Once outside, Shinji briefly explained where they had been, and Tamamo Hotaru finally understood.
Immediately afterward, she was filled with deep regret.
The Underground Exchange… It was such a mysterious place — she had only heard vague rumors about it before, never having seen it with her own eyes.
Now she had finally gotten the chance, yet she had thrown it away herself. She felt so incredibly stupid.
Still, she memorized the location secretly, planning to come back and explore it properly when she got the opportunity in the future.
While she was thinking this, Shinji suddenly leaped high, landing right on top of the public toilet. He drew back his fist and struck downward with full force.
Black Flash!
BOOM!
The entire structure instantly collapsed into rubble, completely burying the hidden entrance below.
He dusted off his hands and spoke casually, "Alright, we can go now."
---
Deep Underground
Hearing the thunderous crash and vibrations from above, the man who had sold Shinji the information let out a helpless smile.
That guy… the Demon God Akagi… really does whatever he wants, just like the rumors say.
He knew exactly what this meant — it was a clear warning.
"Oh well. Doesn't concern me anyway. Even if he comes looking for trouble later, it won't be me he finds."
With that thought, he went back to sleep, completely unbothered that their entrance had been buried.
After all, like any clever creature with more than one den, this entrance was meant to be known. Destroying it meant nothing; they had plenty more hidden ways in and out.
---
Somewhere on a Lone Peak in the Land of Lightning
A proud young woman with the body of a deer and the torso of a human stood idly, staring into space.
This was Kongni — the Cursed Spirit of Lightning. She was famous for repeatedly traveling alone to the Hidden Cloud Village to challenge the Fourth Raikage to single combat.
Although she had narrowly lost by a hair's breadth the last time they fought, after recovering these past few days, she was now certain the Raikage was no longer her match.
Yet instead of satisfaction, this left her feeling somewhat melancholy.
Ever since she came into existence, her happiest moments had always been those spent fighting fiercely, battling, and breaking through her own limits again and again.
If even that big man was no longer a worthy opponent… who else was there left for her to fight?
Life without a challenge was just too boring.
Hmm?
Kongni suddenly turned sharply toward the distance behind her. Several powerful auras were rapidly approaching her position.
Her expression instantly shifted from boredom to pure excitement.
She loved fighting. No complicated reasons — she simply loved it with her whole being.
"Come out!"
She fired more than a dozen massive, terrifying lightning spheres straight toward them, shattering the jagged rocks and cliffs in that direction completely.
Then she finally saw who had come.
There was a gentlemanly, well-dressed man — Mr. Enemy.
A man covered in stitches — Mahito.
And "Sand Spirit" Cybert, who was missing one eye.
Also there was Hanami, the Cursed Spirit of the Forest — a being with no eyes at all, who had once escaped from both Itachi and Kisame.
Hanami had joined Mr. Enemy's group, but noticeably missing was Moxi — the Tailed Beast Cursed Spirit who had been taken away by Mr. Enemy previously.
Clearly, something had gone wrong there.
"Please, let us not be hasty. Allow me to introduce myself — you may call me Mr. Enemy."
The gentleman tipped his round hat and gave a wide, polite smile.
But his answer came in the form of a massive lightning sphere several meters across. Deafening thunder echoed continuously across the mountain peak.
Time passed — no one knew exactly how long — until the roar of thunder finally faded. Then suddenly, a figure shot straight up into the sky, piercing through the clouds and vanishing.
Down below, the once tall, lonely peak had been almost completely leveled. The ground was scorched black and bare.
Mr. Enemy stood there, his clothing slightly damaged and torn. His expression was dark and unhappy.
They had failed again.
Kongni's strength had far exceeded his expectations. Even with four of them working together — and strictly under orders not to kill her — they had still been unable to subdue or capture her.
Part of the problem, of course, was Kongni's natural ability: all her Cursed Techniques were large-scale, high-destruction attacks.
Unlike other Special Grade Cursed Spirits who grew lazy or complacent, Kongni had been fighting nonstop against Hidden Cloud ninjas practically since the day she was born.
And the most frustrating part? She could fly. And she could fly fast.
Nearby, Mahito — who had been blasted into a shapeless pile of mud earlier — reformed back into his human shape in seconds. He spread his hands helplessly.
"This girl is way too hot-tempered! She wouldn't even let us speak a single word! And seriously… these lightning attacks are insane! I couldn't even get close to her at all!"
Mahito's techniques had very strict conditions: he had to make physical contact with his target.
But in exchange, the effect was completely overpowered — whoever he touched was basically finished.
The problem was… Kongni simply wouldn't give him that chance.
Cybert and Hanami, standing nearby, hadn't used their full power either, but it was obvious they had been completely suppressed by Kongni's endless lightning.
When it came to raw destructive power, sand and plants combined together were still nothing compared to her thunder.
As for Mr. Enemy… for certain reasons, he was unable to use his full strength right now.
"It is my fault. I was too careless."
Mahito suddenly asked, "Is it really necessary to seal that thing inside your body anyway? Couldn't we just do without her?"
Mr. Enemy readjusted his hat firmly. "Trust me. We need Moxi's power. She doesn't understand it yet, but she will eventually. Sealing her inside me was truly a last resort."
"But… what if she never agrees to join us willingly?"
Mr. Enemy sighed, looking genuinely sorrowful. "Then… I will have no choice but to force her to serve as nothing more than a Cursed Object. Though… I truly wish it wouldn't come to that."
Mahito licked his lips, his eyes shining with a hint of excitement.
"Let's go."
Mr. Enemy seemed truly exhausted now. He didn't even bother using spatial transport and simply turned to leave.
"Are we… abandoning this potential ally?" asked Hanami, who had remained silent until now.
"Not abandoning. A strategic retreat. If we stay here any longer, she won't come back. We will just have to wait for another chance."
Mr. Enemy paused and looked at Hanami. "I admit I was too confident. I thought with you joining us, we would surely be able to make her… see reason. I never imagined it would end like this."
Hanami looked down sadly. "I… I have disappointed everyone."
"Not at all. No one thinks that. In fact, just having you join us was a huge encouragement for all of us. And this failure wasn't your fault — I simply assumed too much."
Comforted by Mr. Enemy's kind words, Hanami finally looked a little better.
Mr. Enemy sighed to himself.
If only every target was as easy to handle and persuade as Hanami… how wonderful that would be.
Unfortunately, every Special Grade Cursed Spirit he set his eyes on was always the same type: incredibly talented, overwhelmingly powerful… and unbelievably rebellious and stubborn.
Mahito and Cybert — neither of them had any intention of following him at first.
And those who came later — like Moxi and Kongni — were giving him even worse headaches.
And there were more targets he intended to invite.
Darkness.
Volcano.
Once he had dealt with Kongni, he would extend his invitation to those two.
He was certain that as the Cursed Spirit Alliance grew stronger and more powerful, the chances of convincing others to join would only get better and better.
____________________
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