The Land of Demons, the Priestess's Palace.
This place was the absolute forbidden zone of the entire nation. Heavy guards stood watch day and night; even a single fly was not supposed to get inside.
As the priestess of this generation—one who possessed the power to seal monsters—Shion lived a life no different from a canary trapped in a gilded cage.
At this moment, she sat before her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
The face was delicate and beautiful, yet tinged with a faint melancholy. Her eyes were unfocused, hollow.
"The prophecy…" she murmured softly. "Is it going to come true again?"
Her fingers trembled slightly as she touched the bell resting against her chest.
Just moments ago, she had once again foreseen death.
Her own death.
Suddenly—
Hum.
Without any warning, the space behind her twisted violently.
A strange, oppressive masculine presence instantly flooded the chamber.
Shion snapped her head around, her pupils shrinking.
A tall man stood calmly beside her bed, hands in his pockets. His features were strikingly handsome, his expression relaxed, as if he were standing in his own home.
"Y-you…!"
Shion jolted to her feet, her face draining of color.
This was her private chamber. Hundreds of elite guards were stationed outside.
How had this man gotten in?
"Who are you?!"
She instinctively grabbed the ceremonial dagger on the table, her voice shaking.
"Did Huangquan send you to kill me?!"
In her mind, only the followers of that evil sorcerer—who sought to resurrect Mōryō—could infiltrate this place without raising any alarm.
The man raised an eyebrow, his gaze dropping to the dagger clenched tightly in her hands.
Tsk.
She really was just as exquisite as he remembered.
Especially that frightened, deer-like expression—rather than inspiring pity, it made one want to… bully her.
"Kill you?"
Tobirama Senju chuckled lightly and took a step forward.
"Help! Assassin!"
Shion squeezed her eyes shut and let out a sharp scream.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The next instant, the doors to the chamber were smashed open.
"Protect Lady Shion!"
"Damn it! How dare an assassin break in here!"
Dozens of fully armed guards from the Land of Demons surged in like a flood.
Seeing Tobirama standing in front of Shion, the captain's eyes burned with fury as he drew his katana and charged.
"Release the Priestess!"
"Everyone, attack! Cut him down!"
Kunai and shuriken filled the air, blotting out all retreat.
They gave Tobirama no chance to explain.
Standing at the center of the storm, Tobirama's expression turned impatient.
"A bunch of flies."
He didn't even bother to lift a hand. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Boom!
A visible wave of blue chakra erupted outward from his body.
Pure, violent chakra pressure—nothing more.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The flying weapons and ninjutsu shattered the instant they touched the shockwave.
Then came the guards themselves.
"Gah—!"
The captain at the front was struck as if by a speeding train, blood spraying as he was hurled backward.
The dozens of guards behind him were flung away like falling dominoes.
Crash!
In the blink of an eye, the chamber was filled with cries of pain.
Dozens of elite guards were smashed into the walls, embedded so deeply that they couldn't even peel themselves free.
The room was cleared instantly.
Only Tobirama remained, hands still in his pockets, clothes perfectly neat.
And in the corner—
Shion stood frozen, staring in disbelief.
Tobirama strolled over, pulled an undamaged chair closer, sat down with an air of dominance, and crossed his legs.
"Now," he said calmly, "can you listen to what I have to say?"
His tone was indifferent, as if he had merely brushed aside a few mosquitoes.
The captain, barely conscious, lifted his head with great effort, staring at Tobirama in terror.
"Y-you… what are you? Human or ghost…?"
To overwhelm them with nothing but presence alone—this was something even the legendary Five Kage couldn't do.
"I am the Hokage of Konohagakure."
Tobirama's gaze swept coldly across the room. His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried unquestionable authority.
"Uchiha Tobirama."
"I accepted a commission from your Daimyo to deal specifically with the matter of Lord Mōryō."
"But it seems…" His eyes flicked toward the shattered room. "…you're not very welcoming."
The Hokage of Konoha.
Uchiha Tobirama.
The man who had reshaped the ninja world, crushed nations by himself, and was known as a living god.
Shion's mouth fell open as she stared blankly at him.
Though she lived deep within the palace, she had heard the legends.
It was said he had flattened a Raikage with a single slap and wiped out armies with a glance—
Exaggerations, perhaps.
But now…
"You… you're the leader of Konoha?"
The captain, forgetting the pain tearing through his body, scrambled to his knees and began kowtowing frantically.
"I was blind and ignorant! I didn't know a god had descended! Please forgive me, my lord!"
"Please forgive us!"
The other guards followed suit, trembling as they dropped to the floor.
This was no joke.
This was a man who dared to kill even the daimyo of the Five Great Nations.
If he wished, he could erase the Land of Demons with a wave of his hand—and no one would dare object.
"That's enough."
Tobirama waved dismissively.
"I have no interest in arguing with ants."
He turned his gaze toward Shion.
"You're the priestess Shion?"
Still dazed, Shion nodded instinctively, her cheeks flushing faintly.
"Y-yes…"
Moments earlier, the overwhelming aura this man radiated had given her anxious heart an unprecedented sense of safety.
Suddenly—
Boom!
The roof of the chamber exploded, debris raining down.
Four figures descended amid cold laughter, landing in the center of the room.
They were the four subordinates of Huangquan: Kusuna, Weitianjing, Shizuku, and Setsuna.
"Hehehe! Didn't expect things to be this lively!"
Kusuna leered at Shion greedily.
"Priestess Shion! Your time of death has arrived!"
"Once you're dead, Lord Huangquan will break the seal on Lord Mōryō and rule the world!"
"Enough talking! Kill her!"
The four overflowed with killing intent, completely ignoring Tobirama—and the wounded guards around them.
In their eyes, only the frail priestess mattered.
"Ah!"
Shion recoiled instinctively, that familiar premonition of death surging once more.
"Hey."
A cold voice cut through their laughter.
Tobirama sat in the chair, not even lifting his eyes, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest.
"Since you've shown up…"
"You're not leaving."
"Why are there always so many bugs in the way?"
Kusuna paused, turning to sneer at him.
"Who the hell are you? A Konoha ninja?"
"Get lost if you don't want to die!"
They had been active in the Land of Demons for years and didn't recognize Tobirama's face.
"Who am I?"
Tobirama chuckled softly, the smile cold and cruel.
"Remember it in your next life."
Hum.
The Rinnegan in his right eye rotated slightly.
No hand seals.
He didn't even stand.
Space itself responded.
"Die."
The instant the word fell—
The four assassins froze.
Then—
Splatter! Splatter! Splatter! Splatter!
As if invisible giant hands clenched shut, four clouds of blood erupted in midair.
No screams. No resistance.
The four subordinates vanished without even realizing how they died, leaving only pools of crimson on the floor.
Instant annihilation.
The guards kneeling nearby trembled violently.
So this was the power of the number one figure in the ninja world.
Killing elite jōnin was easier than killing chickens.
"Done."
Tobirama withdrew his gaze indifferently, as if he had just brushed away a few flies.
He rose and walked toward Shion step by step.
Shion watched him approach, her heart pounding violently.
Fear?
No.
What surged within her now was something else entirely—
An overwhelming thrill.
This was power.
Absolute power, capable of crushing fate itself.