Instead, he made an exaggerated gesture of surrender.
His tone was as flippant as if he were playing a game: "Mercy, good sir..."
Asuma frowned deeply.
The feeling that something was wrong in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
But his eagerness to save Yuhi made him disregard everything else.
He said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I do not wish to harm you."
"I only want to know the whereabouts of Kurenai Yuhi and her Team 8!"
"As long as you release them, we will leave immediately and will not touch a single hair on your head!"
"You are still the Emperor of the Land of Fire; we are merely Konoha Ninja."
Di Yan sighed, as if greatly helpless: "Asuma, old classmate, we haven't seen each other for so many years, and the first thing we do is draw swords and guns. How hurtful to our friendship."
"Enough nonsense!"
Asuma tightened his grip slightly, and the blade pressed a bit closer. "I know you are no ordinary Daimyo."
"Yuhi's disappearance is definitely related to you. Tell me their whereabouts!"
"Alas, why don't you believe me?"
Di Yan shook his head. "Whether Yuhi leaves or not is not something I can decide."
"It is she herself... who doesn't want to leave."
"Nonsense!" Asuma didn't believe it at all. "How could Yuhi..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Di Yan gently clapped his hands.
From behind the curtain on one side of the side hall,
a graceful figure slowly emerged.
Long black hair, a mature and cold beauty on her face—it was Kurenai Yuhi!
"Yuhi!"
Asuma was overjoyed to see the person he had longed for appear safely.
But then he noticed Yuhi's unusually cold expression and empty eyes,
as if she were a soulless puppet.
His heart immediately sank.
"Yuhi! Are you alright? Come over here!"
"I'll take you out of here!"
Asuma shouted anxiously.
However, Kurenai Yuhi stood still.
She spoke in a cold and distant tone Asuma had never heard before:
"Leave? Why should I leave?"
"Asuma, you should go. I have decided to stay by His Majesty's side and be his woman."
"In the future... I will be His Majesty's consort."
"Wh-what?!"
Asuma was struck by lightning, completely stunned.
His mind went blank.
"Yuhi! Do you know what you're saying?"
"We just... you clearly promised me..."
He couldn't believe his ears.
This was utterly absurd!
Kurenai Yuhi's eyes flickered slightly.
A hint of struggle seemed to flash.
But it was immediately covered by a deeper coldness.
Her tone was firm, almost cruel: "Those were all false. Asuma, I have never truly liked you."
"Not before, and certainly not in the future."
"Please stop pestering me and leave immediately!"
These words were like the sharpest knives,
gouging fiercely at Asuma's heart!
The immense shock of despondency made Asuma almost lose his grip on the Flying Swallow in his hand.
But he was, after all, an experienced Ninja.
The strong sense of incongruity and his understanding of Yuhi made him instantly sober!
"No! This isn't right! You're not Yuhi! Or rather... you're being controlled!"
"It's a Genjutsu! Di Yan! You bastard! What have you done to Yuhi?!"
Asuma suddenly turned his head, glaring at Di Yan.
The rage in his eyes almost erupted.
He was convinced that Di Yan had used despicable means to control Yuhi's mind!
Anger and worry overwhelmed all reason.
Asuma's wrist suddenly exerted force.
The sharp edge of the Chakra Blade was about to cut Di Yan's skin.
"Release your Genjutsu immediately! Otherwise..."
However, just as he exerted force,
a sudden change occurred!
The playful smile on Di Yan's lips vanished instantly.
It was replaced by a cold indifference that looked down upon the world.
In his eyes, an eerie crimson glow suddenly ignited.
The pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan instantly appeared!
Buzz... A vast, cold, and ominous Chakra erupted from Di Yan's body like a volcanic explosion.
This Chakra instantly materialized,
forming a translucent, black, skeletal armor, as if from the netherworld,
firmly enveloping half of Di Yan's body!
Clang... Asuma's certain strike landed on the suddenly appearing black skeletal armor.
It actually produced a huge clang of metal striking metal.
Sparks flew.
And that seemingly fragile skeletal armor remained motionless,
without even a single scratch.
Instead, Asuma felt as if he had struck an incredibly hard mountain.
The enormous Recoil force caused his tiger's mouth to split open.
His entire arm was sore and numb!
"What?"
Asuma's pupils dilated in shock, his eyes filled with incredible horror.
What on earth was this thing?
Chakra Armor?
How could there be such incredibly hard Chakra Armor?
"Isn't this like trying to stab a Susanoo with a kunai?"
"Asuma, your sense of humor is still so unique."
Di Yan's cold voice rang out, with a hint of mockery.
The black skeletal armor covering his upper body instantly extended and expanded.
A gigantic black skeletal arm, entirely composed of this ominous Chakra, suddenly formed.
With terrifying power that could crush everything,
it swung fiercely towards Asuma, who was close at hand, like swatting a fly!
Too fast!
Too strong!
Completely beyond Asuma's reaction limit!
"Bang..."
A dull thud!
Asuma couldn't even make a blocking motion.
He was like a person hit head-on by a high-speed battering ram.
Blood instantly gushed from his mouth, and the crisp sound of breaking ribs was clearly audible.
The Flying Swallow in his hand flew out.
His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string,
crashing heavily against a distant palace stone pillar!
"Boom!"
The stone pillar cracked into countless fissures upon impact.
Asuma slumped to the ground, spitting out another mouthful of blood.
His vision blurred.
His entire body ached so much he felt like he was falling apart!
He struggled to lift his head.
He looked forward with blurred vision.
The horror in his eyes reached its peak!
Di Yan was still sitting calmly on the main seat.
His body was enveloped by a faint, yet despair-inducing, black skeletal frame.
Deep red light burned in the eye sockets of the skull,
like a demon god from the underworld!
"This... What kind of power is this...?"