Hinata of the White Lotus
Failure
The stone wall of Kōtō city bore a massive crater, the cracks radiating upward like frozen lightning. Kimimaro lay crumpled at its base, blood pooling beneath him. His body twitched, his arms attempting to move but failing. The sight of the once-terrifying Shinobi reduced to such a pitiful state filled Tayuya with an overwhelming mix of relief and disbelief.
"We actually fucking beat him…" Tayuya whispered, the words feeling surreal even as she said them. She had never truly believed they could win—not against Kimimaro, not against the monster who had once crushed her so effortlessly. Yet here he was, defeated and broken.
"Of course! Piece of cake!" Naruto laughed, his carefree demeanor at odds with the devastation they had wrought. He stretched his wooden arm experimentally, the red chakra still pulsing faintly through it as if alive.
Tayuya's gaze flickered to Naruto, her thoughts a tangled mess. There was no mistaking it now. That energy, that stubbornness, that name. But now wasn't the time to confront it. "Where's—" she began, but a sudden, suffocating sense of dread silenced her.
She collapsed to her knees, clutching at the back of her neck where the curse seal burned with an intensity she had never felt before. It wasn't the searing pain of Orochimaru's control; this was worse. It was as if the seal were alive, writhing beneath her skin, clawing its way into her very essence. Her vision blurred, spots dancing across her sight, and her breath came in sharp, shallow gasps. Panic surged through her—was this some kind of failsafe? A final punishment for betrayal?
Naruto noticed her collapse and turned sharply, his red chakra still flickering in the aftermath of their battle. "H-hey? You okay?" he asked, stepping toward her, concern evident even in his altered, feral state.
But Tayuya couldn't answer. The seal's agony was consuming her, resonating with something primal and otherworldly. Whatever it was, it was approaching fast. A shadow loomed in her senses, a wave of darkness so dense and suffocating it made Orochimaru's presence feel like a warm summer breeze. She couldn't see it yet, but she could feel it—an all-consuming absence, a void that swallowed everything in its path.
Naruto stiffened, his slit pupils darting around as he, too, sensed the encroaching presence. "What the hell… is that?" His voice wavered, a rare crack of fear slipping through his bravado.
And then it came.
The creature rounded the corner, moving unnaturally fast along the base of the wall. It was pure darkness—not just the absence of light but a twisting, writhing void that bent reality around it. Even the natural shadow cast by the wall paled in comparison. Looking at it made Tayuya's head spin, as though she were staring into the event horizon of a black hole, her body leaning toward it without her permission.
She gagged, clutching her stomach as nausea overtook her. The curse seal flared hotter, burning with a resonance that felt inextricably tied to whatever this thing was. This wasn't Orochimaru's doing… she realized through the haze of pain. It was reacting to something else… something worse.
Naruto stumbled back a step, his red chakra flickering erratically in the oppressive presence of the creature. "This thing—what the hell is it!?" he shouted, his voice rising in panic.
The creature didn't answer, of course. Instead, it honed in on its target. Ignoring them entirely, it bee-lined for the broken, crumpled body of Kimimaro. His form, still in its grotesque second stage of the cursed seal, lay prone and lifeless at the foot of the wall. Tayuya's seal pulsed again, her hands shaking as she clutched at her neck. It wasn't just her; Naruto's attention snapped to her as he saw the same black markings spread erratically across her skin.
"It's… the seal…" she choked out, her voice trembling. "It's reacting to that… thing."
The creature collided with Kimimaro, not like a predator devouring its prey but as if it were merging with him. Its form unraveled, losing shape and sinking into the curse mark etched into his chest. Kimimaro's body absorbed it greedily, like a sponge pulling in water. Tayuya's stomach twisted at the sight, bile rising in her throat.
"Is it… fusing with him?" Naruto asked, his voice hoarse, eyes fixed on the horrifying display.
Tayuya could only nod, clutching her neck as the seal on her body writhed more violently than ever. Her mind raced, fragments of Orochimaru's teachings rising unbidden to the forefront of her thoughts. The curse seals weren't just experiments—they were meant to harness something. Something far older and darker than any of them had ever truly understood. Whatever that thing was, it had been unleashed… and it had found Kimimaro.
The merging finished, and for a moment, silence fell over the battlefield. The oppressive weight in the air lifted, and Tayuya let out a ragged gasp, pulling at her collar as though she could breathe easier if only she freed herself from the imaginary noose tightening around her neck.
Then came the pulse.
A wave of malignant energy erupted from Kimimaro's body, a physical force that rippled through the battlefield. Tayuya's seal burned anew, and she screamed as the energy forced her to the ground. Around them, Naruto's forest of unnatural trees turned blood red, the vibrant life force within them withering in an instant. Leaves fell in a shower, like a crimson rain, carpeting the ground with decay. The city wall, already weakened from their battle, groaned and cracked further as the energy washed over it, chunks of stone crumbling to the earth.
Kimimaro began to rise. His rust-colored skin blackened entirely, muscles bulging grotesquely as his frame expanded to three—no, four times its original size. His arms and legs twisted into talons, each movement accompanied by the sickening crunch of bones realigning. His elongated face took on the shape of a reptilian predator, sharp teeth glinting beneath glowing white eyes devoid of any humanity. Bone spines erupted from his back at odd, unnatural angles, their stark white contrasting sharply against his blackened flesh.
And then he roared.
The sound was primal, a guttural scream that shook the ground beneath them and sent fresh waves of terror coursing through Tayuya's veins. His massive tail swung out, obliterating the weakened section of the wall behind him. The rubble collapsed, the once-imposing barrier now a crumbled ruin. Beyond it, the city lights spilled into the clearing, illuminating the monstrous figure in full.
The cries of terrified civilians reached their ears, a chilling reminder of what lay beyond the walls. Kimimaro's heavy footfalls echoed as he turned toward the destruction he'd wrought, his predatory gaze fixed on the city like a hunter sizing up its prey.
Naruto's red chakra flared as he stepped forward, his wooden arm creaking ominously as he flexed it. "This guy just doesn't know when to quit…" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
He had been holding it together—or at least trying to. He'd put on a brave face for Tayuya, for his unconscious teammates, and even for himself. But at this point, he was running on fumes. His legs felt like they were made of lead, barely holding him upright. The searing pain where his arm used to be pulsed with every beat of his heart, and the wooden replacement—no matter how functional it was—did nothing to dull the agony radiating from the wound.
His vision swam in and out of focus, and a bitter metallic taste clung to the back of his throat. He wasn't an idiot. The blood loss alone was enough to knock most people out cold. And truth be told, if it weren't for the burning rage of that red chakra coursing through his body, he probably would be unconscious by now. Instead, he was still standing—barely—but only because the pain was the one thing keeping him awake.
Even then, he was on his last leg.
Still, somehow, against all odds, he'd done it. He and Tayuya had done it. Through sheer grit and teamwork, they had managed to break Kimimaro. Every bone in his body shattered, the so-called perfect warrior reduced to a heap of immobile flesh. They'd finally won.
So why?
Why in the hell was this happening now?
That thing had come out of nowhere. Some abomination of darkness that Naruto couldn't even describe properly, its form too strange, too wrong, to fit into the natural world. It had latched onto Kimimaro, merging with him in some kind of horrifying fusion, twisting and transforming his broken body into something monstrous.
It wasn't fair.
None of this was fair.
Naruto clenched his jaw, ignoring the trembling in his wooden arm as he steadied it in front of him. His red, slit-pupiled eyes darted toward the creature towering before them, his thoughts racing.
When the fight had first started, Kimimaro had been sickly and pale, his body a walking testament to his own failing health. Then came that terrifying second transformation—the rust-colored skin, the hunched back, the tail that lashed with brutal force. Even then, Kimimaro had seemed inhuman.
But this?
This wasn't Kimimaro anymore. Whatever he'd been before, whoever he'd been, was gone.
The thing before him was a monster, through and through.
Towering two stories high, the beast was grotesque in every sense of the word. Its pitch-black flesh rippled and bulged unnaturally, muscles contorting with every twitch and step. Stark white bones jutted from its back like jagged fins, their unnatural symmetry only adding to its alien appearance. Its face—a twisted mockery of a reptilian snout—opened wide to let out a guttural roar, a sound so deep and primal it felt like it vibrated in Naruto's very chest. No human could make a sound like that. No living thing should make a sound like that.
The ground trembled beneath the creature's massive talons as it shifted, tail whipping behind it in a show of power. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't just stronger—it was faster, angrier, and completely out of control.
Naruto swallowed hard, his throat dry. "This thing… it's not Kimimaro anymore…" he muttered to himself, as much to confirm it to himself as to warn Tayuya. But deep down, he knew there was no point in saying it. Tayuya knew. Hell, anyone with a functioning brain could tell that this was no longer a man. This was something else entirely.
And it was coming right for them.
With a guttural snarl, the monster charged, moving with horrifying speed that belied its massive size. Each stomp of its taloned feet tore into the earth, sending chunks of dirt and rock flying in every direction. The ground shook violently, cracks splitting through the battlefield like a shattered mirror.
"It's freaking fast! We gotta move!" Naruto growled, leaping backward into the twisted maze of trees and bones. He hoped the dense cover of the forest he had created earlier would at least slow it down, even if just for a second. Only after he made his move did he realize Tayuya hadn't followed him.
Or rather, she couldn't.
She was crouched on her knees, clutching at her shoulder as the curse seal on her neck burned an angry red, glowing brighter with every pulse of malignant energy radiating from the transformed Kimimaro. It wasn't just her pain that made his gut churn—it was the realization that Kimimaro was locked onto her like a missile. His glowing red eyes ignored Naruto completely, narrowing in on the kneeling form of his former teammate with predatory precision.
"Damn it," Naruto hissed, flying through hand seals as fast as his fingers would allow. He stretched out his wooden right arm, channeling his chakra with everything he had left. "Mokuton: Transformation Jutsu!" The arm extended, twisting unnaturally as it grew far beyond human proportions. It coiled like a living vine, weaving through the trees in a desperate race against Kimimaro's charge.
The feeling of using his replacement arm was surreal. The wooden appendage moved like it was his own, and somehow his chakra allowed him to maintain a sense of touch. Even now, as the wooden limb wrapped around Tayuya's waist and yanked her toward him, he could feel her—her slight frame, the trembling in her body. It was uncanny and almost unsettling, but there was no time to dwell on it.
He pulled her back just in time, the snapping jaws of the beast barely missing her by a hair. The rush of air from the strike hit Naruto's face like a physical blow.
"What the fuck are you doing!?" Tayuya's voice was sharp, though shaky. She was clearly still fighting the pain radiating from the curse seal. "You don't have time to worry about others right now!"
"Shut it!" Naruto snapped, landing on a thick branch at the forest's edge. He held her against him, his wooden arm tightening around her for stability as the tree swayed under the weight of their landing. "I'm not about to abandon anyone I consider a comrade, even if she's a pain-in-the-ass like you!"
Tayuya opened her mouth, ready to argue, but the words died in her throat. Instead, she let out a small, frustrated sigh, clicking her tongue. "Fine. Do whatever the hell you want."
The reprieve didn't last long. With a furious roar, Kimimaro spun around, his massive tail smashing through the line of trees like they were nothing more than matchsticks. Entire trunks splintered and toppled, roots yanked out of the earth with deafening cracks. Dirt and debris flew into the air, blotting out the moonlight.
"Can you move at all?" Naruto asked, leaping further into the forest with Tayuya still in his grasp. He landed on another branch and finally let her down, though he stayed close enough to catch her if she fell.
"I think I can manage," Tayuya gasped, gripping her shoulder tightly. The glowing red seal was still burning against her skin, and Naruto could tell she was barely holding herself together. She was lying through her teeth—but he didn't have a choice. He needed her to play her part.
"Good. Then do me a favor and run." Naruto's voice was firm, cutting through her pain-fueled haze.
The glare she shot him could've melted stone. "I'm not your fucking bait!" she spat, her words dripping with venom. She pushed herself to her feet, only to falter as another wave of pain wracked her body. Naruto winced as she gritted her teeth, fighting against the agony that radiated from Kimimaro's monstrous aura. Even without a curse mark, Naruto could feel it—a sickening energy that clawed at his skin and made the air heavy. It was like standing too close to a fire, only the heat wasn't physical.
"You're right, you're not bait," Naruto said, flashing her a confident grin that didn't match the exhaustion in his eyes. He thrust his left arm out, giving her an exaggerated thumbs-up. "That thing won't get anywhere near you. I give you my word as a ninja. And I never go back on my word."
Tayuya froze, her anger flickering for a brief moment. For the first time, she didn't have a sharp retort. Instead, she swallowed hard, the fury in her glare softening into something almost unreadable. Finally, she clicked her tongue and muttered, "Shit."
She didn't want to agree. Everything in her screamed to fight, to hold her ground. But as Kimimaro's glowing eyes locked onto her again, she knew Naruto was right. "You better knock it out in one hit," she said through gritted teeth, before turning and leaping into the forest. Her movements were shaky but determined, her path weaving through the dense maze of trees.
Kimimaro let out another unholy screech, a sound so guttural and primal it sent shivers down Naruto's spine. The beast charged after her, tearing through the forest with terrifying speed, its talons ripping up the ground and smashing through the trees in its way.
"Alright, you bastard," Naruto growled, clenching his fists as he prepared his next move. "Let's see how you like this!"
Naruto and his remaining clones surged forward, their collective battle cry echoing through the shattered forest. Each of them inflated their wooden right arms to grotesque, over-sized proportions, the chakra-infused wood creaking and groaning as it stretched to its limits. The orange blur of their movement, amplified by the eerie glow of the red chakra surrounding them, stood in stark contrast to the bone forest and the oppressive darkness radiating from Kimimaro's monstrous form.
"Uzumaki Naruto Rendan!" Naruto roared, leading the charge.
The first clone darted in, its massive wooden arm cocked back like a battering ram. The plan was simple: overwhelm Kimimaro with a relentless barrage of blows, bouncing him between the clones like a human pinball until the original could deliver the final strike. The combo had worked before, and this time Naruto intended to make sure there was no getting back up.
But as the first clone closed the distance, Kimimaro barely shifted, his hulking, reptilian form radiating an unnerving calm. Then, his back erupted with an intense, purple glow as the jagged bones along his spine began to hum with ominous energy.
The clone faltered, its attack slowing for just a fraction of a second as it registered the sudden change. It was all Kimimaro needed.
A storm of searing, violet beams exploded from his back, lancing upward and outward in every direction. Each beam moved with terrifying speed, slicing through the forest canopy and reducing everything in its path to ash. The clone disintegrated instantly, its wooden arm splintering into glowing embers before vanishing completely.
Naruto's remaining clones barely had time to react. One by one, they were obliterated by the relentless onslaught of energy. Beams rained down like divine judgment, carving through the interwoven forest of bone and wood that surrounded them. Trees splintered and collapsed in fiery bursts, their roots clawing at the earth as if trying to escape the destruction. The air filled with the acrid stench of burning wood and ozone.
The original Naruto was caught in the blast before he could dodge. The purple energy slammed into him like a tidal wave, sending him hurtling through the air. His body twisted and flipped uncontrollably, every nerve screaming in pain as the attack tore into him. The red chakra cloak flickered and sputtered, struggling to shield him from the worst of the assault but failing under the sheer intensity of the beams.
When he finally hit the ground, he barely registered the impact. His body bounced and rolled like a ragdoll before coming to a halt, crumpled in a heap against the mangled roots of a fallen tree. He lay there motionless, smoke rising from his scorched clothes and singed skin. His wooden arm was cracked and blackened, hanging limply at his side.
Naruto's chest heaved as he struggled to draw breath, each inhale a battle against the suffocating weight of his injuries. His vision blurred, the edges darkening as unconsciousness threatened to claim him. The forest around him was eerily quiet, the only sounds the distant crackling of burning debris and the heavy, thunderous footsteps of Kimimaro approaching.
The ground quaked with each step, the tremors reverberating through Naruto's battered body. Kimimaro's massive, shadowed form loomed closer, his elongated snout emitting low, guttural growls. The blackened beast towered over him, its red, glowing eyes locked on the broken shinobi below. For a moment, it seemed to study him, as if savoring its victory.
Naruto coughed, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. He forced his head to tilt upward, his eyes narrowing as he met Kimimaro's gaze. The monster's breath washed over him, a rancid, oppressive stench that made his stomach churn. Despite his exhaustion, Naruto clenched his teeth, glaring defiantly into the crimson eye that bore down on him.
Kimimaro opened his jaws, revealing rows of jagged, glistening teeth. His elongated snout hovered over Naruto, the breath from his maw sending strands of Naruto's hair fluttering. The monster inhaled deeply, its chest expanding like a bellows, and prepared to snap down on its helpless prey.
But then it froze.
Naruto blinked through the haze of pain, his breathing shallow but steady. The monstrous Kimimaro turned, his body twisting unnaturally as he craned his neck to look behind him. A new sound had broken through the silence—a sharp, shrill whistle that echoed through the battlefield.
Naruto's lips twitched into a faint grin, recognizing the sound even in his disoriented state. It was Tayuya's flute. She had returned, and by the sudden tension in Kimimaro's posture, whatever she had planned wasn't something he could afford to ignore.
"Leave him alone!" Tayuya's voice rang out, sharp and defiant, cutting through the oppressive tension. Her curse seal flared, searing heat radiating from the mark as it engulfed her in a surge of raw, malicious power. Her skin darkened, black veins crawling across her body as she pushed into the second stage of her transformation. Her pupils elongated into slits, and her teeth sharpened, lending her an almost feral appearance. The resonance of her curse seal with Kimimaro's twisted new form was nauseating, the very air around them thick with corruption. But she forced herself to stand.
The power of her transformation coursed through her muscles like a storm, burning hot and fast, but she didn't care. Channeling the energy of her absorbed Doki into her legs, she crouched low. With a single, explosive motion, she launched herself forward, the branch she had been perched on snapping like a dry twig. The sound of splintering wood was drowned out by the deafening rush of wind as she rocketed toward Kimimaro.
She landed with the force of a falling meteor, her hands grasping Kimimaro's massive tail. The sheer size of it dwarfed her; it was like trying to wrestle a tree trunk. Still, she latched on, her fingers digging into the bony protrusions.
Kimimaro's head twisted unnaturally to glare at her, his glowing red eyes narrowing in annoyance. Before he could react, Tayuya gritted her teeth, her heels burying into the ground for leverage. A primal scream tore from her throat as she summoned the strength of her Doki, her veins bulging and muscles straining under the immense power.
With a final, herculean effort, she heaved. The massive lizard-like form of Kimimaro lifted off the ground, her strength defying all logic. For a brief, surreal moment, it seemed as though the laws of nature had been suspended. Then, with a thunderous crash, she hurled him backward. The beast slammed into the forest, snapping trees like matchsticks and carving a trench through the earth. The ground quaked beneath her feet as debris rained down.
Tayuya staggered, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her body screamed in protest, muscles twitching as she forced herself to turn back to Naruto. He lay crumpled and unmoving, his orange jumper completely incinerated, leaving his singed black tee shirt clinging to him. His wooden arm, now unnervingly lifelike in appearance, twitched as if it were a real limb. Blood oozed from the uneven seam where wood met flesh.
"Hey, you alright!?" she demanded, dropping to her knees beside him. It was a stupid question, considering the state he was in, but it was all she could think to say.
Naruto's head tilted weakly, his half-lidded eyes meeting hers. "You were… supposed to run…" His voice was hoarse, barely audible, yet it carried the same defiance he had shown throughout the fight.
"The hell!?" Tayuya snapped, her voice cracking with a mix of anger and desperation. "I came back for you because we're comrades, you fucking idiot! You're the one who said you'd never abandon a comrade! Well, guess what? That goes for me too!"
Naruto tried to respond, but his lips twitched into a weak smirk instead. "Not the most… convincing… coming from someone… who betrayed her comrade…"
Tayuya's face burned red, her fists clenching so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. "Tch," she hissed, standing and turning back toward Kimimaro. "If you've got the energy to sass me, you'll live. Just stay put, dumbass."
Kimimaro was already stirring, his hulking form rising amidst the destruction she had thrown him into. The sheer scale of him was daunting, yet she felt no fear. The thing that had once been Kimimaro was no longer the same man who had once terrified her. This… abomination was no longer human, and that made it somehow less intimidating.
The beast let out a guttural roar, the sound shaking the very air. He charged, claws digging deep furrows into the earth. The ground trembled beneath the force of his approach. Tayuya's curse seal flared again, pain radiating through her body. She forced herself to meet his charge, summoning the remaining strength of her Doki into her fists.
As Kimimaro swung his massive claws down, she leapt clear over the attack, her fist slamming into his elongated snout. The force of the blow sent him careening to the side, crashing through more of the forest. Tayuya landed in a crouch, the impact shaking her already battered legs. She moved to press the attack, but her body betrayed her. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed to her knees.
"Huh?" she muttered, her voice weak. Her second-stage transformation flickered and faded, her skin returning to its pale hue as the black markings retracted. The curse seal on her shoulder throbbed painfully, its pull stronger than ever. She realized with dawning horror that Kimimaro's transformation was siphoning her power. Every time she touched him, he was draining her strength.
Kimimaro recovered quickly, rising to his feet with an animalistic snarl. Tayuya pushed herself up on shaky legs, barely dodging as his massive jaws snapped where she had just been. Desperate, she charged at his leg, hoping to throw him off balance again. But the moment her hands touched his scaled skin, her strength drained away entirely.
Her legs gave out, and she slumped against his massive limb, powerless to resist as he flicked her off with a lazy motion. She was sent flying, her body tumbling through the air like a discarded ragdoll. The world spun around her, the moonlit sky alternating with the dark forest below. Then she hit the ground with a dull thud, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
As her eyes fluttered open, she found herself lying next to Naruto. He was snoring softly, his face eerily serene despite the chaos. Tayuya's lips twitched into a weak smile, a bitter laugh escaping her throat.
"Shit… Sorry, guess I blew it," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't know who she was apologizing to—Naruto, her mother, or perhaps herself. It didn't matter anymore. All she could do was lie there and wait for the end.
"No, you didn't blow it." A monotone voice interrupted the swirling thoughts of defeat that had overtaken Tayuya. She blinked in confusion, trying to place the unfamiliar voice. "You bought us enough time to regain our strength." Slowly, she turned her head to see the bug user, Aburame Shino, standing calmly over her and Naruto.
"…You not holding a grudge then?" Tayuya croaked, her voice heavy with disbelief. The last time she'd seen this guy, she'd thrown him into the ground with enough force to leave a crater. There was no way he should be caught up on all the developments since then, and by all rights, he should still consider her an enemy.
"My kikaichu have been watching," Shino replied, extending a hand as several insects landed lightly on his palm. "I don't understand all the details, but I know enough to recognize you're no longer our opponent."
"That's good then…" Tayuya muttered, though she didn't have the energy to say anything else. She wanted to tell him to grab Naruto and run, but she could tell from the steadiness of his posture that he had no intention of retreating. If he had planned to flee, he would have already done so. The fact that he stood his ground meant one thing—he intended to fight.
Before she could say more, a loud, feral shout broke through the tension.
"Gatsuga!" Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru drilled through the air in synchronized spirals, gray blurs hurtling toward Kimimaro. Their attack struck with enough force to send the monstrous figure sprawling to the side, crashing into the remains of the forest.
Tayuya's jaw slackened in disbelief. They had no business standing after what Zetsu had done to them, let alone fighting at full strength. Then she remembered: Naruto's wood jutsu had wrapped around them earlier. It must have healed them, at least enough to keep them in the fight.
Even so, the odds were terrible. Kimimaro was more monstrous and powerful than ever, and the three Konoha ninja were barely hanging on. The math didn't add up, and Tayuya felt a flicker of despair.
Channeling the remnants of her strength, she managed to push herself to her elbows. Her arms trembled, and her body screamed in protest. "Do not push yourself," Shino said firmly. He didn't offer her help, but his tone carried a quiet reassurance. "We underestimated you and paid the price. This time, things are different."
Tayuya snorted, unable to stop herself. "You're really putting your trust in the same loudmouthed idiot who lost to a plant earlier?"
"You'll see soon enough," Shino replied, adjusting his cracked glasses. His kikaichu buzzed around him in a flurry, their activity intensifying. Tayuya noticed the way they clung to him like a living aura, more active than before.
"You ready, Shino?" Kiba called out, his voice louder than the growling of his partner, Akamaru. He crouched beside the transformed wolfhound, both of them already pushing their chakra to its limits.
"Ready." Shino gave a single nod, confidence radiating from his usually stoic demeanor. While Tayuya doubted Kiba, Shino had absolute faith in his teammate. Kiba might be brash and reckless, but he was fiercely loyal and hated to lose. And more importantly, Kiba had yet to use his ace in the hole.
"Human Beast Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf!" Kiba and Akamaru vanished into a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, a single, towering beast stood in their place, a massive wolf with two feral heads snarling in unison. The transformation was so striking that even Tayuya couldn't suppress a gasp.
Kimimaro rose, his monstrous frame radiating menace. His hunched form and elongated claws made him look like a walking apocalypse, a living nightmare. Yet as he locked his blood-red eyes on the two-headed wolf, the beast didn't back down. Instead, it growled deeply, baring fangs in defiance.
Taking the challenge, Kimimaro let out an earth-shaking roar. The sound was so alien and guttural that Shino's kikaichu buzzed wildly, agitated by its unnatural frequency.
Kimimaro charged first, his massive feet tearing into the ground with each step. The wolf charged back, claws digging into the earth as its two heads snapped and snarled. The clash was titanic. The impact of their collision sent a shockwave rippling through the forest, knocking Tayuya onto her side and forcing Shino to dig his heels into the dirt to stay upright.
The two creatures grappled fiercely, claws and teeth slashing and snapping. Kimimaro's tail whipped through the air, creating miniature gusts as it tried to wrap around the wolf's legs. The wolf responded with a series of bites, its massive jaws clamping down on Kimimaro's arms and tail, leaving deep gouges in his blackened flesh.
Shino remained calm in the chaos, his kikaichu swarming around him in preparation. Tayuya, still on the ground, couldn't help but feel incredulous. "You're seriously just going to stand there?" she demanded, voice raspy.
"Observing is a vital role in battle," Shino replied evenly. "But I am not idle. Watch closely."
Tayuya squinted as Shino gestured subtly, his kikaichu dispersing into the air. They moved with precision, some attaching themselves to Kimimaro while others swarmed above the battlefield. As the wolf and Kimimaro continued their ferocious exchange, the insects began emitting a faint pheromone, creating a trail that only the wolf could detect.
Kimimaro managed to spin and strike the wolf with his massive tail, sending it flying into the forest. It landed heavily but rose almost immediately, shaking off the blow. It snarled again, undeterred.
"You'll see why this is important now," Shino said softly.
The wolf leapt into the air, its twin heads snarling as it began to spin. Faster and faster it rotated, becoming a massive, whirling drill that descended toward Kimimaro with ferocious speed.
"Garoga!" Kiba's voice roared from the vortex. Guided by the scent of Shino's insects, the wolf drilled directly into Kimimaro's back, its rotation grinding into his white bone spines. Sparks flew as the drill chewed through the bony armor, chipping away at the impenetrable defense. Kimimaro roared in agony, thrashing wildly as the wolf bore down on him.
Desperate, Kimimaro's bone spines glowed with an intense purple energy, emitting beams of raw power. Yet the sheer velocity of the wolf's rotation deflected the beams harmlessly into the surrounding forest, leaving the wolf and its attack unharmed.
The grinding intensified, the sound like a saw tearing through metal. Kimimaro let out one final, inhuman screech before his body collapsed, the alien glow fading from his spines. He hit the ground face-first, motionless.
The wolf landed a few meters away, both heads panting heavily but grinning with satisfaction.
"How's that for an ace in the hole?" Kiba laughed, though his voice was ragged.
"You should've led with that," Tayuya muttered, though she couldn't hide the faint grin tugging at her lips. Shino stepped forward, his kikaichu dispersing and returning to him.
"It seems teamwork has proven effective after all," Shino said simply, adjusting his glasses.
It had been touch and go throughout the entire fight, but somehow they had managed to survive without Hinata. Now, all that was left was to wait for her to return with the Moonfire Blossom and declare this nightmare of a mission a success—a hard-earned one at that.
Hunted by two groups of enemy Shinobi, the team had barely scraped by, saved each time by the most unexpected betrayals from within their enemies' ranks. It was strange, though, almost too strange. Two betrayals, both perfectly timed, had allowed them to cling to life. And yet, they couldn't dwell on the improbabilities. For now, survival had to be enough.
It should have been the end.
The battlefield was eerily still. Tayuya's breathing was shallow, and Shino stood unmoving, his kikaichu settling in around him. Even the moon seemed calmer, its light casting a silvery veil over the battered ground. But the relief was short-lived. Just as the team began to lower their guard, the earth beneath them trembled, a deep, unnatural quake that turned their blood cold.
The source of the tremor revealed itself in a horrific instant. Gigantic ferns of bone erupted from the ground, splitting the battlefield apart with an almost gleeful violence. The ferns shot up directly beneath the twin-headed wolf. Kiba and Akamaru didn't even have time to react. The bone-like spikes skewered them as though they were wild boars caught in a trap.
Their combined transformation broke with a resounding crack, the massive wolf dissolving into smoke. Kiba and Akamaru's limp bodies tumbled from the ferns and hit the ground with heavy, lifeless thuds. Shino's heart leapt in his chest, but as he looked closer, he saw they were unharmed—physically, at least. The bone ferns had pierced only their transformed body, sparing their real forms. Yet the mental shock and chakra depletion were enough to render them unconscious.
"He can still use that technique…" Tayuya's voice was trembling, the raw fear in her tone undeniable. Until now, they had assumed that Kimimaro's monstrous transformation had stripped him of rationality. He had relied solely on brute strength, as though reason and technique were beneath him. But that assumption had cost them. The grotesque monster they faced now was just as cunning, and infinitely more dangerous.
Kimimaro stood, his massive form casting a long shadow over the broken battlefield. His clawed hands had been digging into the ground, unseen beneath his massive body. Now, as he rose, the bone-like claws detached, retreating into his body with a sickening crack. With each slow, deliberate step, his eyes locked on the remaining fighters: Tayuya and Shino.
Not that either of them actually had the strength left to fight. Even standing was a near impossibility. Tayuya's curse mark throbbed painfully, as if in protest of her very existence. Shino's kikaichu buzzed restlessly, sensing their host's dwindling chakra reserves. Running wasn't an option; even if they could, it would leave the exposed city behind them defenseless. A section of the wall had already crumbled, and curious onlookers had gathered to peer into the chaos beyond. If Kimimaro turned his attention toward them, it would be a massacre.
Kimimaro advanced, his steps methodical and unhurried. He was the apex predator, and they were his cornered prey. Shino's mind raced, searching desperately for any solution, any miracle that could save them. His kikaichu were useless against the dark, alien energy radiating from Kimimaro. He sent them out in every direction, hoping against hope to find something, anything, to turn the tide. But nothing came.
It was over.
Then, as if in defiance of that grim reality, a streak of pure white flew across the battlefield. It cut through the air like a blade, so fast and so bright it left an afterimage in Shino's vision. The streak slammed into Kimimaro's jaw with the force of a cannonball, sending the monstrous figure crashing to his knees. The ground shook beneath the impact, scattering debris and sending a wave of dust into the air.
The white streak landed between Tayuya and Shino, crouched like a predator ready to pounce. As the dust cleared, its true form was revealed—not a force of nature, but a small girl with short blue hair tied into a ponytail. Her loose, black clothes billowed around her, moved by an invisible energy that seemed to hum with power. When she turned to face them, her Byakugan eyes shone in the moonlight, a radiant lotus pattern blooming within their centers.
"You're—" Tayuya tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She had spent so much time searching for this girl, doubting whether she even existed. Now, seeing her with her own eyes, there was no question. This was the one her mother had spoken of. The one who was supposed to change everything.
"Hinata!" Shino exclaimed, though his voice held more shock than relief. His gaze flickered to her glowing eyes, then back to the monstrous Kimimaro, who was already beginning to rise again. "The Moonfire Blossom?" he asked, his tone urgent.
Hinata's silence spoke volumes. If she was here now, it could only mean one thing.
The Moonfire Blossom had been abandoned.
Their mission was a failure.
Chapter End
AN: So Orochimaru's curse seals are a little different this time in that they're made from imbalanced natural energy, rather than from Jūgo and his clan, just another little detail made different this time. I suppose there's no reason that Jūgo's clan wasn't always just that and maybe it even is, but if it is contradicted by canon, please just consider it part of the lore for this story.