The knight's body lay unconscious on the still warm battlefield. Steam rose from small craters opened by previous blows.
Li Shang approached slowly, his gaze fixed on the trace of Yuan Qi that pulsed around the enemy. It was not refined, but the fact that he possessed this energy made him frown.
"He's still alive."
Naruto approached. "So, what do we do with him?"
"Let's interrogate him first." Li Shang raised his hand, channeling a thin layer of chakra. "Wake up."
The energy spread through the knight's body, who opened his eyes abruptly, gasping. His muscles contracted against the ropes that bound him, but a containment seal created by Tenten prevented any sudden movement.
For a few seconds, silence dominated the place.
"Who are you?" Li Shang asked calmly.
The young man kept his gaze cold, breathing with difficulty. "What kind of power... did you use against me?"
Naruto blinked, confused. "Power? You used power too, didn't you? Chakra! Or are you going to say you don't know what that is?"
The knight's gaze clouded, and he murmured, almost to himself: "Chakra...? So that's what you call it..."
Li Shang tilted his head slightly, but his voice remained firm. "I ask the questions. Answer or die. We have no time to lose."
The boy stared at him with determination and replied, his voice hoarse: "My name is Temujin. I am a knight of Haido's army. We fight to create a new world — a utopia free from war."
Naruto clenched his fists. "Utopia? You almost killed us with your idea of peace!"
"My country was destroyed by war," Temujin continued, ignoring the comment. "The Gelel Stone is the key to preventing the world from destroying itself again. Haido-sama showed me the way."
Li Shang took a step forward, the cold glow of the Tenseigan reflecting on Temujin. "Then why did you attack us?"
Temujin opened his mouth to answer — but the ground trembled.
A deep mechanical sound ran through the ground, making the trees sway violently. Birds flew in all directions, and a colossal shadow covered the forest.
Sasuke looked up. "What is that now?"
A few kilometers away, among the treetops, a monstrous metallic structure emerged. It looked like a ship slowly advancing towards the clearing, each beat of its engines echoing like thunder.
"His ship..." Tenten murmured, alarmed.
Temujin's eyes widened, fear replacing arrogance. "Haido-sama... he came personally!"
Li Shang turned his face, observing the ship's approach. The strong wind beat against his cloak, while the chakra around him oscillated. 'They must be the enemy who attacked Suna.'
He looked at the group and spoke in a firm tone: "Naruto, Sasuke, Lee — form a defensive line. Sakura and Tenten protect the prisoner."
The metallic roar of the vessel grew louder.
Naruto gritted his teeth, creating a clone beside him. "Tsk... and I thought the fight was over!"
Li Shang kept his gaze fixed on the colossus. 'It seems this world holds more secrets than I imagined.' He had an idea about the origin of the Gelel stone mentioned by Temujin.
"Hello, noble warriors!"
The voice sounded firm, soft, and at the same time strangely charming. A tall man, wearing a long cloak that hid almost his entire body, calmly descended from one of the platforms of the metallic vessel that now hovered over the ground.
Naruto frowned. "Who is this guy?"
Li Shang kept his gaze fixed, the Tenseigan active, observing every movement. The illusion that covered the man's body dissolved before his eyes — revealing the truth. Beneath that refined and gentle appearance, Haido's body was partially corrupted. Black veins pulsed with a dense and wild energy, as if something inside him was constantly trying to break free.
'Partial demonification,' thought Li Shang, narrowing his gaze. 'The same result as someone who forces the body to absorb pure Yuan Qi before refining it. He is slowly being consumed.'
"Haido-sama!" Temujin shouted, visibly relieved.
Haido smiled cordially, almost warmly. "I see there was a small conflict between my knight and you. I imagine it was a misunderstanding."
Li Shang took a step forward, his posture serene and his gaze unwavering. "Something like that. Your knight attacked us without saying a word. He is alive only because he can still provide us with information."
The air seemed to weigh heavily. Sasuke and Lee immediately adopted defensive stances, while Sakura and Tenten remained close to Temujin.
"Ah, I understand perfectly." Haido replied without altering his tone of voice. "Then allow me to take full responsibility. It was my mistake not to warn my subordinates about your presence. Why don't you come in so we can talk and clear up this misunderstanding? There is much to discuss, and it would be a waste to resolve this with violence."
He opened his arms and indicated the door behind him, a large metallic passage that led to the interior of the vessel.
The group exchanged glances — the invitation was too obvious, a potential trap.
"Of course," Li Shang replied, to everyone's surprise.
"Neji-kun, I don't think we should go in!" Rock Lee took a step forward, his eyes wide. "This man might be planning something!"
"I don't trust him either." Sasuke crossed his arms, keeping his sharp gaze on Haido. 'If one of them already gave us so much trouble, entering this vessel would be suicide. It's like walking straight into the mouth of a beast.'
"Neji!" Naruto intervened, visibly tense. "Let's talk out here! There's no need to fall for this sweet talk!"
Li Shang turned slightly to the group, his gaze calm. "You don't need to be so suspicious. A true friendship is always better than an unnecessary enemy, isn't it?"
The answer came with a subtle smile, but those who knew him well knew that calm tone hid something much more calculated.
'He's already seen everything,' thought Sasuke, clenching his fist.
Li Shang had explored the entire vessel with the Tenseigan from the moment it appeared. The interior was a tangle of Yuan Qi — altered humans, their bodies filled with shining crystals embedded in their skin. Young people, mostly, forced to serve as receptacles for raw power.
'They are creating an army of demonized puppets... but the control is still unstable.'
Behind Haido, two presences stood out. Women — both powerful, with more concentrated Yuan Qi. One of them exuded deceptive tranquility; the other, pure killer instinct.
Haido watched Li Shang approach, still smiling. "I see you are a rational man. Your group is strong, and I admire that. Perhaps we can learn a lot from each other."
Li Shang stopped a few meters from him. "I'm sure we can," he replied serenely.
'But what I really want to learn is where you got that spiritual crystal in your hand.'
Behind him, Naruto still protested, his voice impatient. "Neji, are you crazy? This guy looks like a cheap movie villain!"
Haido chuckled softly, as if he had heard. "Villain? No, boy. Just someone tired of seeing the world repeat itself in cycles of pain and destruction. I am creating something that everyone desires, but has never achieved — peace."
Li Shang watched him in silence, his blue eyes shining intensely. With each word, he felt more clearly the distorted nature of that energy — the Wild Yuan Qi, impure and hungry.
'He doesn't want peace... he wants more power.'
"So, Neji," Haido continued, extending his hand in a courteous gesture. "Do you accept my hospitality?"
The young Hyuuga observed the extended hand and replied only with a slight smile.
"Of course. Let's see how you will create this peace."
The wind blew strong, raising dust around them. The Konoha group watched apprehensively as Li Shang took the first step towards the entrance of the enemy vessel.
Haido's smile remained unchanged, but behind him, the eyes of the two women shone in sync — a cold and threatening gleam.