Naruto: Power in Play

The Ancor Vantian, the massive fortress that had loomed over Konoha's skies like a harbinger of doom, had finally been grounded. The once-imposing structure now sat in the heart of the ruined village, a fallen titan among the devastation.

All around the wreckage, Konoha's operatives steeled themselves. They did not cheer aloud, but deep inside, a flicker of triumph burned. The enemy still stood, but the odds had shifted. Without the Ancor Vantian's aerial advantage, the Sky ninja were now tethered to a battleground that Konoha's shinobi could reach—and destroy.

Fire burned in their eyes. The Will of Fire pulsed with unrelenting fervor, demanding retribution. And Konoha's ninja were ready to deliver it.

From all corners of the ruined village, shinobi rallied under a single purpose—invade the enemy's base and obliterate everything in sight.

High above, still perched upon his hawk, Hiruzen Sarutobi surveyed the battlefield. His sharp gaze followed the Akimichi giants, who continued their relentless assault, causing as much destruction as their bodies would allow. His eyes then shifted to the hovering Sky ninja, still determined to kill, still hellbent on razing what remained of Konoha.

A bad feeling twisted in the Hokage's gut.

It was too easy.

Yes, Konoha had suffered grievous casualties. They had fought tooth and nail to bring down the enemy vessel. But considering the years of planning and subterfuge the Sky Village had invested in this invasion… this battle had been far too simple.

And that left a strange taste in Hiruzen's mouth.

As Konoha's forces charged toward the fallen fortress, poised to strike, a sudden, piercing wail tore through the battlefield. The sound was unnatural, a chilling cry that sent a shudder through even the most battle-hardened shinobi. The very air seemed to tremble in response as pale, serpentine tendrils erupted from the ship's core, writhing and twisting in every direction like a monstrous nest of vipers.

The appendages surged toward the advancing ninja. Though caught off guard, they gritted their teeth and met the onslaught with steel and chakra. But their weapons barely made a dent in the writhing tide. Worse still, the moment their blades struck, the tendrils lashed out, coiling around them with terrifying speed, constricting like living chains.

Chakra was ripped from their bodies in torrents, siphoned away into the writhing darkness. Their strength, their energy—their very life force—was being devoured. In mere moments, skilled warriors were reduced to empty husks, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

"RETREAT!!" Hiruzen yelled, urging his mount to rush forwards to at least try to save the few ones he could. But a sudden shot from an energy cannon stopped him. Keeping him away from the massacre that was unfolding.

Hiruzen gritted his teeth, his grip tightening around his staff. Across from him, standing atop the tallest structure of the Ancor Vantian, was a tall man built like a warrior, his muscular frame radiating raw power.

Shinno stood tall, his tanned skin illuminated by the eerie glow of the dark chakra surging around him. His spiky brown hair, swept backward, danced subtly in the wind, framing his face, where a thin beard lined his jaw—a knowing smirk playing across his lips.

His long, dark red cloak billowed behind him, the black accents blending with the unnatural darkness rising from his body.

"It's been a while, Hiruzen," Shinno's voice boomed across the battlefield, effortlessly carrying over the chaos. "It seems like you've… aged."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, a flicker of recognition flashing in them. "Shinno."

The smirk on Shinno's face widened. "Ah, so you do remember me." He chuckled, his voice thick with mockery. With a slow, deliberate gesture, he extended his hand towards the writhing mass of white tendrils ravaging the battlefield.

"Tell me, how do you like my little friend?"

The monstrous appendages coiled and lashed out, snaring unfortunate shinobi, their bodies shriveling within moments as their chakra was mercilessly devoured. Screams of agony echoed through the ruined streets of Konoha.

"This is the Reibi," Shinno continued. "The Tailed Beast of Terror. The herald of despair. The very thing your village once deemed a myth."

Hiruzen remained silent, his jaw tightening.

Shinno tilted his head, his smirk never faltering. "I remember, back in the days, when the great shinobi villages—yours included—denied the Sky Village the status of a Great Nation." His voice grew sharp, edged with something darker than anger. "All because we lacked a bijū to call our own."

The air crackled as his dark chakra pulsed violently, his muscles tensing with barely contained power. "So tell me, Hiruzen." He gestured to the carnage below. "Are we qualified now?"

Rage flared in the Hokage's features.

On the battlefield, his shinobi were dying in waves. Those who had been farther from the enemy vessel had barely managed to retreat. Those who hadn't… were nothing but husks now.

And yet, standing atop the ruined Ancor Vantian, overlooking the massacre like some self-proclaimed god, Shinno dared to make speeches?

"Why?"

A single, weighty question echoed from Hiruzen. Heavy with grief. With fury. With disbelief.

"Why?" Shinno repeated, letting the word linger, tasting it. Then, he let out a slow, mocking laugh.

Shinno spread his arms wide, as if welcoming the devastation around them. "Why?" he echoed mockingly. "Why not?" His dark chakra pulsed, the very air around him vibrating with its unnatural weight. "This is the fate Konoha has carved for itself. You reap what you sow, Hiruzen."

Hiruzen's grip on his staff tightened until his knuckles turned white. "You would do this to innocents?" he growled, his voice tinged with both sorrow and fury. "Men, women, children—they have no part in whatever vendetta you have against me or Konoha."

Shinno's smirk widened, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "No part in it? Do you truly believe that?" He took a slow step forward, lifting a hand. The darkness swirling around him thickened, writhing like living tendrils. "Every soul in this village has benefited from its conquest, its power, its so-called peace. But peace built on the suffering of others is an illusion. One that I am here to shatter."

Hiruzen's eyes darkened. "This isn't justice, Shinno. You've become twisted by your own hatred."

Shinno let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Hatred? No, Hiruzen. This is liberation. I am simply balancing the scales." His voice dropped lower, almost thoughtful. "Besides, you speak of justice… yet tell me, did you ever mourn the villages you crushed under your rule? Did you even remember the faces of those who perished in your wars?"

The words struck deep, but Hiruzen did not falter. He had carried the burden of leadership long enough to know the weight of every decision he had ever made.

"I remember all of them," he said, his voice steady as stone. "Every life lost in war is a wound that never heals. But that does not justify what you have become."

Shinno's smirk vanished, his expression hardening into something far colder. His eyes gleamed with contempt, his body pulsing with dark chakra.

"Then you will die with them."

With a flick of his wrist, the energy cannons mounted across the Ancor Vantian hummed to life, their glow casting eerie lights across the battlefield. The swirling serpentine tendrils of the Reibi coiled and slithered, forming a nightmarish display of power. The sight alone was enough to make lesser men hesitate.

But hesitation had no place on the battlefield.

Without warning, the ground trembled as a colossal, rolling mass surged toward Shinno at terrifying speed.

"MEAT TANK!"

A massive, armored ball of flesh and fury barreled across the ruined battlefield, tearing through rubble, crushing Sky ninja who failed to evade in time. Choza Akimichi's rolling form aimed straight at Shinno.

Shinno barely glanced at the incoming attack, his expression one of mild amusement.

"CHOZA, FALL BACK!" Hiruzen bellowed, but it was too late.

The moment Choza closed the distance, Shinno moved.

Like a blur of dark energy, he vanished from sight, reappearing above Choza in an instant. His muscles flexed, dark chakra coating his body as he raised his hand. A swirling orb of energy glowing on top of his palm.

Then, he struck down. Smashing the energy into his opponent.

The impact was devastating.

Choza's massive form was halted mid-spin, the sheer force of Shinno's attack cracking the ground beneath them. The shockwave sent a gust of wind ripping across the battlefield, dust and debris scattering like shrapnel.

"Super Revival Fist."

Choza screamed.

Dark chakra pierced through his body, veins bulging across his skin like poison. His enlarged form shrank rapidly, his skin paling as his energy was violently ripped away.

"CHOZA!!" Shikaku's voice rang out in horror as his comrade collapsed, his massive body collapsing weakly into the ground.

Shinno landed gracefully beside him, unscathed, brushing nonexistent dust off his cloak. He regarded Choza's form with mild disappointment.

"Pathetic."

His gaze lifted back to Hiruzen, that twisted smirk returning. "Surely, you can do better than this."

Hiruzen's jaw clenched, his heart heavy with fury. He gave a sharp tug on the hawk's feather, urging it forward.

But the sky itself rebelled against him.

The Ancor Vantian's energy cannons roared to life, their blasts illuminating the battlefield. Beams of searing light cut through the air, tearing apart the debris-strewn landscape. The first shot barely missed, the heat alone enough to singe the fabric of Hiruzen's robes. The second came closer, forcing him to twist his body at the last second, barely dodging in time. It was a testament to the summoned hawk's skill that he managed to dodge.

But it was not over. Seeing as the energy cannons could not bring him down, Shinno sent his sky ninjas after the hokage.

They attacked like a flock of carrion birds, swift and merciless, their chakra-powered wings propelling them at unnatural speeds. Shuriken, kunai, and spears rained down on Hiruzen, forcing him to twist and weave atop his mount, his staff spinning defensively to deflect the incoming projectiles.

A Sky ninja streaked past him, a gleam of steel flashing in his peripheral vision. Hiruzen barely had time to react before the enemy's blade raked across his mount, tearing through feathers and cutting into the muscles.

The hawk cawed in pain, and Hiruzen retaliated in a blur. His staff extended with a sharp thrust, catching the attacker mid-flight and sending him hurtling down toward the ruins below.

But there was no time to breathe. His hawk was injured, and battling in the air was becoming increasingly difficult. Glancing around, Hiruzen remarked that the other hawk summons were not faring any better. The situation was dire.

Down below, the strange white tendrils surged, whipping violently through the battlefield. They snatched up whatever they could reach—Konoha shinobi, even debris—pulling them in and draining them dry. Screams echoed through the ruins as warriors fell.

They were at an impasse.

Hiruzen knew it. Every advance was countered. Every attack was met with overwhelming retaliation.

But he still held onto hope.

The Aburame's kikaichu had boarded the Ancor Vantian.

A small force had infiltrated the enemy vessel, devouring its structure from the inside out. Hidden, unseen, consuming.

If they could weaken the fortress, even just disabling those energy cannons...

But then, the voice of Shikaku Nara crackled through the telepathic link, his normally calm tone tinged with something rare—urgency.

"Hokage-sama, we have a problem."

Hiruzen's chest tightened. "Speak."

A pause. Then—

"The kikaichu have been neutralized."

For a moment, Hiruzen felt as if the world had stilled. "Killed?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Yes." Shikaku's voice was grim. "That strange tentacular monster sensed them. It destroyed them before they could do any real damage."

Hope, so painstakingly nurtured, began to flicker. The enemy was adapting. And time was running out.

Hiruzen's heart weighed heavy in his chest. The Reibi was adapting. The Sky ninja were relentless. And now, their best hope—the Aburame's kikaichu—had been wiped out before they could deal any significant damage.

This battle was turning into a slow, crushing defeat.

And then, through the chaos, a booming voice split the sky.

"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

A massive plume of white smoke erupted above the Ancor Vantian, blotting out the sky in an instant. The battlefield seemed to pause, as all eyes—Konoha and Sky ninja alike—turned toward the heavens.

Then, they fell.

Not one. Not two. But five.

Five colossal toads, each larger than life, came crashing down onto the enemy vessel.

The first, Gamabunta, landed with a deafening boom, his sheer weight cracking the Ancor Vantian's surface beneath him. His massive pipe hung from his lips as his sharp eyes scanned the battlefield.

"Tch. You really dragged me into a mess this time, Jiraiya."

The second, Gamaken, landed beside him, his massive shield raised defensively. "I do not like this. I do not like this one bit."

The third, Gamahiro, slammed onto the deck, twin swords gleaming in the eerie glow of the Reibi's tendrils.

The fourth and fifth, two lesser but still titanic toads, landed with earth-shaking force, their webbed feet crushing enemy forces beneath them.

And at the center of it all, crouched atop Gamabunta's head, was a man.

Jiraiya of the Sannin.

His white hair flowed wildly behind him, his red coat billowing as he stood tall, surveying the battlefield. Though his usual smirk graced his lips, there was no playfulness in his eyes—only sharp, unwavering resolve. This was Jiraiya the Sage, not the wandering hermit, not the fool. A warrior forged in the crucible of countless battles.

He cracked his knuckles, glancing down at the battlefield. "I was about to make one of my usual grand entrances," he mused, his voice carrying across the war-torn village.

Then, his smirk faded, his tone turning solemn. "But I think we're far past that."

Hiruzen let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Hope.

Jiraiya had arrived.