"My predictions have never failed."
Shion withdrew her gaze, her tone calm.
"Since I have seen it, then it is an established future."
Ino and Sakura exchanged a look, shock flashing in both of their eyes.
"Marry Teacher?"
"Could Hinata actually be with Teacher Gento..."
Halfway through her sentence, Sakura blushed first.
As for Hinata, she almost fainted, her hands waving wildly in the air.
"What about me? What about me?"
Ino leaned close to Shion with an excited look, forgetting that the other party was the priestess of the Land of Ogres.
"Can you see who I will marry in the future?"
Not wanting to be outdone, Sakura pushed Ino aside and squeezed forward, her voice even louder than Ino's:
"Check mine first!"
Shion's face still maintained an indifferent expression.
She was just about to say something.
Boom!
A violent explosion suddenly erupted, causing the entire hall to tremble.
Wood splinters and rubble fell from overhead.
The shockwave of the explosion shook everyone present, sending them reeling.
Shion even tilted to the side, falling back into her seat.
"Lady Shion!"
Taruho immediately shielded Shion, drawing the short blade at his waist.
Out of the thick smoke, four figures rushed forth like ghosts.
Their target was clear, pointing directly at Shion who was slumped on the ground.
"Protect Lady Shion!"
Taruho shouted.
Sakura, Ino, and Hinata reacted quickly.
The three almost instinctively entered combat stances.
Ino formed hand seals with both hands, spiritual energy rippling outward:
"Yin Release: Mind Rift Gate!"
The black-clad ninja rushing at the very front suddenly stiffened, a struggling expression appearing on his face as his footsteps ground to a halt.
Sakura seized the opportunity to close in, chakra condensing on her fingertips as she rapidly struck another enemy's chakra points:
"Yin Healing: Chakra Pierce!"
The man's arm went numb, and the kunai in his hand fell to the ground.
Meanwhile, Hinata retreated behind a hall pillar, activating her Byakugan as her vision suddenly expanded.
She raised her hand to condense a chakra bow and arrow, aiming at the third enemy rushing forward.
The arrow shot through the air, accurately piercing the man's shoulder and pinning him to the wooden pillar behind him.
The fourth enemy barely managed to dodge Hinata's arrow, lunging at Sakura from the side.
Sakura sidestepped to dodge, throwing a backfist into his chest and knocking the enemy back several steps.
The four black-clad ninja originally did not take these three young girls seriously, intent only on killing Shion.
Caught off guard, they were actually thrown into a state of utter disarray by the trio's attacks.
"Damn it!"
The leading ninja barked in anger.
"Kill them first!"
The four temporarily abandoned Shion, turning their focus to attack Sakura, Ino, and Hinata.
Ino continued to cast her genjutsu to hold them back.
Sakura relied on her agile footwork to move between the enemies.
She repeatedly executed Yin Healing: Chakra Pierce. Although it could not cause lethal damage, it made the flow of the enemies' chakra sluggish, greatly reducing the power of their ninjutsu.
In the distance, Hinata kept her Byakugan active, shooting arrows one after another, with each shot leaving the enemies in a frantic struggle.
The cooperation among the three was exceptionally seamless.
Ino controlled the battlefield, Sakura disrupted, and Hinata dealt damage.
The enemies were restricted at every turn, unable to exert their strength, and gradually fell into a disadvantage.
"Ah!"
A miserable shriek rang out.
One enemy, affected by Ino's mental shock, finally failed to dodge in time and was struck in a vital spot by Hinata's arrow.
With the three cooperating, they were the first to kill one!
The remaining three black-clad ninja exchanged looks, a ruthless glint flashing in their eyes.
They pulled out a small, pitch-black, earthworm-like creature from their robes.
The creature squirmed incessantly in their hands, emitting a sinister aura.
It was none other than a clone of Moryo.
Without any hesitation, the three swallowed the flesh at the same time.
Terrifying chakra exploded from within their bodies.
Their bodies began to twist, expand, and deform.
Their skin turned dark purple, their muscles bulged, and their bones emitted cracking sounds.
In an instant, the three transformed into hideous monsters.
"Roar!"
The monsters let out earth-shaking roars.
A monster's sharp claws swept toward Ino.
Before Ino could fully cast her genjutsu, it was interrupted by the violent shockwave of chakra.
Her body felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and she slumped to the ground, temporarily unable to move.
"Ino!"
Sakura rushed forward to rescue her, only to be swatted away by the claws of another monster.
Her body smashed through a hall pillar and fell to the ground, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, leaving her unable to get up for the moment.
In the distance, Hinata fired several arrows in succession, but the light arrows left only shallow wounds on the monsters' bodies, unable to cause any effective damage at all.
One of the monsters turned toward her, opening its bloody maw as a ball of pitch-black energy shot toward Hinata.
Hinata rolled to dodge, and the energy ball exploded behind her, sending shattered rocks flying and blowing her away.
Seeing the situation instantly reversed, Taruho immediately turned to pull Shion:
"Lady Shion, hurry, let's go! The secret passage is this way!"
Shion, however, pushed him away.
Her gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield, landing on a certain direction in the distance, as if she were looking at something.
"Lady Shion!"
Taruho shouted anxiously.
"I will stay right here. There is no danger to my life."
Taruho had a look of utter disbelief.
At the same time, one of the monsters had already walked up to Ino, who was sitting on the ground and had not yet recovered.
It raised its massive, sharp claw, about to slam it down ruthlessly onto Ino's head.
Seeing that this blow was completely unavoidable.
If Ino were hit by this strike, she would surely die on the spot!
"Ino!"
Sakura ran back desperately, wanting to rescue her companion.
"Ino!"
Hinata also climbed up from the rubble, desperately condensing an arrow, but it was already too late.
Ino raised her head, watching the massive dark shadow loom over her, her eyes filled with despair.
Time seemed to slow down.
She heard her own heart beating like a drum, and she heard the shouts of Sakura and Hinata behind her.
She closed her eyes and murmured:
"I'm sorry, Teacher... I failed to..."
The moment the sharp claw fell.
A figure appeared out of thin air in front of her.
He raised a single hand, steadily catching the massive claw that carried terrifying power.
With a gentle squeeze, the claw emitted the sound of shattering bones.
"I shouldn't be late, right?"
Ino opened her eyes, and through her tear-blurred vision, she saw a familiar back.
Dark casual clothes, with a small pink gourd hanging at his waist.
His black hair fluttered gently in the draft.
"Teacher!"
Gento turned around, looked at Ino whose eyes were red as she sat on the ground, and reached out to gently pat her head.
"You all did well. Next, leave this place to me."
He raised his head, looking at the three hideous monsters in front of him.
The Rinnegan slowly emerged.
"Shinra Tensei!"
An irresistible repulsive force erupted from his palm!
The three monsters, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, flew backward, crashing through the walls and rolling into the courtyard outside the hall.
Their bodies were covered in cracks, black blood trickling out.
Everyone then looked up at the sky outside the hall.
They saw a massive stone sphere hovering high in the air, blotting out the sun.
This was precisely the main body of Moryo and the mastermind named Yomi, whom Gento had sealed using Chibaku Tensei.
Before coming to the Land of Ogres, he had already pinpointed the location of Moryo's seal and acted directly to eliminate the main body.
The remaining lackeys were merely an "exam" he had left for his disciples.
"Teacher... didn't you say you wouldn't accompany us..."
Sakura clutched her injured arm and limped over, her eyes full of resentment.
Gento smiled:
"This is your first time executing an S-rank mission. How could I truly feel at ease letting you go alone?"
Hinata also ran over from afar, her eyes filled with tears:
"Teacher... Ino..."
"I'm fine."
Ino slowly stood up with the help of the wall.
Although her face was pale, life had already returned to her eyes.
She looked at Gento and finally could not hold back.
"Teacher, why did you only get here just now! I almost went to meet the Grim Reaper just then!"
Her voice carried a sob.
Gento was just about to open his mouth to explain, when a cold female voice came from behind him.
"You must be Gento Uchiha."
"I have already seen the future in which you die in battle!"
---
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