Kakashi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. In just an instant, he scanned his surroundings, taking in everything around him—from the trees to the nearby garden. Then, his gaze fell on the cabin at the center of the property. The door was completely destroyed, and a strange smell wafted from inside.
"Devan… I don't think so. This doesn't seem like him. Then, what is it?" the ninja muttered to himself under his breath, tilting his head slightly to see Might Guy, equally serious.
"It's possible we made a mistake, Devan is not here, Don't you think?" Guy said. However, Kakashi shook his head and returned his gaze to the garden not far away.
"The way the plants are shaped, the way they were watered, the way the soil was tilled—that's the way Devan does things," Kakashi said, taking a step forward, and then another.
Guy squinted before walking behind his old friend.
Both of them crossed the yard, drew their weapons, and entered through the shattered door.
A small wave of cold, unpleasant air hit the faces of the two ninjas as they stepped inside the cabin. The place itself was… a disaster.
Ripped walls, overturned tables, pieces of wood scattered across the floor, and a dampness in the air that could be easily felt—the house looked like it had been overrun by a swarm of small wild animals.
"…" Kakashi said nothing. Instead, he began walking through the house, passing the kitchen, where traces of food were covered in mold, through a few rooms, and finally, he found himself in front of the door leading to the basement.
"A crime scene? I mean, I don't know if you noticed, but the Land of Waves is… strange," Guy commented from behind Kakashi.
However, the white-haired ninja didn't respond. He simply kicked the basement door with force, shattering it.
Strange sound.
Strange sound.
Kakashi's ears twitched slightly. Something like bones breaking echoed from inside the basement. Instinctively, he raised one hand to his ninja headband and lowered it to activate his Sharingan.
Might Guy already had his hands in his pockets, staring down into the darkness of the basement.
...
"Boss?" Mixed voices were heard from the depths of the basement—men, women, and children speaking all at once.
"…" Kakashi lifted his headband and, without thinking twice, activated his Sharingan.
At that moment…
A cold, chilling sensation ran down the white-haired ninja's spine. He couldn't help but take a few steps back, his eyes fixed on the basement.
"W-what the hell is that?"
A small wave of cold air swept through the basement and out the door, reaching Kakashi's face.
"Hmm… strange people. Boss not here. Strange people. Kill, kill…" the collective voices spoke again. This time, when they finished, an utterly terrifying feeling coursed through Kakashi's body.
"Hey!!" Guy grabbed his companion's shoulder, his face completely serious. "What did you just see?" he asked urgently. The sudden movement made Kakashi react, leaping backward and exiting the cabin in an instant.
"What the hell?!" Guy watched in astonishment. Yet his years of ninja experience kicked in, and he pushed off his legs to follow Kakashi.
"Strangers not escape!!!" the voice boomed again, and at that very moment, a powerful noise filled the entire property.
Bang
Bang
The moment Might Guy exited the cabin, it was completely destroyed. Pieces of wood, clothing, and debris flew everywhere as if a small bomb had exploded inside.
Where the cabin had been, a figure now stood on two strange legs.
The creature had short legs compared to its seven-meter-tall height, a huge belly stitched together as if it had been operated on a thousand times, a massive left arm holding something that resembled a kitchen axe—but much larger, almost two meters long—and two small right arms, one uselessly fused to its back and the other wielding a hook. Its face was covered by an old, worn helmet with only a slit for eyes, which were invisible.
…
The explosion quickly drew the attention of many neighbors, who, despite their mental state, came outside to see what had happened.
Standing atop the wall surrounding the destroyed cabin, Kakashi and Might Guy stared seriously at the figure that had suddenly appeared.
The white-haired ninja regained his composure after the initial shock. The fear in his body had been suppressed and eliminated by his experience. Now, with a serious expression, he observed the creature.
"What do you think that thing is?" Might Guy broke the silence with a question—not out of fear, but curiosity.
Kakashi shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know. It's strange… looks like one of Orochimaru's experiments. But what would something like that be doing here?" The white-haired ninja was confused.
The creature stared at Kakashi. Its enormous mouth twisted into a grin, revealing yellow teeth.
"Well, it doesn't matter for now. The important thing is to get rid of that thing," Kakashi slightly crouched and quickly formed hand seals. "Lightning Style: Lightning Clone!" An identical clone of Kakashi appeared beside him. Together, they swiftly drew kunai from their ninja pouches.
"I'll test its strength. Help me when you can. Once we see how strong it is, we can attack with confidence!" Kakashi gave orders before charging forward with force.
"Very well!!" Might Guy pressed one fist against the other, signaling his understanding. A smile formed on his face. "If you kill it, then you can punish me, Kakashi!!!" he shouted.
"Huh? Thinking of getting rid of me, hahaha," the collective voices emerged from the creature's throat. It didn't even move its lips—its voices simply erupted from within.
"The boss isn't here. He told me not to leave, but he didn't say anything about intruders. Didn't say anything. Didn't say anything. Didn't say anything…" The creature watched as two identical Kakashis ran toward it with a grin. It pressed down on its legs before charging forward with force.
Along the way, the clone and Kakashi quickly formed several hand seals. "Let's see what you can do. Earth Style: Earth Wall!" The clone spat a mass of mud onto the ground, which rapidly grew into a wall in front of it.
Kakashi retreated, hiding behind the wall and sinking into the ground with a ninjutsu, while the clone remained ready for the creature's attack.