Northern Region…
A monstrous creature, winged, with a cat's body on its right side and a leopard's on its left, let out a final shriek before collapsing in a pool of blood.
Nearby, three graceful female figures stood: Anko, Kurenai, and Yakumo, whom Shikamaru had missed when he returned to the village.
Clap, clap,
Anko clapped her hands and smiled at the other two. "That's the eighth one, right? Mission complete."
"Yup! All thanks to you, Anko-sis~!" Yakumo beamed.
The monster at their feet wasn't some ordinary beast, it bore a curse mark and had entered its second state, a form granted by Orochimaru's forbidden experiments.
A month ago, these creatures had begun appearing suddenly in the northern Fire Country, rampaging through the region. Their mission was to eliminate them. Reports indicated eight such creatures, and thanks to Anko's keen sensing abilities, they had just taken down the last one.
"Let's go! We need to hurry back to Konoha, Shikamaru might already be back," Kurenai added with a smile.
Just as the trio turned to leave, Anko suddenly froze, clutching the side of her neck, right where her curse mark was.
"Agh... it hurts..." she gasped. The curse mark had flared up without warning, more sudden and painful than ever. Anko collapsed to her knees.
"Anko, what's wrong?!" Kurenai's expression turned serious. The mark on Anko's neck had remained dormant ever since she had fused with Orochimaru's shadow. Now it was flaring up again, and all while they had just finished slaying a creature powered by a curse mark…
Whoosh!
A sharp gust sliced through the air. Kurenai's eyes widened, she scooped Anko into her arms, pulled Yakumo close, and instantly activated her Swift Release to evade!
Boom!
A massive blade crashed into the spot where they'd just stood, gouging a crater into the earth. A new figure appeared in front of them, a young man with white hair, about Yakumo's age. Strangely, the muscles in his right arm bulged unnaturally. In his hand, unmistakably, was Zabuza's famed Executioner's Blade.
It was Suigetsu, a member of the original "Hebi" Squad in the main series.
Kurenai narrowed her eyes. "Who are you people?"
Alongside Suigetsu stood Jugo, Karin, a fiery red-haired girl named Sasame, and a blue-haired beauty with Crystal Release: Guren.
While it wasn't surprising for Jugo, Suigetsu, and Karin to be together, Sasame of the Fuma Clan and Guren's presence was unexpected. Jugo had sought them out, drawn by their abilities.
After learning that Orochimaru had died, killed by Shikamaru, the same boy who had defeated Kimimaro, Jugo had vowed revenge. Kimimaro had once spoken to him about Sasuke... and all of them had fallen to Shikamaru.
After Orochimaru's fall, Karin abandoned the northern hideout, telling Jugo everything. Guren, possessing Crystal Release, and Sasame, who had joined the Sound Village seeking her cousin Arashi, were brought into the fold. As if fate itself demanded it, Jugo dubbed their team "Hebi", the Snake Squad, once again.
"Heh… You don't need to know who we are," Jugo said with a twisted grin. "Just know we're here for revenge, on behalf of Orochimaru."
"Hmph. So you're just Orochimaru's leftovers. Then those monsters were your doing too?" Kurenai snapped coldly.
"Anko, are you alright?" she asked over her shoulder with concern.
"I'm okay now," Anko replied, gripping her neck. The sudden activation had been triggered by Jugo, the original source of the curse marks. Now that her body had adapted again, she was stable. After all, she had fused with Orochimaru's shadow.
"Hmph, Suigetsu! You take the one with the sketchpad. Got it?" Jugo barked.
"I'll handle the one carrying my curse mark," he added with a sinister grin. "Karin! You and Guren take on Kurenai."
"Understood."
Sasame silently stepped to the side, her eyes wary as she watched the Konoha trio, poised to strike when the time was right. Her unique jutsu allowed her to connect her chakra threads to her target's heart, and damage them by hurting herself. It was similar to Hidan's technique, except she wasn't immortal.
"Hmph! Don't underestimate us! Secret Art: Snake Shadow Hands!" Anko shouted as countless serpentine arms launched from her sleeves.
"Heh… I'm your opponent!" Jugo cackled. His right arm entered the second curse state, and he swatted the attack aside.
Anko appeared instantly behind him, engaging Jugo in close combat.
Simultaneously, Guren faced off against Kurenai, and Suigetsu lunged toward Yakumo.
"Hmph!" came two simultaneous cries from Kurenai and Yakumo. "Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"
Karin formed hand seals, and chakra surged from both Suigetsu and Guren. To Kurenai's shock, Guren completely ignored the genjutsu.
Karin, a sensory-type ninja, was skilled at dispelling illusions. However, even she was unaware that Yakumo's genjutsu was far from ordinary…
Yakumo didn't panic when Suigetsu broke free. She knew they were outnumbered, so speed was the key.
She swiftly sketched on her drawing board, and just before Suigetsu's blade could strike, he found his mind pulled into Yakumo's illusionary realm!
"What the…?" Suigetsu realized he was suddenly in an unfamiliar space, an illusion. But wasn't Karin supposed to protect against this?
Whizz!
Countless kunai formed around him, then shot toward him all at once!
"Tch! Water Style: Hydrification Technique!" Suigetsu grunted, turning his body into liquid to nullify the attacks.
Yakumo unleashed many techniques but realized that physical attacks were ineffective against Suigetsu. "Hmph… You're made of water? Let's see what happens when I boil you dry."
In her illusion, the scene shifted to a volcanic eruption. Suigetsu gasped, the heat felt real.
Elsewhere, the rest of Hebi Squad heard a piercing scream. Turning, they were horrified to see Suigetsu, wielding the Executioner's Blade, disintegrate into ashes in front of Yakumo. There wasn't even a fire. Just… nothingness.
Clang! The massive blade dropped to the ground.
Suigetsu, a powerful shinobi, had died just like that… crushed in silence.
But Yakumo didn't have time to celebrate. Her body shuddered. A blue chakra thread had pierced her chest, right into her heart. She looked up and saw the orange-haired girl, Sasame, on the other end, the thread connecting their hearts.
"Hmph." Sasame smirked and yanked her thread tight.
"AHH!" Both girls screamed as blood spewed from their mouths, simultaneous heart trauma.
"Yakumo!" Kurenai turned instantly at her student's scream and dashed to her side.
She spotted the chakra thread and slashed it with a kunai, ting!, but it didn't break. Worse, the pull made Yakumo cry out again. Kurenai froze, not daring to risk more damage.
"Your opponent is me!" Guren suddenly appeared behind Kurenai, using her Kekkei Genkai to summon a crystal sphere that trapped both teacher and student inside!
With Kurenai restrained, Karin quickly formed hand seals. Chakra flared over the crystal sphere, a barrier seal to reinforce the prison. Karin also mastered barrier techniques!
"Damn it…" Kurenai cursed. She could've broken free on her own, but now she couldn't move at all.
Everything, Suigetsu's death, Yakumo and Kurenai's capture, had happened in mere moments. Anko, locked in combat with Jugo, was too far to help.
"Karin-sis…" Sasame called weakly.
"Don't talk. Bite me!" Karin offered her arm. Sasame bit down, and within seconds, her heart wound was healed.
"Suigetsu's dead! Karin-sis, I'll avenge him!" Sasame growled, gripping her thread, ready to pull again.
"Wait!" Karin stopped her. "Let Jugo finish that woman off first. You just keep her heart under control, no need to hurt yourself."
This was their usual tactic: Sasame injured the target, someone else delivered the finishing blow, and Karin healed her afterward.
"Okay." Sasame nodded and turned her eyes to the sky, to the battle between Jugo and Anko.
ROARRR! Jugo, being suppressed, suddenly howled. A terrifying bloodlust surged around him. He transformed fully into Curse Mark State Two!
"Oh no! He's gone berserk!" Karin's face paled. Anko had forced him that far? Jugo's berserk state knew nothing but murder. Karin realized Anko's fighting style was eerily similar to Orochimaru's, but she lacked his overwhelming experience.
Smash! Jugo's massive hand slammed Anko away. She flew backward, coughing blood. The moment he transformed, her curse mark had flared up again, distracting her long enough to be hit.
ROARR! Jugo let out another beast-like bellow, his mutated arms ready to smash Anko's limp body midair…
⚔──────────────
Far south, just past the Land of Waves,
Shikamaru, carrying Nami, suddenly froze mid-step. His face twisted in shock. The shadow clone he'd linked to Anko had just sent him a distress signal, they were in danger.
"Shikamaru, what is it?" Sakura noticed his expression immediately.
"Sakura! Hanabi! Get Nami and Taio back to Konoha. I'm going ahead!" Shikamaru handed Nami over, then fwip!, unleashed his Shadow Wings and shot into the sky, disappearing toward the north in a black blur.
"What the hell happened? Kurenai, Anko, and Yakumo are together, how could they be in danger? Don't tell me it's Akatsuki?" Shikamaru gritted his teeth. The clone didn't specify the threat, only that their lives were at stake.
"Good thing I placed a clone on all of them," he muttered. "It might just be enough to keep them alive until I get there!"
Below, anyone who happened to look up would only see a faint black streak shooting across the sky…
⚔──────────────
Back on the battlefield,
Jugo's wicked grin suddenly froze.
From Anko's body, a wave of black mist erupted…
⚔────────
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