The three of them sprinted in the direction the white wolf had fled. Normally, there was no way they could catch up with a creature as swift as that. But now, with a wounded hind leg, the wolf's speed had dropped significantly—giving Gekkō Hoshiyomi's team a fighting chance.
Trailing the scattered drops of blood on the ground, they pursued it deep into the forest.
The white wolf had no time to tend to its wounds. The constant motion only worsened the bleeding, and its strength was clearly waning. As Hoshiyomi closed the distance, the wolf turned to glare at them and let out a low, warning howl.
But the trio didn't flinch. They halted just outside the wolf's striking range, drawing their weapons as the standoff began.
Kurenai Shinku knew his genjutsu wouldn't work on a high-level ninja beast, so he hung back, ready to provide long-range support. His throwing skills weren't to be underestimated—he'd pulled Hoshiyomi and Hatake Sakumo out of tight spots with his precise aim more than once.
Hoshiyomi and Sakumo exchanged a glance, then advanced in unison to engage the wolf in close combat.
This was their first battle against a ninja beast, and they quickly realized it was nothing like fighting humans. The wolf's enormous size, sharp claws, and fang-filled maw made for a chaotic, brutal fight.
Despite its injuries, the beast had at least chunin-level strength. Without Sakumo and Shinku backing him up, Hoshiyomi wouldn't have stood a chance.
Thankfully, with the three of them working in tandem—and the wolf already wounded—the balance quickly tipped in their favor.
On the surface, the white wolf appeared to be getting overwhelmed. In truth, it was biding its time, calculating its next move.
Blood loss was catching up to it fast; dizziness clouded its vision. It couldn't afford to let the three wear it down any further. It had to take one of them out.
Suddenly, it roared and swiped at Hoshiyomi's head with a wind-splitting strike of its paw.
Those deadly claws sent chills down Hoshiyomi's spine. One solid hit would split his skull open—he wouldn't even have time to scream.
But retreating now would be suicide. He knew the wolf would pounce on a fleeing target. Gritting his teeth, he countered with his blade: Crescent Moon Slash.
Shhhk!
The sacred Gekkō clan blade tore a bloody gash across the wolf's foreleg. Blood sprayed, but the beast's massive strength reverberated through Hoshiyomi's arm, sending a painful jolt through his palm.
Even with a superior weapon, Hoshiyomi's hand throbbed and bled, his grip faltering.
Sakumo saw the wolf stagger and instinctively moved in to finish it off, thrusting his White Fang forward.
But the wolf's eyes flashed with cunning.
Hoshiyomi's instincts screamed. "Sakumo, watch out!"
Too late.
The wolf's tail, which had been hanging limp, suddenly lashed out like a whip, curling around Sakumo's guard and smashing into his chest.
The blow sent him flying, slamming him against a nearby tree. He gasped and coughed up blood.
As the wolf turned to follow up the attack, jaws wide open to finish Sakumo off, two perfectly aimed shuriken cut through the air—forcing it to halt.
Shinku's intervention had come just in time.
"Check on Sakumo!" Hoshiyomi shouted, eyes burning with fury. "Leave this bastard to me!"
Shinku nodded and sprinted toward Sakumo.
The wolf wasn't done yet. It turned again, intent on lunging at both of them—until Hoshiyomi stepped in with another slash, despite the torn flesh in his hand.
The strike wasn't lethal, but it left a red gash across the wolf's cheek.
Infuriated, the beast howled and lunged again, swiping with its remaining foreleg.
This time, Hoshiyomi didn't risk taking the hit.
Poof!
A burst of smoke revealed a wooden log in his place.
Substitution Jutsu. Hoshiyomi had prepared the hand signs earlier, just in case.
The wolf stopped short, puzzled, sniffing at the ground. But Hoshiyomi's blood still lingered in the air. The beast followed the scent.
Hoshiyomi, hidden in a patch of shrubbery, held his breath.
The wolf crept closer, inch by inch.
Then—silver light flashed.
Crescent Moon Slash.
The wolf rolled aside, narrowly evading the crescent slash. But in the same moment, it counterattacked.
Its razor-sharp claw came crashing down—
—and hit Hoshiyomi square in the chest.
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