Asuma, Dead

Asuma, the Hyuga jonin, the Akimichi jonin, and Jiriku witnessed this scene. Their eyes widened, their expressions grave, unable to react in time.

Everything was too surreal.

That was a jonin of the Inuzuka Clan.

One slash!!

With a single slash, he had cleanly cut a jonin and his Ninja Hound in half. Until their deaths, neither man nor beast had even managed to release a jutsu.

This was Ingetsu's confidence in killing Danzo!

This was Ingetsu's confidence in defecting from Konoha!

The Hyuga and Akimichi jonin's hair stood on end. They had originally intended to attack alongside the Inuzuka jonin.

Seeing that the situation had gone wrong, the two were horrified and felt a chill down their spines. They immediately retreated to Asuma and Jiriku's side.

Drip—

Blood dripped from the blade. Ingetsu stood impassively amid the giant wolf's corpse, his white clothes stained red with blood. He gripped his sword in his right hand and stood solemnly before the four.

Having severed three wolves, the ninja blade could no longer bear the strain. Multiple chips had been knocked into its edge.

Ingetsu's previously dim Yachihoko Mangekyo Sharingan now glowed with a crimson radiance more vivid than blood, emanating something sinister and frigid. To look directly into it was like facing an abyss.

"Ha—"

Asuma took a deep breath and adjusted his state. Although he had yet to strike, the outcome of his attack would likely not have been much better than that of the three wolf corpses.

At this point, the victor had already been decided.

Asuma and Jiriku exchanged a glance and decided to fight to the death. Their feet smashed through the wooden floor as they surged forward with overwhelming momentum, charging at Ingetsu from the left and right.

The Hyuga and Akimichi jonin attacked head-on. Gentle Fist strikes as dense as rain and gigantic fists like cannonballs blasted out in succession.

The four became black shadows, flashing like arcs of lightning.

"This is the Mangekyo at its peak!"

Ingetsu remained where he was, utterly unmoved.

As soon as he finished speaking—

The blade-like patterns in his pupils rotated. Blood vessels spread across the whites of his eyes as Yin Release Chakra erupted forth. His scarlet gaze swept over the four, with only a single glance.

Yin Release Chakra surged like an ocean tide, raising monstrous waves that crushed the mental enhancement granted to the four by the Buddhist sutras and chants.

This Yachihoko Mangekyo Chakra entered the four's eyes, causing Yachihoko Mangekyo markings to emerge in their pupils.

Buzz—

The wind-nature Chakra blades in their hands, the fists wrapped in Buddhist light, the Gentle Fist strikes capable of sealing acupuncture points, and the enlarged iron fists all froze in midair.

Clearly... they only needed to advance another millimeter.

The Chakra blade could have pierced Ingetsu's heart.

The Buddhist light fist could have smashed into Ingetsu's temple.

The Gentle Fist could have severed the chakra points in Ingetsu's chest.

The iron fist could have shattered Ingetsu's kidneys.

But this time, Ingetsu had completely seized control of the four's minds and Chakra. He withdrew his gaze from them, turned around, and walked toward the door.

The four watched his back, despair rising in their hearts!

When Ingetsu took his first step—

Thump—thump—thump—

The Akimichi jonin's face twisted hideously. He still maintained his punching stance, but a thunderous rhythm like pounding drums rang in his ears.

His chest pounded uncontrollably. His own Chakra flowed like streams converging into a river, crazily pouring into his heart. It seemed as though his heart was about to leap from his chest!

Boom—

A massive amount of Chakra accumulated, creating immense pressure. Unable to endure it, his heart exploded inside his chest.

The Akimichi jonin's eyes bulged with fury. His face twisted as he fell to the ground and died.

The beating of their hearts had become a countdown to their deaths.

Ingetsu took another three steps.

Boom—

Boom—

Boom—

The Hyuga jonin, Jiriku, and Asuma's hearts exploded one after another in exactly the same manner, blooming with vivid crimson within their chests.

This was Yachihoko's most extreme control over another person's Chakra: drawing upon another's Chakra to take another's life.

Thump—

The three dropped to their knees. Until their deaths, they could not believe that they had failed to even touch the corner of Ingetsu's clothes before permanently losing consciousness, their thoughts ceasing as they sank into eternal sleep.

Asuma slowly closed his eyes.

Ingetsu did not look back at them.

→

Life and death were fated.

Since Asuma had chosen to pursue and kill him, he should have considered the consequences of losing when the two sides met.

Ingetsu could infer that this pursuit was not a mission assigned to this ninja squad by Konoha.

First, Sarutobi Hiruzen would not have sent his only remaining son on such a dangerous mission.

Second, Kurenai Yuhi had withdrawn from the mission, yet no one had blamed her, nor had anyone cared.

For ninja, missions came first. If it had been a mission specifically assigned by the village's higher-ups, refusing to carry it out would have been equivalent to betraying the village.

From this, it was clear.

This was an interception and pursuit operation, one voluntarily led by Asuma. Its purpose was to capture their Uchiha squad that had defected from Konoha.

This was an enormous achievement!

Its nature was the same as when Orochimaru had defected.

Deal with Orochimaru for Konoha!

Asuma did not have the courage to deal with Orochimaru, but relying on the entire Temple of Fire, he had dared to deal with Uchiha Ingetsu, who had been exhausted from fleeing and had yet to recover his strength.

If Konoha had still been hesitating over whether to issue a full-scale wanted order against their Uchiha squad—

Then after tonight—

Konoha, centered around Sarutobi Hiruzen, would launch the most frenzied, relentless retaliation against the Uchiha Rogue Squad!

Ingetsu walked out of the wooden house and looked up at the full moon hanging in the night sky. Clear moonlight fell across his face, illuminating its elegant contours and his unconcerned expression.

A text notification appeared in his mind.

[Side Quest]: Heavenly Punishment

[Options]:

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

Mission completed!

[Reward]: Weapon—Dark Moon.

Ingetsu raised his brows slightly. Focusing his mind, he was pleasantly surprised to discover a straight, slender black blade standing quietly within the Storage Space.

The black blade looked as though it had been formed by nature itself. Its hilt and body were black as ink, its edge sharp as though forged from the night.

"So this is Dark Moon..."

Ingetsu temporarily closed the Storage Space.

He suppressed the urge to summon Dark Moon.

He slowly raised his head and stared directly at a certain area of the distant mountain. The Yachihoko Mangekyo Sharingan seemed to disregard distance, piercing through the dark forest and landing upon the Masked Man.

Ingetsu concentrated and gave it a try.

The distance was too great.

With his current level of Pupil Power, he could not control from a thousand meters away someone who also possessed a Mangekyo.

The Masked Man's watchful hostility was precisely why Ingetsu had not dared to use his full strength when he possessed only thirty percent of his Mangekyo Yin Release Chakra.

In the distance.

On a tree branch.

The Masked Man felt an inexplicable pressure. The patterns in his pupils rotated, revealing the Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan. Beneath his mask, his twisted face revealed a cold smile.

"The Mangekyo's ability is to control others. As expected, you're a dangerous fellow.

If you don't have a second trump card—

Tonight—

I'll take the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan stored with you, along with your Mangekyo!"

As he spoke, the Masked Man raised his right foot and lightly tapped the branch, seemingly sending some kind of signal.

Outside the wooden house, the Buddhist sutras and chants remained loud, echoing across the night sky above the mountain stronghold.

Yager's family, Doctor Nak, and Kurenai Yuhi all fainted one after another, unable to endure the torment of the chants any longer.

Only the Uchiha present were still struggling to hold on.

Nonō lay on the ground, covering her ears with both hands and rolling about wildly. She was on the verge of fainting.

But at that moment—

Ingetsu's appearance outside the door caused every monk of the Temple of Fire to stop chanting the sutras. They all raised their heads to look toward the wooden house.

As the chanting ceased—

The Uchiha slowly recovered from the brink of mental collapse and saw the scene inside the wooden house.

It was a complete mess.

Corpses lay everywhere.

Ingetsu walked over to Nonō and looked at the pale-faced woman, handing her a Ration Pill.

"Keep saving people!"