"The Abbot… is dead…"
A wave of unrest spread among the monks.
In that instant, they all foresaw their own end.
They continued chanting the sutras.
Yet, one after another, they discovered in horror that their bodies were no longer under their own control. They could not even open their mouths—could not even move their eyes.
The night sky was pitch-black, the full moon bright and clear, draping the hunter's mountain stronghold in a silvery sheen.
On the open ground, torches burned fiercely.
The Uchiha gradually recovered their mental clarity, still somewhat dazed, looking toward the wooden cabin, toward Yingyue standing before them.
They were both shocked and overjoyed.
Duo Moxiong's pupils were unfocused as he spoke weakly:
"Big brother… can you make sure that family of three doesn't die here? That man treated us sincerely.
He shared his best food with us.
He's already pitiful enough.
And that baby, though a bit noisy, is actually quite cute."
Duo Moxiong's body was already covered in extensive wounds caused by Wind Release chakra.
After enduring the torment of the chanting, the first thing he did upon waking was to mumble endlessly—pleading with Yingyue on behalf of others.
"Alright."
"Then… big brother, when you kill those bald monks, can you slash them a few more times and count it as my share? I'm not afraid of going to hell for killing monks—put my portion on your tab too!"
"..."
Yingyue glanced sideways at Duo Moxiong and said calmly, "Focus on receiving treatment."
"Okay."
Duo Moxiong shut up.
...
Nono U was still in a daze. Subconsciously, she felt these two brothers' conversation was strangely amusing.
After swallowing the soldier pill, she crouched beside Duo Moxiong, spread her palms, and released medical ninjutsu.
Yingyue asked, "How long?"
"About eighteen minutes."
As Nono U estimated the time, her expression remained unfocused. She instinctively looked back toward the wooden cabin and froze when she saw corpses strewn everywhere—shock mixing with a strange sense of relief.
Those were four of Konoha's top jōnin.
Plus the renowned abbot of the Land of Fire's ninja temple.
All… dead.
Behind her round glasses, Nono U's beautiful eyes stared unblinking at the scene.
This meant she had gambled correctly. If she hadn't agreed to save the Uchiha earlier, she would likely be among the dead as well.
The Uchiha looked at Yingyue, his white robes stained with blood, and all breathed a sigh of relief.
When they turned their eyes to the cabin, they showed expressions similar to Nono U's—then quickly recovered.
After all, Captain Yingyue was an Uchiha who had dared to assassinate Danzō… and succeeded.
Killing a few Konoha jōnin—
what was that, really?
"The two with the Fire Nation crest sashes… they should be members of the Guardian Ninja Twelve who once protected the daimyo, right?"
"Mm. That monk was the abbot of the Temple of Fire. As for the bearded jōnin leading the pursuit—he was the son of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"..."
Two injured Uchiha supported each other as they stood up, chatting casually—until the topic of identities made their voices trail off.
Izumi, Mikoto, and Nanfeng also regained their composure, looking at Yingyue's back with complicated expressions.
This man… killed the Hokage's son.
The entire Temple of Fire had mobilized.
The Uchiha had thought themselves doomed—yet once again, Captain Yingyue had saved them.
Izumi's large dark eyes shone with reverence for Yingyue, now mixed with something deeper.
Mikoto's gaze flickered, complex emotions flashing briefly before disappearing.
The Uchiha's conversation reached Nono U's ears, causing her hands to tremble mid-heal.
"The Third Hokage's son…?"
She looked again toward the cabin, her gaze settling on Asuma.
Only then did she realize—he truly resembled Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"The Hokage's son is dead…"
Nono U's pupils shook violently as waves crashed through her mind, her body stiffening.
She understood exactly what that meant.
The Third Hokage would rage and investigate this matter thoroughly.
If it were discovered that she, Nono U, had been involved tonight—
she would never be able to return to Konoha.
Not everyone knew Asuma was the Hokage's biological son.
Even as she struggled internally, her hands continued the medical treatment.
She anxiously looked toward Yingyue, only to see him walking calmly toward the monks—as if nothing at all had happened.
The Uchiha regrouped in an orderly fashion, forming a protective ring around Duo Moxiong.
Ahead, on the rugged mountain path—
Yingyue stared coldly at the seated monks, about to act, when he suddenly sensed their minds struggling to break free from the control of Eight Thousand Spears.
Under the moonlight—
One monk's face twisted violently. Then his neck exploded, and a pale, bloodstained head forced its way out from beneath the skin at an unnatural angle.
Its hair was algae-green, its face utterly ordinary, pupils gray and lifeless like a corpse's.
It stared straight at Yingyue, an eerie smile curling its lips.
Bang—bang—bang—
The same thing happened across the monks' bodies in rapid succession, the sounds crisp, like watermelons bursting.
Red and white matter splattered onto the ground.
A foul stench filled the air.
"Ghh—ahhh—!"
The monks, their minds still controlled by Eight Thousand Spears, endured the awakening of something parasitic within them, hoarse cries of agony escaping their throats.
"What are these monsters?!"
"How can something like this exist in the ninja world?!"
The Uchiha felt their scalps tingle, bodies trembling as they tightened their grips on their swords, nausea rising from the stench.
Nono U stood frozen in shock—this horrifying scene was her first encounter with such things.
"White Zetsu…"
Yingyue narrowed his eyes.
In his perception, these White Zetsu were awakening within the monks' bodies,疯狂吸收 their chakra.
Before climbing the mountain, these monks had already been implanted with Zetsu spores by Obito lurking nearby—turned into nutrients for incubation.
"May you suffer less. Go on to reincarnation."
Yingyue's Mangekyō Eight Thousand Spears spun.
He forcibly seized control of the chakra in the monks' bodies that had not yet been fully absorbed.
Bang—
Dull explosions echoed from the monks' chests. They passed away on the spot, spared the inhumane torment of White Zetsu.
Thus—
The Temple of Fire was destroyed.
Some monks, however, completed incubation before death. Depending on their chakra reserves, one—or even several—White Zetsu emerged.
"Delicious chakra!"
"Uchiha!"
"Kill them all! Taste that irresistible chakra!!"
The White Zetsu hit the ground, shrieking madly, naked bodies without gender, charging straight toward Yingyue!
They feared nothing.
In the distance, atop a tree branch—
Masked Obito watched coldly, a twisted smile forming beneath his mask.
He wanted to see how many waves of White Zetsu Yingyue could endure.
No matter how strong his Mangekyō was, his Yin Release chakra would eventually run dry.
That would be the perfect moment to strike.
...
On the open ground before the cabin—
"Protect Captain Yingyue!!!"
Uchiha Nanfeng roared, drawing his sword, three-tomoe Sharingan blazing as he led the others in a suicidal charge toward the hundred White Zetsu.
There were only eleven Uchiha.
This batch of White Zetsu outnumbered even the monks—and had absorbed massive amounts of chakra.
They were monstrous hybrids.
The moment the Uchiha clashed with them, they were swallowed by the sea of White Zetsu, forced into desperate one-against-many combat.
Beside Nono U and Duo Moxiong—
Izumi drew her blade.
Suddenly, she felt a gentle grip on the back of her hand. Looking down, she saw Mikoto holding her.
Mikoto's face was expressionless, three-tomoe Sharingan spinning in her eyes. She took the sword from Izumi and said calmly:
"Someone needs to guard this place. I'll take the frontline."
Before Izumi could stop her, Mikoto clenched her teeth, shedding her noble housewife demeanor. Her figure blurred into a black shadow, passing Yingyue, her face cold and resolute, leaping into the battlefield.
A flash of steel—
A White Zetsu's head flew.
Before becoming a full-time wife, Mikoto had been a powerful three-tomoe Uchiha.
From her emotionless face, Yingyue saw a resolve to die.
He turned to the shaken Nono U and said evenly:
"You only need to keep treating the wounded."
Nono U nodded lightly, focusing even harder. From those white monsters, she felt the breath of death.
If she wanted to survive tonight, she had to rely on the Uchiha.
So she chose to trust this powerful young Uchiha who gave her an overwhelming sense of security.
Yingyue's Mangekyō shifted, locking onto White Zetsu charging from all directions.
They surged with boundless strength, sprinting wildly across the clearing, lunging barehanded at their prey.
Yingyue stood proudly, unmoving.
He planted the damaged ninja blade into the ground and reached into the void with his right hand.
Space rippled like water.
A long black blade appeared in his grasp.
The black sword merged with the night—cold, silent. Its presence dimmed the darkness itself.
Under the moonlight—
Dark Moon lay deep and lightless.
(End of Chapter)