Naruto raging whirlpool

I said I'd post after 30 stones but it wouldn't be fair to the few that did vote if I didn't post this so to those that did vote thankyou. Don't be stingy and leave a review sometime aswell please

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The voice came from behind him. But how could that be? The mantis was still there in front of him. The mantis spoke, "Ah, that's called an afterimage. You've probably never seen one before, have you?." Shino turned his neck, realizing the mantis behind him was a monster far beyond him. The mantis spoke once more, "Wanna see something cool? Look at the afterimage." Shino complied and turned to the afterimage. "It should happen any time now... In 3, 2, now."

*BOOM*

Suddenly, the air surrounding the false mantis ruptured under an invisible force, echoing through the forest. The mantis let out a deranged laugh, "Hehehe... Never gets old, does it? And that right there's a sonic boom. Named it myself a while back. Pretty impressive, huh?" His eyes gleamed with a maniacal intensity

In a swift, coordinated move, Shino and Ash attacked the mantis. Shino spun around, performing a back spin stab with a kunai in hand, plunging it into his head, while Ash lunged forward with his tanto in a precise strike, stabbing the mantis in the back. To their shock, their attacks phased right through the mantis. Shino's eyes widened as he thought, 'It's that afterimage technique!' glancing Ash's way he noticed the deep gash on his leg and the bruises forming on his arms. Concern for his comrade surged through him, heightening his sense of urgency.

Without wasting a moment, Shino leaped forward, his body passing through the afterimage of the mantis. The sensation was disorienting, like moving through a ghostly apparition, and he could feel the air warping around him as he moved through it. On the other side, he saw Ash, momentarily frozen in surprise. Shino reached out with his free hand and grabbed Ash by the arm, pulling him along with a sense of urgency.

"We need to move, now!" Shino commanded, his voice tense but determined. He hoisted Ash over his shoulder, despite the protests of his own aching muscles and the added weight. Adrenaline surged through his veins, giving him the strength to carry his comrade.

They had barely taken a few steps when the afterimage exploded with a deafening roar, the force of the blast sending shockwaves through the air. The blast caught up to them almost instantly, slamming into their backs and propelling them forward. Shino twisted his body midair, shielding Ash from the brunt of the impact. They hit the ground hard, rolling across the forest floor. Dirt and leaves flew in all directions as they tumbled, their bodies aching from the harsh landing.

The impact shattered Shino's glasses, sending the shards flying in multiple directions. As he pushed himself to his feet, his eyes were revealed, and so were his emotions, he was tense, scanning his surroundings with urgency. He pulled Ash up beside him, their eyes meeting briefly in a shared understanding of the dire situation.

Suddenly, they heard the same eerie voice behind them, "That's not very nice, but I have to say you're a fast learner, huh? You might just be worth a moment of my time" Shino's body froze, a chill running down his spine as the words echoed in his ears. His eyes shivered with the realization of the situation they were in, a wave of helplessness washed over him. Ash, standing beside him, winced as he clutched his injured leg, his face a mix of pain and stubborn determination. The mantis stood there, its eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement.

In an instant, the mantis appeared between them, its movements unnaturally swift and silent. It draped its claws around their shoulders in a seemingly friendly gesture, leaning its weight against the two, but to them, the claws felt like the blade of the Grim Reaper's scythe as it hovered over their bare necks. The presence of the mantis was suffocating. The gentle breeze that flowed past them felt icy, caressing their sweat-drenched bodies like a ghostly hand.

Shino's breath hitched, he felt his skin crawl as the cold, sharp edge of the mantis's claw grazed his neck. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of fear and helplessness weighed him down. He forced himself to remain still, any sudden movement could be fatal. Ash's reaction was about the same, he could feel the claw's jagged edge dangerously close to his jugular, sending bursts of dread through him. 'No..., there's no way someone this strong exists, at least not here.' Though both tried to mask their fear, their tense, rigid postures betrayed their true thoughts.

The mantis spoke with an unnervingly cheerful and upbeat tone, "So, what do you boys do for fun around here?" Its voice was filled with an almost childlike curiosity, making the situation even more unsettling. The contrast between its friendly demeanor and the deadly threat it posed sent chills down their spines.

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind descended from the skies, rustling the leaves and sending a chill through the air. Instinctively, Shino, Ash, and the mantis turned their gaze upwards. Shino and Ash shielded their eyes with their hands, squinting against the harsh wind. The mantis, however, looked up with an irritated expression, as if it already knew what was coming. Its annoyance was palpable.

"Here he comes, just in time to ruin my fun," the mantis muttered.

A colossal beetle hovered above them, its four enormous wings beating at the wind with tremendous force, leading the trees in a wild danse. Its body was a lustrous black, its exoskeleton nearly resembling a set of armor. Its flexible wings moved with a fluid grace, flapping mightily to keep it aloft.

The beetle's arms, though small compared to its body's proportions, were powerful nonetheless. Each arm had four formidable claws, stationed like the talons of a predatory bird. They're what you would call an efficient grappling mechanism.

The beetle's legs were strong and segmented, ending with three sharp claws. It had a long, powerful tail, and a prominent curved horn that adorned its head. A pair of fiery eyes completed this masterpiece of a beast.

As it descended, the air around it rippled with energy, and the downdraft from its wings bent the trees and scattered leaves like a tornado.

The beetle landed with a thunderous impact, its sharp, clawed limbs digging into the ground. Its wings folded back neatly into their protective carapace with a smooth, almost leathery sound. The ground trembled slightly under its weight. The surrounding trees continued to sway from the disturbance.

"What are you doing here, in the lesser plains" the beetle spoke, it's eyes burned brighter at the sight of the mantis before him.

"So that's how you greet an old friend after such a lon-" as the mantis spoke he was interrupted shortly after. "Answer me!... Why have you crossed over to the lesser planes". The mantis grew silent, his mood visibly soured.

He lifted his claws freeing ash and shino, in a flash of pure instinct shino ran to ash and carried him to safety. Once they were far enough shino and ash behind a fairly large tree watched the confrontation in silence.

The mantis let them leave before he did anything afterall, he had taken a liking to them "So how's this gonna go Obelisk, the easy way" mantis said as it spread its claws in a taunting fashion "or the fun way hehehe~".

Obelisk, the Overbeetle, a legend of a forgotten time. When the forest was a place of chaos and had no laws that governed it, he was the one that split it down the middle with the path of the strong. He is the protector that maintains the fragile peace it brings. The path of the strong serves as a barrier, preventing the stronger creatures of the Greater Plains from terrorizing the weak that reside in the Lesser Plains.

The mantis, having crossed over this boundary, knew he had gone against the very laws that Obelisk himself had set up. This defiance was a direct challenge to the peace and order Obelisk worked tirelessly to maintain.

Obelisk looked around and saw the countless corpses scattered around him. His fiery eyes narrowed as he turned to the mantis. "You did this?!" he asked, anger in his deep voice.

The mantis reacted as if his heart was stabbed, clutching his thorax. "That hurts my feelings, just look at them... Those wounds, they're way too sloppy!, not a single clean cut in the bunch."

Obelisk glanced at the corpses once again, noticing the varied wounds on them. He thought to himself, "This... a small scale war took place here, and not too long ago either" His expression shifted, a deep sigh escaping him as his anger momentarily gave way to a mix of frustration and self loathing.

"Leave," he said finally, his voice heavy with the weight of the forest's laws. "You don't belong here."

The mantis lowered his claws, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Man, what a boring guy" he muttered.

Obelisk huffed, opening the protective carapace on his back as his wings unfurled. He looked at mantis one last time. "This better be the last time, I only spare you to spare this forest from destruction," he warned in an authoritative tone. Then, in a burst of speed, he vanished into the distace. The force of his flight caused the trees around him to split like the disturbed surface of a calm lake, rippling outward as if paying homage to his might.

Mantis watched Obelisk leave with a troubled expression almost like he thought of an unpleasant memory.

Meanwhile shino and ash were already on the run, they were out of their league and they were happy to get away with nothing but a few scratches and bruises.

"Where'd you bring us, this situation is arguably more dangerous than sticking it out with those people in red" jumping from tree to tree with ash on his back shino asked, not that he expected an answer.

"Fro, gadier..." Ash replied unsure how he'd respond even if he could 'i don't know, I really don't know.....'.

"So, we're are we going now" shino abruptly stopped and ash directed him pointing his finger towards the Toad's village. "That wasn't me" shino said and ash froze in place a shiver went up both their spines in that moment 'Its him!' they though in unison. "It's me~ haha your besto furendo mantis saaaan" in a flash mantis appeared next to them in a bold and flamboyant pose.

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This chapter was fun to make lmao. vote down below if you liked it 👇