THE CHAPTERS DISAPEARING IS NOT MY FAULT. AND AS SUCH I CAN'T DO ANYTHING AS I FACE THE SAME SITUATION WHEN TRYING TO VIEW IT.
CHAPTER 20
With Ino…
Ino's breath hitched as she heard the familiar voice. A shiver ran down her spine, not out of fear, but out of sheer disbelief.
"You have grown, Ino-chan."
She recognized that voice immediately. It was one she hadn't heard in years, yet it was unmistakable. The tone was calm, almost gentle, but beneath it lay a coldness that sent a chill through her veins.
Slowly, her eyes locked onto the Root operative standing before her. The man hesitated for only a moment before reaching up and removing his mask.
Underneath, a familiar face was revealed—one that she never expected to see here, standing among Danzo's elite assassins.
"…Fu?"
The name barely escaped her lips, as though saying it out loud would make this nightmare real.
Yamanaka Fu, a fellow member of her clan, had vanished years ago. Like so many others, he had been taken in by Danzo's secretive organization and erased from the records. The Yamanaka clan had whispered rumors about his fate, but Ino had always assumed—or perhaps just hoped—that he had died rather than lived as one of Danzo's puppets.
Yet, here he was.
A bitter smile crossed Fu's lips as he regarded her with his usual detached expression.
"So you remember me. I suppose that makes this unfortunate."
Ino clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
"So you are in Root… I should have known."
Her voice was steady, but inside, her mind was racing.
Fu sighed, shaking his head.
"It is sad, isn't it?"
His gaze softened for a fleeting moment before the cold steel returned to his eyes.
"You were always a good little girl. I was proud of you once. But today…" His expression hardened. "…today, I will have to kill you."
Ino's heart clenched, but she forced herself to keep her emotions in check.
"So that's it? You're really willing to throw away your clan, your family, for Danzo?"
Her voice wavered slightly despite her best efforts.
Fu remained unmoved.
"The clan means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Danzo-sama's vision is far greater than petty family bonds."
Ino's eyes burned with fury.
"You're a fool."
Fu tilted his head slightly, as if considering her words, then sighed again.
"Perhaps. But orders are orders."
Yamanaka Fu VS Yamanaka Ino Begins…
The air between them was thick with tension. Ino clenched her fists, her heartbeat steady but charged with adrenaline.
There was no time for sentiment.
"Doton: Doryūsō!"
With a single hand sign, Fu slammed his palm onto the ground. The earth beneath them rumbled before jagged stone spikes shot upward, aiming to impale Ino. The attack was quick and merciless, just as she expected from someone trained in Root.
But she was faster.
"Suiton: U~ōtāpanchi no Jutsu!"
Fu's eyes widened as the spikes struck, seemingly piercing Ino's body. For a moment, victory flashed in his mind—until he realized there was no blood, no resistance. The image of Ino wavered, rippling like disturbed water.
A clone.
Before he could react, he felt a fist coated in swirling water smash into his face from behind. The force sent him skidding backward. He barely caught his balance, his senses flaring. He had a question in his mind. How did she get behind him so fast?
"Chakra Yūrei no Jutsu."
As Ino whispered the technique's name, a thick mist suddenly spread across the battlefield, blanketing the area in a dense fog. Fu narrowed his eyes. He was a sensor like the rest of the Yamanaka Clan—mist or not, he should have been able to pinpoint her location immediately.
Yet, something was off.
He focused, trying to sense her chakra. Then he frowned. There were multiple chakra signatures… everywhere!
Before he could react, an Ino burst from the mist, her fist aimed directly at his chest. Instinctively, he drew his tanto and slashed. The blade passed clean through her body—without resistance. The figure shimmered and vanished like smoke.
An illusion?! A sharp pain struck his back. He spun around and slashed again, only to feel his blade once again phase through empty air.
Laughter echoed in the mist. Multiple voices. Multiple Inos.
"This feels like a baby trying to fight a Bijuu Bomb, don't you think?"
Fu's grip tightened on his weapon. He pivoted sharply, slashing at every figure he could see. Each one dispersed into mist the moment his blade touched them.
He snarled.
"Why are you hiding? Come out and fight me properly!"
The laughter grew louder. Shadows moved in the mist, surrounding him from all sides.
"We're not stupid. And for a Root ANBU, you're acting as if this isn't how you were trained to fight."
Fu breathed deeply, forcing himself to calm down. He wasn't a fool. This was psychological warfare, something Root agents were trained to resist. But even so, the mist, the illusions—it was all disorienting.
There had to be a real one there. He gritted his teeth and made his decision. Spinning on his heel, he slashed in a wide arc, aiming to cut down every shadow around him. But as before, his blade passed through nothing.
Then, silence.
A single Ino stood before him now, her arms crossed, a smirk on her lips.
"But let's give you one last chance. Hit me with everything you've got."
Fu hesitated. It had to be a trick. But at the same time… what if it wasn't? He wasn't in a position to doubt an opening like this.
He made his decision.
"Shintenshin no Jutsu!"
His consciousness shot forward, aiming to take over her mind—
And that's when he realized his mistake.
A moment later, Fu found himself standing in an unfamiliar place. It was a vast, endless field of white, with a dark sky looming overhead. His hands twitched as he looked around, confusion creeping in.
Where… was he?
Then he saw her.
Ino stood before him, but something about her was different. She wasn't simply Ino anymore—she was something more.
She smirked, tilting her head.
"You do realize I'm from the Yamanaka Clan too, don't you?"
Fu's eyes widened.
No… this wasn't the real world. This was her mindscape!
He cursed under his breath. A battle inside someone's mind was entirely different from a battle in reality. This was her domain. Here, she had complete control.
But he refused to panic. He had more experience with mental warfare. He had trained under Root's most brutal conditions.
"I have more experience than you. You can't defeat me with my own technique."
Ino just smiled.
"Experience? Maybe. But that doesn't matter here."
With a snap of her fingers, massive chains shot out from the void, wrapping tightly around Fu's limbs. He struggled, but the more he fought, the tighter they became. His breath hitched as he was pulled backward and pinned against a massive wooden cross.
"What—?!"
His voice caught in his throat.
Ino stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. Her touch was warm, deceptively kind. But her eyes were merciless.
"This is my mind. The rules here bend to me."
Fu's heart pounded. This wasn't just a trap—it was a nightmare.
"Now… You're going to suffer. Ten years of pain… compressed into a single second."
Fu barely had time to process her words before the world around him twisted into something else entirely.
A searing, unbearable pain shot through every nerve in his body. His mind screamed, but his mouth produced no sound. Time stretched and warped, turning into an eternity of agony.
He felt himself breaking. Piece by piece. Thought by thought.
Outside the mindscape, mere seconds had passed.
Fu's body trembled violently before falling still. His once-sharp eyes became dull and unfocused. He collapsed onto the ground, unmoving.
Brain-dead.
Ino stood over his fallen form, her expression unreadable. She knelt beside him, placing a hand over his eyes and gently closing them.
"Rest in peace."
With that, she stood up and turned away.
Yamanaka Fu VS Yamanaka Ino Ends…
Yamanaka Ino Wins…
With Kakashi…
Hatake Kakashi Stood in the dimly lit corridor, his lone visible eye narrowing as he assessed the man before him. The air was thick with the unsettling hum of insects, their tiny wings vibrating in unison, an ominous chorus that set the stage for what was to come.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Senpai."
The words were polite, almost respectful, but Kakashi felt no warmth behind them. Instead, they triggered a long-buried memory—a time when he had infiltrated Root under orders, gathering intelligence just before the Uchiha Massacre. It was a dark period, one he rarely allowed himself to dwell on.
His time in Root had been brief, but unforgettable. The oppressive silence, the emotionless discipline, the brutal efficiency with which its members operated—it was a world without light, one where humanity was discarded in favor of absolute obedience.
Kakashi scowled.
"Only one person from Root ever called me Senpai. And he's not in Root anymore. So, you don't get to call me that."
The man standing before him remained motionless, unfazed by the words. He was clad in dark robes, the high collar of his uniform partially obscuring his face. But there was no mistaking the signs—the faint, constant shifting of kikaichū insects around him, the barely perceptible movement of the swarm that lived beneath his skin.
Kakashi had fought against and alongside Aburame before. Their clan was formidable, their techniques deadly, and this man was no exception.
"Very well. It doesn't matter what I call you."
The humming of insects grew louder.
"I will have to kill you anyway."
Aburame Torune VS Hatake Kakashi Begins…
Hatake Kakashi Stood firm, his lone visible eye narrowing as he watched his opponent—Aburame Torune—command his insects with an almost eerie precision. The air around them was alive with the buzzing of kikaichū, their countless wings vibrating in unison like a deadly choir.
Torune raised his hand, and the swarm obeyed.
"Bōsui no Jin."
In an instant, the kikaichū surged forward, twisting into a spiraling vortex, a living storm of poison-coated insects moving with deadly coordination. They were relentless, leaving no gaps in their formation, threatening to envelop Kakashi entirely.
But Kakashi was already moving.
"Katon: Chūkū Honō-dan no Jutsu!"
He flashed through a series of rapid hand seals, his chakra molding into a fireball that roared into existence before him. However, this was no ordinary fireball—his fingers shifted again, infusing the core of the flame with wind chakra. The fireball became hollow, encased in a spiraling layer of wind, increasing its velocity and lethality.
The blazing sphere shot forward like a meteor, its speed and force making evasion impossible. The kikaichū tried to scatter, but the enhanced fireball was too fast. The inferno collided with the spiraling insect swarm, the sudden explosion sending searing embers in all directions. Hundreds—no, thousands—of the venomous insects burned instantly, their charred remains dropping from the sky like blackened embers.
Torune's expression remained neutral, but Kakashi caught the slight tension in his movements.
"He didn't expect me to wipe out that many of his kikaichū in one attack."
Kakashi wasn't done yet. His hands blurred into another set of seals.
"Fūton: Bōseki Kōjō no Jutsu."
His palm shimmered with wind chakra as he slashed through the air, releasing an arc of razor-sharp, spinning wind waves. The cutting force alone would be devastating, but infused with his chakra, they could slice through almost any defense.
Torune reacted instantly.
"Hijutsu: Konchū-Ō."
At his command, the remaining kikaichū surged together, forming a massive wall of living insects. They interlocked, moving as one, forming a protective barrier in an attempt to absorb the wind attack.
But Kakashi smirked beneath his mask.
"That won't stop this."
He raised his right hand, extending two fingers in Torune's direction.
"Raishō."
A concentrated bullet of lightning chakra shot from his fingertips, slicing through the air with blinding speed. The moment it made contact with the insect wall, a crackling explosion erupted. The lightning energy coursed through the kikaichū, disrupting their cohesion, frying them instantly.
But the real target was beyond them.
The lightning bullet pierced straight through the crumbling insect wall, continuing its path unhindered—right into Torune's chest.
His body jerked violently as the lightning chakra exploded inside him. His fingers twitch involuntarily, his feet staggering slightly as he looked down at the smoking hole in his torso. His breath came out in ragged gasps, his body unable to function properly after the direct hit.
The once-powerful swarm of kikaichū that had surrounded him now scattered aimlessly, their master's control fading.
The insect wall crumbled, revealing Kakashi standing behind it, his posture casual but his eyes sharp.
He stepped forward, his gaze locked onto Torune's failing form.
"You really underestimated me. Even though I was your senpai."
Torune gasped, struggling to form words. His lips parted, but no sound came. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, his lifeless body hitting the dirt with a dull thud.
The buzzing of insects faded into silence.
Kakashi exhaled, taking a moment to scan the area. He knew better than to let his guard down, even after a decisive victory. The battlefield was unpredictable, and Root operatives—especially ones like Torune—always had contingencies.
But there was nothing. No sudden counterattack. No last-minute revival.
Aburame Torune was dead.
Kakashi stood over his fallen opponent, staring down at the man who had once been a fellow shinobi, even if they had walked different paths. He didn't take pleasure in the kill, but he had long since accepted the weight of his actions.
With a final glance at the unmoving body, Kakashi turned and walked away.
Aburame Fu VS Hatake Kakashi Ends…
Hatake Kakashi Wins…
With Hiruzen and Sasuke…
Shimura Danzo stood firm, his lone visible eye cold and calculating as he scanned the battlefield. The wind carried the scent of smoke and blood, but his focus remained unwavering. His expression, as always, was unreadable, his aged face barely betraying a hint of emotion.
He had already removed the bandages from his right arm, revealing a grotesque array of Sharingan embedded in his flesh. However, the bandages over his right eye remained, concealing whatever power he had hidden beneath.
His gaze shifted between Hiruzen Sarutobi, his former comrade and rival, and Sasuke Uchiha, the last surviving member of his clan's elite bloodline within Konoha. But there was one notable absence.
"I don't see the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki around. I believe he was the leader of this team. Did he run away at the thought of facing me?"
His words hung in the air like a challenge, an attempt to provoke a reaction. But neither Hiruzen nor Sasuke responded.
The silence was telling.
Hiruzen, despite his advanced age, remained composed. His experienced gaze bore into Danzo, unwavering and resolute. This was not the first time he had faced his old friend turned adversary, and it likely wouldn't be the last. He knew Danzo well enough to understand his tactics—always probing, always trying to manipulate.
Sasuke, on the other hand, stood rigid, his fists clenched at his sides. His Sharingan burned crimson, spinning slowly as he measured the man before him. Unlike Hiruzen, Sasuke had no patience for Danzo's words. His anger simmered just beneath the surface, restrained only by sheer will.
Danzo, realizing he wouldn't get a rise out of Hiruzen, turned his attention fully to Sasuke.
"Why don't you join me, Sasuke?"
Danzo's tone was almost fatherly, as if he were speaking to a wayward child in need of guidance.
"I can give you enough power to kill Itachi. With my resources and knowledge, you would surpass even your brother."
Sasuke's entire body tensed. His Sharingan whirled faster, his breath coming out in slow, controlled exhales.
He despised Itachi with every fiber of his being. His quest for vengeance had consumed him for years, driving him forward with an almost blinding fury. But to accept help from this man? From Shimura Danzo, the one responsible for the Uchiha Clan's destruction alongside Itachi?
The mere thought made his blood boil.
"I don't need your power. I will kill Itachi with my own strength. I refuse to accept anything from the man who orchestrated my clan's downfall."
Danzo sighed, a long-suffering sound, as if he were speaking to an unruly child.
"Such arrogance. You Uchiha never learn. You let your emotions dictate your actions, and it always leads to your downfall."
His fingers twitched, the Sharingan embedded in his arm gleaming ominously in the fading light. He tilted his head slightly, regarding Sasuke as if he were an insect to be crushed beneath his heel.
"Very you refuse my offer, then I shall simply take what I need."
His lone eye narrowed.
"I suppose I'll be claiming another pair of Sharingan today."
Sasuke's expression darkened. His rage was no longer simmering—it was ablaze. Lightning crackled at his fingertips, his body thrumming with raw power.
Hiruzen stepped forward slightly, his staff clutched in both hands, his sharp gaze shifting between the two. He had seen enough battles to know when words had lost their purpose.
The fight was inevitable.
Danzo shifted his stance, his chakra surging, and in an instant, the battle began.
Shimura Danzo VS Uchiha Sasuke & Sarutobi Hiruzen Begins…
"Sandaime-sama, give me some wind!"
Sasuke called out, his Sharingan spinning as he rapidly formed hand seals.
Hiruzen, already anticipating his strategy, prepared himself.
"Katon: Kajun no Jutsu!"
With a deep inhale, Sasuke unleashed a massive wall of roaring flames, a towering inferno that separated them from Danzo. The heat radiated fiercely, illuminating the battlefield in an orange glow.
Danzo narrowed his single visible eye, confused by Sasuke's defensive technique. But realization struck the moment he heard his old teammate respond.
"Okay! Fūton: Daitoppa!"
Hiruzen inhaled deeply and then exhaled a powerful gust of wind. The force of the gale merged with the flames, amplifying them into a raging firestorm that surged toward Danzo like a tidal wave of destruction.
But Danzo had trained under Tobirama Senju, the master of water-style techniques. He wouldn't be overwhelmed so easily.
"Suiton: Suijinheki!"
A towering wall of water erupted around Danzo, shielding him from the oncoming inferno. The flames crashed against the watery barrier, sizzling violently before being extinguished. Steam rose in thick clouds, momentarily obscuring the battlefield.
As soon as the fire died down, Danzo made his move. He burst forward, charging at Sasuke with lethal intent.
Sasuke, having anticipated this, placed his hands on the ground and channeled his chakra.
"Raiton: Hanran!"
A surge of electricity pulsed through the earth, causing a violent shockwave to burst upward. Jagged streaks of lightning erupted in all directions, crackling with deadly force. The electricity spread rapidly, climbing into the air like a web of death.
Danzo's instincts kicked in, and he leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the attack. But just as he landed, a shadow loomed over him.
"Have you forgotten about me, old friend?"
Danzo barely had time to turn before he was met with the sight of Hiruzen Sarutobi's Adamantine Staff swinging toward him.
With a sickening crack, the staff connected, sending Danzo hurtling backward—straight into Sasuke's lightning field.
Electricity surged through Danzo's body, his nerves igniting with unbearable pain. The force of the attack sent him crashing to the ground, his limbs convulsing. The stench of burnt flesh filled the air.
Sasuke straightened, exhaling sharply.
"That was easier than I expected."
He removed his hands from the ground, dispersing the remaining lightning.
But then—
A sudden thud.
Sasuke staggered forward as something heavy struck his back. Instincts took over, and he spun around, Sharingan blazing.
What he saw made his blood run cold.
Danzo stood behind him, alive and unharmed.
Sasuke's gaze darted to where Danzo had fallen moments ago, but the corpse was gone. Instead, one of the ten Sharingan embedded in Danzo's grotesque arm had gone blind.
"What the hell…?" Sasuke muttered.
Danzo smirked.
"This is one of your clan's greatest forbidden jutsu, Sasuke… Izanagi. A technique that allows its user to rewrite reality itself, sacrificing one Sharingan in exchange for erasing their own death."
Sasuke's fists clenched. He now understood the true horror of Danzo's stolen power. As long as those Sharingan remained, he could not be killed.
But before he could act, a voice interrupted.
"What if he didn't have that arm?"
Sasuke turned, his eyes widening. Standing at the edge of the battlefield was Naruto.
The blonde made no move to intervene, his expression neutral. But Sasuke understood the message.
And so did Hiruzen.
And so did Danzo.
Realizing the urgency, Danzo swiftly bit his finger and slammed his hand onto the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
A burst of smoke filled the air, and from within it emerged a monstrous creature—Baku.
Baku let out a deep, resonating roar, its massive trunk inhaling violently. The powerful suction began pulling everything toward it, uprooting trees and tearing chunks from the battlefield.
Sasuke knew he had to take down the summon first.
"Katon: Karura!"
He inhaled sharply, then unleashed a monstrous torrent of flames. The fire shaped itself into a massive humanoid-eagle hybrid, its wings spread wide as it soared toward Baku.
The beast roared again, attempting to inhale the fire, but the flames were too powerful. The fiery entity crashed into Baku, engulfing it completely. The creature screeched in agony as its body was reduced to ashes.
Danzo barely had a moment to react before Sasuke moved.
The instant Baku perished, Danzo's eyes flickered toward his fallen summon—a fatal distraction.
Sasuke took that moment to strike.
In a blur, he appeared beside Danzo and swung his blade, severing the man's entire right half. Blood sprayed into the air as the grotesque arm, riddled with Sharingan, was cleaved clean off.
Danzo's body staggered, his mind racing to activate another Izanagi—but before he could, Sasuke grabbed the severed arm and tossed it toward Hiruzen.
"Burn it." Sasuke ordered.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen formed a series of seals.
"Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!"
A massive wave of fire engulfed Danzo's severed arm, incinerating it completely.
Danzo fell to his knees, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His once-proud expression had faded, replaced by something uncharacteristic—acceptance.
He had lost.
Shimura Danzo VS Uchiha Sasuke & Sarutobi Hiruzen Ends…
Uchiha Sasuke & Sarutobi Hiruzen Win…
Hiruzen stepped forward, his aged hands steady as he reached for the rope to bind Danzo. Though his former comrade was on his knees, bleeding and defeated, the old Hokage knew better than to underestimate him.
"Let's get him all tied up, shall we?"
Hiruzen muttered, motioning for Sasuke to assist him.
Sasuke remained wary, his Sharingan still active as he approached. But before either of them could act, Danzo let out a strained chuckle, his fingers trembling as they moved toward the bandages wrapped around his right eye.
Hiruzen's breath caught in his throat.
It couldn't be.
With one sharp tug, Danzo ripped away the bandages, revealing a spinning Mangekyō Sharingan. A pattern all too familiar.
Hiruzen's heart sank.
"Impossible…"
Danzo's lips curled into a triumphant smirk.
"Kotoamatsukami."
The moment the words left Danzo's lips, Hiruzen froze. His entire body stiffened, his mind suddenly clouded. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, his stance shifted, and his expression darkened.
Sasuke tensed, recognizing the signs of a genjutsu taking hold.
Danzo slowly stood, his once-faltering posture now exuding confidence. He turned his gaze toward Sasuke, a cruel glint in his eye.
"Hiruzen."
Danzo commanded, his voice smooth as silk.
"Kill the boy."
Without hesitation, Hiruzen moved.
Faster than Sasuke expected, the aged Hokage launched forward, his Adamantine Staff extending with a deafening whirl. Sasuke barely had time to react, ducking as the staff whooshed over his head, cracking the air with sheer force.
"Sandaime-sama, snap out of it!" Sasuke shouted, dodging another blow.
But Hiruzen didn't respond. His Sharingan-eyes gleamed, his movements precise and deadly, as if decades had melted away and he was in his prime once more.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, realizing the weight of the situation. Kotoamatsukami—Shisui Uchiha's ultimate genjutsu, capable of altering one's will without them even realizing it. There was no breaking free of it through normal means.
Danzo chuckled darkly, watching the scene unfold.
"You should feel honored, Sasuke. You are about to die at the hands of Konoha's strongest Hokage."
Hiruzen swung again, his staff slamming into the ground where Sasuke had stood a moment ago. The force of the impact cracked the earth, sending debris flying.
This wasn't good.
Sasuke leaped backward, gathering chakra in his palm. Sparks crackled as a familiar blue glow illuminated his hand.
"Chidori!"
He lunged forward, aiming to disable Hiruzen without dealing a fatal blow. But just as his attack was about to connect—
"Man, fuck this shit."
Naruto's voice rang out, calm and resolute.
Danzo's smirk faltered.
Sasuke barely had time to turn his head before he saw it—
Naruto's outstretched hand, and in his palm, a glowing clock face, its intricate golden gears turning at an unnatural speed.
"Jikan Hanten Mahō: Kurono Anasutashisu."
As Naruto made a subtle motion, the minute hand of the clock moved backward.
The effect was instantaneous.
A ripple of golden energy spread outwards, warping the very fabric of time itself. The battlefield shimmered, like a reflection on water being disturbed, and then—
Reversal.
Time unraveled, pulling everything back a few seconds before Kotoamatsukami had been activated.
Danzo stood once more, his right eye still bandaged, his Sharingan unactivated.
Hiruzen was himself again, standing where he had been before the genjutsu took hold.
And everyone—everyone—remembered.
Danzo's eyes widened in horror.
Naruto cracked his knuckles.
"Yeah. We're not playing that game."
Sasuke wasted no time.
The moment he registered the situation, he dashed forward, his hand crackling with electricity.
"Chidori!"
Danzo barely had time to react before Sasuke's hand pierced through his throat, severing his spinal cord instantly.
For a moment, Danzo's body jerked. His mouth opened as if to speak, but only blood gurgled out.
Then, Sasuke wrenched his arm back—
And with one swift, brutal strike, he severed Danzo's head from his body.
The severed head hit the ground with a dull thud, rolling slightly before coming to a stop.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Sasuke exhaled slowly, shaking the blood off his hand.
"Well, that Root is no longer in the ground anymore."
Hiruzen let out a breath, rubbing his temple.
"Naruto, you saved us again."
Naruto simply grinned, hands behind his head.
"Don't worry, old man. For now, let's just enjoy the fact that we don't have to deal with that guy anymore."
Hiruzen sighed, looking down at Danzo's lifeless body.
It was finally over.
Some Days Later…
Raikage's Office…
Kumogakure no Sato…
The Raikage, A, sat in his office, his fingers drumming irritably against the wooden surface of his desk. His sharp golden eyes flickered with frustration as he took a slow sip from the steaming cup of tea Mabui had just placed before him. The rich aroma filled the air, but it did little to soothe his growing agitation.
He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head.
"Why did that foolish girl have to leave when I specifically told her not to go without Bee or me?"
His grip on the cup tightened before he forced himself to relax. Anger wouldn't help the situation.
Mabui, standing patiently by his side, hesitated for a brief moment before speaking.
"Yugito is strong, Raikage-sama. Perhaps she believed she could handle the mission without assistance."
A let out a harsh scoff.
"That's exactly the problem. Strength means nothing if you don't use it wisely. She should've known better than to go without backup, especially given what we've heard about the Akatsuki."
Before Mabui could respond, the doors to the office suddenly burst open with a loud BANG, slamming against the walls with enough force to make the shelves tremble.
Killer Bee, the Hachibi Jinchūriki and A's younger brother, strode in with his usual swagger, his sunglasses glinting under the dim light.
Behind him followed his three students—Omoi, Karui, and Samui—though calling them "students" was mostly for formality. They were more like Bee's personal entourage, forced to endure his antics daily.
Bee threw his arms wide, grinning.
"What's up, bro? Where do you want me to go?"
His voice had its usual sing-song rhythm, and A could already feel a headache forming.
The Raikage rubbed his temples, suppressing the urge to lash out in frustration. Instead, he took a deep breath and gestured for his brother to come closer.
"It's Yugito. She left on a mission with her team, despite our direct orders. And it wasn't just today—it was days ago. We might already be too late."
Bee's grin faltered, and for a moment, something serious flickered in his gaze. He adjusted his sunglasses, his demeanor shifting slightly.
"Man, we told her, Hold up, sis, that ain't the right path! But she brushed it off, ignoring the aftermath. That fool, man, I swear, she just had to learn the hard way. Blind ambition led her astray, day by day."
A sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Enough with the rhymes, Bee."
But Bee was already moving, his usual energy returning in full force.
"Let's go, let's go, it's time to make our mark! Leavin' the haters in the dark, we shine like a spark!"
Without another word, he spun on his heel and leaped out of the window in a single fluid motion. His students barely had time to react before scrambling after him.
Mabui sighed as she watched them disappear into the distance.
"You know you could've just asked him to use the door."
A scoffed, taking another sip of his now-cooling tea.
"Like that idiot ever listens to anyone."
But despite his words, a small smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.
Because if anyone could bring Yugito back, it was Bee.
Sometimes later…
The scene before them was anything but good.
The moment Bee and his team arrived at the location, an unsettling silence greeted them. The once-busy outpost was now nothing more than a graveyard. The stench of blood clung to the air, thick and suffocating. Scattered across the ground were the lifeless bodies of Yugito's team, their faces frozen in expressions of shock and pain.
But the worst sight of all was Yugito herself.
She was strung up against the crumbling stone wall, her body limp, her head hanging forward. Deep gashes and burns covered her once-proud form, her clothing torn and bloodied. Though she was still breathing—barely—it was clear she had endured unspeakable torment.
Bee clenched his fists, his usual carefree demeanor vanishing in an instant. His sunglasses slid slightly down his nose as his sharp eyes scanned the area. No sign of the enemy. They were too late.
"This is not cool at all.".
Karui cursed under her breath, gripping her sword tightly.
"Damn it! We missed them."
Omoi ran a hand through his hair, his usual paranoia now justified.
"If they got Yugito-nee like this, then it means they were prepared. We should've come sooner."
Samui, ever the calm one, stepped forward, checking Yugito's pulse.
"She's dead."
Bee took a deep breath, suppressing the rage bubbling inside him. He turned to his team, his expression uncharacteristically cold.
"We gotta write that letter, let him know they're comin'. Gather his team, it's time for them to start the huntin'."
Because this wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
NOW THAT IT HAS I HAVE PUBLISHED 20 CHAPTERS, I WAS THINKING ON WORKING ON OTHER FICS.
IT COULD ONE OF THE OLD INCOMPLETE ONE.
OR A NEW ONE. BUT THIS STORY WILL BE PAUSED.
WELL I WILL ONLY PUBLISH FOR THE NEXT WEEK AS I HAVE MID SEMS FROM THE 28TH FEB.