Asuma: Who Do You Think You're Looking Down On?

Uchiha Shadian sensed something and instantly grabbed Rin Nohara, teleporting away.

The kunai struck the tree, piercing straight through it and leaving a huge hole.

"Enemies, just as expected."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Four figures flashed over, surrounding Uchiha Shadian on all sides.

"Only four of you came? You really are looking down on me, Uchiha Shadian, aren't you, Asuma?" Holding Rin Nohara in his arms, Uchiha Shadian swept an indifferent glance over Asuma Sarutobi, who stood at the front.

Damn it. Once he saw who the enemy was, Asuma Sarutobi cursed inwardly. The sensory ninja had detected two chakra signatures standing still without coming to provide support. That had been suspicious enough to confirm they were enemies, so Asuma had been sent to lead the team over.

But Asuma had never expected that the person lurking in the shadows would be Uchiha Shadian, the one who had caused this upheaval and chaos.

"It's Uchiha Shadian. Kill him, and this riot will be over."

Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could give the order, three elite chunin arrogantly charged at Uchiha Shadian, intending to seize this enormous achievement.

"No, be careful!" Seeing the three act on their own before receiving his orders, Asuma Sarutobi hurriedly shouted.

But it was already too late.

The short swords in their hands closed in on Uchiha Shadian and Rin Nohara, launching a combined attack meant to shred them apart.

Holding Rin Nohara, Uchiha Shadian stood where he was without so much as blinking.

Squelch!

In the eyes of the three chunin, their combined attack pierced straight through Uchiha Shadian and Rin Nohara's hearts.

Yet in Asuma Sarutobi's eyes, the three chunin had each pierced straight through one another's hearts.

Pfft!

Blood spurted from their mouths.

Only after the short swords pierced their hearts did the three chunin regain their senses.

"It was genjutsu. When did he use it...?"

Before they could finish, the three breathed their last, dying with their eyes wide open.

"Ants dare dream of killing me?" Uchiha Shadian sneered as he looked at their miserable state.

Asuma Sarutobi felt a chill run down his spine.

He had not noticed at all how Uchiha Shadian had cast genjutsu on the three chunin and made them slaughter each other.

"Asuma, are you trembling?" Uchiha Shadian's gaze fell upon the stunned and horrified Asuma as he spoke indifferently.

Asuma bit his lip, forcing himself to pull himself together. He looked at Uchiha Shadian. "The reports said you destroyed Konoha. Why did you do that? There were so many innocent people there."

At Asuma's accusation, a disdainful smirk appeared on Uchiha Shadian's lips. "Are you trying to morally blackmail me?"

"When you raised your butcher's blades against the Uchiha Clan and sought to wipe us out, why didn't you think about all the innocent people there?"

"And Konoha was a village built jointly by our Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan. Even the Senju Clan hasn't come out to condemn me. What right do you have to say anything?"

"Konoha belongs to everyone. It doesn't belong solely to your Uchiha Clan," Asuma Sarutobi retorted.

Uchiha Shadian sneered. "Hmph! How laughable. Not only did you occupy someone else's nest, but you also wanted to slaughter the original owners to the last. What a fine 'belongs to everyone.'"

"My idiot brother endured and endured, making you nest-stealing vermin forget the power of the Uchiha Clan. Then let me help you remember properly—the Uchiha Clan's absolute power."

Uchiha Shadian's crimson eyes locked onto Asuma. Sweat immediately soaked Asuma's back. The pressure Uchiha Shadian gave off was simply too overwhelming. It was not something he could resist at all.

He knew very clearly that he was absolutely no match for Uchiha Shadian.

But if he did not resist, he would certainly die. If he fought back, there was still a sliver of hope.

The Konoha ninja army was nearby. As long as he stalled for a little while, reinforcements would arrive.

Asuma Sarutobi tightly gripped his weapon. "I admit that the Uchiha Clan is powerful, but killing me won't be so easy."

"Hmph!"

Uchiha Shadian snorted disdainfully. "Even Jiraiya died in a single strike. What makes you think you can do anything, Asuma?"

"Lord Jiraiya is dead?" Asuma Sarutobi's eyes widened.

"I pierced his heart in one blow. What do you think—did he die or not?" Uchiha Shadian said coldly.

"How is that possible?" Asuma Sarutobi found it impossible to believe. He naturally knew how powerful Jiraiya was. How could Uchiha Shadian have killed him so easily?

Even if he could not win, he should have been able to leave calmly!

"Lord Jiraiya was so strong. How could he have let you get your hands on him so easily?" Hiruzen Sarutobi did not believe Uchiha Shadian's words. Jiraiya, who had earned such a fearsome reputation in the Third Shinobi War—how could he have died so easily? Uchiha Shadian had to be bluffing.

"Don't believe me? When you go down to find him later, you'll know." Uchiha Shadian's killing intent erupted as he stared at Asuma Sarutobi with utterly emotionless eyes.

"Asuma-senpai, you should stop going against Brother Shadian. You'll really die." Rin Nohara suddenly urged Asuma.

Only after hearing Rin Nohara's voice did Asuma Sarutobi seriously look at the girl in Uchiha Shadian's arms.

"You are?" When he clearly saw Rin Nohara's face, Asuma Sarutobi revealed a shocked expression, staring at her in utter disbelief.

"Who I am isn't important. What's important is that you should run for your life, Asuma-senpai. Otherwise, you'll die at Brother Shadian's hands. His strength is something you absolutely cannot contend with," Rin Nohara said.

Asuma Sarutobi stared fixedly at Rin Nohara. She looked so alike—far too alike!

"You're Rin Nohara?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in disbelief.

Rin Nohara had died during the Third Shinobi War. Because of that, Minato Namikaze had grieved for a long time, often coming to drink with him to drown his sorrows. He had blamed himself deeply, believing he had failed to protect his student.

"How is that possible?"

"Weren't you already dead?"

Asuma's face was full of disbelief. He had only led his team over after receiving the flare signaling for reinforcements, so he did not know that Rin Nohara had been revived. Seeing her alive shocked him even more than hearing that Uchiha Shadian had pierced Jiraiya's heart.

The dead could come back to life?

How was that possible?

"Brother Shadian revived me, Asuma-senpai," Rin Nohara said.

Asuma said incredulously, "How can someone come back to life after dying?"

He thought, Even the Second Hokage's forbidden Impure World Reincarnation only exists in theory. That only creates paper-and-mud puppets, not true resurrection. But you are clearly a living person. How is this possible?

"There's nothing impossible about it." Uchiha Shadian put Rin Nohara down and stared coldly at Asuma. "Asuma, let me see how strong Hiruzen Sarutobi trained you to be. Can you take one move from me?"

"Who do you think you're looking down on?" Asuma Sarutobi replied angrily. Although he admitted he was no match for Uchiha Shadian, defeating him in a single move was simply too insulting. He was an elite jonin, after all!