The dust in the darkened chamber settled as the last remnants of Shinno's dark energy dissipated into the air. Jiraiya was still recovering from the force of the blast. His back was sore from slamming into the stone wall, but his resolve was unwavering. He knew that this battle was far from over.
He pushed himself to his feet, dusting off his cloak and scanning the room. Shinno was nowhere to be seen. The eerie glow of the crystal pulsed weakly, casting an unsettling light across the room. It was clear that whatever Shinno had done had amplified the power within this place.
"Where did he go?" Orochimaru's voice was low and dangerous, his eyes darting around the room as he searched for their enemy.
Tsunade, ever vigilant, kept her eyes fixed on the shadows. "Be on guard. He might be hiding somewhere, waiting for us to make a mistake."
Jiraiya nodded, his mind racing. Shinno had always been cunning, but this... this was something different. He wasn't just hiding; he was manipulating the very environment around them, making it difficult to sense him.
Suddenly, the crystal flared again, brighter this time. Jiraiya felt a rush of chakra pulse through the room. It wasn't just any chakra—it was dark, twisted, and filled with malice.
"This isn't good," Jiraiya muttered under his breath. "We need to find him before he fully awakens."
"Awakens?" Tsunade asked, her voice sharp with suspicion. "What do you mean by that?"
Jiraiya's gaze hardened. "Shinno is no longer human. The experiments he's been conducting—they've gone beyond his control. He's tapped into something far darker than just forbidden jutsu. This place... this crystal—it's feeding his transformation."
"So he's becoming something else?" Orochimaru asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and excitement. He wasn't afraid of dark powers, but there was a danger in underestimating them.
"Exactly," Jiraiya said, stepping forward. "If we don't stop him now, we may be facing a monster, not a man."
---
As Jiraiya's words echoed in the room, the temperature dropped. The air grew thick with chakra, and a low hum vibrated through the stone floor. The walls seemed to pulse with an unnatural rhythm, as if the very structure was alive.
Then, from the shadows, a figure appeared—a figure that was no longer Shinno, but something else entirely.
His skin was pale, almost translucent, with veins glowing faintly beneath the surface. His eyes were no longer human, their irises now a deep shade of red, filled with an unsettling, predatory glow. His once-slim form had been twisted and expanded, muscles rippling beneath the surface like something inhuman.
"Shinno... What have you done to yourself?" Jiraiya's voice was full of disbelief. He had seen many things in his time as a shinobi, but nothing like this.
Shinno—if it could still be called Shinno—looked at them with a cruel smile. "You're too late, Jiraiya. The power I've gained is beyond your understanding. I've transcended the limits of human flesh. Now I am a being of pure chakra, eternal and untouchable."
His voice was different now, deeper, more resonant. It was as if it came from somewhere far away, a place beyond the mortal realm.
Tsunade stepped forward, her fists clenched. "We won't let you get away with this, Shinno. Whatever you've become, we'll stop you."
"Stop me?" Shinno sneered. "You don't even understand what I've become. This body... it is no longer bound by weakness. It is the pinnacle of strength."
Jiraiya clenched his fists, his mind racing. Shinno had truly crossed the line. This wasn't just a rogue shinobi anymore; this was a creature that defied nature itself.
"I don't care what you've become," Jiraiya said, his voice steady. "You've gone too far, and I'm going to stop you."
With a swift motion, Jiraiya summoned a large toad, Gamabunta, who appeared with a resounding crash. The toad's massive form landed in front of Jiraiya, ready for battle. Jiraiya mounted the toad with ease, feeling the familiar presence of his summon beneath him.
"Gamabunta, let's show this bastard what we're made of!"
The giant toad croaked, the sound reverberating through the chamber. "I'm ready, boss. Let's make this quick."
Shinno's eyes narrowed as he watched the giant toad appear. His lips curled into a sinister grin. "You think you can defeat me with that?"
Shinno's chakra flared, and he summoned his own monstrous form—a beast of dark chakra that materialized from the depths of the ruin. It was a twisted, grotesque figure, its body a mass of writhing shadows, its eyes burning with fury.
"I'll show you the true power of this transformation," Shinno said, his voice reverberating through the chamber as his monstrous form lunged at Gamabunta.
"Watch out!" Jiraiya shouted as the monstrous creature barreled toward them.
Gamabunta leaped into action, his massive sword drawn. He swung it with precision, cutting through the creature's dark form. But the beast was relentless, its dark chakra regenerating faster than Gamabunta could strike.
The battle had truly begun. Shinno had become something far beyond the realm of human understanding, and Jiraiya would have to use every ounce of his strength to stop him.