Ch.128 Reassurance

For the next few days, everyone rested at the priestess' palace.

Thanks to Uchiha Shinji's medical ninjutsu, the injured were all treated and gradually recovered.

Sasuke and Neji, having been significantly affected by the recent events, began training immediately after their recovery.

Meanwhile, Kakashi and the other Hidden Leaf shinobi, at the request of the Land of Demons, started investigating the activities of the Yellow Springs Sect within its borders.

At the sealed location:

Kakashi, staring at the damaged sarcophagus, asked one of the officials from the Land of Demons beside him, "This is where the monster 'Moryo' was sealed?"

"Yes, this is it," the official from the Land of Demons replied with a somber expression.

Even now, he still couldn't figure out how the Yellow Springs Sect had found this place. After all, even among the high-ranking officials of the Land of Demons, the location of the seal was a top-secret matter.

Sensing the residual evil chakra from Moryo inside the sarcophagus, Kakashi furrowed his brow. "Was this seal placed by the previous priestess?"

The official from the Land of Demons nodded.

Kakashi was puzzled, "If it was sealed personally by the previous priestess, why was it so easily undone?"

"That…"

The official shook his head. They were wondering the same thing.

"Could it be related to the Akatsuki?"

Kakashi couldn't help but connect it to the Akatsuki.

After returning to the priestess' palace, Kakashi and the rest of the Leaf shinobi gathered to share the results of their investigations.

Asuma was the first to speak, "I checked a few suspected Yellow Springs Sect bases, but I didn't find any clues. All the places were completely abandoned."

Kurenai added, "Same here. It's like the Yellow Springs Sect vanished without a trace."

The others also shook their heads, indicating that they hadn't found anything.

Asuma asked, "Kakashi, what do you think?"

After a brief pause, Kakashi replied, "It seems the battle hurt the monster badly, so it's gone into hiding."

Anko asked, "What should we do now? Keep looking?"

Kakashi shook his head, "No, we should return to the village first."

Anko looked confused, "Are we just going to leave it like this?"

"This involves the Akatsuki. We need to proceed with caution." After a pause, Kakashi continued, "We should report this to Hokage-sama first."

Though Asuma seemed a bit reluctant, he eventually nodded. "I suppose that's the best option."

Kakashi and the others quickly informed the leadership of the Land of Demons about their decision.

After some discussion, the high officials of the Land of Demons unanimously agreed to send the young priestess to the Hidden Leaf for schooling.

Of course, "schooling" was just a pretext; in reality, it was an evacuation.

After all, with the monster Moryo now free, it could attack at any time, and the young priestess was no match for the creature. Rather than keeping her in the country, constantly on guard against an attack, it was better to send her to the Hidden Leaf Village.

So, just after Shion had returned to her homeland, preparations were already underway to send her away again.

But this time, it was different.

This time, as Shion headed to the Hidden Leaf, she brought along a large number of secret technique scrolls, spellbooks, and talisman books.

Clearly, the leaders of the Land of Demons hoped that even while she was growing up, Shion wouldn't neglect her priestess training.

As the guards of the Land of Demons loaded box after box of scrolls and books onto the carriages, Sasuke curiously asked, "What are those?"

Shion sighed, "They're burdens."

"Burdens?!" Sasuke blinked in confusion.

Neji also looked surprised.

The leader of the Land of Demons chuckled, "Don't mind her, she's just joking. These are our nation's treasures."

Uchiha Shinji walked over and glanced at the boxes. "Do they include the priestess' sealing techniques?"

"Sealing techniques?" Sasuke's interest was piqued, and he came over as well.

Shion proudly placed her hands on her hips, "Of course!"

The leader of the Land of Demons added, "In the entire shinobi world, our Land of Demons' sealing techniques are unparalleled. Even the Uzumaki Clan couldn't match our priestess' expertise in sealing."

Shinji smiled lightly but didn't argue.

While there was some exaggeration in the leader's words, the general sentiment wasn't wrong.

The sealing techniques of the priestess of the Land of Demons were indeed among the best in the shinobi world, on par with the Uzumaki Clan.

Sasuke looked at Shion in surprise, "You're that skilled?"

"Of course! Now you know," Shion replied smugly.

Hearing this, Neji and Kimimaro came over as well.

Seemingly reminded of the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead, Neji asked, "Can I take a look?"

Shion was about to respond when the leader of the Land of Demons interrupted, "It's no use. These sealing techniques, spells, and talismans can only be learned by our priestess. No matter how hard others try, they won't be able to master them."

Kimimaro calmly said, "Just like a Bloodline Limit?"

The leader of the Land of Demons was momentarily taken aback by the comparison, but after thinking about it, he realized it was quite accurate. So, he nodded with a smile, "You could say that. But our priestess is unique!"

Disappointed, Neji stepped aside.

Shinji observed this scene thoughtfully, considering, "Neji, with his personality, should be focusing on Gentle Fist. Why is he suddenly interested in sealing techniques? Could he be thinking about breaking free from the Caged Bird seal?"

As that thought crossed his mind, Shinji had an idea.

In his memory, the Hyuga Clan had some connection with the Otsutsuki Clan on the moon.

In the original timeline, Otsutsuki Toneri had met with Hyuga Hiashi, the clan head of the Hyuga Clan, though their meeting had ended in disagreement.

So perhaps the Hyuga Clan's main family was hiding a way to contact the Otsutsuki Clan on the moon.

"If I manipulate Neji under the guise of the Akatsuki, I might be able to convince him to secretly investigate the method his clan uses to contact the Otsutsuki on the moon. That could be my way to sneak up there!"

In an instant, this thought flashed through Shinji's mind.

According to the timeline, Otsutsuki Toneri wouldn't appear for another nine to ten years.

At this time, there should be very few Otsutsuki members left on the moon, and most of their cities were likely abandoned. So if Shinji could find a way to get to the moon, it might not be as dangerous as it seemed.

Moreover, the giant Tenseigan on the moon was one of the greatest treasures in the ninja world.

If Shinji could get his hands on that giant Tenseigan, or even just a portion of its power, it would provide him with unimaginable strength!

At that moment, Shion suddenly tugged on Shinji's sleeve, "Shinji, what are you thinking about?"

Startled, Shinji quickly replied, "Oh, nothing!"

"You were definitely up to no good!" Shion puffed out her cheeks, sounding very certain.

Feeling a bit guilty, Shinji protested, "That's slander! You're slandering me!"

Shion said, "On the way to the Hidden Leaf, you have to stay with me!"

Sasuke, curious, asked, "Why does Shinji need to stay with you? He's training now; he doesn't have time to keep you company every day!"

Shinji nodded repeatedly, "I'm trying to awaken my Sharingan. I don't have time to babysit you!"

"I don't care!" Shion clung to Shinji's sleeve, pouting, "I feel safe only when you're by my side!"

Shinji felt a chill run down his spine, thinking, "Could it be that the genjutsu failed again? No, that's impossible. If it had failed, she would've caused trouble by now."

Sasuke was even more curious, "Why does having Shinji by your side make you feel safe?"

Shion paused, unable to answer right away.

But she just knew that being around Shinji made her feel inexplicably reassured.

Meanwhile, in the Land of Steam...

Carrying his bloodstained scythe, Hidan spat out the blade of grass he had been chewing and sneered, "Hey, is this the place?"

Kakuzu, who had just emerged from a village, shook his head. "That guy left not long ago."

"Damn it, he escaped again!" Hidan cursed, tossing the grass aside.

Kakuzu's expression darkened.

As an experienced bounty hunter, Kakuzu had tracked countless targets, but never had he been played like this.

After some thought, Kakuzu said, "He's realized we're after him. If we keep chasing him like this, we'll just waste time. Let's head to the black market first, see if there's any high-paying bounties. We can take a mission while keeping an eye out for his whereabouts."

Anything unrelated to money was a waste of time to Kakuzu.

If not for the leader's direct order, he wouldn't have bothered with this mission.

"Tch!" Hidan scoffed. "When we finally catch that guy, I'm gonna cut off his hands and legs and teach him a lesson!"

Kakuzu coldly reminded him, "The leader wants us to recruit him, not kill him."

Hidan grinned, "Then you can just stitch him back together! I heard he's a famous doctor. I wonder if he can heal himself after we cut off his limbs."

Undoubtedly, Kakuzu and Hidan's mission was to track down a man named Shinnou, a doctor by profession.

Of course, being a doctor was just a cover.

In reality, Shinnō was the leader of the remnants of the Hidden Sky, a village destroyed by the Hidden Leaf. According to reports, he was plotting something big.

While Kakuzu and Hidan headed for the black market...

In a dark underground hideout somewhere in the Land of Steam, Shinnō paced back and forth before a massive incubation tank, staring at the large, heart-like object pulsing inside. His eyes were full of anticipation.

This was his masterpiece, a replication of a tailed beast—Zero-Tails!

The fact that the Hidden Sky had once dared to challenge the Hidden Leaf showed that they were no ordinary minor village. They had considerable resources and expertise.

If it weren't for that, they wouldn't have had the means to support Shinnō's efforts to replicate a tailed beast and create the monster now in front of him.

However, the current Zero-Tails was still in its infant stage, as it lacked the chakra needed to reach full power. It couldn't yet be used in battle.

Thinking about this, Shinnō frowned.

To become a true tailed beast, it would need an unimaginable amount of chakra. Acquiring such vast quantities was a challenge that loomed before him.

Suddenly, a swirling vortex appeared behind him.

Moments later, two figures emerged from the vortex: one was the masked Obito, and the other was the monster Moryo, whom Obito had recently recruited.

Shinnō was startled, quickly stepping back and demanding, "Who are you? How did you find this place?"

Moryo glanced at the giant incubator housing the infant Zero-Tails, showing a hint of surprise. "Interesting."

Obito chuckled, "So, do you like the partner I picked for you?"

Moryo shifted his gaze from the Zero-Tails to Shinnō, giving him a once-over. "Not a bad vessel."

"Oh, you're giving such high praise?" Obito laughed before taking a serious look at Shinnō. "It seems like this guy is hiding some secrets I don't know about."

As a monster, Moryo had his own way of evaluating others. For him to say "not bad" meant that Shinnō's body was far stronger than that of an ordinary person.

Hearing their nonchalant conversation, Shinnō's expression turned grim.

From the red cloud cloaks they wore, he recognized them as members of the Akatsuki, a notorious group in the shinobi world.

But he couldn't understand why they were after him. He had never crossed paths with the Akatsuki, so why were they targeting him now, even tracking him to his hideout?

After considering his options, Shinnō asked, "You two must be from the Akatsuki. Is there something I can do for you?"

Obito smiled, "I'm here to invite you to join us."

"Join you?"

Obito nodded, "We've already looked into your background. If you work for us, we'll help you get your revenge on the Hidden Leaf."

Moryo pointed to the infant Zero-Tails. "Without our power, you'll never complete that half-baked creature."

With his hideout exposed, Shinnou knew he had no real choice. So, he responded wisely, "I'll join you, but only if you help me complete the Zero-Tails."

"Deal!"

Obito nodded, tossing a red cloud cloak to Shinnō.

Taking the cloak, Shinnō immediately donned it.

Obito then turned to Wazunagi and Shinnō. "From now on, you two are partners. Just follow my orders."

At that moment, Zetsu's upper body emerged from the ground. He greeted Moryo and Shinnō with a casual, "Hi!"

Obito continued, "Zetsu will be your contact. I'll relay your future missions through him."

Seeing yet another strange person appear in his hideout, Shinnō felt like dying inside. But the situation was beyond his control, so he could only nod in agreement.

Obito's final words were, "Aside from me and Zetsu, don't contact or trust anyone else in the organization."

Moryo gritted his teeth, remembering the "comrade" who had ruined his plans earlier.

Shinnō, however, looked puzzled. "What do you mean? Is there something going on in your organization?"