The Forest of Death was surprisingly quiet now, as if it had frozen in anticipation of something dangerous. And yet, within this oppressive silence stood a lone figure who felt more exhilarated than ever.
Kuro stood in the middle of a clearing, illuminated by sunlight breaking through the treetops. A wide, daring smile touched his lips, full of anticipation. The black-haired youth formed a hand seal resembling a bird and spoke in a deep, confident voice:
"Appear, Nue."
From the thickened shadow beneath his feet emerged a strange creature, the sight of which would leave many speechless. A massive owl-like silhouette wearing a skull mask, with orange feathers, razor-sharp talons, and a pair of mighty wings—each crackling with dangerous violet lightning. Narrow, glowing eyes shone from beneath the bone mask, radiating primal malice, and on its forehead was the same symbol as that of the Great Serpent.
"So you're here, little bird," Kuro whispered, stepping back. "Let's see what you're capable of."
Nue let out a roar. The air rang with vibration, and the next moment the shikigami soared upward, leaving behind a vortex of fallen leaves and several broken branches. In response, Kuro wove another hand seal.
"Gama, come out."
A gigantic amphibian with swamp-green skin lazily emerged from the shadow. The moment the toad fully materialized on the ground, its tongue shot upward, trying to wrap around Nue's limb.
But fighting a bird in the air was not the best idea. No matter how fast Gama's attack was, it still couldn't keep up with Nue's speed and maneuverability, despite its impressive size.
"Not bad at all," Nara muttered with a smirk and formed seals again. "Then how about… this?"
From beneath his feet, hundreds of fluffy creatures burst forth at high speed. The Rabbit Escape was one of Kuro's most flexible techniques. The shikigami quickly spread across the clearing, creating chaos. Some distracted the enemy, while others began forming a dome, trying to trap Nue inside.
But the next instant, a sharp crack rang out—lightning! The monster's wings flared with violet arcs, and a single flap sent a lightning-charged whirlwind into the air. Bolts of electricity tore across the clearing, slicing through tree trunks and effortlessly destroying the rabbits' structure as if it were made of paper.
Kuro laughed softly, casually leaping away from several electric arcs aimed at him. Nara ended up on the branch of a nearby tree, lazily hanging upside down.
"That really was pretty good," he exhaled, recalling his shadows. "But it's time to end this."
The youth stood motionless, watching Nue circle above the clearing. His pupils narrowed with excitement, and a triumphant smile spread across his lips.
The next second, his silhouette vanished in a shunshin. In a single moment, Kuro was in the air, behind the shikigami. For the first time in a long while, his body no longer restrained even a fraction of its strength—there was no need to pretend now. He focused chakra into his leg, tensing every muscle, and delivered a sweeping strike at wild speed.
"How do you like that!"
Kuro's heel slammed into the shikigami's back, and the huge, heavy Nue was sent flying like a comet, tearing through every tree and stone in its path. The crack of splintering wood, a trail of dust and feathers—all of it merged into chaos, leaving behind an impressive path of destruction.
But despite its battered appearance, Nue clearly had no intention of giving up. Bursting free from the debris, the shikigami roared, violet electricity humming through its wings. With a couple of powerful flaps, a barrage of compressed air currents saturated with lightning shot toward Kuro. Electricity hissed across the clearing, bathing it in bright violet light.
Seeing this, Nara didn't panic at all.
"Impressive."
He raised his hand—and countless invisible slashes flared into existence before him. Furious cutting attacks tore through the air, completely destroying the incoming barrage. When the two techniques collided, the air shuddered with an explosion, dust and lightning rising into a swirling cloud that slowly began to disperse.
Kuro himself was no longer there.
"Dismantle."
From the dusty cloud flew two thin, invisible cuts—they crossed the shikigami's body at diagonal angles. Its massive chest trembled, and violet blood splashed onto the ground, staining roots and grass.
Nue desperately flapped its wings, trying to take to the air again. But it didn't make it. Nara appeared beside it once more, directly in midair, above the shadow. His eyes gleamed, and his right hand was already touching the creature's bone mask.
"Cleave," he whispered incredibly softly. "Welcome."
As if on command, Nue's mask began to crack. Hundreds of cuts raced across its entire body, and in a fraction of a second it shattered into dozens of dark fragments, dissolving into the air and returning to shadow.
Kuro landed softly on the ground, running a hand through his hair while assessing the scale of the destruction around him.
"I should get out of here soon," he said aloud. "But now, with a flying shikigami in reserve, I'll be able to escape almost any dangerous situation."
He ran his hand over the shadow into which Nue had returned. Its surface rippled slightly, like water, and then became smooth again.
Closer to evening, as Kuro was heading home, enjoying the calm of the village, he turned toward the Nara district and was almost at the house when he noticed a familiar figure sitting by the porch.
"Yo," Shikaku nodded lazily. "Looks like you're in no hurry to get home."
"Not everyone gets to laze around all day," Kuro smirked. "And what are you doing here?"
"I just knew you'd show up," Shikaku replied lazily and nodded toward the board beside him. "Care for a game?"
"Absolutely. I've just come up with a couple of new moves."
"Well then, let's see them," Shikaku said, making the first move. "How was your first real mission?"
"Hm. Hard to say. We were attacked by a group of nukenin in the middle of the road, and a fight broke out. They weren't very strong, but you know—training doesn't prepare you for that level of stress."
"Oh?" Hearing this, Shikaku even stopped moving the pieces. "And Orochimaru—wasn't he supposed to… ah, I see."
"Yeah. Our sensei apparently decided to test whether yesterday's Academy students were ready for greater challenges. He basically gave us a combat exam."
"I don't know much about Orochimaru, but he sounds like a pretty harsh mentor," Shikaku snorted. "And how do you feel after all that?"
"I'm fine. I'm not Minato—I don't have any illusions about the destiny of a shinobi. But enough about me. How was your first mission?"
"Easier than yours. We cleared out a couple of bandit groups attacking small settlements. There weren't even any genin among them, so everything went smoothly."
"I see." Kuro made a move, setting a trap on the board. "You know, despite Orochimaru's difficult personality, I'm actually glad he became my mentor. I'm sure progress with him will be as fast as possible."
"Masochist."
"Screw you."
"Feels like we're all growing up too fast."
They fell silent for a while, playing almost mechanically. Soon the sky darkened slightly, and the first street lamps began to light up.
"Have you noticed how there've been more and more nukenin lately?" Kuro suddenly asked.
"I've heard about it. Too many strong shinobi are leaving their villages, as if…"
"They're running from something."
"Exactly. My father keeps talking about worrying reports at home. Major clans are refusing missions connected to neighboring countries. You know, my dad barely sleeps anymore—that's very unusual for him. You understand what that means, right?"
Kuro nodded, his gaze growing serious.
"The Second Shinobi War is close."
"I really wouldn't want to take part in that. What a pain," Shikaku muttered.
"I think that's exactly why they're rushing to teach us everything. Orochimaru, your father, my grandfather—they all feel we don't have much time."
"And yet here we are, sitting and playing shogi," Shikaku smirked, making his move and ending the match with a crushing victory.