I stared at the sky, which was now beginning to be covered by thick clouds. The moon, usually a guiding light, was now obscured by dark fog that blurred everything.
Yet, I could still feel the direction I needed to go. Each explosion that sounded closer made my heart race with anxiety.
The noise hit my ears like a hammer, growing more numerous and louder—explosion after explosion, turning this night into a real nightmare.
I had to get there—I had to help Aoki. There was no time left.
...
...
...
However, when I arrived at the place where Aoki was, I was truly shocked. There, Aoki stood tall amidst a pile of the fallen bodies of Anbu ninjas.
Blood spread across the ground, forming a deep red pool that tainted every inch of the earth's surface, as if it were sucking the life out of the ground itself.
The scent of burnt blood, mixed with the metallic smell of splattered earth, filled the air, haunting every breath I took.
With each step I took, the ground felt slippery from the spreading liquid, almost as if I were walking on a living surface.
Body parts, most of them neatly severed, seemed to be separated with extraordinary precision. However, some organs were spilled out, horrific and grotesque, adding to the chaos of the scene.
This sight could make anyone's stomach churn, as if the horror was not only visible but could be felt throughout the body.
The remnants of fire that scorched the ground left behind blackened crusts that peeled away, as if marking the anger that burned beneath the surface.
Some trees burned silently, their bark peeling away like large wounds adorning the body of the forest, revealing charred wood flesh.
The trees seemed like living beings groaning in pain, shedding their useless leaves, burned by a force too great to be stopped.
In some places, I could see traces of water ninjutsu left by previous attacks.
The irregular patterns were clearly etched into the still-wet ground, depicting the forces of nature clashing against another power in an uneven battle.
The earth, usually hard and unyielding, seemed to absorb the traces of the released power, creating patterns that could only be understood by those who knew true strength.
Some larger trees appeared to be severed, with cuts so perfect, as if destroyed by an extraordinary force, something unimaginable to most people.
I was stunned, my eyes wide. Unconsciously, my body froze, unable to tear my gaze away from Aoki. All the brutality laid out before me seemed to vanish the moment I looked at Aoki.
There was a kind of magnetism within me that made it impossible to look away, even though around us was an irremovable destruction.
When my eyes met Aoki's, my body seemed to freeze. My heart pounded loudly in my ears, as if this world revolved solely around that heartbeat, making my chest feel tight, as if there were an unavoidable pressure.
There was a silence that drowned out the entire world, and I felt as if my body were trapped in a very small room. Aoki stood still, yet there was a kind of calm radiating from Aoki, as if Aoki were the center of all this chaos.
Aoki's tranquility was striking, like a calm ocean despite the raging storm around it. Surrounding Aoki, the destruction caused by uncontrollable power seemed to not touch Aoki at all.
I was left in awe of my confusion. Was... Aoki really this strong? I thought. Who exactly is Aoki? How could a Bounty Hunter possess such power?
I, Mei Terumi, an Anbu ninja from Kirigakure who had been rigorously trained to survive in various dangerous situations, even I felt I would not survive against the incredibly strong Anbu of Konoha
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[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
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