The moment Yue entered the council hall, he stared at the shrine maiden like a pig who had just discovered treasure.
He was certain—absolutely certain—
this was the most beautiful woman he had seen since arriving in this world.
Miroku wore a black ceremonial robe, with long brown hair, soft lavender eyes, and skin pale as fresh snow.
But above all—
that noble aura.
She was basically the perfect high-born goddess:
fair skin, beautiful face, long legs…
a top-tier rich, elegant beauty.
Yue felt himself falling in love on the spot.
Of course love would come—his mental age was over twenty, after all.
Why shouldn't he crave romance?
Even Naruto kept licking Sakura's boots until the very end before finding true love.
By Yue's guess, Miroku looked around twenty.
Totally fine.
After all—
"A woman three years older is a golden brick.
A woman thirty years older gives you a kingdom.
Three hundred years older, she gives you immortality.
Three thousand years older, she ascends you to the heavens."
And this woman was the No. 2 figure of an entire country?
He was already in love.
This kingdom… belongs to me now.
"Mōryō's true body is in the Land of Swamps. I need you to escort me there so I may seal it," Miroku said calmly.
Just hearing her voice sent a shiver through Yue.
Even her voice was beautiful.
He immediately drifted into daydreams of how to win her over—
until Shisui elbowed him sharply.
Miroku soon ordered the group to depart.
With twelve elite samurai and the Konoha trio, they escaped the city through a hidden passage toward the Land of Swamps.
Suddenly—
the ground roared and shook.
A massive Earth Release erupted beneath their feet.
The ground split, earth walls shot upward, and in a blink, most of the elite samurai were wiped out.
Yue seized the moment, darting forward.
He scooped Miroku into a princess carry and stepped lightly across the rising earth walls.
"Wow… she smells amazing…"
Still holding her, he inhaled her delicate scent shamelessly.
A massive water dragon suddenly lunged toward them.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!"
A blazing dragon shot from Shisui's mouth, colliding with the water dragon.
Steam exploded around them.
Shisui drew his sword.
"Yue! Take Miroku and go! Yamato and I will handle the enemies!"
"Got it."
Yue set Miroku down, nodded, and said, "Be careful! Miroku, get on my back—hold tight."
He carried her and sprinted deep into the forest, feeling the soft warmth pressing against his back, sending his heart fluttering.
"Miroku, do you… have a boyfriend?" Yue suddenly blurted.
The shrine maiden froze.
Of all questions during a life-and-death chase—
this child actually asked that?
"…No," she answered after a pause.
Yue nearly exploded with joy.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you! All you need to do is focus on sealing Mōryō!"
Miroku still didn't understand why this eleven- or twelve-year-old boy suddenly looked so happy upon hearing she had no boyfriend.
She didn't even consider the possibility that he was hitting on her.
But she nodded politely.
"Thank you."
Yue—body age eight, mind age twenty-plus—felt his heart thumping like crazy.
He was already plotting how to win this goddess over.
A shadow suddenly dropped from the sky, smashing the ground with a punch and leaving a huge crater.
"I am Asura, under Lord Mōryō! Put down the woman and I shall spare your life!"
Yue's expression darkened.
The arrogance made his hair stand on end.
Name sounds cool. Still just a disposable minion.
Chakra surged around him.
He tapped his foot lightly.
The ground shattered—
his crater twice as large as Asura's.
"Listen up," Yue said coldly.
"Nobodies shouldn't talk.
Trash like you isn't even worthy of having a name."
With Body Flicker, he appeared in front of Asura and punched him full-force—
sending him flying hundreds of meters, smashing trees and rock walls all the way.
Without even looking at the result, Yue turned and prepared to continue onward with Miroku.
"This is how a man should act—domineering and cool."
But after a few steps—
A monstrous roar erupted.
Asura transformed, his body coated in thick stone armor.
Yue's smile froze.
This was his first time seeing someone survive his full-power punch.
Wasn't I supposed to be One Punch Man here? Why isn't this following the script?
No time to complain.
Yue dodged Asura's next strike, leaping high, delivering a spinning kick to the monster's head.
Asura merely tilted his head—barely affected.
He raised his massive stone arm.
Several stone spikes burst forth.
Midair and unable to reposition, Yue was struck.
A spike pierced straight through his left shoulder.
Pain exploded across his body.
Blood sprayed.
His shoulder blade was completely penetrated.
He grabbed the spike with his right hand and used the force to flip down to the ground.
"You mother—!!" Yue snarled.
Rage boiled inside him.
This was the worst injury he'd suffered since arriving in this world.
This stupid side character wasn't following the damn script!
Enough talking.
He was done.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon!"
A massive wooden dragon erupted from the earth, roaring as it coiled around Asura.
This time, Yue's wooden dragon could absorb chakra—strengthening itself while draining its target.
"Wood Release: Hundred Wood Strikes!"
Countless wooden pillars burst from the earth, smashing into Asura like a barrage of fists.
His stone armor shattered under the relentless pounding.
The strikes continued until Asura was pulverized into nothing but debris.
Only then did the technique end.
"Huff…" Yue exhaled heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead—
partly from the pain in his shoulder, partly from burning almost all his chakra on those two big techniques.
"Let's go. We need to find a place to rest so I can treat this wound."
"…Mm."
Seeing Yue obliterate the monster so swiftly, Miroku felt much safer than before.
Yue carried her again, leaving chakra markers along the way so Shisui and Yamato could find them.
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