The air itself seemed to tremble.
Humidity clung to Ishiki's skin, his breath sharp, his heartbeat steadying into the rhythm of battle. He drank the final drop of Concentrated Food and felt vital heat pulse through him, his muscles tightening, his mind sharpening.
Then he placed the Genius Helmet on his head.
And the world slowed.
Sound stretched.Wind patterns curved visibly.Shino's chakra flickered like a violent flame.
Ishiki's brain began running calculations at impossible speed, angles, footwork, chakra flow, timing, risk, and kill zones. The Genius Helmet unlocked a terrifying clarity that bordered on superhuman.
He gripped Denkomaru, the toy sword that had become a perfect defence, in his right hand.With his left hand, he wrapped the shimmering fabric of the Reverse Cloak around his arm.
This was everything he had.Every tool.Every drop of courage.Every second he could steal to keep his village alive.
He stepped toward Shino.
A duel was inevitable.
Sarutobi Shino raised his sword lazily, as if greeting a child.
"So," he drawled, his voice dripping contempt, "you finally stopped running."
He swung.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sword!"
A crescent of pressurised wind, razor-thin, invisible death, tore through the air toward Ishiki.
Ishiki reacted instantly.
He stepped forward, swinging the Reverse Cloak.
FWIP!!
The cloak glowed faintly as it caught the technique, then hurled it back with even greater speed.
Shino's eyes widened.
He leapt aside, the returning blade slicing a deep groove into the earth where he'd stood moments before.
Recovering his composure, he scoffed.
"So my subordinate wasn't lying.Hand it over, boy.This is the last chance I will give you."
Ishiki didn't respond.
He lunged.
Denkomaru flashed.
Shino blocked the strike, steel clashing violently with the toy-looking blade.A second, a third, a fourth blow followed in rapid-fire succession.
Ishiki pressed forward relentlessly.
The Genius Helmet fed him real-time combat predictions, angles, weaknesses, micro-motions in Shino's stance.
His movements became flawless.Sharp.Efficient.Relentless.
Each step disrupted Shino's balance.Each strike forced him onto the defensive.
But Shino was not a novice.
He was a veteran jōnin.
His guard was airtight.His footwork is impeccable.His reserves are deep.
Still, even he felt the pressure.
This brat… he's reading me too well.
Shino's irritation morphed into alarm.
He needed space.
He needed distance.
He needed to crush the momentum.
He drew in a deep breath,
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!!"
A massive gale burst outward like a hurricane, slamming into Ishiki.
WHOOOOM!!!
Ishiki's body shot upward, tumbling uncontrollably in the air.
Before he could regain stability,
"Great Sickle Weasel Technique!!"
Wind blades, small, numerous, vicious, filled the air like a swarm of invisible razors.
There was nowhere to dodge.Nowhere to hide.
Ishiki raised the Reverse Cloak,
SCRRRRCH!!
It caught several blades, but not all.
Wind lacerated his skin.His clothes were shredded.Blood splattered through the air.
His body throbbed with agony.
One more hitOne more bladeOne more second,
And he would die.
Then,a shadow surged upward.
BAM!!
A powerful wooden arm intercepted the remaining blades.
A Hashirama Wood Clone had arrived.
The wooden guardian shattered, splinters scattering in the air, but it had blocked enough to save Ishiki's life.
Ishiki hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop.
For a moment, everything spun.
Then,
Two figures ran toward him.
Hashirama Senju, breathing hard, clothes torn, covered in dust.Madara Uchiha, blood on his lip, eyes blazing with murderous clarity.
They reached Ishiki's side.
Hashirama grabbed Ishiki's arm, steadying him.
Madara stood in front of him like a shield, glare locked on Shino.
Ishiki managed a weak smile.
"…You guys made it."
Madara didn't smile back.
"You almost died, idiot."
But the tremor in his voice betrayed concern.
They turned toward Shino.
The Sarutobi leader looked between Madara and Hashirama, fury rising once more.
"Brats…" he growled, "what happened to my men?"
Madara stepped forward, eyes crimson.
"Dead."He didn't blink."Now you will be too."
Shino's gaze snapped to his last surviving subordinate, the injured one who had caused this entire chain of events.
"You," Shino spat. "I'll deal with you later."
But when he turned to look, the subordinate had already fled, vanished into the shadows.
Coward.
Shino's rage ignited.
"You insolent children. You DARE stand before me?"
Madara and Hashirama did not respond.
Instead,
They formed around Ishiki.
The final battle would begin now.
Preparing for the Final Confrontation
Madara's Sharingan spun, locking onto Shino's chakra flow.
Hashirama formed a single hand seal, spawning another Wood Clone at his side.
Ishiki checked his own chakra,
dangerously low, barely enough for one more technique.
He exhaled shakily.
He knew what he had to do.
He removed the Reverse Cloak.He tossed it toward Madara.
Then he pulled out the remaining Concentrated Food and handed it to Hashirama.
Madara blinked.Hashirama frowned.
"What are you?"
Ishiki cut them off.
"My sword," he said, raising Denkomaru, "can auto-parry non-lethal blows. I'll be the front."
They stared, stunned.
Ishiki continued:
"You two break his defence. Use everything you have. I'll act as the shield."
Hashirama was the first to nod, jaw clenched.
Madara followed, silent but resolute.
No words were needed.
The three drank the Concentrated Food, feeling the last jolt of energy course through their battered bodies.
They stepped forward together.
One step.
Two steps.
Three warriors,a prodigy with a Sharingan,a genius of Wood Release,and a boy armed with impossible technology,
stood united.
Shino watched them approach with a predatory grin.
"Finally," he whispered."Come at me."
His aura flared, cold, violent, murderous.
"I'll kill you all."
The air itself trembled.
Madara's Sharingan sharpened.Hashirama's chakra thickened.Ishiki raised Denkomaru.
The final battle began.