Danzō Shimura and Torifu Akimichi moved cautiously through the small town in their disguises, purchasing essential supplies. Suddenly, a tall figure brushed past Danzō. A cold shiver ran down Danzō's spine. What terrifying killing intent... is that man a shinobi? Danzō watched the man's receding back and whispered urgently, "Torifu, we need to leave. Now. We're in big trouble!"
Torifu, who was busy stuffing a steamed bun into his mouth, blinked blankly. "What? No way! We haven't had a real meal in two days. I'm only thirty percent full!"
"If we don't move, we might never eat again," Danzō said, his eyes fixed on the spot where the man had vanished. "A true monster has arrived. He's someone the four of us might not be able to defeat even if we work together."
The two gathered their gear and sprinted out of town, racing back toward Aki's location.
Aki had only been asleep for an hour when Kagami woke him. "Young Master, sleeping like that makes you an easy target. You must remain vigilant."
"I'm sorry, Kagami. I'm just... exhausted," Aki admitted, rubbing his eyes. "I'll set up some explosive tags and traps right now."
Kagami shook his head slightly. "I have already handled the perimeter."
Aki apologized again just as Danzō and Torifu descended from the trees. Torifu immediately began distributing food. Aki sat on the ground, devouring his share. "This is heaven," he sighed. "I finally understand your definition of happiness, Torifu." Torifu nodded vigorously, his mouth too full of rice balls to offer a coherent reply.
Danzō's expression remained grim. "I spotted a dangerously powerful shinobi in town. We need to push ourselves. If that man is hunting us, we'll be lucky to escape with our lives."
Kagami frowned. "An S-rank threat? Here? The only one in this country should be the Takikage. Would he really leave his village just to hunt three Jōnin and a Chūnin?"
"It wasn't the Takikage," Danzō replied. "It was someone else. We need to stay sharp."
At that exact moment, a rustle echoed through the forest. Dozens of Takigakure ninja emerged from the shadows, surrounding the clearing. One of them stepped forward, a cruel smirk on his face. "You were hard to track. We've been chasing you for two days, and you've killed far too many of our brothers. If you hadn't brushed against one of our scouts in town and picked up our scent-tracking powder, we might never have caught you!"
Danzō's mind flashed back to the tall man in town. That's it. The man used his cloak to brush against me—he's a rogue who wants us to kill each other so he can scavenge the remains.
Danzō quickly signaled the team with hand signs: Break through to the North. Do not get bogged down. There is a hidden master waiting to ambush us.
Kagami suddenly formed a seal and roared, "Explode!"
The hidden explosive tags Kagami had placed around the camp detonated simultaneously, creating a wall of fire and smoke. The team bolted North. The Waterfall leader screamed, "After them! If they reach the Land of Fire, we'll all face the Takikage's wrath!"
Nearly thirty Waterfall ninja survived the blast, including five Jōnin and eight Chūnin. They ignored their fallen comrades and lunged into the pursuit.
Aki, seeing the enemies gaining, released two Shadow Clones. One clone unleashed Wind Style: Thousand Blades while the other combined it with Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire. The flaming wind blades tore through the forest. A Waterfall Jōnin countered with Water Style: Water Dragon Whip, a liquid lash that swatted the flames aside, while two other Jōnin flickered forward and dispelled Aki's clones with a single strike.
Suddenly, Kagami skidded to a halt, his legs pushing off a tree trunk to dodge. A massive, ten-meter Earth Spike erupted from the ground exactly where he had been standing.
"That 'master' in the shadows is making his move," Danzō hissed, standing beside Kagami. "He's forcing us into a corner. Kagami, did you send the signal? When is the rescue coming?"
"I saw the response flare," Kagami replied. "It was far, but they should be here in a few hours."
"If we have to, use the Hero's Water," Danzō commanded. "We can't all die here. Kagami, protect the boy—he has the money. Understood?"
"I will protect the Young Master with my life!" Kagami vowed.
Danzō turned to face the mob, while Torifu unleashed his clan's secret: "Akimichi Style: Multi-Size Technique!" Torifu transformed into a massive, rolling boulder of flesh, crushing trees and flattening the forest floor as he plowed into the Waterfall ranks.
Two Waterfall Jōnin quickly raised Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall and Earth-Style Rampart to halt his momentum. Torifu smashed through the walls, forcing the ninja back, before activating Super Multi-Size Technique, growing into a thirty-meter titan. Danzō leaped onto Torifu's massive shoulder, raining down Wind Style attacks to support the giant.
Meanwhile, Aki and Kagami were swarmed by the remaining Chūnin and Genin. In the damp, misty forest, Aki's Fire Style was weakened. They were forced to rely on Taijutsu and Genjutsu.
"Young Master, follow my lead!" Kagami shouted. He released two Shadow Clones, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning as he cast Sly Mind Affect Technique on the group.
As the enemies stumbled into the illusion, Aki unsheathed his short blade. He created three Shadow Clones of his own, and in a coordinated blur of silver, they slit the throats of four Waterfall Chūnin in seconds.
Hours away, a young girl with her hair tied back screamed at a boy hanging upside down from a tree, eating a peach. "Sarutobi! Get moving! Danzō and the others are in trouble, we have to support them!"
A boy with glasses pushed them up his nose. "We wait for the signal, Koharu. If we rush in blindly, we'll get lost. The Waterfall is a labyrinth."
"You guys always hide behind your Genjutsu," Sarutobi teased from the tree. "You don't know the struggle of a genius like me on the front lines."
Koharu punched the tree, sending Sarutobi tumbling down. Suddenly, a flare burst in the distant sky. Mito Kado Homura (the boy with glasses) looked up. "There it is. The Konoha signal. They're in deep. Should we wait for the Anbu?"
"Danzō doesn't ask for help unless it's life or death," Koharu said, her voice turning cold. "We go now."
The three of them—Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado—leaped into the trees, racing toward the light.
An hour into their sprint, a thunderous boom shook the earth. Hiruzen leaped to the top of a redwood and saw a massive figure being launched through the air. That's Torifu! Who could knock back a giant like him?
Hiruzen dropped back down. "They're being slaughtered. If we go at your pace, we'll be collecting their corpses. I'm heading ahead!"
He bit his thumb and slammed his hand against the bark. "Summoning Jutsu: Enma!"
A powerful, muscular ape appeared beside him. "Hiruzen? I was in the middle of training!"
"Enma, transform into the Adamantine Staff! My friends are dying, I need to get there now!"
The ape transformed into a legendary black staff. "Extend!" Hiruzen commanded. The staff grew with explosive speed, launching Hiruzen across the forest canopy like a black bolt of lightning.