บท 116: 115. Heart of The Storm
A hushed tension settled over the Hidden Leaf Village in the wake of the latest skirmish. Night had descended fully, yet the sky remained awash in a dull crimson glow—an unearthly light that stained the rooftops and the faces of weary shinobi. They had beaten back another wave of convergence fiends, but no one believed the worst was over. If anything, the faint, ceaseless hum of the swirling clouds above served as a chilling reminder that a greater storm loomed just beyond sight.
Inside the newly fortified Hokage's office, rows of injured shinobi lay on cots or leaned against walls, struggling to catch their breath. Medical-nin moved frantically, glowing hands tending to wounds that defied usual healing methods. While these brave warriors had faced down monstrous shadows with success, the cost was evident in their ragged expressions and battered armor.
At the center of the room stood Minato, arms folded, watching over his people like a sentinel. Beside him, Sakura finished healing a young kunoichi whose shoulder had been badly scorched by dark energy. With gentle precision, Sakura channeled Light into the wound, letting it cleanse residual corruption as it mended tissue.
A short distance away, Naruto paced back and forth, Kurama's chakra swirling faintly around him. Every few steps, he'd clench a fist or half-form a Rasengan, only to let the energy dissipate with a frustrated sigh.
"Take it easy, Naruto," Sakura said quietly, standing up from her patient. Though she was fatigued, an unwavering determination still lit her eyes.
"We can't just sit here," Naruto murmured, voice taut with impatience. "I know another wave is coming. It's like a feeling in my chest—Kurama can sense it too."
"We'll get our chance to fight again," Sakura assured him, though her smile didn't reach her eyes. "We just have to be ready."
In the hallway outside the makeshift infirmary, Sasuke leaned against a wall, eyes closed, arms crossed. His Rinnegan and Sharingan had both seen the patterns in the last battle—tendrils of dark energy that had begun to form complex shapes above the village, then withdrew as soon as the monstrous wave faltered. It was as though the convergence was probing them, testing their defenses. Each skirmish offered the enemy deeper insight into the village's strengths.
A subtle distortion in the air drew Sasuke's attention. He opened his eyes to find Anon standing beside him, silent as ever, his cloak of shadows rustling in an invisible breeze. The two men exchanged brief nods, and Sasuke shifted to let Anon pass.
"I've scouted the perimeter," Anon said in a low voice, his eyes reflecting the gloom of the corridor. "Shadow Squad detected anomalies outside the west gate. Something's massing out there—can't confirm if it's illusions or an actual army."
Sasuke's gaze hardened. "Then the next wave isn't far off."
Anon nodded. "Your analysis of the last assault was right: these creatures adapt. The next time they come, they'll know how to counter some of our tactics."
Sasuke exhaled, the tension visible in the set of his jaw. "Then we'll adapt too."
Meanwhile, Ryusei stood atop the village's highest watchtower, staring into the turbulent sky. Every bolt of crimson lightning illuminated his features, revealing a mix of caution and sorrow. Time and Void energies pulsed within him, resonating with the cosmic disturbance above. In that swirling maelstrom of power, he sensed echoes from countless timelines—worlds already devoured by the convergence.
A faint distortion flickered beside him, and Minato teleported into view, a swirl of light marking his signature Flying Raijin technique. With arms folded over his chest, Minato joined Ryusei's vigil, scanning the looming storm.
"You can sense it too, can't you?" Minato's voice was gentle but troubled.
Ryusei nodded without turning. "Yes. Another wave is forming—larger than the last. If we don't break this cycle soon, each attack will dwarf the one before it."
"Then we must strike at the heart," Minato mused, eyes narrowing as lightning snapped across the clouds. "We can't keep playing defense."
Ryusei lowered his gaze. "There's something more. I felt it when we were in the Eternal Battlefield—a presence behind the illusions, behind the creatures. The one controlling them remains hidden, orchestrating these attacks."
Minato closed his eyes, inhaling slowly. "We need to identify that presence. Otherwise, we'll be stuck fighting an endless war of attrition."
"Agreed," Ryusei said gravely. "I suspect the next wave will reveal more. Our foe is growing bolder. If they show themselves, even for a moment, we'll seize the opportunity to pinpoint their location in the convergence."
4. The Next Wave Unleashed
A deafening thunderclap shattered the momentary calm, followed by a violent tremor that shook the village's foundations. Crimson lightning arced downward, striking the earth outside the gates. From that collision of electric force, a tear in reality opened—similar to the last wave, but three times as large. A monstrous roar echoed through the night, announcing the arrival of a new legion of horrors.
Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Anon were already sprinting toward the gates, squads forming up behind them in disciplined lines. Minato flashed to the scene in a burst of light, followed shortly by Ryusei. The shinobi braced themselves for whatever monstrosities might emerge.
And emerge they did. From the rent in space, a horde of abominations spilled forth—some reminiscent of twisted animals, others shaped like horrific hybrids of shinobi and beast. Their eyes all glowed with the same malevolent intelligence, and each step they took left a trail of corrosive darkness that corroded the ground.
"Here they come!" Naruto shouted, adrenaline surging. He summoned dozens of Shadow Clones, each forming a Time-infused Rasengan. In unison, they lobbed the swirling orbs at the onrushing creatures, halting the first rank in a series of violent explosions. Time itself seemed to warp around the blasts, stretching out the destructive force to catch trailing monsters.
Sasuke soared into the fray, propelled by manipulated space. One slash of his sword, coated in Void lightning, cleaved a towering brute in half. Another slash tore open a gravitational sink, drawing a dozen smaller creatures into its crushing field. The ground quaked from the combined impact as he closed his fist, collapsing the sink in a swirl of black sparks.
Sakura, her Light aura blazing bright, launched herself into an entire cluster of winged beasts. Her fists, enhanced by Chrono Essence, struck like unstoppable meteors. Each blow left a conflagration of radiant energy, dissolving shadowy flesh on contact. Where her punches landed, time and light fused to create an aftershock that toppled rows of creatures.
Anon directed the Shadow Squad from within the thick of battle, weaving illusions that mimicked entire squads of Leaf shinobi, drawing enemies into ambush zones. Under the cover of living darkness, assassins struck from behind, severing limbs and heads in mercilessly efficient strikes. Some illusions lured creatures into folded pockets of space, courtesy of Space Squad, where they were trapped in sealed dimensions.
Meanwhile, Ryusei orchestrated the overarching strategy: he slowed entire swaths of the battlefield, letting allied jutsu slam into monsters frozen in mid-lunge; he expanded pockets of Void to swallow concentrated enemy groups, removing them from the fight entirely. Whenever a monstrous wave threatened to overrun a flank, he was there in a flicker of dislocated time, bridging squads with short-range teleportation.
The synergy was breathtaking. For every unstoppable wave the convergence hurled at them, the Leaf shinobi responded with advanced techniques that capitalized on the new laws they had learned. The scene was a grand tapestry of power: swirling orbs of compressed gravity colliding with storms of radiant illusions, time-slowed legions being decimated by lightning arcs, and squads of silent assassins striking from intangible shadows. The village's defenses glowed with arcs of sealing arrays cast by Space Squad, capturing entire platoons in dimension folds.
5. A Dark Herald Appears
As the fighting peaked, a sudden calm descended—a lull in the storm that made every shinobi pause for breath. In that disquiet, a shape began to form high above the battlefield: a silhouette cloaked in swirling darkness. Unlike the lesser creatures, this entity exuded raw, oppressive power. Its laughter resounded, a thousand voices layered into one.
"Leaf shinobi," it spoke, each syllable laced with cruelty. "Your defiance is impressive. But you merely delay the inevitable. The convergence will not be denied."
Naruto's gaze snapped skyward, anger flaring. "Who the hell are you?!"
The figure's eyes glowed red, lightning crackling around its silhouette. "A herald of the true master behind these rifts. One who exists beyond time and space, feeding on realities as easily as you draw breath."
Sasuke clenched his jaw, Rinnegan flaring. "If you think we'll let that happen, you're delusional."
The entity smirked. "Then show me your strength. Entertain me, or be consumed in darkness."
Without warning, the figure gestured, and the entire battlefield shifted. The ground roiled, splitting open as new rifts tore through reality. Dozens of monstrous shapes clawed their way out—twice as large, twice as ferocious as before. A wave of dread slammed into the defenders, and the night air grew bitterly cold.
Minato's voice cut across the chaos. "Hold the line! Do not break formation!"
In perfect unison, the squads re-formed, bracing for the monstrous onslaught. Another clash seemed imminent, but this time, an aura of finality tinged the air. This wave felt different—heavier, more determined, like the world itself was at risk of snapping under the strain.
"Brace yourselves!" Naruto shouted, forming a colossal Rasengan glowing with swirling Time and Void signatures. "This is the fight we've been waiting for!"
Sasuke, his eyes gleaming with dual energies, moved into position beside Naruto. Sakura flanked them, her fists blazing with Light. Anon and Ryusei, each cloaked in unstoppable confidence, took positions behind them, orchestrating illusions, dimensional folds, and time distortions.
The monstrous legion roared as it charged, and the shinobi roared back, an indomitable cry of unity echoing under the red-stained sky. Overlooking it all, the dark herald observed with a cruel smile, waiting to see if these defenders could withstand the next wave of apocalypse.
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