The two months passed peacefully amidst training.
Whether in Konoha Village or across the Ninja World, nothing major occurred, and the same held true for the Genius Class.
The students had already undergone two Monthly Exams, but their rankings remained very similar to those from the previous semester's final exams.
The reason was simple: most students had reached temporary bottlenecks. Sasuke, Naruto, and Yakumo were prime examples.
Two months was far too short for them to master the Hatake Sword Technique, the Konoha Dragon God, or the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.
Neji and Hinata were in a similar situation, still in the middle of learning Multiple Arrows and Explosive Arrows.
Monday, July 14th.
After breakfast, Kitazawa headed to the ANBU Base, as was his habit. He pushed open the office door and stepped inside.
Konan saw him enter and subconsciously rose to her feet.
"Is there anything noteworthy today?" Kitazawa walked up to her, removed her ANBU mask, and asked.
"Yes." Konan nodded.
Kitazawa always removed her mask before speaking to her, and she had unconsciously grown used to it.
Habit was a frightening thing; before she realized it, she had become an excellent ANBU operative. Sometimes, she even forgot she was a member of the Akatsuki Organization.
Konan pulled out a scroll.
Kitazawa opened it and skimmed through it. It was indeed intelligence from Uchiha Itachi.
After two months of relentless effort, Yomi had finally completed his Dark Medical Ninjutsu using the Body Revival as a reference.
Yesterday, he and his subordinates set off for the Land of Demons. Barring any unexpected complications, Mōryō's escape would take place within the next few days.
Kitazawa closed the scroll and began contemplating.
Although Yomi had completed his Dark Medical Ninjutsu, it was undoubtedly different from the version seen in the original timeline.
To ensure there were no mishaps, he decided to personally head to the Land of Demons and oversee Mōryō's release.
If anything went wrong, he would intervene immediately. Conveniently, the Genius Class had no pressing matters requiring his attention.
"Konan." Kitazawa put away the scroll and smiled. "Take me on a trip to the Land of Demons."
"Are we going now?" Konan asked.
"Right now, I suppose." Kitazawa nodded. "The sooner this matter is settled, the better."
They left the ANBU Base and made their way to the Forest of Death.
"I'll be counting on you, Konan." Kitazawa stepped closer and wrapped an arm around her waist.
Konan fell against him, her body pressed to his chest. Suppressing the unfamiliar flutter in her heart, she activated the Dance of the Shikigami—white paper wings unfurled behind her.
She held him tight and soared into the air.
The Land of Demons lay far to the north of the Land of Wind, a considerable distance from the Land of Fire. Even flying continuously, it took a full day and a half.
They arrived around noon the next day.
Despite its ominous name, the Land of Demons was an ordinary country. Kitazawa suspected the word "Demon" simply referred to Mōryō.
The two gradually descended.
"Thank you." Kitazawa released his hold and smiled.
Konan shook her head, dispersing her wings.
"Wait for me here a moment." Kitazawa walked toward the northern forest.
After putting some distance between them, he activated his Byakugan. He quickly located the cave mentioned in Itachi's report.
After a short pause, he formed hand signs. Summoning Technique!
A tiny Slug appeared—barely the size of a caterpillar.
"Lady Slug." Kitazawa briefly explained Itachi's situation and asked him to notify him.
"Understood." The Slug wriggled toward the cave.
Kitazawa then returned to Konan.
"What should I do?" Konan asked proactively.
"You don't need to do anything. Just wait." Kitazawa smiled.
A moment later, a swift shadow streaked across the landscape. A figure landed before them—Uchiha Itachi.
"Itachi, when is Yomi going to act?"
"Tomorrow morning," Itachi replied. Then he asked calmly, "Do you need me to force him to act earlier?"
"No, let's stick to tomorrow." Kitazawa shook his head.
If acting early caused Mōryō's release to fail, the loss would be too great. This concerned three system missions—a risk he could not afford.
"Itachi, endure one more day of monitoring. I'll give you a month off after this is over."
"Thank you, Lord Kitazawa."
Itachi was momentarily surprised, then accepted. He could finally spend time with Sasuke after being away for so long.
"Let's find a place to rest for the night."
After Itachi left, Kitazawa turned toward a distant valley. He had already surveyed the area using the Byakugan earlier—remote, uninhabited, perfect for spending the night.
Konan followed silently.
Wood Release: Four Pillar House!
A wooden residence rose instantly from the earth.
Kitazawa pushed open the door and stepped inside. He unsealed a summoning scroll, retrieving furniture and daily necessities.
Seeing this, Konan immediately joined him in arranging the interior.
She had already done it once the day before, so this time everything was familiar and smooth.
Having spent so much time at Kitazawa's side, she understood him well. He was someone who never accepted loss—and someone who always sought comfort.
Even in the wilderness, he insisted on creating a home. Soon, the sofa, coffee table, and other furnishings were neatly arranged.
Kitazawa plopped down onto the soft sofa, stretched, and relaxed into its cushions.
Konan crouched gracefully, picked up the teapot on the coffee table, and began pouring his tea.
Kitazawa's gaze drifted toward her.
Her legs were bent, thighs taut and toned beneath her cloak—full and shapely. But what drew the eye even more was the curve of her hips, lifted slightly in that posture, smooth and rounded like sculpted porcelain.
Konan finished pouring and set down the teapot. She picked up the teacup and handed it to him. When she noticed where he'd been looking, she glanced back instinctively.
She understood immediately—but said nothing.
"Thank you." Kitazawa took a sip. "You've been flying most of the day. You must be tired. Go rest."
"Mhm." Konan nodded and walked toward her room.
After finishing his tea, Kitazawa stepped outside to find an open space to practice Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique.
With Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence combined with the Wood Dragon, his plan for a grand Wood Release debut was certain to succeed.
Night fell.
Kitazawa deactivated his Yang Release Chakra Mode, and weakness washed over him instantly. It was normal.
While active, Yang Release Chakra Mode pushed his reserves up to thirty cards, but once released, they reverted to fifteen.
The sudden expansion and contraction naturally left his body straining.
Moreover, the Chakra gained through Yang Release wasn't conjured from nothing. It was produced by forcefully activating cells and accelerating Chakra generation within the body.
There were no harmful side effects, but exhaustion was inevitable.
Kitazawa returned to the wooden residence.
As he pushed open the door, a faint aroma of roasted fish drifted out. Food was already set neatly on the dining table—Konan had clearly prepared it.
Ever since she learned he could create a house in the wilderness using Wood Release, Konan had carried cooking utensils and ingredients with her at all times.
How should one put it? Konan possessed the temperament of a classic, gentle, capable woman, virtuous wife, and loving mother material.
Calm, composed, quietly attentive. Even in the original story, she lacked initiative, always supporting Yahiko and Nagato behind the scenes.
A new day dawned.
Yomi began his operation.
Kitazawa and Konan tailed him all the way to the Sealing Temple of the Land of Demons—
the place where Mōryō's soul was bound.
Kitazawa shook his head.
Though heavily guarded, the Temple's defenders were not Ninja, leaving them hopelessly vulnerable against Yomi's group.
"Let's follow him inside." Kitazawa flickered forward, appearing at the Sealing Temple entrance.
"Who are you!?"
Yomi's subordinates rushed him, but before Kitazawa even raised a hand, they all dropped simultaneously.
"Lord Kitazawa." Itachi removed his disguise and approached.
He had already taken down Yomi's men.
Kitazawa nodded and stepped into the Sealing Temple.
The interior was simple. At its center stood a strange stone monument perched atop a high platform, surrounded by a vast ravine like a bottomless abyss.
Kitazawa peered downward, spotting ranks of terracotta warriors in the deep darkness—Mōryō's Ghost Army.
A cold, oppressive Chakra surged through the Temple.
"Lord Mōryō!" Yomi's voice echoed sharply.
The stone monument cracked open. A mass of absolute darkness emerged, writhing.
Yomi tore open his own torso. The dark mass plunged into him like liquid shadow.
The wound sealed. His aura swelled explosively.
With Mōryō's soul merged, he had become a temporary, twisted form of Jinchūriki—his strength skyrocketing in an instant.
"Hahaha!" Yomi threw his arms wide. "Rise! My Ghost Army!"
The entire Temple trembled as countless clattering noises erupted.
Terracotta warriors crawled from the ravines, bursting through the Temple walls and marching out beneath the open sky.
"Why are they all dead…?"
Yomi stepped outside and noticed his subordinates mangled and lifeless.
Itachi hadn't killed them—merely knocked them unconscious. But the terracotta warriors that emerged afterward had trampled them flat.
Yomi spared them only a glance, then dismissed them entirely.
They had only existed to help him refine Dark Medical Ninjutsu. Now he had the Ghost Army—loyal, limitless, and unkillable—his human followers were meaningless.
"Move out!" Yomi shouted toward the Land of Swamps.
Once Mōryō's body was released, he would become whole again—and then nothing in the Land of Demons, nor in the Ninja World, would stop him.
"Is this the legendary Ghost Army?" Itachi examined the terracotta ranks below.
"Their power comes from Mōryō. As long as he's unsealed, they regenerate endlessly."
Kitazawa replied casually. "Immortal, yes—but individually just Chunin-level."
"Even at Chunin-level, numbers like these could cause catastrophe," Itachi said gravely.
"The Land of Demons' Priestess Shion will request our help soon enough." Kitazawa nodded. "We'll deal with Mōryō then."
Itachi hesitated to speak, but in the end, he held back. He truly could not understand Kitazawa's methods.
Why release Mōryō only to help the Land of Demons seal it again? Was he plotting something against the Land of Demons?
But the Land of Demons was merely a neutral country with nothing worth coveting.
Itachi suddenly recalled the two bows held by Hinata and Neji. Could it be that Kitazawa's goal was to seal Mōryō into a bow as a weapon spirit?
After all, he knew Kitazawa had used the Box of Ultimate Bliss to forge four bows.
"Itachi, go back. Once you return to Konoha Village, have ANBU send people to monitor the Land of Demons." Kitazawa paused, then said, "I need to know which Ninja Villages Priestess Shion requests aid from."
"Yes, Lord Kitazawa." Itachi vanished on the spot.
"Konan, let's return as well." Kitazawa retracted his gaze as he spoke.
Konan nodded, stepped beside him, wrapped her arms around him, spread her wings, and took flight toward Konoha Village…
---
Land of Demons — Priestess Shrine.
A small white-haired girl, about the same age as Hinata, sat silently on her bed with her eyes closed. She was this generation's Priestess—Shion.
Suddenly, urgent footsteps echoed outside. The person approaching did not even knock; the door swung open at once.
"Your Highness, Priestess!" A flustered young man in a kimono and glasses rushed in.
"Suhō, what happened?" Shion asked, puzzled.
"It's Mōryō!" Suhō blurted out, "Its soul has escaped and is leading the Ghost Army toward the Land of Swamps."
Half a day had passed since Mōryō's soul broke the seal, so they had already received the news.
"What?" Shion sprang to her feet, horrified. "How could Mōryō's soul possibly break the seal my mother left behind?"
"It was Yomi." Suhō immediately explained everything.
Shion froze, then slowly sank back onto the bed, crestfallen.
Mōryō's release meant she would have to fulfill the duty of the Priestess—sealing Mōryō with her own life.
Though she had long accepted this fate, facing the moment itself left her trembling. She was still a child under ten, far from capable of meeting death calmly.
"Your… Your Highness, Priestess," Suhō said, seeing her expression, reluctant yet forced to ask, "What should we do?"
"Send out a mission request to the Five Great Villages." Shion took a slow breath.
"Yes, Your Highness, Priestess," Suhō replied at once.
"Once the Ninja from the Five Great Villages arrive, we will depart for the Land of Swamps and seal Mōryō immediately." Shion continued.
Suhō sighed inwardly. He wanted to say more, but nothing he could say would change the truth.
No one except the Priestess could seal Mōryō. If Mōryō remained unsealed, the entire Land of Demons would fall.
It was far too cruel a burden for a child, yet he had no means to stop it.
"Suhō, you don't need to accompany me," Shion said after a pause.
"Your Highness, Priestess… did you foresee my death?" Suhō hesitated.
"I did not activate my ability." Shion shook her head. "But staying away from me will spare you from the fate of death."
"Your Highness, Priestess, I am not afraid of death," Suhō said firmly. "I swore to your mother that I would protect you."
"Suhō, I know your loyalty." Shion straightened her posture. "Once I seal Mōryō, the Land of Demons will be entrusted to your care."
"Your Highness, Priestess, absolutely not!" Suhō blurted reflexively.
"Do you have any other solution?" Shion asked, giving a sorrowful smile.
"…" Suhō stood frozen, unable to answer.
"You may leave." Shion waved dismissively.
"Your Highness, Priestess—" Suhō suddenly stepped forward. "Please use your precognition ability on me."
"Why?" Shion blinked in surprise.
"Perhaps… this time, something unexpected may happen," Suhō said quietly. "If not, I will follow you."
Gritting her teeth, Shion got up and approached him.
She did not believe in miracles, but at this moment, she desperately hoped for one.
Shion lifted her face and met Suhō's eyes. Light blossomed in her pale irises.
In the next instant, Shion saw Suhō's future.
A purplish-black monster appeared—Its form shrouded in mist, its true shape obscured, only the occasional writhing tentacle visible.
Surrounding it were countless terracotta warriors—Mōryō's Ghost Army.
Suhō stood with the Land of Demons guards, fighting the terracotta warriors head-on.
Suddenly, countless trees erupted from the earth.
Shion lost focus and snapped out of the vision. She stood frozen, eyes widening, breath turning shallow.
What were those trees?
Where was Mōryō?
Why didn't she see Suhō's death?
Did he not die?
"Your Highness, Priestess… what did you see?" Suhō asked, confused by her reaction.
If she had seen his death, she would be mourning. But this expression… was something else entirely.
"I saw many trees," Shion said blankly.
"What does that mean?" Suhō asked, even more bewildered.
"I don't know." Shion shook her head. "I didn't see your death. After the trees appeared, the vision simply stopped."
"I didn't die?" Suhō exclaimed, joy breaking across his face. "Your Highness, Priestess—maybe this time truly will be different!"
Shion slowly came back to herself, fingers tightening around the bell on her chest—
the last relic her mother, Miroku, left behind.
What were those trees? Could it be…that she truly wouldn't need to sacrifice her life to seal Mōryō this time?