Night fell quietly, and darkness swallowed the forest.
With a wave of Asuka's hand, the squad surged forward at high speed toward the Konoha base.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!"
Before Asuka and his team could get close, they were detected by a member of the Hyuga Clan.
As the Hyuga Ninja shouted the warning, Konoha's forces immediately displayed their disciplined training and mobilized.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A blazing fireball burst from a Konoha Ninja's mouth, illuminating the battlefield and exposing Asuka and his squad.
Though the attack caused no casualties, it signaled the start of the battle.
Konoha Ninjas drew their kunai and short swords, charging to intercept the incoming Mist shinobi.
Asuka pulled two bone blades from his forearms and lunged at the nearest opponent.
The bone blade collided with a kunai—shattering it instantly—and continued forward.
Under the horrified gaze of the Konoha Ninja, the blade carved across his chest, killing him on the spot.
"Shikotsumyaku! They're from the Hidden Mist!" the Hyuga Ninja shouted.
"Damn it! How did the Mist get this far in?"
"What are the patrol teams doing?!"
"Stop talking—form up! Don't let them reach the base!"
With the front-line guards buying time, more Konoha Ninjas rushed out from within the base.
A fierce battle erupted.
---
Asuka led from the front, immediately clashing with a Konoha Jonin.
The Jonin wielded a long sword and created two Shadow Clones.
"Konoha Style: Three-Day Crescent Moon Dance!"
The original and his clones coordinated flawlessly, executing a deadly sword formation.
Asuka didn't retreat. He charged straight in.
One clone's blade struck his shoulder cleanly. He didn't even flinch—allowing the sword to remain embedded.
His bone blade flashed forward, destroying the clone instantly.
With a backward kick, he shattered the second clone.
The original Jonin retreated quickly and swung his sword again.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
Compressed wind blades burst forth in a violent wave.
Asuka made no attempt to dodge.
The wind blades sliced into his body, opening deep wounds—white bone briefly visible beneath torn flesh.
But within a second, the injuries healed at a visible rate.
The Jonin's eyes narrowed.
"With that level of regeneration and Shikotsumyaku… you must be Kaguya Asuka of the Hidden Mist. The so-called Undying Asuka."
"You recognized me that quickly. You're no ordinary shinobi either," Asuka replied calmly. "State your name."
"Konoha Jonin, Shirakumo Shinji."
As they spoke, several more Konoha Ninjas arrived beside Shirakumo.
"Be careful. He's Kaguya Asuka—the Undying. His regeneration is monstrous."
"What?! The Undying Asuka?!"
"The Mist sent him to the border?"
They had no time to be shocked.
Asuka vanished with the Body Flicker Technique, reappearing before them as his bone blades howled through the air.
Forewarned, the Konoha Ninjas avoided close combat and instead unleashed a barrage of Ninjutsu.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!"
Multiple elemental techniques converged on him at once.
This time, Asuka chose not to endure the attacks.
"Ninjutsu: Shave."
Inspired by the Six Powers of the Marines, this technique combined chakra reinforcement with his Shikotsumyaku. By reshaping his leg bones into spring-like structures and coating them in chakra, he could launch himself forward with explosive force.
In pure acceleration, it far surpassed the Body Flicker Technique.
His form blurred into a streak.
Before the Ninjutsu could strike, he had already passed through the barrage.
He appeared beside the Konoha group—and activated another ability.
Countless razor-sharp bone spikes erupted from his body in all directions.
Several Konoha Ninjas were pierced instantly, falling lifeless.
The survivors were left gravely wounded.
Shirakumo Shinji, his uniform torn and bloodied, stood tensely with his sword raised.
"Shikotsumyaku can do this? I've never seen other Kaguya use it like this… Did he develop it himself?"
Asuka pressed the advantage, cutting down the wounded shinobi one after another.
Just as he was about to finish the remaining enemies, a shadow stretched across the ground—locking onto his own.
"Capture successful!"
In the distance, a Konoha Ninja with a pineapple-like hairstyle knelt with his hands forming a seal. His shadow connected to Asuka's, immobilizing him.
A massive human "meatball" then hurtled forward at high speed, slamming into Asuka and sending him crashing into the ground.
Dust exploded into the air.
When it settled, Asuka rose calmly, brushing dirt from his clothes.
"Nara… Akimichi…" he muttered, eyeing the newcomers. "It seems Konoha takes this border seriously."
The Akimichi Ninja reverted to normal form, standing protectively before the Nara.
"You Mist aren't bad either," the Nara replied coolly. "Sending someone of your level into the Land of Fire."
More Konoha reinforcements arrived, gradually surrounding Asuka.
Clearly, they understood his threat level.
Asuka glanced around.
Members of Squad Four were injured; several had already fallen. Their numbers had thinned considerably.
The objective—drawing attention—had been accomplished.
If the fight continued, he could break through. But Squad Four would likely be wiped out.
And by now, Mangetsu and Murasaki should have far less pressure on their side.
Decision made, Asuka looked at the Nara.
"We only came to say hello this time. I'm sure we'll meet again. For now… we'll take our leave."
He launched a signal flare into the sky.
Seeing the signal, Squad Four immediately began their retreat.
Konoha realized what was happening.
"Don't let them escape!"
"Chase them!"
As the Konoha Ninjas surged forward, Asuka remained where he stood.
"It would be rude to leave without a farewell gift."
"Shikotsumyaku: Sawarabi no Mai!"
An enormous forest of colossal bone spikes erupted from the earth, spreading across a vast area and forcing the Konoha forces to halt and defend.
Using the chaos to their advantage, Asuka led the Fourth Squad in rapid withdrawal.
The sea of bone bought them valuable time, trapping the majority of Konoha's pursuers.
However—
A handful of Ninjas who avoided the bone field continued chasing after Asuka and his squad…