Inside his Ikuukan (Alternate Space), Shigeo began removing the seals from the women one by one. The seals were placed just above their navels—meaning each woman had to lift her clothing slightly for him to release it.
The three hundred unconscious captives could wait. For now, he needed to free the twenty or so women who were awake.
"Pervert! What are you trying to do?!" one of the brides in the small cage shouted. "You all, fight back! Don't let him do whatever he wants!"
The two brides screamed frantically, but the other women—trained kunoichi—understood what he was doing. They turned back and gave no explanation. They needed the seals removed if they were to help outside.
"You scoundrel! You thief!" the brides yelled again. "Don't you dare touch them!"
Shigeo's shadow clone, unlike his true self, had no emotions—only logic, calm focus, and the will to complete tasks. He ignored the shouting and continued breaking the seals.
Back in the main hall, the real Shigeo stood surrounded by dozens of his clones. He waved a hand.
"Go. Search every tunnel."
"Yes!" the clones responded and vanished in different directions.
Silence settled over the hall again. The red light still pulsed. Blood clung to the floor, thick and sticky, filling the air with a metallic stench.
The old shrine maiden was gone, and the twelve figures of the Star Houses had all been slain by Mei.
Now only the two of them remained—one above, one below—surveying the vast chamber.
"Onee-san, don't you think something feels off here?" Shigeo asked. His voice echoed softly in the cavern. The bell's ringing had stopped completely, as though every member of the Orchid Sect had been wiped out.
But Shigeo knew it couldn't be that simple. A greater danger was brewing.
Mei frowned. "You're right. Something isn't right."
Crack… crack…
The sound came from below. Shigeo leapt upward, landing on one of the alcoves above.
The red light surged again. The starry ceiling suddenly fractured, and the entire mountain trembled. The top of the cavern collapsed, sending rocks and dust crashing down. Sea wind howled through the broken opening, dispersing the heavy stench of blood.
Then the walls split open. Four enormous birds burst into the hall, each ridden by a red-robed man with a painted red mask. With a single leap, they directed their birds into a diving assault.
At the same time, the twelve alcoves sealed shut. The only escape was upward.
The birds swooped down. From dozens of meters away, one opened its beak and unleashed a massive torrent of fire.
"Jiton: Protection!" (Magnet Release: Barrier!) Shigeo summoned a magnetic defense field.
"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!) shouted Mei, countering with a torrent of water.
But there were four attackers. As soon as one bird's flames subsided, another followed up with more fire, forcing them to defend continuously.
Worse still, hidden projectiles rained down between each blast—poisoned needles glinting in the red light.
Shigeo's magnetic shield covered a wide area, completely blocking the attacks.
But Mei's defenses were more limited. Her Yōton (Lava Release) and Futton (Boil Release) both required her to exhale them through her mouth. Switching jutsu would create a momentary opening—and in that instant, the enemy would strike.
Still, as the future Fifth Mizukage, Mei's chakra reserves were extraordinary. A normal jōnin could only sustain a large-scale Suiton for a few seconds. Mei had been maintaining hers for half a minute straight.
Even so, her breathing faltered. The enemies gave her no time to switch techniques.
Poisoned needles rained down like a storm. Her water wall blocked the flames but couldn't shield her entire body.
A sharp sting hit her ankle—the poison needle struck true. Her body wavered. The water technique collapsed. A blinding flash filled her vision as the oncoming fire engulfed her.
In that split second, her final thought was, "I haven't even gotten married yet…"
But before darkness claimed her, she glimpsed something black sweeping over her—a magnetic barrier flaring up—and then the arms of a man catching her. That man…
…
Night.
The sky was clear, the stars brilliant. The moon hung full in the east, silver light blanketing the sea.
Shigeo sat on the grass, gazing quietly upward.
"Mm… nn…"
A soft sound came from beside him. Mei stirred awake. Her thoughts slowly returned as she blinked.
No enemies. Only calm moonlight and the sound of waves. It felt so peaceful she almost thought the battle had been a nightmare.
"I…" She glanced down at herself—no wounds, no burns. "You… detoxified me?"
Shigeo nodded. "Nothing special. The poison was weak."
"Thank you. Where are we?" she asked, looking around in confusion.
"I carried you out through the mountain's peak. We're on an island now. The Orchid Sect's base is below us."
Only then did Mei realize the danger wasn't gone—they had merely escaped the cave.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"A-Mo."
"I'm Mei," she said.
"Got it, onee-san."
"Let's move," she said, standing. "We still need to investigate."
"Right."
They had barely taken a few steps when a blood-red light burst from the distant mountain peak. A pillar of crimson shot into the sky, connecting perfectly with the full moon above—like two mirrors reflecting each other.
Shigeo raised his gaze to the heavens, frowning deeply. "No way…"
Perhaps others wouldn't understand, but he did. The descendants of Hamura Ōtsutsuki lived on the moon, while the main Ōtsutsuki clan resided on other worlds beyond.
He didn't know what state the moon was in now—but he was certain of one thing:
if this column of blood energy truly reached it, the Ōtsutsuki would notice.
And that kind of power was far beyond what any shinobi of the current world could resist.
"They've lost their minds," he muttered.
(End of Chapter)
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