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Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, and Kurenai Yuhi all turned around almost simultaneously.
Behind them stood a man with piercing green eyes and white hair, his expression cold and filled with murderous intent.
It was the leader of the Kaguya clan.
Without hesitation, Might Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai immediately activated the Body Flicker Technique, creating distance between themselves and the Kaguya clan leader.
The power radiating from the stranger was unfathomable.
Especially since he had appeared behind them unnoticed just moments ago, a chill of fear ran through them.
"The brats from Konoha?" the Kaguya clan leader sneered. Recognizing Asuma's attire and the forehead protector on their heads, he immediately knew they hailed from the Hidden Leaf Village.
The Five Great Shinobi Nations had always been at odds, carrying countless grudges forged in the fires of the last three Great Ninja Wars.
Though the Hidden Mist Village stood isolated overseas and separate from the other four major villages, it was still affected by the wars and had joined the conflict for its own reasons.
During that time, they had many dealings with Konoha's shinobi, and it would be a lie to say no hatred lingered between them.
Now, despite the peace, this wild land offered the perfect place to kill these Konoha brats without consequence.
Moreover, he knew Uchiha Haru had taken the Uchiha clan away from Konoha.
Although the exact reason was unknown, the tension between the two sides was deeper than it appeared.
Killing a few Leaf brats would hardly matter to Renya.
"People from the Hidden Mist Village?" Asuma's expression hardened as he recognized the Hidden Mist forehead protector on the Kaguya clan leader's waist.
Recalling the grudges left by his ancestors and the malicious grin on this stranger's face, Asuma felt an ominous premonition.
Might Guy and Kurenai shared the same feeling—they sensed danger lurking nearby.
They exchanged glances and understood each other perfectly: lingering here was not an option.
Retreat!
However, since the Kaguya clan leader had made up his mind to act, he wasn't about to let them leave so easily.
With a grin, he charged directly at Kurenai Yuhi—the weakest of the three.
Any Kage-level shinobi's strength should never be underestimated.
Those who reached such a level had exceptional abilities in every aspect.
The Kaguya clan leader, a physical powerhouse at the Kage level, leapt and appeared beside Kurenai in an instant.
Kurenai instinctively tried to dodge.
But before she could react, a hand like an iron clamp grasped her shoulder tightly.
Though Kurenai was much stronger than a year ago, having just become a full-fledged jonin, her specialty was genjutsu, and physical combat remained her weakness.
Faced with a foe skilled in brute strength, once caught, there was almost no chance of fighting back.
"kurenai."
Asuma's face tightened, and without hesitation, he rushed forward to rescue Kurenai.
Having grown up with her, and harboring feelings for her, Asuma could not bear to see her taken hostage.
Might Guy did not hesitate either, rushing to join Asuma.
Both were the Hidden Leaf's top young shinobi, and their presence alone was imposing.
Even the Kaguya clan leader was momentarily surprised.
Few from the Hidden Mist Village could match such power at this age.
In a flash, Might Guy and Asuma reached the leader.
Asuma wielded a chakra knife.
The cold, sharp blade was infused with wind chakra, seemingly ordinary at a glance.
But those who had truly fought him knew how deadly he was beneath that appearance.
Might Guy was no showman.
His movements were the culmination of years of disciplined training—fast, efficient, and deadly precise.
His attacks contained no wasted motion, pure physical skill at its most lethal.
"Heh."
The Kaguya clan leader sneered, narrowly dodging Asuma's chakra knife with a sidestep.
Asuma's attack was powerful, but the leader's reflexes were quicker.
With a swift kick to Asuma's stomach, the ninja sent him flying several meters, crashing hard against a large tree.
At that moment, Might Guy's leg shot forward toward the Kaguya leader's head.
The kick was fast, accurate, and fierce.
Before the blow landed, it had already whipped up a fierce gust of wind.
The Kaguya leader's white hair whipped around in the blast.
Unfazed, he used Kurenai as a shield, blocking the kick by positioning her in front of him.
"Shameless!"
Might Guy gritted his teeth, anger flashing in his eyes.
To avoid harming Kurenai, he abruptly pulled back the otherwise lethal kick.
He barely touched the air as he landed beside Asuma.
The two exchanged a grim look.
The enemy before them was immensely powerful and mysterious.
Even worse, this foe had no scruples or concern for honor or decency.
With Kurenai in his grip, they would be restrained and limited in their actions.
The situation was dire.
A faint smile played on the Kaguya clan leader's lips.
Neither of the young Konoha shinobi before him were ordinary.
They might not be the rare prodigies of legend, but they were undeniably geniuses.
And what delighted him most was the prospect of killing geniuses.
The Five Great Ninja Villages had long been rivals, locked in ceaseless competition and conflict. The young warriors of today might very well become the fiercest enemies of tomorrow.
So, the leader of the Kaguya clan bore no psychological burden as he faced them.
"We are ninjas of Konoha," Asuma declared firmly.
"If you attack our Konoha ninjas like this, aren't you afraid of igniting a war between Konoha and the Hidden Mist Village?" His voice was steady but charged with threat.
"No one will know," the Kaguya leader sneered, "because none of you will survive today!"
Asuma Sarutobi and Might Guy were formidable shinobi, but the Kaguya clan leader was a true Kage-level powerhouse—his confidence absolute.
Slowly, he drew a bone sword from his spine.
"Kekkei Genkai: Shikotsumyaku"
The hardest shield, the sharpest spear.
Simultaneously, bones pierced through his flesh, bursting out to form a thick armor covering his body, a brutal and deadly bone exoskeleton.
"Not to mention…" He cast a mocking glance at Asuma and Might Guy. "So what if Konoha finds out?"
"Is this Konoha still the same Konoha as before?"
"Konoha is in decline. The Third Hokage grows old, and even the Uchiha clan has left your village. Do you truly have the strength to start a war?"
"The so-called number one ninja village? Ha… it's the biggest joke!"
Asuma and Might Guy exchanged grim looks.
They wanted to argue, but deep down, they knew the truth.
Konoha was not what it once was.
Otherwise, they would not have come searching for Tsunade and Jiraiya's whereabouts.
Still, they refused to admit defeat out loud.
"Konoha is not something for the likes of you to judge!" Asuma said stubbornly.
"You are far from wiping us out."
Might Guy's brow furrowed deeply.
The opponent's strength far exceeded his expectations.
He was already considering whether to use his trump card if they failed.
"Then let's see about that."
The Kaguya clan leader sneered lowly.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Ferns!"
A deafening boom echoed as the ground quaked violently.
Massive, razor-sharp bone spurs erupted from the earth, carving deep furrows in the soil.
Crack! Bang!
Towering trees were impaled, crashing down into piles of dry, brittle bones.
Asuma and Might Guy swiftly activated their body-flicker techniques, narrowly dodging the deadly spikes, their breaths ragged but their bodies unscathed.
They spun around in shock.
The dense forest had been utterly transformed into a graveyard of bones.
Horror and disbelief showed on their faces.
What kind of jutsu was this?
What level of destruction could this bone technique unleash?
"Scared, little Konoha brats?" the Kaguya leader mocked.
Yuhi Kurenai was trapped inside a makeshift cage of bone spikes, immobilized, unable to move.
"Guy! Asuma! Are you alright?" Kurenai's voice trembled, but hearing their voices brought her a sliver of relief.
Only a little.
Her heart still hung heavy.
This unimaginable powerhouse remained on the battlefield.
Their danger was far from over.
It brought back memories of a year ago, when she and Yugao Uzuki faced Raiga Kurosuki—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—during a mission.
Amid thunder and lightning, fear had gripped them.
Only one had faced that terror with fearless confidence and saved them from death.
If he were here now...
With his strength, no opponent would stand a chance.
But he... was gone.
In the bone-ridden battlefield, Asuma and Might Guy had vanished from her sight.
Might Guy was locked in fierce combat with the Kaguya leader.
Covered in spikes, the leader resembled a living hedgehog—impossible to touch or strike.
Despite combining their strength, Asuma and Might Guy were repeatedly cut by bone spurs.
The Kaguya leader needed no defense—he simply attacked relentlessly with his bone sword.
Thus, even two against one, Asuma and Might Guy were at a disadvantage, suffering minor wounds.
Especially Asuma: his left arm was nearly pierced by bone spurs.
He endured agonizing pain, unable to move it, but refused to yield, battling on with grim determination.
Seeing Asuma nearing exhaustion, Might Guy's eyes blazed with resolve.
Now was the time to ignite his ultimate power—his self-sacrificial technique.
He knew he had to burn through his limits to survive this fight and protect his comrades.
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This Week Bonus Chapter - 200 Power stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 400 Power Stones
3rd Bonus Chapter - 600 Power Stones
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Love the story and can't wait to see what happens next?
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Thank you for reading, and I truly appreciate your support! 💖
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