Chapter 20

Ashidon stared down at the battle taking place at the foot of the hill. The stone nin had made a mad dash towards the hill upon realizing they had arrived far too late. Sri e shinobi are known for their bull headed nature and it was put on full display these last couple days. Their strategy was simple, keep pushing forward until their enemy was ground to dust. Three days later they were at the foot of the hill, ready to push upward. Over a hundred stone nin pushed the line and it was only a matter of time before the hill was lost.

'You've gotta admire their tenacity, if nothing else.' Ashidon thought as he gazed at the struggle at the foot of the hill. Over the past three days he and his company had been placed on the reserve. That meant they had done nothing much other than rest, not that they were complaining.

Ashidon for his part didn't mind the short reprieve. He was perfectly content with sitting back and absorbing the souls of the fallen. And he was close, he could feel that today would be the day where he unlocked his final power. As he was thinking this the Captain approached until he stood beside him.

"Looks like their getting closer." The Captain said.

"Yes they are, only a matter of time before they overwhelm us." Ashidon replied.

"Reinforcements should be here soon. I think we can hold out a little longer."

"Can we? I don't think so." Ashidon replied and the Captain eyed him from the corner of his eyes.

"You don't believe in our shinobi?" The Captain asked.

"Belief has nothing to do with it, look at their faces." Ashidon waved his hand at the leaf shinobi. Most of them looked mentally drained, especially the genin and chunin. The constant assault had taken its toll on them mentally.

"We are trained to be shinobi, siege warfare is not our forte. Though, the stone nin are bull headed enough to ignore that fact." Ashidon continued.

"You're very insightful for someone only recently promoted to jonin." The Captain replied.

"It doesn't take a sage to notice the toll this siege is taking on our forces."

"Indeed, so when do you plan to join the fight?" The Captain asked.

"I could send out my company to provide support if you wish." Came his reply.

"That would be appreciated."

Ashidon mentally linked with a crow that was stationed with Nakko and gave them his orders. Coming back to the present he nodded his head. "They are heading out."

"You seem to have a new trick up your sleeve every time we meet." The Captain said while appraising Ashidon.

"Maybe, but that isn't any of your business, Captain." Came Ashidon's neutral reply.

They fell into silence and just watched the battle going on below. With every death, enemy and ally, their souls were absorbed to push Ashidon over the edge. He licked his lips in anticipation, the power would soon be unleashed.

"Enemies to the east!" A leaf shinobi yelled, Ashidon and the Captain turned and sure enough, there was a large force of stone nin approaching. There were at least two hundred of them and they looked ready for a fight. Ashidon created twenty crows and sent them to the front lines. Though he still remained in his current position, watching and absorbing.

"Will you join now?" The Captain asked as he watched the second force reach the got if the hill.

"I already have, my crows are down there now. Me going personally would accomplish little as despite my achievements, I am physically weak in a frontal assault. I am far more useful here where I can send out my crows as needed. And besides, I'm nearing my final advancement." Ashidon replied, whispering the last part.

Closing his eyes Ashidon focused entirely on channeling the massive amount of power within him. A giant maelstrom of soul energy circulated within his being, he was preparing to use that energy to break through his final barrier.

Ashidon became blind to the world around him, so focused was he on this final advancement. The vortex of soul energy getting more and more volatile, every soul he absorbed adding to its power. Time was imperceptible, to Ashidon it felt like days but only hours had passed. With the falling of the sun he grew closer to his breakthrough. The sun fell and with it came night, this was when it happened.

Opening his eyes Ashidon stared out into distance, as if the world before him wasn't there. His eyes glowed their brightest yet and it attracted the attention of everyone, the battle temporarily put on hold. A green flame erupted from Ashidon's feet and circled around him before shooting to the sky. It was like a vortex of green fire that came from the pits of hell had burst through into the land of the living.

The vortex then crashed back down creating a shockwave knocking everyone near him back. Shielding their eyes until they could look again. Dust obscured everything for a moment, until they saw two glowing balls of fire. As the dust settled they saw what could only be described as an agent of death.

Ashidon had gone through a complete transformation. His flesh was gone and only his ebony bones remained. He wore a cloth made entirely of his IBM covered his body, a hood over his head. From his back four black wings spread out, creating shadows of absolute darkness. Black smoke constantly emanating from his body as a shroud. In the darkness of night he was hard to see, but his eyes. They glowed with the same intensity as before but instead of regular eyes two green flames floated in his empty eye sockets.

With a flap of his wings his bony feet left the ground and he rose into the air. Stretching his hand out a scythe of IBM was formed and he gripped it with his skeletal hand. Raising his other hand a ball of green fire formed. His jaw opened and an airy voice that carried all the way to the bottom of the hill.

"Death to my enemies, rise my children." After his words one hundred crows burst into existence following a small explosion of black smoke. These crows were somewhat similar to the ones he's summoned before. However these crows had wings and they were even smaller than their predecessor standing at three and a half feet. These crows were also visible to everyone present and the entire scene looked like some apocalyptic event. Looking down at the stone nin, Ashidon spoke a final time.

"Fetch me their souls!"

"Cawwwww!" The crows yelled as they dived towards the stone nin, slaughter the only thing on their minds. As they reached the stone nin they fought with pure savagery the likes never seen before. They didn't care about their well being, taking blows without hesitation. With every kill they would rip the soul from their victims and eat them. In some cases they would even fight amongst themselves over a freshly ripped out soul, like a flock of birds fighting over a piece of bread.

Among the stone nin one man stood tall and with a few hand signs explosions ripped through a group of crows. Ashidon eyed this stone nin before flying towards him. As he flew other stone nin fired jutsu at him, trying to knock him out of the sky. But ti their shock, all their attack passed right through him, it was as if his body was incorporeal. "Your attacks mean nothing to me, for I am the wraith and no man can escape death."

Ashidon swiftly arrived before the stone nin and reached out with his deathly hand, clasping his obsidian colored fingers around his neck. Lifting him off his feet he brought him so they were eye to eye. The stone nin stared into the orbs of green fire that was Ashidon's eyes and Ashidon could see the fear in them.

"Deaths kiss." Opening his mouth a blueish mist began to leave the stone nine face and enter Ashidon's maw. It was his soul and it was being sucked into Ashidon. The stone nin yelled in pain as he tried to beat against Ashidon's chest but his fists just went right through, as if he was trying to punch air. When it was over the man hung limp in Ashidon's grasp. Dropping his lifeless body to the ground while spreading out his arms.

"So much power."