Chapter 437: The Sage of Six Paths' Summons
Ino felt like she must have watched a fake version of Naruto back in the day. If Naruto died now, who would fight Kaguya Ōtsutsuki when the time came? It couldn't possibly be her, right?
She racked her brain, trying to make sense of the logic. "Since you know about this... uh, this fated death, can't it be avoided beforehand? What if I make Naruto hide far away? Would that not work? Even if he dies, you can resurrect him, can't you, big brother?"
Ashura nodded, then shook his head. "It would be possible elsewhere, but not in the Land of Demons."
What did this have to do with the Land of Demons?
The more he spoke, the more confused Ino became.
Seeing her confusion, Ashura patiently explained, "This is the land of Haori. My power, and my brother's power, are not permitted to be used here. This was a rule set by our father. Naruto's fate has become intertwined with that of Haori's descendant, so his fated death is unavoidable."
Communicating through this bloodline connection consumed a great deal of a ninja's chakra. Ino was still in the middle of a pursuit, but she felt she could let Mōryō run for another five minutes. This matter involved the Sage of Six Paths himself; she had to get the scoop.
She pressed further, "This Haori is?"
Ashura sighed. "Haori was once a close confidante of my father... Due to some... some matters that are not convenient to speak of, she passed away. Father was heartbroken for a very, very long time. Years later, he found a remnant of Haori's soul and attempted to resurrect her, but he must have failed. Not only did the revival fail, but it also caused Haori to be corrupted by the energy of another evil dimension, turning her into a terrifying monster... In the end, he had no choice but to split her into two parts. The part that inherited Haori's kind virtues became the Miko, while the evil parts became Mōryō."
Ino understood. "So, the Miko lineage of the Land of Demons is descended from this Haori? And the first ancestor, Haori, was a life form caught between life and death? Wow! Incredible!"
Ashura was vague, as it was ultimately inappropriate for him, the son, to speak of such matters.
He concealed many details about his old man and Auntie Haori.
Things like how his girlfriend, Haori, was hung on the God Tree by Grandma Kaguya and had her life force drained away. How the old Sage flew into a rage for his love, leading to a falling out between mother and son over a woman.
And how the old Sage became obsessed with dark powers, opening a gateway to another world in order to resurrect Haori. There was no need to go into the fine details of all that.
Ino's eyes darted around. She could roughly deduce the things Ashura hadn't said. The reason many men rebel against their mothers is often because of another woman. This... this was actually quite normal! Such conflicts have existed since ancient times and have not ceased even in our harmonious society.
Haori and the mother of Ashura and Indra were definitely not the same person.
Ino resisted the urge, again and again, but ultimately refrained from asking, "How many girlfriends did the Sage of Six Paths have?"
She scratched her head. "Does that mean I failed to stop that Mōryō? Or is it hiding in some nook or cranny, waiting to kill Naruto in one blow?"
Ashura shook his head. "I am just a remnant of chakra. How would I know such things? It will be very difficult for Naruto to escape his predetermined fate this time. Such a pity, he is a very kind child... Little girl, farewell. It was nice knowing you. This will be our goodbye. Perhaps we will meet again in another world, hahahaha—"
Ino's consciousness returned to her body. Only a dozen or so seconds had passed in the outside world. She simply could not comprehend Ashura's pessimism and his talk of so-called fate.
If fate decrees something, must it happen? She thought Ashura was old-fashioned, while he probably thought she was young and naive.
"Damn it! What am I supposed to do now?"
She muttered to herself. Does the world of Naruto have plot armor? Ask ten people, and the answer would surely be the same: yes! Ashura and Indra were Naruto and Sasuke's plot armor, or perhaps their luck. As long as it was there, the two of them could turn misfortune into fortune and overcome stronger foes. But if it were gone? They would just be two ordinary ninjas who could be killed in an instant.
Was she really supposed to just watch Naruto die and then, as Ashura said, go kill Sasuke, letting the two brothers start the next round of their competition?
"Child of the Yamanaka, are you willing to help them?" An ancient voice crossed the distance between the two worlds, appearing clearly in her ear.
Ino had latched onto Ashura's leg enough times to know who this voice belonged to, and he certainly knew who she was.
Not wanting to seem too much like a suck-up, she said thoughtfully, "Naruto is a ninja I brought with me. I must bring him back safely."
"Then you shall come and find me."
With that, the ancient voice disappeared.
"Hello? Are you still there?"
"Hello? No... seriously, come on!"
Ino stood there like an idiot, a little speechless.
Naruto and Sasuke could be pulled in directly, but when it came to her, she had to go there herself? Old man, you're really playing favorites!
But no matter how much he played favorites, she had to answer the call.
"You knew I could get there for sure, old man, didn't you? Seriously..."
Ino sighed. The Sage of Six Paths resided in the land of the dead, a place that ordinary people could never reach. For a normal ninja, seeing the Sage of Six Paths would be an ordeal of ninety-nine-times-eighty-one hardships, but fortunately, for her, it wasn't difficult at all.
Whatever the urgency, and whether Naruto died or not, the matter of the priestess was clearly less important than the matter of the old Sage.
Even if it was just to make an impression, it would be a victory.
She wanted to go, but she certainly wouldn't use a method like suicide.
Thanks to an introduction from her old friend, the Shinigami, she had signed a summoning contract with the Underworld Road.
If a person tried to sign a contract with an asphalt road, the road certainly couldn't resist or protest. But the Underworld Road was different; it had its own consciousness. If not for the Shinigami pulling some strings, signing a contract wouldn't have been so easy.
Ino no longer had time to chase the priestess. She felt the summoning contract she had signed with the Underworld Road, allowed it to summon her, and then, without any resistance, her figure vanished in an instant.
Just as Ino had told Shion earlier, death really meant nothing to her. It was just a path. She could come when she wanted and leave when she wanted.
The true Underworld Road was orderly. All lives lost due to war, disease, or famine would pass through here.
Ghosts with broken hearts, gambling ghosts, hanged ghosts—all sorts of spirits populated the Underworld Road.
"Where's my head? Has anyone seen my head?" a headless ghost searched for his head by the roadside.
Ino saw the head rolling on the side of the road, took a running start, and kicked it away with a powerful shot.
A few begging ghost hags trembled as they floated over, wanting some underworld money. But after getting a clear look at her face, they all scattered, running for their "lives," afraid that if they were too slow, this she-devil would kill them.
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