Naruto : Infinite Buff

The rain never ceased. Each step Amatsu took through the forest felt like a dance with fate—his feet sinking into the wet earth with careful precision, his senses alert to every subtle change around him.

The battle with the nine elite orphans was over. The corpses forgotten under the weight of the rain. But victory felt hollow, fleeting. The world around him seemed no less hostile than before. His mind, usually clear and sharp, now churned with a growing unease. His steps, once confident and certain, had taken on a tentative rhythm. He had won this skirmish, but the war was far from over. And this place, this labyrinthine underworld beneath Amegakure, was the true battleground.

He could feel the weight of the enemy pressing down on him even now. No matter how many orphans he killed, it was not enough. The forces stationed here were vast, and even now, the hidden eyes of the enemy watched, waiting for the next move.

Amatsu's mind flickered with calculations—he had learned something from every encounter, every battle. But the price of this knowledge was steep. He could not afford mistakes. Every step forward was a gamble.

The path back to the hollow where Higanbana waited felt like a tether to sanity in a world that was rapidly growing darker. He knew that, sooner or later, the enemy would close in. They would learn of his presence, and then… the real battle would begin.

The hollow was a refuge—an oasis of calm amidst the chaos. As Amatsu stepped into the small space, the soft rustling of the leaves and the faint glow of dim light filtering through the tree canopy greeted him. Higanbana stood at the center, her delicate form a stark contrast to the ruthless world outside. Her presence was like a breath of air in a world drowned by water.

She had not moved when he entered, but her gaze shifted to him immediately, sharp and perceptive. Her eyes, soft and kind, searched him carefully—looking, perhaps, for some trace of the battle he had just fought. Despite knowing the depths of his strength, she still felt the need to check, to make sure he had not been wounded. It was an odd thing, this tenderness. It did not feel like weakness, but a strange, unwavering trust that he did not deserve but somehow still found in her.

Amatsu didn't immediately meet her gaze. He allowed himself to take a moment to settle into the quiet of the hollow, to listen to the rain and feel the weight of his body against the cool earth. It was a rare pause in his life, one that felt almost too still, too suffocating.

But then, her voice broke the silence. Soft, feminine, and yet weighted with a concern that he couldn't ignore.

"Brother, how did the battle go? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Her words were simple, but they carried a depth that caught him off guard. His eyes flicked toward her, meeting her gaze for the briefest of moments. Her eyes, wide and searching, held no judgment. Only care.

He didn't answer immediately. There was no need. She could see that he was unhurt, his body unmarred by the brutal violence he had just unleashed. And yet, the question hung in the air, echoing softly.

"I'm fine," he finally said, his voice flat, detached. "The nine elite orphans are dead."

He let the words hang there, cold and matter-of-fact, but they held a weight that pressed down on him more than any injury ever could. The words tasted like ash on his tongue. Victory was supposed to feel different. It should have meant more, but it didn't.

His eyes hardened, narrowing as he looked away from her, focusing on something beyond her presence. He needed to stay sharp. He couldn't afford to indulge in emotions, not now, not when so much was at stake.

"But…" he trailed off, his thoughts taking another dark turn. His gaze shifted to the mist outside the hollow, his eyes tracking the flow of water as it pooled beneath the trees. "This isn't the end."

A breath of air left his lips, barely audible in the stillness of the space. He spoke the truth as it came to him, but even as he said it, he felt the weight of it. It wasn't a declaration of defiance. It was a simple recognition that the path ahead was not yet clear, not yet finished. The battle might be over, but the war would drag on until the very last breath was drawn.

"We can't escape this place just yet." His voice was colder now, the implications of his words clear. The labyrinth that surrounded them was not just a physical maze. It was a game, and they were already trapped in it.

Higanbana did not speak immediately. Her eyes softened, the concern still present but muted by a silent understanding. She did not question him. She did not push for more details. She simply watched, her soft gaze waiting for him to decide the next move. She was patient, as always, but there was an undeniable sadness in her eyes now. The kind of sadness that came from knowing the price of survival.

Amatsu's thoughts were already far beyond the hollow, far beyond the mist. He could feel the clock ticking in the back of his mind, the pressure mounting with every passing second. He had no time to waste. Not now. Not when the enemy would be making their move soon.

But even in the midst of his cold calculations, his gaze lingered on Higanbana for a moment longer. She was the one constant in this world of chaos. His thoughts softened—just a fraction, just enough for him to wonder, if only briefly, what would happen if he could escape this place. If he could walk away from it all, from the game of survival, from the ever-present specter of death.

But there was no escaping it. The game had already started, and he was a player whether he wanted to be or not.

"Do you remember the way to the gates?" His voice was steady, devoid of any emotion. He had already shifted into the next phase of his plan, already assessing how to get them out of this maze. "The entrance... the exits? Do you know how to leave?"

Her soft presence, once a comforting anchor, now felt like a silent mirror to the uncertainty that gnawed at him. He needed her to remember, to recall the details, because without that information, his next move would be guesswork—reckless, dangerous guesswork.

He stood still, watching her with a quiet intensity, willing her to remember something, anything that could lead them to freedom. The silence stretched long between them, heavy with the tension of their shared predicament.

Higanbana closed her eyes, a soft breath escaping her lips as she sunk into deep thought. 

Amatsu could see the subtle tension in her posture. He could not afford to show his impatience. His gaze softened ever so slightly, acknowledging the weight of the situation on her shoulders.

Her voice broke the silence, soft and measured, as though the words were carefully chosen from the depths of her mind.

"This place," she said, "is hidden beneath Amegakure, not inside the city, but nearby. It's underground, concealed in a vast cave system beneath an earth-based structure."

Her words painted a picture in his mind, the layout of the base unfolding in a series of mental sketches. It was a subterranean maze, a network of tunnels and chambers designed to keep its inhabitants in—and any invaders out.

Her eyes flickered upward for a moment, as if trying to trace the path she had taken, but she quickly refocused, speaking again. "I don't know much about the structure itself, but I remember the smell of the earth... the coldness that lingered in the air. It was... suffocating."

The weight of Higanbana's words sank into the hollow. Amatsu's mind clicked into overdrive as the details began to fit into place. The enemy base was vast. It was not just a few rooms or cells. No, it was a sprawling complex, carefully concealed beneath the earth.

"There are many ninja stationed here, but I don't know exactly how many," Higanbana continued, her voice soft, but now filled with a touch of regret. "I was only a prisoner, so I didn't see all of them."

Her gaze dropped for a moment, and Amatsu sensed that there was more to her silence than simply the weight of her words. It was not just the fact that she had been a prisoner, but that the truth of this place weighed heavily on her. He could see it in her eyes—there was something darker here, something beyond mere confinement.

"Every gate, every entry point is heavily guarded—two or four ninja at each post. The place is vast," she continued. "The lowest levels are where they kept us—orphaned prisoners like me. But there's also a laboratory nearby. It might hold something useful... or dangerous, I can't say for certain."

A laboratory. The word hung in the air, a possible resource or a potential death trap. Amatsu's mind went cold at the thought. If the enemy had been experimenting on prisoners, there could be information, weapons, or even enemies waiting there. He would need to be cautious, to assess the risk before moving forward.

Amatsu stood silent, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. Every word Higanbana spoke was like a piece of the puzzle falling into place. But with each revelation came more complexity. The more he learned, the clearer it became that escape was not going to be easy.

His thoughts churned. The enemy had already prepared for every possible scenario. They had fortified every entrance, every exit. They had set traps, concealed their numbers, and built this place into an impenetrable fortress. His plan to simply force his way out seemed more foolish with every passing moment.

His body was drained. The prospect of a direct confrontation with the entire enemy force was too dangerous. His power was not yet enough, and his energy reserves were low. He couldn't afford to throw himself against the enemy without proper preparation.

Amatsu's voice was sharp, slicing through the quiet of the hollow. "Do you know anything about Danzo and Hanzo?"

His eyes were cold, calculating, as he fixed his gaze on Higanbana. "How strong are they? Do you know if they have any unique abilities or weaknesses?"

The mention of these names caused a flicker of unease in Higanbana's demeanor. Her calm expression faltered for just a moment, and then her eyes lowered, a shadow crossing her face.

"Hanzo is the leader here," she said softly, her voice trembling slightly.

Amatsu listened intently, absorbing the information with the precision of a calculating predator. Hanzo was the kind of enemy who did not need to engage in physical combat to destroy his foes. His presence alone could crush the will of any opponent.

"Danzo," Higanbana continued, "is something else. His presence is cold, calculating... like he's always watching."

Her words sent a chill through Amatsu. Danzo was a threat that could not be underestimated. A man like that would never give up control willingly. He would keep his eyes open at all times, and he would not hesitate to strike when the opportunity arose.

Amatsu stood silent, his mind already calculating the next steps. The base was too vast, too dangerous for him to fight his way through. But he knew one thing: He could not afford to remain here any longer. His time was running out.

"We need to make it to the main gate," he said finally, his voice low, firm. "But we can't do it alone. Not now. We'll have to plan every step carefully."

He turned to Higanbana, his gaze unwavering. "Prepare your self"

Higanbana met his gaze, her expression soft, but unwavering. She nodded, a quiet resolve settling over her features. "I'll help you however I can. I'll try guide you through this place, even if it's dangerous."

Amatsu's eyes softened for just a moment. It was rare for him to trust anyone, but Higanbana had earned his trust in ways words could not describe. Through her gentleness and unwavering presence, she had become a steady anchor in the storm of his chaotic world. For now, she was his ally—his only ally in a world that would gladly see him dead.

Though his heart was usually encased in the cold logic of survival and power, he had come to trust others—Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato, whose bonds had been forged through shared pain and mutual goals. 

But now,

This moment, as Higanbana's soft gaze met his with an unspoken understanding, he realized how much of a delicate thread they were all hanging on. If this thread snapped, they would all fall.

His lips curled slightly in something that might have been gratitude. "Then let's prepare for what's ahead. We don't have time to waste."

The finality of the statement hung in the air like a promise—a promise of the danger, the bloodshed, and the battles yet to come.

"Higanbana," he began, 

His voice calm.

"My name is Amatsu."