32. Purge The Akatsuki Pt 2

The air around Anon and Orochimaru rippled with violent energy as their powers clashed. Each strike was met with a counter, each technique with a response. The battlefield had become a swirling maelstrom of darkness, with the edges of reality itself bending under the pressure of the Void and Orochimaru's dark chakra.

Orochimaru grinned, his snake-like tongue flicking out as he dodged another blast of Void energy from Anon. His serpentine body slithered across the battlefield with unnatural speed, avoiding the gaping rifts in reality that Anon's attacks created. But there was something more sinister in Orochimaru's eyes—something that hinted at a deeper understanding of the Void than he had revealed.

"Is that the best you can do, Anon?" Orochimaru taunted, his voice dripping with amusement. "For someone who wields the power of the Void, I expected more."

Anon didn't respond. His eyes were focused, calculating, as he tracked Orochimaru's movements. The Void swirled around him like a living entity, responding to his every thought. He had trained for this moment, pushed himself beyond his limits, and yet there was something about Orochimaru—something unsettling. Anon could feel it in the way Orochimaru moved, the way he fought as though he was not simply reacting but waiting for something.

Orochimaru's grin widened, as though sensing Anon's thoughts. "You don't understand, do you? The Void is a wonderful power, but it is also a prison. And here, in this moment, I control it just as much as you do."

With a flick of his wrist, Orochimaru unleashed a wave of dark chakra that surged toward Anon, twisting and writhing as it moved. Anon raised his hand, summoning the Void to counter, and the two forces collided in a violent explosion of energy.

But as the dust settled, Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen.

Anon's eyes narrowed. He could feel Orochimaru's presence, but it was shifting, flickering between moments, as if the dark sage was moving through the very folds of reality itself.

"You think you can hide in the Void?" Anon muttered, his voice low and dangerous.

Closing his eyes, Anon let the Void consume his senses, allowing himself to feel the distortions in space and time. It was there—subtle, but unmistakable. Orochimaru wasn't hiding; he was merging with the Void, using it to move through the battlefield in a way that mimicked Anon's own abilities. Anon's lips curled into a thin smile.

"Then I'll show you what true control looks like."

With a sharp intake of breath, Anon raised both hands, and the entire battlefield shifted. The walls of the chamber blurred as space itself twisted under Anon's command. The Void responded, creating a rift that spread across the room like a tear in reality. Everything was consumed by darkness, and for a brief moment, there was nothing but silence.

Then, in the middle of the void, Orochimaru reappeared, his body twisting as he was pulled out of his hiding place by Anon's mastery of the Void.

Orochimaru's eyes widened in surprise, his grin faltering for the first time. "What—?"

"You thought you could manipulate the Void like me?" Anon said, his voice cold and deadly. "You don't understand what it means to truly control this power."

With a flick of his wrist, Anon sent tendrils of Void energy toward Orochimaru, each one faster than the last. Orochimaru dodged, but the space around him warped, pulling him in multiple directions. His movements became erratic, as if he were fighting not only Anon but the very space around him.

But Orochimaru was not one to be defeated easily. With a guttural snarl, he unleashed a wave of dark chakra that disrupted the Void tendrils, creating a momentary opening. He dashed forward with blinding speed, his fingers crackling with dark energy as he aimed for Anon's chest.

Anon raised his hand just in time, creating a shield of Void energy to block the attack. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, the force of the collision tearing through the ground beneath them. But Anon held his ground, his eyes locked on Orochimaru's, unyielding.

"You're persistent," Anon said, his voice even. "But it won't be enough."

Orochimaru let out a hissing laugh, his face twisting into a sadistic grin. "You think you've won, Anon? You think this is the extent of my power?"

Suddenly, the air around Orochimaru began to shift, dark chakra swirling around him in a dense cloud. His body twisted and elongated, his form becoming more monstrous with each passing second. His pale skin became covered in scales, his eyes glowing with an unnatural light. Orochimaru's transformation was grotesque—his true form, one that merged his snake-like nature with the stolen chakra of countless shinobi.

The monstrous Orochimaru towered over Anon, his massive serpentine body coiling around the chamber. His voice was no longer human—it was deep, guttural, and filled with malice.

"This is my true form, Anon," Orochimaru growled. "And in this form, I will take your body, your soul, and the Void itself."

Anon's expression didn't change. He stood his ground, the Void swirling around him like a storm ready to be unleashed. "I've faced worse than you, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru roared, and with a single movement, he lunged at Anon, his fangs bared and dripping with venom. But Anon was ready.

With a sharp motion, Anon raised both hands, and the Void erupted around him. The ground beneath Orochimaru's massive form began to crumble as reality itself collapsed under the weight of Anon's power. The space around them twisted and warped, creating a black hole-like vortex that pulled everything toward its center.

Orochimaru's monstrous form was caught in the pull, his massive body thrashing as he fought against the force of the Void. But it was futile. The more he struggled, the more the Void consumed him.

"You think this will stop me?" Orochimaru hissed, his voice strained as he fought against the pull. "I am eternal! I cannot be defeated by something like this!"

Anon's eyes gleamed with cold determination. "You've underestimated the Void."

With a final burst of energy, Anon unleashed the full force of the Void, the black hole expanding and consuming everything in its path. Orochimaru's monstrous form was pulled into the vortex, his body disintegrating as the Void ripped him apart piece by piece.

Orochimaru let out a final, bloodcurdling scream as his body was consumed by the Void, his chakra unraveling as he was erased from existence.

As the vortex closed, the chamber fell silent once more. The air was still, the oppressive weight of Orochimaru's presence gone.

Anon stood alone, his body crackling with residual Void energy. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as he allowed the Void to settle.

"It's over," Anon muttered, his voice low.

But even as he said the words, a part of him knew that the battle was far from over. Orochimaru's power was gone, but the Akatsuki's influence lingered, and the true threat—the one that had orchestrated this entire battle—was still out there, waiting for its moment to strike.

Anon turned, his eyes glowing faintly as he looked toward where Ryusei, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had been battling. The Akatsuki's forces were crumbling, but the war was far from won.

As the dust settled and Orochimaru's presence finally dissipated, a strange, ominous silence fell over the battlefield. Anon, Ryusei, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura stood victorious amidst the crumbling remains of the Akatsuki members they had defeated. Yet despite their success, an eerie sense of incompletion hung in the air. Ryusei, his senses attuned to the delicate threads of time, felt it first—a disturbance rippling through the temporal plane.

Anon, standing near the ruins of Orochimaru's form, narrowed his eyes. "Something isn't right…"

Before anyone could respond, the air around them shifted, thickening with an overwhelming pressure. The temperature dropped suddenly, and the oppressive energy that filled the space was unlike anything they had encountered before. Ryusei's eyes snapped toward the source—beyond the debris, a dark figure emerged from the shadows, moving with an eerie calmness.

This new figure was tall and cloaked in a black robe that shimmered like the void itself. His face was obscured by a hood, but his chakra presence was unlike anything they had ever felt. It was raw, ancient, and filled with a power that rivaled even Ryusei's.

The man's voice was cold and deep, reverberating through the air like an echo from the past. "Orochimaru was but a pawn. You've done well to survive this far, but I am the true master of this battlefield. The Void and Time bend to my will, but I see you've dabbled in forces you do not fully understand."

Ryusei's heart pounded in his chest, his eyes narrowing as he stepped forward. He could feel it—this man was different. His mastery over time and the Void was nearly perfect, and his presence seemed to warp reality around him. The space where he stood was distorted, as though time itself bent and shifted to accommodate him.

The man raised his head slightly, revealing piercing, cold eyes glowing faintly with a strange, otherworldly energy. "I am Kurogane," he said, his voice filled with authority. "The Void Reaper, master of the Eternal Abyss."

Ryusei's expression hardened, but he maintained his composure. He could sense the immense power emanating from Kurogane, and for the first time in this battle, he knew that the opponent before him was one that could not be taken lightly. The others sensed it too, but they stood back—this was Ryusei's fight.

"Kurogane," Ryusei said quietly, his voice steady. "I can feel your power. You're no ordinary shinobi. But this is the end for you."

Kurogane's lips curled into a thin smile. "Bold words from someone who has only just begun to understand the true depths of the Void and Time."

Without warning, Kurogane moved. He was fast—too fast. One moment he stood before them, and in the next, he was gone, his body flashing through time. Ryusei's instincts kicked in immediately, and he shifted through time as well, his body flickering as he tracked Kurogane's movements.

The two shinobi met in the middle of the battlefield, their fists colliding with a shockwave that shattered the ground beneath them. The air crackled with energy as they exchanged blows, both moving so quickly that it appeared as though they were fighting in multiple places at once. Every strike was met with a counter, every attack with a defense. But Kurogane's power was overwhelming, and he began to push Ryusei back.

"You think you can outpace me in the realm of Time?" Kurogane taunted, his voice filled with malice. "I have lived through millennia. I have seen the rise and fall of civilizations, watched worlds decay and be reborn. Time bends to my will."

Ryusei gritted his teeth, his body flickering as he dodged a brutal strike. "You're wrong," he muttered, his voice low but determined. "I don't just control Time—I am one with it."

With a sharp intake of breath, Ryusei focused, his mind connecting with the very essence of the temporal plane. He raised his hand, and in an instant, the entire battlefield shifted. The flow of time around them slowed to a near standstill, and the dust and debris suspended in midair like frozen statues. Ryusei's eyes glowed with the power of the Dragon Sage Mode, his aura pulsing with a mix of pink and blue energy.

Kurogane's expression remained unreadable, but he too manipulated the time around him, moving freely within the frozen battlefield. His movements were smooth, effortless, as he summoned the power of the Void and the elements.

"Show me what you've learned," Kurogane said, his voice echoing in the stillness of time.

Ryusei clenched his fists, and the energy around him flared to life. He began to draw upon all four elements—wind, fire, water, and earth—merging them with the power of Time and the Void. His body flickered in and out of existence as he moved, channeling the elements through the temporal plane.

He raised his hand, summoning a massive wave of water infused with Time energy. The water moved like a living thing, warping and bending through space as it surged toward Kurogane. But Kurogane countered with a flick of his wrist, summoning a dark rift of Void energy that absorbed the water, tearing it apart as it disappeared into the abyss.

Ryusei didn't stop. He pressed forward, his movements blurring as he combined wind and fire into a blazing storm of flames that crackled with Void energy. The flames shot toward Kurogane, burning with an intensity that warped the very air around them. But Kurogane waved his hand, and a barrier of darkness appeared in front of him, absorbing the attack with ease.

"You're still not using your full potential," Kurogane taunted, his voice calm but mocking. "You control Time, but you hesitate. You fear the power you wield."

Ryusei's eyes burned with determination. He knew Kurogane was right—this battle required more than just raw power. He needed to push himself beyond his limits, to embrace the full extent of his abilities.

With a deep breath, Ryusei began to manipulate time in a way he had never done before. He raised his hand, and the ground beneath Kurogane's feet began to crack and crumble. Time sped up around the dark figure, and within moments, the ground aged and decayed, turning to dust. The trees and rocks around them withered and crumbled as Ryusei accelerated the flow of time, causing the environment to collapse into ruin.

Kurogane's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "Impressive," he muttered. "But not enough."

Kurogane raised his hand, summoning a wave of Void energy that surged toward Ryusei. The dark energy twisted through space, warping reality as it moved. But Ryusei was ready. He flashed through time, appearing behind Kurogane in an instant. With a swift motion, he unleashed a powerful strike, his fist glowing with a mixture of Void and elemental energy.

The blow connected, sending Kurogane flying across the battlefield. He crashed into the ground, the impact creating a massive crater beneath him. But even as he lay in the rubble, Kurogane's smile never faded.

"Yes," he whispered, his voice filled with excitement. "This is the power I've been waiting for."

Kurogane slowly rose to his feet, his body crackling with dark energy. His cloak had been torn in the battle, revealing a twisted, scarred body covered in ancient symbols. The Void energy around him surged, growing more intense with each passing moment.

"You're strong, Ryusei," Kurogane said, his voice low and menacing. "But now… I'll show you what true power looks like."

With a roar, Kurogane unleashed his full power, the ground beneath him warping as the Void and Time collided. The space around them twisted and fractured, creating a chaotic storm of energy that tore through the battlefield. Kurogane's body began to glow with an unholy light, his eyes burning with the power of the Void.

But Ryusei remained calm. He stood tall, his eyes locked on Kurogane as he prepared for the final clash. He had learned from this battle—he had pushed himself beyond his limits. And now, he was ready.

With a deep breath, Ryusei raised his hands, summoning the full force of the elements and Time. The air around him crackled with energy as he combined the four elements—fire, wind, water, and earth—into a single, devastating attack. The ground beneath him trembled as the energy surged toward Kurogane, its force bending space and time as it moved.

Kurogane let out a roar, summoning his own attack—a massive wave of Void energy that twisted through reality like a living entity. The two forces collided in the center of the battlefield, creating a massive explosion of energy that shook the very foundations of the world.

The shockwave tore through the ground, creating fissures and cracks as the two powers clashed. But Ryusei didn't back down. He poured more energy into his attack, his body flickering as he moved through time, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Finally, with a final surge of power, Ryusei broke through Kurogane's defenses. His elemental and Time-infused attack pierced through the Void energy, striking Kurogane with devastating force. The dark figure let out a scream as the energy tore through him, his body disintegrating into the Void.

The battlefield fell silent as the dust settled, the chaotic energy fading into nothingness. Ryusei stood at the center of the destruction, his body glowing with residual energy. He had done it—he had defeated Kurogane.

But even as Kurogane's form faded into the Void, his final words echoed through the battlefield, a haunting reminder of the dangers still ahead.

"This… is only the beginning…"

Ryusei took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he looked toward the horizon.