Night.
The members of the elite squad sat around a campfire in the forest.
After a fierce battle that day, they had managed to drive off the dozen or so Impure World Bodies summoned by Kabuto Yakushi, but the elite squad was in bad shape too. Might Guy, Kurotsuchi, Tokuma Hyuga, Muta Aburame, and Tsume Inuzuka had all been attacked by spirits and fallen into deep comas. The others were also badly exhausted, so Kakashi had no choice but to have the squad rest where they were.
Firewood crackled in the campfire.
The wavering flames danced across everyone's faces, making their expressions seem uncertain.
The battle that day had dealt a serious blow to the squad's morale. They had lost contact with their captain, Jiraiya, and the five who had been injured and knocked unconscious still hadn't woken up. The atmosphere in the squad grew heavier by the minute.
Up in a tree.
On guard, Kakashi scanned their surroundings. After finding nothing amiss, he looked down at Yakumo, seated by the campfire.
Even now, he couldn't understand how Yakumo had dealt with Dan Katō's spirit so effortlessly.
In fact, Kakashi wasn't the only one. The others gathered around the campfire also kept glancing at Yakumo.
The way she had instantly overwhelmed the spirit had left them both astonished and puzzled.
Yakumo noticed their attention but remained composed. There was no way she could explain what had happened.
As soon as Dan Katō's spirit invaded her mental world, Ido—empowered by the Red Dragon Eye and fighting on her home ground—had suppressed him almost instantly.
Ido's suppression freed Dan Katō's spirit from Kabuto Yakushi's control.
Once he realized how much damage he could cause the village under Kabuto Yakushi's control, Dan Katō had forcibly broken free of Impure World Reincarnation the moment