A Deadly Battle Between Reanimated Master and Student, the Resolve to Break the Blade with Their Own Hands!

The midday sun was completely blocked by the pungent smell of burning.

The Third Shinobi World War's defensive line was littered with charred wood and broken ninja tools.

Amidst the thick smoke, a tall, familiar figure slowly emerged, stepping onto a section of charred tree trunk. He wasn't smoking his signature cigarette; his face was covered in pale, Impure World Reincarnation impurities, and his eyes were vacant, devoid of any warmth. His Hien Chakra Blade were spitting out two-foot-long blue wind blades, emitting a hissing, slicing sound.

"Retreat! Everyone retreat!" Shikamaru roared fiercely, his usual lazy and "what a nuisance" demeanor completely shattered.

Several new recruits from the Allied Shinobi Forces who hadn't yet retired were locked onto by the killing Jonin, their legs went weak, and they collapsed directly into the mud.

Asuma didn't stop. He raised his right hand and mechanically swung the Chakra Blade.

Boom!

A violent wind blade shot out along the ground, tearing away layers of soil as if slicing through tofu.

"Human Boulder!"

A muffled roar resounded as Choji transformed into a massive ball of flesh, crashing headlong into the wind blades. Sparks flew, and Choji was thrown back several meters by the immense recoil, carving two deep furrows in the ground. He returned to his original form, a bloody gash on his thick arm, and gritted his teeth, staring intently at that familiar figure.

"Choji, what are you doing? Don't hold back!" Shikamaru could tell at a glance that Choji wasn't using his full strength at all, and was even holding back his Chakra.

"That's Asuma- sensei!" Choji's voice was hoarse, and his fists were clenched tightly.

Ino, standing behind Shikamaru, was deathly pale. Her hands were forming the hand seals for the Mind Body Switch Technique, but her ten fingers were trembling so badly that she couldn't align them with the Chakra nodes.

Asuma, who was opposite him, suddenly stopped, and the muscles on his face twitched involuntarily.

"Run... Shikamaru, Choji, Ino." His hoarse voice was filled with extreme pain. "My body... is out of control."

In a dark cave dozens of kilometers away, Kabuto Yakushi up his reflective glasses, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. The drama of deep master-disciple affection was perfect for breaking wills. Naruto Uzumaki wanted to use absolute violence to solidify the rules? Then he'd show Naruto how the Allied Shinobi Forces could sever the intricate web of human emotions.

Asuma, on the front line, suddenly tilted his head back and rapidly Hand Seals.

"Wind Release: Ash Pile Burning!"

A large plume of scorching black ash spewed from his mouth, instantly covering the sky above where the Ino–Shika–Cho trio was located. The intense heat even distorted and warped the surrounding air.

"Get out of the way!" Shikamaru shoved Ino aside.

Asuma's teeth snapped together, and sparks flew.

Boom!

The entire sea of ash was instantly ignited, and the violent explosion created a small mushroom cloud on the position. The scorching flames forced the surrounding recruits to run for cover.

As the smoke cleared, Shikamaru knelt on the ground, shielding Ino. Most of his Allied Shinobi Forces armor was charred. Ignoring the blisters on his shoulders, he drew two Kunai and stared coldly at Asuma.

He knew this was no reunion. The man who taught him to smoke and what "jade" was had long since died in the battle in Amegakure. The one before him was merely a puppet bound with talismans, used to kill his Hidden Leaf comrades.

"Choji! Ino!" Shikamaru stood up, his voice icy cold. "Open your eyes and see clearly! He's not a teacher! He's just an empty shell being used as a weapon!"

Choji froze, his eyes red-rimmed.

"If you still consider him your teacher, then don't let him use those hands to kill people from Hidden Leaf!" Shikamaru kicked away the burning broken wood at his feet. "Naruto set the rules first: the dead don't get to decide what happens! Kabuto wants to use our weakness, then we'll break that sword of his!"

Ino jolted, biting her lip hard, the taste of blood instantly bringing her to her senses. She forced her trembling hands to steady herself and Hand Seals again.

"Mind Body Switch Technique... Mind Disturbance!"

An extremely sharp mental fluctuation shot through the battlefield, piercing Asuma's brain. Ino did not choose to completely take control, but instead used the most savage method to attack the control talisman in Asuma's mind.

Asuma's hands, which were about to form Hand Seals, suddenly froze in mid-air, and his whole body trembled violently.

"Now! Choji!" Shikamaru roared.

"Aaaaaah!" Choji's eyes turned bloodshot, and his body instantly swelled up.

"Super Multi-Size Technique!"

The enormous hand, like a small mountain, slammed down on Asuma with a deafening roar. Asuma, relying on his Impure World Reincarnation Tensei instincts, tried to slice the hand apart with his Hien technique, but Ino's Mind Disturbance caused a fatal half-second halt in his Chakra flow.

Bang!

Choji's giant hand slammed down, pinning Asuma firmly to the muddy ground. The ground cracked extensively, and dust billowed up.

"Shikamaru!" Choji shouted through gritted teeth, the Impure World Body beneath him unleashing terrifying power, attempting to forcefully break through the suppression.

"Got you?"

At that moment, Shikamaru's shadow resembled a black venomous snake, slithering rapidly along the ground and instantly disappearing into the shadow beneath Choji's giant hand.

"Shadow Imitation Technique, successful."

Shikamaru's muscles were tense, and sweat dripped down his chin. He gritted his teeth, maintaining the Hand Seals posture.

Asuma, who was pinned underneath, stopped struggling. Choji slowly raised his hand, returning it to its original position, and gasped for breath.

In the deep pit, Asuma, maintaining the exact same posture as Shikamaru, slowly stood up.

Shikamaru took a step forward. Asuma followed suit. The master and disciple stood face to face in this strange yet resolute manner.

"Well done... Shikamaru." Asuma's empty eyes briefly broke free from the shackles of the talisman, revealing a hint of relief.

Shikamaru pulled a sealing talisman from his ninja tool pouch. His hand was so steady that even he was surprised.

"Teacher," Shikamaru stared at Asuma's face, his voice soft yet carrying immense weight, "You asked me back then who the 'Jade' of Hidden Leaf really was. I used to think it was too much trouble and didn't want to bother."

He slowly raised the sealing talisman.

"But now I know. Protecting the young ones who haven't grown up yet, and dragging out and killing those bastards who lurk in the shadows and toy with the dead—that's what the living should do."

Shikamaru stepped forward and, without hesitation, affixed the sealing talisman to Asuma's forehead.

"Teacher, this time we'll take you home."

The sealing talisman burst forth with red light, and runes instantly covered Asuma's entire body. Kabuto's control was completely severed. The Impure World Reincarnation from Asuma's face began to peel off like snowflakes, and at the moment his soul ascended to heaven, a smile appeared on his lips.

Everything returned to calm.

Ino collapsed to her knees, covering her face, tears streaming down her face. Choji also turned away, frantically wiping away his tears with his strong arms.

Shikamaru stood there, looking down at the soil where a wooden shogi piece with charred edges lay quietly.

Jade General.

Shikamaru bent down, picked up the still-warm Go piece, and clenched it tightly in his hand. The sharp edge stung his palm, but the warmth in his eyes turned completely cold.

"The dead should rest in peace. We'll remember this debt."

Just then, Shikamaru's wireless communicator suddenly emitted a piercing static. It was the Allied Shinobi Forces Headquarters' exclusive emergency encrypted channel.

"Shikamaru! Third Line of Defense, can you hear me?!" The communications officer's voice was filled with barely concealed panic. "Just now, the intelligence department intercepted Kabuto Yakushi's second batch of Impure World Reincarnation names!"

"Get to the point," Shikamaru said calmly.

"The Akatsuki... Kabuto has awakened the entire main force of the Akatsuki! Including Sasori of the Red Sands, Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara, and even..." The communicator's voice suddenly trembled.

Shikamaru's pupils suddenly contracted. "Who else?"

"And the Former Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist! They didn't go to the eastern battlefield at all; instead, they circled around to your rear! They're less than three kilometers from the third line of defense's Medical Camp!"

The Medical Camp. That's the absolute heartland where Sakura Haruno and a large number of other medical-nin reside!

Boom!

Before Shikamaru could give the order, a pillar of fire suddenly shot into the sky ten kilometers behind the position. Immediately afterward, an extremely brutal Chakra swept in from behind like a dark cloud. Someone had used the most savage method to directly tear apart the Medical Camp's defensive barrier.

"Damn it!" Shikamaru yanked out his Kunai. "Choji, Ino! Come back with me to help! Quickly!"

High above the clouds, a pale white Clay Bird glided silently past. Deidara looked down at the chaotic Allied Shinobi Forces Medical Camp below, a crazed grin spreading across his face.

"Yes, art is all about creating a grand explosion right above these doctors' heads!"