There were simply too many terracotta soldiers on the battlefield.
The "Rasengan" was a single-target technique. In a situation like this, it was practically useless.
Only the "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique" had enough area coverage to temporarily restrain the puppets.
But even that consumed a massive amount of chakra.
"Those volcano entrances wrapped in sacred ropes are the Shrines of Sealing."
Shion spoke softly.
It was her first time coming here as well.
Everything she knew had been passed down by her mother.
The sacred ropes were thick straw cords decorated with oranges and hanging white paper streamers. Countless sealing formulas had been inscribed onto them to reinforce the seal on Mōryō's body while also stabilizing the volcanic magma beneath the mountain.
"You'll need to escort me there."
The shrine maiden looked toward the distant entrance.
Minato Namikaze nodded immediately.
For him, this was simple.
As long as he threw one of his special kunai near the shrine entrance, he could use the Flying Thunder God Technique to instantly teleport himself and the priestess over.
BOOM!!
The ninjas of the Land of Demons had already noticed their arrival.
Suddenly, dark clouds gathered overhead.
Thunder roared violently within the storm as countless bolts of lightning surrounded the shrine entrance.
Anyone attempting to pass through would immediately be struck down.
"A combined ninjutsu…"
Kiyoshi narrowed his eyes slightly.
These techniques had appeared in the movie as well.
Back then, Neji, Sakura, and Lee had dealt with them through constant evasion until the enemy exhausted their chakra and were forced to consume parasite bugs to recover.
Only then did they counterattack.
"Lord Minato, let me handle this."
Kiyoshi stepped forward on his own initiative.
"In this situation, the Flying Thunder God won't work."
"Kiyoshi… what are you planning?"
Minato looked at him.
The moment he saw the lightning field surrounding the entrance, he had already abandoned the idea of teleporting directly inside.
He could dodge the lightning himself.
But he couldn't guarantee the priestess on his back would remain unharmed.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was indeed the fastest space-time ninjutsu in the shinobi world.
However, it had one fatal flaw.
It required markings.
He could only teleport to locations that had already been marked beforehand.
That was why Minato carried specially crafted tri-pronged kunai everywhere.
But ultimately, the teleportation point still depended on where the kunai landed.
And in that storm of lightning, the kunai would likely be destroyed before even reaching the entrance.
After all, they weren't made from special chakra-conductive metal.
"My ninja blade can redirect lightning. I can force my way through that storm."
Kiyoshi calmly drew his sword.
"But I'll need support from all of you."
As he spoke, he summoned his ninja blade and tied a specially-made rubber cord around the handle.
This wasn't ordinary rubber.
It was a special material used in ninja tool manufacturing—highly heat-resistant, durable, and an excellent insulator.
Using the Uchiha Clan's Manipulated Shuriken Technique, he could remotely control the blade, catch the lightning, and guide it safely into the earth.
Minato immediately understood Kiyoshi's plan the moment he saw his preparations.
He nodded solemnly.
"I understand. We'll create an opening for you."
He quickly gathered Kakashi, Asuma, and the others to formulate a strategy.
Kakashi and Asuma would lead the charge.
Obito would lure clusters of terracotta soldiers toward the cliffs near the entrance.
Kurenai would stay in the rear and use genjutsu to interfere with the Land of Demons ninjas maintaining the combined lightning technique.
Rin would focus entirely on healing the wounded.
Meanwhile, the soldiers and guards of the Land of Marsh would assist Kakashi and Asuma in holding back the endless army of terracotta puppets.
As for Minato himself—
He would personally suppress the majority of the enemy ninja forces.
The fewer people maintaining the combined technique, the weaker the lightning barrier would become.
"Then… please get on, Priestess-sama."
Kiyoshi crouched slightly, signaling for Shion to climb onto his back.
She nodded quietly and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Her full thighs locked tightly around his waist.
Kiyoshi bounced twice experimentally, making sure she wouldn't slip off.
"Priestess-sama, please be careful. I swear I'll do everything in my power to protect you."
Ashisu, one of Shion's guards, spoke with determination.
During the journey here, he had finally come to terms with everything.
No matter what mistakes the priestess had made—
She would always remain the most perfect existence in his heart.
"Thank you… all of you."
Shion lowered her gaze slightly.
Even after learning the truth, these guards still remained fiercely loyal to her.
That only made her despise herself even more.
"Begin!"
The moment Minato gave the signal, the battlefield erupted.
He immediately hurled a massive shuriken toward the enemy.
Mid-flight, the giant blade split apart into countless smaller green shuriken, scattering through the air like a deadly storm of needles.
At the same time, Obito released a giant fireball that exploded violently among the terracotta soldiers.
The resulting shockwave sent entire groups of puppets tumbling off the cliffs and into the river below.
The Sand Village shinobi moved even more efficiently.
After hearing Minato's plan, they carefully coordinated their Wind Release techniques to avoid interfering with Konoha's forces.
Massive gusts gathered the terracotta soldiers together before hurling them off the cliffs in clusters.
"Be careful, Kiyoshi…"
Kurenai called out anxiously.
"I know."
With Shion on his back, Kiyoshi dashed forward.
He continuously leapt from one terracotta soldier's head to another, using them as footholds while advancing at incredible speed.
"Tighten your grip."
He released one hand from supporting her and drew his ninja blade.
The moment she heard him, Shion instinctively tightened her arms and legs around him even harder.
Her entire body practically clung to his back.
Exactly like Naruto carrying Shion in the original movie.
"Stop them!!"
Yomi roared furiously.
"Mōryō-sama is still unsealing his body inside the cave! Buy more time!"
The transformed Land of Demons ninjas gritted their teeth.
"That Konoha ninja is too fast!"
One of the mutated shinobi with four arms shouted in frustration.
And with the blond-haired ninja constantly reducing their numbers, they barely had enough manpower left to stop Kiyoshi.
Seeing this, Yomi personally prepared to intervene.
But in the next instant—
Minato teleported directly in front of him.
"Your opponent is me."
Meanwhile, under everyone's cover, Kiyoshi finally reached the lightning-filled entrance.
Each time lightning descended, he hurled his ninja blade upward to intercept it before driving the electricity into the ground.
The moment one bolt dispersed, he immediately pulled the blade free and blocked the next.
Every strike slammed the sword deep into the earth.
It took tremendous strength just to yank it back out quickly enough.
Fortunately, this was still ninjutsu lightning—
Not natural heavenly thunder.
As long as his body held out, he could keep advancing.
The Land of Demons' ninja arts were far inferior to those of the Five Great Nations.
Their chakra reserves had only increased because of Mōryō's influence.
Before long, Kiyoshi finally reached the entrance itself.
Shion hurriedly climbed off his back and leaned against the cold stone wall, breathing heavily.
Everything that had just happened felt unbelievably dangerous to her.
The speed of lightning was invisible to the naked eye—
Yet Kiyoshi had somehow managed to track it and intercept it with perfect precision.
Kiyoshi casually wiped the scorched black residue from his blade.
The weapon had already started deforming from the strain.
He'd definitely need to bring it back to the Ninja Cat Clan for repairs afterward.
And naturally—
The priestess would be paying for it.
Kiyoshi glanced toward her.
Shion immediately grew flustered under his gaze.
"L-Let's go inside first."
She turned away quickly and looked toward the battlefield outside.
The guards, the Land of Demons ninjas, the endless terracotta soldiers—
Even ordinary civilians from the Land of Demons had rushed over to fight.
The sight filled her heart with complicated emotions.
Because no matter how she tried to deny it—
She bore responsibility for all of this.
And now…
The only way left to atone was to sacrifice her life and seal Mōryō forever.
Shion took a deep breath and walked deeper into the dark cave.
After several turns, she realized the tunnel stretched much farther than expected.
At least dozens of meters remained before reaching the deepest chamber.
And Mōryō had undoubtedly stationed large numbers of terracotta soldiers inside as guards.
But suddenly—
She realized Kiyoshi hadn't followed her.
There were no footsteps behind her at all.
Just as she was about to turn around and ask—
His voice echoed from the darkness first.
"Priestess-sama… after sealing Mōryō, you'll die too, won't you?"
Shion froze instantly.
"That… is the fate of every priestess."
Her voice carried a trace of loneliness.
For generations, the shrine maidens had inherited the same duty.
But was it truly to prevent another Mōryō from appearing—
Or simply to preserve the priestess's supreme status?
Even Shion herself no longer knew.
After all, throughout these thousand years, Mōryō rarely broke free from his seal.
Most priestesses lived peaceful lives until old age.
But the moment Mōryō escaped—
The current priestess had to die.
That was the unavoidable price.
"I have to atone for my sins."
She sighed deeply and took out a bell-shaped sacred artifact.
This relic could suppress a priestess's spiritual power while also storing her chakra.
Since she was destined to die tonight, she could only leave behind part of her chakra and the complete sealing inheritance preserved within the Land of Demons shrine.
Perhaps future generations would manage to cultivate a new priestess.
This time—
She intended to destroy Mōryō's soul completely.
If successful, the Land of Demons might gain several hundred years of peace before another priestess became necessary.
She turned around.
In the dim shadows of the cave, her mature and graceful figure carried an almost saint-like sorrow.
The once sacred and noble priestess now resembled a compassionate martyr prepared for sacrifice.
Shion raised her eyes and extended the bell toward him.
"Please… bring this back to the Land of Demons for me, Uchiha… Kiyoshi."
She had only heard his name once from Yuki Mizunashi inside the palace.
Yet somehow, it had remained deeply engraved in her memory.
"Hm?"
Her pale fingers remained outstretched in the darkness.
But after several seconds—
Kiyoshi still didn't move.
"You…"
A flicker of anger rose within her.
At a moment like this, how could he still be distracted?!
Outside, the people of the Land of Demons were risking their lives in battle!
Every second wasted meant more casualties.
Instinctively, she wanted to scold him—
But the words caught in her throat.
The cave was too dark.
She couldn't clearly see Kiyoshi's figure.
He seemed to be checking whether anyone was nearby before slowly turning around.
Suddenly—
An eerie sense of familiarity struck her.
The Uchiha crest on his back…
Burned crimson red.
The small scroll hanging at his waist swayed lightly as he moved.
In that instant—
Shion realized this was the exact scene from her prophecy of death.
But…
Who was destined to die?
The people outside?
Uchiha Kiyoshi?
Or herself?
"Honorable Priestess-sama…"
Kiyoshi's voice echoed softly through the darkness.
"You don't want the people of the Land of Demons to perish… do you?"
Exactly the same words from her prophecy.
Those ominous scarlet eyes.
That sinister chakra overflowing around him.
For a moment, Shion even felt—
The Konoha ninja standing before her was more worthy of the title "Mōryō" than Mōryō himself.
"O-Of course not. I am the priestess of the Land of Demons. Protecting this country is my duty."
Her voice still maintained its dignity and authority.
"I have a method that can increase the success rate of sealing Mōryō."
Kiyoshi smiled faintly.
"I wonder if Priestess-sama would be willing to cooperate with me."
"You mean… Konoha developed a new sealing technique? No… the Uchiha Clan?"
Shion blurted out instinctively.
The Land of Fire was the strongest nation in the world.
And the Uchiha Clan was one of its greatest clans.
It wouldn't be strange if they possessed some hidden method.
Every priestess who sealed Mōryō eventually died.
As a result, knowledge and experience regarding the ritual had become incredibly scarce.
Even Shion herself wasn't fully confident she could succeed.
If there truly was a way to improve the odds—
That would be ideal.
"No."
Kiyoshi shook his head slowly.
"This is my personal method."
"You could call it… a folk remedy."
After all—
In the entire shinobi world, only he could do something like this.
Wasn't that the very definition of a unique remedy?
"What… kind of method?"
Shion suddenly felt something was terribly wrong.
Even so, she forced herself to suppress that feeling and continued asking.
But Kiyoshi didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
She felt his scorching gaze fall upon her.
No…
Impossible.
An absurd thought surfaced in her mind.
There was no way Kiyoshi could possibly mean—
Then she saw his smile.
An eerie smile overflowing with sinister chakra.
At that moment, Shion truly felt that the man before her was far more terrifying than Mōryō.
"I… don't understand what you mean."
For the first time, hesitation appeared in her voice.
"At first, I trusted Priestess-sama completely."
Kiyoshi's voice remained calm.
"When you were in danger, wasn't I the very first person to step forward and protect you?"
"…Yes."
Shion nodded slowly.
That was true.
His courage and devotion deserved recognition.
"You already suspected the Daimyō."
"But despite your suspicions, you still refused to act."
"Wasn't I right about that too?"
"…Yes."
She nodded again.
"Then I need proof."
Kiyoshi's eyes locked onto hers.
"Proof that you won't betray everyone again."
"What if you still have lingering feelings toward the Daimyō?"
"That's impossible!"
Shion immediately refuted him.
"I would never abandon the Land of Demons!"
Yet the man before her looked utterly unconvinced.
Her lips parted slightly as if trying to explain—
But no words came out.
Because deep down…
Everything he said was true.
Footsteps echoed deeper within the cave.
The synchronized march of terracotta soldiers grew closer and closer.
Even the sound of magma flowing beneath the earth became audible.
But louder than all of it—
Were the screams outside.
The explosions.
The thunder.
The desperate cries for help.
Shion could vividly imagine the brutal battle taking place beyond the cave entrance.
Guilt.
Regret.
Self-blame.
All of it surged back into her heart once more.
If she had simply acted the moment she noticed something suspicious—
None of this would have happened.
"We must protect Priestess-sama! She is the divine maiden sent from the heavens to save the Land of Demons!"
Outside, Ashisu's voice rang out amidst the fighting.
And at that moment—
That final sentence became the last straw that shattered the final defense in Shion's heart.
(End of Chapter)