What's wrong with having a large harem if you're the emperor of the ninja world?

His body trembled violently from extreme shame, anger, and despair.

She awaited the "inspection" of her "sincerity" by the demon behind her.

Di Yan looked at the mature and alluring body before him, which was trembling slightly from humiliation.

A satisfied yet cruel smile finally appeared on his lips.

All roads lead to Rome, and the Han Road is a road too...

……

the other side.

The interior of the Fire Country's palace was even larger and more complex than Asuma had imagined.

But their infiltration went unusually smoothly.

The four people moved quickly by using shadows and blind spots.

They avoided several patrol teams that seemed to have a tight security but always had loopholes to exploit.

They encountered almost no significant obstacles.

In the shadow of a secluded corridor connecting to a palace.

The four stopped for a moment to catch their breath.

Nara Shikamaru's brows were tightly furrowed.

Those usually lazy eyes were now sharply scanning the overly quiet surroundings.

“Something’s not right…” Shikamaru lowered his voice, his tone more serious than ever before, “It’s going too smoothly, so smoothly that it’s unsettling.”

"Wouldn't it be better if things went smoothly, Shikamaru?"

Yamanaka Ino was somewhat puzzled.

She was more worried about finding the teacher as soon as possible, "Maybe there was a gap in their guard duty when they changed shifts, and we just happened to be there?"

"We just hope we can find Kurenai-sensei and Hinata quickly!"

Choji Akimichi nodded and added in a low voice:

"Okay, let's finish the mission as soon as possible so we can go back and have some barbecue..."

But Asma's expression also darkened.

He spat out the unlit cigarette butt he had been holding in his mouth, his sharp eyes scanning the silent corridor, and said in a low voice:

"Shikamaru is right. This is going too smoothly."

"The palace is a highly secure place. Even if there were some oversights in the guards, it's impossible that not a single warning barrier has been triggered and not a single sentry has detected us by now."

"This feeling... doesn't feel like we've infiltrated, it's more like..."

"What does it resemble?" Ino pressed.

"It's like someone deliberately let it in."

Asuma and Shikamaru said almost in unison.

The two looked at each other.

They both saw the unease in each other's eyes.

A chill instantly crept up the spines of the four people.

If this is true.

Then they are not hunters, but prey who have walked into the trap.

at this time.

Asma's extreme anxiety and habit of thinking.

He subconsciously pulled out a cigarette case and a lighter from his ninja tool bag.

His worries over the past few days and the tense atmosphere at the moment made him desperately need nicotine to calm his nerves.

"Crack!"

A soft, crisp sound rang out sharply in the silent corridor!

The flame from the lighter ignited the cigarette.

That tiny, scarlet light suddenly shone in the dim corner.

Like a lighthouse in the dark night!

"teacher!"

Shikamaru was suddenly startled.

It was too late to stop them.

He didn't even have time to activate his shadow imitation technique!

Almost the instant that red light appeared.

"who?"

"There's movement over there!"

"Surround them!"

Sharp shouts suddenly rang out from all directions.

Behind the seemingly empty columns, on the roof, and in the shadows.

Dozens of black-clad ninjas suddenly appeared like ghosts.

They moved swiftly and cooperated seamlessly.

In an instant, all possible escape routes were blocked.

The cold kunai and shuriken gleamed in the dim light.

They surrounded the four of them!

"Oops!"

Asma's lips twitched violently.

He abruptly threw away the cigarette he had just lit, filled with deep regret.

damn it!

How could he make such a basic mistake?

It was all because they were too worried about Hong's safety.

This caused him to become restless and forget even the most basic stealth discipline!

"It's a trap!"

Shikamaru gritted his teeth, his mind racing. "They already spotted us! All that success just now was an illusion!"

"What should we do now?"

Ino and Choji stood back to back in a defensive stance, their faces pale.

Surrounded by so many enemies.

The situation is extremely critical!

"no solution anymore!"

Asma made a decisive decision, his eyes hardening. "Plan C! Break out separately! Meet at the usual spot!"

"Remember, survival comes first; try to avoid a direct confrontation!"

"learn!"

"understand!"

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

The four of them formed hand seals almost simultaneously.

Bang bang bang bang, a burst of white smoke flashed by.

Two shadow clones appeared next to each of the real bodies.

Suddenly, more than a dozen people appeared in the arena with the names "Asuma", "Shikamaru", "Ino", and "Choji".

"Disperse!"

Asma gave the order.

All the shadow clones and the real body rushed off in different directions at the same time.

To try to confuse the enemy and create chaos!

The black-clad ninjas seemed to have anticipated this and remained calm.

The leading ninja snorted coldly:

"A mere trick! Stop them! Capture them alive!"

The battle broke out instantly.

The sounds of kunai colliding, ninjutsu exploding, and angry shouts filled the air.

The shadow clones were repeatedly destroyed, making "bang bang" sounds.

Asuma's true form wields the Flying Swallow Chakra Blade.

They forcibly carved out a path.

Without looking back, they rushed deeper into the palace.

There was only one thought in his mind.

Find red.

We must find her!

Shikamaru used his Shadow Imitation Technique to temporarily control several pursuers and shouted to Ino and Choji:

"Come with me! This way!"

He chose a direction with relatively less resistance.

He attempted to lead his teammates to break through the encirclement.

Ino's mental manipulation techniques constantly attempt to disrupt the enemy's judgment.

Choji uses a technique that partially multiplies the size of the body.

He swept his massive arm across the ground to clear a path for his teammates.

However, the number of black-clad ninjas far exceeded expectations.

Moreover, their teamwork was extremely seamless, and their tactics were highly targeted.

Clearly, they didn't want any of them to leave easily.

This "infiltration" operation.

It turned into a brutal battle to break through from the very beginning.

The three members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio certainly cooperated seamlessly.

However, they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers and the well-prepared black-clad ninjas' siege.

Their formation was quickly broken.

.......

40. Ino and Kurenai; You Shouldn't Have Come

Shouts, the roar of ninjutsu, and the clash of weapons echoed throughout the palace.