The dazed Mōryō finally recovered from the rain of attacks.
"Enough!!" It let out a hysterical roar and desperately reached out, clamping down on Hyūga Kawa's wrist, forcibly interrupting the terrifying combo!
The mask on its face opened its mouth, and a crimson light gathered inside.
It stared intently into Hyūga Kawa's eyes, hoping to see fear, to see retreat...
But, there was none!
In Hyūga Kawa's eyes, there was only the pure frenzy of a warrior immersed in battle, a profound pleasure in the clash of power!
"This guy... is a monster!"
This thought, which even Mōryō found absurd, abruptly surfaced in its mind.
However, in the next instant!
The Ring-Hilt Saber that Mōryō had knocked away, as if possessing a life of its own, arced beautifully through the air and flew precisely back into Hyūga Kawa's other, free hand!
Hyūga Kawa grasped the hilt, and using the momentum from its captured arm, violently spun. A mournful flash of steel streaked before Mōryō like a full moon!
Pfft!
The arm Mōryō used to grab Hyūga Kawa's wrist was severed at the shoulder. Black, viscous 'blood' spurted out!
"Roar!"
The intense pain from the severed limb made Mōryō let out a roar filled with agony and disbelief!
How is this possible?!
For the first time, fear clearly wrapped around its heart!
The hastily condensed crimson beam from Mōryō's opened mouth instantly burst forth.
It didn't aim at Hyūga Kawa, but rather swept horizontally in front of itself, blocking Hyūga Kawa's path.
Shhh!
Where the crimson beam passed, the ground was cut and melted. It then swept up toward the already crumbling dome ceiling.
Rumble!!
Countless massive rocks came crashing down, instantly piling up into a high, thick barrier of debris between Mōryō and Hyūga Kawa. Dust billowed, obscuring the view.
Black and purple mist surged from Mōryō's severed arm. A new arm grew out at a visible rate.
But it had no intention of lingering or counterattacking. It unhesitatingly turned and spread the gigantic bat wings on its back!
Escape!
It had to escape!
It had not yet completely mastered the true power of this body. Against this monster cloaked in human skin, it couldn't gain any advantage and might even die here!
If only, if only it could escape from here...
If it found a place to thoroughly understand this body, it could perfectly control this power!
When that time came, it would surely return and destroy this damned fellow, along with the entire Shinobi World!
It vowed inwardly, but its actions were swift. The bat wings gave a forceful flap, generating a powerful current of air!
Its body shot up like a black arrow released from a bow, aiming straight for the opening in the ceiling that led to the night sky outside!
Almost! It was about to break out!
The cold wind of the canyon already brushed its face. The bright moon hanging high in the night sky was within reach!
However, just as its body was about to burst through the opening, its body already bathed in moonlight!
Swish!
A white stream of light flashed past its side.
Immediately after, in Mōryō's crimson pupils, which reflected the cold lunar disk, Hyūga Kawa's figure was suspended directly above it!
Those pure Byakugan eyes were fixed on its body. He swung the saber in his hand!
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
In the next instant, the Ring-Hilt Saber drawn by Hyūga Kawa lost its form due to the terrifying speed. The speed of the swing was too fast to see the complete blade!
One could only see the hazy trail of the saber light, faintly haloed by the cold moonlight, so sharp it seemed to tear apart the silent night!
One could only hear the horrifying, sharp wind whistle of the blade ripping through the air!
Seven blades of light, like cold moonlight, bloomed silently at the exact same moment!
The world in Mōryō's eyes was instantly torn apart!
Its two arms were severed at the shoulder, a cold feeling of separation ran through its waist, its upper and lower body were smoothly sliced apart, its flapping left and right wings were cut off, and its two legs were also severed!
There was no pain, only an ice-cold, deathly stillness that penetrated the soul.
Boom!!
Mōryō's dismembered remains crashed heavily from the high sky back down onto the altar it had just fled, kicking up a vast cloud of dust that blotted out the sun!
Hyūga Kawa's figure slowly descended. His pure white wings gently folded as he landed outside the dust cloud, his gaze penetrating the dust to look at Mōryō's shattered body.
In the distance, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others stared intently at the scene, their hearts lodged in their throats.
"Roar!!"
A roar saturated with fear and rage suddenly burst from the depths of the dust cloud, like the final wail of a dying beast!
And with this roar, the eyes of the stone soldiers throughout the underground space, which had been lifeless, once again lit up with a crimson glow!
The tide of stone statues surged to their feet and rushed towards Hyūga Kawa's direction!
Undoubtedly, this was the last struggle of a trapped creature.
"Stop them!" the Fourth Raikage roared, bravely enduring his still unhealed severe injuries, and unhesitatingly charged at the rampaging stone soldiers. The others followed suit.
Among them, only Hyūga Kawa, who possessed the Miko's heritage, could truly kill Mōryō. They had to buy time for him!
At this moment, Hyūga Kawa walked into the dust and saw the limbless Mōryō.
However, black and purple mist surged over Mōryō's dismembered body. The severed limbs were regenerating at an extremely fast rate; the wings and legs were already taking shape!
"Why..."
Mōryō's hoarse roar was filled with reluctance. It knelt in the deep pit, struggling to stand. "I should be an existence that transcends any human!"
Miroku! What kind of person did you find?!
This is absolutely not the Miko's power, nor is it a power humans can control!
Escape! I must escape!
It struggled to its feet, the newly grown legs supporting its weight.
However, when it looked up, it was met by a pair of calm, emotionless Byakugan eyes.
Hyūga Kawa stood before it, looking down, and slowly raised his right hand.
The bell on his wrist emitted a faint glow. The dim markings carved into the altar beneath his feet suddenly lit up with a soft white light, as if activated!
Mōryō's pupils sharply contracted, and its eyes filled with terror.
Having lived for thousands of years, having experienced countless seals and escapes, it felt the raw terror of death this clearly for the first time!
It could feel that if it was killed by this human, it would have no chance of resurrection!
"No! No!"
Mōryō's millennia of majesty and arrogance utterly crumbled before death. Looking up at Hyūga Kawa, its voice distorted by fear: "Spare me! I can give you anything!"
"Power! Authority! Wealth! Immortality! And..."
But its plea was not even finished.
Hyūga Kawa's raised hand suddenly clenched into a fist under Mōryō's despairing gaze!
Buzz!
A gentle power, utterly contrary to Mōryō, descended. Mōryō's body, which was furiously regenerating and surging with black-purple mist, seemed to be violently crushed by an invisible hand!
Then...
Bang!!
Mōryō's body, along with its desperate wails, instantly exploded, transforming into a massive cloud of surging black-purple mist!
Only the cracked, pale bony mask remained in the mist.
Hyūga Kawa reached out, and the bone mask fell into his palm.
The surrounding, dissipating black-purple mist was drawn by an invisible vortex, pouring frantically into the mask.
At the same time, the shadow beneath his feet writhed and surged like a living thing. A figure completely shrouded in a black robe rose from it, silently appearing beside Hyūga Kawa.
It emitted no aura, only a complete stillness.
This was the clone currently constructed from the "Demon Mask," the "Shadow Robe," and his "Yin Release Consciousness"—the 'Kage'.
"You can begin the operation in Konoha," Hyūga Kawa said, casually tossing the pale bone mask in his hand to the 'Kage'.
A hand, similarly shrouded in shadow, extended from beneath the 'Kage's' sleeve and steadily caught the mask.
Immediately after, its figure slowly sank back into the shadow beneath Hyūga Kawa's feet, completely vanishing as if it had never been there.
The current 'Kage' was similar to Black Zetsu, but its strength was much greater.
With this Hōgyoku (Orb of Desire) crafted from Mōryō, the 'Kage's' strength could also leap forward, just like the main body.
The main body's Hōgyoku absorbed the pure mental energy of positive emotions like respect, admiration, and love directed at him.
The 'Kage's' Hōgyoku, in contrast, would absorb the mental energy of negative emotions like fear, hatred, and resentment directed at him.
The moment both Hōgyoku are fully completed will be the moment the 'Kage' returns to the main body with the other half of the power—the moment Ōtsutsuki Unshiki truly appears in the world.
Whoosh!
The dust finally slowly cleared.
The stone soldiers froze after Mōryō's death. Everyone instinctively looked at the figure in the center of the altar.
Only Hyūga Kawa stood quietly in the center of the altar, along with the lingering black-purple mist that hadn't completely dissipated.
The survivors, seeing this, finally let their tense nerves relax slightly and instinctively let out a long breath.
Hyūga Kawa's figure flashed, instantly appearing before a pale-faced Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was leaning against the rock wall, and Hatake Kakashi, who was supporting him.
"Third Hokage-sama, your injuries..." Hyūga Kawa's gaze fell on Sarutobi's visibly sunken abdomen, which had been roughly treated, and he frowned deeply.
"I've had emergency treatment; there's no major immediate danger," Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, enduring the intense pain. He took a deep breath and asked, "Mōryō, is it..."
"It has been completely killed using the method taught by the Miko, combined with the residual sealing power of this altar," Hyūga Kawa nodded, affirming his words.
However, his expression did not relax with the victory; instead, it grew more solemn.
"But..." his voice dropped. "After killing Mōryō, I saw some fragmented visions."
"What visions?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyebrows instantly furrowed. Kakashi, beside him, wore a serious expression.
The other Kage and survivors couldn't help but gather around.
"Was it the Miko's prophecy?" Mei Terumī (Fifth Mizukage) couldn't help but ask.
Hyūga Kawa took a deep breath, as if trying to expel the heavy scene from his mind. His gaze swept over everyone present, and he finally said solemnly:
"I saw Konoha enveloped in towering flames and the shadow of death."
At these words, Sarutobi and Kakashi's faces instantly changed drastically.
"No, not just Konoha," Hyūga Kawa's voice grew heavier. His gaze swept over the people present. "I saw the other ninja villages like this too, and I even saw Tailed Beasts being released!"
"W-What are you saying?" Hearing something involving his younger brother, Killer B, the Fourth Raikage exclaimed in shock and anger. "How is that possible..."
Before he could finish speaking, Hyūga Kawa cast a glance.
The yet-to-fully-dissipate chill in his eyes made the Raikage instinctively swallow the rest of his sentence.
"Raikage!" Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke. "The Miko's prophecies have never been wrong. We should have more trust in each other now."
However, his own face was similarly gloomy, looking as if it could drip water. He looked at Hyūga Kawa and asked, "Are you certain, Kawa?"
"The visions were fragmented, but absolutely real," Hyūga Kawa said gravely.
[Ding! Your lies have been judged as [Blatant Fabrication] [Creating from Nothing] [Casting Confusion]. Hiruzen Sarutobi, Ōnoki, Yagura Karatachi, and others experienced a strong emotional fluctuation, reaching the level of [Deep Conviction]. You have gained 8000 Reality Points.]
[Remaining Reality Points: 10874]
Hearing this, everyone present looked incredibly grim.
If it were just one village, it could perhaps be dismissed as an accident or local conflict, but all ninja villages being attacked, and even involving Tailed Beasts...
These Kage understood what this implied only too clearly!
This was another huge crisis that would affect the entire Shinobi World!
"We must return to the villages immediately!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said without hesitation. He tried to straighten up, but couldn't help but sway. Fortunately, Kakashi caught him in time.
"But, Third Hokage-sama, your injuries..." Kakashi worriedly said.
"We can't worry about that now," Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. "If the prophecy is true, every second we delay is another danger to the village!"
With that, his gaze turned to the other Kage and representatives, and he said solemnly, "The same goes for all of you. Rush back to your villages as soon as possible."
"If nothing unexpected has happened, that would be for the best, but if an incident has already occurred..."
At these words, everyone's gazes solidified, and there was no longer any hesitation.
"Let's go!" The Fourth Raikage acted first, lightning flashing around him. He didn't even have time for another word of nonsense, rushing out of the underground space like a streak of lightning.
"We'll head back immediately too!" The others left without hesitation.
"Kawa, Kakashi, we should go too!" Hiruzen Sarutobi, supported by Kakashi, gave Hyūga Kawa a profound look.
Hyūga Kawa nodded. His wings spread behind him, and he extended his hands to grab both of them.
The survivors turned into several streaks of light, rushing out of the canyon that had just experienced a fierce battle at the fastest possible speed.
They sped toward their respective villages, their hearts burning with anxiety!
Meanwhile, on the eastern coast of the Land of Fire.
The setting sun shone like fragmented gold on a broad, emerald green meadow.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and wildflowers, mixed with the faint salty tang of the distant sea breeze.
Three little girls of similar age, dressed in simple cloth clothes, were playing and laughing freely on this green, carpet-like lawn. Their laughter drifted far on the wind.
"I found the prettiest one!" one girl shouted excitedly, carefully plucking a light purple wildflower.
"Weave it right in the middle!" the other short-haired girl reached out to take it.
The three small heads huddled together, squatting on the grass, concentrating on picking the prettiest wildflowers. Their delicate fingers wove them into a colorful garland.
One of the girls smiled and placed the finished garland on her head. The petals on the garland trembled slightly, emitting a faint fragrance.
However, at that moment!
Whoosh!!
A roaring sound, unlike the natural sea breeze, suddenly swept overhead!
The sound was low and oppressive, shattering the evening tranquility.
A powerful current of air pressed down and swept across the meadow. The knee-high green grass beneath the girls' feet was flattened by the sudden wind pressure, raising a violent green wave.
The garland on the ponytail girl's head was snatched away by the strong wind. The petals were torn to shreds, scattering in the chaotic air current.
"Ah!" the girl instinctively cried out, reaching to grab it, but grasping only empty air.
She instinctively raised her head and looked up at the sky.
Beneath the yellowing sky, dozens... no, hundreds of dark shadows were flying at an extremely low altitude, heading toward the interior of the Land of Fire.
The shadows of these strange flying objects quickly swept across the ground, covering the entire meadow, and covering the three small figures.
"W-What is that?" the short-haired girl looked up blankly at the sky. The wildflowers she had just picked unknowingly dropped to the ground.
"So many..." the other girl murmured, a hint of bewilderment and vague unease appearing on her face.
The low rumble gradually faded into the distance. The strange flying objects continued to penetrate deep into the heartland of the Land of Fire without stopping.
On the meadow, the flattened green grass slowly stood back up.
But the tranquility and ease, like the scattered garland, seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Only the three little girls, and the ordinary people busy in the fields, remained standing and looking up, watching the direction of the black dots slowly shrinking in the distance, a trace of shock on their faces.
That direction, it seemed to be...
Konoha?
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