This doesn't look good.

"Ah, Fuck" Yami cursed as he tried his best to create distance between himself and the monster. The monster had already reached close enough and the black light coming from his body got brighter and brighter.

The next second a huge explosion occurred...one so big that the entire island rocked because of it. Everyone on the island thought that it was an earthquake because they didn't think something could shake the entire island except a natural disaster.

Zabuza who had the severed head of Priest Ji in one hand and an unconscious Jiro on his shoulder almost lost his balance due to the tremor. Due to the explosion, many trees in the jungle were also uprooted.

"What the hell was that?" Zabuza asked as he looked in the direction from where the sound came.

With Jiro on his shoulder, he started running toward the battlefield where he had left Yami. Kakashi who had also felt the tremors increased his speed using lightning chakra which was something he had copied after seeing Yami use it.

Since Kakashi had left the camp when he heard the roar, he was able to reach the edge of the battlefield at the same time as Zabuza. As he reached, he saw Zabuza looking at the dust cloud covering the entire battlefield.

Just as Zabuza was about to step forward, Kakashi called him "Zabuza wait up..."

Zabuza quickly turned back with one hand on his unsheathed sword but then he saw that it was Kakashi so he relaxed a little and just nodded. He still wasn't comfortable with the fact that the man he was going to fight to the death is now his ally.

Seeing Jiro on his shoulder Kakashi looked around and asked "What about that cultist Ji?"

Zabuza patted his pocket and said "i have kept his head and some belongings in a storage scroll. For some reason, his body wasn't going inside the scroll. As for Jiro, I think he will be an important pawn if the hidden stone tries to spin things their way."

"That is right...where is Yami? What was that roar a few minutes ago and what was that explosion?" Kakashi bombarded Zabuza with multiple questions.

"Hey hey hey...why are you asking me all that? I arrived here just like you." Zabuza said to which Kakashi frowned and said "But you were with Yami when we left right?"

Zabuza nodded and said "Yes but he had me chasing Jiro and Priest Ji who escaped inside the jungle. I also didn't argue since I don't think I could fight that ugly monster."

Kakashi sighed as he expected Yami to go against the monster solo but he would have never left Yami alone either. "Alright...let's go inside the dust cloud now. I'll seal Jiro's chakra points so that we can tie him to a tree here and he won't be able to escape."

Zabuza nodded and laid Jiro on the ground. Kakashi quickly stabbed some chakra points to seal Jiro's chakra. Now that he didn't have access to chakra for a few hours, Zabuza tied him to a nearby tree.

They both looked at the cloud of dust which was clearing little by little. They had some level of visibility now so they started to enter the battle field. The first thing they noticed was that the plain battlefield that was present before had vanished and now they had stepped into a big crater.

Kakashi used wind gale jutsu to clear the way in the direction of the center of the crater.

"What could have caused such a big crater?" Zabuza asked to which Kakashi shrugged and said "Don't ask me...I don't know the arsenal that the monster holds and not the arsenal that Yami holds."

Even though Kakashi was in a hurry to find Yami and the reason for that loud roar and earthquake, he was cautious enough not to just dive in without judging the environment.

Kakashi wasn't back at his peak but he still activated his Sharingan. He didn't want to get ambushed by anyone in such a place. After walking for a few seconds, they reached close to the center of the crater. As they reached closer, they both heard a heavy breathing voice. They instantly knew that the voice didn't belong to the monster as it would be much louder and heavier.

They rushed toward the source of the voice and saw a bloody scene. The entire center of the crater was covered in splashes of blood and a bloodied figure lay in the middle of it. Seeing the size and the physique of the figure, Kakashi shouted "YAMI" he quickly went close and crouched down closer to the figure.

Zabuza gulped down his saliva as he looked at the state Yami was in. "Y-Yami...h-how did this..."

Yami chuckled with his mouth filled with blood and said "I didn't expect that monster to self-destruct himself and try to take me down with such a suicide-like move." Yami smiled and then looked at his left side where he saw only blood...his left arm and nearly most of his left shoulder was obliterated...Yami could feel that his chakra core was the only thing keeping him alive at this time and his heart was also physically injured.

"Yami...no..t-this can't be true...this must be an illusion." Kakashi said as he looked at Yami's body. He wasn't doubtful that an explosion that could shake the island would put Yami in such a state but he wasn't ready to accept this.

"We need to get you to the camp fast...Only Lord 5th can heal you...I am sure that she can do something." Kakashi said in a hurry trying to create a makeshift stretcher for Yami to lay on.

"Kakashi don't...even moving him could cause him to bleed more." Zabuza warned and he was right...they could see a few of Yami's organs were already visible.

Yami lay down still while looking up at the sky as he thought...'That monster didn't even leave his corpse behind and I was dreaming of devouring it...dammit I didn't think he would have a core like I do and he would overload it and destroy himself.'

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Hidden Leaf Village (Same time)

Hokage Building

Tsunade was sitting in her office with Shizune and Sakura by her side. Ton-Ton was resting on the sofa while Team Guy was standing in the middle of the office.

"You guys did good but why did 2 bandits escape when you first raided their hideout?" Tsunade asked as she looked at Neji.

Guy stepped ahead to answer her question but Tsunade signaled him to stop with her hand. Neji quickly glanced at Lee and Karin and said "We prioritized saving and healing the captured villagers which caused 2 of them to slip away. But we did find them the next day and capture them. It was a wrong decision on my part Lord 5th."

Tsunade nodded and looked at Karin and asked "Is that what happened Karin?"

Karin didn't even look up at her and just kept her eyes down and nodded subtly while say "Yes Lady Hokage"

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? SPEAK LOUDLY" Tsunade said in a slightly raised voice while causing Karin's dam of emotions to immediately crumble.

"I am sorry Lady Hokage. I was too focused on the hostages that I let the bandits overpower me. Neji is not to blame...in fact he is the one who tracked them down." Karin said in a single breath.

Tsunade looked at Guy's smiling face and said "And you didn't say anything to her?"

Guy gave a thumbs up and said "Because I see her behavior as a good thing. When Yami was in my team he would only focus on the enemies. I don't want her to step into his shoes but build her own."

A subtle smile appeared on Tsunade's face which made Neji and Karin sigh in relief. Tsunade was about to say more when there was a knock on the door.

"What is it?" Tsunade said as she looked at the door. An anbu opened the door and said "Someone attached a sealed scroll to a kunai and threw it at the anbu headquarters. It can only be opened by the Hokage seal."

Tsunade nodded and the anbu came forward and placed the scroll in her hand. Seeing the scroll a feeling of sadness passed over her face but she then looked at Team Guy and said "You guys can leave now. Your next mission will be assigned in a few days."

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Hidden mist (Same time)

The Battlefield

Kakashi was thinking about ways to save Yami but there were so many injuries that he didn't know where to start from. Just as he started taking out the medicine pills that he had, he and Zabuza felt a big shadow pass over them. Thinking that it was an enemy, they both sprung into action and looked up.

(Things have settled down and we have our first chapter as teenage Yami on my Patreon. Do subscribe to my Patreon to know more.)

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Link in the synopsis as well.