Naruto: God Reborn

Chapter 36:

The moon hung high over the ruined landscape, its pale light casting eerie shadows over the broken earth. Lille Barro stood atop a craggy outcrop, his green rifle steady in his hands. Below, Hollows, prowled the ruins of a devastated village. Their guttural growls echoed in the night, their clawed hands tearing through what little remained of the settlement.

Lille's green eyes gleamed coldly as he surveyed the chaos. He had been hired to exterminate these creatures, and to him, it wasn't personal. It was a task. A mission.

One of the Hollows let out a shrill scream and charged toward a survivor hiding in the wreckage. Lille exhaled slowly, steadying his aim.

Bang!

The bullet tore through the Hollow's mask, disintegrating its body in an instant. Its comrades turned in confusion, and Lille took advantage of the opening, firing again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Each shot found its mark, precise and lethal. The Hollows dropped one by one, their numbers thinning rapidly under Lille's unerring aim. He moved methodically, repositioning after each shot to keep his vantage point secure.

"Filth," Lille muttered under his breath as he notched another bullet. "You should've stayed in Hueco Mundo."

Only one Hollow remained now, snarling as it prepared to lunge. Lille's finger tightened on the trigger. But before he could fire, a blur of motion cut through the darkness.

The Hollow's mask shattered in an instant, its body cleaved in two by a massive scythe. Lille's green eyes narrowed as he tracked the figure that stepped into the moonlight.

It was a towering, skeletal man, his lean frame draped in black and white. A long, curved scythe rested on his shoulder, its blade dripping with black Hollow essence. The man's grin was wide, and his dark eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger that Lille found all too familiar.

Nnoitra Gilga.

The air between them grew heavy as recognition flickered in both their gazes. The years had changed them, hardened them, but Lille could never forget the brute who had once clashed with him during the Third Great Ninja War.

---

"Well, well," Nnoitra drawled, his voice as sharp and taunting as Lille remembered. "If it ain't the bow boy"

Lille didn't lower his rifle. His cold, calculating gaze stayed locked on Nnoitra. "You," he said flatly. "You are still alive"

"Disappointed to see me alive?" Nnoitra chuckled, resting his scythe lazily against his shoulder. "Can't say the same for you."

"You haven't changed," Lille said, his voice low and sharp. "Still a brute. Still reveling in chaos."

"And you're still a stick in the mud," Nnoitra shot back. "Let me guess, you're getting paid to take these things out, huh? Always the professional."

"Professionalism isn't a flaw," Lille said coolly.

Nnoitra laughed, the sound harsh and grating. "You haven't changed at all, bow boy. Same cold, boring attitude. Still think you're better than everyone else."

Lille's eyes narrowed. "And you still think strength alone makes you invincible."

---

"You are a hollow aren't you," Lille said coldly.

Nnoitra snorted, tapping his scythe against the ground. "Tch, don't lump me in with those weaklings," he said, gesturing toward the remains of the Hollows he'd just cut down. "They're garbage-nothing more than pests. I'm doing the world a favor by getting rid of them."

Trash cleaning trash," Lille said coldly. "What a joke."

"Call it whatever you want," Nnoitra replied with a shrug. "Fact is, I'm not here for you. These pathetic Hollows running wild,they're embarrassing. A disgrace. Someone's gotta clean up after them."

Tbc