บท 31: Darkness
As Mirai fired his silver spear tendrils, Hinoe retreated into the darkness, obscuring himself in the shadows. With a single hand seal, he extinguished the sole illuminating torch, plunging the entire tunnel into a suffocating blackness.
Hinoe thought grimly. "We're up against a man with power surpassing Kage-level, matching the military might of dozens of elite Jonin teams." But despite the daunting odds, he didn't waver.
True to his role as leader, he commanded. "Insect!" His voice echoed aimlessly through the tunnel, betraying nothing of his location.
The Aburame, now codenamed Insect, without hesitation spread out all his kikaichū in his body and the jar flung on his back. The insects immediately swarmed around his colleagues and around the tunnel, intending to confuse Mirai's senses and make it difficult for him to distinguish their actual locations.
Mirai's expression turned serious as he felt the multiple bio-magnetic fields and chakra interwoven with those of the insects. He remarked. "You guys don't know when to give up, do you?"
One of the operatives thought grimly. "What? Homing?"
The Root operatives, adept at moving through darkness, fluidly dodged Mirai's spears. However, the spears, seemingly guided by an unseen force, twisted in mid-air and relentlessly pursued their targets. The operatives, caught off guard, could only react in shock as the spears impaled two of them with deadly precision.
Left with no other option, the remaining operatives drew their specially prepared non-metallic tantō and began deflecting the spears. Each clash of their weapons against the mercury spears produced brief sparks, illuminating the tunnel for a fleeting second in a dance of light and shadow.
Astonishing them even more, the spears dissolved back into their liquid state, engulfing the ninjas and trapping them individually in a hovering mercury spheres. The surface of the spheres rippled and shook violently as the Root operatives struggled desperately inside, their muffled cries echoing in the confined space.
Without warning, the spheres hardened, spikes protruding from their surfaces. The frantic movements within the spheres ceased abruptly. Moments later, the mercury dissolved once more, leaving behind the disfigured corpses of the Root black ops.
The rest of the ninjas who maintained their distance, seized the moment of respite and launched a deadly barrage of kunai and shuriken, each one wrapped or attached with explosive tags.
In response, the mercury that had already returned to Mirai's side surged anew, shimmering with an otherworldly glow as it transformed into a fluid, reflective form pulsing with a life of its own. The metallic substance encircled him like a silent guardian, poised to heed his every command.
With a swift, practiced gesture, Mirai raised his hand. The mercury responded instantly, dividing into multiple small spheres suspended in mid-air like glistening orbs of liquid metal. In the blink of an eye, he clenched his fist, and the spheres launched themselves forward with impeccable precision and astonishing speed.
The spheres intercepted each incoming projectile with a dancer's grace, enveloping them in a subtle, liquid embrace that neutralized their explosive payloads. Holding their defensive stance, the orbs halted the enemy's assault, rendering their weapons harmless within the mercury's fluid grasp.
With a surge of controlled movement, Mirai dispersed the spheres with a flick of his wrist, releasing them into the air. They fragmented into shimmering droplets that dispersed gracefully, leaving wisps of smoke and scattered, scorched remnants of kunai embedded in the ground.
Amidst the cacophony of explosions and flashes of light, the tunnel echoed with the grim symphony of falling corpses, the darkness intensifying the chaos.
Seeing Mirai stationary, one Yamanaka operative seized the chance and immediately used his clan's technique, the [Mind Body Switch Technique]. Converting his consciousness into spiritual energy, he sent it toward Mirai, attempting to supplant his mind and take control of his body.
As their consciousness collided, a battle of wills erupted in the psychic realm. Mirai felt the invasive presence trying to force its way into his mind, but he stood firm, his mental fortitude unwavering. With his strong will, Mirai forced him out of his body before he could even try his possession.
In an instant, Mirai locked eyes on the Yamanaka operative and swiftly moved towards him, almost like a phantom. Gripping the disoriented operative by the neck, whose head was still reeling from Mirai's counterattack, Mirai flung him forcefully backward. The sound of impact reverberated through the tunnel as the operative crashed into the smooth wall.
Mirai lifted the operative by the neck, his feet dangling above the floor as his tip-less tantō slipped from his grasp. The only signs of his distress were his widened eyes and the blood trickling from his mouth, visible through the openings of his bird mask. Though Mirai couldn't see him in the pitch black, the close contact allowed him to sense the operative's breath and tense muscles, as well as his weakened bio-magnetic field, piercing through the chaos created by the kikaichū covering parts of his body.
Mirai's voice was dark and menacing as he punctuated each word. "Do not ever touch my mind, you cretin."
While Mirai dealt with the Yamanaka, his summoned mass of mercury returned to his side, forming whips that branched out to keep the others at bay.
But then, the insects struck. Crawling up Mirai's arm, they sought to inject their potent, undetectable poison through the physical contact. These insects, as imperceptible as mosquitoes yet as deadly as scorpions, were a testament to why they were so valued by Danzo.
The mercury on his body moved automatically, hardening into an impenetrable, skin-tight shell that halted the insects in their tracks and could not penetrate.
The Aburame operative, struggling to evade the relentless onslaught of mercury whips, frowned darkly as he muttered. "Metal?" The information, fed back to him through his insects, was tinged with emotions of fear and desperation.
The Yamanaka member, his hands clawing at Mirai's grip desperately, let out an anguished, pained cry. As the silver liquid flowed from Mirai's hand, it took the shape of a scalpel, cutting a small incision in the operative's neck and directly infiltrating his body.
The ninja's frantic movements reflected the immense pain he endured. Soon, the struggle ceased as silver mercury spread through his blood vessels, replacing his blood. His body stopped thrashing, life draining away. With a grim finality, Mirai cast aside the lifeless form, leaving the corpse motionless on the ground.
Turning his attention to the remaining Root operatives, Mirai took a deep breath, trying to cleanse the fury that threatened to consume him. His anger was a dangerous motivation and weapon, but one that could easily turn against him if he lost control. He reminded himself that a clouded mind was a sure way to make fatal mistakes.
Since his arrival in this world, Mirai had meticulously hidden his true identity and his memories, a secret he had sworn to take to the grave. The thought of someone attempting to infiltrate his mind was more than an affront—it was a threat to his very existence, and it enraged him to his core.
Mirai's eyes, usually cold and calculating, now burned with a fierce intensity. His breath came in measured, controlled intervals as he struggled to maintain his composure. The tunnel was filled with the echoing sounds of falling debris and distant clashes of weapons, but within Mirai, there raged only the storm of his wrath.
As Hinoe dodged the relentless onslaught of silver whips, he saw most of his subordinates fallen, either to the previous spears or the current whips. His thoughts raced. "Damn it… all we can do is dodge despite our best efforts!"
Deciding to end this quickly, Mirai turned to his remaining adversaries. His face was stoic, concealing the unease simmering beneath the surface—a skill he had perfected over his long ninja career. He addressed them. "Let me commend you for standing this long. But no matter what, it won't change the outcome."
In response, Hinoe simply called out. "Eagle." The remaining Yamanaka formed a hand seal, veins throbbing in his forehead as he relayed Hinoe's orders telepathically to his team, linking their minds. The masked Root operatives swiftly formed hand seals, crouched down, and touched the ground. They used [Earth Release: Sticky Bedrock Coffin], sending a surge of mud hurtling toward Mirai.
Mirai tried to evade, but the mud ensnared him, immobilizing him. Before he could react, four tall rock pillars, summoned earlier, sprang to life. Bolts of lightning arced between the pillars, illuminating the scene and the ruined tunnel. "[Lightning Release Cooperation Technique: Four Pillar Bind]" They announced in unison. The now determined eyes of the Root operatives, visible through their animal masks, stared him down.
Finishing their combo, Hinoe and the rest of the team completed their hand seals in perfect sync. "[Fire Release: Flame Whirlwind]" Fire erupted around their hands in spiraling patterns. With a unified punch, they launched the flames toward Mirai, aiming to roast him and harden the mud, ensuring his complete immobilization.
As Hinoe observed their handiwork, instead of satisfaction, a sense of unease gnawed at him.
His intuition proved right as Mirai's mocking voice echoed from behind them. "I've come this far so that you can never hit me!"
The still-raging fire spiral illuminated the tunnel, banishing the darkness. The Root operatives spun around, eyes wide in shock. Mirai stood there unscathed, his expression unreadable.
"You could have been great ninja." Mirai continued, his voice tinged with pity. "But you placed your faith in the wrong person and allowed delusions to wrap your strength and heart."
Taking a deep breah, he muttered, his voice carrying over the crackling flames. "What a pity."
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