Shikamaru quietly instructed in Neji's ear: "Use the Byakugan to scout the target's situation. Be careful—don't alert him."
Neji nodded. The veins at his temples bulged, and his pale eyes suddenly froze, as if he had seen something utterly terrifying.
Ino muttered softly: "Is it really necessary to be this cautious? It's already so late—he must be sleeping like the dead."
"I, Moku Kairen, am a night owl!"
The unfamiliar voice echoed Ino's words, followed immediately by a chill as cold as the depths of the abyss.
In an instant, seven pairs of eyes all looked upward.
They saw a young man in off-white clothes looking down at them from above. His arms were crossed over his chest, his gaze full of disdain, carrying a trace of mockery and ambiguity.
Shikamaru spoke his name word by word: "Moku Kairen!"
Kairen smiled and replied: "Everyone from Konoha, welcome to my humble abode. Would you like me to entertain you?"
What do we do? What do we do?
Shikamaru's heart raced in panic. Everything had been almost foolproof—yet they had been discovered by Kairen.
Shikamaru cursed under his breath: "Damn it! This guy is still awake this late!"
Kairen shifted his gaze to Ino and Tenten, revealing a refined-looking beast's smile.
"My two beloved consorts, could it be that you were so impatient that you came to throw yourselves into my embrace?"
"Pah!"
Ino spat, then placed her hands on her hips and scolded Kairen: "You pervert! So what if you're handsome? A pervert is still a pervert."
Tenten didn't open her mouth to argue. Instead, she pulled out the large scroll on her back and immediately prepared for battle.
Ino stepped forward and demanded: "Kairen, why did you invade Iwagakure for no reason?"
Kairen slowly descended from the sky. His feet landed on the ground, stopping no more than five steps away from Ino.
Ino had thought Kairen would endlessly justify the righteousness of his war.
But unexpectedly, Kairen directly spoke from the heart.
"Why? Because I was captivated by how beautiful the Tsuchikage's granddaughter is."
Ino pointed at him: "You—"
Kairen smiled. "That's right. I'm lustful. I'm a pervert. I'm a wolf that thinks only with its lower body."
Ino cursed: "You talk like that's your strength."
Kairen nodded. "Being lustful is absolutely my strength. My greatest flaw in this life is that I didn't realize my true nature sooner. Otherwise, I'd already have conquered a thousand women."
"Shameless!" Ino cursed again.
"Ah! Shamelessness is also one of my strengths."
While Ino and Kairen argued, Shikamaru's mind raced desperately for a solution.
His intelligence was high, but he had no idea how to break this situation.
This was a dead game. And the ridiculous part was that they had foolishly walked right into it themselves.
At that moment, Kairen asked: "What are you Konoha ninja doing here? Just delivering women to me?"
Ino spat again. "In your dreams! The Hokage-sama sent us to support Iwagakure."
Kairen waved his hand awkwardly. "Oh! Then you're too late. I've already become family with Ōnoki. We've even drunk the wedding wine."
Ino crossed her arms and snorted. "In that case, we'll be leaving."
She turned around, intending to lead Shikamaru and the others away and bluff their way out.
Suddenly, the surroundings lit up like daytime. Torches rose from the darkness one after another, and countless troops surrounded Ino and the others.
A Shadow Clone leader quickly knelt on one knee before Kairen.
"Please forgive us, Your Majesty, for arriving late to rescue you."
Kairen took out a cigarette from his pack. A Shadow Clone immediately lit it for him.
Kairen took a deep drag and exhaled smoke, then replied to the kneeling Shadow Clone leader:
"No need. Go throw yourself into the oil pot."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"No need to thank me!"
A Shadow Clone came forward carrying Akamaru by the scruff of his neck and said: "Your Majesty, it was this dog thing that led the invaders into the village."
Kairen glanced at Akamaru. Akamaru lowered his head guiltily.
"Forget it. Since it's your first offense, and I am a benevolent emperor, I'll just punish you with castration."
"Woof! (꒪⌓꒪)"
Although Akamaru was the same species as Kairen, dogs were always treacherous toward each other.
After resolving the internal conflict, Kairen turned his gaze toward Shikamaru and the others, who stood back-to-back.
Ino gripped her shuriken in reverse and glared at Kairen.
"What do you want?"
Kairen flicked the ash from his cigarette and said: "I, Moku Kairen, am always generous. Since my guests missed the wedding feast, let's prepare another banquet."
Ino retorted: "Do whatever you want. We're going back to the village now."
Kairen smiled. "I think you don't understand at all. If you and Tenten leave, who will be my bride?"
It's over! Moku Kairen is going to act like a thug… Shikamaru was horrified. They had truly walked into a trap.
Ino raised her kunai and glared at him. "You shameless pervert! I'll never let you have me."
Kairen exhaled a puff of smoke, which condensed into a heart shape and slowly floated toward Ino.
Ino slapped it away and declared firmly again: "Give up on that idea!"
A Shadow Clone roared in anger: "How dare you! His Majesty is the supreme ruler of the world. It is your blessing that he favors you. Don't be ungrateful."
"I would rather not have that kind of blessing!" Ino said firmly.
Since soft tactics didn't work, Kairen went straight to force.
He crushed the cigarette butt under his foot and said sternly:
"Today, you—Yamanaka Ino—and Tenten must stay. Even if the Sage of Six Paths himself comes, it won't matter. I said it!"
Tenten could no longer tolerate Kairen's shamelessness and finally cursed: "You shameless pervert!"
Kairen waved his hand. "Brothers, grab your weapons, seize the wife!"
The Shadow Clones immediately howled like wolves: "Ula—"
Shikamaru and the others protected Ino and Tenten, raising their weapons and watching Kairen's Shadow Clone army vigilantly.
A burly green-clad kappa clenched his fists and shouted: "The moment to uphold youth has finally arrived!"
Guy removed the backpack from his back. Immediately afterward, he unleashed a whirlwind kick, sending all of Kairen's lackeys flying into the air, bursting into white smoke one after another!
An open space was cleared around them. Guy stood alone in front of Shikamaru and the others, facing Kairen's army by himself.
Seeing the determination on Guy's face, Kairen realized that this guy intended to use him to fulfill his youth.
"Guy, what are you trying to do?"
Guy clasped his hands together like a martial artist seeking instruction.
"I want to challenge you!"
His voice was thunderous, his will like a mountain.
Lee looked at Guy's back and couldn't help raising his hand. "Guy-sensei, could it be that you intend to—"
Guy turned back and gave Lee, Neji, and the others a thumbs-up.
"Protecting you Konoha juniors is my duty as a Konoha jonin."
Shikamaru asked: "Guy-sensei, what are you trying to do?"
Guy didn't answer. He turned around and looked seriously at Kairen.
"Moku Kairen, I want to fight you!"
Shikamaru asked Lee beside him: "What is Guy-sensei trying to do? Can he defeat Moku Kairen?"
Lee clenched his fists and explained: "It's the Eight Gates. Guy-sensei plans to rely on the final Gate of Death of the Eight Gates to defeat that guy!"
"The Eight Gates… the Gate of Death?"
Shikamaru was confused. He wasn't omniscient—he only knew that the Eight Gates had severe side effects and posed a life-threatening danger.
As Guy's student, Neji was very familiar with this forbidden technique.
He added: "Each Gate of the Eight Gates exchanges life force for immense power. Each Gate has a greater burden than the last."
"When the eighth Gate is opened, Guy-sensei will gain power far exceeding even the Five Kage by tenfold—but the price is—death!"
Ino gasped in shock: "Death!!"
Choji also fell silent, staring blankly at Guy's broad back.