Temple of Fire, Demise

"The abbot... is dead..."

The monks stirred uneasily. In an instant, they foresaw their own fate. (--) (--)

They continued chanting sutras.

Yet one by one, they discovered in horror—

Their bodies were no longer under the control of their minds. They could not even move their eyes, let alone open their mouths.

The night was pitch-black, while the full moon shone brightly, draping this hunters' mountain stronghold in silver.

In the clearing, the torch flames blazed high.

The Uchihas gradually recovered their senses. Still somewhat dazed, they looked at the wooden house, then at Ingetsu before them.

Everyone was both shocked and delighted!

Tamao's pupils were unfocused as he spoke weakly.

"Big Brother, can you let that family of three leave this place alive? That man treated us sincerely.

"He shared his best food with us.

"He's suffered enough.

"That baby was a little noisy, but it was actually quite cute."

Tamao already had extensive wounds caused by Wind Release Chakra.

After enduring the torment of the Buddhist chants, the first thing he did upon waking was ramble on, pleading with Ingetsu on behalf of others.

"Fine."

"Then... Big Brother, when you kill those bald donkeys, can you slash them a few more times and count it as my share? I'm not afraid of going to hell for killing monks—count yours as my share too!"

"..." Ingetsu glanced sideways at Tamao and said flatly, "Focus on receiving treatment."

"Okay." Tamao shut up.

"..."

Nonō had yet to fully come to her senses. Subconsciously, she found the brothers' conversation rather amusing.

After swallowing a Ration Pill, she crouched beside Tamao, spread open her palm, and cast a medical ninjutsu.

Ingetsu asked, "How long will it take?"

"About eighteen minutes!"

As Nonō estimated the time, her expression remained dazed. She turned to look at the wooden house and, upon seeing the corpses strewn across the ground, her eyes widened. She was shocked, but also felt much more at ease.

Those were four of Konoha's top Jonin.

Along with the renowned abbot of a ninja temple in the Land of Fire.

All of them... were dead!

Behind her round-framed glasses, Nonō's beautiful eyes stared unblinkingly at the wooden house.

This proved that she had made the right gamble. She had fortunately agreed to help the Uchiha rescue people; otherwise, she would likely have been among those corpses.

The Uchihas watched Ingetsu, his white clothes stained with blood, and all let out sighs of relief.

When they looked toward the wooden house, they wore expressions similar to Nonō's, though they quickly recovered.

After all, Captain Ingetsu was an Uchiha who had even dared to assassinate Danzo—and had succeeded!

What did killing a few Konoha Jonin amount to?

"Those two Guys with waistcloths embroidered with the Land of Fire's crest should have been members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja who once guarded the daimyo, right?"

"Yeah. That monk was the abbot of the Temple of Fire. As for that bearded Jonin who Led the Team pursuing us, he was the son of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen."

"..."

The two Uchihas Supported each other to their feet and began chatting idly. The moment they mentioned the Konoha Jonin's identities, they immediately wilted.

Izumi, Mikoto, and Nanfeng also came back to their senses, looking at Ingetsu's back with complicated expressions.

This man... had even killed the Hokage's son!

The entire Temple of Fire had mobilized.

The Uchihas had all thought they were doomed, yet Captain Ingetsu had saved them again.

Izumi's beautiful black eyes, already filled with admiration for Ingetsu, now held even more reverence.

Mikoto's eyes rippled softly, and the tangled thoughts brewing within them vanished in an instant.

The Uchiha's casual conversation reached Nonō's ears, making both hands she used to cast medical ninjutsu tremble.

"The Third Hokage's son?"

Nonō looked toward the wooden house again.

Her gaze fell on Asuma.

To her horror, she realized that guy really did bear some resemblance to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"The Hokage's son is dead." Nonō's pupils trembled violently. Turbulent waves crashed through her mind, and her body suddenly stiffened.

What did this mean?

Nonō knew all too well.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, would undoubtedly fly into a rage and thoroughly investigate the truth.

If anyone found out

that she, Nonō, had also been involved tonight, she probably would never be able to return to Konoha.

Not everyone knew that Asuma was the Third Hokage's biological son.

Even as Nonō struggled inwardly, the medical ninjutsu in her hands did not stop.

She anxiously looked toward Ingetsu, only to find that the young man seemed utterly unfazed as he walked straight toward the monks.

Having recovered mentally, the Uchiha gathered in an orderly fashion around Tamao.

Ahead lay an open clearing.

Beyond it was a rugged mountain path.

Ingetsu ignored the seated monks and was about to act when he suddenly sensed their minds breaking free from Yachihoko's control.

Under the bright moonlight, one monk's face suddenly twisted uncontrollably. Then, his neck burst apart, and a pale, bloodstained head crawled out from beneath his skin at an extremely bizarre angle.

Its hair was algae-green, its features utterly ordinary, and its pupils were the dull, ashen white of a corpse.

→

It stared fixedly at the approaching Ingetsu, an eerie smile curled on its lips.

Bang—Bang—Bang—

The same thing happened one after another to the Temple of Fire monks. The crisp sounds were like watermelons bursting open.

Red and white matter splattered onto the ground.

A foul stench filled the air.

"Urghhh—"

Their minds controlled by Yachihoko, the monks endured the awakening of some parasite within their bodies, hoarse cries of agony tearing from their throats.

"What kind of monster is this?!!"

"How can something like this exist in the ninja world?!"

At the sight, the Uchiha's scalps went numb and their bodies trembled. They gripped their ninja swords tightly, breathing in the stench as goosebumps rose over their skin.

Nonō also stood there blankly. It was her first time seeing such a horrifying, spine-chilling sight in the ninja world.

"White Zetsu—"

Ingetsu narrowed his eyes.

In his perception, these White Zetsu were awakening inside the monks' bodies and frantically absorbing their Chakra.

When this group of monks had climbed the mountain, Obito, who had been lying in wait nearby, had planted Zetsu's Spore Technique within them, turning them into nourishment for hatching White Zetsu.

"Spare yourselves some suffering. Go be reincarnated!"

Ingetsu's Yachihoko Mangekyo spun.

He forcibly controlled the Chakra inside the monks that had not yet been completely absorbed by the White Zetsu.

Bang—

Dull explosions sounded from the chests of the doomed Temple of Fire monks. They passed away on the spot, yet escaped the White Zetsu's inhuman torment.

Thus, the Temple of Fire

was destroyed!

However, some monks completed the hatching before reincarnation. Depending on how abundant their Chakra had been in life, they hatched one, or two or three White Zetsu.

"Delicious Chakra!"

"It's the Uchiha!"

"Kill them all and taste that enticing Chakra!!"

After landing, the White Zetsu roared madly one after another, their faces filled with greed and hunger. Their naked, sexless bodies sprinted toward Ingetsu!

They feared no death.

In the distance, a tree branch.

Obito, wearing a mask, watched it all coldly. Beneath the mask, the corners of his twisted mouth curled upward.

He wanted to know how many rounds of White Zetsu's siege Uchiha Ingetsu could endure.

No matter how powerful Ingetsu's Mangekyo was, there would come a time when his Yin Release Chakra ran dry.

When that happened, it would be the perfect time for him to make his move.

In the open space before the wooden house.

"Protect Captain Ingetsu!!!"

Uchiha Nanpu roared, drawing his ninja blade and activating his Three Tomoe Sharingan. Along with the other Uchiha at his side, he fearlessly charged at the hundred White Zetsu.

There were only eleven Uchiha in total.

This batch of White Zetsu outnumbered even the monks of the Temple of Fire, and they had absorbed a tremendous amount of the monks' Chakra.

They were the fusion of monsters and monks!

The charging Uchiha were swallowed by the overwhelming mass of White Zetsu the moment they clashed, falling into the disadvantage of being outnumbered.

Beside Nonō and Tamao, Izumi also drew her ninja blade.

Then suddenly, she felt a soft touch on the back of her hand. Looking down, she saw that Mikoto beside her had taken hold of her hand.

Mikoto's expression was blank as the Three Tomoe Sharingan emerged in her eyes. She took the ninja blade from Izumi's hand and instructed, "Someone needs to stay here and guard them. Leave the charge to me!"

Before Izumi could stop her, Mikoto clenched her teeth, shedding the air of an aristocratic housewife. Her body became a black blur as she swept past Ingetsu, her face cold and beautiful. After a few leaps, she charged into the front lines.

A flash of steel swept out, severing a White Zetsu's head!

Before becoming a full-time housewife, Mikoto had also been a powerful Uchiha with Three Tomoe Sharingan.

From her emotionless face, Ingetsu saw her resolve to die.

He turned back to the still-shaken Nonō and said calmly, "You only need to continue treating him."

Nonō nodded lightly and focused even more intently on healing Tamao. From those white monsters, she could sense the threat of death.

If she wanted to survive tonight, she had to rely on these Uchiha. Therefore, Nonō was willing to trust this powerful young Uchiha man, who gave her an immense sense of security, once again.

Ingetsu's Mangekyo shifted from side to side, catching the White Zetsu rushing at him from every direction.

Their entire bodies seemed to erupt with endless strength as they ran wildly across the clearing, ferocious beyond compare, pouncing barehanded at the prey they had locked onto.

Ingetsu stood proudly in place, planting his damaged ninja blade into the ground. His right hand reached into empty air and grabbed.

Space rippled like water.

A pitch-black long blade appeared out of thin air in his hand.

The black blade merged with the night—cold, silent. Its appearance made the long night pale in comparison.

Beneath the bright moonlight, Dark Moon was deep and lightless.

PS: Tuesday will be the moment that determines this book's performance. I hope all the readers who like this book can keep reading through to the latest chapter on Tuesday!