Desperate Situation

Yuhi Kurenai glanced apologetically at Ueno Kei.

Just as they had rehearsed, the two of them had secretly agreed beforehand that Ueno Kei would act as bait to draw "Yakumo's" attention, while Yuhi Kurenai delivered the final blow.

Yuhi Kurenai knew that the method she had prepared could only be used once. It had to work the first time, because if "Yakumo" saw through it, she would never get another chance to use it.

Besides, "Yakumo" was now using her beloved student's body as a vessel. There was no way it could fully merge with it in such a short time.

This was undoubtedly its moment of weakness. If they didn't act now, then once it recovered, Yuhi Kurenai would be no match for it.

So Yuhi Kurenai had decided to use Ueno Kei as bait to draw "Yakumo's" attention. The instant "Yakumo" looked away from her, she would swiftly form Hand Seals and use genjutsu and the Clone Technique.

She had successfully concealed herself in the darkness.

Yuhi Kurenai also knew full well that this was "Yakumo's" domain, its territory. Her genjutsu and Clone Technique could only fool it for a moment; it would undoubtedly see through them soon.

This was her only chance to act.

The moment "Yakumo" decided to take Ueno Kei's life, she would suddenly appear and launch a surprise attack.

That was how she had managed to immobilize it with a single blow.

"W-why... How... could this... be...?"

A cold glint flashed in Yuhi Kurenai's red eyes. She said icily, "There's no point struggling anymore. Since you know we've been aware of your existence for a long time, you should know we prepared a way to deal with you. The Kunai I brought with me are all coated with a special drug. It can even have some effect on a Tailed Beast, so it's more than enough to deal with you."

"Besides, this Illusion Seal Chain was made specifically for you. Just stay put and don't resist. I've already avoided your vital points, but if you still try anything reckless, you know what will happen! Ido!"

Yuhi Kurenai spoke without a trace of emotion.

"Heh..." Yakumo—or rather, Ido—managed to force a smile.

"So that's it. Heh, cough... cough... But you still underestimated me! Ah!" Ido suddenly let out a roar.

An ominous, dark, ash-gray mist slowly enveloped its entire body.

Ido's aura suddenly turned incredibly strange.

Ueno Kei stared in disbelief as the girl's once flawless face slowly turned black. Her skin rapidly shriveled, like yellowed leaves, and began to peel away.

Slowly, a hideous, terrifying face emerged, and two oddly shaped horns began to grow from its head.

The girl's body gradually swelled, transforming into something like the black chimpanzee Ueno Kei had seen in his previous life. Its entire body was pitch-black.

When Ueno Kei looked at the girl's face again, he couldn't help frowning.

The girl had completely lost the unique beauty she'd once possessed.

One half of her face was a shriveled, ghastly white human face, with an eye socket that seemed to have sunk deep into her skull. The other half was pitch-black and seemed covered in fuzz, with half an eyeball dangling outside.

She looked like a monster through and through.

Ueno Kei swallowed and muttered, "You really are a monster..."

At that moment, the hand Yuhi Kurenai held her Kunai in began to tremble slightly, then more and more violently. Her expression changed, and she quickly gripped it with both hands.

She poured what little chakra she had left into it.

The Kunai flickered faintly.

"Moo! Moo!" Ido roared, and its aura surged wildly. To Yuhi Kurenai's horror, the seals on Ido's body began to flicker, then suddenly grew unstable.

They rapidly faded until they were barely visible to the naked eye.

Ido slowly turned its head and stared straight at Yuhi Kurenai with its hideous face. A terrifying smile spread across it.

"Hehehe." Ido stretched its mouth open at an impossibly wide angle and laughed horribly. "Crack!" Something seemed to snap.

Yuhi Kurenai's face went pale. "Thud, thud!" She felt as if something were slamming into her entire body.

With a boom, a violent cloud of dust rose from the ground—a phenomenon that should have been impossible in this place. Yuhi Kurenai watched in horror as the seal chain cracked in several places. The links broke apart one after another, turning into flecks of light that vanished.

As the seal chain broke, Ido's aura grew stronger and stronger.

The pressure of Ido's aura struck Yuhi Kurenai like a powerful blow, sending her flying backward.

She slammed hard into the ground. Yuhi Kurenai struggled several times, but no matter what she did, she couldn't get up.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!!!" Ido's hands had already transformed into two huge, pitch-black scythes—strange appendages that looked like arms, but weren't.

Ueno Kei gave a chuckle, his expression comical, as if he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"You really do look like a bull," Ueno Kei said with a soft laugh. "Cough, cough..."

The laughter seemed to tug at his wounds. A sweet taste filled Ueno Kei's throat, and a few more trickles of blood slowly ran from the corner of his mouth.

Ueno Kei's face was ashen. He lifted his head slightly and glanced at the gray, hazy space above him, unsure whether it was even the sky. A bitter smile touched his lips.

"Ah... Looks like... this time... I really..." Ueno Kei hadn't even thought about escaping. Yuhi Kurenai was badly injured, and he could barely move himself.

The only eye Ido had left was blood-red with a savage hunger. It howled like a mad beast.

"Rumble. Rumble." The entire space shook violently.

Ido's body slowly rose into the air.

At last, it stopped more than ten meters above the ground.

As Ueno Kei watched, his face seemed almost relieved.

Countless tentacles suddenly erupted from Ido's body and slammed toward every direction in the space.

Ueno Kei pressed his right hand against his left chest and slowly closed his eyes.

"Pfft!" Several tentacles mercilessly pierced through the bodies of Ueno Kei and Yuhi Kurenai.

Ueno Kei's body twitched slightly.

He felt the life draining rapidly from his body. Heh, Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. Naruto, I'm sorry too.

Ueno Kei's eyes gradually grew dim. A flash of black light burst from Ido's body, and a deafening explosion suddenly rang out.

Boom!

It was as if nothing had ever happened. The entire space was instantly flattened, and everything seemed to disappear.

Outside the hazy barrier.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, dressed in a combat uniform, changed expression as he looked at the black pillar of light that had suddenly appeared in the sky.

His expression turned grave.

"Not good," Sarutobi Hiruzen thought.

Beside him, Nara Shikaku seemed to sense something as well. He spoke softly to Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Lord Hokage, this..."

"We can't wait any longer. We have to break the barrier by force!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said gravely.

"Yes!" Nara Shikaku answered, but he didn't make a move. Instead, he slowly stepped back a few paces.

After he finished speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen bit his finger, smeared the blood across his palm, and swiftly began forming Hand Seals.

亥-戌-酉-申-未.

"Summoning Technique!" Sarutobi Hiruzen cried.

A cloud of white smoke appeared. "Sarutobi, why have you called me here at a time like this?" A deep, vigorous old voice rang out.

As the smoke cleared, a huge ape appeared. It could speak, wore clothes, and had Konoha's Forehead Protector tied around its head. It was the Third Hokage's summoning beast.