"Uchiha, you find a way to hold him off; I'll provide cover."
"Understood."
Naraku responded, activating his Three-Tomoe Sharingan again.
He swiftly used the Body Flicker Technique to catch up to the target, forming hand signs mid-stride.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Net!"
The giant net made of electrical arcs was incredibly fast, instantly enveloping Yun Muyan's head.
The blood in the rogue's hand transformed into a long blade, which he used to cut an opening and leap out.
The next instant, he was surrounded by shuriken burning with intense flames, closing in from all directions.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire!"
"Secret Technique: Crimson Claws!"
Yun Muyan didn't have the dynamic vision of the Sharingan, so he couldn't deflect them one by one.
With his range of movement restricted, he had no choice but to expel more blood from his body to form a defensive shell.
The moment metal and dark blood collided, there were no sparks or grating friction.
There was only the faint, viscous sound of corroding blades, drowned out by the hiss of extinguishing flames.
A moment later, the disfigured throwing weapons were bounced away, embedding themselves into the ground like falling petals.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
While the target was stationary, Shimura Ro created a series of towering earth walls.
They enclosed a large area, effectively isolating the three of them within the stone perimeter.
Seeing his hope of escape cut off, Yun Muyan's eyes filled with murderous intent.
Since so much blood had already been wasted, he decided to fight with everything he had left.
"Blood Style: Dark Blood Manipulation!"
Blood needles, larger and thicker than before, gathered around Yun Muyan like a flock of birds.
They swirled around him with a rustling sound before shooting toward Naraku and Shimura Ro.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Shimura Ro's defense was timely, but its solidity was far inferior to his previous efforts.
Several blood needles managed to break through the stone.
Naraku casually deflected the stragglers with a kunai.
However, he saw Shimura Ro clutch his arm and stumble back, looking as if he had been hit.
He's starting his act already, isn't he? Does he have to make it so obvious?
Just as he was grumbling to himself, Naraku saw countless blood needles bypass the earth wall from above and the sides.
They converged into a magnificent crimson python that lunged at him.
He dodged the blood python's charge.
Behind him, Shimura Ro used his "injury" as an excuse to become increasingly uncooperative.
His Earth Style attacks against Yun Muyan grew weaker and slower, putting Naraku in a perilous situation.
Yun Muyan noticed the shift as well.
Driven by his will to survive, he relentlessly pursued Naraku alone.
Trying to let the enemy wear me down? It's a decent plan.
Naraku deliberately put on a look of desperation while drawing a spare short blade.
He slid his finger across the steel, filling the blade with dense sealing formulas.
Holding the blade in a reverse grip, he formed hand signs and cast his next jutsu.
"Lightning Style: Myriad Lightning Kill!"
Dozens of thick lightning bolts erupted from beneath his feet.
They pierced into the clouds, spanning nearly a hundred meters and dancing wildly around Naraku.
The attack was completely indiscriminate, turning any blood needle that touched the lightning snakes into ash.
Seeing this, Yun Muyan immediately retracted his blood needles, but Naraku was already finishing his next set of signs.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation Arrow!"
Blazing flames condensed into nearly ten giant arrows, breaking through all obstacles as they shot toward Yun Muyan.
The rogue dodged the first and second, but the third grazed his arm, and the fourth sliced across his thigh.
The remaining arrows engulfed him completely in a pillar of fire.
By the time Naraku dispersed the smoke and closed in, Yun Muyan was no longer able to activate his secret techniques.
Only a few small blood blades floated weakly around his body.
Naraku easily swept them aside, plunging his blade into the man's abdomen and pinning him to the ground.
Runes began to unfold and spread across the dirt from the point of impact, firmly locking the rogue's limbs.
"This is... Konoha's Uchiha...?"
Yun Muyan's vision gradually darkened.
With his last bit of sight, he looked at the young ninja who seemed less than ten years old.
He realized that his previous twenty years of life had been like looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.
This was true innate talent.
But even if he's a genius, what then? His own companion wants to use my hands to kill him.
The whole world is just like the Yun Mu... filthy...
Yun Muyan closed his eyes, completely losing consciousness.
Naraku panted heavily and released his grip on the hilt.
Black Zetsu was very close, lurking right under a tree not far away.
But someone was even closer.
With the enemy no longer able to resist, Shimura Ro would have to finish the job himself.
As soon as Naraku stood up, numerous earth spears suddenly shot out from the ground beneath him.
He cooperatively retreated, twisting his body at the last moment.
He allowed the sharp blade stabbing from behind to graze his lung as it passed through his chest.
"Cough... cough..."
He spat out blood, turning to see the face of his attacker.
He asked with an expression of pure disbelief, "W-why... Captain...?"
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun in his crimson eyes.
Cursed seals shot out from beneath his forehead protector, wrapping around his body to suppress his rampaging pupil power.
"Go to hell and ask the Reaper, Uchiha!"
Shimura Ro roared his malicious curse and tried to twist the blade.
At that moment, Naraku's pupil power ran wild, forcefully operating despite the seals.
Against the backdrop of eyes filled with blood and tears, the tomoe transformed into a beautiful black pattern of intertwined crescents.
A giant, pure white skeletal frame emerged around his body.
The boiling, violent chakra stirred up a sandstorm, fiercely sending Shimura Ro flying.
The surge destroyed everything in its path, obscuring the sky.
The fierce airflow carried lightning and fire, pulverizing the thick Earth-Style Walls that had surrounded them.
"Why... why...!!!"
Huge bony arms swept wildly, pounding the earth.
The violent tremors caused the entire cliff to crack and collapse.
Rocks and earth shattered, falling piece by piece into the turbulent river below the abyss.
The bloodline sickness struck fiercely.
Naraku coughed up large mouthfuls of blood as his vision repeatedly darkened.
It was time for Black Zetsu to come and "save" the corpse.
Naraku staggered toward the cliff.
He controlled the Susanoo's arms to slam heavily into the ground, smashing off the remaining ledge.
He fell into the abyss along with the debris.
On the other side, Yagyu had been restrained by Might Duy, his limbs broken.
Unfortunately, even though Naraku's clone had used the Cellular Extraction Jutsu, it was ultimately to no avail.
Zuo Tang had barely regained consciousness and was grieving Yagyu's departure.
The moment the tremors arrived, the Shadow Clone looked up at Might Duy.
"Senior Dai... my main body... seems to be..."
The Shadow Clone disappeared with a "pop" before it could finish the sentence.
"Naraku!" Might Duy immediately jumped up.
"Something must have happened over there!" Zuo Tang struggled to sit up, urging him repeatedly.
"Duy, go quickly! The Captain and the others need your help!"
"Alright!"
Might Duy quickly helped Zuo Tang hide in a concealed spot, leaving all his explosive tags behind.
"Be careful!"
He immediately opened the Fourth Gate and rushed toward the source of the tremors.
When he reached the edge of the cliff, he witnessed the final collapse of the terrain.
He managed to catch one last glimpse of Naraku's clothing before the boy was swallowed by the falling earth and disappeared into the depths.