Under Yoru's deliberate indulgence, the demon Mōryō—once cowed by elite shinobi like Kisame, Kakuzu, and Sasori—no longer boasted of its invincibility Instead, it focused on controlling Yomi, ordering him to head straight for the Shrine of the Priestess in the Land of Demons.
Its goal: reclaim its lost soul.
As the evening glow painted the sky orange, Yomi finally brought Mōryō to the Land of Demons.
Since it was a solitary journey, Mōryō did not bring its Ghost Army. Instead, it used its malevolent chakra to control a few shinobi along the way, thus avoiding much attention.
Still, the Priestess sensed something amiss—but tragically, it was already too late.
Upon reaching the shrine, Yomi released Mōryō's essence like a Jinchūriki unleashing a tailed beast.
Malevolent dark chakra surged forth, more savage, wicked, terrifying, and purely negative than any Tailed Beast. It materialized as the grotesque, black-purple demon Mōryō, appearing within the shrine.
Countless individuals gazed at the monstrous demon, feeling their legs tremble, their hairs stand on end, and their minds unable to find peace.
Many knew their duty to protect the Priestess, but the stories of the Priestess and the demon were, for them, mere legends.
Now, legend had become reality. The despair-inducing demon had truly manifested, bringing with it nothing but suffocating dread!
"Mama, I'm scared…"
"It's okay, Shion. Don't be afraid. Mama's here."
Little Shion trembled in her mother's arms, clinging tightly to Miroku's robes, her face pale with fear.
Though fear shone in Miroku's eyes, she pushed it down, gently patting her daughter's back.
Under a special technique, Shion slowly drifted into sleep.
"Shion..."
Looking at her daughter, Miroku's heart ached with tenderness and sorrow—but she had no choice.
The demon Mōryō had appeared directly at the shrine—everyone knew what it wanted.
If she failed today… then Shion would inherit her role.
She would become the next Priestess—the last hope to seal Mōryō.
Miroku placed a sacred bell—a symbol of the priestess's lineage—around little Shion's neck. Then she turned to the fully armed young shinobi beside her, his expression grave and serious.
"Asuha," she said, addressing him. "I'm going to stop Mōryō. You take Shion and act according to the situation."
"If I fail, immediately seek help from the Five Great Shinobi Villages," she continued. "Escape with Shion—first to the Land of Heat, no… the Land of Water."
While Konoha was prosperous, it was not far from the Land of Demons. If Mōryō succeeded, it would undoubtedly ignite endless warfare, and the Land of Fire would surely be engulfed in conflict.
Only the Land of Water, distant overseas, far from the mainland, yet possessing powerful strength, was the best choice.
"Understood, Miroku-sama!" Asuha held young Shion, nodding firmly.
"Hurry!"
A deafening tremor shook the shrine; buildings began to crack. Asuha rushed off with Shion, while Miroku sprinted toward the underground chamber where Mōryō's soul was sealed.
Flames and carnage spattered around the shrine as Mōryō rampaged, and Land of Demons guards were powerless. . They couldn't even defeat the evil individuals who had been consumed by Mōryō's power.
Miroku fought tears and guilt—but she was the only one who could stop this.
In the bowels of the shrine lay an ancient seal set by a previous Priestess Though adept in sealing magic, Miroku had never faced a monster like Mōryō.
After several preparations, Miroku finally adjusted the sealing array.
"It's a pity it's too far from the sealing ground in the Land of Swamps. Even if it's only Mōryō's body, forcibly sealing it here in the Land of Demons still requires my life force..."
Miroku turned her head to look at the dark ceiling, as if her gaze could pierce through the building to see Mōryō raging outside.
Her eyes held a hint of sorrow, but more than that, determination.
"Forgive me, Shion. Mama won't be able to watch you grow up, but this is the Miko's duty, this is what a Miko must bear on her shoulders!"
"Mōryō, let me—"
"So this is Mōryō's soul? Interesting."
A sudden voice cut her off.
At some unknown point, a masked figure in a white haori had appeared behind Miroku, silently watching.
Yoru gazed with interest at Mōryō's soul, sealed within the barrier. He could clearly feel the unique power emanating from it.
[Detected special chakra entity: 'Demon – Mōryō's Physical Body']
[Detected special soul entity: 'Demon – Mōryō's Soul'; Side Mission Triggered]
[Mission (1): Successfully subdue, control, absorb, or devour the special soul entity 'Demon – Mōryō's Soul'. Reward: 100,000 points]
[Mission (2): Successfully eliminate the special soul entity 'Demon – Mōryō's Soul'. Reward: 500,000 points]
The voice of his system echoed in his mind. Not only did it clarify the goal, but it confirmed the uniqueness of this entity.
Yoru had long since realized that the system devoured souls in exchange for points.
Though Moryō resembled a tailed beast—a chakra-based entity—its soul and chakra could exist separately.
Such souls were rare throughout the shinobi world.
So rather than kill it for points, Yoru had a better idea.
"Who are you!?"
Startled, Miroku backed away. She felt no dark chakra from him, so she relaxed slightly. "I don't know who you are, but get out of the way! Moryō is coming—I must complete the seal!"
"If he regains his soul, the entire shinobi world will face catastrophe!"
"This level of creature isn't enough to threaten the shinobi world."
Yoru glanced at her coolly.
Yet… this Priestess was unusual.
Unlike most, her body had barely any chakra. Her energy came almost entirely from spiritual energy and natural energy.
In today's chakra-dominated world, that was nearly unheard of.
Natural energy was volatile. Outside of the Three Great Sage Regions—or those with rare innate sage bodies discovered by Orochimaru—no one could manipulate it.
"So you're a Priestess, huh… Tell me everything about yourself."
Beneath his mask, his Mangekyō spun—Kotoamatsukami activated.
But to his surprise, Miroku didn't seem affected at all. Her eyes remained clear, her expression wary.
The strongest genjutsu in the shinobi world—had failed?
"Interesting..."
"I've found you, Priestess!!"
A thunderous roar cut through the air as Moryō's enormous form shattered the roof of the shrine.
Glaring down at them—his soul and the Priestess both present—he burst into maniacal laughter.
With his soul and vessel reunited, and the Priestess to consume, he would become the strongest being in existence!
"Run! It's dangerous here!"
Miroku grabbed Yoru's sleeve, trying to pull him away.
She might be able to contain Moryō with her sealing jutsu—but not while protecting others too.
"Kukukuku!"
Moryō laughed hideously, black-purple tendrils raining down like falling spears.
Miroku raised both hands, unleashing a dazzling white light that formed a protective barrier—holding Moryō's assault at bay.
"This power…"
Yoru's eyes gleamed.
To be able to harmonize spiritual and natural energy so perfectly in a human body—she was a born soul vessel.
Sweat trickled down Miroku's brow.
Though she could seal Moryō, in combat, she was far weaker than him. And if she used too much energy now, she might not have the strength left to complete the seal.
"Leave! I can't hold him for long!"
But Yoru simply walked forward, took her hand—and the barrier shattered as Moryō's attack smashed down.
BOOM!
Dust and rubble exploded outward.
Though Moryō couldn't detect Yoru or Miroku directly, the nearby seal alone made him ecstatic.
Tendrils lashed the sealing array, cracking it open. A chilling force oozed out—one that made every soul tremble.
"My soul! My lost soul!"
"No! Don't!"
In Yoru's arms, Miroku stared in horror. "Why… why are you doing this!? Do you want to drag the whole world into hell!?"
If it was just Moryō's body, she could seal it—even at the cost of her life.
But if Moryō regained his soul and became complete, even she could do nothing.
"It's not that serious. I'm just curious."
Yoru chuckled behind the mask.
"If I'm right, when Moryō gets his soul back, you two will start to merge again—evolve into something stronger."
"Your powers are opposites—but I sense something... similar."
"Like reflections in a mirror. Folded creases in a page. There's something hidden between the Priestess and Moryō, isn't there?"
"What… what are you saying!?" Miroku bit her lip. "Do you even understand what you've done!?"
"Kukuku. Come now, Priestess. He's not wrong."
Moryō laughed wildly from above, absorbing his soul back into his form.
"You and I were once one—immortal gods beyond all!"
"But you destroyed it all—you destroyed yourself!"
"I did it for the world's peace!" Miroku shouted.
"So you cut off your darkness, sealed me away, and called yourself the savior?"
"Spare me!"
"If your light can't control your darkness, then let my darkness devour your light!"
"I'll unleash my Ghost Army and bring this ninja world to its knees!"
As Moryō's soul merged fully into his body, the rebirth was complete.
BOOM!
Dozens of snake-like heads rose with a roar, like a black dragon ascending.
Dark chakra poured out, and the sun itself seemed to fade behind a looming dark moon.
Moryō had returned.
He stared down at Yoru and Miroku.
"Human brat—you've helped me greatly. As a reward, I offer you the chance to kneel."
"Now, hand the Priestess over!"
Yoru looked… almost amused.
Did this thing really think it was stronger than him?
In truth, even in this "complete" state, Moryō's strength was comparable to a mid-tier tailed beast—like Isobu or Saiken. It couldn't even rival Gyūki or Kurama.
"You should know what I want now."
Yoru turned to Miroku.
"You have two options: one, become his food."
"Two, I beat him down and seal him into you."
"Or three—I'll destroy you both and study you myself."
"…"
Miroku opened her mouth, stunned.
Before she could reply, Moryō burst into laughter.
"Insolent human! Do you know who you're facing?!"
"...Do you know who you're facing?"
Yoru tilted his head, then glanced at Miroku.
"Forget it, I'll make the decision for you."
A beautiful woman, pale-skinned, gorgeous, wearing a ceremonial outfit—it was far more appealing than studying a slimy mud eel that barked like a dog.
With that, Yoru scooped Miroku into his arms and vanished.
Moryō barely had time to react.
An immense pressure slammed into him from behind, crushing his massive body to the ground.
Snake heads turned to look—just in time to see Yoru floating mid-air, holding Miroku.
He barked and thrashed like a dog.
"Hundred-Step Pillars."
Yoru calmly raised a hand and brought it down.
Like the Gates of the Great God used against the Ten-Tails in the Fourth Shinobi War, light pillars dropped from the heavens, pinning all of Moryō's limbs and heads to the earth.
"You wretched human, how dare y—"
BOOM!
A massive beam of lightning-fused energy smashed into his mouth, blowing it apart.
Before his chakra could reform, Yoru descended.
"Four Symbols Seal."
"Eight Trigrams Seal."
Both sealing techniques activated at once.
Sealing marks burst from Yoru's hand, racing across Moryō's body.
A torrent of dark chakra was forcefully sealed—
—into Miroku.
"NO! Don't—!!"
Two voices—Miroku's and Moryō's—cried out at once.
Yoru ignored them.
I don't need your opinion. I care about mine.
Moryō screamed. Miroku flushed red in protest—but Yoru kept going.
Moments later, the once-world-ending demon vanished.
All that remained was a dazed, flushed Priestess, drenched in sweat and slumped in Yoru's arms.
"Hmm. Seal went perfectly."
Yoru gently rubbed Miroku's lower abdomen, carefully examining the seal.
Layering the Eight Trigrams Seal on top of the Four Symbols Seal was equivalent to a triple Four Symbols Seal. With a key, it could even be selectively opened.
Perfect.
"Time to say goodbye to this country, Miroku."
He lifted her face toward the shattered land.
"The Priestess sacrificed herself to seal the demon. That's the ending you wanted, right? I'm just helping fulfill it."
"You, me, Shion…"
She opened her mouth, but no words came. Her head lolled—and she fainted.
The seal had not only locked Moryō within her—but her own powers as well.
"Shion?"
Yoru paused at the name.
If he recalled, she was Miroku's daughter—the future Priestess, resembling a certain "Crown Princess" he knew.
Crap. No trace of her chakra nearby.
Did something happen to her?
…Eh. Whatever.
Scratching his head, Yoru shrugged.
Shion wasn't his problem.
He held Miroku tightly and vanished into the night.
Meanwhile, on the border of the Land of Swamps—
Kisame Hoshigaki stared in disbelief.
Before him stood a man in white, dragging the unconscious bodies of Kakuzu and Sasori.
"Take these back to your Mizukage. S-rank rogues, both of them."
"Who the hell are you?"
Ignoring the other two, Kisame's eyes locked onto the white mask.
"That was Steam Imp, wasn't it? Only the Second Lord knew that technique… Who are you!?"