The water serpent pierced through the air, and Naruto surged straight toward the enemy. Shizuku reacted instantly, sending spikes of water shooting from the serpent—but they shattered the two Narutos into mist. Both were shadow clones.
Caught off guard, Shizuku whipped around—and saw Naruto's real body materializing behind him, a glowing Rasengan in hand.
The spinning sphere slammed into him. Shizuku let out a scream as he was forced into a writhing ball of liquid.
"Ah… I lied to you!"
"Ninjutsu—Water Substitute!" Shizuku's liquid body shifted freely, dodging shuriken thrown by Naruto with ease. "Kid, you can't beat me like this!"
"Wait… that looks like the Hozuki clan's technique!"
"No—it's not. This guy's water chakra comes from dark medical ninjutsu, not the Hozuki clan."
"It's… eerily similar, though. That water transformation… it's almost the same."
"Even if Huang Quan's subordinates aren't particularly strong, these tricks show how clever they've become with enhancements."
"We need to focus on Huang Quan. Plenty of people in the ninja world are searching for him now. I heard the black market even put out a bounty."
"You won't escape! There's nowhere to run!"
Naruto froze. He hadn't realized the truth until now—Shizuku's mission wasn't to defeat him; it was to lure him away from the Byakugan user.
"Oh no!" Naruto reacted instantly, ending the confrontation and sprinting toward Neji. Shizuku didn't stop him. In his eyes, as long as the shrine maiden died, Huang Quan—empowered by the ghosts—would consolidate control over the world. There was no need to waste energy here.
"So, these people really believe the ghosts can destroy the world? How strong must they be?"
"It's mainly the ghost army. The immortal soldiers could drag the ninja world into ruin, and only the Demon Kingdom's shrine maiden can seal them."
"I still can't believe the ninja world couldn't find another way to seal or destroy them. Surely the ghosts can't stop someone like Tsuchikage-sama from moving freely."
"That's right. With so many legendary ninjas, how can some unheard-of ghosts act so arrogantly?"
In the Pure Land, Uchiha Madara sneered at the sky. "Every clown in the ninja world thinks they can run wild. Looks like I'll have to clean this mess up before using the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
In an Akatsuki base, Uchiha Obito glanced at Black Zetsu. "What do you make of this demon?"
Black Zetsu, centuries old and rarely surprised, replied bluntly: "It's nothing. Just the negative consciousness of the first witch of the Demon Kingdom. It's strong because it absorbs negative emotions. Compared to the tailed beasts, it's nothing."
Obito nodded, losing interest, quietly watching the sky.
Back in the Hokage Building's meeting room, Naruto glared at his image on the sky screen. "Damn it! If I knew Fire Escape, I could've burned him alive!"
He turned to Kakashi. "Teacher Kakashi, why don't you teach me some fire escape ninjutsu?"
Kakashi shrugged. "You don't need me for that. As far as I know, Master Jiraiya is excellent at it. Your training will be under him. No need to worry now."
"Oh! Jiraiya of the Three Ninjas is powerful, huh? I wonder what he's like!" Naruto said, imagining a burly, heroic figure.
Meanwhile, Sakura, paralyzed and helpless, slipped from the branch—but Neji caught her mid-fall. He quickly set her down, then leaped off the trunk to intercept Kusu and save Shion.
On a branch, Kusu loomed over Shion, snake-like tentacles extending from his body. He unbuttoned his clothes and drew a scalpel.
"Dark medical skills… begin the operation!"
"What? Aren't we supposed to kill the miko?"
"Is he after something? Her sealing power, maybe?"
"I never mentioned this before—not even a hint!"
"No, the priority is saving the miko, Neji! Stop him!"
Carrying a drunken Lee on his back, Naruto finally reached Neji and Sakura.
"I'm glad you're okay. I was worried. I don't know what Thick Eyebrows drank, but he went crazy," Naruto said, sighing in relief. Then he noticed the grim atmosphere. "Wait… why do you all look so serious? What's wrong? And… where's Shion?"
Ningci and Sakura remained silent. Naruto's gaze fell on Shion—her eyes closed, her body still.
"How… could this happen?" he whispered in disbelief.
Sakura added, "There's nothing you can do now."
Naruto, refusing to accept it, grabbed Neji by the collar. "Ningji! What are you doing!? Haven't you been protecting her? You promised, 'Don't leave Shion'! How could this happen with you right there? Say something!"
"Listen, Naruto, listen to yourself!" Neji replied calmly.
"What a great way to shift blame. Just criticize fast, and no one can question you."
"Naruto trusts Neji's ability, so he acted on his own," Sakura muttered.
"But the miko is really dead… does that mean the mission failed?"
Naruto stared at Shion lying motionless on the sky curtain. "Uh… this… no way…"
Then, as if remembering something, he jumped up, pointing at Neji. "Hey! Your name's Neci! Why didn't you protect the miko?!"
Sakura slammed him onto the table. "Idiot! Don't blame others! Mission failure is the responsibility of the entire team. You also failed because you didn't follow orders!"
Xiao Li nodded. "Exactly, Naruto-kun. Even though you and I went to intercept the enemy, it was ultimately because you left the miko alone that this happened."
"What did you say!?"
Ningji closed his eyes, exhaling wearily. "You two are basically the same. Enough."
In the Temple of the Demon Kingdom, Shion gazed at the sky curtain with sorrow. She glanced at Ashho below, remembered his words, then lowered her head silently.