Dark Moon

The words of the Hyuga Jonin plunged Yager's family into an icy abyss. Even Doctor Nak, curled up in the corner, felt pity for them.

Such an ordinary family.

Yet they had been dragged into the heart of the storm.

Nonō's face remained expressionless, but a tempest raged within her heart. She carefully considered an escape route, gripping a kunai tightly in her right hand, intending to save the child she had healed the night before.

Alone, facing four Konoha Jonin and a Ninja Hound, she had no way to save the entire family.

"Director Nonō, I advise you not to make any rash moves. Otherwise, we'll deal with you the same way we deal with rogue ninja!"

Asuma glanced sideways at her, removed the cigarette from his mouth, casually tossed it aside, then pulled out another cigarette and lit it.

"Fine, I'll tell you the truth. They're intelligence informants planted along the border by the Root Organization. If you touch them, you'd better consider how you'll face Lord Danzo first!"

Seeing that her intentions had been exposed, Nonō tried another way to intimidate them.

The expressions of the four men suddenly changed noticeably. Nonō's heart leaped with joy. So this really works. No Konoha ninja is unafraid of Danzo's infamous reputation.

"Haha... the Root Organization? Lord Danzo? Don't make me laugh!" The Hyuga Branch Family Jonin could not help laughing as he shook his head.

Asuma exhaled a cloud of smoke, wearing the same contemptuous, amused expression.

Nonō frowned slightly, confused by their reactions.

No one paid any more attention to the bewildered Nonō.

"Asuma, give me an explanation!!"

A woman's magnetic voice rang out from outside, reaching everyone inside the house.

Asuma turned around.

Kurenai Yuhi slowly walked into the wooden house, surveying everyone inside. Her gaze was icy as it settled on Asuma.

According to the plan, she had separated from her teammates.

She had searched Mount Kikyo alone for traces of the Uchiha team, only to realize that Asuma and the others had clearly proposed splitting up because they wanted to ditch her.

By the time Kurenai Yuhi reached this mountain stronghold,

she discovered in shock

that Asuma and the others had slaughtered the entire settlement of refugees.

"Kurenai, listen to me. They're only refugees from a small country. Once they cause trouble, they'll have a terrible impact on the Land of Fire Border, so..."

Asuma hurriedly put on an ingratiating smile.

"Release that mother and child. They're innocent!" Kurenai Yuhi said coldly.

There was not a trace of emotion in her red eyes, leaving no room for negotiation.

After thinking for a moment, Asuma looked at the Hyuga Jonin. The latter clicked his tongue and reluctantly lowered his kunai.

"Heh..."

The Hyuga Jonin sneered without saying anything. He walked over to Yager and pressed his kunai against Yager's throat.

Instead, Yager let out a sigh of relief. He looked toward his wife, his eyes gentle and his emotions complicated.

Kurenai Yuhi shielded the mother and child behind her, glaring at Asuma as she rebuked him:

"Asuma... you keep saying that you don't approve of some of the Third Hokage's actions, yet the things you father and son do are exactly the same.

For the sake of preserving the bigger picture, he could humiliate himself and abandon Hizashi Hyuga of the Hyuga Clan.

And for the sake of making these people follow you without worry, you could let them slaughter refugees and label them rogue ninja in exchange for merit."

Asuma saw that she had completely seen through his thoughts.

Expressionless, he looked at the companions watching him beside him.

The Inuzuka Clan Jonin waved his hand and laughed.

"Haha, Captain Asuma, don't worry. This is your family matter. We'll pretend we didn't hear anything and won't talk nonsense when we return."

Kurenai Yuhi had insulted the Third Hokage?

Nonō stared at the brave female ninja. While feeling fortunate that not all Konoha ninja were people who trampled on life, she also breathed a sigh of relief for Yager's wife.

Seeing his companions make that promise, Asuma sighed. He did not care about Kurenai's accusations and still wore a smile as he explained, "Kurenai... it isn't what you think. I'll explain everything properly after we return."

Kurenai Yuhi ignored Asuma. What he had done tonight had crossed her bottom line.

"Stop wasting time here. Get the information, kill this man, and continue tracking!"

Asuma's gaze was unfocused, and he was somewhat irritated as he spoke to everyone.

Naturally, he did not care that Kurenai Yuhi was throwing a tantrum. He understood women's temperaments perfectly. He just needed to coax her a little more afterward, and she would always calm down.

The Hyuga Branch Family Jonin was about to make a move against Yager when he suddenly stopped. He smelled an intense sense of danger.

He had only felt this sensation once in his life—when he had nearly been killed during a mission.

Then,

within his black-and-white vision,

behind him,

at the doorway,

a handsome young man dressed in white, with a sword at his waist, stepped into the house with light footsteps.

The young man's expression was cold and stern, his posture proud. His arrival did not break the tense atmosphere in the wooden house; instead, it blended into it perfectly.

Everyone's attention was on the Hyuga Clan Jonin, and none of them noticed the extra person behind them.

The Hyuga Branch Family Jonin pursed his lips and took a deep breath to steady his emotions. He put away the kunai in his hand, slowly turned around, and looked up toward the entrance.

In that instant, the atmosphere in the wooden house was shattered like a stone tossed into a still lake.

The baby's crying stopped abruptly.

Everyone whirled around.

Together, they looked toward the doorway.

"Let him go, and I'll leave your corpses intact!"

Ingetsu drew his ninja sword from his waist.

Clang—

His clear eyes gleamed as the Yachihoko Mangekyo Sharingan spun. His handsome face was flawless, and the candlelight generously spilled over him, casting a picturesque shadow upon the wall.

[Side Quest]: Divine Punishment

[Options]:

1. Kill everyone present.

2. Kill Sarutobi Asuma, Hyuga Yū, Tu Akimichi, Akiyama Inuzuka, and Yukimaru.

[Reward]: Weapon—Dark Moon.

Ingetsu raised an eyebrow slightly and sighed inwardly. This mission came a little too casually.

A weapon.

Dark Moon.

Was it a blade?

For the moment, Ingetsu set aside those thoughts and gripped his ninja sword. Under the candlelight, its blade gleamed with a cold radiance.

He swept his gaze across everyone present, silently counting their numbers: four people and one dog. When his gaze passed over Kurenai Yuhi, it paused slightly.

She was not on the mission list.

Was it because

she held no hostility toward him?

Ingetsu immediately felt reassured.

As for Nonō returning, that had also been within Ingetsu's expectations. The reason he had led the team back this time was to wait for Nonō. He had not expected to receive such a great gift delivered by Konoha.

Sarutobi Asuma and the others' intentions

were written all over their faces.

Fine. He would let this Konoha squad remain here forever.

As Ingetsu thought this, his blade-shaped Mangekyo silently released Yin Release Chakra, injecting it into the Hyuga Jonin who dared use his Byakugan to stare directly at him.

He had already put away Kotoamatsukami and replaced it with a complete pair of Yachihoko.

In an instant, the Hyuga Clan Jonin's eyes widened, and his entire body trembled. His mind and the Chakra within his body were completely under Ingetsu's control.

The Hyuga Clan possessed no ocular power capable of resisting Yachihoko.

The candle flames in the wooden house swayed violently.

Shadows flickered.

The air fell into deathly silence.

"Ingetsu!!!"

Kurenai Yuhi's pupils shook. Her red lips parted slightly as she stared at the young man at the doorway in disbelief. Seeing his indifferent face, she stood there dazed.