The light spread outward, rippling through the air like waves.
Kakashi, standing nearby, blinked in surprise at the soft white glow.
A few days ago, after discovering the masked man's true identity and receiving a warning from Orochimaru, he had resolved to distance himself from Obito. Still, despite his rational decision, lingering resentment and unease remained in his heart. But now, those negative feelings seemed to dissolve in the light, leaving his mind unexpectedly calm.
No wonder the people of the Land of Demons revere the priestesses so deeply—even if the current one is just a little girl.
He remembered how puzzled he had been when he first witnessed the villagers' reverence toward Shion. Even the Hokage of Konoha wasn't worshipped this intensely.
With power like this, it's no surprise the Land of Demons has endured since the Warring States era, despite its small size and lack of shinobi.
As Kakashi reflected on this, a sudden, piercing scream snapped him back to the present.
On the wooden platform before him, the rebellious kappa monster, previously unshaken by threats, was now writhing in agony. It screamed, a hoarse, guttural cry torn from its throat as it struggled against the restraints. Its limbs thrashed, and its long tongue, cracked and bloodied by the shackles, splattered blood and saliva across the platform.
"This is... unbelievable," Kakashi muttered, adjusting his headband to get a clearer look.
Despite the light remaining gentle and warm, the scene unfolding was brutal. It reminded him of an old saying: "Your honey is someone else's poison." A perfect description of what was happening now.
What shocked him even more was Shion herself. While the villagers below had covered their ears, terrified by the monster's cries, the young priestess remained completely composed. Her expression was mature, calm—far beyond her years.
Could she really be the once-in-a-century genius Mareya claimed she was?
Kakashi believed so. When she crushed that crystal earlier, he had sensed a strange fluctuation. Though spiritual arts didn't suit his fighting style, his mental strength had sharpened from numerous journeys to the Pure Land. And in that moment, he clearly felt Shion's chakra shift—something similar to the transformation he'd seen in Orochimaru's sage mode.
There's something inside this girl… something powerful.
Before he could think further, a sickening sound of tearing flesh echoed from the platform.
Bloodied and snarling, the kappa lunged forward, snapping its sharp beak at Shion's head. Death was a breath away.
Kakashi reacted instantly—but someone else moved faster.
In a flash, the red crystal in Shion's hand dissolved into light. Her entire body blazed with power. The kappa froze mid-lunge, its body beginning to vaporize like snow in the sun.
With one last shudder, it vanished into plumes of white smoke.
"...Incredible," Kakashi breathed, lowering his guard. He'd fought humans, beasts, even chakra entities—but he had never seen anything like this. It was beyond the normal boundaries of shinobi understanding.
Just as the crowd began to relax, believing the ceremony over, the severed tongue of the kappa—torn loose earlier—suddenly twitched, then lashed out with deadly force toward Shion.
The crystal's power had already been expended. Shion, now just a girl again, stood defenseless.
Kakashi sprang forward again—but, once more, someone beat him to it.
Orochimaru appeared in a blur, catching the monstrous tongue with his bare hand. Steam hissed from the point of contact. With a clenched fist, he crushed the tongue as it dissolved into black smoke—its final burst of energy spent.
"Are you alright, Orochimaru-sama?" Kakashi asked, his voice tinged with guilt.
Protecting the priestess had been his responsibility.
Orochimaru glanced at his palm, now marked by a faint black burn, and shook his head. "It's nothing."
Shion ran over, worried, pulling ointment from her pouch. "Let me treat it! I have medicine—"
"There's no need," Orochimaru said gently, turning instead toward the ashes where the kappa had vanished. Poking through them, he retrieved a glowing blue crystal.
It resembled the one on Shion's bracelet—only much larger.
"This is… a crystallized form of natural energy."
He examined it closely. Its structure reminded him of a snake scale the White Snake Sage had once gifted him. That had also contained condensed natural energy, though it had been filtered twice by the White Snake lineage.
This one, however, felt raw—more similar to the energy he'd absorbed while training in Sage Mode.
Is this what the priestesses are using to fuel their witchcraft?
A timid voice cut through his thoughts. "Um… can I have that back?" Shion asked, hesitantly. "It's part of the purification ritual. It's... our reward."
Orochimaru looked down at her, amused by her bravery despite the fear in her eyes.
Her guard, Ashiho, stepped forward. "This crystal is part of the promised compensation from our country. Please don't make things difficult."
Orochimaru laughed softly and tossed it to them without protest. It wasn't worth arguing over.
The energy within the crystal, while potent, was too scarce to be of use to someone like him. He'd already passed that stage.
Still, the ceremony had given him a new idea.
So they extract these crystals from monsters… and purify them with natural energy. But what happens when the monsters are gone? The priestesses disappear too.
Even Yakushi Kabuto, a genius in Sage Arts, would have died had he recklessly absorbed raw natural energy before surviving the transplant of First Hokage cells.
But that purification technique… Orochimaru's eyes glinted. That's worth studying.
With a thought, he vanished.
Shion let out a sigh of relief.
"Please, be careful with this," Ashiho said, handing the crystal to her.
"Got it!" she replied, carefully sealing it in a special container. Left unchecked, purified energy would quickly dissipate and become useless.
---
"Is that it? The monster's gone already?" Naruto asked from a nearby rooftop, pouting.
He'd been expecting something flashier. The whole event had ended too quickly for his taste.
But before he could say more, he noticed Karin staring into the distance.
"What are you looking at?" he asked.
Karin blushed slightly and pointed ahead. "That boy… he's so cool."
"Huh?" Naruto frowned, following her gaze. "Which one?"
"The smaller one."
Looking closer, Naruto saw the boy—clearly younger than the first—but strikingly similar. They had the same stoic expression, the same quiet demeanor.
"Sasuke and Itachi…" Naruto mumbled, recognition dawning. "Tch. He's just pretending to be cool."
Karin didn't respond, still staring in admiration.
Naruto sighed. "You've got terrible taste, you know."
She glared at him, and he quickly fell silent.
Still, Naruto couldn't help but glance at Sasuke again, feeling an odd sense of rivalry rise in his chest.
One day… I'll wipe that smug look off your face.
Itachi, standing beside his brother, sensed the hostility and glanced toward Naruto.
So that's the current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he thought. Mother used to speak fondly of his predecessor.
Sasuke tugged on his sleeve. "Big brother? What is it?"
"Nothing," Itachi replied with a smile. "I just saw a cat."
"Let's go home. Dinner's probably ready!"
The two brothers turned and walked away.
---
In the Hokage's temporary office, Hiruzen Sarutobi scanned Orochimaru's latest report.
"So the witches of the Land of Demons really use natural energy… interesting."
He puffed thoughtfully on his pipe.
No ordinary person would've noticed that. Even Tsunade might've missed it.
But what intrigued him most was the crystal left behind after the purification.
Such an item could even affect something like the Box of Bliss…
If so, Shion's powers could be more than just ceremonial.
He drafted a letter and handed it to a nearby ANBU agent. "Deliver this to the shrine maiden of the Land of Demons."
"Yes, sir." The agent vanished.
---
"You mean… we have to stay here longer?" Shion asked, stunned.
"I thought this mission was just to eliminate the monster!"
Ashiho nodded. "Lord Maitreya sent word. Konoha was very pleased with your performance and is offering additional commissions."
Shion slumped into her chair. "But there are so many people here… it's not like home."
Ashiho smiled. "That just means there are more shops, food, and fun things to try. Once the work is done, we can explore."
Shion stood up, her mood lifting. "That actually sounds kind of great!"
_____________________
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