Capítulo 64: 64. The New Threat & 64.5 Rising Threat
The Hidden Leaf Village was brimming with energy as the final preparations for the upcoming mission were underway. Shinobi moved quickly, their faces focused, as the weight of the investigation hung over them. Inside the Hokage's office, Minato stood alongside Ryusei, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, briefing them on the latest intelligence. The anomalies at the borders were growing worse, and the disturbance in time and void energy had everyone on edge.
Across from them stood Team 10, led by Shikamaru Nara, and Team 8, led by Kiba Inuzuka. Ryusei's presence, over the years, had left an indelible mark on these teams. They had trained under him for short bursts and encountered situations that forced them to adapt their fighting styles and strategies. His understanding of time and void energy had influenced how they saw the world, and now, it was time to see just how much they had grown.
Minato's voice broke the tension in the room. "You all know why you're here. The temporal distortions have been appearing more frequently, and we've located the epicenter near the Land of Sound. Team 7 will take the southern route, while Teams 10 and 8 will cover the east and west. Your primary objective is to locate the source of the anomaly, gather intel, and neutralize any threats."
Shikamaru nodded, his face as calm as ever, though there was an edge to his gaze that hadn't been there before. "Understood, Hokage. We'll handle it."
Kiba, standing with Akamaru at his side, looked more intense than usual. His experiences fighting alongside Ryusei had pushed him to heights he didn't think possible. "About time we had something big to take on. Let's go!"
Minato looked at Ryusei, his face serious. "You'll be the lead on this, Ryusei. These anomalies aren't just affecting our timeline—they're bleeding into others. If this continues, we could be looking at a full collapse of reality itself."
Ryusei, calm and composed, nodded. "We'll put a stop to it before it escalates."
On the Move
As the teams split up, Ryusei led Team 7 toward the southern edge of the Land of Sound, their pace steady but cautious. Naruto, always eager to get to the action, leapt from tree to tree, his eyes scanning the forest for any signs of trouble. Behind him, Sasuke was silent, his Sharingan active as he observed their surroundings with meticulous care. Sakura moved beside Sasuke, her eyes sharp as her mind raced through different strategies.
"We've trained for this," Naruto said, his voice breaking the quiet as they sped through the trees. "But it feels different this time."
"It's because we don't know what we're facing," Sasuke replied, his voice low. "These aren't ordinary enemies. They're manipulating time and void. If we make one wrong move, it could throw everything into chaos."
Sakura nodded. "We'll have to rely on everything we've learned—both from our training in the Realm of Time and what we've picked up from Ryusei."
Ryusei, leading the group, didn't look back as he spoke. "Focus on your instincts. We've trained with these energies before, but this is a different type of enemy. They'll use the environment against us, so be prepared for anything."
Naruto grinned. "Bring it on. We've got this."
Team 10's Approach
In the distance, Team 10 moved quietly through the eastern edge of the border. Shikamaru, always the strategist, led the way, his mind already piecing together possible scenarios. Choji Akimichi followed closely behind, his normally easygoing demeanor replaced with a sharp focus. The massive fan on his back symbolized how far he had come since his early days as a genin—he was now a force to be reckoned with. Ino Yamanaka moved beside them, her hands subtly forming seals as she prepared to deploy her Mind Body Switch Jutsu at a moment's notice.
"Ryusei's influence has pushed us all to be stronger," Shikamaru said as they moved through the dense foliage. "But we can't just rely on the training we've had with him. These distortions are unpredictable. We'll need to be ready for anything."
Choji nodded, his large frame moving with surprising agility. "Yeah, but at least we've learned how to counter those time-based attacks. We've got an edge."
Ino's voice was steady but filled with tension. "It's more than just time manipulation. Void energy is dangerous. We need to be on guard, especially if we come across any familiar faces—those might not be the people we remember."
Shikamaru's brow furrowed as he considered her words. "If they've figured out how to pull from alternate timelines, we could be looking at more than just the Akatsuki. Anyone could show up—alive or dead."
Choji clenched his fists. "Then we'll fight whatever comes our way."
Team 8's Mission
On the western side, Team 8 made their way toward their designated location. Kiba and Akamaru were moving quickly through the trees, their senses attuned to every change in the environment. Shino Aburame, calm and calculating as always, moved beside them, his insects swarming just under the surface of his skin, ready to respond to any threats. Hinata Hyuga, her Byakugan activated, scanned the area with intense concentration.
"There's something off about the chakra flow here," Hinata whispered, her eyes narrowing. "It's not just the environment—it's as if the air itself is being manipulated."
Kiba growled under his breath. "It's those damn time distortions. We'll find the source and crush it. We've got Akamaru to track them, and if anyone's hiding out here, we'll root them out."
Shino remained silent for a moment before speaking. "We've trained for this moment. The techniques we've learned from Ryusei will allow us to navigate these distortions, but we must proceed with caution. The void energy we're dealing with is volatile."
Kiba grinned. "Doesn't matter. I'm ready to tear into whatever we find. Let's see what these void manipulators are made of."
Hinata, always the voice of reason, added, "We'll stay sharp. The moment we sense anything unusual, we'll alert the others."
Team 7 Encounters the Rift
As Team 7 neared the epicenter of the anomaly, the air grew heavier, the space around them shimmering like a mirage. Ryusei came to a halt, signaling for the others to stop. The ground beneath them trembled slightly as the disturbance became more apparent.
Naruto glanced around, his eyes wide with excitement. "It's close, isn't it?"
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, scanning the area. "There's a rift here. It's distorting everything—time, space, chakra flow. Whoever is behind this, they're using it as a gateway."
Ryusei nodded, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the tear in reality just ahead. "We need to close this before it spreads any further."
Sakura stepped forward, her chakra pulsing in her fists. "I can sense the disruption. It's not just here—it's trying to connect with other points in time."
Ryusei's voice was calm but firm. "Then let's sever that connection."
Just as they prepared to engage, the rift flickered, and from within it, figures began to emerge. Clad in dark robes, their eyes cold and hollow, the figures stepped forward, each one radiating a strange, fractured chakra. The symbols on their cloaks were unmistakable—the red clouds of the Akatsuki.
Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "They're back?"
Sasuke's grip on his sword tightened. "No… these aren't the same. They're echoes—pulled from another timeline."
Ryusei stepped forward, his hand crackling with energy. "Then let's send them back where they came from."
The battle erupted in an instant. Naruto charged forward, his Void Rasengan glowing in his hand as he launched himself at the first figure. Sasuke followed close behind, his Chidori crackling with void energy, ready to strike. Sakura moved with precision, her fists glowing with chakra as she delivered powerful, timed blows to the enemies.
Ryusei stood at the center, his eyes focused on the rift itself. "We'll deal with these echoes, but the real enemy is still out there. Stay sharp."
As the battle raged on, the distortion in time and space grew more intense, and Ryusei could feel it—an unseen force watching them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
The real threat had yet to reveal itself.
64.5 The Rising Threat
The air around Team 7 crackled with energy, the distorted space giving everything an eerie, otherworldly glow. The red clouds of the Akatsuki stood out against the fractured reality, each echo of the infamous organization moving with deadly precision. They weren't quite human—just fragments of shinobi, pulled from alternate timelines and made real through the manipulation of time and void. Yet their power was unmistakable.
Naruto's heart raced as he faced one of the Akatsuki echoes—a figure that bore an unsettling resemblance to Kakuzu, the bounty hunter of the original Akatsuki. His opponent's body shifted unnaturally, tendrils of dark energy snaking out from his limbs, glowing faintly in the distorted light.
Without hesitation, Naruto formed the Rasengan in his hand, the spinning chakra sphere thrumming with power. "Let's see if an echo can handle this!" he shouted, charging forward.
The Kakuzu echo's eyes flickered, and in an instant, the tendrils shot toward Naruto with blinding speed. Naruto's reflexes kicked in, and with a burst of chakra, he leaped to the side, dodging the attack and rolling across the ground. The moment he found his footing, he surged forward again, slamming the Rasengan into the echo's chest.
For a moment, there was silence as the Rasengan made contact, the spinning energy pressing into Kakuzu's form. But instead of being blown apart, the echo's body rippled like liquid, absorbing the attack before shifting and lashing out with more tendrils of void energy.
"What the—" Naruto barely had time to react as the tendrils wrapped around his arm, pulling him off balance.
"Damn it!" Naruto growled, focusing his chakra into his hand. With a sudden burst, he unleashed the Void Rasengan, the swirling dark energy expanding outward and tearing through the tendrils. The impact sent him sliding back, but he recovered quickly, gritting his teeth as he prepared for the next round.
Meanwhile, Sasuke's Sharingan flared as he engaged another echo—this one resembling Deidara, the explosives expert. The echo smirked, a twisted version of Deidara's playful grin, as he flung several clay birds into the air. The birds, infused with void energy, began to multiply as they ascended, their beady eyes glowing with an ominous light.
Sasuke didn't hesitate. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a barrage of Shuriken, each one crackling with lightning chakra. The shuriken sliced through the air, embedding themselves in the birds just as they began to dive toward him. The resulting explosions were deafening, but Sasuke had already moved, flickering out of sight with blinding speed.
He reappeared behind Deidara's echo, his Chidori pulsing in his hand, ready to strike. "You're just a shadow," Sasuke muttered, thrusting the lightning-infused attack toward the echo's back.
But the echo was faster than expected. It twisted unnaturally, its body bending in ways that defied logic as it avoided the Chidori and countered with a spray of clay explosives. Sasuke barely managed to sidestep the attack, the shockwave from the explosion sending him skidding across the ground.
"Tch," Sasuke grunted, his Sharingan spinning faster as he analyzed the echo's movements. "They're using the void to enhance their attacks… They're not bound by the same limitations we are."
He wiped a thin trail of blood from his lip, his eyes narrowing. "But that just means I need to be faster."
Sasuke's chakra surged, and in an instant, he disappeared again, his movements so fast that even the echo struggled to keep up. This time, when he reappeared, his Chidori was already sinking into the echo's chest, the lightning piercing through the fragmented form. The echo let out a distorted scream as it disintegrated into a cloud of void energy.
Sasuke stood still for a moment, catching his breath. "One down."
Sakura, meanwhile, faced off against an echo of Kisame, the monstrous wielder of Samehada. The massive sword swung through the air with lethal force, its blade pulsing with chakra as it absorbed the energy around it. Sakura dodged each swing, her movements precise as she waited for an opening.
Kisame's echo laughed, the deep rumble of his voice echoing through the battlefield. "You can't outrun me forever, little girl."
Sakura's eyes hardened. "I don't need to outrun you," she said coldly. "I just need one hit."
She gathered chakra into her fists, the energy swirling around her in a visible aura. With a roar, she charged forward, ducking under a wild swing from Samehada and launching herself at Kisame's chest. Her punch connected with a devastating impact, the ground beneath them shattering as the force of her blow rippled through the echo's body.
For a moment, the Kisame echo's body flickered, its form struggling to hold itself together under the immense force. But then it reformed, a twisted grin spreading across its face as it raised Samehada for another strike.
Sakura's eyes widened. "It didn't work?"
The sword came crashing down, but just as it was about to hit, Ryusei appeared in a blur of movement, intercepting the attack with a blade of pure chakra. The force of the collision sent sparks flying, but Ryusei held firm, his eyes locked on the Kisame echo.
"Sakura," Ryusei said, his voice calm but firm. "These echoes aren't bound by normal rules. We need to attack their core—disrupt the void energy that's holding them together."
Sakura nodded, stepping back as Ryusei engaged the Kisame echo. "Got it."
Ryusei's movements were a blur as he parried Kisame's attacks with ease, his chakra-infused blade slicing through the air with precision. He moved like a ghost, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye, his strikes landing with devastating accuracy. Each hit disrupted the echo's form, causing it to flicker and distort, but it kept reforming, its body regenerating faster than they could destroy it.
"We need to end this now," Ryusei muttered, his eyes narrowing as he gathered his chakra. "Sakura, follow my lead."
Without hesitation, Sakura charged forward again, her fists glowing with chakra as she aimed for Kisame's core. Ryusei moved in tandem, his blade slicing through the air as he targeted the void energy swirling around the echo.
Together, they struck with incredible force. Ryusei's blade pierced through the Kisame echo's chest, while Sakura's punch connected with the core of its body, sending shockwaves of chakra rippling through the air. The echo let out a distorted scream as its form began to break apart, the void energy unraveling.
With one final burst of energy, the Kisame echo disintegrated, its body collapsing into a cloud of smoke and void energy that dissipated into the air.
Sakura exhaled heavily, wiping sweat from her brow. "That… was intense."
Ryusei nodded, his gaze fixed on the rift that still lingered in the distance. "We're not done yet."
Naruto, having finally gained the upper hand against the Kakuzu echo, unleashed a barrage of Void Rasengans, each one crashing into the echo's body with explosive force. The ground shook with each impact, the distorted chakra tearing through Kakuzu's form until it finally collapsed, unable to regenerate any further.
Breathing heavily, Naruto turned to the others. "We did it! These echoes are no match for us!"
Sasuke sheathed his sword, his eyes still focused on the rift. "Don't get cocky. This was just the first wave."
As the last of the echoes disintegrated, the battlefield fell silent. But the rift in the sky still pulsed with energy, its edges crackling as if it were a living thing. Ryusei stared at it, his expression grim.
"That rift is still growing," he said quietly. "And something worse is coming."
Before anyone could respond, the rift began to ripple violently, and from its depths, a new figure emerged. Clad in dark armor, his face obscured by a mask, the man stepped forward, his eyes glowing with an unnatural light. His presence was overwhelming, the very air around him distorting as if reality itself was bending to his will.
"You've done well to defeat my echoes," the man said, his voice cold and emotionless. "But this is only the beginning."
Naruto's grin faded as he took a step back. "Who the hell are you?"
The man's eyes flickered, and the void energy around him pulsed ominously. "I am the one who controls the rift. I am the one who will reshape this world."
Ryusei stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "We'll see about that."
As the tension mounted, Team 7 prepared for the next phase of the battle, knowing that the true threat had only just revealed itself.
Status de energia semanal
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