5 January
Asuma, the Inuzuka jōnin, and the Akimichi jōnin all grew serious, exchanging glances.
They were not surprised that Yinyue had returned.
It was within expectations.
Otherwise, Jaeger would not have lived until now. What shocked them was that Yinyue had arrived without a sound.
The ninja dog had not given any warning.
The Inuzuka had not sensed danger.
What kind of person could suppress their presence to such an extent? If Hyūga Yū had not been with them, that very instant—they likely would have all died.
Asuma shifted his gaze away from Yinyue.
He casually glanced toward the ceiling beams, raised his right hand to remove the cigarette from his mouth, tossed it aside, and let both hands naturally drift closer to the ninja tool pouch strapped to his leg.
Hyūga Yū's pupils widened; a chill crept up his spine.
His mind and chakra were under control—he could not even make the slightest movement to signal his teammates.
"You shouldn't have come back…"
Yūhi Kurenai's curled lashes trembled lightly. Her autumn-wave eyes shimmered as she gazed tenderly at Yinyue, her breathing quickened, and she murmured softly.
The scene she feared most—
Had appeared without warning.
The atmosphere remained deathly quiet.
Kurenai understood that she could no longer stop what was about to happen. Her heart sank. She pulled the woman holding the baby behind her, her gaze shifting from worry to resolve as she swept her eyes across Asuma and the others.
"I'm withdrawing from this mission…"
She led the woman out of the cabin.
In the corner, Doctor Nak knew this was his last chance in his lifetime to escape this place. Without hesitation, he followed behind Kurenai toward the door.
Yinyue did not stop Kurenai.
They brushed past one another.
Kurenai halted. Her brows knit together as she lifted her head, gazing up at the beautifully contoured lines of Yinyue's face. Tears welled in her red eyes, filled with resentment and pleading as she looked at him.
Yinyue remained unmoved.
Kurenai bit her lip lightly. Her chest rose and fell as her heart pounded wildly. She already understood his resolve. Turning away without another word, she left the cabin.
Yinyue then looked toward Yakushi Nono.
The wandering shrine maiden's eyes flowed with emotion. She widened her almond-shaped eyes, also studying this suddenly appearing handsome young man, as if admiring a work of art.
But when her gaze met those crimson eyes brimming with killing intent, her appreciation vanished in an instant—replaced by trembling fear.
"Help me save one person, and I'll pay you accordingly."
Yinyue spoke directly.
His tone was calm, yet carried overwhelming persuasion.
"O-okay…" Nono's brows drooped. She gathered herself, did not hesitate, and left the cabin.
She felt she should accept this deal. The moment she stepped outside, she was escorted away by Nanfeng, who had been waiting at the door.
Asuma watched Kurenai's retreating figure and suddenly felt relieved.
What came next—
Whether they killed Yinyue, or Yinyue killed them—
Kurenai would not be dragged into this battle.
In the corner, Jaeger also wanted to flee, but the kunai in the Hyūga jōnin's hand erased any thought of escape.
Just as Asuma was about to say something before the fight, he suddenly realized—
No matter how hard he tried, he could not open his mouth.
"As expected… Yinyue's eyes possess the power to control others. Truly troublesome. But after fleeing nonstop, how much chakra can those eyes possibly have left?"
Asuma focused his thoughts.
Of his entire body, only his brain could still function.
And not just Asuma.
The Akimichi jōnin, the Inuzuka jōnin, and even the ninja dog—all remained frozen in their turned positions, like wax statues.
Yinyue gripped his blade and walked toward Asuma.
Both sides understood perfectly—
Once they met, only life and death remained.
One was a Konoha ninja.
The other, a rogue ninja.
There could be no other outcome.
Asuma stared at Yingyue.
Unable to blink, his eyes were already bloodshot, tears spilling uncontrollably from his tear ducts.
All he could do—
Was breathe.
And wait for Yingyue to take his life.
The distance closed.
A crimson glow flickered in Yingyue's pupils.
He raised his ninja blade and swung it fiercely at Asuma.
Cold light burst forth.
The straight blade carved a sharp arc through the air, flashing brilliantly, radiating killing chill.
At the same time—
The other three, under the control of Eight-Thousand Spears, their minds in chaos, all drew their kunai and prepared to stab their own abdomens—committing suicide!
In that very instant—
From the rooftop echoed waves of Buddhist chanting infused with chakra.
The sound was solemn, majestic, and pure—upright, harmonious, clear, deep, full, and far-reaching.
Like flowing water, it washed over everyone in the cabin.
Stripping away discordant spiritual resonance.
Asuma's chaotic, controlled mental state wavered. Just as the blade slashed toward his throat, he regained movement, rolled sideways to evade, and the ninja blade tore across his right shoulder blade, leaving a deep wound.
Eight-Thousand Spears' mental control briefly failed.
"Scatter!!!"
The Hyūga jōnin roared.
"Damn it—did you really have to wait until the last second? Playing it this thrilling?"
The Inuzuka jōnin cursed as he retreated with his dog in his arms.
The four scattered to the corners of the cabin, surrounding Yinyue at the center.
The chanting from the rooftop continued unabated.
Yingyue watched calmly.
Asuma's hidden move did not surprise him.
His Eight-Thousand-Spear Mangekyō's Yin Release chakra had not yet fully recovered. Only thirty percent remained.
He had to reserve ten percent.
Leaving only twenty percent usable.
That was why the solemn, thunderous Buddhist chanting could interfere with his mental domination.
Even if he had struck the Hyūga jōnin first—
Asuma's countermeasure would still have been triggered.
Still inside the cabin, Jaeger's expression changed drastically. He looked up toward the roof—the chanting was penetrating from above.
It was as if countless monks sat cross-legged atop the roof.
And indeed, as Jaeger guessed—
At this very moment, ten monks sat cross-legged on the rooftop, palms pressed together, heads lowered, lips murmuring Buddhist sutras.
These were reinforcements Asuma had summoned from the Fire Temple!
The sutra chants they recited enhanced human spiritual power and interfered with genjutsu and mental control techniques.
Inside the cabin—
"Snowmaru… don't be afraid. Eat this. After the battle ends, however much you want, I'll dig up for you."
The Inuzuka jōnin still wore a gentle smile as he crouched beside his dog, pulling a bloody organ from his pouch.
The snow-white dog stared at it. Catching the stench of blood, its brain seemed to be stimulated by something. Its limbs trembled, entering a frenzy.
It was no longer anxious.
Its face twisted into ferocity.
Green light gleamed in its pupils.
Its jaws opened wide, fangs bared, foul saliva dripping in long strands.
Snowmaru bit down on the organ, lifted its head, chewed, and swallowed it whole.
Jaeger's pupils constricted violently. He stared at the organ, his stomach churning as he retched.
He was a hunter—familiar with animal organs.
What the Inuzuka jōnin had fed the ninja dog was not the organ of a beast—
But a human heart.
If he guessed correctly, it had been taken from a refugee.
In an instant—
Snowmaru's neck swelled. Muscles bulged in thick knots, veins protruding. Its claws lengthened, sharp as blades.
The Inuzuka jōnin formed seals with both hands, creating a shadow clone, smiling as he declared:
"Inuzuka Style: Man–Beast Combination Transformation — Three-Headed Wolf!"
Boom!
Smoke exploded outward.
A gigantic wolf appeared—three wolf heads, snow-white fur, bulging muscles, pitch-black claws—its massive body bursting through one corner of the wooden cabin.
Hiss—
Asuma took a deep breath, enduring the burning pain in his back. He drew the Chakra Blade: True Single Stroke, slipped it over four fingers, infused it with Wind Release chakra, and stared coldly at Yinyue.
"Expansion Technique!!"
The Akimichi jōnin's body also began to swell, transforming into a small giant within the cabin, both fists inflating into massive slabs of flesh.
His aura surged.
The Hyūga jōnin spread his arms, his Byakugan never deactivated, seeing through his opponent as he assumed the Gentle Fist stance.
At the center of the cabin—
Yinyue's Mangekyō glanced left and right.
One man.
One blade.
Like a lone leaf boat surrounded by raging waves—
On the verge of capsizing at any moment.
(End of Chapter 24)