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Blood Moon Over Kumo
Chapter 3: The Cage of Lightning
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The air in Kumo's subterranean prison was thick with the scent of ozone and blood. Dim torches flickered, casting jagged shadows across the sealed chamber where Vorga lay shackled. Chakra-suppressing seals pulsed faintly on his restraints, their intricate symbols etched into steel cuffs that bit into his wrists and ankles. The Saiyan's chest rose and fell unevenly, his body battered but already knitting itself back together—faster than any human should. His eyes, half-lidded, glowed with a defiant spark, even as pain gnawed at his bones.
Above him, a scientist named Yui adjusted her goggles, her gloved hands hovering over a tray of surgical tools. A glowing vial of Vorga's blood sat on a nearby table, its contents shimmering with an unnatural vitality. "Fascinating," she muttered, scribbling notes. "His cells regenerate at an exponential rate. No chakra signature, yet… something else. Something primal."
Behind a reinforced glass wall, the Fourth Raikage, A, stood with arms crossed, his lightning-scarred face set in a scowl. Darui leaned nearby, flipping Vorga's broken scouter between his fingers, its cracked lens reflecting the torchlight. "This thing's tech is alien," Darui said, voice low. "No village could build it. You think he's telling the truth about being… what, a 'Saiyan'?"
A snorted. "Doesn't matter what he calls himself. He's a walking disaster. Killed eight of our best in minutes." His fist clenched, sparks dancing across his knuckles. "If we can't control him, we end him."
Yui glanced up, her eyes gleaming with ambition. "Lord Raikage, if I may—his biology could revolutionize Kumo's military. If we extract this… 'ki' energy, we could enhance our shinobi. Imagine lightning armor with his regenerative factor."
A's gaze didn't waver from Vorga. "And if he breaks free? You saw what he did to a mountain."
Yui's lips twitched into a smirk. "The seals will hold. He's no shinobi—he can't manipulate chakra to escape."
On the table, Vorga's fingers twitched. His ears caught every word, his Saiyan senses sharpening despite the seals' dampening effect. Pain was an old friend, a teacher. Each throb in his cracked ribs, each sting from the gash on his shoulder, fueled a faint pulse of strength—Zenkai stirring in his blood. These fools thought him broken. They'd learn.
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The chamber's door hissed open, admitting a new figure—Toroi, a grizzled Kumo interrogator with magnetic chakra and a reputation for breaking even the toughest prisoners. His eyes locked onto Vorga, sizing him up like a butcher eyeing a slab of meat. "So, this is the beast who bloodied the Raikage," Toroi said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see how tough you are without your fancy moves."
Vorga's lips curled into a faint snarl. "Untie me, and I'll show you."
Toroi chuckled, pulling a kunai etched with magnetic seals. "Big talk for a chained dog." He pressed the blade against Vorga's chest, just above his heart. "Tell us who sent you. Iwa? Konoha? Or are you some rogue experiment?"
Vorga's eyes flicked to the kunai, then to Toroi's face. "I answer to no one. Least of all weaklings like you."
Toroi's grin vanished. He drove the kunai into Vorga's shoulder, twisting it. Blood welled, but Vorga didn't flinch—his gaze burned, unyielding. "Wrong answer," Toroi growled, activating his magnetic chakra. The seals on the kunai pulsed, sending a jolt of electricity through Vorga's body. The Saiyan's muscles seized, his teeth grinding, but a low, guttural laugh escaped his throat.
"That… tickles," Vorga rasped, his voice dripping with mockery.
Toroi's face darkened. He gestured to Yui, who activated a control panel. The seals on Vorga's restraints flared brighter, channeling a surge of chakra that burned like fire through his nerves. This time, Vorga roared, his body arching against the table, chains rattling. The pain was unlike anything he'd faced—not ki, not physical, but something that clawed at his very essence.
Behind the glass, Darui frowned. "He's not breaking, boss. He's… enjoying it."
A's eyes narrowed. "He's a monster. But monsters can be useful."
Yui paused the surge, studying a monitor. "His vitals are stabilizing—faster than before. The damage is… healing." She turned to A, her voice urgent. "Lord Raikage, his body's adapting to the seals. If we push harder, we might trigger something worse."
A stepped closer to the glass, his voice cold. "Then push harder. I want answers."
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Hours bled into one another. Toroi alternated between magnetic torture and precise cuts, each wound designed to weaken Vorga's resolve. But the Saiyan's body defied them. Gashes closed within minutes. Bruises faded. His Zenkai was subtle, not enough to break the seals, but enough to keep him conscious, defiant. His laughter grew louder with each session, unnerving even Toroi.
Finally, Toroi slammed his fist on the table. "Talk, damn you! What's your mission? Where's your army?"
Vorga's bloodied lips parted in a grin, his voice a low growl. "My army? Dead. My mission? Survive… and conquer." His eyes locked onto Toroi's, a predator's stare. "You're not ready for what's coming."
A chill ran through the room. Toroi stepped back, gripping his kunai tighter. Yui's monitor beeped frantically—Vorga's energy was spiking, a faint golden aura flickering around him, straining the seals. The chains groaned, metal creaking under his swelling strength.
"Enough!" A barked, storming into the chamber. He grabbed Toroi by the shoulder, pulling him back. "You're wasting time. He's not human—he doesn't break like one."
Vorga's head tilted, his voice a rasp. "Smart man. But you're still prey."
A's fist crackled with lightning, inches from Vorga's face. "Keep talking, and I'll bury you in this mountain."
Before Vorga could retort, an alarm blared. A shinobi burst into the chamber, panting. "Lord Raikage! Intruders at the western gate—Root agents from Konoha. They're after the prisoner!"
A's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Danzo," he spat. "That snake wants this thing for himself."
Darui pocketed the scouter, drawing his cleaver sword. "Orders, boss?"
"Secure the perimeter. No one gets near him." A glanced at Vorga, whose grin hadn't faded. "And double the seals. If he twitches, fry him."
As A and Darui stormed out, Yui adjusted the controls, the seals glowing brighter. Vorga's body tensed, the golden flicker fading, but his eyes burned with a promise of chaos. Outside, the blood moon hung high, its light seeping through cracks in the fortress, as if watching, waiting.
Somewhere in the shadows, a Root agent slipped closer, a vial of poison glinting in their hand.
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