Konoha’s Black Plague

Coma

Gu Bin's eyes flickered with frustration. Seeing no opening after prolonged exchange, he gave up on pressing the attack. With a grunt, he leapt backward, instantly widening the gap between himself and Bai Ye by nearly ten meters.

Bai Ye narrowed his eyes, confused by the retreat. He didn't pursue. His knuckles, white around the hilt of his blade, cracked slightly. Blood dripped slowly along the handle to the ground below—a quiet sign of the damage he had taken earlier. At least this gave him a moment to breathe.

But then his expression changed.

Gu Bin, now safely outside striking range, retrieved a vial from the pouch at his waist—the same glowing potion he had consumed once before.

Bai Ye's pupils contracted. He cursed his hesitation.

Gu Bin uncorked the bottle and tipped it to his lips.

"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"

("Artillery: Red Fire Cannon!")

Bai Ye reacted on instinct. Chakra surged from his palm as he launched a blast aimed straight for the vial. But it was too late. The fiery projectile smashed only an empty bottle, already drained.

His strike had missed its true mark. Chakra wasted. The situation was growing dangerous.

As the potion coursed through Gu Bin's body, he roared—his muscles rapidly expanding until his hulking frame tore through what little clothing remained on him. Veins bulged. His aura intensified dramatically.

"Damn it!" hissed Hizashi Hyūga from the rooftop above. His calm gaze shattered. In a blur of movement, he descended rapidly, breaking tiles underfoot as he dashed toward the fight.

Bai Ye reached for the ninja tool pouch at his waist and retrieved a potion—one given to him by Qin Qin during a prior mission. The chakra-enhancing liquid was his last resort.

He didn't wait.

But just as he tilted the vial to drink, an enormous fist slammed into his abdomen. The impact was brutal, causing most of the potion to spill from his mouth in a wet cough.

Gu Bin had struck him before the enhancement could fully activate.

Blow after blow rained down on him. Bai Ye struggled to keep up. His physical resilience—honed through years of harsh training—was the only thing keeping him from being beaten into a lifeless pulp.

Amid the chaos, neither Bai Ye nor his attacker noticed the faint shimmer now radiating from Bai Ye's zanpakutō—its experience meter creeping upward with each surge of chakra inside him.

Despite having absorbed only a small amount of the potion, something in Bai Ye's body responded differently. Unlike Gu Bin, his form didn't undergo grotesque transformations. But raw strength flooded his muscles. His spiritual power and chakra blended unnaturally.

With a grunt, he raised his arm and caught Gu Bin's massive fist mid-swing.

Their hands were mismatched in size—one like an ogre's, the other slender and pale—but Bai Ye's grip held firm. A surge of power grounded him.

Gu Bin's eyes widened in disbelief. The potion had amplified his strength to monstrous levels. How could someone who drank so little match him? Was this the difference between a brute... and a true shinobi?

With a howl, he unleashed a flurry of punches, dozens of afterimages filling the air.

But Bai Ye, calm and unreadable, flowed through the onslaught like water. Every strike was blocked. Every opening closed before it formed. Despite the overwhelming attack speed, he deflected each hit effortlessly.

Hizashi slowed his steps upon seeing this. A rare smile touched the corners of his lips.

"Good," he murmured. "Still under control."

Still, he approached cautiously. This time, he wouldn't risk standing idle for too long.

As Bai Ye grew more familiar with the enhanced strength, his defense became flawless—intercepting every punch with a single arm. Gu Bin's fury reached its peak. Blood seeped from beneath his skin, unable to handle the stress of repeated overuse.

Even in the midst of battle, Bai Ye managed to spare a glance at Yue and Yuyan. Satisfied that they were holding their own, he didn't rush to end the fight. These rare battles between life and death were valuable. If interrupted prematurely, it would deny his teammates the growth they needed.

Hizashi Hyūga, now positioned nearby, seemed to share the same judgment. He crossed his arms and observed silently. As long as no life was in danger, there was no reason to step in.

Thanks to Bai Ye's earlier warning, Yue and Yuyan made sure not to allow their opponents a second dose of the potion. They delayed, countered, and wore them down.

Eventually, the drugs' effects faded.

Exhausted but victorious, the girls collapsed onto the ground, binding their enemies with reinforced chakra ropes. Both were drenched in sweat, their chests heaving.

This had been Yuyan's first true life-or-death battle.

Yue, however, had already tasted that fear once before—just over a month ago. She had been helpless, completely overpowered. If Bai Ye hadn't arrived in time, she likely wouldn't have survived... and her eyes would certainly have been taken.

"Bai Ye, why are you still fighting?" Yuyan called, glancing toward the still-ongoing clash. "You can finish him off already!"

Bai Ye replied evenly, still blocking Gu Bin's blows one-handed. "You're forgetting the mission. Our goal was to delay until they wore themselves out. There's no need to kill unless it's absolutely necessary."

Even in the middle of combat, he remained composed. Confident. He had more strength to spare.

"We've done well," Hizashi finally said, stepping forward. "Let's end this."

With a single step, he appeared behind Gu Bin and struck with Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms. The blows were too fast to follow—within moments, Gu Bin's chakra network was completely sealed. He collapsed, twitching.

The difference between Hizashi and Yuyan was made painfully clear.

Yuyan had barely managed to slow one opponent. Hizashi sealed a fully-enhanced Gu Bin with ease.

"We're heading back," Hizashi ordered. "Mission complete. That was quicker than expected."

Yuyan pouted, dragging her feet. "Tch. So boring. I thought this would be fun... I even brought smoke bombs!"

Bai Ye chuckled, stepping in to pinch her cheeks. "Next time, I'll take you somewhere interesting."

"Mm—mmph!"

She tried to protest, but his grip on her face left her mumbling.

None of them noticed that Bai Ye's enhanced state hadn't faded—though the potion's effects should have long worn off.

His zanpakutō quietly pulsed. Its experience bar had reached full capacity.

Suddenly, Yuyan gasped. Bai Ye's hands slackened. He stumbled.

"Hey! What's wrong?"

He swayed, eyes losing focus. Then, with no warning, he collapsed into her arms.

"Stop joking, you idiot. You're heavy."

Yuyan's voice trembled slightly, still trying to believe it was all a prank.

But Bai Ye didn't respond.

Yue and Hizashi turned, alerted by the commotion. Yue's smile faded.

Just moments ago, the air had been calm. Almost celebratory.

Now, the atmosphere shifted—heavy, uncertain.

Something was very wrong.