After tasting the tea and finishing the meal, Ren spoke, "When do we start?"
"Since Lord Ren is so busy, please follow me." Miroku stood up and walked slowly, leaving the shrine.
"So… what exactly are we starting?" The guard asked, his face full of questions, but he could only follow.
They arrived at the place where the demon was sealed. The seal had weakened and could not hold much longer.
"Wait, Lady high priestess, the demon cannot be released." The guard hurriedly stopped her. His family had served the shrine for generations, and they trusted the high priestess's visions of the future completely.
Even if the prophecy foretold their deaths, they would step forward without hesitation to maintain the seal.
"Fumito, the future has changed. It will break our fate." Miroku knew exactly what to say to sway him.
"My family has served the high priestess for generations. Her prophecies are absolute. Please do not casually trample on the long-standing devotion of my family." Fumito grew more agitated as he spoke.
But Ren had no interest in soap operas. He instantly appeared behind him and knocked him unconscious.
This kind of person was beyond reasoning. Even if Miroku said the world would be destroyed in the future, he would believe it without hesitation.
"I apologize for his behavior, Lord Ren. Fumito is a good person. For my sake, even if it means risking his life, he would act without hesitation." Miroku bowed slightly in apology on his behalf.
"It's fine. But he is too stubborn. If you do anything that goes against the prophecy, he will strongly resist. Let's begin." Ren shook his head.
"Understood." Miroku's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. The future might not unfold as her prophecy predicted, but she chose to trust the strongest in the shinobi world today.
"Gah, gah, gah! high priestess, prepare to die!" A chilling chakra rushed toward them. It was indeed a small tailed beast.
Even as a high priestess, Miroku's face went pale. Facing a demon like this directly made her realize the true weight of her responsibilities.
"Uzumaki Flame Formation."
Ren brought his hands together, surrounding both himself and the demon. Its attacks struck the barrier, leaving no trace.
"Who are you?" The demon immediately looked at Ren. It had initially thought he was just another guard of the high priestess, nothing to worry about. Now it was clear he possessed real power.
"I had a bit of hope, but it's a pity." Ren shook his head, clearly dissatisfied.
"You brat, how dare you underestimate me? Die!" The demon extended countless tentacles. They could tear through the ground easily and instantly kill anyone they struck.
"Sage Art, Water Release, Flowing Water Cut." Ren formed a hand seal, and a massive torrent of water sliced through all the tentacles in front of him. But the opponent quickly regrew them, and the severed tentacles restored their chakra.
"I see." Ren stroked his chin, realizing that the attack had some effect after all.
Seeing Ren effortlessly neutralize the tentacles, Miroku felt a surge of excitement, but when the demon instantly recovered, her spirit sank. She couldn't help but think of the high priestess's mission—was there really nothing she could change?
"You're strong, little brat, but without the high priestess's power, you can't defeat me." The demon, though shocked by Ren's strength, became arrogant when confirming the high priestess was outside the barrier.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains." Ren didn't retort. He quietly used the Uzumaki ability to bind the demon tightly.
"What is this? A seal?" The demon struggled violently but found the chains tightening, preventing him from releasing any chakra.
"You guessed it. Now you'll come with me and serve as an energy source." Ren's purpose was simple: confirm the nature of the demon's chakra and take it back for use.
Unlike the tailed beasts, the demon didn't need coaxing—he could be treated like a workhorse.
"Are you kidding? I'm the demon! Humans, just wait!" The demon stopped struggling. He realized he could not defeat the man before him. His life was limited; all he could do was wait until Ren died.
"Unfortunately, when I find you useless, I will exile you." Ren said, approaching the demon and using a space-time ninjutsu to banish him to another dimension.
Every person's space-time is fixed. Even someone like Obito would need to align with it. Once Ren exiles him, there's almost no way he can return.
"It's over?" Seeing the barrier vanish, Miroku could hardly believe it. The demon, sealed by generations of high priestesses, was gone just like that? Everything she had done felt meaningless.
"Yes, it's over. To kill it outright, I'd need to borrow your power, but sealing it is quick."
"Will it come out again?"
"It's banished to another dimension. No one but me can release it."
"Lord Ren, can I trust you?" Miroku took a deep breath.
"Have you not already confirmed it?" Ren asked.
"Ah, with the long-standing duty gone, I don't know what to do next." Miroku stretched lazily, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders.
"Do you want to come to the Land of Whirlpools?" Ren considered that since she was a high priestess, building a shrine in the Land of Whirlpools would be tending to the spiritual needs of the people.
"The Land of Whirlpools? The outside world?" Miroku tilted her head in curiosity.
At that moment, unconscious Fumito woke up and shouted, "Lady Miroku!"
"Mr. Fumito, I'm here." Miroku smiled brightly, and with the sunset behind her, Fumito was momentarily stunned.
"High priestess, what about the demons?" Fumito snapped back to reality and asked anxiously.
"They've been dealt with by Lord Ren." Miroku pointed to the man beside her.
"Dealt with?" Fumito couldn't believe it. The demon spirit passed down through generations was thought impossible to eliminate.
"Yes, look. There's nothing left in the seal." Miroku pointed to where the demon spirit had been sealed.
"Really dealt with… is this Precognition?" Fumito looked at Miroku.
"Yes, I foresaw Lord Ren a while ago. Otherwise, I wouldn't have sent you to bring him here." Miroku replied after a moment of thought.
"I see… that's wonderful." Fumito immediately believed it, but also felt lost. With the goal of generations accomplished, what direction would life take next?
"Fumito, will you come with me to the Land of Whirlpools?"
"The Land of Whirlpools… you're from there?" Fumito was visibly excited, clearly having learned something about the outside world.
"Yes."
Seeing him nod, Fumito looked at Miroku and said, "High priestess, my family has followed you for generations."
"Does that mean you're willing? Then, Lord Ren, we agree." Miroku said with a light laugh.
"Wait a moment." Ren used his space-time ninjutsu and appeared with Shikaichi, the retired elder of the Nara Clan.
"Hello, I am Shikaichi Nara from the Land of Whirlpools." Shikaichi bowed slightly.
"Lord Ren, aren't you coming with us?"
"I have something to attend to. Shikaichi will handle everything from here." Ren turned and left.
"Then, Lord Shikaichi, I look forward to working with you. I am Miroku." Miroku introduced herself confidently.
Shikaichi first confirmed the location of the Land of Demons, its population, and the state of the villages, then began considering the relocation plans.
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