Reliance

Outside the wooden house.

In the distance.

In the woods.

The Masked Man stood on a tree branch with his arms folded, his gaze fixed through the holes in his mask on the activity around the wooden house. He sighed.

"Konoha's ninja finally look somewhat decent. Otherwise, they wouldn't even be qualified to serve as cannon fodder.

"Then I'll have you test him for me.

"What other trump cards does Uchiha Ingetsu have left, with only twenty or thirty percent of his Mangekyo Chakra remaining?

"Still, this chanting is truly unpleasant to listen to!"

Several torches had been planted in the open space before the wooden house.

Amid the night.

The firelight was dim.

Nonō crouched halfway to the ground, releasing Medical Ninja Chakra to treat Tamao's wounds all over his body.

Compared to Doctor Nak, Nonō had to endure the mental interference of the Buddhist chanting while treating him, yet she did not need to remove the bandages covering his wounds.

Beside the three of them stood only Izumi and Mikoto.

The other Uchiha were not here.

When Ingetsu had suddenly decided to lead the team back, no one had known why.

But now, they understood.

Ingetsu had wanted to return and lie in wait for this female Medical Ninja. Unfortunately, they had run into Konoha's pursuit squad the moment they returned.

Faced with such an encounter, the Uchiha's fighting spirit surged. Without needing Ingetsu to make the decision, they had resolved to wipe out this Konoha squad that had come after them.

"Not many people in the ninja world can wield Wind Release of this caliber..."

Nonō's beautiful eyes remained fixed on Tamao's wounds, astonished by the power of the Wind Release that had caused them.

She was also shocked that Tamao had endured the Wind Release's continuous damage without making a sound.

"How long will it take to heal him?"

Uchiha Nanpu asked impatiently.

Izumi and Mikoto stared at the monks atop the roof, then at Ingetsu, who stood alone inside the wooden house.

For some reason, as they listened to the imposing Buddhist chant, it felt as though something was tugging at their minds, stirring their thoughts into turmoil.

"For injuries like these, covering his entire body with Wind Release damage, even if I handle it myself, the fastest I can do it is half an hour. To heal him within ten minutes, you would need to call upon the legendary Lady Tsunade."

Sweat beaded on Nonō's forehead as she resisted the chanting and continuously released Medical Ninja Chakra.

Her original mission had been to intercept and kill someone here, so she had needed to conserve her strength beforehand.

But now, Nonō understood that this fleeing group belonged to the Uchiha, one of Konoha's great clans. Whether she saved him or not, refusing would bring her no good outcome.

Besides.

That young Uchiha leading them had made her a promise. It was worth trying to save him and resolve this matter peacefully.

As for the person she had been tasked with killing, she could always hire these Uchiha to kill them later. No matter how she looked at it, she would not lose out.

As for why Nonō had not sided with Konoha's pursuing ninja squad, she had felt instinctive resistance and rejection toward them from the moment they first met.

Not far away, Kurenai Yuhi watched the scene inside and outside the wooden house, her heart pounding as she clenched her fists.

If Ingetsu was defeated, she would act without hesitation and do everything she could to help him escape.

What she would face after that, Kurenai Yuhi had yet to consider. She did not dare think too deeply about it, afraid her resolve might waver.

Inside the wooden house.

"Roar—"

A gigantic wolf resembling Cerberus roared furiously. Its claws slammed into the ground, shattering the floorboards into fragments.

Power exploded from its muscular limbs as its three gaping, blood-filled maws opened at once. It lunged first, launching a biting ambush at Ingetsu.

Ingetsu's Mangekyo caught the three-headed wolf's attack trajectory in advance. He sprang aside, reached Yager's side, grabbed him, and retreated backward.

He evaded the strike.

Ingetsu threw the still-dazed Yager out through a side window, then faced Asuma and the other three alone.

At the same time.

Around the wooden house.

Six black shadows shot into the air, Three Tomoe scarlet light gleaming in their eyes. Twisting through the air, they slashed their tightly gripped ninja blades down at the monks chanting Buddhist sutras atop the roof.

They were the Uchiha who had been lying in wait nearby.

Amid flashes of cold steel.

The monks' chanting did not stop.

Jiriku, the stern-faced, thick-browed abbot of the Temple of Fire, rose from among the monks. His right hand lifted high and his left pressed downward as he chanted in a low voice:

"Raigō: Senju Satsu!"

In an instant, the Chakra within Jiriku surged. It transformed into Buddha light that filled the sky, shrouding the surrounding monks and condensing into the Dharma manifestation of a compassionate bodhisattva, palms pressed together, saving all living beings.

For a time, this stretch of heaven and earth was illuminated by radiant golden clouds, making everything seem exceptionally sacred.

The next moment.

Before the Uchihas' blades could strike the monks, countless arms suddenly sprouted from the side of the bodhisattva manifestation. Their fists clenched and smashed toward the Uchihas.

Within the Uchihas' Three Tomoe eyes, those Buddha-light fists were densely packed. Even the Sharingan could not provide a proper route to evade them.

Bang bang bang—

The Buddha fists rained down like a furious storm. Amid dull explosions, all six were struck by a hundred punches apiece in an instant and smashed to the ground like kites with severed strings.

"Pfft—"

One Uchiha landed, bracing himself with one hand gripping his blade thrust into the ground while clutching his chest with the other. He vomited blood, endured the pain, and looked toward his companions.

The others were badly injured as well.

All six bore numerous fist marks. The places they had been struck were slightly sunken, their skin split open, and blood stained their clothing red.

Jiriku descended from the rooftop.

"Amitabha—benefactors, lay down your butcher's blades. After you pass, we can perform rites to deliver your souls."

Standing before the Uchihas, he recited the Buddhist invocation. His imposing face carried natural authority, and he had no intention of letting these remnants of rogue ninjas go.

The Sanskrit chanting ceased.

The night sky returned to silence.

The remaining monks descended from the rooftops one after another and stood behind Jiriku, heads lowered and palms pressed together.

Other than Jiriku, none of the monks dared meet the Uchihas' eyes. Every one of them watched the ground cautiously as they closed in on the Uchihas.

The six Uchihas faced a formidable enemy. They had badly misjudged the strength of this Konoha squad's reinforcements.

As the Buddhist chanting stopped.

Everyone's minds gradually returned to normal. Before Nonō, Izumi, Nanfeng, Mikoto, and Kurenai Yuhi could breathe a sigh of relief.

The thunderous Buddhist chanting once again rang out around the stronghold, booming like great bells through heaven and earth, as though it intended to cleanse all sin between them.

Everyone looked around.

From the dark depths of the forest.

Countless monks emerged one after another with their heads lowered, chanting sutras. Their heads bore precept scars, and they all wore the black-and-white monk robes of the Temple of Fire.

There were as many as one hundred and seventy of them.

The chanting came from their mouths, surging endlessly like a great river.

The monks' voices contained Chakra capable of disrupting the human mind. As the sound multiplied, the chanting became demonic noise to outsiders, piercing their eardrums.

"This... the entire Temple of Fire has mobilized!" Izumi shouted, eyes wide as she surveyed the monks surrounding them. She covered her ears with both hands.

Mikoto's face turned pale. Her head felt as though it were splitting apart, and as she listened to the shrill, ear-piercing chant, the urge to bury her head in the dirt surged wildly within her.

Beneath the deafening Buddhist chant.

"Ah, can someone help me beat them to death?!"

Nonō finally could no longer focus enough to cast medical ninjutsu. Even someone as gentle and kind as her wanted to stuff the mouths of every monk around her full of dirt!

Kurenai Yuhi and the mother and son beside her suffered from the sound waves as well. Their heads spun, their feet felt unsteady, and they were in unbearable pain.

"You bald donkeys!!"

Tamao opened his mouth in agony, trying to use his own shout to resist the ghostly howls at his ears, but his voice vanished without a trace.

He swore that if he could move, he would make these Guys taste the ninja shoes on his feet, which he had not washed in months!

Despair rose within the Uchihas.

There were simply too many enemies. The Temple of Fire's monks were renowned throughout the ninja world; their individual strength was no weaker than that of ninjas, and their leader, Jiriku, was unquestionably a Jonin.

Now that the entire Temple of Fire had mobilized, they would likely be buried here tonight.

Inside the Wooden House.

The candlelight was grim.

Asuma's lips curled upward as he looked at Ingetsu with indifference.

This was the greatest source of confidence that had made him dare attack this squad of Uchiha Rogue Ninjas.

The expressions of all four remained unchanged, completely ignoring the Buddhist chant.

When they arrived, they joined up with the reinforcements.

Jiriku then implanted Sealing Jutsu formulas into them that granted immunity to the Sanskrit chants.

Tap—

Jiriku stepped over the threshold and entered the Wooden House, staring impassively at the handsome young Uchiha man before him.

"Amitabha!"

It was now one against five!

Ingetsu's face turned deathly pale. The Sanskrit chants outside continuously disrupted his mind, leaving Yachihoko, with only thirty percent of its Yin Release Chakra remaining, unable to focus on releasing its power.

If he had possessed ten full layers of Yin Release Chakra, the battle would likely have ended long ago.

Reining in his thoughts, Ingetsu's lips curled slightly as he used his willpower to resist the Buddhist chants tearing at his nerves.

Ingetsu turned over his right hand and took a Red Pill from his Storage Space. It was the size of a longan and glowed crimson like a fiery pearl. He put it in his mouth and swallowed it whole.

This was what he relied on now!

It was also what had allowed him to effortlessly wipe out the Uchiha Police Force back then!

There had been three in total. Now, only one remained.

Far away, within the forest.

The Masked Man likewise endured the piercing chants. His pupils widened as he clearly saw Ingetsu swallow the pill. Narrowing his eyes, he came to a conclusion.

"So that's your final trump card?"

Inside the Wooden House.

Ingetsu's skin burned like fire as orange-red Cursed Seal patterns emerged across it. The markings covered his handsome face, making him look exceedingly bizarre.

The life force within his body rapidly drained away, transforming into pure Chakra energy.

The cells in his body began to frantically divide and metabolize.

His spiritual power rose steadily.

Mangekyo Yin Release Chakra gradually filled him, until his condition allowed him to completely ignore the Buddhist chants by his ears. His gaze regained its tranquil depth as he looked down upon the five people before him.

The person who had delivered the pills had warned him.

These pills had been developed by that lord after painstaking effort, perfectly integrating the power of the Cursed Seal.

Through the Cursed Seal, they could convert energy and increase the user's Chakra potency, Chakra recovery speed, mental strength, and physical power tenfold!

This state lasted for ten minutes, and there was only one price: overdrawing one's lifespan.

There were three pills in total.

Each one consumed would cost a third of the user's lifespan.

Once all three pills had been taken, the user would have no more than ten years left to live.

Ingetsu did not think it mattered.

As long as he escaped Konoha alive, there were plenty of ways in the ninja world to extend one's life.

Sensing that something was wrong.

Roar—

The three-headed wolf formed from the Inuzuka Clan Jonin and Yukimaru fused together once again launched the first attack.

Chakra surged.

It leaped into the air.

At the same time, its three gaping maws, filled with fangs, tore toward Ingetsu.

Ingetsu did not dodge. The Cursed Seal patterns on the surface of his skin vanished, merging with his body as one.

Gripping the sword hilt with one hand, he sheathed the blade. Its gleam faded as he closed his eyes, stepped forward, and lowered his body.

Suddenly—

Draw! Focused to a single point, reaching the pinnacle!!

A brilliant blade of light, pure as moonlight, poured down like a galactic river spilling from the heavens. It passed through the center of the three-headed wolf's massive body, and its three snarling jaws abruptly froze.

The other side... had only swung once!!

The left and right wolf heads watched with their own eyes as their body split cleanly down the middle, the severed surfaces smooth and even. Before their thoughts sank into eternal darkness, their emotions remained forever fixed on terror.

Bang—

A mist of blood exploded.

PS: That's 5,000 words for today. There may be quite a few typos with each update, but I'll review and revise them afterward.

Preview: Tomorrow will be a slaughter. Dear readers, please help click through to the latest chapter on Tuesday. My utmost thanks!