Chapter 19: Summons and Skirmish
"Delivered!"
The giant crow, Onigarasu, swooped down from the dark sky, its talons snatching a wailing infant from a terrified woman's arms. The mother stumbled and fell, her cry of despair cut short as a swirling vortex of other crows descended upon her, a maelstrom of black feathers and slashing claws that blocked her from sight.
Raven. Come to me.
The command, clear and absolute, pierced through the ghost crow's predatory focus. Attached was a set of coordinates.
At last! The Ghost King summons me again! Ecstasy replaced bloodlust. This was its chance to prove its worth, to show its recent discoveries. It had to perform impeccably.
Making a swift decision, it deposited the shrieking infant—already bleeding from shallow talon marks—onto a nearby rooftop. The rest of the village, momentarily spared, watched as the murder of crows abruptly broke off their attack, wheeling as one and vanishing into the treeline.
Over the past few days, Onigarasu had grown more adept with its Blood Demon Art. The number of clones it could manifest and control simultaneously had increased to twenty, though direct participation in combat reduced their finesse. It preferred to orchestrate the hunt from the shadows, letting its expendable copies do the messy work.
In a different, grimy locale, Dry Arrow had… expanded. He now stood over two meters tall, a veritable mountain of pulsating fat and muscle. He sat in the ruins of a ransacked house, shoveling assorted, grisly remains into his ever-gaping maw.
Come to me.
The voice in his head made him freeze, a half-chewed limb dangling from his lips. The meat in his hand suddenly tasted like ash.
Damn it… He'd just begun to enjoy his freedom, a few short days of gluttonous solitude. And now, the call. The memory of the Ghost King's terrifying, impassive face sent a tremor through his blubber.
There was no room for delay. To be late was to invite obliteration.
He slapped his vast stomach mournfully, cast a longing glance at the remaining 'meal' scattered on the floor, and began the laborious process of heaving his immense bulk out of the doorway. The coordinates Shuichi had sent felt very far away. How long will this take?
Elsewhere, Shuichi Mayumi, with Momiji in tow, was walking away from Konoha under the escort of the three chunin. Momiji walked in silence, while Shuichi maintained a façade of pleasant conversation. Internally, he was coldly appraising their value.
*Hyuga Kuji. 16. Branch family. Caged Bird seal. Mediocre talent. Chunin is likely his peak. The seal only activates to destroy the Byakugan and brain upon death or eye-removal unless the Main House triggers it. Can the Blood Curse override such a seal? We'll find out soon.*
*Kizugawa Sakiko. 14. Civilian-born. Good talent for her background, made chunin at 13. Unremarkable ninjutsu repertoire. Unremarkable in every way, really. To turn her or not? No bloodline limit. But her face is pleasant. She'd make a decent aesthetic counterpart to Momiji.*
*Aburame Fumihiko. 17. Team leader. His clan raises chakra-fed insects, using them for all techniques. A 'swarm' demon… now that has potential.*
Their trek was interrupted by a harsh chorus of caws. From the forest to the west, a flock of large, dark birds emerged, circling ominously overhead. Their black forms blended with the night, making their numbers difficult to gauge.
The three chunin shared a tense look. The intelligence about the mysterious crow attacks was fresh in their minds.
"Byakugan!" Hyuga Kuji's temples bulged with veins. His vision expanded, piercing the darkness. "…More than a dozen. No other chakra signatures in the vicinity."
The crows themselves weren't the primary threat; it was their venom and the unseen controller. Aburame Fumihiko gave a curt nod, and a dark, chitinous mass of parasites began to swarm over his arms and beneath his clothes.
"Sakiko, you protect Mayumi-san." Fumihiko ordered.
"Huh? Oh, okay." Though clearly wanting to fight, Sakiko moved to stand defensively in front of Shuichi and Momiji. A standard, by-the-book civilian-ninja reaction.
Too slow, Shuichi thought irritably, sensing Dry Arrow's glacial progress. The bloated demon had covered only a third of the distance. Onigarasu alone might struggle against three prepared chunin.
Should I have Momiji intervene? This was, after all, a test for his subordinates. He preferred to remain a spectator unless absolutely necessary.
Crow. Begin.
Through their mental link, the circling flock grew agitated. Two crows broke formation, diving straight for Hyuga Kuji—the perceived weakest link, in the ghost crow's estimation.
"Incoming!" Fumihiko warned, the hum of his insects intensifying.
Kuji's Byakugan tracked the trajectories perfectly. He sidestepped the first dive with a fluid motion, the rush of wind from the passing bird whipping his hair. The crow skidded along the ground, trying to bank for another pass, oblivious to the Aburame's parasites now stealthily crawling onto its feathers.
The second crow was already upon him. Kuji twisted, avoiding the direct strike, and lashed out with a sharp palm thrust.
THWACK!
The blow landed solidly on the crow's side, sending it spinning several meters through the air. But it wasn't dispelled. Instead, it used the momentum, tucking its wings and changing course mid-recovery, now streaking towards Aburame Fumihiko.
"Look out!" Kuji's eyes widened in alarm. His counterattack had inadvertently redirected the enemy toward his comrade.
(End of Chapter)
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