"Yare, yare… Did I go a little too far?"
After freely squandering the power of the Cursed Seal of Heaven and making a huge mess, Kisame Hoshigaki, who had returned to his original appearance, panted lightly as he looked at the surrounding disaster that had already turned into a flooded wasteland and muttered to himself.
Perhaps because after activating the second stage of the Cursed Seal of Heaven, Kisame's chakra had gained a strong natural energy component, the ghost terracotta army, which had originally possessed extremely powerful self-regeneration and could stubbornly reassemble even after being violently smashed into fragments, had now fallen completely silent.
Perhaps after a few days, once the natural energy clinging to their remains completely dissipated, they might reassemble again under Mōryō's power.
But by then, everything would have already been settled.
Whether Mōryō successfully seized the priestess's body and began carrying out its overconfident ambition, or whether Mōryō was sealed again as it had been in the past, they would no longer be able to interfere with the situation.
"Mm. With this much commotion on my side, Shisui Uchiha should have noticed too, right? I wonder what kind of enemies he ran into over there… Still, this Cursed Seal of Heaven really is something incredible the Fourth developed."
Kisame knew very well that with his own strength alone, it would have been impossible for him to suppress such a large ghost army and those wandering ninja empowered by Mōryō so easily.
He might have been able to kill a few wandering ninja who released their power and then retreat safely.
But he absolutely would not have had the ability to smash nearly a thousand immortal ghost terracotta soldiers into the scattered fragments now covering the ground.
And what had supported him in creating a scene that would normally require several elite jonin working together was precisely the Cursed Seal of Heaven Rei had bestowed upon him.
When the Cursed Seal of Heaven was fully activated, causing his body to change under the influx of massive natural energy, Kisame could feel his body and mind being rapidly drained and squeezed.
But compared to the near Five Kage-level strength he could unleash under the Cursed Seal of Heaven, that little bit of consumption, which at most shortened his life by two or three days, was basically not worth mentioning.
That was power that allowed a fifteen-year-old brat like him, whose chakra was merely a tiny bit more abundant than average, to obtain the qualifications to fight head-on against Five Kage-level experts.
Looking across the entire shinobi world, how many forbidden techniques could bring such a considerable increase while demanding such a small price?
None.
"Zabuza Momochi, Mangetsu Hozuki… Those two should also be candidates who can receive the Cursed Seal of Heaven from the Fourth later. In that case, Kirigakure will suddenly have three new-generation shinobi who can fight against Kage-level opponents head-on. Add in that woman Mei Terumi, who has two Kekkei Genkai, and the Third's chosen successor, Yagura Karatachi…"
Kisame leaned against a towering ancient tree that had remained standing even after being washed by a near tsunami-level flood.
Somewhat absentmindedly, he looked toward the moon that had already sunk westward and the faint light of dawn appearing on the horizon.
He let out a long breath.
"In such a short time, he has already rebuilt a high-level combat lineup for Kirigakure far beyond anything it had in the past… It really does make one look forward to seeing you, like the sun before dawn, reveal even more brilliant and dazzling light, Fourth."
Snap—
A crooked shuriken, clearly thrown without much force, shot toward Kisame.
Expressionless, Kisame raised his hand and knocked the shuriken away.
Following the direction it had come from, he looked toward two Shisui Uchiha approaching with Miroku and Shion in somewhat comical postures.
He could not help whistling.
"Looks like your side ended very easily, Shisui Uchiha."
"There were no experts skilled in genjutsu among those who came, so dealing with them was a little faster…"
Shisui Uchiha, holding Miroku in a very unqualified princess carry, sighed.
He put down Miroku, whose face was flushed red with embarrassment, then looked at Kisame.
"But on your side, Kisame-san, did you run into some major trouble? How did you create such a huge commotion…"
"Just a group of ghost terracotta soldiers lying in ambush ahead of time. Aside from their large numbers, their recovery ability was a little annoying."
Kisame shrugged and pointed at the broken stone fragments under his feet, speaking with a steady breath.
"But after activating the Cursed Seal the Fourth gave us, my attacks seemed able to suppress their regeneration. After entering the second stage of the Cursed Seal, their self-recovery speed became negligible… It seems the so-called immortal army is only called that because those who fought it lacked enough ability and experience."
"W-Wait a moment! Kisame-san, these broken stones were once the terracotta soldiers under Mōryō, the kind that could not be completely destroyed no matter how they were attacked!?"
Miroku's eyes widened as she spoke in disbelief.
"H-How could that be… They are one of the important trump cards Mōryō planned to use to conquer the shinobi world. When everyone desperately resisted them during the siege before, I also tried to target them with the sealing techniques passed down by the Land of Demons' priestesses. Although I could suppress them for some time, it was impossible to seal so many at once…"
"Probably because the power suppressing these things originates from something above conventional ninjutsu and sealing techniques. Sage arts, a power that, even across a thousand years, has only belonged to a handful of people."
Shisui Uchiha kicked away a stone that looked like the fragment of a ghost terracotta soldier's head and spoke thoughtfully.
"I see. Although Mōryō's chakra has a special divine strangeness to it, before the natural energy carried by the Cursed Seal, it is still ultimately suppressed… In that case, our chances of victory when facing Mōryō have increased by several more points."
"Oh? Speaking of Mōryō…"
Kisame looked at Miroku, who was still wearing a face full of disbelief, then at Shisui Uchiha's Shadow Clone, which even had the leisure to chat with the little girl on its back.
A knowing expression immediately appeared on his face.
"Looks like you noticed it too, Shisui Uchiha."
"It is not a major problem. Especially after we realized that the natural energy carried by the Cursed Seal after activation can restrain Mōryō to a certain extent, there is even less need to investigate it too seriously."
Shisui Uchiha moved his hands and calmly said, "Mōryō may be very powerful and difficult to deal with for the people of the Land of Demons, but if its threat is placed within the entire shinobi world, even at its peak in all aspects, it should not surpass the danger level of any wild Tailed Beast…"
"Oh? Big words, Shisui Uchiha."
Listening to Shisui Uchiha's analysis, Kisame could not help narrowing his eyes.
"Even for the Five Great Shinobi Villages, a rampaging wild Tailed Beast usually requires a considerable sacrifice to suppress. Among those sacrifices, there are not a few jonin-level experts either… And right now, the only combat power the Land of Demons can rely on is you and me."
"But we both have the Cursed Seal of Heaven that the Fourth Mizukage specifically bestowed upon us, do we not, Kisame-san?"
Shisui Uchiha emphasized the word "specifically."
As someone who had come from intelligence protection work, Kisame immediately understood what he meant.
Because of that, he could not help taking a deep breath.
Then, with a Body Flicker, he arrived beside Shisui Uchiha and Miroku, shaking his head as he spoke.
"If it really is as you said, then I can only say it is no wonder the Fourth could possess that kind of strength at this age and openly seize the Mizukage seat from the Third… His eyes may see even farther and clearer than your Sharingan, Shisui Uchiha."
"That is why I do not intend to leave his side right now."
Shisui Uchiha shook his head and sighed.
"The one who can oppose someone like the Fourth Mizukage, whose strength and thoughts are both mature and powerful enough, absolutely cannot be someone who cannot even see what goal he is trying to achieve…"
"You are not worried that after watching him for too long, you will instead be drawn in by his thoughts and become unable to turn back?"
As Kisame patted Miroku's slender shoulder, signaling for her to prepare to continue traveling, he kept chatting with Shisui Uchiha.
"Leaving aside everything else, the Fourth is very good at subtly persuading and influencing others."
"Then everyone can naturally transfer the mission of defeating the Fourth Mizukage to someone else, instead of continuing to place unrealistic hopes on me."
Whether optimistic or self-mocking, Shisui Uchiha shrugged and spoke slowly.
"For someone without the ability to shoulder an impossible mission, bearing such expectations is a long torment, both for the person being expected and for those expecting him to succeed… If I can pave a section of stairs upward for the person who eventually completes that mission, that will already be enough."
"And then you stand on that section of stairs yourself and block the challenger's path?" Kisame teased.
"…If they cannot even step over the body of a failure like me, then wanting to deny the Fourth Mizukage's ideals is nothing more than a foolish dream. They may as well give up on such unrealistic thoughts early and go back to live their lives quietly."
Shisui Uchiha did not deny Kisame's half-teasing, half-questioning words.
That reaction made Kisame's acceptance of Shisui Uchiha rise slightly.
He reached toward his ninja tool pouch, took out another Kirigakure forehead protector that symbolized identity, and handed it to Shisui Uchiha.
"Then, want to put this on?"
Shisui Uchiha said nothing.
He only stared at that Kirigakure forehead protector, whose craftsmanship was not complicated and could even be called quite simple, but which would greatly affect the trajectory of his future life.
After a long silence, he took it with a bitter smile.
"Is this a spare, Kisame-san?"
"No. The Fourth gave it to me before the mission began and told me to take it out when the atmosphere felt right."
Kisame grinned and extended his hand toward Shisui Uchiha.
"I do not really understand what kind of atmosphere the Fourth wanted, but looking at your eyes, I felt that if I took it out now, you probably would not refuse."
"Does the Kaguya clan truly not have a Dojutsu unique to them?"
Shisui Uchiha smiled bitterly and shook his head.
As he tossed the Kirigakure forehead protector in his hand toward the version of himself carrying Shion, he reached out and shook Kisame's hand.
"In front of him, I always feel as if I have been completely seen through…"
"The other members of the Kaguya clan probably do not, but as for the Fourth, I cannot say…"
Kisame thought for a moment, then answered Shisui Uchiha's question with a very vivid comparison.
"Just like Konoha's Senju clan of the Forest. Before the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, appeared out of nowhere, no one knew they actually possessed such a powerful Kekkei Genkai as Wood Release."
"But compared to that sort of thing, we should continue traveling sooner. Although the Fourth has intentionally paved the way for us, the opponent is still a being close to Tailed Beast level. If we want to complete this S-rank mission with a perfect record, we need to use as many favorable factors as possible."
"You are right."
As the words fell, the Shisui Uchiha beside Miroku vanished with a puff.
While Kisame carried Miroku, who had listened to everything with a face full of confusion, Shisui Uchiha placed the Kirigakure forehead protector Kisame had given him onto his head.
Compared to Konoha's forehead protector, Kirigakure's forehead protector did not seem that different.
Shisui Uchiha sighed inwardly.
Then, together with Kisame, he set out once again on the journey toward the Land of Swamps.
…
At the same time, an Anbu squad wearing Konoha forehead protectors arrived outside the "capital" of the Land of Demons, which had already fallen.
"Are we too late?"
Looking at the Land of Demons' "capital" below, where rolling smoke still continued to rise, the Konoha Anbu squad leader frowned and muttered to himself.
"No, not necessarily…"
Within the Anbu team, a small figure who looked only twelve or thirteen years old rejected the squad leader's guess.
He pointed at several samurai hundreds of meters away who thought they were approaching the Land of Demons' "capital" stealthily and spoke in a low voice.
"Those people look like high-ranking samurai from the Land of Demons… They might know something."
"Then Kakashi, you go ask them for the relevant intelligence. The rest of us will search nearby for traces left behind by Mōryō and its ghost army. Let's see whether we can analyze any useful information from them."
"Understood."
After coldly replying to the squad leader's order, Kakashi used several quick Body Flickers and arrived beside the sneaky Land of Demons samurai, startling them as he asked in an indifferent tone.
"You are samurai of the Land of Demons, correct?"
"Who are you… Wait, wait a moment!? You are… you are Konoha shinobi?"
The samurai leader first instinctively tried to question Kakashi Hatake's identity.
But when he noticed the pattern on Kakashi's forehead protector, his entire expression froze.
Then he asked in disbelief, "D-Did you receive the request for aid sent by Priestess-sama!?"
"Of course we received it. However, because the incident happened suddenly and the distance was far, we may have arrived somewhat late…"
Behind his mask, Kakashi narrowed his eyes.
"But judging from your appearance, it seems the priestess has not fallen into Mōryō's hands?"
"Yes, b-but Priestess-sama… Priestess-sama was taken away by two Kirigakure ninja!"
Once the leading samurai heard Kakashi admit his identity as a Konoha shinobi, he immediately rushed forward in three steps and tightly grabbed Kakashi's hand.
Extremely agitated, he said, "P-Please, Konoha shinobi, please, you must help us take back Priestess-sama! Those two Kirigakure ninja half-forced Priestess-sama to dismiss us guards who followed her, then took Priestess-sama themselves and headed toward the Land of Swamps…"
"Kirigakure ninja?"
Kakashi could not help frowning at this development, which was both unexpected and, in a certain sense, reasonable.
But very quickly, he calmed his emotions and firmly gripped the guard leader's hand in return.
"Take back Priestess-sama, is it? I understand. I will do my best to help you complete this commission."
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