Following figure
It was an almost primal impulse that completely transcended rational thought, orders from superiors, and even the instinctive fear of death. It wasn't born of calculation, nor was it driven by a sense of duty. Rather, it was an ancient power dormant deep within the blood and the soul, awakened and detonated at that moment by the resolute falling white figure.
When Senju Tobirama's optic nerves transmitted the information "Uchiha Aoi fell off a cliff" to his brain, which had been briefly blanked by the fierce battle and the sudden change, his body, this battle machine that had been tempered countless times and walked on the brink of life and death countless times, automatically and resolutely activated before any conscious command! The high wall constructed by rationality was fragile in the face of the tsunami of emotion and instinct.
Perhaps it was the overwhelming impact of the scene before him—those black eyes that once reflected moonlight and flames, now empty and dead; that white wedding dress that symbolized connection and hope, now drenched in despair; that body that once felt so close to him, radiating a faint warmth, now being dragged relentlessly towards the abyss like a rootless leaf by gravity—all of it instantly pierced through his sturdy psychological defenses built on logic. The collapse of his defenses wasn't a slow process, but like an avalanche, complete in an instant, leaving behind only pure instinct.
Perhaps it was because a hidden corner deep within his heart, one he refused to acknowledge, deliberately ignored, and even sealed tightly with his cold rationality, had already begun to crack the moment those desperate eyes fixed their gaze. And in this ultimate moment, when life and death hung on a thread, the suppressed emotions, the unresolved entanglements, and a complex state of mind that even the word "care" couldn't fully describe, erupted violently like a long-suppressed volcano, drowning out all hesitation and consideration.
Or perhaps it stemmed simply from the purest, most direct, instinctive response of a powerful being faced with the impending demise of a fragile life—intolerable, unable to sit idly by! Like reaching out to catch a falling chick, like instinctively grabbing a passerby about to slip. However, this time, the identity and situation of the victim magnified the cost of this instinctive reaction to the point where it necessitated a life-or-death stake.
Whatever the reason, before his blank mind had recovered any valid instructions, before he had calculated his chances of survival, before he had weighed the mission's gains and losses against his own safety, his body had already followed that more powerful, unspoken, and irresistible inner driving force and made a choice! This choice had nothing to do with the Senju, the Uchiha, or even his own philosophy of survival. It was all about the present moment, about the person who was falling.
“Whoosh!”
A sharp sound that seemed to tear the air apart suddenly rang out, breaking the strange balance in the background of the brutal fighting on the cliff!
He abruptly dispersed all the chakra that had gathered at his fingertips, poised to unleash a devastating water escape technique. The complex and dangerous seal, like a popped bubble, instantly vanished, leaving only the faint chakra fluctuations lingering on his fingertips. Simultaneously, the muscles in his feet tensed like springs compressed to the limit, pouring all his strength, along with a resolute impulse, into the unreserved push. The solid rock at the edge of the cliff beneath him, shattered by his selfless step, sent shattered rock and mud scattering radially backwards!
The figure transformed into a streak of unwavering silver light. Its speed was so great it defied human vision, carrying a devastating aura of desperation and a relentless drive to forge ahead. It was like a moth drawn to a blazing flame, knowing destruction lies ahead, yet drawn to the light and reckless. It was also like an arrow, unwavering in its goal, chasing the suddenly falling star ahead, attempting to retain it before it was completely extinguished in darkness.
This action happened so abruptly, so decisively, and so inconsistent with his usual behavioral logic that at that moment, time seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Master Tobirama!! What are you doing?!"
"Sir! No! Come back quickly!!"
At the edge of the cliff, the few remaining Thousand Hands Shadow Fang members, barely recovering from the shock of Uchiha Aoi's sudden fall, witnessed an even more bizarre scene, one that completely overturned their understanding. Almost simultaneously, they let out horrified, distorted, heart-wrenching screams and cries! Their faces were filled with utter astonishment and incomprehension, their pupils constricted with terror.
In their minds, Lord Tobirama was always the epitome of calm and rationality. He orchestrated strategies and made decisive decisions, always prioritizing the mission and the family's interests above all else, his personal feelings relegated to near-nonexistence. Even in the face of devastating casualties, he was able to make the most "correct" and advantageous decisions in the shortest possible time. The target's voluntary fall from the cliff, while a formal failure, objectively eliminated the threat. The most rational and Senju Tobirama-style decision at this moment was to immediately organize the remaining forces, exploiting the terrain to conduct a tactical retreat, preserving as many lives as possible while also bringing back news of Uchiha Aoi's death.
But... what did he do? Instead of ordering a retreat, he... followed that Uchiha woman, the one who just minutes earlier had been their target, and leaped off that bottomless, mist-shrouded, terrifying cliff, said to be too deep for even a bird to traverse?! This was sheer madness! This was self-destruction! This was a mad act, risking his life and the future pillar of the Senju Clan for an enemy, a sworn enemy! What was the underlying reason behind this? The overwhelming confusion, like icy water, quenched the passion that had boiled over in their blood, leaving only a piercing chill and disbelief.
Not only the Senju, but even the Uchiha elite and Yozuki clan ninjas, caught in the fierce battle, caught a glimpse of this earth-shattering scene from the corner of their eyes, amidst the flashing of swords and the clash of ninjutsu. Their movements were involuntarily delayed and stunned for a moment. A look of uncertainty and uncertainty crossed the faces of the ninjas on both sides.
The Uchiha's hearts were filled with turmoil. What was Senju Tobirama, the executioner whose hands were stained with Uchiha blood, trying to do by jumping? Was he trying to confirm Aoi-sama's death? Or... some deeper agenda beyond their comprehension? Regardless, this near-suicide act on Senju Tobirama's part was inherently fraught with strange contradictions.
After a brief moment of shock, the Night Moon Ninja felt a sense of both absurdity and opportunity. The absurdity lay in the enemy leader's irrational behavior, while the opportunity lay in the sudden disappearance of the Senju's core command, which would inevitably cause chaos in their formation!
Yet, at this moment, Tobirama had completely forgotten all the noise, exclamations, questions, and even the bloody battle on the cliff. His auditory world was filled with the thumping of his heart, pounding like a drum from the extreme exertion and the unknown emotions, and the shrill whistling of the wind in his ears as his body plummeted. His vision was fixed firmly on the white figure ahead, accelerating ever closer. The feeling of weightlessness was like an invisible giant hand, tightly enveloping him and tugging at his internal organs; the icy air, like countless invisible sharp blades, scraped mercilessly across his exposed skin and cheeks, bringing a piercing chill to his bones.
But in stark contrast, his chakra was churning furiously, nearly incinerating, exceeding its normal capacity! His brain rapidly calculated the trajectory of his fall, the effects of wind speed, and the ever-changing relative position between them. His body precisely executed his mind's commands, subtly adjusting the angles of his limbs and the release of chakra. Like a top-tier aerial stuntman, he constantly fine-tuned his descent, straining his speed to the hilt, simply to catch up with the white meteor, seemingly abandoned by fate and plummeting towards destruction.
The cliff face swept up before my eyes, blurring into a patchwork of gray and black. The roar of the river below grew clearer and clearer, its initial muffled roar gradually becoming deafening, as if an ancient beast lurked at the bottom of the abyss, its maw gaping, waiting to devour any falling life.
Closer! Closer!
He could even make out the delicate patterns on her wedding gown, the path of her untidy black hair fluttering helplessly in the wind, her pale, bloodless face, and her tightly closed, long eyelashes. She had completely lost consciousness, her body limp, without any sign of struggle or defense, like a discarded, exquisite yet fragile doll, letting gravity dictate her fate.
This lifeless appearance was like a sharp thorn, piercing the depths of Tobirama's heart and stirring up an indescribable anxiety. He once again urged his chakra, and his falling speed suddenly increased, almost reaching the limit he could endure!
Finally, when he had fallen to more than half the depth and the steam from the river below was already hitting his face, freezing him to the bone, he made an almost perfect, streamlined dive, like a hunting osprey, and accurately caught up with the white figure.
Without the slightest hesitation, he extended his arms. Those arms, once sealed with devastating water escape techniques, once wielded blades to sever countless enemies' life force, now held a clumsy, almost clumsy caution, unnoticed even by him, as if afraid of shattering a rare treasure with excessive force. Yet, beneath that caution lay an unquestionable, unshakable resolve.
He suddenly grabbed Uchiha Aoi's cold, soft, and frighteningly light body tightly and firmly in his arms, as if he wanted to completely integrate her into his own bones and blood!
Just as he hugged her, feeling her body temperature and heartbeat that was so weak that it was almost non-existent and seemed to be about to stop at the next second, and just as an indescribable complex throbbing passed through his heart, the next moment -
The deadly threat from above is like the shadow of death, coming silently but swiftly!
Behind a shadowy protrusion on the cliff face above, an extremely swift-witted and battle-experienced Yeyue elite ninja, though completely unable to comprehend Senju Tobirama's suicidal cliff jump, his instinct for seizing the opportunity allowed him to instantly seize this once-in-a-lifetime attacking opportunity! In his view, no matter what the reason for Senju Tobirama's jump, he was now in mid-air, holding someone in his arms, his back exposed, making him the most vulnerable and inescapable target!
The Night Moon Ninja's eyes flashed with a fierce gleam, a sinister smile flickered across his face, and his lightning chakra surged throughout his body, emitting a crackling sound. With a furious roar, he unleashed a dazzling bolt of lightning, condensed from his life's practice, pursuing ultimate penetrating power and destructive force. This bolt transformed into a roaring tiger, hurling it like a spear of lightning, tearing through the air. With a destructive aura, he aimed at the heart of Tobirama, who was unable to dodge in mid-air, and struck fiercely!
"Thunder Release: Furious Thunder Tiger Kill!"
At this moment, Tobirama's entire mind and senses were focused on the cold, soft body in his arms. Almost all of his chakra was used to maintain balance and cushion his fall, while subconsciously trying to shield Aoi's heart with his weak Yang-style chakra. He wasn't completely unaware of the attack from behind; the fierce murderous aura and thunderous explosions had already reached the edge of his perception, but he was powerless and had no time to consider his own defense! Any distraction from building defenses could affect his ability to protect the person in his arms, and might even cause a mistake when hitting the water.
In the final moments before the lightning struck, all he could do was rely on his honed fighting instincts and twist his body violently! This movement wasn't to dodge, for there was nowhere to dodge, but to securely and completely protect Kui in his arms within the narrow space formed by his broad chest and strong arms, using his back, his entire body, as her final shield!
At the same time, he hastily and as thickly as possible gathered the little and almost exhausted chakra in his meridians at the vital points of his back, forming a thin but extreme chakra shield, trying to withstand this fatal blow!
"boom--!!!"
The violent thunderbolt struck his defenseless back with all its might! The dazzling lightning instantly engulfed him. The massive explosion echoed through the valley, even briefly drowning out the roar of the river below!
Even with that hastily condensed layer of chakra as a buffer, the devastating physical impact and the instantaneous burst of ultra-high voltage electricity, like thousands of red-hot iron needles, brutally penetrated his chakra defenses and pierced his muscles, bones, and even his internal organs! Tobirama felt his vision suddenly go black, as if the entire world had lost its light. The blood in his chest surged wildly, like a surging sea. A sweet sensation filled his throat, and a mouthful of warm blood gushed out uncontrollably, splattering Aoi's pale cheeks and white wedding dress, leaving behind a trail of startling, piercing spots, like red plum blossoms in the snow.
His internal organs felt as if they were being fiercely grasped and kneaded by an invisible giant hand, then struck by a heavy hammer, sending a piercing, indescribable pain through him. His consciousness flickered like a candle in a raging storm, its flame threatening to go out, plunging him into eternal darkness. A sharp numbness, accompanied by a searing pain, instantly spread throughout his body, drastically reducing his control over his limbs.
Yet, miraculously, even at this critical moment of blurred consciousness, severe injuries, and near coma, his arms tightly grasping Aoi remained like iron hoops forged from the strongest steel, tempered by his will. Not a single slack! On the contrary, the immense weight of the blow only intensified the combined force of their descent, accelerating their speed. Like two tightly entangled, cursed meteorites, they plummeted with ever greater determination and sorrow towards the roaring, steam-filled, icy river below, resembling the mouth of a giant beast.
Darkness surged in from all sides like a tide, trying to devour his last remaining consciousness. But before he completely lost consciousness, the last thought that flashed through Tobirama's mind was not the fear of death, nor the regret for jumping off the cliff, but an extremely simple, yet extremely stubborn idea:
"Hold tight... Never... let go..."
Then, boundless darkness completely engulfed him. The two figures were instantly swallowed by the thick steam and deep shadows below, disappearing before the stunned, complex, and indescribable gazes of all the survivors above the cliff, plummeting into the abyss of an unknown fate. Only the eternal roar of the river remained, still rumbling and echoing through the canyon, as if the thrilling events just now were but a small interlude in its eternal and unchanging symphony.
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