"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!"
Rich black smoke billowed from Asuma's mouth, engulfing the large palanquin in the distance and the bearers carrying it. Asuma lightly clicked his tongue, and a brilliant blaze instantly flared within the shroud of smoke. A thunderous explosion shattered the stillness of the night.
"Boom!!!!!"
Ash Pile Burning was like a powder bomb. The smoke was just a distraction; the true killing blow was the violent explosion that followed once the smoke reached a certain density.
"You two! What the hell did you do?!"
Not far from the blast site, Heijian, who had been caught in Chiriku's attack, let out a furious, panicked roar. Powerful wind blades erupted from him in every direction. Chiriku, who had been about to continue his assault, had no choice but to retreat and fend off the enemy's wind blades. But they came so thick and fast that even though Chiriku did everything he could to protect himself, the blades still caught him off guard and cut into his shoulder and thigh.
"He can release such powerful Wind Release Ninjutsu without even forming Hand Seals?"
"What on earth happened to Heijian?"
Chiriku sighed inwardly as Heijian forced him back, then charged at him again. But he had barely taken a few steps when a stone wall suddenly surged up from the ground, separating him from Heijian. On the other side, Asuma stared gravely at the inferno before him. The palanquin was burning fiercely, but there was no sign of the bearers anywhere around it.
What was more, Asuma heard no screams from within the flames. Everything pointed to one conclusion: the person inside the palanquin hadn't been hit by his ninjutsu at all.
Just then, a soft pop came from the roaring flames. The palanquin began to collapse. Beneath the