The Golden Horn, Kinkaku, had finally been sealed in the Amber Purifying Pot!
Suddenly, a wave of cheers echoed across the battlefield.
Chōji plopped down on the surface of the sea, panting heavily. "Oh man… it's finally over. I'm sweating bullets—I probably lost weight!"
Shikamaru snorted. "Yeah, right. You're still the same size."
Ino smiled, wiping sweat from her forehead. "You were scared, but you still fought bravely, Chōji. You did great."
Just then, Shikaku Nara reconnected with them telepathically through Inoichi's Mind Transmission technique.
"Shikamaru, the plan was executed flawlessly," Shikaku said calmly.
Choza Akimichi, who was also linked via the communication channel, added, "Chōji, good job."
Inoichi smiled in the mindspace. "Ino, your Mind Transfer Jutsu—both casting and release speed—has improved tremendously. You've matured a lot."
SWOOSH!
Tsunade landed nearby, stepping through the receding mist with a warm expression.
"Well done. All three of you," she praised with a smile.
Receiving recognition from both their village's Hokage and their own parents filled them with pride. Their confidence was soaring.
At that moment, Kitsuchi, commander of the Second Division, called out, "Units 6 through 10, evacuate the wounded to the rear unit! Everyone else, follow me—we're mopping up the remaining White Zetsu!"
With that, Kitsuchi led a force to begin clearing the battlefield and surround the remaining enemies along the shoreline.
Nearby, Darui was kneeling beside the Amber Purifying Pot, staring at it thoughtfully.
"Hmph... The Golden Rope that forces enemies to speak has been sealed with Kinkaku. That means the Seven Star Sword and Crimson Gourd are practically useless now. But… huh?"
Darui looked up.
"Hey, isn't that… the Banana Palm Fan?"
Far away, under a crumbling cliff, Tenten had just discovered a large fan glimmering under debris. Her eyes lit up in surprise.
Meanwhile, Tsunade turned back to the Ino–Shika–Chō trio and crossed her arms.
"Don't stand around basking in victory. There's still another threat nearby. I'll leave this one to you three."
Shikamaru was momentarily startled. Another enemy? One that warranted all three of them?
No time to question it. They obeyed immediately.
"Let's go!" Shikamaru barked, leading the way with Ino and Chōji at his side.
They sprinted across the water toward the direction Tsunade had indicated.
Suddenly—WHOOSH!—a wall of fire erupted before them, belching smoke into the sky.
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "This Jutsu... I know it too well!"
They leapt from the water onto solid terrain. The moment they landed, a horrifying sight greeted them—scattered bodies of allied shinobi. The blood was still fresh.
From the heart of the firestorm, a silhouette stepped out—calm, steady... and familiar.
Shikamaru's pupils trembled. He broke into a cold sweat.
"No… it can't be…"
Chōji gasped, voice trembling. "Asuma-sensei?!"
At that moment, Shikaku reconnected with the trio through Inoichi's link.
"Shikamaru, Chōji, Ino—pull yourselves together. You were once Team 10. You knew Asuma better than anyone. Tsunade and I agreed—you're the best ones to face him."
Chōji's voice cracked. "But… he's our teacher…"
Shikaku's voice was firm. "This is war. And Asuma is gone. That man in front of you is being controlled by forbidden Jutsu. He's a weapon now. If you don't stop him, he'll keep killing. Look around you!"
The trio turned. The battlefield around them was chaotic—screams, blood, and corpses everywhere.
Shikamaru clenched his teeth. "Listen up. Asuma-sensei… is dead."
Chōji and Ino froze.
"As his students, we have to inherit his will. You remember what he said? That we have to protect the 'King'—the future of the village. The children."
Shikamaru's eyes darkened. "This war is about protecting the entire shinobi world's future. That's exactly what Asuma-sensei stood for. And now he's being used against his will. We're the only ones who can stop him."
"Ino, Chōji—let's go."
—
Not far away, Asuma had been fighting another three-man team—one from Kumogakure, one from Iwagakure, and one from Konoha.
They had coordinated their attacks well. Asuma had been blasted by explosive tags, pinned down, and stabbed with kunai before he could fully regenerate.
"Sensei… I'll stop you here," said the Konoha shinobi solemnly.
Asuma nodded slightly. "You fought well, especially for a temporary squad. Try to seal me while you still can."
The Konoha shinobi prepared to regroup, but the Kumogakure member cursed, "Damn sealing squad ran off again!"
"Let's go!" the Konoha shinobi barked.
Asuma jumped off a cliff to disengage.
"You're not getting away!" the Iwagakure shinobi shouted.
They gave chase—but as they descended the cliff, Asuma unleashed a technique.
"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!"
A thick cloud of black ash exploded outward.
The Konoha shinobi's eyes widened. "Wait—that's…!"
The Kumogakure shinobi frowned. "Smoke? Just a diversion?"
Too late. A single spark from Asuma's mouth ignited the entire field.
BOOM!
The explosion roared through the ravine.
Asuma's face twisted in guilt. There were Konoha shinobi among those flames. As the Third Hokage's son, this was unbearable.
But then—
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah… thanks a lot."
"No problem."
The voices startled Asuma.
As the flames dispersed, six figures emerged from the smoke—the three-man team had been saved.
Shikamaru stood ahead, his shadow attached to theirs.
He'd used Shadow Imitation Jutsu to yank all three away from the explosion.
Asuma's eyes widened. "Shikamaru…?"
The young Nara stepped forward. "You three, support other battle zones. We'll handle Asuma-sensei."
Understanding dawned on the Konoha ninja. "Right. Good luck."
The three-man team retreated.
Asuma smiled. "Nice work, Shikamaru. You saved them… I didn't have to kill anyone."
Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino stood before their teacher, serious and determined.
This was the first time they had ever stood against Asuma.
"We're ready," Shikamaru said quietly. "So… please, sensei. You get ready too."
Asuma gazed at them in silence for a moment… then his expression softened.
"Chōji. Ino. Shikamaru… you've really grown up."
At those words, all three students faltered.
The strong fronts they had maintained cracked.
Tears brimmed in Ino's eyes. Chōji's lower lip quivered. Even Shikamaru had to bite his cheek to keep from crying.
But he steeled himself and spoke.
"Chōji! Ino! Don't disgrace your sensei's teachings—stop him!"
The three burst into motion.
Asuma drew his Chakra Blades, his eyes somber but fierce.
"Alright," he said softly. "Let me see just how far the new generation of Ino–Shika–Chō has come."
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