As the massive ice-sculpted whale soared through the air, sending waves crashing around it, Sakiya stood firm on the tree beneath her. She was at the center of a glowing magic circle.
The whale, the circle, and Sakiya herself—it was a breathtaking scene, a perfect fusion of power and beauty.
The director was mesmerized. He had completely forgotten about the danger, utterly fixated on capturing the shot.
But Sakiya despised interruptions, especially during her confrontation with Ino.
Unbeknownst to most, a shadow lurked behind the whale. A figure stood atop it—ready to land on the ship the moment the creature touched down.
He smirked.
They had been tracking this vessel bound for the Land of Snow for some time. And then, by chance, he had spotted her—the girl standing by the railing, gazing at the sea.
Koyuki.
Even after all these years, he recognized her instantly. He had once been the one tasked with hunting her down.
Now, he would capture her himself.
But before he could act—
Sakiya raised her small hand toward the incoming whale. A magic circle materialized in her palm, glowing ominously.
"Sky-Shattering Annihilation!"
BOOM!
A beam of energy erupted from the circle. It expanded instantly, stretching dozens of meters wide.
The whale was engulfed in an explosion of light.
And just like that—
He was gone.
No scream. No struggle. The attacker and his massive ice construct were completely erased from existence.
The beam didn't stop there—it shot into the sky, piercing the clouds and leaving a massive hole in its wake.
For a brief moment, the world stood still.
Then, as the light faded, a fine mist remained where the whale had been. The water vapor shimmered in the sunlight, forming a rainbow.
Silence.
The onlookers could only stare, mouths agape.
It had all happened so fast, so flawlessly—it felt unreal.
The director was astonished. He wanted to cheer, but there was still a movie to film.
The cameraman, ever professional, had captured everything.
Meanwhile, not far from the chaos, two figures stood in stunned silence.
Their confidence, once unshakable, vanished in an instant.
The two men—who had been waiting in ambush—stared at the empty space where their comrade and his summoned beast had been.
One of them, Hyou, felt a chill crawl up his spine.
What was that attack…?
What kind of weapon was that?!
Then—
"Thread Art—Bloodline Severance!"
The water's surface rippled as if sliced by an invisible web.
Something was coming.
Hyou and his partner, Fubuki, tensed. Then, they saw it—a near-invisible thread cutting through the air around them.
Their eyes widened.
Instinctively, they moved to counter it, forming hand seals.
But they were too slow.
In an instant, the threads coiled around them.
They could hear it—the sharp sound of fibers slicing through their armor.
Their suits of chakra-infused plating, designed to repel ninjutsu, creaked under the pressure. But then—
Silence.
The threads stopped.
The armor had held.
They were trapped but unharmed.
Then, a new figure emerged from the shadows.
Sakuragi.
Standing a short distance away, he held the shimmering threads between his fingers. The lenses of his glasses glinted in the light, obscuring his expression.
"You didn't get sliced apart."
His voice was calm.
"That armor of yours… is quite something."
A golden flash and a streak of lightning appeared in an instant, stopping beside Sakuragi.
Naruto, clad in his Nine-Tails Chakra cloak, and Sasuke, enveloped in his Lightning Chakra armor, emerged from the light.
The two stood on either side of Sakuragi, their presence overwhelming.
Sasuke's sharp gaze was cold and focused. "Did you get them?"
Naruto grinned. "Nice work, Sakuragi."
At that moment, Hyou and Fubuki were frozen in place, cold sweat forming on their brows.
The sheer speed of these two was beyond anything they had ever encountered. Their chakra levels were unreal—far surpassing even the strongest warriors they had faced before.
Hyou hesitantly tried to move his arm. His chakra armor, wrapped tightly in the nearly invisible threads, made a strained creaking noise.
His face twisted in fear.
"What the hell are these guys…? What kind of monsters are they…?"
Fubuki attempted to shift as well, but the threads had already begun cutting into his armor.
With every slight movement, the razor-sharp fibers dug deeper, producing a shrill, grating sound.
It was an eerie warning—if they moved too much, the threads would cut through not just their armor, but their flesh as well.
A cold realization settled over them.
This was a death trap.
"We're done for," Hyou whispered, his face pale.
Sakuragi smirked and raised a hand.
With a sharp tug, the threads constricted.
A loud snap echoed through the air as their chakra armor shattered into countless fragments, clattering to the ground.
For a split second, both men thought they were about to be sliced into pieces.
But instead—
Only their armor was destroyed.
Then, the threads wrapped firmly around their bodies.
Neither dared to move.
Sakuragi chuckled to himself.
These threads had cost him a fortune, but they were worth every single coin.
Strong yet flexible. Excellent chakra conductivity. Nearly invisible to the naked eye, even for trained ninjas.
They were perfect.
Sakuragi turned and walked toward the ship.
"You two, come with me. I assume you'll cooperate. If not, you might as well kill yourselves now."
In truth, Sakuragi had noticed them watching from the start, even before Naruto had sensed the trio from the Land of Snow.
He had chosen to lie in wait because he knew there was no real threat to the ship—not with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakiya on board.
Hyou and Fubuki exchanged glances.
After a moment's hesitation, they followed without resistance.
Naruto and Sasuke, seeing that the situation was handled, deactivated their chakra cloaks and walked back toward the ship.
----
On the boat, Sakiya and Ino were still deep in their confrontation.
The battle had reached its climax, with the ice-carved whale from earlier now woven into the unfolding drama.
Sakiya's expression was cold as a red flame ignited in her right eye.
"I destroyed the Whale of Jishi with a single blow. Do you see now?" Her voice rang out with authority. "This is the power of the Eye of Death! Are you sure you still want to fight me?"
Ino met her gaze, unwavering.
"This is my mission! I am not afraid of death. There's nothing left to fear!"
Sakiya's expression tightened. Her small hand clenched into a fist before she thrust it forward.
"If you refuse to understand… then let this be what calms my fury!"
She raised her hand, fingers curling into a claw.
"The Unbreakable Expanse! The end of all things begins now! Release—The Eye of Death!"
Bang!
The blindfold covering her left eye burst into flames, disintegrating into glowing embers before vanishing completely.
Beneath it, a deep blue pupil was revealed—a swirling galaxy of endless azure.
At that very moment, the world seemed to shift.
Reality itself flickered, like a television screen caught in static interference.
Then—
A suffocating pressure filled the air.
An unexplainable terror gripped everyone's hearts, as if existence itself was unraveling.
A terrifying illusion overtook the battlefield—everything turned gray, drained of color.
This, of course, was Sakiya's doing. A special effect she had crafted to magnify her presence.
Even so, Ino could feel the weight of it. Her knees threatened to buckle under the crushing force, her body trembling slightly.
But her eyes…
Her eyes remained resolute.
Slowly, she forced herself to stand straight, raising one hand toward the sky, as if grasping at a guiding star.
Her voice rang out.
"I will not lose!"
"Not here! Not now!"
She took a deep breath, then roared—
"Darkness! Envelop me!"
"Descend—Dark Emperor!!!"
At that moment—
The world was swallowed by darkness.
Shadows churned and twisted, forming the shape of a colossal figure, its towering form shrouded in swirling black mist.
A presence that seemed to devour even the light.
Sakiya's overwhelming aura of destruction clashed with Ino's consuming darkness.
At that moment—
The world split into two.
One half was black and red, like death and decay.
The other was pure, endless darkness.
A crimson-black sigil swirled beneath Sakiya's feet. In the next instant, she launched herself toward Ino.
"The Dark Emperor!!!"
A black vortex spiraled at Ino's feet before she shot forward to meet Sakiya head-on.
"Eye of Death!!!"
The moment their attacks collided—
Darkness and crimson energy twisted together, swirling and merging into chaos.
The world spun, cracked, and shattered.
Both girls gritted their teeth, hands locked in battle, shouting with all their might.
"AHHHHH!!!"
"AHHHHH!!!"
Then—
Everything was swallowed by black and red.
Silence.
A moment later—
The world returned to light.
Sakiya knelt on the ground, while Ino lay beside her.
She had won. There was no doubt.
But victory brought no joy.
Sakiya remained quiet for a long time, staring at Ino before slowly lifting her gaze to the sky.
"With the Eye of Death as my proof—let fate be rewritten!"
Thunderclouds churned above, forming a swirling vortex of black lightning.
Just then, Nanako appeared out of nowhere, adding her own narration.
"The girl makes another wish with her power! This is her second wish."
Sakiya's left eye glowed as she looked at Ino.
"Bring her back to life."
The sky rumbled. Thunder and lightning surged like a stormy sea. Then, the dark clouds parted, revealing a galaxy of endless stars.
It was breathtaking.
And in that moment—
Ino's eyes fluttered open.
"Sakiya…?"
Sakiya turned her head, smiling warmly.
"You're awake."
—
"Cut!!!"
The director's ecstatic voice broke the silence.
"That was perfect! I have no idea what we just filmed, but it was beautiful!"
Sakura, who hadn't gotten a single scene, slumped in frustration.
She had wanted to act so badly…
But the moment Ino and Sakiya got involved, she lost all chances.
And worst of all—
She had no clue what the film was even about anymore.
Is this really okay…?
—
Meanwhile, on the ship—
The two prisoners, Fubuki and Hyou, stood frozen in shock.
They had just witnessed something far beyond their understanding.
Who the hell are these people…?
Why is everyone here so terrifying…?
Even the smallest girl is this strong…
Why did we ever mess with them…?