A monster? The monster in the eyes of Akimichi Todo and the others was, of course, Hyuga Kumo himself.
Watching the group in the distance, their throats bobbing nervously, he knew that the Wind Release jutsu—which had cost him most of the chakra he had spent hours accumulating—had produced a final effect that did not disappoint.
Madara Uchiha had been able to use Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation, a mere B-rank jutsu, with terrifying power. Now, Hyuga Kumo, possessing the natural gifts of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, could naturally achieve a similar effect.
His entrance was a perfect ten, instantly stunning everyone present.
But this alone was far from enough.
He had to carve fear into their very bones, to leave an impression from his first public appearance so profound that no one could ever forget it.
"Inferior beings."
The ancient, hoarse voice once again reached their ears. Aburame Ryoma, who had nearly died from that last attack, snapped out of his terror and subconsciously looked toward the black figure in the distant rain.
"Tell me," Hyuga Kumo asked from on high, "what year is it now?"
"..."
No one answered. Or rather, they were still in a state of shock.
What year? How are we supposed to answer that?
Why would he ask such a strange question?
And why does that monster's tone sound so ancient?
"No answer?"
Hyuga Kumo's voice was soft.
He slowly closed his eyes, completely releasing his mind to sense the power far away, high in the night sky.
It was something Toneri Ōtsutsuki could do even without his eyes; now, possessing both the Byakugan and the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, there was no reason Kumo couldn't do the same.
Hyuga Kumo's spiritual energy stretched out like threads, extending toward the moon, which was shrouded by dark clouds.
Just as his spiritual power was about to reach its limit, he finally felt it—a strangely familiar power.
Even though the connection was faint, he could still feel its immense and terrifying strength.
It was the Giant Tenseigan, formed from the convergence of all the Byakugan of the Ōtsutsuki clan's descendants, a qualitative leap born from a quantitative change.
At this moment, separated by hundreds of thousands of kilometers, Hyuga Kumo used his own bloodline to pry open a sliver of "permission."
Something called "Ocular Power" began to pour into his body, making the world before him grow clearer, and stirring the latent power hidden within his Byakugan.
Following his body's instinct, he raised his hands and formed a seal.
VMMMM!!
In an instant, an abnormally terrifying aura erupted from within Hyuga Kumo.
Everyone who looked at him was assaulted by a great wave of fear, a fear that seemed to originate from their very bones.
It was as if a blade had been silently placed against their necks, as if their skin were being licked by a predator at the top of the food chain. In that instant, everyone subconsciously wanted to take a step back.
But when Hyuga Kumo slowly opened his eyes, his thin lids parting to reveal brilliant, sapphire-blue eyes that lit up the darkness, it was as if he were gazing upon the world once more after a thousand years.
His gaze was like a thousand knives stabbing into them, pinning everyone to the spot with a single look!
"Such immense power..."
Hyuga Kumo lowered his gaze to his own palm, slowly clenching it with a crisp sound.
Crack, crack!
Just prying open a sliver is already this powerful?
"It's not enough," he murmured, lightly licking his lips. "It's still not enough!"
At the same time, as Hyuga Kumo looked away to familiarize himself with this new power...
"Hah! Hah!"
The others, who had been frozen in place, felt as if their restraints had been released. They gasped desperately, trying to regulate their chaotic breathing.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
Aburame Ryoma finally broke free from the terror. Sweat and rain mingled as they slid down his bobbing throat.
His pupils trembled as he stared at the figure in the distance. Beneath the fear, a surge of resentment and hatred arose, and his blood-streaked face twisted into a snarl.
I can't die. I can't die here! I have to get back alive and tell Lord Danzo what happened here!
Aburame Ryoma now understood the meaning behind "what year is it now." That horrifying chakra and aura could not belong to some nobody!
They had likely unleashed a monster, a monster that had once been sealed and was now free, a monster who had lived for who knows how many years!
Once such a monster recovered its full strength, they would have no chance of survival. They had to act now.
"Akimichi Todo! Toroi!"
Like a cornered beast in its death throes, the fear of death washed away his cowardice. Aburame Ryoma no longer hesitated, roaring, "If you don't want to die here, we attack now, before he recovers his strength!!"
His words jolted Akimichi Todo and Toroi back to their senses. They instantly realized that if they didn't act now, it would truly be too late.
That terrifying aura was growing stronger by the second. Soon, a single glance from that monster would be enough to rob them of the will to fight back.
And so, the two opposing sides acted without any further hesitation.
They were shinobi. They lived with their heads on the line, people who would lick the rust from a blade's edge.
They would never give up the fight without a sound, even if their enemy was an out-and-out monster!
Judging by that horrifying Wind Release jutsu, escape was impossible.
But if they could just hold out until reinforcements from Kumo or Konoha arrived, they might still have a hope of killing this monster!
To fight a monster, you had to become a monster yourself. If you could become crazier than the monster, what did it matter? When you went mad, you'd even dare to bite a monster; anyone could tear off a few bloody pieces of flesh!
Whoosh!
The air seemed to boil with heat. Hyuga Kumo lifted his lowered gaze, and a flicker of fire appeared in his blue eyes.
It was an overwhelming torrent of fire, a sea of flames igniting the world!
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
"Fire Release: Blazing Flame Technique!"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
In the distance, the Konoha shinobi puffed out their cheeks, forming seals and spewing forth scorching flames and raging gales from their mouths.
The wind fueled the fire, turning it into a sea of flames.
It surged toward Hyuga Kumo, threatening to incinerate him completely!
BOOM!!
An oppressive heatwave, so intense it distorted the air, rushed toward them. It was like an invisible, fiery hand closing around their throats, making both Toroi and the Konoha shinobi hold their breath instinctively.
Their pupils trembled as they stared intently, searing the scene before them into their minds.
The crimson wave of fire was like a mighty torrent, the light from the tide of flames dividing the space between them.
Everything was warped by the scorching, terrifying flames, burned to nothing in the crimson firestorm. It was like stumbling into a scarlet dream, where everything before them became illusory and unreal.
Vast amounts of rainwater were instantly vaporized into gas, and a thick white fog enveloped the entire area in an instant.
"What happened?! Did we get him?! Is he dead?!"
Toroi stared fixedly into the distance, the scorched skin peeling from his face to reveal the red blood vessels beneath, making him look even more monstrous.
But as the mist gradually dissipated, his eyes flew wide open, a chill rising in his heart.
There, in the midst of that crimson sea of fire, a figure distorted by the flames slowly came into focus.
The raging, surging flames, upon reaching that figure, actually parted obediently to avoid him.
Hyuga Kumo held a hand up before him. An invisible repulsive force diverted the flames to either side of him. Even the rain could only slide down his sides. Only the firelight licked at his face, making his deep blue eyes glow like a demon god's.
Repulsion, an ability shared by both the Rinnegan and the Tenseigan.
"Ants."
Ashes danced around him. He stared at the group in the distance and said coldly, "Your power is as weak as your lives."
VMMM!
Blue chakra surged forth, enveloping his body and fluttering like a robe.
His feet slowly left the ground. Under the terrified, upturned gazes of the others, he began to float gently into the air.
Meanwhile, several hundred meters away, dozens of figures who had been advancing through the shadows came to a halt as their leader suddenly stopped.
He looked up at the floating figure in the distance. His rain-soaked white bangs covered his left eye, while the pupil of his exposed right eye constricted slightly.
"What... is that thing?"