Chapter 169: Hinata and Shion, My Status Is Above Yours
"Quick! Go quickly and request aid from the Land of Fire!"
Mōryō's ghost army had swept through the entire Land of Demons in less than a day.
As an ancient, small country with no ninja villages, which only worshipped its Miko (shrine maiden) and still used cold weapons and bows, the Land of Demons had no power to resist the ghost army.
In just one day, several fortresses had fallen, with heavy casualties.
Arrows couldn't penetrate the stone defenses, and even if cannonballs could shatter the undead, these undead's stone bodies would instantly regenerate.
Without killing Mōryō, these undead's immortality was even more unsolvable than the sealable Edo Tensei army.
Since this generation's Miko had not yet matured, the Daimyo of the Land of Demons could only issue an order, using messenger birds to send a request for aid to the Land of Fire.
This letter, however, only reached Tsunade's hands three days later.
After reading the letter's contents, Tsunade's expression immediately changed drastically. She instantly called out to Hinata, who was helping in the Hokage's office, "Hinata, quickly go notify Izayoi and tell him to drop everything and come here immediately!"
Seeing Tsunade's serious expression, Hinata immediately put down the documents in her hands and nodded in response, "Yes, Hokage-sama."
Soon, Izayoi, who was cultivating Onmyoton at home, arrived at the Hokage's office.
Looking at Tsunade, who was engrossed in writing on a blank scroll, Izayoi asked, "Hokage-sama, has something major happened?"
With Izayoi becoming a super-tier combatant, he was now one of Konoha's mascots.
Unless he took Hanabi out on a mission, Tsunade no longer urged him to do missions.
Because there was no need.
Even for a top-secret S-rank mission, sending Izayoi to execute it would be making a mountain out of a molehill, purely a matter of bullying.
Having such a super-tier combatant stationed in Konoha was the best choice.
So, unless it was an emergency, Tsunade generally wouldn't deploy Izayoi as her trump card.
Now that she had, something major must have happened that required a super-tier combatant's intervention.
"First, take a look at this letter. I'll explain after I'm done writing."
Tsunade, without looking up, picked up the previous envelope, placed it on top of the documents beside her, and continued writing at a rapid pace, completely disregarding the neatness of her handwriting.
Izayoi, filled with doubt, opened the envelope and took out two items: a letter and a photograph.
Izayoi first glanced at the photograph and was slightly stunned. "Hinata?"
"Izayoi-kun, is something wrong?" Hinata walked over, thinking Izayoi was calling her.
Izayoi had already reacted and handed the photograph to Hinata, feigning interest. "Hinata, doesn't the person in this photo look a lot like you from two years ago?"
"Huh?"
Hinata looked at the photo, her face immediately filled with surprise. "She really does look like me!"
The photo showed a girl of similar age to Hinata, only her development wasn't as advanced as Hinata's.
Long, brown-tea hair, wearing a white and red Miko outfit, a pair of beautiful purple eyes, and a pure aura that, even through the photo, felt exactly like Hinata's.
There was one more striking similarity.
The girl's figure was surprisingly similar to Hinata's from two years ago; she was a Miko with substantial assets.
Without even reading the letter, Izayoi had already recognized the girl's identity: Shion, the Miko who appeared in the movie.
If he remembered correctly, in that movie, Shion even predicted Naruto Uzumaki's death, and the movie's title was the straightforward Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire.
As for more detailed information, Izayoi couldn't recall it.
However, Izayoi vaguely remembered this being a movie from the Shippuden era, right?
It was still Konoha Year 62; how was Shion appearing now?
So, Izayoi, while issuing instructions to his Wood Clones, opened the letter and began to read.
Before he even finished the letter, the scenes his Wood Clones saw and the information they gathered were all transmitted to him in real-time.
A hint of solemnity flashed in Izayoi's eyes.
As expected of movies that casually threaten to destroy the world, neither the Gréel Stone mine nor the main antagonist of this "Naruto's Death" film were ordinary.
The Land of Demons was located on the edge of the ninja continent, separated from the Land of Fire by several other countries.
Because it only worshipped the Miko, had no ninja villages, and was geographically remote, the Land of Demons was a very backward and feudal country.
Furthermore, with its widespread rocky mountains and forest areas, few people would traverse mountains to reach the Land of Demons, resulting in the country having an extremely low presence.
Izayoi's Wood Clones, responsible for monitoring the ninja world, rarely focused on this country, as it had no strong chakra and wasn't worth attention.
However, if this country suddenly erupted with powerful chakra fluctuations, it would still be detected by the Wood Clones who used their God's Eye perspective and Chakra Sensing abilities to monitor the entire ninja world.
Yet, this letter was sent to the Land of Fire three days ago, and Izayoi only just learned of the undead disaster in the Land of Demons.
This was incredibly astonishing for Izayoi, who possessed the Tenseigan.
Aside from White Zetsu'sMayfly technique, was there actually another ability in this world that could evade the Tenseigan's perception?
Izayoi's first thought was that the main antagonist of this movie was not simple.
Unfortunately, since movies weren't part of the main storyline, and having transmigrated to this world for over a decade, Izayoi had long forgotten the general plot. He only had an impression of Shion, who resembled Hinata, and didn't even remember the antagonist's name.
The letter's content was straightforward.
It stated that the demon had broken free from the Miko's seal, reappearing with a ghost army that had once nearly destroyed the world. It was now causing chaos throughout the Land of Demons, searching for the Miko's whereabouts. It requested Konoha to dispatch powerful shinobi to protect this generation's Miko, Shion, and send troops to assist the Land of Demons.
At this moment, Tsunade finally finished writing on the scroll, rolled it up, and handed it to Shizune, saying, "Shizune, quickly deliver this scroll to Shikaku, then remain there and maintain contact with me."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Shizune respectfully nodded, then Shunshined out of the window.
Tsunade looked at Izayoi and asked, "Izayoi, did you leave a Flying Thunder God Technique marking in the Land of Demons?"
"No," Izayoi shook his head honestly. "That place is too remote, and it seems to have no ninja villages. I haven't even been there."
Tsunade nodded, not surprised.
Then she opened a drawer, took out a red scroll from inside, and unrolled it to reveal a map of the ninja world.
Unlike ordinary maps bought in shops, which only divided the ninja continent into countries, this scroll was larger, with more detailed regions and marked place names, and even some very mysterious locations.
This was the most detailed map of the ninja world, compiled over sixty-two years by Konoha ninja who had traversed every part of the ninja world, with information gathered from their mission summaries and reports by the intelligence department. Only Konoha's higher-ups were authorized to view it.
Tsunade found the location of the Land of Demons on the map, then looked at the surrounding countries and continued to ask, "Then did you leave Flying Thunder God Technique markings in the Land of Bears, the Land of Earth, or the Land of Lightning?"
"Both the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning have them. I haven't been to the Land of Bears," Izayoi replied.
In reality, whether he had a Flying Thunder God Technique marking or not was irrelevant to Izayoi.
With the Tenseigan + Heavenly Transfer Technique + Flying Thunder God Technique combo, Izayoi could reach anywhere in a few minutes.
"Then go to the Land of Earth first, and then immediately proceed to the Land of Demons," Tsunade picked up a red pen, drew a red circle in a certain area of the Land of Demons, then rolled up the scroll and handed it to Izayoi, sternly instructing, "The red circle on the map marks the Miko of the Land of Demons' hiding place. Your mission is to protect this generation's Miko, assist her in sealing the master of the ghost army. Only the Miko's power can deal with that demon!"
Izayoi caught the scroll and asked curiously, "Hokage-sama, do you know what that demon is?"
"I don't know, I only remember that demon being called Mōryō," Tsunade slowly explained. "Many years ago, there was a group of indestructible, immortal undead who sought to destroy this world. At a critical moment, the previous Miko of the Land of Demons, Miroku, sealed the ghost army and its leader."
"It is said that Mōryō is an immortal demon that has existed for a very long time, an archenemy of the Miko, and only the Miko's power can seal it."
"If you're curious, you can try to find Mōryō's location and test its strength, to see if you can kill it."
After speaking, Tsunade again sternly instructed, "Remember, you must protect that Miko. If even you cannot kill Mōryō, then it means only the Miko's power can seal it. Do not be overconfident, lest an irreversible situation arises."
"I understand," Izayoi nodded, then grabbed Hinata's small hand and said to Tsunade, "For this mission, I want to take Hinata with me."
"Alright, I'll feel more at ease with both of you acting together," Tsunade nodded, then urged, "You have the Flying Thunder God Technique. If you need anything, have a Wood Clone come back for it. Now, depart immediately; we cannot let the enemy find the Miko's location first."
"Yes!" Izayoi nodded in response, then vanished without a trace, taking Hinata with him.
The next second, Izayoi and Hinata appeared in the territory of the Land of Earth.
"Izayoi-kun..."
Just as Hinata was about to speak, the scene in front of her distorted again, and they were already outside a shrine.
The words that had reached her throat suddenly cut off.
Picking up the Flying Thunder God kunai that his Wood Clone had transmitted to the ground, Izayoi looked at the slightly agape Hinata and couldn't help but ask, "Hinata, what were you about to say?"
"N-nothing..." Hinata shook her head, a little flushed.
She had thought Izayoi needed to conceal his Tenseigan ability, and since he hadn't been to the Land of Demons, she intended to take the map from him and use her Byakugan to guide Izayoi.
But she had forgotten that Izayoi's Wood Clones were more independent clones, capable of using the Tenseigan's power and abilities like the Heavenly Transfer Technique.
As long as Izayoi had a coordinate, he could instantly appear there.
How embarrassing! Good thing she hadn't said anything.
Hinata thought to herself.
"Who are you?"
Izayoi and Hinata's appearance immediately drew the attention of the shrine guards.
A man dressed in Shinto priest attire appeared at the shrine entrance, his eyes wary as he watched Izayoi and Hinata.
"We are ninja from Konoha, dispatched to protect Miko Shion," Izayoi took out his ninja headband and the envelope Tsunade had given him earlier, handing them to the Shinto priest.
The priest cautiously took the envelope, opened it, and after seeing its contents and the seal belonging only to the Daimyo of the Land of Demons, he immediately let out a sigh of relief.
Then, he respectfully bowed to Izayoi and Hinata. "My apologies for the rudeness earlier. Because there are four ninja in the ghost army who are skilled in ninjutsu, I was worried they might be disguised as Konoha ninja. Please forgive me. I am Lord Shion's guardian. You may call me Ashimaru."
"I am Izayoi, a Jonin from Konoha, and this is my comrade, Hinata Hyuga," Izayoi responded politely.
Hearing Izayoi's name, Ashimaru's expression suddenly changed, then his face filled with wild joy, and his demeanor became even more respectful. "So you are Lord Izayoi! This is wonderful! With your protection, Lord Shion will surely be safe!"
"Take us to Miko Shion," Izayoi said.
"Yes, please follow me," Ashimaru nodded respectfully, then led Izayoi and Hinata into the shrine.
Along the way, Ashimaru seemed to notice something, frequently glancing sideways at Hinata, who was silently following Izayoi, his eyes filled with surprise.
Izayoi smiled without speaking, knowing what Ashimaru was surprised about.
It was simply that Hinata had developed early.
If she looked the same as in the original story, Ashimaru would have been shocked by Hinata's appearance at the shrine entrance already.
Aside from different hair and eye colors, the current Hinata was practically Shion from the Shippuden era.
That is, a larger version of Shion now!
Upon entering the main building of the shrine, Izayoi and Hinata immediately saw Shion sitting on a zabuton, dressed in a red and white Miko outfit, with a bell brooch tied at her collar, long brown-tea hair, and closed eyes, whether resting or meditating.
Gazing at Shion, whose aura was pure and sacred, even though Hinata had seen her photo, she couldn't help but show surprise.
Similar... she was truly so similar!
Especially when her eyes were closed, if Shion's hair color were dyed black, she would look exactly like Hinata two years ago.
"Lord Shion, the support from the Land of Fire has arrived," Ashimaru respectfully said to Shion.
Hearing this, Shion slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of emotionless purple eyes, as noble as their color.
Her gaze directly bypassed Ashimaru, focusing on Izayoi, who was observing her.
The next second, Shion's pupils suddenly changed from purple to purplish-blue, displaying layers of overlapping floral patterns.
Her gaze seemed to traverse time, her eyes lost focus, and her expression became blank.
Seeing this, Ashimaru's expression changed slightly, realizing that Shion's prophetic ability had involuntarily activated again.
And each time Shion made a prophecy, the person being prophesied almost always faced death.
Could it be that this Mōryō disaster couldn't even be resolved by a super-tier combatant like Lord Izayoi?
"Ah..."
Just then, Shion suddenly let out a scream.
Her eye color returned to normal, two lines of bloody tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, and Shion painfully covered her eyes.
"Lord Shion!"
Ashimaru's face showed anxiety, wanting to step forward, but due to the difference in status and identity, he didn't dare to approach or touch Shion.
"Hinata, go and treat her."
"Yes."
Hearing Izayoi and Hinata's voices, Ashimaru finally remembered their identities and quickly bowed to Hinata, saying, "Lady Hinata, I beg of you."
"Leave it to me," Hinata nodded with a smile, then knelt beside Shion, gently took her hands, and performed medical ninjutsu to treat her eyes.
At the same time, she activated her Byakugan, peering through Shion's body.
Soon, Hinata softly said, "Your eyes are fine. They just experienced a sudden, severe stimulus. It should be the backlash of a jutsu. They will recover soon."
After a short while, Hinata finished the treatment and said, "Alright, try opening your eyes."
Shion slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was slightly blurry at first, then gradually cleared.
The stinging pain from before had also disappeared.
"...Thank you."
Shion thanked softly, then looked at Izayoi with shock, surprise, and a hint of fear, unable to help but ask, "You... who exactly are you?"
Observing the bubbles floating around Shion, Izayoi asked, "You used your prophetic ability on me just now, didn't you? What did you see?"
"I saw nothing at all, only a blank space."
Shion shook her head, her expression bewildered. "My prophetic ability cannot be controlled; it always activates automatically. You are the only existence whose future I cannot see!"
By the end of her words, neither Izayoi nor Hinata noticed that Shion's eyes were no longer emotionless as before, no longer looking down on all beings as mere ants.
Instead, they held a very human... excitement!
Izayoi also didn't notice Shion's change, because his gaze appeared to be on Shion, but he was actually staring at the tags around Shion.
As a 'pirated,' Miko version of Hinata, and the heroine of a movie, Shion's tags were also incredibly luxurious, even surprising Izayoi.
[Miko Power - Incomplete (Gold)]
[Prophecy (Gold)]
[Kage-level Aptitude (Purple)]
Two gold and one purple—this completely surpassed minor characters like Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka.
If Hinata didn't possess one red and one gold entry, she wouldn't even compare to Shion.
Even more incredible, Izayoi saw no chakra on Shion, yet her aptitude was a purple Kage-level Aptitude.
How could she unlock this entry without chakra?
Izayoi didn't think the Talent Entry System had a bug. Instead, he believed there was a big secret hidden within Shion, the Miko.
Especially the 'Miko Power - Incomplete' entry, which was at the top, a gold rank, yet had the word "Incomplete" in it. This filled Izayoi with interest.
If 'Miko Power - Incomplete' was gold, then would the complete Miko Power be a top-tier gold entry, or even a red entry?
Coming back to his senses, Izayoi looked at the bewildered Shion, and a smile played on his lips. "It's normal that you can't see my future! Because... my status is above yours!"
How could a Miko serving a god possibly see a god's future?
Unless it was Divine Art level prophecy, even a red-level prophecy couldn't see Izayoi's future.
For a mere gold-ranked ability to challenge Izayoi, who possessed two rainbow-colored tags and the Otsutsuki Clan's immunity, it was already quite remarkable that Shion's eyes didn't go blind on the spot.
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