Seeing that Kimimaro had no intention of listening, Jiu Sha immediately commanded everyone to attack.
"Wind Style! Divine Wind!"
"Fire Style! Raging Fire!"
The wind fueled the flames!
In an instant, a blazing fireball surged toward Kimimaro and Shion.
"Watch out!"
Shion, terrified, buried her head into Kimimaro's chest.
The flames were upon them in a blink, but Kimimaro neither dodged nor flinched. His pupils suddenly radiated power.
"Mirror!"
The power of the mirror card fused with his Byakugan activated instantly. A magnificent, enormous mirror materialized in front of him.
"Reflect!"
The searing flames hit the mirror and were immediately rebounded.
"What?!"
The Four Celestial Symbols Men gasped in shock.
This was a fusion of Wind Style and Fire Style—a devastatingly powerful attack.
They hadn't expected that not only would it fail to harm the opponent, but it would also be turned back against them.
The blazing heat wave surged toward them, and fear painted their faces.
They had no time to react at such close range.
The next moment, the four were engulfed in the sea of fire, their screams filling the air.
"Ahhh!"
Kimimaro, unfazed, stepped lightly on the ground, passing through the flames without delay.
Shion, hearing the screams grow fainter, raised her head in confusion.
The crisis was gone, replaced by the serene beauty of the moonlit night.
The only new addition was the fireworks blooming in the distance, though they were accompanied by anguished cries.
"You took care of them?"
Shion asked in astonishment.
"Yeah, just small fry."
Kimimaro replied nonchalantly, as if dispatching the four was not worth mentioning.
Yet, these four working together could easily kill a jonin—hardly weaklings.
Unfortunately for them, their opponent was Kimimaro.
They weren't even qualified to be considered his enemies.
Seeing Kimimaro's calm demeanor, Shion was deeply shaken.
This boy seemed far stronger than she had imagined.
"That dream..."
Shion felt the vague dream she'd had earlier becoming clearer.
Kimimaro, unaware of Shion's thoughts, was solely focused on reaching the location of Moryo's seal as quickly as possible.
There were more pressing matters at hand.
Though carrying Shion wasn't physically tiring for him, it was still a bit inconvenient.
The two of them traveled in silence.
Shion occasionally glanced up at Kimimaro's face. Even from this angle, she couldn't find a single flaw in his features.
Such perfection was rare in this world.
"You said earlier that you're with the Akatsuki?"
Perhaps the quiet was making her uncomfortable, so Shion started a conversation.
"That's right."
"What is the Akatsuki? A group of mercenary ninjas?"
"Something like that."
"Are they all as strong as you?"
"Not quite. They're strong, but still a bit behind me."
At this, Kimimaro showed a rare touch of youthful pride.
Shion was momentarily stunned; she had never seen such a boyish side to him before.
Growing up in the palace of the Land of Demons, she had never encountered someone so confident.
"Do you always brag like this? So shameless."
Snapping out of her daze, Shion couldn't help but tease him.
Despite her status as a priestess, she was still just a 16-year-old girl with a personality to match her age.
"It's the truth."
Kimimaro wasn't offended and instead quickened his pace a little.
The silence returned.
This time, it was Kimimaro who broke it.
"By the way, there's something I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
"You said earlier that Moryo doesn't belong to this world. So where did it come from?"
Kimimaro was curious.
Moryo, referred to as a demon, seemed completely out of place in this world.
Shion lowered her head in thought for a moment, then looked up and said, "I'm not entirely sure about Moryo's origins. I only remember my mother mentioning that there's an intricate connection between Moryo and the priestess.
Neither the priestess nor Moryo belongs to this world. Both come from another realm.
The priestess has the power to seal Moryo, but Moryo can also devour the priestess. They counteract each other. My mother sacrificed her life to separate and seal Moryo's body and soul, bringing peace to this world. Now, it's my turn."
As she spoke, her voice carried a trace of confusion.
Tasking a 16-year-old girl with saving the world was undoubtedly harsh.
Kimimaro didn't try to comfort her; instead, he pondered another question.
"The priestess and Moryo come from another world? A world beyond the Shinobi realm?"
Thinking this, Kimimaro found himself even more intrigued by Moryo.
However, judging by Shion's expression, it seemed she didn't know much more.
It appeared that before feeding Moryo's soul to Sasori's regeneration core, he could first extract some information from it.
Shion was still lost in her sorrow. After waiting for some time without any comforting words from Kimimaro, she looked up with her teary eyes.
Kimimaro, however, was staring straight ahead, seemingly deep in thought, with no intention of comforting her.
"What are you thinking about?"
Shion pouted, feeling slightly annoyed.
The priestess of the Land of Demons was not the easiest person to get along with.
"Nothing much, just wondering what the world beyond the Shinobi realm is like."
"That's not the point right now, is it?"
"Isn't it?"
Kimimaro replied, genuinely puzzled.
"You!"
Shion felt completely ignored and puffed out her cheeks in frustration, refusing to speak further.
Kimimaro didn't seem to mind. Talking to girls was never his strong suit.
The quiet atmosphere returned.
But Shion, unable to hold back, decided to speak again. Her impending mission left her feeling anxious, and she wanted to distract herself.
"Hey, I haven't had dinner yet. I'm starving. Can we stop somewhere to eat?"
"Eat?"
Kimimaro glanced down at Shion before lightly stepping onto the ground and setting her down.
After leaving Kimimaro's arms, Shion stretched with a groan.
Holding that position for so long had worn her out.
"This rice ball is one I made myself. If you don't mind, have one to fill your stomach. It's tough to prepare a proper meal out here in the wilderness."
Kimimaro took a rice ball out of a storage scroll and handed it to Shion.
The rice ball was warm, as if freshly made.
That's the benefit of a storage scroll—way better than a fridge.
"Mmm, smells so good," Shion said as the aroma hit her.
Her mild hunger turned into ravenous appetite, and she quickly took a bite.
Her eyes lit up instantly, and she began eating faster.
Before long, the rice ball was gone.
"That was amazing! I didn't expect a mercenary ninja like you to have time to make rice balls. You could open a restaurant with skills like that and make more money."
Shion stared at Kimimaro in surprise. She hadn't imagined someone so strong could also have talents unrelated to his profession.
"It's just a hobby. Opening a restaurant isn't my goal."
Ever since acquiring Liu Maoxing's cooking skills, Kimimaro had become picky about food.
Whenever he had free time, he'd cook something for himself.
After all, if no one else was going to treat his body right, he had to.
This meant others often benefited too.
Suigetsu, Orochimaru, Nagato, Konan, Deidara, Kakuzu, Hidan—anyone who teamed up with Kimimaro had tried his cooking.
In fact, part of the reason Kimimaro consistently ranked first on the "Most Desired Teammate in the Akatsuki" list was thanks to his culinary skills.
To Shion, the boy in front of her seemed remarkably versatile—so different from the cold, distant figure in her dreams.
"Are you full? If so, let's get going," Kimimaro said.
"Can we travel differently this time? The way you carried me earlier wasn't very comfortable."
As the priestess of the Land of Demons, Shion had grown accustomed to being pampered. A little princess behavior wasn't surprising.
Kimimaro didn't take offense. Instead, he bit his finger, formed hand seals, and called out:
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a puff of smoke, a majestic golden sword-lion appeared before them.
"This lion is quite comfortable to ride on. Want to try?"
"Really? It looks hard and rough," Shion said, skeptical.
"You won't know until you try."
Without another word, Kimimaro grabbed her hand and helped her onto the lion's back. Then he climbed up behind her, securing her in place.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Shion exclaimed.
"It's time to move. Let's go!"
At Kimimaro's command, the lion took off, speeding through the landscape.
The wind rushed through Shion's hair, while Kimimaro held her securely from behind to prevent her from falling.
"You're so bossy," Shion grumbled.
"I'm not your servant. I won't keep indulging your whims. My patience is running thin. As a collaborator, you demand far too much," Kimimaro replied bluntly.
"Can't you just give me a break? I'm about to die, you know," Shion said, her voice trembling. Tears welled in her eyes as fear gripped her—fear of the impending battle and what awaited her at the sealing grounds.
She was, after all, just a sixteen-year-old girl, unprepared to face her fate.
"You won't die. Not while I'm here," Kimimaro said softly, his tone gentler now as he noticed her tears.
"You're just trying to comfort me. To defeat Moryo, I have to sacrifice myself. That's the only way to seal it," Shion said, though a glimmer of hope sparked in her heart.
"Priestesses have their ways, and ninjas have theirs. Moryo may be a demon, but it's in our world now, so it has to play by our rules. Listen to me, and I'll make sure you get out alive."
"Really?" Shion asked, her voice filled with cautious optimism.
"Of course. I never lie," Kimimaro said confidently.
If Tsunade were here, she'd probably punch him twice and demand he repeat that with a straight face.
Shion couldn't help but smile, her tears drying up.
"After it's all over, can I have more of your rice balls?"
"Sure, no problem," Kimimaro replied casually.
Their simple conversation eased the tension between them as they approached their destination.
Two hours later, they arrived at the sealing grounds.
"This place is crawling with those stone soldiers," Shion said nervously, looking at the vast army surrounding the cave entrance.
"There's so many of them!"
Kimimaro smirked. "Just a bunch of small fry. No big deal."
"What should we do? The cave is completely surrounded," Shion asked anxiously.
"The solution's simple," Kimimaro replied.
"Simple?"
"We'll just charge straight through."
"Are you crazy? That's an army of thousands!"
"They're just stone soldiers. They can't stop me. Hold on tight. Let's go!"
The golden sword-lion leapt forward, plunging into the army.
"Golden Arrows!"
Its mane transformed into sharp, glowing arrows, shooting out and shattering the soldiers in its path.
With Shion in his left arm, Kimimaro extended his right, gathering chakra.
"Hado Number 63: Raikoho!"
A golden lightning bolt erupted from his palm, obliterating dozens of stone soldiers and carving a path through the army.
"Unbelievable…" Shion muttered, stunned by Kimimaro's overwhelming power.
"I told you they wouldn't stop me," Kimimaro said nonchalantly.
To Shion, the boy behind her seemed more like a monster than a human.
Though the soldiers filled in the gaps quickly, Kimimaro unleashed Raikoho again and again, steadily clearing the way to the cave.
After three blasts, they reached the entrance.
"I'll leave the outside to you," Kimimaro said to the lion.
"Got it," the lion replied, leaping back into battle.
With the lion guarding the entrance, no soldiers could enter the cave.
"Let's go, Shion," Kimimaro said, taking her hand as they ventured inside.
They passed through a dark tunnel until a crimson-purple light illuminated their path.
"Priestess, you've finally arrived," a cold voice greeted them.
At the center of the cave, a man sat on a stone throne, staring at them with icy eyes.
"Yomi! Do you realize what you've done?" Shion shouted angrily.
"Hahaha! Of course I do. I've brought new life to this world! But it's not complete—what's missing is you, my dear priestess. Now, die for Lord Moryo!"
Laughing maniacally, Yomi lunged toward her!