Dark Release and the Giant Summoning Scroll

"Summoning so many beasts all at once? Is it because of that scroll? Interesting!"

Glancing toward the giant scroll in the opponent's hand, Lin Cheng weighed his options.

"Little Kimimaro!"

"Understood! Brother!"

With just a single look, Kimimaro instantly grasped Lin Cheng's intent.

"Ice Release! Unknown Ice Mirror!"

After a rapid sequence of hand seals, Lin Cheng pressed his right palm against the ground.

A staggering expanse of frozen earth erupted from the center of his palm, spreading outward in an instant!

The summoned beasts diving toward the brothers, regardless of their size, all lost their footing and tumbled as soon as their limbs touched the icy surface.

Lin Cheng and Kimimaro dodged the sliding beasts, and Lin Cheng formed seals once more.

"Ice Release! Shadow! One-Horned White Whale!"

A whale's cry pierced the air as a massive, single-horned white whale leaped forth as if emerging from a mirror, charging straight ahead!

"This kind of ninjutsu?!"

Seeing this, cold sweat broke out on the face of the summoning ninja.

"Hey! Chukichi! Are you sure you can handle this?"

As cold sweat dripped to the ground, the ninja asked anxiously.

His knees bent, poised to flee at any moment!

"Rest assured! Trust me! It's no problem!"

Despite his words, cold sweat streamed down the face of the Dark Release ninja, Chukichi, as well!

Gritting his teeth, he thrust his hands out to meet the diving One-Horned White Whale, bracing himself against the impact!

"Dark Release! Absorption Hole!!"

Enduring the dual pressure of the One-Horned White Whale's sheer mass and its staggering chakra content.

With his eyes bulging from the strain, Chukichi ultimately held his ground.

He began to forcibly absorb the One-Horned White Whale ninjutsu, bit by bit.

"Heh! Laughing Asura Lin Cheng, you're nothing special!"

Feeling that he was gradually succeeding, Chukichi managed a strained smile and forced out a taunt.

Yet, surprise is often followed by shock!

Just as Chukichi finished his taunt and prepared to absorb the final remnants of the One-Horned White Whale, a voice that made his expression shift violently rang in his ear.

"Is that so? Though, I feel like you're celebrating a bit too early."

A flicker of mockery in his eyes, Lin Cheng—who had used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Chukichi—chose to strike with lethal intent!

"What?! Oh no! Ahhh!!"

"Bastard! After all that bragging, he was taken out by the enemy so easily? Looks like it's time for me to run!"

Seeing this, the other summoning ninja immediately prepared to flee!

"Hmph! You aren't escaping! Die!"

Having long since understood Lin Cheng's intent, Kimimaro appeared behind the other man at the exact moment Lin Cheng appeared behind Chukichi.

"What?! Urgh~ Pfft!"

"Hm?"

The look of triumph on Kimimaro's face instantly shifted to one of astonishment.

The opponent he thought he had finished off had transformed into a Three-Headed Dog summoning beast.

The Three-Headed Dog, having taken the blow from Kimimaro's bone spike in place of the ninja, flew into a rage!

"Woof!"

With a roar, the Three-Headed Dog split into three before Kimimaro's incredulous eyes and lunged at him.

"Hmph! Want to kill me? You'd better be prepared to be killed in return! Heh heh!"

In the distance, the summoning ninja who had tricked Kimimaro with the Three-Headed Dog sneered triumphantly.

"Is that so? How about you try tricking me again?"

A low voice sounded right beside his ear, and the hair on the summoning ninja's body stood on end!

Before the terrified man could attempt to flee again, Lin Cheng pierced his throat with an ice kunai.

Thud!

The corpse fell to the base of the tree, and with the summoning ninja—their contractor—gone, the beasts still entangled with Lin Cheng's clones dissolved and vanished.

Reaching out to catch the giant scroll as it fell, Lin Cheng proceeded to unfurl it.