Chapter 218

The Land of Demons, a country that only appeared in the movie unrelated to the main storyline of Naruto, actually exists in this world.

Since it was the first movie of the Shippuden series, as a long-time fan, Shinji had watched it many times. He particularly admired the main character, Shion's, sports underwear, giving it high praise.

Shinji often felt he arrived in this world too early, as the familiar characters were still in their childhood stages. Except for Tsunade, who was already 106, there were no other characters even in their early teens.

...

Inside the palace of the Land of Demons, at the shrine maiden's quarters.

Shion, the young shrine maiden with white hair and purple eyes, stood at the door, tilting her head as she looked at her mother, Miroku, whose face was peeking out from the gap in the sliding door, clearly looking a bit off.

"Mom, why is your face so red?"

"Uh... I just... feel a bit hot."

Miroku, with her black shoulder-length hair, seemed to be struggling to suppress something. Shion, being a thoughtful and well-behaved child, showed her concern, "Mom, are you sick? Do you need to see a doctor?"

"No, Shion, mommy just went for a run and hasn't cooled down yet."

"I see..." Shion sniffed the air with her little nose and asked, "Mom, why is there a strange smell?"

"It's nothing..." The gentle and graceful Miroku smiled as she coaxed her daughter, "Go back to bed, Shion."

"Mom, where's Uncle An with the blue hair? He promised to tell me a story when he had time."

"Uh..."

Miroku, avoiding her daughter's gaze, gently raised a finger and lied softly, "Maybe he went for a walk? You'll see him tomorrow... now go back to bed."

Pouting, Shion looked down and fiddled with her fingers, "I want to sleep with you, Mom..."

"No!"

Miroku's sudden shout startled little Shion, making her teary-eyed and pitiful in an instant.

Seeing her daughter like this broke Miroku's heart. If not for some unspeakable reasons, she would have loved to open the door and comfort her daughter properly.

"Shion, you can't be too willful. You're a big girl now, so you need to learn to sleep on your own. Be good, and Uncle will tell you a story tomorrow night."

Hearing Shinji's voice from the door, Shion immediately stopped crying, smiled brightly, and nodded vigorously. Then she turned and ran off, her little feet pattering on the floor.

Watching her daughter run down the corridor, Miroku couldn't find the energy to blame the man who had just revealed himself. She softly called out to Shion, "Shion, don't run in the corridor! It's dangerous!"

...

In the closed bedroom, Miroku's face slowly returned to normal. She glanced at the blue-haired man casually sitting opposite her, as if complaining about her earlier embarrassment in front of her daughter. Blushing slightly, she noticed what had caused her strange behavior—the long stick of... spicy sticks.

Yes, it was the odd snack called spicy sticks.

Originally, she had wanted to chat with the man who had appeared like the wind yesterday, defeating Moryo and saving her and her daughter. But he had quickly started eating that strange food with gusto.

The enticing aroma and the spicy taste that stimulated her salivary glands piqued Miroku's curiosity and craving. Eventually, under the question "Do you want to try some?" she succumbed and couldn't stop herself.

By the time she realized what had happened, her hands were covered in red chili oil, her face flushed, and she was involuntarily inhaling and exhaling from the spiciness.

It was at that moment little Shion knocked on the door.

Knowing that such junk food shouldn't be given to children, Miroku sternly refused to let Shion in. Not wanting her daughter to see the messy spicy stick wrappers she hadn't cleaned up yet, she only showed her face through the door gap.

...

Watching Miroku lick her fingers, Shinji marveled at the hidden gluttonous side he had discovered in her.

Of course, it wasn't Miroku's fault. After all, this world was created by someone with a particular taste in life, and the cuisine reflected that, making it understandable why spicy sticks were a novelty.

After licking her fingers clean, Miroku returned to the main topic. Sitting upright, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then sincerely bowed to Shinji in a dogeza.

"Benefactor, thank you for your help in saving the world from disaster and for saving my life."

"If you want to thank me, wash your hands thoroughly with soap several times, brush your teeth twice, and rinse your mouth well."

"Hmm?"

Miroku looked up, puzzled. How did washing her hands and brushing her teeth relate to expressing gratitude? Was this a custom from the stranger's country?

Thinking it might be, Miroku nodded slightly and went to wash her hands and brush her teeth as Shinji requested.

After all, he was her benefactor. Even if his request was a bit strange, she would comply. She owed her life and the chance to stay with her daughter to this man's intervention. This great kindness... had to be repaid.

Watching Miroku leave, Shinji nodded approvingly. The pain of eating spicy food and then using the bathroom was something she seemed to understand.

...

The next morning, feeling weak and sore, even lifting a hand was difficult for Miroku. She managed to sit up and gently patted her daughter's head.

"Mom, are you sick?"

Seeing her mother like this, little Shion misunderstood again, her eyes welling with tears.

Cursing the man she thought was a gentleman but turned out to be overly enthusiastic, Miroku gently reassured her daughter.

"Don't worry, Shion, Mommy just didn't sleep well last night. I'll feel better after a bit more rest."

"Did you and Uncle talk late into the night?" Shion blinked her innocent eyes.

"Uh..." Miroku's face turned red as she lowered her head, murmuring softly.

"What story did Uncle tell? Was it interesting? Can you tell me, too?" Shion asked excitedly, tugging at her mother's sleeve.

"Uh..."

Miroku didn't know what to say, but then Shion continued, "Uncle is so mean, telling stories to you and not me. Tonight, I want to listen too!"

Not knowing how to respond, Miroku chose to distract her daughter with another topic.

"Shion, would you like a little brother or sister?"

Miroku gently moved a lock of hair behind her ear, her face still slightly flushed. Shion, not understanding, tilted her head again.

"No, I want an older brother!"

Miroku: ...

...

That night, in Miroku's bedroom.

Shinji looked at Shion, who was sitting on Miroku's lap, having used her cute tricks to secure a spot at the night story session. Seeing her excitement and anticipation, he was at a loss.

Miroku, understanding his thoughts, gently shook her head, indicating there was no other choice—Shion insisted on joining and couldn't be stopped.

At the same time, Shion noticed something and asked curiously, "Uncle An, why are you shaking your leg? Mom said that's very rude!"

Seeing Shion's serious face, Shinji cleared his throat and replied, "It's because of the consequences of not brushing your teeth and washing your hands properly. So, Shion, you must be very thorough when brushing your teeth and washing your hands, making sure to clean every nook and cranny."

"Mom, is that true?" Shion looked up at Miroku, her big eyes filled with innocence. "Does not brushing and washing properly make you shake your leg? That's scary..."

"Uh..." Miroku laughed awkwardly, not knowing how to explain. Finally, she said, "That's right, you need to be very careful when brushing and washing, or... it might hurt for a long time."

"Hurt? Like getting cavities?"

"Uh... something like that."

With that, Miroku glared at Shinji. This man could really say anything! What if she couldn't smooth things over and it misled her daughter?

"Alright, tonight's story session begins!"

"Yay!" Shion cheered and clapped excitedly.

"Once upon a time..."

Lowering his voice, Shinji began to tell a somewhat fictionalized tragedy from another world.

...

Late at night, lying on her side, gently patting the sleeping Shion, Miroku still couldn't shake the strange story from her mind and couldn't fall asleep. She slapped Shinji's hand away and glared at him with shame and anger.

Even though Shion was asleep, she was still here!

Not tonight! Absolutely not!

...

Alright, I was wrong. Let's go somewhere else!

Please!