The distant horizon was turning a pale white, and the torrential rain that had lasted all night was gradually stopping. A cold, damp wind swept across the scorched earth littered with corpses, but it could not disperse the thick, foul smell of blood and burning. Konoha and Cloud Village ninja were slaughtering each other.
Bzzzt!
A profound presence seemed to press down on the battlefield from the sky. The ground didn't tremble, but the air suddenly became solid and heavy, making it difficult to breathe. All the ninja, from both Konoha and Cloud Village, instinctively looked up.
The next moment, they saw darkness spreading from the distant horizon at a speed visible to the naked eye. It didn't look like storm clouds but rather shadows, which quickly obscured the pale white light in the east that signaled the dawn, as if the world was once again plunged into night.
But this scene came and went quickly. After only a few seconds, like a stage curtain being pulled back, the darkness gradually receded, and the light of dawn once again shone on the land, as if the previous scene had been an illusion.
However, just as the people on the battlefield were recovering from their shock, a scream that was not human suddenly erupted from a corner of the battlefield, instantly grabbing everyone's attention.
"ROAR!"
A tall black figure wearing a pale, bone-like mask and exuding a chilling aura appeared in the center of the battle between Konoha and Cloud Village. The large-bodied 'Great Hollow' roared and then slowly lowered its head, its crimson eyes scanning the horrified Konoha ninja below.
However, this was only the beginning. Nurui's transformation was not an isolated incident. As this lower-class 'Great Hollow' was born, some of the corpses on the battlefield also began to change. Those ninja who had died with intense resentment, anger, and hatred were now twisting and changing after the 'Hollow World' rules covered the entire ninja world!
Rip! Rip! Rip!
One corpse after another was ripped apart as if from a cocoon. Dozens of ordinary 'Hollows' of various shapes, but all covered with pale masks and exuding a chilling aura, crawled out from the corpses!
The ninja on the battlefield, both from Konoha and Cloud Village, were startled by this sudden and drastic change. This scene, which was beyond their comprehension, made them lose their focus.
"Wh-what are those things?"
"Nurui? What... what has he become?"
"Are... are all the dead coming back to life?"
Under the chilling aura, the surrounding ninja instinctively took a few steps back, looking in terror at the ominous monsters crawling out of the corpses.
However, the 'Hollows' paid no attention to their fear. Their eyes under the masks were now only filled with the same crimson light, a look of greed for the souls of the living and a desire to destroy all life.
"ROAR!"
The 'Great Hollow' that Nurui had become let out another roar. It opened its black mouth, which was hidden by its mask, and a dark red energy with terrifying fluctuations began to gather.
Cero!
BOOM!!
A dark red beam of light, as thick as a laser cannon, shot out from the 'Great Hollow's' mouth. The beam swept across the battlefield with a screech that ripped the air! The 'Great Hollow's' head slowly turned, and the dark red Cero beam was like the scythe of death, sweeping out from the center of its massive body!
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Where the red beam passed, whether it was Konoha or Cloud Village ninja, and whether they were trying to defend or flee in panic, they were instantly vaporized and annihilated! They didn't even have time to let out a single wail, leaving only a smoking trail on the ground!
Hooo...
The crimson light in the 'Great Hollow's' mouth slowly receded, leaving a massive, scorched, circular area on the battlefield! Everything within the area hit by the beam—people, weapons, corpses, rocks—was completely erased, leaving only a smoking trail of death!
"Is that Nurui? The deserter?!"
"Wh-what kind of joke is this?"
"Monsters! Monsters!"
Seeing this terrifying sight, the ninja from Cloud Village looked on in disbelief! With just one attack, just one attack, dozens of ninja had been wiped out!
Fear spread across the battlefield like a plague. However, the fear emanating from their bodies was like a scent of blood to a shark for the 'Hollows,' who showed even more greedy desire in their eyes beneath their masks.
The ordinary 'Hollows' let out a high-pitched screech and lunged at the terrified ninja around them! The slaughter had begun!
"Agh!!"
"No! Don't come near me!"
"What the hell are these things?!"
Screams once again echoed across the battlefield, but this time, it was no longer a battle between ninja but a one-sided slaughter and devouring! The 'Hollows' disregarded the Konoha and Cloud Village factions, tearing the ninja's bodies apart with their sharp claws and even pouncing on them to suck out their souls with their masks!
The ninja whose souls were being devoured opened their mouths and stared, their blurry spiritual bodies visibly sucked out in front of everyone else, until their eyes lost all light and they became silent.
Now that the rules of the 'Hollow World' had spread throughout the ninja world, a change that Hyuga Kawa hadn't anticipated had occurred. These 'Hollows' had changed under the rules of the ninja world. They could now not only feed on souls but also absorb the mental energy that ninja released during intense emotional fluctuations. This was similar to the 'Mōryō' from the Land of Demons, 'Satori' from the Box of Ultimate Bliss, or even the 'Zero-Tails' from the Land of the Sky, all of which fed on the mental energy of ninjas and even ordinary people.
For these strange creatures, the ninja world had a common name:
—Demons!
"Monsters! Die!"
A Cloud Village ninja let out a terrified roar and swung his sword at the 'Great Hollow's' black body, but he stumbled as if he had plunged into a shadow, feeling only a bone-chilling cold. The next moment, the 'Great Hollow' pierced his chest, and his soul was pulled from his body.
In the distance, a Konoha ninja tried to use Fire Style, but the flames he spat out passed straight through the 'Great Hollow' as if it had no physical body. The 'Great Hollow's' crimson eyes locked onto the Konoha ninja, and the destructive dark red light began to gather in its mouth again!
At this crucial moment, a shadow enveloped it, and the shadow grew bigger.
"Taste Jiraiya-sama's Toad Crushing Technique!"
With a loud and comical voice entering their ears, a massive, mountain-like toad fell from the sky.
RUMBLE!!
Its giant body, with the force of ten thousand pounds, accurately landed on the 'Great Hollow' that was gathering its Cero. A deafening roar echoed across the battlefield! The ground shook violently from the impact, and the massive shockwave sent everything around it flying! The dark red light in the 'Great Hollow's' mouth instantly dissipated, and it was firmly pinned under the sudden weight.
When the rising dust settled, the people on the battlefield looked up to see a gigantic red toad with a pipe in its mouth and a short sword at its waist. Seeing the figure standing on top of the toad's head, the Konoha ninjas' spirits were instantly lifted.
"It's Jiraiya-sama!"
"Jiraiya-sama has stepped in!"
"Jiraiya... cough! cough, cough!"
Before they could rejoice, Gamabunta's giant eye scanned the chaotic and bloody battlefield. He couldn't help but gasp at the strange-looking 'Hollows.' The pipe in his mouth lit up, and the white smoke he blew out made the Konoha ninjas cough.
"Hey! Jiraiya!" Gamabunta's voice was filled with dissatisfaction and solemnity. "What the hell is this place? Why are there so many disgusting things?"
"Sorry, Bunta, it's an emergency."
Jiraiya stood steady on top of Gamabunta's head, his face devoid of his usual playful smile. He frowned as he looked at the 'Hollows' on the battlefield and said in a deep voice, "These monsters are not right!"
"Don't give me that! I know they're not right!"
Gamabunta felt the power and chill beneath him. He sank his massive body slightly to pin it down more firmly and said in a deep, booming voice, "This chakra is more uncomfortable than a Tailed Beast's!"
Just as Gamabunta's words fell, the chill beneath him suddenly grew stronger.
Bzzzt!!
A more violent and concentrated fluctuation suddenly erupted from under Gamabunta's body.
"Jiraiya, you bastard! What did you make me pin down? A Jinchuriki?!"
The horizontal pupils in Gamabunta's eye suddenly constricted, and he couldn't help but curse, but he reacted immediately. His massive body showed astonishing agility. His hind leg muscles instantly tensed up like a compressed spring!
BOOM!!
Just as Bunta leaped up, a red beam of light, even thicker than before, shot up from the spot where he had been pinning the creature down! The dark red beam grazed the rising Bunta's abdomen, tearing a massive hole in the clouds above!
"That was close!"
Bunta landed with a crash a short distance away, creating a large crater in the ground. He looked down at his abdomen, a look of lingering fear on his face. "This damn thing, it's not even that big, but its attack is so powerful. It almost disemboweled me!" The terrifying heat of the beam had only grazed him for a moment, but he could feel a burning pain in his skin and hear a sizzling sound. It left a straight burn on his belly.
"Bunta, do you know what that thing is?"
Jiraiya stood on top of Bunta's head, his face as grim as it could be. He had seen it clearly. Bunta's crushing weight, which could flatten mountains, had only briefly held the monster in check and hadn't caused any fatal damage. Judging from the attacks of the other ninja, ninjutsu also seemed to have little effect... On the other hand, the monster's attacks, once fired, were astonishingly fast and powerful. How could these demonic creatures suddenly appear in large numbers on the battlefield and attack indiscriminately?
"It looks a bit like some kind of demon?" Gamabunta said in a deep voice. "But I've never heard of this kind of demon before."
Although he was far from as old as Gamamaru, he was still very knowledgeable. He had even seen 'Satori' from the Box of Ultimate Bliss. But this kind of demon, he had never seen before.
"However, I think there's something else that should concern you more than that demon," Gamabunta said meaningfully.
Jiraiya's gaze flickered, but he still frowned and said in a deep voice, "I don't care about that right now. Let's see if ninjutsu works first!" With that, he quickly made hand signs, and his chest and mouth puffed up.
But the next moment, Jiraiya suddenly looked up, and Gamabunta's eyes also rolled up at the same time. The man and toad looked in unison at the seemingly empty cumulus cloud above!
Bunta and Jiraiya had worked together for a long time, so there was no need for words. Bunta's hind leg muscles instantly bulged and he stomped the ground, his massive body showing an astonishing burst of power.
BOOM!!
Bunta's body shot into the air like a cannonball, his immense force creating a deep crater in the ground. Jiraiya, on his head, looked up and breathed out fire!
Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!
Bunta also cooperated by blowing a gust of wind, making the flames, which were already dancing like a ferocious dragon, even more powerful as they flew towards the hidden presence in the clouds! This attack was sudden, at a tricky angle, and its target was not the 'Great Hollow' on the ground but the watcher hidden in the sky!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just as the hot flames were about to hit the clouds, a chilling aura surged out! Five incredibly tough threads, almost too fast to be seen, swept out from the clouds like sharp piano strings. Their speed was beyond the limits of human sight. They instantly sliced through the cumulus cloud and then cut toward the flames like surgical knives!
Slice!
With a light sound like a blade cutting through paper, the flames, which were hot enough to melt steel, were instantly split into six pieces in mid-air! The cuts on the flames were incredibly smooth, creating a strange and shocking sight.
"What?!"
Jiraiya's expression changed instantly. The cut-open clouds slowly dispersed, revealing the slender figure within. 'The Puppet Master' floated quietly in the air with its wings spread. Its long purple hair fluttered in the air, and the corner of its exposed mouth seemed to curl into a cold smirk. It elegantly raised its slender right hand and spread its five fingers. The five threads extending from its fingertips were like piano strings.
"How weak. You're only fit to be a meal."
It didn't look at Jiraiya. Instead, it looked down at the 'Great Hollow' and spoke with a tone of disgust. Its master's order was to find newly born 'Great Hollows' in the ninja world and bring back any with the potential to become a middle-class 'Great Hollow' to Las Noches. But the 'Great Hollow' below only barely qualified as a lower-class one. It was acting on instinct and had no self-awareness, which meant it could never become a middle-class one. This was its first time carrying out its master's order, and all it had found was a piece of trash. This made 'the Puppet Master' feel annoyed.
So, it turned its gaze to Jiraiya and the giant toad.
"Such ugly creatures."
Its tone was incredibly cold. It lightly plucked its ten fingers.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The five sharp threads, which had cut through the flames, continued their trajectory, tearing through the air with a faint but spine-chilling screech as they cut toward Jiraiya and Bunta, who were in mid-air!
"Damn it!"
Feeling the terrifying sharpness contained in the threads, Gamabunta's expression changed instantly. He showed a reaction speed that was inconsistent with his massive body...
Clang!!
Bunta drew his gleaming short sword from his waist. The thick blade was held horizontally like a shield, blocking the five deadly threads. But the moment the threads collided with his short sword, the blade, which was massive for a human, began to show fine cracks!
CRACK!!
The standoff lasted for less than half a second before a crisp breaking sound rang out! Bunta's giant and sturdy short sword snapped under the threads' cutting!
The broken tip of the sword spun and flew into the sky, but the threads' cutting did not stop! After being delayed for only a negligible moment, the five threads continued their trajectory, instantly slicing past Bunta's hand, which was gripping the broken blade!
Squelch!!
Five deep, bone-visible, and mirror-smooth cuts instantly appeared on Bunta's hand. Hot blood mixed with flesh and tendons spewed out!
"Ugh!!"
The intense pain made Bunta grunt, and his body suddenly trembled. He watched as the threads continued to cut toward his chest.
"Jiraiya!"
Bunta let out a thunderous, almost terrified roar! He knew that his massive body was like a lamb to the slaughter in front of these strange threads. If he hesitated for another second, both he and Jiraiya would be cut to pieces!
"Release!"
Without any hesitation, Jiraiya instantly made hand signs, his voice resolute!
Bang!
A large white cloud of smoke exploded, and Gamabunta vanished without a trace, leaving only the five threads uselessly slicing through the empty air. And Jiraiya's body, having lost its footing the moment the summoning jutsu was dispelled, plummeted downward!
"Hmph."
'The Puppet Master' snorted and lightly plucked its slender fingers.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The five threads that had just missed their target, like living, poisonous snakes, suddenly bent in mid-air, drawing five deadly arcs. They shot toward the free-falling Jiraiya, aiming to strangle him!
However, in this desperate situation, there was no fear in Jiraiya's eyes. Instead, a determined look flashed within them. His falling body suddenly twisted, and his right hand shot out behind him like lightning!
Clang!
Accompanied by a heavy and ancient sound of metal scraping, a uniquely shaped broadsword was pulled out from the scabbard meticulously crafted on his back! The blade of this sword was incredibly heavy and had a grayish-white color. Its edge wasn't even sharp.
This sword was named 'Sloth'!
Just as the five deadly threads were about to touch Jiraiya's body, he tightly gripped the hilt of 'Sloth' with both hands and pointed the heavy blade toward the ground that was rapidly approaching!
Thud!!
The heavy tip of the sword touched the muddy, scorched ground. There was no earth-shattering explosion or a cloud of dust. There was only a muffled thud like a boulder falling into a deep pond.
Sloth: Time Domain!
Instantly, a heavy and viscous field of force, like an invisible ripple, spread out from the sword as its center! In Jiraiya's eyes, the dust, raindrops, and even the howling wind in the air... all seemed to have been put in slow motion by an invisible hand. Their speed of falling, floating, and flowing suddenly slowed to a visible degree.
The five threads that had been cutting through the air with a piercing shriek also suddenly slowed down the moment they entered this domain. They seemed to have fallen into an invisible, viscous mud puddle. Their cutting trajectory was clearly visible in the air, but their forward speed had become as slow as a crawling snail! The deadly, sharp shrieks became a faint buzzing sound like a mosquito's wings in Jiraiya's ears!
Time, in this small pocket of the world, was forcibly stretched! Only Jiraiya could move freely within this time domain!
"Manipulating time. What a powerful ability."
Jiraiya had made this same comment more than once. He had actually used this sword to kill people during this time and, like Kakashi, knew that it needed to devour souls to grow stronger. Whenever he used this sword's ability, he couldn't help but sigh and wonder how powerful the person who crafted this sword was.
But now was not the time for sighing.
Jiraiya estimated his chakra consumption, easily dodged the five cutting threads, and then pulled 'Sloth' out of the ground and swung it with all his might!
Whoosh!!