Sarutobi Asuma gripped the Chakra Blades in his hands, a faint layer of chakra gathering along their edges. His sharp gaze fixed on the puppets constantly breaking free of the trees' restraints as he said in a deep voice, "Senior Yuhi Shinku, Aoba and the others are right. We can't split up now.
You're the pillar holding us together. If something happens to you, it'll be even harder for us to hold on.
How about we divide the work? I'll hold off the puppets on the left, Aoba will take the right, Sato Rin will circle around for a surprise attack, and Suzuki Yuki will handle medical support and keep watch from the rear. You can rest in the middle and recover some chakra, then step in at a critical moment. That way, we'll be able to last longer."
Yuhi Shinku looked at the young ninjas before him. Though their faces still held traces of youth, their eyes were filled with resolve and determination, without the slightest intention of backing down. A warm current rose in his heart, and he gradually abandoned the thought of persuading them to leave. Taking a deep breath, he slowly nodded. His voice was still hoarse, but it carried a little more firmness. "All right... Since you all insist, then we'll fight together! But you must be careful. The puppets' joints may be weak points, but their defenses aren't weak. They don't tire, and they can't be injured. Only by using ninjutsu to destroy their core components can we eliminate them completely!"
"Understood!"
Kawaki Aoba and the others answered in unison, their loud voices echoing through the forest and drowning out the creaking mechanical sounds of the puppets' movements.
At that moment, three more puppets broke free from the trees' restraints. Their entire bodies were