Storm clouds smother the twin moon's residual scarlet hue. The thunderstorm strengthens; gradual rainfall becomes a thick drizzle descending upon the rooftops. Jimi crawls from underneath the roof's rocky surface, writhing with both hands on his face.

"Arrgh! Fucking Uchihas, man!" lightning strikes a nearby antenna capsizing the metal structure. He rolls away, preventing the twisted metal from crushing him. He sits against the tower's raised ledge, 'ow, my head hurts... my mouth. It's so sore, I-I taste... iron?' Jim uses the rain to wash the blood obstructing his vision, then steals a glance over the ledge, 'I can't keep this up much longer. Where the fuck are they!? What's taking so damn long!?' the color drains from his face, "fuck." Jim's blood freezes in his veins; a thirst for blood looms. Invisible through the dust yet ominous and overbearing. He regrets lacking the proper medical ninjutsu skills to heal his wounds.

After consuming a military rations pill, Slug shuffles back to his feet, groaning in pain, angry and ever more ferocious. The numbness in his limbs subsides; he scans the rooftops yet maintains a vigilant eye on the scrap metal, "come out, Malkhaz; there's no use hiding!"

"Get fucked, you pasty porcelain pussy!"

Slug's eyes widen, "I'll wring your neck, you little bitch!" the tall shinobi clutches the hilt of his rattling sword, then draws a kunai with an explosive tag. He prepares for combat awaiting orders to advance; however, Raven has yet to stand. Her shoulders tremble as she stutters with each breath. He approaches Raven but remains apprehensive of his surroundings. Being from the Village Hidden by Rain, Slug can distinguish tears from the rain without difficulty despite Raven's hair hiding her face. She stares at her mask lying on the ground; the storm raging in the sky fails to suppress the kunoichi's soft sniffles.

'Not now, damn it,' Slug eases his voice to reach out and console his former student, "Captain... Captain?" he whispers, placing his hand on her shoulder. Raven flinches, pulling away, "believe me, I understand your feelings. Malkhaz's taken loved ones from us both. Still, you can't be doing this right now-" Slug gasps at her eyes, worrying the juinjutsu (Cursed Seal Techniques) that keeps her mental illness in check is weakening.

Raven struggles to speak, "I felt it again… t-they use the same techniques; that chakra signature—I-it's so familiar." Her voice cracks, "I-I don't even need my Sharingan to know those moves… they are the same as his." Raven cries, "her lips feel the same as his against mine! I-It's like I'm fighting my husband's ghost or something!"

"With all due respect, Mrs. Namikaze. You must remain calm, regain control of your dōjutsu, and only use that form when close to the target!" Slug pulls the grieving kunoichi to her feet, cursing the Hokage's decision to release her from the psychiatric hospital, 'damn you, Uchiha Tajima!' Raven snatches her mask from the ground holding it close to her chest. Slug sighs, sympathizing for his former student, 'she's earned her husband's former codename and mask. But using them to mourn is proving counterproductive to her therapy.'

The dust around the metal debris settles; Jim's silhouette materializes. Slug shoves Raven's mask back on her face concealing her identity. Doll-like gilded eyes, lifeless, cold, and calculating, bare down upon the Anbu, analyzing their every move.

"Listen, I promised I'd help find or even avenge your husband if necessary. But for now, you must be strong; otherwise, Malkhaz will annihilate us before we get any answers. Do you honestly wish to perish, never knowing your husband's fate?" the unique pattern in Raven's eyes relapses to the usual three tomoe design.

The blood running down Jim's face forces him to tie a tattered rag into a headband. Raven and Slug sneer at the cloth flowing in the wind: a symbol of defiance and insurrection against every daimyō in the Elemental Nations. The plain headband lacks a metal plate and village symbol: an antithesis of everything it means to be a shinobi or samurai—a callous disregard for tradition and honor. Anyone wearing it with such hubris is a perversion and mockery of the forehead protector. His expressions and body language are unreadable, appearing predatory and inhuman, almost robotic.

Jim's injuries render his self-inflicted genjutsu inactive. Now vulnerable to Raven's visual prowess, Jim avoids eye contact until he can subject this action to automatization via genjutsu. A devious grin creeps on his face as he connives at the Anbu's weaknesses, "that shoulder injury is a bite wound..." Jim says, though more of a statement than a question.

"Mind your fucking business, whore!" Raven growls.

"The infection's spreading. You should save me the trouble and kill your comrade now," Jim frowns, "that is… while it's still possible."

"Shut your goddamned mouth, Malkhaz," Slug warns.

"You should know better than anyone—Dr. Kuriarare. Were you not a military virologist? How long ago were you bitten?" both Anbu stare aghast becoming dead silent.

"If it comes down to that, you better believe I'll drag your sorry ass down to hell with me!"

Jim smirks, "confidence—a fool's substitute for intelligence. Nevertheless, at any moment, your body will begin moving independently. You'll endanger your comrades, try infecting them and probably succeed." He presses further, "you will be conscious through the ordeal; worst of all, your nervous system reanimates. You'll feel everything; it truly is a fate worse than death."

Slug's eyes widen in alarm as his voice cracks, "so t-this is what those madmen were up to all along! Project: Red Falcon was the bioweapon you sick fucks developed, wasn't it!?"

"Project: Red Falcon? Why have I never heard of this, Slug?" Raven demands.

Jim raises an eyebrow and is taken aback by the accusation, "what on god's green Earth are you-"

"Quit fucking around, Malkhaz!" Slug interjects, "you know what I'm talking about!"

Jim says with a knowing sigh, "Red Falcon is but a cryptonym for The Red Zetsu Plague; this contagion is not of the prior regime's creation nor terrestrial origin."

"Bullsh- wait—what!?"

'Good. I've acquired the enemy's attention. Now, if I can stall a bit longer.' Jim adjusts his glasses, "granted, the socialists are responsible for many of the mutagenic horrors unleashed upon the ASF, but humanity's extinction was never the objective… Red Falcon was unlike anything we'd ever encountered before. It was sentient, self-aware, it had ambition: the assimilation of all organic matter on the planet; a truly communist society in its purest form."

This revelation horrifies Raven, "Slug, what the hell is she talking about?"

A sad chuckle escapes Jim, "this extraterrestrial lifeform… this parasitic organism was centuries beyond anything we were even capable of engineering or controlling. It was scary stuff, radically advanced. It gave us ideas and took us in new directions we never thought possible! Too bad it came from a meteorite that wiped away most of our already war-ravaged population like excrement from a boot. There were survivors here and there though whatever was within that damned space rock is what finished us off."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down..." Raven says, reciprocating her palms in a halting gesture, "are we talking about—fuckin' space aliens, here?"

Jim rolls his eyes, "we live in a world full of evil spirits, demons, talking animals... And mother fuckers with reality-bending supernatural abilities that defy every law of physics and thermodynamics, yet talk of space aliens is what's hustlin' you, darlin'!?"

Raven takes a threatening step forward, suggesting her patience is wearing thin.

"Alright, alright! Look—I'm not saying it was space aliens, ok. But it goes without saying—that it was fucking space aliens!" Jim continues, "we were so foolish and desperate, never comprehending the true nature of this otherworldly being. Red Falcon eradicated cancer and eliminated AIDS, any mental or genetic disorder, or conceivable ailment to humanity; a treatment or cure was under development. It was an unprecedented medical breakthrough like none other. However, that thing turned on us once it understood enough about the human genome to view humanity as nothing more than nourishment. Millions more had perished soon after; the only problem was they didn't stay dead. We were hunted down and fed upon by those abominations—those Red Zetsus, Mutants, Nosferatu, or what have you."

Terror washes over Slug, raising the fine hairs on the back of his neck, "w-w-what the fuck!?"

"As our weapons failed, our hiding places diminished, and they drew nearer. We had turned to hope, but hope had fled long ago—just one bite or scratch, and well. I'm sure we're all familiar with the results," Jim says, pointing to Slug's shoulder.

Raven is choking up, realizing the situation's severity, "alright, that's it! I've had enough of this! Slug, we're getting the hell out of here. Now! We must warn the ASF immediately; that's an order!"

"Bitch—were you not paying attention to a fucking word I just said!?"

Jim uses the Body Flicker Technique to intercept the fleeing Anbu. His foot impacts Raven's chin lifting the kunoichi off the floor. He dispatches a roundhouse kick to her chest, spins midair, then slams his heel into Slug's head. Both Anbu tumble across the rooftops but are back on their feet, releasing smoke bombs and genjutsu to camouflage their movements. Yet, Jim continues appearing before them like a phantom.

Raven uses teleportation jutsu and then dives over the ledge; however, Jim snatches her arm, redirects, and snap-kicks her back onto the roof. He teleports behind Slug seizing the tall shinobi's ankles mid-jump. Jim flips Slug like a pancake before heel kicking the airborne shinobi sending both Anbu crashing into each other.

"Barrier Ninjutsu: Five-Seal Pentagram Genesis!" the sealing tags on the stone tower's edges activate. Luminous spheres of electricity materialize, encompassing the rooftops; both assassins halt a hairsbreadth away from the boundary. Raven's knuckle grazes its surface; she flinches, hissing in pain while shaking her hand to relieve the searing sensation. "It's a unilateral seal that requires external deactivation. Those who enter cannot escape. Resistance is futile!"

Slug turns around, glaring at Jim, "assuming your hypothesis is mutual, neither will you!"

Jim chuckles, "perhaps, but let's face reality. We're trapped together here, and you're about as fucked as a main-house Hyūga at the Hidden Cloud Village after midnight!"

Raven shifts into her taijutsu stance, "but are we trapped here with you, or are you trapped here with us?"

"Be that as it may, my time left on this Earth was already fleeting. Either I kill you, or you kill me. It makes no difference; none of us are leaving Rouge City alive. I cannot allow it!"

"What're you planning to do? Talk us to death?" Slug says.

"Actually, I thought I'd BEAT you—to death," Jim bolts after the Anbu, aiming a butterfly twist-kick at Slug's shoulder injury. Slug braces himself, but Raven detects genjutsu layering a basic clone technique. The afterimage phases through Slug's counterattack. Jim reappears behind Raven; she dodges, then redirects his rapid combo strikes. Slug tags in with a flurry of quick jabs; his longer reach keeps Jim at arm's length. As Slug sustains the pressure, Raven assaults Jim from behind.

Jim shifts the ground with a hand seal to divert the kunoichi's incoming attack. He blocks Slug's haymaker, but Slug lunges forward and grabs him. The shinobi thrusts his knee at Jim's face. Jim blocks while twisting away from Slug's grasp; he backflips to avoid Raven's spinning roundhouse kick before deflecting Slug's hopping side-kick.

Slug misleads Jim with a kick to his ribs, sweeping Jim's knee instead. He falls backward, using the momentum to spin on his palms and assault the Anbu with a torrent of upside-down revolving heel kicks. They block the whirling barrage, yet the continuous blows stumble them back. Raven blitzes Jim targeting his groin with a frontal assault. He transitions his centrifugal onslaught into an evasive maneuver implementing a back-walkover (Macaco em Pé) to dodge Raven's turning side-kick. Jim swings one leg after the other beneath his torso; the kunoichi cork flips away. Slug retaliates with a 360° ax-kick. Jim sidesteps, then sweeps Slug's supporting leg (Banda de Costa).

Slug twists his body, trapping Jim with a scissors takedown and rear-naked choke, "I told you I'd wring that pretty little neck, didn't I? You little bitch!" he tries snapping Jim's neck, but Jim continues to struggle and squirm. He forces an opening, then drives his elbow into Slug's ribs before grasping the tall shinobi's forearm, "argh, my chakra! I can't hold her much longer! Hurry up and gut this commie bitch!"

Jim strengthens his elbow by siphoning Slug's chakra before ramming it into the shinobi's kidney, causing him to cough up a red gelatinous substance. Raven lunges on top of Jim with a kunai attempting to plunge it into his abdomen. He diverts Raven's wrist with his boot, then kicks her chin.

Slug screams in agony as Jim drains his chakra; Raven tries disemboweling Jim, forcing him to release Slug's arm and deal with the impending threat. He stops Raven's kunai centimeters away from his stomach; Slug strangles Jim with even greater force causing Jim's face to turn red. He slams his elbow into Slug's kidney again, then stuns Raven with a left hook. Slug's grasp loosens, allowing Jim to steal precious oxygen and remain conscious.

"Ack! I'm far from helpless, motherfuckers—gak!" Jim hacks before yet again driving his elbow into Slug's kidney. His grip slackens, preventing him from snapping Jim's neck, "Ninja Art: Don't Tase Me Bro, Jutsu!" Raven shrieks in anguish as volts of electricity surge through her body, causing Raven to drop her kunai. Jim kicks the kunai away, then tases and absorbs the kunoichi's chakra. Raven rams her knee into his abdomen, stopping the current, yet he tightens his stomach, then punches her. Slug strangles Jim with his forearm, "gak! Oh, you want some shit too, fucker!?"

Jim drives his elbow into Slug's kidney before tasing the shinobi. He frees his neck from Slug's grasp and kicks Raven in her groin. Raven's Sharingan eyes bulge as she falls on top of Jim crying and writhing in pain. She constricts his arms; however, he shimmies free. Jim electrifies his fingers, then jams and wiggles them on her ribs, "Electric Boogaloo No-Jutsu! Tickletickleticle!"

Slug and Raven scream, tussle, and tumble on the ground, unable to subdue Jim or deliver a killing blow. Having enough of Jim using her as an electrical conductor Raven unsteadies him with two right hooks before kneeing his abdomen. Slug, hyperventilating, squeezes with all his strength struggling to restrain Jim. After trapping Jim's forearms under her knees, Raven grabs and claws at his face trying to pry Jim's eyes open. Raven nudges her mask above her mouth, then tries biting off his eyelids. Jim dislodges his arm from under Raven's knee, then slams his fist twice into her jaw before elbowing Slug's kidney again.

Jim throws another punch at Raven, but she snatches Jim's hand horrifying him, 'why is this crazy bitch trying to bite me!?'

Raven bites and snaps at Jim, inching closer to his fingers, 'all... I need. Is to. Ingest—one drop of—Blood—and. It's. All. Over!' Jim reaches for Raven's kunai on the ground with his other arm, bit by bit, dragging it closer. He frees his hand, elbowing Slug for the umpteenth time. Jim shoves Raven's head, preventing her from biting his neck; instead, she chomps down on Jim's shoulder. He screams, punching in desperation to shake off the rabid kunoichi but to no avail. Nevertheless, the thick material composing his fatigues prevents Raven from drawing Jim's blood. He grabs the kunai, then plunges it into Raven's buttock; her eyes widen.

"Lightning Release: Jolting Jigawatt Jutsu!" electric currents arc through Raven and Slug's bodies, locking up their muscles. In a last-ditch effort to free himself, Jim reaches behind the flailing kunoichi, grabbing and pulling whatever he can with all his might. He thrusts back, slamming the back of his head into Slug's face as Raven screams bloody murder.

"AAAAAHHHH! MY CRACK!" Raven shrieks in agony as her body and limbs shake without control.

"YEEEAAAHHH! How about them panties, wedged RIGHT the fuck up that pasty white crack, B—Yawtch!" Jim breaks free of Slug's rear-naked choke, then yanks Raven's thong like a lawnmower cord, lifting her legs in the air with every pull while bombarding his elbow onto Slug's head ad nauseam. Raven's g-string snaps, pulling her forward; Jim left hooks the kunoichi off himself, "suck some fist, bitch!" then rolls away.

Slug trips Jim before putting him in a full nelson. Jim channels more chakra into his legs and then leaps backward with a sudden burst of power and speed. Slug collides with the Five-Seal Barrier; lightning surges through the tall shinobi's body, weakening his limbs and sphincter. Jim pivots, sending Slug over his body with a hip throw; the moment Slug impacts the ground, Jim strangles him with Raven's ruined lingerie.

Jim presses his knee upon Slug's back, torturing the shinobi against the electric barrier, "no more prorogation. I'm going to kill you now, then the rest of..." Before he can bestow upon Slug the coup de grâce, Raven tackles Jim, "fuck!" screaming while stabbing him several times with a kunai. However, Jim vanishes, substituting himself with a log.

A thin conductive wire lassoes Raven's neck pulling her against the barrier. She cannot breathe nor free herself due to electricity locking up her limbs again. Slug throws a shuriken cutting Raven from the excruciating ensnarement. Another cord entangles Slug's ankle yanking the shinobi into the air, galvanizing him as his back bounces on the seal wall. Raven coughing and gasping for air, throws her kunai, cutting the wire from a stone pillar protruding through the barrier.

Slug hits the ground like a ton of bricks, twitching and convulsing from the electricity coursing through his body.