Desperate Situation

Yuhi Kurenai cast an apologetic glance at Ueno Kei.

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

Yuhi Kurenai knew that the method she had prepared could only be used once and had to be effective immediately; otherwise, once the entity saw through it, there would never be a second chance to execute it.

Furthermore, since Yakumo was currently using her beloved student's body as a vessel, it was impossible for them to have achieved a perfect fusion in such a short time.

This was undoubtedly its period of weakness. If she didn't strike now, once it recovered, it would be far beyond what Yuhi Kurenai could withstand.

Therefore, Yuhi Kurenai decided to let Ueno Kei serve as the bait to lure Yakumo. The moment Yakumo's eyes left her, she quickly formed hand seals, casting illusions and the Body Flicker Technique.

She successfully slipped into the darkness.

Yuhi Kurenai was well aware that this was Yakumo's domain—its territory—and her illusions and clones could only deceive it for a moment before being discovered.

If she was going to act, this was the only moment.

It was the exact instant Yakumo decided to take Ueno Kei's life that she suddenly appeared to launch a surprise attack.

That single strike had pinned it down.

"Wh... why... This is... impossible!"

A cold glint flashed in Yuhi Kurenai's red eyes as she said coldly, "You don't need to struggle anymore. Since you knew we were aware of your existence, you should have known we would be prepared to deal with you. Today, the kunai I carry are all coated with a special drug. Even for a Tailed Beast, it would have some effect; for you, it is absolutely sufficient."

"Moreover, this Illusion Seal Chain is also prepared specifically for you. Just stay still and don't resist. Although I have avoided your vital points, if you dare to act rashly, you know the consequences! Ido!"

Yuhi Kurenai said without a trace of emotion.

"Hehe." Yakumo—no, Ido—struggled to crack its mouth open and laughed.

"So that's how it is. Heh, cough... cough. However... you still underestimated me! Ah!" Ido suddenly let out a howl.

Its entire body was slowly enveloped by an ominous, black, ash-like gas.

Ido's aura suddenly became extremely strange.

Ueno Kei watched in disbelief as the girl's originally flawless face began to darken, her skin rapidly shriveling like withered leaves before peeling away.

Slowly, a hideous, terrifying face was revealed, and two strange, twisted horns began to grow from the top of its head.

The girl's body began to swell, transforming into a creature resembling the gorillas of Ueno Kei's past life, its entire body pitch black.

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

At this moment, the girl had completely lost the unique, delicate beauty she once possessed.

Half of her face was a shriveled, pale human visage with sunken eye sockets, while the other half was pitch black, covered in what looked like coarse fur, with half an eyeball hanging out.

It was the image of a pure monster.

Ueno Kei swallowed hard and muttered to himself, "Truly worthy of being called a monster..."

At this moment, the hand Yuhi Kurenai used to grip her kunai began to tremble violently. Her expression shifted, and she quickly gripped it with both hands.

She poured the last of her remaining chakra into it.

The kunai flickered with a faint light.

"Moo, moo!" Ido roared loudly, its aura surging dramatically. To Yuhi Kurenai's horror, the seals on Ido's body began to flicker, suddenly becoming extremely unstable.

They faded at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Ido slowly turned its head, its hideous face staring straight at Yuhi Kurenai, revealing a terrifying smile.

"Hehe." Ido stretched its mouth to an exaggerated angle and laughed horribly. A "crack" sound echoed, as if something had snapped.

Yuhi Kurenai's face went pale. "Thump, thump!" She felt as if her entire body had been struck by a violent impact.

With a boom, a cloud of dust—which should have been impossible in this space—kicked up from the ground. Yuhi Kurenai watched in terror as the seal chains snapped one after another, turning into shards of light that vanished into nothingness.

As the chains broke, Ido's aura grew increasingly powerful.

Struck by the pressure of Ido's aura, Yuhi Kurenai felt as if she had been hit by a massive force and was sent flying backward.

She slammed hard into the ground, struggling several times, but was unable to rise.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!!!" Ido's hands had long since transformed into two pitch-black, giant scythe-like appendages that were neither arms nor anything else.

Ueno Kei gave a hollow laugh, his expression comical, as if he were caught between crying and laughing.

"It really does look like a cow." Ueno Kei chuckled, "Cough, cough..."

The laughter seemed to aggravate his wounds; a sweetness rose in his throat, and blood began to trickle slowly from the corner of his mouth.

With a deathly pale expression, Ueno Kei tilted his head slightly to look at the gray, hazy expanse above—he wasn't sure if it was the sky—and a bitter smile touched his lips.

"Ah... it seems... this time... I really am..." Ueno Kei didn't think about escaping; Yuhi Kurenai was severely injured, and he could barely move himself.

Ido's single remaining eye was filled with a blood-red, predatory hunger, and it began to howl like a madman.

"Rumble. Rumble." The entire space began to shake violently.

Ido's body slowly began to float.

It finally stopped at a height of over ten meters above the ground.

As Ueno Kei wore an expression of near-relief, Countless tentacles erupted suddenly from Ido's body, slamming violently into every corner of the space.

Ueno Kei placed his right hand over 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 force within him rapidly slipping away. Hey, Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. Naruto, I'm sorry.

Ueno Kei's gaze gradually dimmed. A flash of black light surged from Ido's body, and a violent explosion rang out.

BOOM!

As if nothing had ever happened, the entire space was instantly leveled, and everything vanished without a trace.

Outside the gray, hazy barrier.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, dressed in his combat gear, saw his expression shift as he stared at the black pillar of light that had suddenly appeared in the air.

His face turned grave.

"Not good," Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered to himself.

Beside him, Nara Shikaku seemed to sense something as well, and he said softly to Sarutobi Hiruzen, "Lord Hokage, this is..."

"We cannot wait any longer; we must force our way through the barrier!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said in a deep voice.

"Understood!" Nara Shikaku replied, though he made no move to assist, instead slowly stepping back a few paces.

After finishing his sentence, Sarutobi Hiruzen bit his finger, smeared the blood onto his palm, and rapidly began forming hand seals.

Boar-Dog-Bird-Monkey-Ram.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted.

A burst of white mist emerged. "Sarutobi, why have you summoned me at such an hour?" a voice, aged yet vigorous, rang out.

As the white mist dissipated, a massive ape appeared on the spot. This ape, however, could speak human language, wore clothing, and had a Konoha forehead protector tied around its brow. This was none other than the Third Hokage's summoning beast.