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Chapter 110: Priestess Shion: No, Don't Come Any Closer!
Capital of the Land of Demons.
Inside the Priestess's Palace.
It was cool and spacious.
In the center stood a single round bed, surrounded by draping gauze curtains.
It was late at night, and moonlight streamed through the window, plating the floor in a layer of silver.
Creak.
The door was gently pushed open, and a female official walked toward the center with an uneasy expression.
She stopped by the bed and whispered, "Lady Shion, it is late. You should rest. If this continues every night, your body won't be able to take it."
On the soft bed sat a figure hugging her knees.
She wore pure white priestess robes, and her pale blonde hair hung down to her waist.
Her expression was distant, her eyes listlessly gazing at the moon outside the window.
She said nothing.
It was the Priestess of the Land of Demons, Shion.
"Lady Shion, you must cherish your body," the official urged gently, though she couldn't hide the fear on her face.
Although Shion was the revered Priestess, her ability to predict "death" led the citizens to privately call her the "Priestess of Death."
They feared that excessive contact with her would invite misfortune and disaster.
The official, being an ordinary person, was equally afraid.
But her duties compelled her to approach and advise.
"Lady Shion, you've been like this every night for the past six months. It is truly harmful to your health."
Shion remained silent, staring at the moon like a petrified statue.
She was well aware of the official's fear.
It didn't matter; she had been used to strange looks and fear from others since childhood.
Ever since Moryo broke free six months ago and her guard, Taruho, died to save her, there was no one left in the vast Land of Demons she could talk to.
Everyone feared her; everyone only revered her status and ability as a Priestess.
She was merely a vessel for the "Priestess," responsible for watching over the seal and birthing the next generation.
Naruto...
A blonde figure surfaced in her mind.
Warm, brave.
He helped her fulfill her mission to seal Moryo.
Yet, he was so foolish.
[I want to pass on my power to the next generation of Priestesses. Naruto, will you lend me your power?]
At their final parting, he completely misunderstood the meaning of her words.
It's been half a year. Perhaps you've forgotten me...
But I still have to fulfill the duties of a Priestess...
Shion's eyes regained focus as she looked calmly at the apprehensive official.
"Has the candidate been decided?"
"D-Decided..."
The official dared not meet Shion's indifferent gaze and hurriedly lowered her head.
"Lady Shion, in accordance with your request, we have found a young man with blonde hair."
Trembling, she passed a photo through the gauze curtains.
Shion took it and looked at it numbly.
Same blonde hair, same height.
Somewhat similar, perhaps even more handsome.
But he completely lacked the warmth and courage Naruto gave her.
It's not him after all...
Shion whispered in her heart, her expression gradually becoming numb.
She waved her hand. "You may leave. He will do. I will fulfill the Priestess's final mission and pass my power on to the next generation."
Every generation of Priestess had a short lifespan.
Especially after sealing Moryo and consuming a vast amount of life force, she had only a scant five years left.
Once she gave birth and passed all her power to the next Priestess, her life would shorten drastically.
Moryo had been sealed for a thousand years, immortal and undying.
Generation after generation of Priestesses followed in succession, strengthening the seal or sacrificing their lives to seal a broken-out Moryo.
She was merely stepping into the duties of the previous Priestess.
This was the fate of all Priestesses.
Unbreakable, an endless cycle.
"Yes." Receiving Shion's approval, the official retreated in a hurry.
She had fulfilled the high council's instructions.
Finally, the Priestess had decided to conceive the next generation.
The Land of Demons could not afford to break the Priestess lineage.
The world-ending demon Moryo was still sealed underground; who knew when it would break free again and bring catastrophe?
The palace returned to silence.
Shion buried her head in her knees, weeping silently.
If possible, she truly didn't want to be treated as a reproductive machine, marrying some random man.
Nor did she want her daughter to bear the same heavy mission as her and the generations of Priestesses before.
But there was no choice.
This was the Priestess's fate.
It was for her, it was for her mother, and it would be for her future daughter.
"Who?!"
Shion suddenly raised her head, wiping away her tears as she looked out the window.
She saw a figure floating eerily in mid-air.
Surrounded by white paper, the figure slowly flew toward her.
"Your perception is quite good."
Konan flew to the bedside.
With a wave of her hand, the gauze curtains were parted.
"Akatsuki... Akatsuki Organization." Seeing the black robe with red clouds, Shion's purple pupils instantly contracted.
Even if she didn't care about the outside world, she had heard of the Akatsuki Organization, which had made a fearsome name for itself in the ninja world.
"W-What are you doing in our Land of Demons? We don't have any Tailed Beasts here."
Alex floated to the side, sizing up Shion.
Aside from the hair color, her hairstyle, face shape, and figure were extremely similar to Hinata.
Especially now, wearing the tight-fitting priestess robes, her delicate face unable to hide her panic.
A nonsensical thought crossed his mind:
If I punched her once, she'd probably cry for a long time...
Konan's focus was a bit peculiar.
Her amber eyes stared fixedly at Shion's chest.
Not bad. Full and elastic. Suitable to be Alex's toy.
After interrogating Samui, whenever she met a decent-looking woman, she would subconsciously judge whether they were "qualified."
The Priestess Shion before her definitely met the standard.
"W-Where are you looking!"
Shion, ashamed and annoyed, hurriedly pulled the bedsheet to wrap her body, revealing only her head.
The opponent's gaze was extremely aggressive.
It felt like two hands crawling all over her chest; it was very uncomfortable.
Does this person have some strange fetish?
We're both women... I still have to birth the next generation of Priestesses, how can I do strange things with her?
The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly strange.
Konan didn't speak, simply staring at Shion.
Under that scrutinizing gaze, Shion's heart pounded rapidly.
She was in a panic.
She had heard that some ninja, due to killing too many people and being under too much pressure, would develop strange fetishes.
They used unusual activities to relieve the pressure in their hearts.
Some ninja even established intimate relationships with their summoned beasts that went far beyond partnership.
Is... is this person one of those strange ninja?
Shion was terrified.
The Akatsuki members were all Kage-level; no one in the Land of Demons could stop them.
No one could come to save her; screaming was pointless.
Seeing Konan land on the floor and approach step by step, Shion's heart skipped a beat. "W-What are you going to do?"
Mother... I... I might become an adult tonight...
It's just that the partner is very strange. I'm sorry, daughter, I didn't want this either.
The next Priestess, my daughter, might be...
Konan reached out and grabbed the chin of the wildly speculating Shion.
She forced her to look up and meet her gaze.
The moment she clearly saw Konan's face, Shion's pupils contracted, and she exclaimed in surprise:
"You... your fate... You should be dead right now..."
Swish!
A red light flashed, and the Sharingan activated.
Shion's voice came to an abrupt halt.
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