The air trembled before the sound even reached us. The first projectile was already cutting through the mist, dragging a sharp whistle behind it. In that same instant, Shisui's pupils narrowed, and the Sharingan bloomed to life.
The tomoe spun once, faster than thought, twisting together until they formed a four-pointed shuriken pattern. The Mangekyo ignited, crimson light flooding his gaze. Chakra burst from his body in a violent pulse that bent the air around him. The mist flattened outward in a perfect ring, then sucked back toward him with a deafening crack as the pressure wave reversed.
The distortion field screamed in protest. Reality itself seemed to twist as Shisui forced chakra through the interference, his control absolute.
A thin line of blood slipped from the corner of his eye, tracing down his cheek as the weight of power settled in. The pressure pressed down so hard that the earth trembled beneath us. His chakra roared to life, wild and unrestrained, tearing through the air like a storm breaking its cage.
Then something took form. Transparent at first, then sharp and solid, edged in shimmering green light. A ribcage, vast and angular, snapped into existence around us with a metallic clang that vibrated through my bones.
The first volley of stone bullets hit head-on.
The impact was immediate. The sound exploded outward, thunder on thunder, shaking the clearing to its roots. Soil erupted in a shockwave that tore through the moss, scattering leaves and dirt in every direction. Each projectile struck with terrifying force, exploding against the ribs in bursts of pulverized rock and chakra. Fragments of glowing stone ricocheted off the Susanoo's surface, raining molten sparks that hissed as they struck the damp ground.
The impact shook the clearing.
The Earth Dragon roared again. Its chakra veins glowed brighter, pulsing like molten arteries as it gathered another torrent. The next barrage hit harder. The Susanoo's ribs cracked under the force, faint spider lines racing across the spectral bone before knitting together again through Shisui's sheer control. Each impact sent vibrations through the soil so fierce that the trees along the edge of the clearing bent inward, bark peeling under the shock.
Shisui stood unmoving at the center of it all, his cloak whipping in the storm of chakra, his face half-shadowed by the flickering green light. His chakra was no longer calm or refined. It was wild, electric, alive. Every pulse was the heartbeat of the Mangekyo itself, feeding the half-formed green guardian that shielded us.
The last projectile shattered against the Susanoo's ribs with a deafening crack that tore the silence wide open. Dust and debris rose in waves, swallowed by the rising mist. When it cleared, the ribcage still stood, scorched, but unbroken.
For a moment, no one moved. The forest was silent except for the low hiss of settling dust. The air was thick with chakra, sharp enough to taste. I realized what I was feeling was not fear. It was awe, the kind that only existed when you witnessed power that should not belong to a human.
Ox gave a quiet, low laugh. "As expected of Konoha's legend, Shisui of the Flicker. To use such a complex jutsu inside a chakra distortion field... the rumors were true after all."
Shisui stood tall within the faint red glow of his Susanoo, his eyes sharp even through the blood that trailed down his cheek. He allowed himself a confident smirk. "And what exactly do they say about me?"
Ox chuckled, voice cold and amused. "They say you are not only talented but relentless. Good. That means killing you will be far more satisfying."
Shisui looked back at us, the blood still running freely from his eyes. The sight froze Sena and Kaen in place. His voice stayed calm and steady despite the crimson streaks down his face.
"Stay inside this chakra construct. It is the safest place in this field. However, if something unexpected happens," he said, turning his gaze directly to me, his eyes sharp even through the blood. "Use Stormdrive and pull Sena and Kaen into the forest. Get out of the chakra distortion zone. I am certain they have a contingency prepared for you as well, so be very careful."
He drew in a slow breath. "Also," he began, but before he could finish, the Earth Dragon's jaw opened once more.
A new projectile tore through the fog with a deafening roar. Hidden behind it, shrouded by distortion and dust, another figure moved at inhuman speed.
Rabbit.
The white mask appeared through the smoke, sword drawn and glowing with blue light. The projectile slammed into the Susanoo, detonating in a violent burst that shattered bone and light alike. The ground quaked under the explosion. Shards of stone and fragments of chakra flew in all directions, turning the clearing into a storm of chaos.
Through that storm, Rabbit advanced like a blade made flesh.
Shisui's eyes narrowed, but at that moment something flared beneath his collarbone. A faint glow spread under his old ANBU mark, its pattern twisting like black ink awakening from sleep. The seal crawled across his skin, tightening and fading beneath the surface as his chakra began to collapse.
The red glow in Shisui's eyes flickered, then vanished completely. The Mangekyo pattern dissolved, leaving only dark, human eyes filled with shock. His chakra plummeted, swallowed by the distortion like a stone vanishing into deep water. The air grew heavier, almost suffocating.
"Stormdrive."
The word left my lips before I realized I had said it.
Lightning erupted across my body, crawling along my arms and shoulders in violent blue arcs. The air cracked open. The distortion field tried to crush the surge, but it could not suppress what came from within me. Stormdrive fed on the electricity of my own body, driven by physical energy instead of external chakra flow. The interference could only twist it, never stop it. The lightning wove through the distortion like water slipping through broken glass.
The light around me grew brighter until the world was tinted blue. The smell of ozone filled my lungs, sharp and metallic. Static hummed across the soaked moss as I focused every ounce of control I had left. Then I seized Sena and Kaen by the arms.
We vanished.
The ground split open from the burst of force as the three of us shot through the fog like a thunderbolt cutting through a storm. Trees blurred into gray streaks. The distortion fought to drag at my chakra, but Stormdrive's violent current tore through it with raw, reckless strength. My skin burned. Every nerve screamed as the air warped around us.
Behind us, Rabbit's blade came down at the exact moment I flickered. Shisui turned just in time, his movement a flash of instinct, faster than sound. Even so, the sword sliced across his neck, carving a deep wound that ran dangerously close to his neck artery. Blood sprayed in a crimson arc, glimmering against the faint red light of the fading Susanoo.
Before he could regain balance, Ox lunged. His movements were heavy but sharp, every step splitting the ground beneath him. Rabbit spun his sword mid-air, flinging Shisui's blood into the mist before striking again, faster and closer, aiming for his throat.
Shisui's chakra flared weakly, fighting the suppression that chained him. His body shook under the pressure, but his instincts never faltered. The remnants of Susanoo's light flickered around him like dying embers as he prepared to meet both attackers head-on.
The ground trembled again. The fog thickened, curling around the silhouettes of killers closing in. Rabbit's blade gleamed through the mist, and Ox's next strike was already inbound.
Even weakened, Shisui of the Flicker refused to fall without a fight. He forced every fiber of his body to obey. With perfect timing and ruthless control, he flickered to the side. Rabbit's blade and Ox's stone-coated fist collided with the spot where we had been standing only a second earlier, tearing it apart in a violent explosion of earth and light.
Shisui appeared several meters away, breath heavy and uneven, pain rippling through his legs. The strain was unbearable. Without chakra reinforcement, every movement shredded muscle and tendon, but he still stood ready, eyes locked on the two figures closing in.
If Noa and Shisui had been even a heartbeat slower, the coordinated strike would have crushed everything in its path, leaving nothing alive in that clearing.