirou wasn't aware of. The same could be said for espionage, as their combined ability was more than enough to spy on Shirou's movements.
"Shirou is also worried about the phantasmal beast in Ame. He spied on it for a short while before leaving. We still have to find out why he thought it important to spend time just to look at the beast."
Jiraiya was also confused about that event. Even more so when they caught the smell of food wafting from his direction.
For a moment, they smelled heaven.
The next, it was gone.
Kakashi and Itachi joined the Sannin in going over the cave, preferring to jump down into the hole to study it closely. They returned after a few minutes upon finding nothing.
Shirou even found it difficult to track the statue. The Gedo Mazo was an inanimate object, lacking any distinction from that of a rock in its current state. No chakra, no presence, no imprint. It was only his tracing ability that allowed him to even discover it. So it was only normal that the three of them wouldn't be able to verify its existence.
Jiraiya's eyes roamed the floor one last time. They had spent a few minutes inside already, and each minute longer increased the risk of Shirou returning. He closed his eyes, accepting that they wouldn't find anything else about the cave.
"Alright. Let's get out of here before he comes back."
As Jiraya called for them to leave, Itachi spied an unnatural shade of grey amongst the rocks. It was practically invisible, but his Sharingan caught the small irregularity. He squinted to inspect the abnormal color.
It flashed brightly.
Jiraiya, Itachi, and Kakashi froze as they recognized the technique.
It was The Hiraishin.
…
…
…
"I thought you said you were working alone?" The white foxy lady turned to the teenager beside her.
Itashi found himself frozen, staring at the two people that appeared inside the cave.
Kakashi was equally stunned, not at the woman, but seeing someone else perform his teacher's technique.
As for Jiraiya…
He fell to his knees in awe, jaw open and drooling.
Damn, that was one hot babe.
Omake:
"Wahhhh! Lunea what are we going to do!?" Eugen rolled on the floor. "How do we tell Pein we lost the trump card, along with Lunea?! He's going to kill us!"
Beside her, equally deflated, was her dear sister.
"We can't exactly make up anything, Eugen. The truth will have to suffice." Heinrich groaned.
Propped between them, was a bottle of beer.
The sisters tried to drink the night prior, nervous about the meeting Pein organized that very morning.
Who wouldn't? News had spread of the appearance of a phantasmal beast, along with the subsequent beatdown of four S-ranks.
It took just one day for the news to spread, and for the battle lines to redrawn. There was now a big gaping hole with no forces between both sides, smack dab in the middle of Amegakure.
Nobody even wanted to scout the area, both sides content with leaving the phantasmal beast alone.
Well except for a few experimental parties from the Loyalists, but those teams never came back from what everyone heard.
"Can't we just…not answer the call? We're at the frontline. We could just be in a fight and Pein would never know."
Eugen blinked at her own suggestion.
Heinrich slowly turned to her sister.
…
…
…
When the reports came in a few hours later, two confused flanks found themselves in battle, both sides convinced the other side was attacking.
No one knew the wiser.
"Where are Heinrich, Eugen, and Lunea?" Pein stared at the three empty positions.
"It seems they aren't answering the summons." Esdeath grinned. "They aren't like this at all. I wonder what could have happened to them?" The only reason she could think of was that the trio were fighting a strong enemy.
Tobi acted confused, tilting his head to the side. Underneath the guise, he was suspicious about their absence. Only Kakuzu and Kisame could threaten the girls, Hanzo being the fearful man he is. The thing was, the two were still recovering after meeting the phantasmal beast. Was it possible that there were other forces at play in Amegakure? Tobi was sure he controlled one of two major factions, and had two spies underneath Hanzo. If a new force emerged, then he needed to cut them off quickly.
Unfortunately for him, Shirou wasn't the only faction working behind the scenes in Ame.
Author's Note
HAHAHAHA YES! Finally posting one week after another chapter!
From here on out, we will get to see more screen time with Lunulupae and Shirou working together. Lunea still doesn't know he's alive and well, while the Konoha shinobi have been discovered. What happens next I wonder ehehehehe.
If anyone wants to visualize Lunulupae, it's only right that I base her in Azur Lane like Lunea. She should look like Shinano but with a simple sleeveless white dress instead of a fancy one.
