Marvel: Trading with Worlds

"Roar!"

An inhuman, guttural scream pierced the silent night, like a signal triggering an ambush.

In an instant, over a dozen biochemical zombies lunged at Nara Shikaku and his team.

"Be careful! Shadow Binding!"

Nara Shikaku reacted immediately, his hands forming seals as shadows stretched out, ensnaring the seventeen charging zombies.

The Nara clan's secret technique was exceptionally fast—especially under the cover of darkness. Against normal enemies, it was nearly impossible to detect.

But these creatures… weren't normal.

Unlike other enemies, these biochemical zombies lacked intelligence. They had no Red Queen-controlled chipsguiding their movements—only the pure, primal instinct to kill.

"Damn… they're heavy!"

Shikaku gritted his teeth as he struggled to hold them in place.

The zombies' raw strength was immense—stronger than wild boars or black bears of similar size. Controlling one or two would've been manageable.

Seventeen? That was another story.

"Bastards!"

The rest of the team didn't hesitate.

Shuriken whizzed through the air, kunai stabbed into rotting flesh, and thin steel wires wrapped around the creatures like a deadly web.

Puchi!

Puchi!

Blades sank deep into their bodies.

A Sarutobi swordsman, highly skilled in kenjutsu, dashed forward and slashed clean through the heads and necksof the seventeen zombies in one swift motion.

He landed smoothly, flicking his blade clean as his short sword slid effortlessly back into its sheath.

"All taken care of," he said coldly.

"No... they're still alive!"

Shikaku's warning was urgent.

Even as he spoke, he could feel the creatures struggling harder against his technique.

And then, in the dim light of the night, he saw it—

The wounds were healing.

Deep slashes vanished in mere seconds.

Neck wounds sealed shut, as if they had never existed.

"I'll handle this—Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

A Yamanaka clan ninja focused on one of the zombies, launching his consciousness into the creature's mind.

But the moment he invaded its thoughts, his body shuddered violently.

A storm of chaotic, violent emotions flooded his mind.

Hungry! Kill! Bite! Tear! Destroy!

It was a relentless wave of insanity—a pure, primal hunger for flesh.

The emotions overwhelmed him.

His vision blurred.

His sense of self dissolved.

And the next moment—

"FOOD! EAT YOU!"

With glazed, empty eyes, the Yamanaka ninja screamed and lunged—

Straight at Nara Shikaku.

"What the—?!"

The attack came so suddenly that even Shikaku was caught off guard.

"Yamanaka Ryō! What the hell are you doing?!"

In a split second, Ryō slammed into Shikaku, knocking him backward.

Just as suddenly, his eyes cleared, his breath ragged.

"...What just happened…?"

His voice trembled.

He had returned to his body—but for a brief moment, his mind had been hijacked by the zombie's instincts.

It was terrifying.

"Shi… kaku-kun?"

Ryō was still dazed, but his momentary loss of control had already cost them dearly.

Because when he attacked Shikaku, even if only for a second—

The Shadow Binding Jutsu was interrupted.

"They're coming!"

Sarutobi drew his short sword, eyes sharp.

"Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

His figure blurred, splitting into two clones mid-air as all three slashed at the approaching zombies in a synchronized attack.

The short sword, infused with chakra, cut deep—

But the creatures' bodies were impossibly tough.

Stronger than steel.

CLANG!

Sparks flew as metal met unyielding bone.

Sarutobi's blade bit into a zombie's skeleton—only to get stuck.

Before he could react, the creature's muscles clenched, tightening around the blade like a vice.

He couldn't pull it free.

And the zombie was still moving.

"Damn it!"

Sarutobi cursed under his breath, but before he could react—

"Behind you!"

Two zombies lunged at him, seizing the opportunity to strike.

In an instant, they grabbed his arms, immobilizing him.

Then, jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth snapped open—

And bit down.

"Shikaku!"

"Sarutobi!"

Shikaku and the others shouted in alarm, but it was too late.

A massive four-meter-tall zombie gripped Sarutobi like it was crushing a twig.

Then—

CHOMP!

With one savage bite, half of Sarutobi's shoulder was ripped away.

Blood sprayed everywhere.

Normally, biochemical zombie bite force was measured against steel plates over ten millimeters thick.

The human body?

It might as well have been paper.

And it wasn't just one.

More than a dozen new zombies emerged, crawling out from alleys, rooftops, and the darkness beyond.

Unlike the others, these were crawlers—far faster and more vicious.

Like hyenas closing in on wounded prey, they encircled the team, their shrieks echoing through the night.

"Roar!"

"Rooooar!"

The overwhelming sound sent a chill through everyone's bones.

Shikaku clenched his fists, his expression darkening.

We're being hunted.

"Well, well, well…"

Inside a dimly lit monitoring room, a man with a twisted grin observed the battle unfold through multiple surveillance feeds.

His name was Shinno.

And he was enjoying the show.

"So that's Nara Shikaku of Konoha, huh?"

He leaned forward, fascinated.

"That shadow technique of his is something else. Holding off so many biochemical zombies… impressive."

Then, his eyes gleamed as he noticed Shikaku's latest attack.

With precise control, the Nara clan leader had managed to snap the necks of nearly all the zombies in one coordinated strike.

A low chuckle escaped Shinno's lips.

"Oh my… so you've already figured out their weakness?"

But then, Shinno's grin widened.

"Too bad it doesn't matter."

He tilted his head, watching the screens as the zombies' claws tore through the ninja's armor, drawing blood.

"Your collars have already been scratched."

He laughed.

"And now, you're infected. There's no hope for you anymore—hohohoho…"

Then, turning to the Red Queen, he asked,

"Shall we deploy the Biomechanical Warriors?"

Although Shinno was in charge of biomechanical enhancements at the Tea Country base, his authority was still beneath that of the Red Queen.

He could suggest, but he couldn't command.

"Five teams of Biomechanical Warriors have already been dispatched."

The Red Queen's voice was cold and emotionless.

A second later, Shinno saw the warriors moving out on the screens.

His smirk widened.

These were the strongest weapons in the base.

Each biomechanical warrior was built for one purpose—killing.

And even if they were dismembered, their miniature Ark reactors could detonate with the force of 500 kilograms of TNT.

Back on the battlefield—

Shikaku was panting heavily, struggling to breathe.

He clenched his fist.

Something's wrong.

Extracting chakra… is getting harder.

Did I overuse my Shadow Possession…?

Just as he tried to steady himself—

"Shikaku-kun… it's so hot…"

A voice called out from beside him.

Shikaku turned—

And his eyes widened in horror.

Yamanaka Ryō, the only survivor left standing, was… changing.

His breath came in rapid, ragged gasps.

His chest rose and fell violently.

Drool dripped from the corner of his mouth.

And his eyes—

His pupils had rolled back, leaving only milky white sclera.

A shiver ran down Shikaku's spine.

"Shikaku-kun… you smell so good…"

Ryō twitched uncontrollably.

His fingers curled into claws.

Then, suddenly—

He lunged.

"Let me take a bite! I HAVE TO EAT!!"

At the last possible moment, Shikaku forced out what little chakra he had left—

And trapped Ryō with Shadow Possession.

The infected ninja froze mid-air, his jaws inches from Shikaku's throat.

But Shikaku wasn't relieved.

Because he had realized the horrible truth.

"So that's it…"

He coughed—

And when he wiped his mouth, he saw it—

Black blood.

His own blood.

His chest tightened.

His breathing grew even more labored.

And in the distance—

A new wave of footsteps echoed through the night.

More were coming.

A storm of death was approaching.

Upon seeing the hideous biomechanical warrior step forward, its grotesque metallic frame illuminated by the eerie glow of its strange-looking gun, Nara Shikaku immediately gave up hope.

There was no escape.

Swish!

Suddenly—

A blur of yellow light flashed before him.

In the next instant, a familiar figure appeared—

Namikaze Minato.

Seeing Shikaku's bloodied and exhausted state, Minato's expression tightened.

"Senior Shikaku! There's an ambush among us! Teacher Jiraiya sent me to extract you!"

But instead of relief, Shikaku's face remained grim.

"Take Me There First."

"Minato, take me to Jiraiya first."

Minato hesitated.

"You're badly wounded! We need to—"

"I'm already dead." Shikaku cut him off. His voice was steady, but his body was trembling.

"But I have something important to say."

Minato clenched his jaw.

"This—"

"Hurry up!" Shikaku snapped. "Leave Yamanaka. He's beyond saving."

Minato's face darkened.

Then, with a sharp nod, he responded, "Understood."

In the blink of an eye—

Minato placed a firm hand on Shikaku's shoulder—

And vanished using the Flying Thunder God Technique.

The moment they arrived, Shikaku found himself in the middle of a war zone.

Jiraiya stood atop a blood-soaked battlefield, summoning Gamaken to fight alongside him.

They were already under siege—

More than two hundred biomechanical warriors had encircled them.

Bullets rained down like a storm.

Laser cannons lit up the night sky, tearing through the battlefield like a relentless downpour.

And even with all their skill—

Even with Jiraiya, Hiruzen, and Minato fighting together—

The enemy was overwhelming.

At first, they tried to engage with taijutsu—but it wasn't enough.

Then, they switched to ninjutsu—yet still, they were pushed back.

Jiraiya was forced to summon Gamaken, but even that wasn't enough to turn the tide.

If he had more time, he would've used Sage Mode, but—

There was no time.

The biomechanical warriors advanced in perfect coordination, their firepower unrelenting, their movements emotionless and precise.

Within minutes, another hundred had arrived.

Jiraiya's forces were completely overwhelmed.

Then—

A thunderous boom shook the battlefield.

A massive, scorched hole had been blown into Gamaken's stomach.

"Gamaken!!"

Jiraiya's roar of rage cut through the chaos.

The giant toad staggered, his massive frame wavering.

"I—I understand…" Gamaken croaked.

Then—

With one final effort, he dispelled himself, vanishing in a cloud of smoke before he could collapse.

Jiraiya gritted his teeth, his hands trembling.

Damn it!

Suddenly—

A blinding beam of light gathered in the distance—

Before blasting forward, combining into a massive laser cannon aimed directly at Jiraiya!

"Jiraiya! Move!"

Hiruzen's voice rang out—

And in an instant—

He transformed the Ape King Enma into countless Vajra staffs, forming an impenetrable barrier in front of Jiraiya.

The laser struck the barrier with explosive force—

But Hiruzen gritted his teeth and held firm.

However—

Even Enma couldn't withstand that level of bombardment.

Within seconds, the Vajra barrier began to crack.

"Hiruzen, I can't hold it any longer!" Enma growled.

Then—

With one final explosion, the barrier shattered.

Hiruzen was blown backward, his robes torn and bloodied.

Just as another wave of laser fire came surging towards them—

Minato clapped his hands together.

"Flying Thunder God Barrier!"

A massive distortion in space erupted around them—

And all incoming fire was suddenly teleported away—

Redirected to an empty field, twenty kilometers away.

Panting heavily, Jiraiya turned to Shikaku.

"We need to leave—NOW!"

But Shikaku shook his head.

"Jiraiya…" he whispered. "We were never undetected. They knew we were coming from the beginning."

Jiraiya's eyes widened.

"What…?"

Shikaku coughed, wiping his mouth—

His hand came away covered in black blood.

Jiraiya's stomach dropped.

"Shikaku…?"

Then—

Shikaku looked him dead in the eyes.

"You were right. The things here… they can destroy the world."

Jiraiya felt his blood run cold.

"Then we have to—"

"Listen to me!" Shikaku suddenly shouted, his voice desperate.

"Minato! Take Jiraiya and the Third Hokage and LEAVE!"

Jiraiya froze.

"What?! No! We're not leaving you behind!"

Shikaku's hands trembled as he grabbed Jiraiya's wrist.

"Jiraiya…" he whispered. "Anyone bitten is beyond saving. If this infection spreads to the ninja world—"

"It'll be over."

Jiraiya's breath caught in his throat.

"Shikaku…"

Before anyone could react—

A new wave of biomechanical warriors appeared.

Even though they had positioned themselves strategically, the enemy now came from the sky.

And it wasn't just them.

Above—

The dark clouds began to churn, thickening ominously.

The air itself grew heavy.

Minato's instincts flared, a cold shiver running down his spine.

The real threat wasn't just the biomechanical warriors.

It was coming from above.

Something was descending from the sky.

And whatever it was—

It was worse than anything they had faced so far.

Instinctively, Namikaze Minato looked up.

Above him—

A dark cloud loomed ominously, churning with condensed lightning.

A sense of dread washed over him.

His brows furrowed sharply, his instincts screaming in warning.

Without hesitation—

He grabbed Sarutobi Hiruzen's arm and shouted:

"Teacher Jiraiya! Use the Reverse Summoning Technique—NOW!"

BOOM!

A colossal bolt of lightning—tens of meters thick—came crashing down.

The sheer force of the impact obliterated the ground, sending a violent shockwave rippling outward.

An unstoppable storm of electricity tore through the battlefield—

Yet—

The biomechanical warriors stood firm.

They had already received orders from the Red Queen.

Their enhanced muscle tissue absorbed the worst of the blast, preventing critical damage to their internal mechanical components.

A mechanical voice echoed through the battlefield:

"Check the corpses. Confirm the number of casualties."

Immediately, several advanced biomechanical warriors—those with reinforced muscle structures—stepped forward to inspect the aftermath.

The scan results came in.

"Two bodies unaccounted for."

A pause.

Then, a further report:

"Based on biometric analysis—missing individuals are Namikaze Minato and Sarutobi Hiruzen."

Far away in The Town—

Kain sat back, rubbing his chin as he processed the report.

"Tch… Space-time ninjutsu is fast."

His gaze flickered with intrigue.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen only survived because he was standing next to Namikaze Minato."

He smirked.

"As for the others… not so lucky."

The clone he had left behind had done its job well.

The lightning attack had annihilated everyone else.

Yet—

There was still one lingering question in his mind.

"Did Minato escape using Reverse Summoning? Or was it the Flying Thunder God?"

Before he could think further—

A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey! What are you doing out here?"

Kain turned.

Tsunade stood in the doorway, her yukata draped loosely over her figure.

The moonlight cast a soft glow on her, highlighting the ample curves of her chest—

And for a brief moment—

Kain's thoughts of Jiraiya's death completely vanished.

"Nothing much." He stretched, feigning nonchalance. "Just getting some fresh air."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"Hmph. Whatever. I was just passing by."

Kain grinned.

"Sure, sure. In that case, I'll escort you to your room first."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Who said I needed you to escort me, you idiot?"

Yet—

She didn't resist when he walked beside her.

And Kain—

Well, he took that as a small victory.

…

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