"Teacher Shinno!"
Far across the devastated plaza, a small figure appeared at the edge, her voice laced with panic. She began running desperately towards Shinno, calling his name. As she ran, a cascade of bright red hair streamed out behind her in the wind.
Seeing the distant, small figure racing towards him, a desperate flicker ignited in Shinno's eyes. His ravaged body twitched; he struggled, trying to move towards her, towards his last hope.
Swish!
A blur of motion, and Kagutsuchi appeared directly in front of Shinno, blocking his path. The long sword in his hand rose high, then plunged downwards with ruthless finality, aimed squarely at the vital points in Shinno's chest.
Squelch.
The blade pierced through flesh and bone. Shinno, in his weakened state, had no time to even attempt an evasion. A spray of crimson erupted, and the desperate light in Shinno's eyes rapidly dimmed, extinguished like a snuffed candle. This time, his body completely depleted, he could no longer sustain the Body Activation or Regeneration techniques. His miracle had run out.
Simultaneously, as the little red-haired girl neared, Suijin's form flickered, materializing instantly before her. She was young, perhaps only six or seven years old. Suijin raised his right hand and delivered a swift, precise karate chop to the base of her neck.
The little girl immediately went limp, collapsing forward. Suijin caught her effortlessly before she hit the ground. He knew this child – Amaru, the Jinchuriki of the Zero-Tails. He would absolutely not allow her to reach Shinno. With access to the potent chakra sealed within Amaru, who knew what desperate, final trick a master of dark medical ninjutsu like Shinno might attempt?
This battle had already exposed far too much. Shinno had to die, completely and utterly.
Having run Shinno through, Kagutsuchi didn't pause to confirm the kill. Making absolutely sure, he swung his sword again and again, stabbing the unresisting body repeatedly, riddling Shinno's torso until it was barely recognizable.
Finished, he knelt and searched Shinno's blood-soaked attire, retrieving two scrolls. Pocketing them securely, Kagutsuchi formed a new set of hand seals and launched a massive fireball directly at Shinno's corpse.
WHOOSH!
The enormous sphere of flame completely engulfed the body, burning fiercely in the otherwise empty, ruined plaza. Kagutsuchi stood motionless nearby, his Sharingan eyes watching intently as the corpse was consumed.
Several minutes passed before the fireball finally died down, leaving behind nothing but a pile of fine grey ash where Shinno had been. Seeing this absolute destruction, the solemn expression on Kagutsuchi's face finally eased slightly. He deactivated his three-tomoe Sharingan.
In this world, Tatsuya knew through his clone, where the dead can be revived and summoned back, you have to be absolutely certain. He needed confirmation that Shinno was irrevocably dead, beyond any hope of return, before he could truly rest easy. If any trace, any biological sample, were left behind and found by a mastermind of forbidden techniques like Orochimaru, Shinno could potentially be brought back at any time. The risk was too great.
Swish.
Another flicker of movement, and Suijin appeared beside Kagutsuchi, cradling the unconscious Amaru gently in his arms.
"Let's go," Suijin said, his voice calm and even as he glanced at the patch of ash. "Time to check inside."
With the most troublesome opponent eliminated, the rest were merely scattered remnants, easily handled by the other forces deployed. There was no need for Kagutsuchi and Suijin themselves to hunt down stragglers. Their priority now was securing the spoils of war – specifically, Shinno's research. Tatsuya held considerable expectations for the potential knowledge possessed by a researcher of Shinno's caliber.
The two figures vanished in another blur, heading swiftly towards the intact buildings lining the edge of the ravaged plaza.
Meanwhile, outside the main gates of the Ancor Vantian Fortress, Yomi was leading his surviving cultists in a frantic retreat.
When the thunderous sounds of battle abruptly ceased behind them, Yomi's heart plummeted. He knew what the silence meant: Shinno, and likely all the remaining Sky Ninja, had been defeated by those two terrifying members of the Divine Court.
It was over so fast!
Yomi was acutely aware of his own limitations. Relying on his dark ninjutsu, he might be able to hold his own against an ordinary Jonin for a short time. But against those two powerhouses? He stood absolutely no chance of victory. Shinno, with the Seventh Gate open, had possessed power far exceeding his own, yet he had still been utterly suppressed, and was now undoubtedly dead.
Just as Yomi and his followers were about to plunge into the concealing woods beyond the fortress gates, they skidded to a halt.
Standing directly in their path, two men clad in the standard white and gold attire of the Divine Court waited silently.
Seeing them, Yomi's face darkened further. He couldn't help but recall Kagutsuchi's arrival, the casual confidence, the implication of more forces waiting. So they really did have reinforcements stationed here!
"Go!" Yomi ordered grimly, steeling himself.
At his command, a portion of the Yomi Cultists immediately peeled off, charging towards the two Divine Court members – Tatsuya's clones. The rest, including Yomi, prepared to use the inevitable distraction to make their final escape.
A sound plan in theory, perhaps. But reality proved far harsher.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Yomi and his group had barely taken two steps when a powerful gale blasted towards them, sending them tumbling. Simultaneously, the group that had charged the clones erupted in panicked screams.
Facing these low-level cultists, Tatsuya's clones felt no challenge whatsoever. Within moments, the dozens of attackers were easily dispatched. Yomi soon found himself subdued, a captive held firmly by one of the clones. This time, taking no chances, the clone immediately applied a potent Sealing Jutsu, completely binding Yomi's chakra and abilities.
While these two clones swiftly dealt with Yomi and his immediate followers, the remaining eight clones spread throughout the area had already intercepted and neutralized the fleeing remnants of the Sky Ninja forces. Tatsuya's orders hadn't been for complete annihilation, however. A number of the Sky Ninja were kept alive, captured rather than killed. They would be valuable sources of intelligence, and more practically, their knowledge would be necessary for repairing and eventually operating the massive Ancor Vantian Fortress.
Indeed, the reason Tatsuya had mobilized Kagutsuchi, Suijin, and a full ten clones so proactively against Shinno and Yomi wasn't just to acquire their unique medical ninjutsu and forbidden techniques. The most crucial objective had always been the capture of the Ancor Vantian Fortress itself.
In Tatsuya's grand strategy, this colossal flying fortress was destined to become the future mobile base of operations for the Divine Court.
Back in Konoha Village, on one of the training grounds.
Thwack! Crack! Boom!
The sharp, percussive sounds of fists and feet colliding echoed relentlessly. Two figures blurred across the field, moving at incredible speeds, their intense taijutsu exchange leaving tangible afterimages hanging in the air. Both combatants were extraordinarily fast, and the force behind their blows was immense, generating powerful gusts of wind that swept outwards, causing the trees lining the edge of the training ground, dozens of meters away, to sway violently.
Leaning against a tree at the edge of the field, Kakashi had his left hand casually tucked in his pocket, while his right held a familiar orange book – Make-Out Paradise. His back was turned to the ongoing spar, his visible eye completely engrossed in the book's contents. He couldn't muster even the slightest flicker of interest in the battle raging behind him.
Those two monsters, Kakashi thought with a mental sigh. They've been going at it for nearly half an hour, and they're still overflowing with energy! That kind of stamina… it was something he couldn't even dream of matching anymore. That kind of purely physical, head-on, 'manly' brawl… it was a style of combat he hadn't seriously engaged in for a very long time.
The two figures currently tearing up the training ground were, of course, Tatsuya and Guy.
WHAM!
Another earth-shattering collision, and the two separated, landing lightly several meters apart. As Tatsuya stabilized himself, his body suddenly paused for a fraction of a second. A massive influx of information and complex memories flooded his mind instantaneously.
It was the report, transmitted back from his clones at the Ancor Vantian Fortress in the Land of Rivers.
A faint smile touched Tatsuya's lips. Perfect. The Divine Court's base is secured!