Chapter 120 – Bear with it, this will hurt.
The two of them met up in Yakumo Kurama's room.
Be careful—her genjutsu is fearsome.
Naruto warned.
In the original story Yakumo's illusions were compared to the Uchiha's Izanagi.
Hinata nodded solemnly.
She activated her Byakugan and nocked an arrow.
She couldn't afford to embarrass herself in front of the boy she liked.
Naruto pushed the door open.
It was a studio.
Canvases of every kind lined the walls.
Yet the place was drenched in gloom; every curtain was drawn, not a sliver of sunlight inside.
First-rate ground for raising ghosts.
Naruto shook his head—no wonder things had gone wrong.
You could film a spirit leaping straight out of a painting here, no CGI needed.
He looked toward Yakumo.
She was painting.
The subject: Kurenai Yuhi, a crimson lance driven through her heart.
Some purple girl somewhere hit "like."
Hearing the noise, Yakumo turned—only to find it wasn't Kurenai.
Who are you people?
She spent her days shut indoors; she didn't recognize Naruto or Hinata.
Naruto didn't answer.
The painting told him Yakumo had already decided to strike at Kurenai.
Does Konoha have some tradition of teacher-killing?
Several master–student pairs had already tried to murder each other.
Honestly, after his own social death he'd toyed with the same idea.
Better not take disciples from now on.
Yakumo's brows drew together.
What was wrong with these two?
They barged in and stayed silent.
She flicked her brush without hesitation.
Naruto's right arm vanished.
He blinked—no pain; otherwise he'd have yelled, "Ah, my kingly power!"
Kurama in the Sealing Space kicked him out.
Naruto snapped free of the illusion.
A bit much, Big Fox.
Hinata, I'm fine—cover me.
Naruto drew the Yama Blade.
His Fire God Kagura was deadly to spirits.
Naturally he'd be the main DPS while Hinataplayed sub-DPS and support.
Hinata drew her bow, arrow trained on Yakumo.
Naruto slashed.
Flames lit the gloomy studio at once.
A genjutsu Ninja like Yakumo is terrifying—until you break her spell; then she's useless.
Unless it was Uchiha Itachi.
But he wasn't pure genjutsu.
Yakumo's eyes widened—her illusions had never failed before.
She could turn illusions real, but only if the target was caught.
Was she about to die?
With genjutsu useless she was helpless.
Just then, a pair of merciless iron hands reached from a canvas behind her and clamped the Yama Blade.
"Haha! I'm free—aaaah!"
Ido, ready to celebrate, caught the stench of burning flesh.
She shrieked and let go of the blade.
Naruto watched Ido fling her hands about and couldn't help grinning.
My blade's coated in poison.
Courtesy of Fire God Kagura.
Yakumo recoiled at the sudden change.
The canvases trembled.
Ido crawled out.
Long hair, hideous face, two horns on her head.
Naruto had three words.
Eye-searing.
Even Sadako, fan of crawling through TVs, wasn't this ugly.
At least you could reluctantly fap to Sadako.
"Who are you?"
Yakumo stared at the thing shielding her.
"I'm you—the you inside your heart."
Ido glared at the blade, remembering the grudge.
Her tiny brain couldn't fathom why she was burning.
In her world she was invincible.
"Impossible!"
Yakumo broke.
Too ugly—rejected!
She refused to believe this monster was her.
"Hmph, look at you, weakling. Merge with me and you'll be a mighty Ninja."
Ido's long tongue flicked in temptation.
Naruto scanned the space.
Since Ido appeared, the studio had vanished.
A galaxy stretched overhead instead.
Brilliant starlight dazzled the eye.
Yakumo wavered.
She was an artist who loved beauty.
But Ido was hideous.
Given the choice, she'd rather pick the cute boy in front of her.
Ido felt insulted.
She'd traded looks for power.
When Yakumo stayed silent, Ido roared, "Then I'll devour you!"
Naruto whistled—hard-core fusion.
Malice rolled through the galaxy; a cold wind swirled.
Ido's hair whipped upward as she lunged at Yakumo.
Naruto swung again.
Vertical cut.
Sun Breathing, Second Form: Heavenly Turquoise!
Flames lit the galaxy once more.
This time the range was wider.
The very space around Ido began collapsing.
To sum it up: that strike pierced the stars.
"Impossible!"
Ido howled, "I'm invincible!"
She shrieked again.
Focused on the little loli, she took the full force of the slash.
Clothes and skin charred black.
Ugly to begin with, now she looked half-dead.
Finally she realized the blade was cursed.
Flames erupted from her, turning into tendrils.
Whirling Fire Cyclone!
She went all-out.
The galaxy spun madly, friction sparking fire.
To the two little lolis, Hinata and Yakumo, it felt like the sky was falling.
Naruto chose Sun Breathing, Thirteenth Form.
As the saying goes: nothing can't be solved with one sword-slash.
If there is, use two.
This move, like Stephen Chow's Dragon-subduing Palms, cycles the first twelve forms—then unleashes the thirteenth.
Translation: you think it's one slash? It's thirteen in one.
"It'll hurt a bit—bear with me."
Naruto smiled gently.
Ido was ugly, but he was kind.
His target: her two horns.
The first two strikes lopped them off.
Ido's shrieks rose in pitch.
Even Yakumo pitied her.
The remaining ten strokes followed.
Wave after wave of flame, layer upon layer.
Technique and posture no longer mattered.
Ido couldn't endure.
Her world shrank to that single great sword.
Her body faded, along with her dream of fusing with Yakumo.
The universe split apart, stars flying in every direction.
From outside it looked like a sphere shooting ten beams of light.
Ido's screams finally ceased.
She was gone.
In her last instant the wraith had one thought: what the hell was that?
Naruto twirled the two curved horns, satisfied.
Yakumo the little loli shivered at his blood-splattered grin.
Hinata the little loli trembled too—not from fear, but because his coolness had melted her legs.
Beauty is in the lover's eye.
Naruto might not be Xi Shi, but he could pass for Pan An.