Chapter 60: You Monster!
Hasumi Maki's eyes gleamed with twisted affection, his arms outstretched as if to embrace Renji from afar—the brother fated to be his mortal enemy since birth. "Come on, little brother, show your big bro how much you've grown these past three years!"
Maki's hands reverted to normal, and the two clashed in a blur of Taijutsu, their movements so swift only afterimages lingered in the cavern's dim light. When their fists collided, a bone-rattling tremor shook the air, the impact echoing like a thunderclap.
Renji channeled Ice Release, fortifying his bones and body, each of Maki's blows landing like punches against a glacial wall. Maki, master of Idle Transfiguration, countered seamlessly—his skin morphed with Renji's attacks, sprouting needle-like spikes akin to senbon whenever a fist struck. In pure Taijutsu, neither could claim the upper hand, their skills a mirror of deadly precision.
Renji's right arm tensed, veins bulging as he aimed a ferocious punch at Maki's face. Maki didn't flinch, a wicked grin spreading as his face erupted into thirty-centimeter spikes, a grotesque sea urchin of a defense.
Disgusting! Renji recoiled inwardly, repulsed by his alternate self's monstrous tactics.
A howl of wind tore through the cave, the air warping under immense pressure. "Daytime Tiger!" Might Guy's voice roared, a white tiger-shaped shockwave barreling toward Maki's back with terrifying force.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2,000!]
[Chakra (66,036,000 / 100,000,000)]
The attack closed in, its raw power enough to crush most opponents. No sane shinobi would face Daytime Tiger head-on. But Maki wasn't most shinobi—he wielded the broken art of Flying Thunder God.
Whoosh! Maki vanished, dodging the tiger's maw by a mere centimeter.
Bang!
A sharp, electric jolt shot through Renji before he could react. His body flew like a snapped kite, crashing into the cavern wall. The stone shattered under the impact, cracks spiderwebbing outward as dust clouded the air.
"Hahahaha, thanks for the assist!" Maki taunted from atop a torii gate, his eyes crinkling with delight as he grinned at a stunned Might Guy.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2,000!]
[Chakra (66,038,000 / 100,000,000)]
Guy's fists clenched, his pride stung. Unacceptable! He launched himself at Maki like a coiled spring, his fist shattering the air with a sonic boom.
Bang!
Maki twisted to dodge the punch aimed at his face, but Guy had predicted it. Another fist swung from the opposite side, catching Maki off-guard. He jerked back, but Guy's knuckles grazed his ear, splitting it open. Blood sprayed, staining the water below.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2,000!]
[Chakra (66,040,000 / 100,000,000)]
A shadow of rage flickered in Maki's eyes. "Not bad," he growled, his chest heaving as the violent instincts in his blood surged. Dozens of kunai, each etched with Flying Thunder God marks, shot toward Guy in a deadly swarm.
Kakashi's pale face tightened, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. Too familiar… The scene mirrored Minato's lethal precision. A massive net of blue lightning wove around Guy, trapping him in a crackling cage. Wounds bloomed across his body, blood seeping as the team watched in horror.
Maki reappeared, standing over Guy, who knelt in a pool of his own blood. Deep, bone-visible gashes riddled his body, blood streaming from his mouth and nose, his eyes rolling back as he teetered on collapse.
"Guy-sensei!" Lee's cry was raw, his fists trembling.
"Guy-sensei!" Tenten's voice cracked, her weapons clattering.
"Guy-sensei!" Neji's Byakugan flared, his composure fraying.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +100,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +100,000!]
[Chakra (66,140,000 / 100,000,000)]
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +100,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +100,000!]
[Chakra (66,240,000 / 100,000,000)]
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +100,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +100,000!]
[Chakra (66,340,000 / 100,000,000)]
"Guy!" Kakashi's heart seized, his voice hoarse with dread.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (67,340,000 / 100,000,000)]
"Bushy Brows Sensei!" Naruto's face contorted, the Nine-Tails' ferocity overtaking him, his fangs bared as chakra swirled violently.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2,000,000!]
[Chakra (69,340,000 / 100,000,000)]
The difference of a protagonist! Renji noted, his mind sharp despite the chaos.
Maki's smug grin froze as a hand pierced his chest, fingers wrapping around his still-beating heart. Renji stood behind him, his face streaked with tears.
"Renji…" Kakashi's voice broke, tears spilling as memories of Rin's death flooded back, the pain of piercing a loved one's chest mirrored in this moment.
Maki's smile faded, his eyes locking onto Renji's with a fierce glint. "Why?"
Renji's hand trembled around the pulsing heart, hot blood dripping down his arm, the sensation searing his nerves. His tear-streaked face was a mask of anguish. "Don't hurt them… please…" he choked out, his voice shaking with desperation.
"You're lying, aren't you?" Deidara stared at Maki, disbelief etched on his face. He's too strong to go down like this!
"Hahahaha!" Maki's laughter erupted, wild and unrestrained. He leaned back against Renji's chest, unfazed by the hand gripping his heart. "Crush it, brother! Right now, do it! Let's return to death together!" His bloodied hand caressed Renji's tear-soaked cheek, his voice soft yet resonant. "We're brothers, bound by blood, symbiotic. I can't kill you, and you can't kill me."
He turned slightly, his eyes gleaming like the winter sun. "Three years ago, you survived when you shouldn't have. I couldn't figure it out—until now. We can only die if we both fall at the same moment. Otherwise, one death means we both revive."
Renji's expression flickered, dazed, then sharpened with realization. "So… we just need to die together, right?"
Maki frowned, patting Renji's head like a confused child. "What, you'd kill your own brother—and yourself—for strangers?"
"They're not strangers," Renji said, a faint smile breaking through his tears. "They're comrades, closer than family."
Maki scoffed, his disdain clear. Then Renji's voice cut through, directed at Naruto. "Naruto, help me, just this once."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2,000,000!]
[Chakra (71,340,000 / 100,000,000)]
"No way!" Naruto's tears streamed, his voice raw with anguish. "I can't do that! None of us can!" Not him, not Kakashi, Sakura, Lee, Neji, or Tenten—no one in Konoha could sacrifice a comrade. "Renji, I don't want you to die for anything! I want you by my side, always!" His eyes burned with resolve, his fist raised. "We'll face any enemy together!"
Bang!
Meanwhile, a deafening crash echoed as Sakura's monstrous strength shattered Hiruko into splinters. From the wreckage, Sasori's true body emerged—a youthful, almost boyish figure, frozen in time.
Chiyo's pupils trembled, staring at her grandson, unchanged after decades. A painful realization stirred, but she pushed it down, unwilling to face it.
Sasori was defeated. In his final moments, the love buried deep within his heart—the remnants of the family he once had—rose to the surface. His gaze softened, no longer that of a puppet, but of the boy he used to be.
He whispered something faint, almost carried away by the wind—words meant for Chiyo and Sakura alone.
…
Bang!
Renji's arm was severed in a spray of blood, Maki's blade-like hand flashing with ghostly speed. Renji clutched the wound, shock and pain twisting his face, but his arm regenerated rapidly, flesh knitting in seconds.
Maki reappeared beside Sasori, his eyes cold. Sasori's puppet body was cracked, his aura faltering. Maki sneered. "What's this, Sasori? Beaten by grandma's love? I don't have time for your family drama."
Slap!
Maki's hand cracked across Sasori's cheek, the puppet's soul recoiling. "I touched your soul," Maki said, a twisted smile spreading. Sasori's body warped under Chiyo's horrified gaze, contorting into a grotesque, crawling monstrosity.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +50,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +50,000!]
[Chakra (71,390,000 / 100,000,000)]
"You monster!" Chiyo cried, her voice breaking.
Slap!
Maki's palm struck Chiyo's cheek, the sound sharp and cruel. His eyes gleamed with sadistic delight. "Such deep family ties—let's merge you into one!" His voice dripped with malice.
A surge of energy erupted, warping the air. "Idle Transfiguration: Soul Multiplicity!" Sasori and Chiyo fused into a grotesque, pulsating mass of flesh.
Bang!
The monstrous ball shot toward Sakura, its energy overwhelming. Her eyes widened, fear gripping her, but she raised her fists instinctively. The impact sent her flying, vision darkening as she crashed into the rock wall, cracks radiating outward. Her body nearly pierced the ten-meter-thick stone, blood seeping from multiple wounds as she struggled to stay conscious.
"Sakura!" Naruto's voice was desperate.
"Sakura!" Kakashi echoed, his Sharingan flaring.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (72,390,000 / 100,000,000)]
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +50,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +50,000!]
[Chakra (72,440,000 / 100,000,000)]
Deidara stared at Maki's retreating figure and Sasori's twisted form, his mind reeling. Dropping Gaara's corpse, he urged his clay bird toward Akatsuki headquarters. He needed answers from Maki—now.
----
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