En Oyashiro's usual tactics relied on a simple but brutal fact: if an enemy bled, then the battle was already tilting in his favor. Blood was not merely a consequence of injury to him; it was both leverage and ammunition. Against living opponents, even elite shinobi, this approach inevitably snowballed. But the figure in front of him now shattered that logic entirely.
Might Duy did not bleed.
The blood net that En Oyashiro had woven around him tightened like a living lattice, its blood strands flowing with chakra as they constricted. For a fraction of a second, En Oyashiro allowed himself to believe the capture had succeeded and... that assumption nearly killed him.
Might Duy's body stiffened unnaturally with muscles bulging. Then his head lifted, eyes unfocused and hollow and pure black sclera, and when he spoke, the voice was not his own. It was smooth yet creepy, and unmistakably Orochimaru's.
"Eight Gates of Death:," the voice intoned, savoring every word, "Hashirama cells amplification."
The blood net restraining Duy detonated outward. Strands snapped and evaporated, or were torn apart by raw force as Might Duy surged forward with speed that bent the space around him as he vanished. En Oyashiro reacted a heartbeat too late.
"Blood shield—" he shouted, controlling the little blood in front of him.
The blood in front of him solidified instantly, forming a hardened barrier dense enough to deflect blades and even blunt explosive force. Might Duy shattered it with a single punch, the impact vaporizing the shield and sending shockwaves tearing through the ground beneath them. His fist continued forward without slowing.
The blow struck En Oyashiro squarely... only for the body to burst apart into liquid mass. It had been a blood clone, manipulated at the last instant. The liquefied form blasted, smearing across Might Duy's face and eyes, temporarily blinding him.
Normally, such a maneuver of blinding would be meaningless against an opponent of this caliber. However, the inferno pouring off Might Duy's body changed the situation entirely. The heat was so extreme that En Oyashiro's blood on Duy's face coagulated instantly, hardening into crusted plates that fused across Might Duy's face and jaw. The sudden obstruction forced a pause.
En Oyashiro used that moment without hesitation. He tore himself free from the immediate kill zone, retreating backward. His breathing was already heavy, his reserves dwindling rapidly. Without an external blood source, every technique he used now cost him directly as he was using his own blood.
He enveloped himself inside a flexible blood cocoon, compressing and rotating the mass around his body to absorb kinetic force. It was a defensive technique meant to buy seconds, nothing more.
Might Duy recovered almost instantly with a beastly roar, he punched the red cocoon like a projectile, sending it screaming across the battlefield toward the Valley of Hell. En Oyashiro adjusted his internal posture mid-flight, intentionally allowing the trajectory to carry him away to the valley of hell, his home ground.
Ten seconds had passed since the activation of the Eighth Gate and one minute had passed since En Oyashiro had arrived to assist Renga.
~~
<70 Seconds back>
Far from the clash, Kaien after being left a safe distance behind the battlefield went to meet Renga who was resting while En Oyashiro fought Might Duy.
Kaien ran towards Renga, who sat against thick tree, breathing steadily despite his injuries. His armor was cracked and his body was bruised, but he had no life-threatening injuires. When Kaien called his name, Renga turned sharply, irritation flaring through his exhaustion.
"Kaien," Renga said harshly, forcing himself upright, "what are you doing here? I ordered you to return to Kumo. This battlefield is beyond your level."
Kaien met his gaze without flinching, despite the lingering fear coiled tightly in his chest. "Don't worry, Captain. I was the one who contacted Chinoike clan head, En Oyashiro. He came because I asked him to."
Renga's expression shifted instantly, relief mixing with unease. "So that was your doing," he said quietly. "You may have just saved all our lives."
Then his brow furrowed, "This mission has already escalated beyond A-rank. It has reached S-rank."
Kaien nodded once, accepting the turn of events. "I know. But there was no other option."
Silence settled between them for a moment, filled only by the distant thunder of combat of En Oyashiro thrashing Duy. Then Kaien spoke again, his voice measured but urgent.
"Captain, why didn't you teleport the enemy earlier?" he asked. "Your Heavenly Transfer Technique should be able to remove him from the battlefield entirely."
Renga exhaled slowly, having anticipated the question. "It isn't that simple," he replied. "The chakra cost is enormous, and the target must remain stationary long enough for the anchor to lock. Against an opponent moving at that such speeds, it's nearly impossible."
Kaien frowned slightly, thinking. "What if you didn't move the whole body?" he asked. "Why not relocate just a portion? Even moving something a few centimeters could cause catastrophic internal damage. The smaller the displacement, the lower the chakra cost."
Renga stared at him.
The battlefield seemed to fade from his awareness as the idea took hold. He had always conceptualized his technique as purely logistical, designed for transport and evacuation. He had never considered weaponizing it at such a granular level.
"That…" Renga murmured, eyes widening, "that could work."
Then the light in his expression dimmed again as reality reasserted itself. "But it still requires the target to remain still, even briefly."
Kaien nodded. "True... maybe this is the problem you have to solve alone."
Before Renga could respond, both of them turned as a massive red sphere streaked across the sky toward the Valley of Hell. Might Duy followed it instantly.
Renga pushed himself to his feet. "That's En Oyashiro," he said grimly. "I have to assist him. I've recovered enough chakra."
He paused, looking down at Kaien, his voice firm. "You've done more than anyone could expect. You are not even a full-fledged ninja yet... Retreat, we'll handle it from here."
Kaien clenched his fists. He remembered retreating earlier, the helplessness of running while his comrades fought and the frustration, the sense of being useless despite all his preparation and training. This time, he would not accept it.
"No, Captain," Kaien said quietly but firmly. "I've already expended most of my strength bringing En Oyashiro here. While returning, he carried me so I was able to recover. I'm not at full capacity, but I'm not spent either."
Renga opened his mouth to argue, but Kaien continued. "I won't stand in your way. I won't interfere with your command. But I can still support Darui, even small disruptions matter against enemies like these. I will do whatever small I can. I know my limits."
Renga studied him carefully. Finally, he nodded once. "Very well," he said. "But stay alive. That is an order."
Kaien bowed deeply, then turned and ran back toward Darui's position, the battlefield roaring louder with every step. He didn't know if they would survive what came next. He didn't know if En Oyashiro could endure the Eighth Gate long enough.
As Renga watched the Kaien's back. He was internally thanking him as he was worried that his Daughter, Mabui, will be in danger if he didn't finish the fight soon enough but luckily support came in time.
He steeled him as he turned towards the direction the duo went as he followed them.
~~
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