A black hole opened up high in the air. From it, Takabi came soaring out, his eyes immediately falling upon the Illuminated buildings far below him. The bustling people looked like little dots, with the moonlight raining down overhead. It was faintly cloudy, the atmosphere hiding his presence from sight.
The markings faded from his body, a wave of exhaustion overcoming him. He escaped, just barely, thanks to his ability to stop time, but the fear of being tracked lingered in the back of his mind. Those two, Momoshiki and Kinshiki, certainly seemed familiar, but he wasn't sure how. Their presence had been overwhelming, and their power had matched their attitude. If they knew about his powers, they would've caught him with no trouble.
That thought sent shivers down his spine. Along with the thin air so far above the village, combined with his exhaustion, it was difficult to keep his eyes open.
Maybe… maybe a quick nap…
The ground drew closer. Down below, the pedestrians took notice of his body descending from the heavens. They pointed, murmuring amongst each other, before anyone fully noticed what was approaching them.
It was swift.
It was heavy.
He crashed into the ground, with such intense force it blew everyone within the immediate area back down the roads they came from. From the piled people, little were injured, but one person in particular remained in place.
Her short pink hair touched her shoulders, creamy skin caked in a cloud of dust and dirt. She raced forward, stopping just short of the large crater and peered her green eyes into the damage. Spotting Takabi's body right away, she leapt in without a second thought, sliding next to him and rolling him on his back.
He's… He's completely uninjured. From an impact like that?
Slowly, he stirred, and his violet eyes shined through the airborne soil.
He looks exhausted. Who is this guy?
"Who… the hell… are you…"
"Are you alright," She asked, the caution in her voice growing. She didn't think much about it before due to her medical nature, but now that she examined him closer, she was skeptical if he was an enemy or not. She knew of numerous different ways for people to infiltrate the village, and this would just be added to the list. "Do you feel any pain?"
He didn't respond. The haziness in his eyes beginning to fade, and strength slowly returning to him, he rolled away from the woman and flipped to his feet, eyes locked on her face.
"Where am I," He asked.
"Hold on. Before that, tell me your name. What happened to you?" She stood, hand held out to calm his obvious panic.
Not being one to be drawn in so easily, Takabi threw his arm aside, erecting a wall of white heat that kept her back. "Stay away!"
These flames. Her thoughts trailed away from concern to examination. They're so intense, but the heat is focused. He doesn't want to hurt me, but if he snaps like this, he could be a danger to everyone in the village.
Takabi turned on his heel and leapt out the crater. Landing in the street, the villagers watched him with fearful eyes, before screaming and scrambling away from him. He took off past them, ignoring the calls of the woman who found him.
What is this place?! Where did I end up this time?!
"There he is!"
He glanced over his shoulder. There was a group of men and women, all wearing similar uniforms; An olive green vest and navy colored pants. Their open toed shoes matched their pants color, and a red swirl was stitched in the back of the vest, as well as along the arm.
They pressed their hands together, forming different signs before exhaling orange flames.
They can use magic too?
He slid to a stop, whipping around as the heat consumed him. When the assailants landed, Takabi inhaled the fire, swallowing it whole before wiping his lips.
No. It doesn't feel or taste like magic. It's genuine fire. What the hell are these people?
"He nullified our jutsu?!" The man in the front took a step forward, carefully planning his next few steps. "Surround him! Don't let him escape!"
"Just leave me alone!" Takabi threw his arms out, his own fire bursting up around him. "Go away!"
"White flames?"
Takabi turned, and was prepared to leap away. His body fought against him, feet planted firmly on the ground as if he were held down.
"Now, now. I'd stay right where you are."
As the flames died down, Takabi blinked at the second ground that had arrived. In the lead, there was a man with a spiky ponytail. His face was plain looking, and he wore the same uniform as the first group. What set him apart was the look of intelligence in his eyes. He was confident in himself, and that much was obvious.
Under his feet, his shadow stretched out long, merging into Takabi's and blackening it greatly.
"Shadow Possession is a success."
Is this his spell? I can't move.
"Now look, I'm going to be real with you. I don't know who you are, and frankly I don't care. However, you just came crashing into our village and started making a ruckus late at night."
"Let… me go…"
The man smirked, tightening the grip he had over his fingers. "Don't make this harder. Just surrender, and maybe we can come to an understanding."
Takabi's hand trembled faintly. Slowly, he raised it, fighting off the control of the spell's caster.
He's strong! A lot stronger than I thought! Gritting his teeth, beads of sweat began dripping from his forehead.
"Shikamaru!"
The woman from earlier landed next to him. Both watched Takabi with a growing curiosity, studying him as if he were a special specimen.
"Perfect timing, Sakura. Did Naruto and Hinata… come back yet?"
"No. Last I heard they crossed the Border around noon."
"Heh. What a time those two picked to be newly wed." Gritting his teeth, he glanced up at her and nodded. "What's this guy's deal?!"
"I have no clue. He just fell from the sky."
"Seriously?! He's not even injured!"
"Yeah. It'd be impossible to survive something like that with no damage whatsoever." She reached into the pouch strapped to her backside, grabbing a pair of black gloves and slipping them on. "We should subdue him, and bring him to Lord Sixth."
"My thoughts exactly."
Exhaling, Takabi peered at them both, drinking in their words and smirking. It was a quick burst, his Mana running rampant through his body. In that moment, Shikamaru's control wavered, and Takabi broke free, leaping at the two.
Sakura took a step forward, pulling her fist back and throwing it ahead. Takabi slipped his foot into the ground, sliding under her and between them both. When he came up, he connected a split kick and knocked the two into the ground.
Sakura recovered first, throwing rapid punches that were just short of connecting. Takabi, having evaded each one, caught her knuckles and spun, throwing her into the building nearby, air escaping her lungs as she hit the ground.
Shikamaru's shadow danced along the ground, shooting up as thick tendrils. One pierced Takabi's arm, though he tore himself free and leapt back. Flames billowing around his fist, he thrust it forward, the heat burrowing at Shikamaru faster than he could react. Before they could connect, his heat suddenly struck a wall, reducing it to ash though protecting the man.
Takabi blinked, glancing over at Sakura, who had her palms pressed tightly against the ground. "You're annoying."
"Yeah. I've been told that before."
A human boulder crashed down from above. Spinning rapidly and burrowing deeper into the ground, Shikamaru smiled at the blonde woman who helped him stand. Her long hair reached the back of her waist, and purple attire hugged her hourglass figure perfectly.
"You okay, Shikamaru?"
"Yeah. Thanks, Ino."
She smiled at him, batting her icy blue eyes towards the spinning boulder. "Who is this guy?"
"No idea. According to Sakura, he just fell from the sky."
"Like an Angel," She replied, hand on her hip.
The human boulder stopped, its spikes slowly shrinking, before shooting high into the air. Takabi stopped out from the crater, his eyes focused on his target as it came back down at him.
Shikamaru's eyes went wide, and he yelled, "Careful, Choji! He's dangerous!"
Leaping aside, Takabi swung his foot around and struck Choji hard, returning him to his original chubby shape and forcing him into the wall nearby. Sliding down, he rubbed his side and shot his eyes back at Takabi.
He was dressed in a red garb, with iron chest armor and a symbol in the center. Unable to read it, he glanced back at Sakura and exhaled.
They're all determined not to let me escape. Fine. We'll do it the hard way.
Slowly, his eyes shifted towards Shikamaru and Ino. His finger flinched, and the moment of tension burst. Shikamaru gripped his index and middle fingers tightly, his shadow shooting out in an attempt to catch Takabi. Narrowing his eyes, his body vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing behind Shikamaru.
He's fast, Shikamaru thought, snapping his head around.
Takabi attempted to connect a kick, stopping only when Choji's hand expanded, and blocked the impact with his palm. He leapt back, exhaling a gust of fire that crackled through the street. When it closed it, Takabi shut his mouth, forcing the fire to erupt in a thick cloud of white smoke.
"He's trying to escape through the smokescreen!" Shikamaru shielded his eyes, the temperature nearly unbearable.
"I can't see!" Ino shut her vision, waving the smoke away. "Where is he!?"
Takabi scaled the roof nearby, leaping away as fast as he was able to. His body still groggy, and mind struggling to remain awake, he focused on the large green doors embedded into the outer wall. There was red writing on it, which he assumed meant exit.
Almost there, he thought.
Once he landed on the bricky road, he dashed towards the door with hope for escape. That hope was short lived, as another wall of Earth ripped from ground, climbing higher until it was leveled with the massive doors. Coming to a stop, his shoulders slumped and he turned around, eyes locked with an older man. His silverish white hair was styled to the left, and while he wore a matching uniform to the group earlier, it was all navy blue and looked to be reinforced with a special fiber.
His eyes were half open, as if he were bored, and a mask covered his face from the center of his nose downward. His left eye held a scar over it, and the fierceness of his vision spoke volumes about his experience and trauma.
"Sorry, but I can't exactly let you go."
