Seeing this woman who had suddenly appeared, Yuto narrowed his eyes slightly, having already formed a guess.
Chiyome also saw the woman who had appeared and her entire body began to tremble. Tears slid from her eyes.
"Mother."
Chiyome's voice carried a choked quality and disbelief.
Sure enough — it was the previous shrine maiden, Mitsuru!
Yuto watched the scene before him with a calm expression, understanding why he had appeared in Chiyome's spiritual space.
The Mitsuru before him was similar to the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, who had sealed the Nine-Tails inside Uzumaki Naruto — a fragment of consciousness that activated under certain conditions.
That condition, upon reflection, was the massive energy Chiyome had unleashed upon entering her Saint Form.
As for why Yuto was also present in the consciousness space, it was because he had been absorbing the shrine maiden's power at that very moment, so he had been pulled in as well.
Chiyome's eyes glistened with tears and grievance as she threw herself into Mitsuru's arms.
"You've grown up, Chiyome."
"And you've become stronger."
Mitsuru gently held Chiyome, stroking her white hair as she spoke softly.
Hearing that familiar voice, Chiyome felt as though she had returned to childhood, resting on her mother's lap. Tears swirled in her eyes.
However, remembering that someone else was present, Chiyome forcibly controlled her emotions and rose from Mitsuru's embrace with a slight blush.
Seeing this, Mitsuru's expression grew even more tender, and she said gently, "It seems our little Chiyome has truly grown up."
There was a hint of teasing in Mitsuru's tone.
"What exactly is happening?"
Chiyome's face reddened further at her mother's words, and she quickly changed the subject.
"This is a consciousness formed from the power I left behind before my death. Its original purpose was to prevent the power you carry from going out of control."
"I'm sorry, Chiyome. I should have told you this sooner. The power you've inherited far exceeds that of any previous shrine maiden, and that bell was a form of indirect seal."
Mitsuru gently stroked Chiyome's white hair, her tone filled with apology and guilt.
"Mother, I don't blame you, and I never will."
Chiyome quickly shook her head and embraced Mitsuru again.
Chiyome's words made Mitsuru sigh softly. "Silly child."
Mitsuru then looked up at Yuto, who stood quietly nearby, her gaze carrying gravity and curiosity.
Though Mitsuru was now nothing more than a weak consciousness, she could still sense the terrifying aura emanating from Yuto.
More importantly, she was deeply curious about how he had entered Chiyome's consciousness space.
"I greet the previous shrine maiden."
"To be honest, I'm surprised to find myself here as well."
Yuto had naturally noticed Mitsuru's gaze and curiosity, and he spoke with a hint of resignation.
Mitsuru's gaze shifted between Yuto and Chiyome, and she seemed to understand something.
"Mother!"
Chiyome stamped her foot lightly and quickly recounted what had happened.
When Mitsuru heard that Yuto had actually defeated the Makyo, shock and astonishment appeared on her face.
And when she learned that Yuto possessed the ability to absorb any form of energy, a flash of understanding crossed her eyes — she now understood how Yuto had ended up in her daughter's consciousness space.
"I am deeply grateful to you for eliminating the Makyo — that demon — on behalf of the Land of Demons and the entire ninja world."
Mitsuru's expression turned solemn as she bowed slightly to Yuto in gratitude.
"This was merely a simple transaction."
Yuto looked somewhat troubled and quickly stepped aside. This had been a transaction from the start, and he couldn't accept such gratitude.
Seeing Yuto dodge, Mitsuru simply smiled gently without further comment. Instead, she reached out and took Chiyome's arm, leading her to stand before Yuto.
"Lord Yuto's ability to devour all forms of energy — while I don't fully understand it, there is one thing I know with certainty. The shrine maiden's power is not merely a type of energy."
"Otherwise, there wouldn't have been only one shrine maiden in each generation."
Mitsuru paused, her gentle gaze falling on Chiyome's blushing face before lifting to look at the somewhat bewildered Yuto.
"Since Lord Yuto did not refuse to absorb the shrine maiden's power, and Chiyome did not stop it, then…"
With a mysterious look in her eyes, Mitsuru placed Chiyome's hand into Yuto's, her voice gentle yet complex.
"Then I leave Chiyome in your care."
The moment these words left her lips.
Chiyome's face turned as red as a ripe apple as she lowered her head. Yuto also finally recovered from his shock, realizing what that look in Mitsuru's eyes had meant.
It was the look of a mother-in-law evaluating her son-in-law!
Outside.
Yuto and Chiyome simultaneously withdrew their minds and opened their eyes. In the consciousness space, they had spent a considerable amount of time with Mitsuru, but in the outside world, only a few moments had passed.
Chiyome, who had just opened her eyes, saw Yuto before her in Sage Mode. Especially since they were still holding hands, a blush spread across her face and she quickly lowered her head in embarrassment.
Yuto awkwardly released his hand. He had absorbed enough of the shrine maiden's power, so there was no need to continue. But more troubling to him was another matter.
As Yuto released his hand, both of them exited the Saint Form and Sage Mode simultaneously, returning to the ground.
Recalling the experience in Chiyome's consciousness space, Yuto felt somewhat helpless and didn't know how to address the situation.
It was at that moment that Yuto suddenly realized he could sense Chiyome's emotional changes!
Not only that, but because both of them carried the shrine maiden's power within them, they were like two magnets drawn together, creating an inexplicable sense of closeness between them.
"So that's it… This is the characteristic of the shrine maiden's power when split between two people?"
Yuto finally understood the meaning behind Mitsuru's words in the consciousness space.
Since Yuto could sense Chiyome's emotions, Chiyome could also vaguely perceive the complexity within Yuto's heart.
"Actually… you don't have to…"
Chiyome raised her head with a slight blush, looking at Yuto nervously.
But before she could finish, Yuto seemed to have come to a realization. He smiled suddenly and interrupted her.
"Anything worthwhile always comes at a cost. And this isn't really a cost for me — if anything, I've gotten the better deal. I've managed to win over the Land of Demons' shrine maiden."
Yuto looked at Chiyome before him and chuckled softly. He had truly gained a tremendous advantage in this matter, as Chiyome was widely regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the ninja world.
Besides, he had already met the mother-in-law, even if she hadn't given him any chance to speak his mind.
Hearing Yuto's words, Chiyome's eyes shimmered with clarity. Perhaps because of the shrine maiden's power, she could sense that Yuto was speaking from the heart.
Because of this, Chiyome's ears had turned red all the way to their roots.
"The reason I was conflicted earlier is because I already have a girlfriend — her name is Terumi Mei."
Yuto looked at Chiyome with her clear gaze and spoke softly. He didn't want to deceive her, and this was precisely the source of his earlier conflict and headache.
After these words fell, Chiyome suddenly shook her head, then nodded. Under Yuto's astonished gaze, she said seriously, "I don't care!"
The sharp intake of breath didn't come from Yuto, but from Ashina, who had been standing behind them, completely ignored.
Ashina's face was a mask of confusion, disbelief, and shock. He had been standing right there the entire time, yet it felt like something had happened without his knowledge. In the blink of an eye, the two had established their relationship.
And what was worse — his shrine maiden didn't even care that the man had a girlfriend!
Just as Ashina recovered from his shock, he suddenly felt his body lift off the ground before being unceremoniously tossed aside.
What happened next, Ashina had no way of witnessing.
Approximately half an hour passed.
Yuto emerged from the room, his expression having returned to normal, while Chiyome inside wore a faint smile.
During those thirty minutes, Yuto and Chiyome had naturally spent some time getting to know each other better and sorting out certain matters.
Of course, their interaction had been limited to simple emotional exchanges.
"Take me to an unused room."
Yuto opened the door and raised an eyebrow slightly, speaking to Ashina, who was still standing guard nearby.
Yuto had to admit — Ashina was quite the dedicated guard.
"Certainly, Lord Yuto."
Ashina immediately bowed and replied respectfully, without a trace of complaint on his face.
Even though he had been personally thrown out by this man half an hour ago, he hadn't been harmed. The other party simply hadn't wanted to be disturbed — something Ashina understood well.
Moreover, Yuto had now established a relationship with the shrine maiden, meaning Lord Yuto was essentially half the master of the Land of Demons.
Ashina quickly led Yuto to an unused room not far away.
After watching Ashina close the door and leave, Yuto immediately closed his eyes and began carefully examining the shrine maiden's power he had absorbed.
This power was different from chakra. Yuto needed to first observe its characteristics, then slowly master it and make it his own.
[
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