"Wha… It's over already?"
In Konoha, the ninja unit that had just assembled, ready at any moment to set out and support the Land of Demons, suddenly received news that the crisis in the Land of Demons had already been resolved.
Just when they'd finished gearing up, the ninjas stood there, dumbfounded.
In particular, Uzumaki Naruto—who, after pestering them for so long, was finally taken by Jiraiya to Mount Myōboku to train in Sage Mode, hoping to prove himself on this mission—was left speechless when he found out it was Izayoi who ended the Land of Demons crisis.
Uchiha Sasuke, likewise pausing in slight surprise, gave a cold snort and curved his lips. "That braggart… He's so eager for everyone to know it was his doing. Ridiculous." Finishing, Sasuke turned and left.
In truth, his heart was roiling in turmoil. The terrifying chakra earlier—despite having transplanted Hashirama's cells himself and rapidly increasing his own chakra over these two years—was still far below Izayoi's aura, by a factor of a hundred. Sasuke had thought that his own growth was astonishing, never imagining Izayoi was even more so. That guy—did he truly have no limits?
"So it was Lord Izayoi who acted. No wonder the undead calamity ended so quickly."
"As expected of Lord Izayoi. Even an immortal, indestructible undead is no match for him!"
"That means that terrifying chakra of Lord Izayoi's was projected all the way here from the Land of Demons?"
"Tsk… If I recall correctly, the Land of Demons is over by the border of the Lands of Lightning and Earth, separated from the Land of Fire by several countries. That must be how many kilometers?"
"Even at that distance, it felt so clear. So presumably everyone in all countries sensed Lord Izayoi's chakra!"
"That's the strength of a super-spec combatant? He only released chakra and pretty much shook the entire ninja continent?"
"Incredible! So long as we have Lord Izayoi, we needn't fear Uchiha Madara or Otsutsuki!"
"…!"
A wave of cheers instantly swept through Konoha. Hearing the details, the village residents also joined in. Once again, Izayoi's renown soared higher.
And this time, it wasn't only Konoha that praised him; the impact quickly spread throughout the ninja world—even to the isles beyond. Everyone who sensed Izayoi's chakra, upon learning it spanned the entire shinobi continent—even the faraway Land of Water could sense it—was astonished, as much as they'd been when the moon was cut apart.
"It's likely even the legendary God of Shinobi didn't compare!"
Who first spoke these words was unclear, but they swiftly spread around the ninja world, gaining widespread agreement. So many legendary battles shaped famous figures: Hanzo vs. the Three Sannin, the Sannin's heroic stand despite defeat; the Fourth Hokage single-handedly annihilating dozens of Stone-nin; the Third Raikage taking on ten thousand Stone-nin alone, etc.
But none compared in influence to the "Final Valley" duel between the God of Shinobi and the Asura of the Ninja World. The flat terrain became the Valley of the End, the national map almost rewritten. Their might was a unique super-spec level.
Under that, the next famed battles—like the Akatsuki leader vs. Otsutsuki, or Izayoi vs. the Akatsuki leader—didn't outdo the Valley of the End. Even so, neither had the Valley of the End's spectacle shaken the entire ninja continent. Yet cutting down the moon, or Izayoi's chakra overflowing across the land—this was at a scale the First Hokage never demonstrated.
Hence, by accomplishing what the "predecessors" couldn't, Izayoi was deemed surpassing them. Thanks to his breathtaking exploit, he overtook the Akatsuki leader among the four super-spec combatants, standing on equal footing with Madara and Otsutsuki.
The one left behind was Nagato.
On hearing this matter, the Fire Daimyō again dispatched officials to Konoha. This time they practically made it a public suggestion that Tsunade should hurry and give up the Hokage seat.
And now, Tsunade herself wavered—wondering if Izayoi really ought to train two more years or simply take over soon. Because with Izayoi's current strength, even if he had no political know-how at all, no one would dare defy him. As commander of the village's military, his power was their best weapon.
Izayoi, however, had no knowledge of these high-level maneuvers, nor did he care. After returning from that sea island to Konoha, he quickly began "setting up" Shion.
Over just a few days, Izayoi—on behalf of Konoha—offered warm hospitality for the visiting Priestess. Wearing a simple Wooden Transformation disguise, he and Hinata's small circle took Shion around Konoha. To this priestess from the Land of Demons who, like a Jinchūriki, had been shunned by her own people and raised alone in a shrine, Konoha's bustling streets felt like stepping into a city from a remote village—she swiftly grew fond of it.
Having never had any friends, Shion quickly bonded with Hinata and Karin. Both of them had gone through similar hardships—Karin in particular lived as if in hell before meeting Izayoi. So the three got along without barriers. Even Hanabi took a liking to Shion, who resembled her sister so closely.
Shion, in turn, likewise did not resist. She was from a shrine lineage in the Land of Demons—a place with no real ninja army, whose people had always worshiped the Priestess yet also held her in fearful awe, leaving her lonelier than a Jinchūriki. Just a few days in Konoha, Shion wholly loved its atmosphere and the friendships made with Hinata's group. Gone was her aloof manner. She now acted more lively, somewhat like Hinata, to the point of forgetting about her role as Priestess and her homeland.
Seeing her so happy, Izayoi finally revealed his aim.
"Eh! Join Konoha?"
Shion hadn't expected Izayoi's invitation. A flash of delight arose on her face—then she remembered her own status and forced a slight smile. "I am the Priestess of the Land of Demons, bearing responsibility for that land," she said.
"No," Izayoi chuckled. "Your Priestess duty is merely to seal Moryō. Now that Moryō is dead, and you have inherited the Original Priestess's power—achieving what all your ancestors could not—you're a free individual."
"Breaking destiny, a free person…" Shion repeated, a bit dazed, her beautiful eyes gradually lighting up. So that was the feeling of rewriting destiny? It turned out not only Izayoi but she herself was doing it without realizing. That was the freedom that came from smashing fate. Just like Izayoi had changed Foot's fate.
But recalling the people back in her homeland, who both feared and worshiped her, Shion fell quiet again.
Izayoi smiled. "If you can't let the Land of Demons go, no problem. That country is remote anyway—without any large-scale conflict. If you join Konoha, I can guarantee an alliance with the Land of Demons. If it's ever endangered, I'll protect it. With my space-time ability, I can arrive there in an instant."
"And I'll help you fully master your Priestess power. If at that time you want to return and help them, you can rely on me."
Shion's eyes lit up again. She truly was the sole guardian of her country, which had neither ninjas nor advanced forces. Yet after seeing Izayoi's strength and hearing his promise, she felt deeply moved. "Sacrificing" herself so that her homeland could gain an ultra-powerful ally was well worth it.
Thus Shion felt her resolve sway. She still hesitated… but Izayoi added the finishing blow:
"Please join Konoha, Shion. Right now the ninja world is dangerously unstable—any day the world could face apocalyptic disaster. I need your power in that 'form' of mine. Let's save this world together!"
For a girl raised from childhood to believe she must save the world, these words were lethal. Especially as she was being asked by the person she couldn't foresee, who helped her break destiny, the one she held good feelings for. If not for fear of Hinata's displeasure, Shion would have already agreed.
So the Priestess's cheeks reddened. She softly clasped Izayoi's extended hand, nodding firmly. At that moment, the Priestess of the Land of Demons officially joined Konoha.
…
Meanwhile, over the past few days, Uchiha Madara's real body returned to the Land of Demons, reading a random citizen's memory and learning that the monstrous Moryō had appeared but was now gone. Investigating the old seal site at the temple, he confirmed it was opened, with Moryō vanished.
Madara then had White Zetsu deploy throughout the land. Several days passed before he finally found the remnants of Huang Quan's underlings—those four men whom Izayoi slew. Madara revived them via Edo Tensei, used the Rinnegan's Human Path to read their memories, and traced them to that volcanic cavern.
"Another one of those ancient arts…?"
Standing on the altar that had sealed Moryō—and also served for two polarities merging Priestess and Moryō—Madara surveyed the inscriptions, frowning. "That kid Izayoi, what did he obtain here that made his chakra explode so dramatically?"
"Has Moryō truly died, or was he re-sealed?"
"Could that brat have absorbed Moryō's power?"
Madara was reluctant to accept that. It would mean missing out on a priceless bounty. He had tried using the Rinnegan to absorb Moryō before, but couldn't incorporate that energy. And Moryō's negative aura was entirely different from that massive neutral power Izayoi displayed across the continent.
Thinking of this, Madara turned to leave, continuing his search.
At that moment, he suddenly froze, a strange emotion stirring in his mind—like a flash of insight or a mysterious mental summons. Madara lowered his gaze, looking at the altar. He subconsciously crouched and placed his hand on an ancient stone slab. Then he infused his own chakra.
Buzz!
At once, brilliant white light burst forth. The brightness formed a cylindrical barrier that rose from the altar and swiftly expanded, turning the entire volcano region white.
In that instant, Izayoi's wood clone—assigned to monitor Madara—was shocked to find the Tenseigan's far-sight no longer saw inside. A technique to nullify a six-path–tier dojutsu? The same-level Rinnegan wouldn't do that. Only a power stepping beyond the usual six-path realm.
Impossible!
Izayoi, receiving this intel via the clone, was just as stunned, his face grim.
He dreaded losing track of whatever Madara discovered. He'd never encountered a phenomenon so strongly shielded, except in the domain of ultimate powers like the Sage's or Kaguya's. Did that slab's hidden arts react to Madara's chakra?
Inside the cavern, Madara's eyes were wide as he stared at lines of glowing ancient script along the rocky walls.
"The Sage of Six Paths… His legacy!"
~~~
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