Chapter 54: Maximum Despair, Maximum Gain
Tenten and Lee stood on high alert, their muscles tense as they faced the monstrous beasts conjured by Hasumi Maki. They had seen Renji's strength—undisputedly the strongest of Konoha's new generation, a force that could reshape battles single-handedly. If Renji was that powerful, what did that mean for his brother?
A chilling premonition gripped Neji, Tenten, and Lee, their instincts screaming danger. So far, Maki hadn't even fought directly, yet his grotesque creations had already sapped much of their stamina and chakra, leaving them breathless and on edge.
Lee sucked in a sharp breath, pushing his body to its absolute limit.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
An invisible whirlwind seemed to swirl around him, his speed surging to a terrifying peak as his Taijutsu training kicked into overdrive. His muscles screamed, but his determination burned brighter. In a flash, Lee launched forward, his leg whipping through the air with ferocious precision, aimed directly at Maki's exposed back.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2000!]
[Chakra (30,076,000 / 100,000,000)]
Maki's heterochromatic eyes glinted with cold disdain, not a flicker of fear in his gaze. His lips curled into a scornful smirk as he spun, throwing a punch with such raw power that the air itself seemed to scream, shattering with a piercing shriek.
Crack!
The sickening sound of bones snapping echoed across the battlefield, radiating through every inch of Lee's body. The pain was unimaginable, as if each bone had splintered into fragments. Lee flew backward like a broken puppet, crashing into the ground with a bone-jarring thud, tumbling through the dirt as blood sprayed in a grim arc. The sight was heart-wrenching, a brutal testament to Maki's overwhelming strength.
Maki's speed was like lightning, too fast for Neji's Byakugan or Tenten's sharp eyes to track. They could only watch, helpless, as Lee was battered repeatedly, their hearts sinking with fear and despair. Each impact drove a spike of dread deeper into their chests, the reality of their situation suffocating.
Finally, with a dull thud, Lee's broken body hit the ground. Blood stained his green jumpsuit, his limbs twisted unnaturally, no longer resembling anything human. He lay still, his fate uncertain, his vibrant spirit silenced under the weight of Maki's cruelty.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (31,076,000 / 100,000,000)]
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (32,076,000 / 100,000,000)]
"Lee! Lee!" Neji and Tenten sprinted to his side, their faces pale with horror, their hands trembling as they checked his pulse.
Maki's mocking smile widened, his head tilting as he clicked his tongue in feigned disappointment. "What a pity. My dear brother missed this spectacular show." He shook his head, his voice dripping with sadistic glee.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2000!]
[Chakra (32,078,000 / 100,000,000)]
Steel wires shot from all directions, wrapping tightly around Maki's body. Tenten gripped them with white-knuckled fury, her eyes blazing with hatred as she poured every ounce of her strength into restraining him.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2000!]
[Chakra (32,080,000 / 100,000,000)]
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Neji's voice was steady but urgent as he appeared before Maki in a flash. A massive Tai Chi symbol unfurled beneath their feet, the air humming with chakra.
Bang!
His strike, perfectly aimed, should have landed—but it didn't. Maki's body flickered, evading with impossible speed. Neji's pupils dilated, and he staggered back, his composure cracking.
"Neji!" Tenten's shout cut through the chaos, her voice thick with panic.
Maki's hand clamped onto Neji's shoulder.
Boom! Boom!
Two explosive bursts rang out, and Neji's arms erupted in a spray of blood, shattered by Maki's raw power. The Hyuga prodigy crumpled, his face contorted in agony.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +5,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +5,000,000!]
[Chakra (37,080,000 / 100,000,000)]
Maki tilted his head, his smile cruel and contemplative. "Wow, Tenten, you're playing favorites, huh? Lee's beaten to a pulp, and you give me a measly million Cursed Energy. Neji loses his arms, and it shoots up to five million? Lovers and friends really aren't the same, are they?" His voice was teasing, but his eyes gleamed with malice, already imagining the chaos Sakura's presence would bring.
He released Neji, who collapsed, unconscious from blood loss and searing pain, his body limp against the blood-soaked earth.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +5,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +5,000,000!]
[Chakra (42,080,000 / 100,000,000)]
"Neji! Lee!" Tenten's voice cracked, tears welling as she stood alone, her wires trembling in her grip.
Might Guy's aura shifted, a tidal wave of power surging through him. Blue steam thickened, teetering on the edge of red as he pushed past the Sixth Gate. "Daytime Tiger!"
Boom! Boom!
His fist collided with Kisame, the impact like a thunderclap, cracking the earth beneath them. Kisame, caught off guard, overestimated his durability. The force sent him skidding across the ground like a cannonball, carving a twenty-meter trench before he stopped, coughing dust.
In a flash, Guy turned his blazing gaze on Maki, his body a blur as he charged.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2000!]
[Chakra (42,082,000 / 100,000,000)]
Maki's figure flickered, vanishing from his spot using the Flying Thunder God Technique. In his place stood a crude clay clone, its form crumbling as the Ninjutsu lost effect. Maki reappeared beside Kisame, stroking his chin with a theatrical hum. "No, no, this won't do! The show's barely started!"
Blue flames erupted around Lee and Neji, their wounds knitting together in an instant, their twisted limbs snapping back into place as if the carnage had never happened. They gasped, eyes fluttering open, bewildered but whole.
"Don't even think about running!" Guy roared, his steam tinged with the faintest red hue, a sign of the Seventh Gate's dangerous threshold. His fists clenched, his heart torn between relief and confusion.
Maki vanished again, leaving only his mocking laughter echoing in the wind.
Guy panted, staring at the fully restored Lee and Neji, his mind racing. Why would the enemy heal them? What was the point of this twisted game?
Meanwhile, deep in the forests of the Land of Rivers, Renji sprinted toward the red rock, his lips curling into a sly smile. Why heal them? Simple—recycling. If Lee and Neji were too broken, Guy would abandon the mission, retreating to Konoha with them. That would cut Renji's Cursed Energy harvest short. No, it was better to keep them in play, to cripple them later in front of Naruto, Sakura, and the others. Maximum despair, maximum gain. Reuse, reduce, recycle—environmentally friendly, right?
...
On the other side of the forest, Team Kakashi pressed forward, their pace urgent as they closed in on the rendezvous. Sakura's brow furrowed, her mind heavy with questions. "Naruto, can I ask you something?" She didn't wait for his nod. "When did the Akatsuki start targeting you?"
Naruto shook his head, his expression darkening. "I don't know." Images of three figures flashed in his mind—Hasumi Maki, Uchiha Itachi, and Kisame. His fists clenched, knuckles whitening.
Kakashi's calm voice cut in. "Two Akatsuki members came to Konoha looking for Naruto a few years back. They went quiet for three years after that, but now they're stirring again."
"Why the three-year gap?" Sakura pressed, her green eyes narrowing.
Chiyo, trudging alongside them, answered gruffly. "Extracting and sealing a Tailed Beast from a Jinchuriki takes preparation. That's likely why they waited."
"Tailed Beast?" Sakura glanced at Chiyo, confused.
Chiyo's lips pursed in disbelief. "What? You're the Hokage's disciple and don't know this? Konoha has the Nine-Tails, doesn't it?" Her eyes flicked pointedly to Naruto.
Kakashi stepped in smoothly. "The Nine-Tails is highly classified in Konoha, so…"
Renji, in a rare cheerful mood, chimed in. "There are nine Tailed Beasts in the shinobi world, each defined by their tails. Konoha's Nine-Tails has nine, Sunagakure's One-Tail has one." In his mind, he added, And it's pathetically weak.
Chiyo nodded, her voice heavy. "Tailed Beasts are massive chakra concentrations. During the Shinobi Wars, nations used them as weapons, doing anything to control them. But their power is beyond human comprehension—no one can fully tame it."
Sakura's gaze drifted to Naruto, who was uncharacteristically quiet, then to Renji. "Did you know about Naruto and the Nine-Tails for a long time?"
Naruto's eyes snapped to Renji, his heart stirring with a mix of curiosity and unease.
Renji's smile was warm, almost disarming. "Since I was a kid. But Naruto is Naruto, and the Nine-Tails is the Nine-Tails. They're not the same."
Chiyo snorted, unconvinced. "Easy to say, but a Jinchuriki carries a Tailed Beast's terrifying power. How do you separate them? That kind of chakra can raze a village. If a Jinchuriki loses control, the consequences are catastrophic."
Renji's eyes flashed with defiance. "Even if you can't fully separate a Jinchuriki from their Tailed Beast, that's no reason to fear them. Jinchuriki are heroes who help their villages contain that power, aren't they? Maybe, I don't know much about Tailed Beasts, but I know Naruto. Even if he taps into the Nine-Tails' power, he'd never harm the village or his friends. He'd use it to protect us, to protect Konoha. I saw that three years ago."
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