Ōtsutsuki Tōka, reporting for duty!

Time always seems to fly when you're focused on something.

As night fell, lights were lit in every household in the village.

Tōka released the three children without saying goodbye, perhaps knowing they would be enemies the next time they met.

On the empty grassland, the cold night shrouded a slender figure.

Tōka stood alone on the high ground, gazing at Konoha, which looked like a constellation of stars. From this vantage point, it was exceptionally beautiful.

Waaaaah...

A gust of wind swept by, pressing down the grass, causing it to ripple and scattering the figure standing on the high place.

Rustling...

Outside Konoha, due north.

A dark shadow swept swiftly across the treetops, heading straight towards the bright, twinkling star on the horizon.

As Tōka leaped forward, stepping onto a tree branch to propel herself further, suddenly! A burning smell wafted over, and at the same time, a strange sizzling sound rang in her ears.

"Explosive Tag?"

Familiar runes, strangely conspicuous in the darkness.

A deafening roar shattered the silence of the night. Birds resting peacefully in the forest flapped their wings and flew upwards, while predators lurking in the shadows fled in terror.

The power of the dozens of Explosive Tag was unimaginable; powerful gusts of energy, enough to shatter rocks, rushed towards Tōka.

Unsurprisingly, Tōka's body was blown like a kite with a broken string by a gust of wind and landed in a Grass Pile some distance away.

Whoosh!

Four dark figures suddenly darted out from all around, seemingly having been waiting there for some time.

Amidst the blasting dust, Tōka's body was covered with a layer of grayish-white bones, the hard bones withstanding the powerful impact.

"You didn't come here just to wait for me, did you?" Tōka released the Jutsu Formula, and the bones on his body gradually receded, revealing a handsome face again.

"Asuma, Kakashi."

Although the two were dressed in Anbu uniforms and wore different animal masks, Kakashi's silver hair was too eye-catching, and Tōka recognized him almost immediately.

The smell of smoke on Asuma made it hard for Tōka to ignore.

Tōka shifted her gaze to the other people, whom she didn't recognize...

"Tōka, where are you going?" Kakashi, realizing he had been exposed, stopped pretending and took off his mask.

"Isn't it obvious?" Tōka raised an eyebrow at Kakashi, thinking, "Isn't asking such a question redundant?"

"The death of the Third Hokage was indeed related to you!" Kakashi's face darkened, and he stared sharply at Tōka.

It wasn't a question, but a statement, even the tone was so firm.

The surrounding Anbu instantly went on alert. This person in front of them was not easy to deal with; a slight mistake could cost them their lives!

Tōka's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Kakashi's face.

There's one thing Tōka isn't sure about...

"How did you find out I was leaving?" Moreover, you had been lying in ambush here all along; it was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Tōka does intend to leave, but it's uncertain whether it will happen today; this group of people...

Predicting the future? That's a bit scary.

Asuma, who had been silent all along, stepped forward and slowly took out a Crystal Ball the size of two hands.

Upon seeing this thing, Tōka immediately understood.

No wonder he always felt a faint sense of being watched when night fell; it turned out to be the Third Hokage's technique.

The Telescope Technique uses crystal as a medium to observe the scenery of the village.

Crystal Ball can be used to find someone anytime, anywhere, but only if you know the type of chakra they possess. Once you do that, the Crystal Ball can find that person no matter how far away they are.

"So what are you planning to do now?" Tōka asked, shrugging his shoulders.

In an instant, the surrounding air froze, and the atmosphere became heavy.

Kakashi secretly gave a hand gesture, and the Anbu members immediately dispersed, spreading out in pairs around the area.

Tōka stood Budong, letting the Anbu set up their formation without making a move.

After a while, all the Anbu dispersed.

"Asuma, watch out!" Kakashi raised his hand and lifted the Forehead Protector covering his Sharingan, revealing a scarlet pupil.

He deliberately reminded Asuma in the hope that Asuma would not lose his mind because of the Third Hokage.

Kakashi had long been unable to discern Tōka's strength, and even though he brought three squads of Anbu members tonight, Kakashi was not confident he could capture Tōka.

Asuma nodded slightly, tightening his grip on the Flying Swallow with his five fingers.

Buzz!

Wind Release chakra overflowed, enveloping Flying Swallow, and a sharp Wind Blade formed from the chakra was clearly audible.

"Go!" Kakashi drew the short sword from his back. This was the first time he had drawn the White Fang Blade since being promoted to Captain-Commander of the Anbu.

This isn't Sakumo Hatake's White Fang; it's one that Kakashi had custom-made for himself.

The two transformed into two black shadows and sped through the air. Tōka stood casually in the distance, her cold eyes reflecting the approaching figures of the two.

Buzz!

Tōka's movements were not visible, yet a mysterious power emanated from him.

The surrounding scenery suddenly paused, then began to shake visibly, and the vision became distorted and blurred, as if an invisible giant hand was kneading this world into a ball.

"Oh no, it's Genjutsu!" Kakashi's expression changed slightly, and the three dark Tomoe in his scarlet eye began to spin wildly.

Clearly, Kakashi wasn't the only one trapped in the illusion; Asuma, who was coordinating the attack, and all the nearby Anbu who were providing support were also caught in Tōka's Genjutsu.

Such terrifying power! Even with Kakashi's Sharingan activated, he couldn't clearly see Tōka's movements.

No sound was heard, and at this moment, no one could figure out what kind of Genjutsu Tōka had cast.

The swaying Forest returned to normal in the blink of an eye; Asuma wasn't naive enough to think that the Genjutsu: Release.

Because Tōka disappeared within the encirclement, vanishing without a trace, leaving no trace whatsoever.

"Kakashi, can you undo this?" Asuma asked solemnly, gripping the Flying Swallow and leaning against Kakashi.

Asuma was not proficient in Genjutsu.

Apart from Kakashi, who possesses the Sharingan, the others in the team seem unable to directly confront, no, unable to deal with Tōka's Genjutsu.

Kakashi's chakra surged wildly towards his Sharingan. Since he didn't possess the Uchiha Clan bloodline, using the Sharingan would consume even more chakra.

However, in the current situation, there's no time to conserve chakra.

Just as Kakashi was fully activating his Sharingan, a ghostly black shadow silently approached, gradually solidifying above the two of them.

Tōka's figure seemed to have lost Gravity, floating lightly in the air without making a sound.

Clang!

Tōka flipped his hand, and two exquisite and sharp Shuriken appeared in his palm. Without any restraint, he threw the Shuriken out.

The Shuriken spun rapidly, making a whistling sound.

Whoosh!

Two Shuriken were aimed at the tops of the two men's heads, shooting straight towards them without any fancy movements, with only one purpose: to take their lives!

The sound of the strong wind cutting through the air was clearly audible, almost right next to my ear.

Asuma and Kakashi, however, seemed not to hear them, standing there in a daze. Kakashi was still trying his best to activate his Sharingan to see through the illusion.

"Kaka..." Asuma opened his mouth to speak, but with a thud, his voice stopped abruptly.

Two cracking sounds rang out almost simultaneously as two sharp Shuriken pierced straight into the skulls of the two men.

Only a small part was exposed, and a glint of cold light One Flash and disappeared from its sharp point.

The expected blood splattering did not occur. Instead, two loud bangs erupted, producing huge plumes of White Smoke. The two Shuriken had only struck two pieces of Log.

Substitution Technique?

One of the basic Ninjutsu involves instantly switching identities with a plant or animal to evade attacks.

Despite missing All-Killing Ash Bones target, Tōka remained calm, indicating that his first move was merely a test.

"How did you find me?" Tōka's figure slowly floated to a higher place, as being surrounded by people would distract her.

Despite having victory in hand, Tōka will absolutely not be careless.

A figure slowly emerged from behind the thick tree trunk; it was none other than Kakashi, who had previously escaped using the Substitution Technique.

Tōka's lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of disdain. Even without activating the Eternal Tenseigan, his vision could still cover a radius of a thousand meters.

Hide it?

There's nothing that can be hidden in his eyes!

"From the very beginning," Kakashi, looking at Tōka expressionlessly, "Your abilities are on record in the village archives."

"Besides the one-hit kill, the All-Killing Ash Bones, you must also be careful with your Genjutsu."

"Oh? Is that so?" No wonder something felt off; it turns out the crowd that appeared in our sight at the beginning were all Shadow Clone.

Tōka belatedly realized what was happening, and it wasn't until he activated his Genjutsu that the other party switched the Original Body and the Shadow Clone.

In other words, Kakashi and Asuma were merely Genjutsu who were under Shadow Clone, while their Original Body pretended to be under Genjutsu to lure Tōka into attacking.

But just to draw him out, he wasted so much chakra?

Shadow Clone are created by splitting the Original Body's chakra in half.

Tōka didn't believe it; since the other side dared to ambush him here, they must have a backup plan!

"Lightning Release: Sixteen Pillars Binding Technique!"

With a thunderous roar, four stone pillars crackling with lightning burst forth from the ground, trapping Tōka within them.

Immediately afterwards, several more stone pillars emerged, forming a square stone prison that completely blocked all of Tōka's escape routes.

Earth Release: Clay Drop from Heaven!

Another member of the Anbu, wearing an animal mask, completed the Hand Seals.

An Alternate Dimension cave appeared directly above Tōka's Original Body, and then a large amount of clay descended and adhered to his body.

Fire Release: Plain Burning Technique!

The last raging fire rose from the ground, burning Tōka, who was trapped in the lightning-stirred stone prison, into mud.

Is it over? As the three Jutsu Formula landed on Tōka, a thought flashed through everyone's minds at the same time.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment, and everyone held their breath as they stared intently at the four stone cells.

The flames were still raging and had not yet died down, their light illuminating the surroundings in Kakkō red glow. Tōka's figure seemed to have been completely engulfed by the flames.

"No, it's not over yet. That guy can't be taken down so easily."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly. Because he hadn't found Tōka's charred body, he was certain that Tōka was still alive.

Where?

Looking up, only the cold moonlight shone down.

Below? Kakashi leaped onto a giant tree trunk, activated his Chakra Sensing Technique, and below... he didn't seem to sense anything unusual.

Could it be...?

Did Tōka really perish in the fire?

Kakashi uncertainly withdrew his gaze and looked back at the square stone cell.

Sudden!

"Tsk tsk... Are they treating me like a Tailed Beast?" Tōka's clear laughter suddenly rang out, and the expressions of everyone casting spells outside all changed.

While everyone was shocked by Tōka's strength, a deep sense of bewilderment also arose in their hearts.

Why was Tōka able to remain unharmed despite being attacked by such a combination of Ninjutsu?

"The sound is coming from inside!"

Someone shouted something, and everyone snapped out of their shock, their sharp, eagle-like eyes fixed on the stone cell.

"This level of skill is useless against me!"

With a whoosh!

The Tree Shadow swayed, and the reflections on the ground seemed like menacing ghosts, baring their fangs and claws as they pounced.

A strange, eerie wind swept by, and Tōka lightly touched the treetops with his toes, his figure appearing mysteriously behind the Anbu who had just used Lightning Release!

Kakashi, who was maintaining his Sensory Technique, immediately noticed Tōka's presence.

He instinctively turned around and was startled. "Watch out! It's behind you!"

Unfortunately, before Kakashi could finish speaking, with a soft "plop," a sharp Bone Spur pierced into the body of Lightning Release Anbu.

They will scatter beyond time and space, decaying along with the bones!

The grayish-white Withered Bones pierced through the vest of the Lightning Release Anbu and protruded from his chest.

The stench of decay was terrifying and filled with despair!

Splash...

In an instant, the bodies of the Lightning Release Anbu turned into scraps of Waste Paper and fell to the ground. Tōka slowly moved his hand, his cold gaze sweeping across the surroundings.

The chilling killing intent in his dark eyes told everyone that tonight was neither a dream nor a harmless joke.

It is not a real existence, but a true Dongge; the Tōka before our eyes is the real Tōka.

A chilling atmosphere permeated the air, the oppressive atmosphere seemed frozen, and everyone's heart felt as if a huge boulder was pressing down on it.

A shadow fell over Kakashi's face. The death of Lightning Release Anbu was not just the death of an Anbu, but confirmed that Tōka had become Rogue Ninja.

"Kakashi, now you should believe me, right?" Asuma scoffed, gripped the Flying Swallow tightly, and flashed to Kakashi's side.

Kakashi was speechless at Asuma's words.

He had doubts about Tōka, but he hoped his doubts were wrong.

"Perhaps, I never truly saw the real you from the very beginning." Everything before him shattered all of Kakashi's resolve, and he silently thought to himself.

The night wind howled, scraping like knives across everyone's faces, severing the bond between Kakashi and Tōka!

The somber atmosphere made everyone pay close attention.

Tōka's Genjutsu are bizarre, silent and subtle. Tōka blood is incredibly potent; a single wound from it is fatal!

Three squads of elite Anbu Ninja surrounded a Chunin, and after the death of a master of Lightning Release, none of them dared to make a move.

If they want to defeat Tōka, they must figure out one thing...

At this moment, are they in the real world, or in Tōka's illusion?

If this were the real world, why did the attack have no effect on Tōka? Were their eyes deceiving them, or is Tōka's ability far beyond what they've seen?

Kakashi and Asuma exchanged a glance, seemingly having already devised a plan.

Tōka's field of vision covered an area within a kilometer radius, so he could clearly see the subtle movements of the two people right in front of him.

"It's getting late, let's wrap this up soon!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and they secretly Hand Seals, becoming extremely cautious and on guard.

Tōka scoffed. Did he really think he could defend against such a technique?

Poof! Like a cluster of Kakkō igniting in his dark eyes, Ice Blue halo covered his entire eyes, with nine Tomoe silently floating within them.

A red light flashed, and the world changed color.

I can take you down in a second!

Red Realm - Heavenly Handprint!

A gigantic, colorless, and invisible hand descended from the sky, its overwhelming force as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.

Bang bang bang!

Under terrifying pressure, the earth could not bear the strain, the ground cracked, and the dark fissures expanded infinitely, turning into several bottomless black abysses in the blink of an eye.

In the chasm, loose rocks broke off and fell down the sheer cliff.

In an instant, the earth crumbled and split apart, as if the end of the world was just around the corner.

Boom!

With a deafening roar, the ground within the vast area covered by the Heavenly Handprint suddenly sank, the heavens and earth trembled, and the entire world seemed to sink dozens of feet!

A quarter of an hour passed...

The dense Forest has long since vanished, leaving only a barren wasteland, with sand and gravel flying everywhere, making the ground seem as if it had been turned upside down.

Everywhere you look, there are broken branches and withered leaves; all you see is a towering Big Tree that has been uprooted.

Whether by luck or skill, only five of the three elite squads of Anbu survived.

This power...

Words failed them; only a profound silence remained, the deathly stillness adding to the desolation of the deep night.

"Cough cough cough..."

Asuma struggled to push aside a thick tree trunk and crawled out of the rubble, his pupils constricted as he stared at his surroundings.

Why? Why did you do that?

"I thought we were partners who could trust each other..." Asuma was not good with words, so it was rare for him to say so much at once.

His voice trembled slightly; if someone told him it was all a lie, he would gladly accept it.

The cool moonlight shone down, and only a slender figure stood on the treetop, the Tree Shadow behind him swaying and rustling.

His cool eyes held no extra emotion; his gaze simply fell indifferently on the disheveled Asuma.

Just as Asuma couldn't see the expression on Tōka's face, Asuma's figure also became blurry in Tōka's vision.

The two sides are clearly in the same place, but the distance between them is getting farther and farther.

So close, yet so far.

If I had to give a reason...

Tōka paused, and the night wind seemed to pick up, blowing the shards of hair on his forehead and blurring his deep black eyes.

Finally, the cold voice rang out again.

He only uttered five words...

"Ōtsutsuki Tōka!" Bearing the surname Otsutsuki, we can never become companions who can trust each other.