Chapter 329: The Power of the Stars

"Damn it..."

"It's that woman, Natsuhi!!"

At this moment, Akahoshi, standing aside clutching his chest after being heavily injured, seemed to recognize the identity of the person. Without waiting for the surrounding ninjas to stop him, he directly used Body Flicker Jutsu and rushed in.

"Yu-sama, should we go in too?!"

Seeing the situation change before them, Haku beside Yu quietly asked for his permission.

"No need. We just need to watch quietly from the sidelines," Yu replied softly, raising his hand to stop the person beside him from rushing in. In his deep and clear eyes, a faint light flickered.

"Hoshikage-sama!!"

"When Hotarubi and I left the village, you said you would forever seal away the 'star.' We agreed to hand over the 'star' to you and hide in the shadows to protect the village. Are you intending to break your promise now?!"

An angry question rang out. All the ninjas present saw the Third Hoshikage emerge from the huge wooden house, facing off with another ninja using the Mysterious Peacock Method.

They saw the mysterious ninja, who had just used the Mysterious Peacock Method to transform into four pairs of wings and fly into the wooden house, had already removed the gas mask, revealing a head of dark purple-red long hair and a beautiful appearance, unexpectedly a female ninja!

"That person is... Mom?!"

After seeing the appearance of the female ninja in the house, the young Sumaru standing outside the house was completely stunned.

In his memory from childhood to adulthood, his parents had already executed missions and sacrifices when he was very young. He would only occasionally see his mother in his dreams. But he had not expected that this female ninja who suddenly appeared in front of him would give him such a familiar feeling.

"Don't be silly, Natsuhi! Do you know who the young man standing outside is?"

Inside the wooden house, facing the stern questioning of the female ninja in front of him, the Third Hoshikage tightly grasped a small sphere emitting a mysterious faint purple chakra at all times.

"Scarlet Yu! If we don't hand over the 'star' to him, what if he decides to do something that could destroy our entire Star Ninja Village?"

"Scarlet Yu? The ninja who is said to stand against tens of thousands..."

Upon hearing the Third Hoshikage's rebuttal, the female ninja who confronted him inside the house with the Mysterious Peacock Method was suddenly stunned.

Although she and her husband, Hotarubi, had abandoned their child Sumaru and hidden in the shadows to silently protect the Star Ninja Village over the years, she had evidently heard of Scarlet Yu's reputation and knew full well what that concept implied.

"That inconspicuous little sphere..."

"Is it the meteorite that fell from outer space to the Star Ninja Village two hundred years ago..."

Ignoring the gaze of Natsuhi, the female ninja in the house that was fixating on him, Yu's eyes fell on the mysterious sphere that the Third Hoshikage tightly held in his hand. Using Observation Haki, he indeed sensed a completely unfamiliar and peculiar energy reaction emanating from it.

"Go to hell! You old bastard!!"

Just as it seemed the treasured possession of the Star Ninja Village was about to fall into Yu's hands through the Third Hoshikage, a sudden change occurred.

While the Third Hoshikage was engaged in a standoff with the female ninja Natsuhi, using the Mysterious Peacock Method to try and persuade her with words, a resentful voice suddenly came from behind the wooden house. A sharp Kunai stabbed directly through his body from behind!

"Hoshikage-sama?!"

Seeing the sudden turn of events before them, all the ninjas from the Star Ninja Village were stunned, including Natsuhi, who was confronting the Third Hoshikage.

"Akahoshi... It's you, the traitor?!"

The Third Hoshikage, who was over a hundred years old and struggling, finally turned his head and indeed saw Akahoshi's face filled with resentment and greed.

Up until now, only three people had mastered the Mysterious Peacock Method to its highest level: the current Natsuhi before him, Natsuhi's husband Hotarubi, who had passed away due to the influence of the meteorite, and the current Third Hoshikage.

Although the Mysterious Peacock Method is powerful and versatile, its only drawback is that during the technique, the practitioner's observational awareness of their surroundings decreases, leaving them vulnerable to close-range attacks. This is why Akahoshi, who also practices the Mysterious Peacock Method, was able to seize the opportunity to ambush him.

"Whether it's you, Natsuhi, or even that Scarlet Yu... in the end, the 'star' can only belong to me alone!!"

After ambushing and killing the Third Hoshikage from behind, Akahoshi appeared behind him and snatched the meteorite tightly held in his hand. His face twisted with insane greed, he exclaimed, "I will fully integrate with this power! I will make the Star Ninja Village surpass the five great ninja nations! Hahahaha!!"

Amidst his maniacal laughter, before the surrounding Star Ninjas could react, Akahoshi forcefully embedded the mysterious meteorite into the center of his own chest.

"Yu-sama! That guy has taken away the meteorite!!"

Witnessing the sudden turn of events, Yu remained composed, but Haku beside him was visibly anxious.

"Don't worry, I just happen to want to see what kind of effect that piece of junk rock can achieve..."

Comforting the restless Haku and Kimimaro beside him, Yu looked calmly at the unfolding events before him. All of this was deliberately allowed by him.

"Damn it... Akahoshi, you traitor!!"

"You killed Hoshikage-sama! Give back the 'star' to me!!"

Seeing Akahoshi ambush and kill Third Hoshikage from behind, seizing the treasured meteorite of the Star Ninja Village, Natsuhi inside the wooden house suddenly emitted a massive faint purple chakra, transforming into a beam of light and rushing forward!

"Hahahaha!!"

"I have already merged with the 'star'! You are no longer my match, Natsuhi!!"

Originally not a match for Natsuhi, Akahoshi, facing her charging towards him, burst into maniacal laughter and erupted with a monstrous faint purple chakra all over his body. He directly destroyed the entire huge wooden house, violently sending Natsuhi flying out!

"This... is the feeling of having power... It's truly amazing..."

Continuously emanating an immensely large faint purple chakra, Akahoshi, now fused with the meteorite embedded in the center of his chest, had transformed into a monstrous figure, his grimacing face filled with endless greed and ambition.

"As long as I merge with the 'star'... none of the Five Great Nations, none of the Five Great Ninja Villages, will be able to match me!!"

"Oh no... His chakra and Mysterious Peacock Method have actually become so much stronger?!"

Emerging somewhat battered from the rubble of the collapsed wooden house, Natsuhi looked at Akahoshi before her, whose chakra had skyrocketed by more than ten times after merging with the meteorite. Shock was evident on her beautiful face.

As one of the ninjas from the Star Ninja Village who had mastered the Mysterious Peacock Method to its highest level, her strength already placed her between Jonin and Kage levels. Yet, in just one exchange, she was blasted away by Akahoshi, now empowered by the merged meteorite. Just how much had the power of the meteorite amplified Akahoshi's strength at this moment?

"Are you done?"

Just then, a calm and indifferent voice rang out, abruptly silencing Akahoshi's maniacal laughter.

Amidst the stunned gazes of everyone present, Yu, who had been impassive all along, now shook his head with a disappointed expression. He walked slowly towards Akahoshi, whose power had surged dramatically after merging with the meteorite, his clear and profound eyes devoid of any warmth.

"Barely breaking through to Kage... Is the power of that piece of junk rock only capable of bringing you to this level at most..."

"You've wasted my time... You've truly disappointed me..."

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