As the first light of dawn broke over Moukoku, a tense silence filled the air between the two warriors. Horiba, the Moukage, stood across from Buddha with a look of grim resolve. His Kusarigan, the clan's rare and powerful dojutsu, flickered to life within his eyes, showing him the ethereal chains of fate that linked each person to their bonds, to their destinies, and to each other.
The Kusarigan's deep red glow intensified as Horiba gazed at Buddha, tracing faint chains that hinted at Buddha's connection to his own family, his clan, and now even to Yami. With every pulsing heartbeat, Horiba's mind raced with the weight of these ties—and the danger they posed to his authority.
As Horiba extended his arm, he traced a series of complex seals in the air, smearing his own blood into markings across his face and chest. The blood ritual activated his clan's most feared technique: the Dream Demon Transformation. In a surge of dark chakra, his skin paled, his muscles seemed to ripple, and his face shifted into a mask-like appearance as if a hidden beast had emerged. His power spiked, and a suffocating aura surrounded him.
Buddha tensed, summoning his own chakra, a force that radiated a calm but unbreakable strength. The elder shinobi had never underestimated Horiba's power, especially now, under the influence of the Dream Demon. Though Buddha had no such transformation, his steady resolve and years of battle-hardened skill made him a formidable match.
With a roar, Horiba rushed forward, his speed a blur as he closed the distance, each blow charged with monstrous strength. Buddha blocked and countered, his fists landing with precise, explosive power. Each impact created shockwaves, ripping through the ground around them.
Horiba's Kusarigan glowed with fury, sensing the chains of fate around Buddha as he fought. Seizing on Buddha's own ties to his clan's duty, Horiba taunted him. "You feel this, don't you?" he snarled, eyes locked on Buddha's. "You see these chains of fate, Buddha? They bind us all—family, duty, suffering. But I hold them! And you will break under them."
Buddha scowled but remained silent, focusing his energy as he threw a fierce uppercut that landed squarely on Horiba's chest, forcing him back. Horiba stumbled, but he regained his stance, his Kusarigan reading Buddha's fate-bound ties with laser focus, predicting his moves. With the Dream Demon's strength at his back, Horiba managed to counter Buddha's next strike, trapping him in a swift, brutal hold.
"Fate can be changed, Horiba," Buddha countered, his calm voice unyielding. He tightened his grip on Horiba, and with a chakra-enhanced strike, he threw him several yards back. "Even you know that your rule won't last forever."
Horiba's face twisted in anger, and he activated a technique through his Kusarigan, sending waves of intense, paralyzing chakra through Buddha's chains of fate. Buddha felt the pressure but steadied himself, charging forward through the strain. His fists met Horiba's, each impact growing heavier, as the two locked in a grueling exchange of taijutsu and chakra-fueled blows.
They fought, bloody and battered, each sensing the other's determination. As they broke apart momentarily, both breathing heavily, they knew that this battle would push them beyond their limits. Their next clash would be decisive.
UNDERGROUND
The air in the underground prison was damp and thick, carrying an ominous silence. Rei and the Naguyoto brothers moved swiftly through the dim, narrow corridors, the dull echo of their footsteps the only sound in the depth of Moukoku's hidden cells. Every step felt heavier as they ventured deeper, closer to Yami. Rei's heart raced with anticipation—and a creeping sense of fear.
As they rounded a corner, Qwana abruptly stopped, his eyes narrowing at a cell just off the path. Beside him, his brother Nijira took a sharp intake of breath, recognition dawning as they both took in the figure within the cell. Behind rusted bars and in dim light sat a man shrouded in age but exuding a palpable strength, his figure gaunt yet regal. His eyes opened, blazing with a fierce intelligence that seemed to pierce through the darkness.
"Vistago Naguyoto…" Qwana's voice was barely a whisper, reverent and shocked. "The legend. The man Totanda Shiyume feared above all others."
A subtle, chilling smile spread across Vistago's lips as he looked upon his kin, his gaze assessing and familiar, as if he'd been waiting for this exact moment. In an instant, Qwana and Nijira moved to release the ancient seals and rusty locks that bound him. Each release of a lock, each broken seal, felt like undoing a piece of history itself—a history bound and silenced by Totanda's fear of Vistago's power.
The final lock fell away, and as Vistago stepped from his cell, an overwhelming wave of chakra exploded outward. It was dark, immense, and suffused with an energy that spoke of a long-suppressed fury. The sheer pressure caused the walls to tremble, the earth above to shift and groan under the weight of his release. Rei staggered back, her breath catching as she felt the oppressive chakra seep into her bones. Her heart thundered as a feeling of primal fear washed over her—a fear that whispered of unstoppable power and chaos.
"Go, girl," Vistago's voice cut through the din, low and powerful. "Your destiny lies further down this path."
Rei nodded, swallowing down her fear as she tore her gaze away from Vistago and began running deeper into the dungeon. The shadows seemed to close in around her, but she focused on the thought of Yami—of his face, his voice, his warmth. She pushed forward, each step fueled by determination as she raced down the labyrinthine halls.
At last, she found herself before a heavy iron door, its surface engraved with countless seals pulsing with chakra. She wasted no time, reaching into her pouch to withdraw the paper seals Buddha had given her to break through Moukoku's defenses. Her hands shook as she placed the seals over the door, and with a muttered prayer, she activated them.
The seals fizzled with energy, and one by one, the locks and barriers began to disintegrate. With a resounding clank, the iron door creaked open, revealing a dark chamber beyond. Her heart twisted at the sight that met her eyes: Yami, chained and motionless, his body bruised and battered but unmistakably alive.
"Yami!" she cried, rushing to his side. She knelt, her hands working frantically at his bindings, using every bit of strength she had. Her fingers trembled, each link feeling like an insurmountable barrier, but she continued to struggle against the chains.
Yami stirred slightly, his eyelids fluttering open. His gaze met hers, and for a moment, there was a flicker of recognition, a faint smile on his lips despite his weakened state. "Rei… you really came," he murmured, voice barely a whisper.
Tears stung her eyes as she nodded, her fingers finally undoing the last of the bindings. "Of course I came. I'd go to the ends of the earth for you."
With the final chain falling away, Yami slowly pushed himself to his feet, a newfound fire igniting in his eyes as he took Rei's hand. The distant rumble of Vistago's unleashed power reverberated through the ground, a reminder of the forces gathering around them. Holding Rei close, Yami nodded with grim resolve.
Together, they were ready to face whatever awaited them. The path was uncertain, and the world around them quaked with the weight of Vistago's return, but one thing was clear—they would face it all side by side.