Bab 182: Goodbye Kabuto
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Now, as Kabuto prepared to set off for the Mountains' Graveyard, a sense of anticipation filled him. His Sage body and Mangekyo Sharingan were fully activated, and the report that Anko and her team were isolated provided an opening. The thrill of the upcoming confrontation filled his veins. He was eager to see the fear etched on their faces when he appeared.
In the blink of an eye, he was there, standing triumphantly before the gathered shinobi, a smug grin tugging at his lips. His eyes fell on Anko, her form rigid, her face pale. Yes, he thought, he was relishing this moment.
But as the grin spread across his face, a thunderclap split the stillness of the air. Kabuto's heart skipped a beat as a flicker of dread swept over him. His mind raced, piecing together rumors and whispers he'd heard, connecting the dots with alarming speed.
"Thunderfire," one of the whispers played back in his mind, followed by another, "Purple Lightning." And the one that made his blood turn to ice, "Fastest Shinobi."
"No…" Kabuto murmured, his eyes scanning the sky for any signs of the incoming threat. But as the horizon illuminated with an otherworldly purple light, his fears turned into reality. It wasn't just a rumor; Koushin was here.
Anko's voice broke the silence. "Clear the area! Koushin's here!" Her command rang out clear and crisp, jolting the shinobi into action. But it was too late. Before anyone could react, the area was bathed in a blinding violet light, and a second thunderclap reverberated, marking the arrival of Koushin.
In the midst of the confusion, a voice echoed out, unmistakable and chillingly calm. "Kabuto, long time no see," Koushin's voice rang out, a touch of mockery in his tone. Kabuto felt his blood run cold. "So this is what you've been up to, huh? And here I thought you'd found a nice little hole to crawl into after I told you to fuck off."
Kabuto's mind raced in the brief silence following Koushin's words. He didn't have time to retort, didn't have time to put up a front. Koushin was already in motion, fast as the crackling lightning he controlled. His hand was suddenly around Kabuto's throat, squeezing, and a panic surged through the latter's veins. It wasn't the strength of Koushin's grip that terrified him—it was the stillness, the absolute quiet that surrounded him like an impenetrable void.
Time seemed to distort around Koushin, and in the next moment, they were in the air, ascending at a dizzying speed. Kabuto's world blurred and his screams echoed, a sharp and stark contrast to the stillness that Koushin embodied. He struggled, his Mangekyo and Sage Body thrashing in vain against the iron grip of Koushin, a futile battle against the absolute calm.
Suddenly, they were back on solid ground, but not where they started. Kabuto stumbled as Koushin let him go, gasping for breath and grappling with the disorientation. He staggered, struggling to right himself, but his body wouldn't respond.
Koushin's voice broke through the muffled sounds of the distant battle, clear as day despite the distance. "You know, Kabuto," he began, a wry smile playing on his lips, "it's quite disheartening to see a snake out of its hole. Did Orochimaru not teach you better?"
The teasing edge to Koushin's voice stung, a taunt wrapped in faux concern. Kabuto ground his teeth, willing his trembling body to respond, to lash out. But he could only watch as Koushin walked away, his violet eyes glinting in the waning light.
"That being said," Koushin continued, pausing mid-step to glance back at Kabuto. "I'd like to thank you. You've saved me the trouble of hunting you down. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a war to attend to."
Koushin waved his hand nonchalantly, and with a casual flick of his wrist, Kabuto vanished from sight, cast into a realm only Koushin could access. An impromptu prison, a holding cell of sorts. His treatment of Kabuto was akin to a discarded chess piece, saved for later use.
But there was no time to celebrate this temporary victory, for as soon as Kabuto vanished, Hinata's voice entered Koushin's mind. Her words were as clear as a bell tolling, chiming with a sense of urgency. "Koushin, Hot Water Country, Surprise Attack Division has been intercepted by Akatsuki."
"On my way," Koushin answered, his mental voice as smooth and crisp as if he were speaking out loud. With the sound of another thunderclap splitting the air, he vanished, leaving behind only a streak of violet that sliced through the sky like a comet.
Moments later, Koushin reappeared amidst the chaos of the battlefield, his eyes immediately falling on Shino. The Insect Shinobi had been transformed. Koushin had designed a new technique for him, an enhanced version of the Insect Fusion, the Chakra Symbiosis. Now, Shino was a formidable warrior, his body transformed into something out of the most fascinating horror stories.
His eyes had turned into a kaleidoscope of lenses, resembling those of a compound insect, shimmering with an array of colors. Blades reminiscent of mantis' forelimbs jutted from his arms, razor-sharp and menacing. His torso was encased in a shell-like carapace, tough as the shell of a beetle. Butterfly wings spread from his back, a grotesque mix of beauty and horror. His lower body was replaced by segmented, multi-jointed legs of a grasshopper, granting him both speed and agility. A wickedly pointed wasp stinger protruded from his lower back, its end dripping with lethal poison.
In the midst of the battlefield, Koushin found himself momentarily captivated. "My, my, Shino," he began, his voice laced with genuine admiration, "you've certainly become...interesting."
A ripple of laughter coursed through him as Shino merely nodded, unfazed by his own grotesque appearance. Despite the tension and danger surrounding them, Koushin found time for his humor. It was the only way he knew to cope, to remind himself and his allies that in the face of the most dire situations, they could find a slice of sanity.
Returning his focus to the matter at hand, Koushin gazed upon the Akatsuki forces, his lips curled into a smirk. "Well, this is quite the party. Almost feel offended not to have been invited earlier."
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