Journey of the Three Failures

Chapter 30: At the Gates of Hell

Journey of the Three Failures

Thirty: At the Gates of Hell

Part One: Blade

Naruto ナ ルト

She had struck with all her weight, shattering the momentum of his charge as she knocked him back.

Pausing only to give a roar, she raced after him. Her movements were strong and wild, but terrifyingly swift; in a blur she was behind him, meeting him as he bounced to kick him high into the air. She flopped to all fours and launched in pursuit, and a cross-slashing of mighty, long-fingered claws was enough to pierce and rend the scale armor upon his chest, slinging fresh black blood from the wounds.

She kicked off his chest for air, and whirled before smashing a foot down into his face with a savage yell. He went down with a shriek, crashing into a cluster of jagged earth that had resulted from a blast of the Hachiman less than ten minutes prior.

–"When I fight him, what will I become?"–

The beast that was Hinata landed heavily, a few dozen meters from where Neji had crash-landed, and she fired a warning roar into the looming dust cloud he'd produced.

–"What will I do, confronted with this hatred?"–

I shook my head, still speechless. She had confided in me about this power's existence – that of the Behemoth, the Saber of Houkou, channeled through her mark and her enigmatic blood and only too capable of consuming her, but the shape she had taken to wield it was nothing I could have imagined. Her face was unrecognizable, her head like a canine's down to the black nose tipping her snout; her compact, heavily muscled body was that of a monstrous wolf-human, and her frame swollen to a height almost rivaling that of Neji's present form.

Her body had been largely overtaken with coarse black fur, its density lightest about her tough, grey-skinned hands and feet, while snowy white fur coated her chest and abdominal region, as well as lighting the end of her thick tail and the tips of what remained of her bangs in long fur that framed her face. A spiky mane of black fell down her neck, over her shoulders and tapering down to the middle of her back. Her legs, like Neji's, looked built for power, structured to support her weight atop the pads of long, clawed feet with dramatically elevated heels.

I winced as she bellowed a second time at the clearing dust, from sturdy black fangs casting forth a primordial challenge as white eyes flashed against dark sclera. Without question she posed a formidable sight, but of more consequence was her frame of mind. It was difficult to believe that Hinata the human could control Hinata the beast, given that outward appearance.

The pile of rubble stirred, and Neji broke sharply free, a furled wing lashing about with unbelievable strength to hurl a large hunk of stone in a dead shot for Hinata's head. She opened her mouth to a terrifying extent to catch the makeshift projectile, and her upper body tipped back momentarily at the force before she lurched forward again, easily snapping it to pieces in her crushing jaws. Neji's eyes narrowed as he stared her down. Then he smirked.

"Primitive is the form you've taken, Hinata. After you taunted me before... in your 'complete' form, have you finally lost the power to speak?"

She growled steadily, dusty drool trickling from her teeth and down the fur of her chin as she flexed her claws. Her tail gave a strong lash as her head lowered, fangs snapping belligerently at the air.

Neji bristled visibly, affronted; the feathers patterning his shoulders and chest were agitated. Ears angled back, he spread his wings wide as could be, perhaps for intimidation, and stretched his arms back and head forward to bombard her with a deafening, screeching cry of enmity. Hackles up, Hinata stood her ground and returned the abuse with a deep, full-throated roar. Even at this distance I could feel their power quivering, sizzling in the air as they engaged in this contest, and saw with some disconcertment as the ground splayed wildly with cracks around them even as the two held firm.