Chapter 115
...the main hall of the shrine.
The shrine, originally belonging to the Uzumaki Clan, had been converted into a miko's residence.
The grand hall showed signs of its ancient age.
The miko, dressed in her ceremonial robes and wearing a cap, exuded an inexpressible solemnity.
"Naruto..."
Looking at the arriving foreign youth, the noble-faced miko nodded.
She was quite pleased with Naruto's progress.
It was a pity, however, that he was not from the miko clan.
But it was not a big problem; as long as Shion's power could be combined with his, it would work.
One day, without needing to sacrifice a life, they would be able to seal the Monsters.
"Miko Auntie, I have completed today's lessons."
Naruto gazed at the woman before him and spoke.
The miko, standing tall in the main hall, became even more noble and awe-inspiring, enhanced by the surrounding architecture, making it difficult to look directly at her.
Naruto, with his squinting eyes and innocent face, simply stared at her.
The Tailed Beast Partner slumbering within him began to stir.
"Don't rush..."
Naruto signaled to the Tailed Beast Partner not to rush.
"Soon..."
Once his conversation with the miko was over, it would be almost time.
The arrival of the Land of Demons' daimyo would surely be to take the miko and Shion away.
He couldn't let him succeed.
After all... Uzumaki Naruto had made such a resolve to protect Konoha and even the Ninja World.
Gazing at the miko's noble face, Naruto forcefully suppressed the stirring of the Tailed Beast Partner.
"Naruto, you..."
Evidently, the miko had already learned of her husband's arrival.
With a look of compassion, she decided to pass on her will.
Shion was not present; she must have been training in an adjacent room.
The miko hadn't called her, surely thinking that her daughter was too young, not as mature as Naruto.
"Do you... believe in humanity?"
"I believe!"
Upon hearing the words "believe in humanity," Naruto seemed to have a switch flipped.
He was no longer sleepy.
"I believe in humanity! Humans can understand each other!"
Naruto shouted loudly.
"I will definitely make that future come true!"
Watching Naruto clench his small fists and make his vow, the miko was deeply relieved.
This... is good... Her lips curved slightly, and then she noticed something unusual.
Something was dangling from Naruto's sleeve.
It was a piece of rope.
Red... a brand new rope.
Then, more rope fell, and a large length of it coiled on the ground.
"Eh?"
Under the miko's puzzled gaze, Naruto's expression slowly changed, then he revealed a kind, radiant smile.
"So, Miko Auntie, how about you understand me next?"
Clap!
Naruto, clutching the rope tightly, walked over... Chapter 58. Miko Bound! An Inescapable Fate
Intricate patterns swirled in her eyes... forming various magnificent designs... "!"
The miko woke up.
She found herself lying in her bedding.
It was just dawn, and her daughter was sleeping soundly.
"That was just..."
The miko quickly realized that she had had a premonitory dream.
The last time was the dream she had before coming to Konoha. She had foreseen her husband becoming a Jinchuriki for the Monsters and planning to use her power to conquer the world. To avert that future, she had agreed to the Konoha Ninja's suggestion.
And this time... The miko thought of the scene she had foreseen, and her expression immediately became one of terror.
Impossible.
How could it be!
In the future she had just witnessed, Naruto, whom she considered a benevolent being, had actually... This was something the miko couldn't imagine.
She instinctively suspected that something had gone wrong.
However, her "foreseeing the future" ability, which had never been wrong, proved that it was not a mistaken fantasy at all.
As for the difference between a dream and a premonition, the miko naturally distinguished them very clearly.
"Shion..."
She looked at her daughter, who was sleeping soundly beside her.
Her daughter's sleeping face was very cute.
"Naruto..."
Shion's unconscious murmur made the miko's expression grow even more terrified.
The premonition was correct.
Then she was about to face... No, she just needed to avoid it.
Just as she had avoided her husband last time.
In fact, the miko already had the answer to the problem in her heart.
The miko's precognitive ability was absolute.
If it wasn't absolute, it meant the miko's fate had changed.
For example, if the miko was supposed to die at a certain moment, but didn't, it meant that a subordinate had sacrificed their life, replacing her fated death.
Successive mikos had relied on this seemingly cursed ability to constantly change and adjust their own destinies.
Allowing themselves to persevere until the final moment of sacrifice when they could seal the Monsters.
Escaping from the Land of Demons had changed her original destiny, but if no guards had died for her during this escape... divine retribution would have arrived.
The miko realized.
This was the consequence of her rashly changing her destiny again.
The incorrect part was here.
If she had stayed in the Land of Demons and died with her husband, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
Of course, it was too late to think about these things.
What needed to be done now was to find a way to circumvent the future she had just foreseen.
So, the miko hurriedly got up and woke her still-sleeping daughter.
"Shion... Shion..."
She nudged her, and her daughter quickly woke up.
"Mommy... I still want to play with Naruto..." Shion mumbled in her sleep, slowly opening her eyes.
"Get up and train immediately."
The miko instructed in a slightly stern tone.
Although Shion didn't know why, she still obediently complied.
Only after she went to wash up did the miko breathe a sigh of relief.
She planned to take her daughter out of the dormitory and go somewhere. Preferably directly to Hokage-sama, to seek protection...
"Miko-sama, good morning."
Uchiha Shisui and others, who were guarding around the mountain gate, greeted the miko.
"I have an urgent matter to discuss with Hokage-sama."
The miko's expression wasn't very good, and Uchiha Shisui and the others immediately nodded and sprang into action.
The path was unobstructed.
Following the morning mountain road, they quickly descended the mountain.
Only when they arrived at the front of the Hokage Building did the miko finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Finally..."
Next, as long as she stepped inside and received protection, she would be able to avoid that future from playing out, right?
However, the miko didn't know.
Her actions had long been observed by Hyuga Natsu... Hyuga Natsu, who served as Naruto's eyes, had gone to Naruto's house to inform him of the news when she observed the miko about to descend the mountain.
"Hmm..."
Naruto sat in his chair, wondering why the miko would suddenly go to the Hokage Building.
And with such a large entourage, bringing Uchiha Shisui and others.
"Could it be..."