Reinforcements

Asuma, a jonin of the Inuzuka Clan, and the Akimichi Clan jonin gradually turned serious, exchanging glances.

They were not surprised that Ingetsu had returned.

It was within their expectations.

Otherwise, Jaeger would not have survived until now.

They were merely shocked that Ingetsu had arrived without making a sound.

The ninja hound had issued no warning!

The Inuzuka had not caught the scent of danger!

What kind of person could restrain his presence to such an extent?

If Hyuga Yu had not been beside them, they would probably have all died instantly.

Asuma shifted his gaze away from Ingetsu.

He covertly glanced at the roof beam, raised his right hand, removed the cigarette from his mouth, and tossed it aside.

His hands naturally moved toward the ninja tool pouch strapped to his thigh.

Hyuga Yu's pupils widened, and chills ran down his back.

His mind and Chakra were being controlled.

He could not even make the slightest movement to create a disturbance or pass information to his teammates.

"You shouldn't have come back..."

Kurenai Yuhi's curled eyelashes trembled slightly.

Her eyes rippled with emotion as she gazed lovingly at Ingetsu, breathing rapidly and murmuring to herself.

The scene she had feared most.

It had appeared without the slightest warning.

The atmosphere remained cold and silent.

Kurenai understood that she could not stop what was happening.

Her heart sank.

She grabbed the woman behind her who was holding a child, her worried gaze turning resolute as she swept it over Asuma and the others.

"I'm withdrawing from this mission..."

She led the woman out of the wooden house.

By the corner, Doctor Nakku knew this was his last chance in life to escape the wooden house.

He decisively followed behind Kurenai and headed for the door.

Ingetsu did not stop Kurenai.

They brushed past each other.

Kurenai stopped, her brows furrowing, and looked up at Ingetsu's handsome profile with its beautifully curved lines.

Tears glimmered in her red eyes, carrying resentment and pleading as she looked at Ingetsu.

Ingetsu remained unmoved.

Kurenai lightly bit her lip.

Her chest heaved constantly, and her heart pounded wildly.

She already understood what he wanted.

Without turning her head, she left the wooden house.

Ingetsu looked toward Nonō.

The Wandering Shrine Maiden's eyes shifted fluidly.

She widened her almond-shaped eyes and examined the handsome young man who had suddenly appeared, as though she had discovered a work of art.

Her eyes met those ferocious scarlet eyes radiating murderous intent.

Her appreciation of a beautiful member of the opposite sex vanished in an instant, replaced by trembling fear and dread.

"Help me save someone, and I'll pay you accordingly."

Ingetsu got straight to the point.

His tone was calm, yet carried an extremely persuasive power.

"Al... all right..."

Nonō's brows drooped.

She reined in her emotions and left the wooden house without hesitation.

She felt that she should make this deal with him.

The moment she stepped outside, Nanfeng, who had been waiting by the door, escorted her away.

Asuma watched Kurenai's departing back and suddenly felt relieved.

From this point onward.

Whether they killed Ingetsu or Ingetsu killed them, Kurenai would not be caught up in the battle.

In the corner, Jaeger also wanted to escape.

But the kunai in the hands of the Hyuga Clan jonin before him dispelled any thought of fleeing.

Just as Asuma wanted to say something before the battle, he suddenly discovered that no matter what he did, his lips would not open.

As expected, Ingetsu's eyes possess the ability to control others. They're truly troublesome. But after all this frantic running around, how much Chakra can those eyes still have left?

Asuma gathered his thoughts.

Only his brain could still think.

It was not just Asuma.

The Akimichi Clan jonin, the Inuzuka Clan jonin, and even the ninja hound all remained frozen in the post-turning positions, like wax statues.

Ingetsu gripped his blade and walked toward Asuma.

Both sides understood perfectly.

Their meeting meant a battle to the death.

One side was a Konoha Ninja, while the other was a rogue ninja.

Neither would stop until the other was dead.

Asuma stared at Ingetsu.

Because he could not blink, his eyes had long since become bloodshot, and his tear glands overflowed with tears.

The only thing he could do seemed to be breathing and waiting for Ingetsu to take his life.

The distance between them closed.

Red light flickered in Ingetsu's pupils.

Holding his ninja blade, he suddenly swung it at Asuma.

A cold gleam bloomed.

The straight blade traced a fierce arc through the air, its flashing edge radiating an intimidating chill.

Under Yachihoko's control, the other three were mentally dazed.

They drew their kunai one after another, preparing to stab themselves in the abdomen and commit suicide!

At that instant.

Brahma Sound filled the roof, resonating with Chakra-infused Buddhist sutras.

The sound was solemn, majestic, pure, upright, harmonious, clear, profound, pervasive, and carried far into the distance.

It flowed through the room like water, washing over everyone inside.

It cleansed away the discordant tones in their minds.

Asuma's controlled mental fluctuations became chaotic.

Just as the cold gleam slashed toward his throat, he regained control of his body and rolled sideways to evade.

The ninja blade swept across his right shoulder blade, leaving a deep wound in his back.

Yachihoko's mental control briefly failed.

"Spread out!!!"

The Hyuga Clan jonin roared.

"Damn it! Did you have to act at the last possible moment? You really like making things exciting, don't you?"

The Inuzuka Clan jonin retreated while holding his beloved dog, cursing as he did so.

The four scattered to the four corners of the wooden house, surrounding Ingetsu in the middle.

The Brahma Sound from the roof continued.

Ingetsu watched it all indifferently.

He was not surprised by Asuma's contingency plan.

His Eight Thousand Spears Kaleidoscope Yin Release Chakra had yet to recover to its peak.

Only thirty percent remained.

He had to reserve ten percent.

That left only twenty percent he could use.

That was why Yachihoko's mental control could be disrupted by the solemn, booming recitation of the Buddhist sutras.

Even if he had attacked the Hyuga Clan jonin immediately, Asuma's contingency plan would still have been activated.

Jaeger, who remained inside the room, underwent a dramatic change in expression.

He looked up at the roof.

The sound of the Buddhist sutras was piercing through from above.

The roof seemed to have countless monks seated cross-legged upon it.

It was exactly as Jaeger had imagined.

At that moment, ten monks sat cross-legged on the roof.

They pressed their palms together, lowered their heads, closed their eyes, and muttered as they recited the Buddhist sutras.

These were the reinforcements from the Fire Temple whom Asuma had summoned!

The Brahma Sound of the sutras recited by these monks could strengthen human mental power and interfere with genjutsu and mental control.

Inside the wooden house.

"Yukimaru... don't be afraid. Eat this. Once this battle is over, I'll dig out as much as you want!"

The Inuzuka Clan jonin still wore a kindly smile.

He half-crouched beside his beloved dog and pulled an organ from his pocket.

The snow-white dog stared at the organ.

After catching its bloody scent, its brain seemed to receive some kind of stimulus.

Its four limbs trembled as it entered a state of stress.

It no longer looked uneasy.

Instead, a vicious expression appeared on its face, green light radiated from its pupils, and it opened its enormous maw, baring its fangs.

Foul saliva dripped to the ground in long strands.

Yukimaru bit the organ into its mouth in one gulp.

It raised its head, chewed, and swallowed it down.

Jaeger's pupils suddenly widened.

He stared fixedly at the organ, then suddenly felt his stomach churn and began dry-heaving nonstop.

He was a hunter who killed all kinds of animals every day, so he knew organs fairly well.

What the Inuzuka Clan jonin had fed the ninja hound was not the organ of a beast or animal.

It was a human heart!

If his guess was correct, it had probably been taken from a refugee.

In an instant—

Yukimaru's neck swelled.

Its muscles bulged one section at a time, veins spreading across them.

Its claws grew, sharp as blades.

The Inuzuka Clan jonin formed hand seals with both hands and created a Shadow Clone.

With a smile on his face, he shouted, "Inuzuka Style: Beast-Human Transformation: Three-Headed Wolf!"

Boom—

Smoke exploded outward.

A gigantic wolf appeared.

It had three wolf heads, snow-white fur covering its entire body, corded muscles, and pitch-black claws.

Its immense body broke through one corner of the wooden house.

Sizzle—

Asuma took a deep breath, enduring the scorching pain in his back.

He drew the "Chakra Blade: Shin'ichi Moji" from his ninja tool pouch, slipped four fingers through its ring, infused it with Wind Release Chakra, and coldly watched Ingetsu.

"Multi-Size Technique!!"

The Akimichi Clan jonin's body began expanding as well.

Inside the wooden house, he transformed into a small giant, both fists swelling into enormous masses of flesh.

His aura surged along with him.

The Hyuga Clan jonin spread both hands.

His activated Byakugan had never faded as he saw through his opponent and assumed a Gentle Fist stance.

In the middle of the wooden house.

Ingetsu's Mangekyo eyes slanted toward both sides.

One man.

One blade.

Like a small boat surrounded by raging waves, he seemed as though he could capsize at any moment.