novelhk Chapter 286: Near and far
Chapter 286: Near and far
The twin altars of Otogakure Village glowed a faint purple in the morning light. Sakon and Ukon stood back to back at the center of the formation, their twin chakras weaving in circles along their palms. Their twin symbiotic Mangekyo slowly rotated—the parasitic lines in Sakon's left pupil captured the altar's energy fluctuations, while the symbiotic lines in Ukon's right pupil transformed them into defensive energy. It was twelve days since the two awakened their Mangekyo, and they practiced daily to perfect the coverage of their "Twin Defense Formation." However, whenever their chakra reached the "mist swamp" outside the altar, it was forcibly repelled by a cold wave of twin energy, as if hitting a mirrored barrier, impervious to even the slightest chakra detection.
"Still not working?" Tos's voice came from behind him. His sonic chakra swept across the swamp, and a dark brown halo trembled slightly in the air. "The energy in the misty swamp is of a twin nature, six times stronger than the Soul-Erosion Gu used by Akatsuki last time. It also contains 'Mirror Image Gu' that can replicate twin chakra."
Sakon retracted his left pupil, and the parasitic chakra on his fingertips suddenly dissipated: "I can feel the energy gathering, but my parasitic patterns can't catch the trajectory of the mirror image Gu!" Ukon also retracted his right pupil, and the halo of the symbiotic chakra dimmed: "If they use the mirror image Gu to copy our twin technique, and then sneak attack the ninja tool library under the altar, we won't have time to defend!" The two of them touched the "Twin Amplification Jade" around their necks at the same time - this was made by Yinzhu using their twin chakra fragments and Uchiha crystals, which can enhance the resonance of the twin pupils, but they always feel that they have not fully tapped the true power of the Mangekyo.
At that moment, a resounding crash of ninja tools clashed beneath the altar. Sokon and Ukon's twin Mangekyōs instantly lit up, their twin chakra spreading along the altar. But the moment they reached the ninja tool vault, they were abruptly severed by a surge of black twin energy. The Twin Soul-Erosion Formation had enveloped the altar, entwining countless black twin threads around the ninja tools, causing them to move like controlled puppets toward the swamp. Within the swamp, mirror insects were rapidly hatching, each one replicating Sokon and Ukon's chakra fluctuations, poised to form a "twin mirror army."
"It's the 'Twin Soul Devouring Formation'! The remnants of the Akatsuki organization are here!" Yin Zhu's voice came from the air. His Eternal Mangekyo locked onto the core of the swamp, and his black windbreaker rustled in the wind. "The leader of the remnants, Jing Luo, knows the 'Twin Copy Technique' and can imitate your twin techniques. Quickly use the Mangekyo to build a twin barrier!"
Sakon and Ukon immediately mobilized their chakra. Their eyes resonated, and a pale purple twin barrier formed around the ninja tool library. "Twins? Protect the barrier!" But the black twin threads, as if alive, weaved through the cracks in the barrier, slowly chipping away at the defensive energy. Sakon could clearly "sense" the mirror insect replicating his parasitic technique, and Ukon could also "feel" the forcible diversion of its symbiotic chakra. These sensations traveled through their twin meridians and into their minds, causing their chakra to become chaotic. "No! His replication technique can synchronize our twin chakras. The barrier can't stop it!"
"Don't panic! Use your twin Mangekyō to reversely guide the chakra of the mirror Gu!" Qin's voice came from the communicator, her sonic chakra covering the altar. "Have you forgotten what Yinzhu said? Your twin chakras are of the same origin as the Uchiha bloodline. Symbiosis is not 'defense', but 'guidance' - turn the copied twin jutsu into a 'trap' that will backfire on Jing Luo!"
These words were like thunder, splitting the confusion between the two. They recalled Yin Zhu's words when he handed them the Twin Amplification Jade: "Your twin is the 'key,' able to control all twin-attribute energies; your Mangekyo is the 'switch,' allowing the copied chakra to attack the enemy. When the twin pupils are in perfect resonance, there is no Twin Formation that cannot be broken."
Sakon and Ukon exchanged a glance, their first unspoken exchange. They pressed the Twin Amplification Jadeite into each other's palms, their twin chakras and Uchiha energy colliding violently within the Kaleidoscope. Sakon's parasitic veins accelerated, actively injecting a strand of chakra into the Mirror Gu; Ukon's symbiotic veins responded in sync, planting a "rebound rune" within their chakra. Pain coursed through their twin meridians like an electric current, yet it also transformed their twinning technique. The previously replicated parasitic chakra suddenly erupted within the Mirror Gu, sending countless insects carelessly hurtling toward the swamp's core, entangled instead in Kagura's twin threads.
"Ah——!" The roars of the two people were intertwined with the trembling of the twin chakra, and the patterns in the twin kaleidoscopes suddenly accelerated, "Twin? Reverse soul!" The lavender twin energy burst out from the bottom of their eyes, penetrated the black twin silk, and directly acted on the core of the mirror Gu - those Gu insects that copied chakra exploded instantly, and the black twin silk that invaded the altar was like ice and snow encountering a raging fire. It was swallowed up by the twin energy bit by bit and turned into harmless water vapor.
"Impossible! How can you control duplicated chakra?" Jing Luo rushed out of the swamp, holding the "Twin Copy Rod" with black lines in his hand. Two giant mirror-image Gu were wrapped around the rod. "I want you and these ninja tools to become the nourishment for my twin technique!"
He swung the replica staff, sending countless copies of parasitic chakra hurtling towards Sakon, while simultaneously trapping Sakon's movements with symbiotic chakra. Neji's Byakugan instantly locked onto the Mirror Gu's weakness: "Sakon! The Mirror Gu's chakra is on the right side, attack there!" Toss's sonic barrier blocked the copies, while Jean's sonic chakra entangled the replica staff, buying them both time.
"Trying to attack our allies?" Sakon and Ukon's twin Mangekyo shimmered simultaneously, their twin chakra condensing in their palms into "Twin Manifestations"—a pale purple energy transformed into a symbiotically long sword, its blade entwined with parasitic patterns. Sakon manipulated the sword to pierce the giant mirror insect, while Ukon seized the opportunity to infuse his symbiotic chakra into the replica staff, planting a backlash rune.
"Ah! My replica staff!" Jing Luo's replica staff suddenly lost control, the black lines on its shaft fading as the energy of the Twin Soul-Erosion Formation instantly dissipated. Sakon and Ukon seized the opportunity to step forward, their twin chakra condensing into fists that simultaneously struck Jing Luo in the chest, slamming him into the swamp mud, completely rendering him defenseless.
At the end of the battle, the altar's pale purple glow returned. Sakon and Ukon sheathed their Mangekyōs, the warmth of their twin chakra still lingering in their palms. They reached the ninja tool vault and, looking at the intact ninja tools, felt a surge of relief. These tools were a vital resource for the Otogakure; if Kagura had taken them, the consequences would have been disastrous. The old craftsman shook their hands and said gratefully, "Thank you, Sakon and Ukon! Without your twin jutsu, all our hard work would have been ruined." The young craftsman patted their shoulders and smiled, saying, "Your twin Mangekyōs are truly remarkable. From now on, the safety of the altar depends on you."
Zuo Jin and You Jin looked at each other and smiled in sync for the first time: "Don't be afraid, from now on our twin jutsu will always protect the altar and never let the bad guys destroy our ninja tools again." They looked at each other's palms, looked at the kaleidoscopes in their eyes, and suddenly understood - this twin power is not "shackles that bind each other", but "a tacit weapon" that can protect others; this pair of symbiotic eyes are not "ridiculed aliens", but "the key to controlling twin energy"; their twin jutsu is not "lonely symbiosis", but "a bond that unites people's hearts."
Yin Zhu stepped forward and handed over two bottles of lavender potion. "This is the 'Twin Nurturing Potion,' which will help stabilize the power of your Mangekyō and prevent the twin chakra from over-sapping your stamina." He gestured at their Mangekyōs. "The 'Twin Materialization' you just used is a new ability. It can transform your twin chakra into physical attacks. Even if you encounter stronger twin ninjas in the future, you'll be able to handle them with ease."
Sakon and Ukon took the potion, gripping it tightly in their hands. In the morning light, Otogakure gradually became bustling with activity. Craftsmen were meticulously preparing ninja tools, their companions' smiles reflected in their eyes—Ningji's Byakugan irises shone with a gentle light, Toss's sonic emitter had been retarded, and Jean's sonic chakra enveloped the entire village like a warm veil. They suddenly felt that they were no longer the "twin aliens" who only bickered with each other, no longer the "parasites" who only hid behind their companions, but powerful beings who could fight alongside them, protecting everything with their twin jutsu and Mangekyō.
"From now on, the defense of the twin altars of Sound Village will be left to us!" Sakon and Ukon spoke at the same time, the patterns in their twin Mangekyo gently turning. "We will use our twin techniques to guard every ninja tool, every inch of the altar, and even our home!"
The laughter of their companions echoed in the altar, interwoven with the rhythm of their twin chakras, like a warm and resolute song of protection. Sakon and Ukon knew that this was only the beginning of their Kaleidoscope Journey. There would be stronger enemies and more difficult challenges ahead, but as long as they held their twin hearts together, and as long as they were with their companions, there would be no difficulty they could not overcome.