Chapter 122: Chapter 122: The Fastest Victory, Spot-on Judgments
Rumble...
As Shion destroyed Moryo's physical body, the Ghost Legion turned to dust and vanished. Suddenly, the volcanic cave where the temple was located began to shake violently.
The ground inside started to collapse, with countless rocks falling into the lava lake, causing the molten rock to bubble and churn.
The mountain's tremors grew stronger, and the massive landmass quaked violently.
Finally, with a deafening explosion, a massive pillar of lava broke through the mountain's summit, shooting straight into the sky.
As the largest lava column erupted, smaller ones broke through the surrounding mountain walls, spewing lava in every direction.
From a distance, the mountain resembled a fountain, but instead of water, it was spewing lava that could melt and destroy everything in its path.
After the large and small lava columns erupted, they turned into a torrential downpour of orange-red molten rock, covering the mountain's summit and flowing downward, rapidly changing the landscape.
The intense heat turned the twilight sky black and red.
Yagyu and Shion, having escaped the temple at some point, stood on the edge of a cliff, watching the beautiful yet destructive scene of the volcanic eruption.
"Yagyu-kun, thank you."
After a long while, Shion suddenly turned to face Yagyu, placing her hands over her abdomen and bowing deeply in gratitude once again.
"No need to thank me. If you're going to thank anyone, thank your daimyo. He trusted the Land of Fire over the closer Land of Wind or Land of Earth."
Yagyu then teased, "It seems fate is something to believe in after all. Lucky for you, you met me—otherwise, things might not have turned out this way. Maybe it was all part of the heavens' plan."
"Hehe, you're right."
Seeing Yagyu boast, Shion couldn't help but smile and cover her mouth with her hand.
But in her heart, she fully agreed with his words.
In such a vast world, out of all the ninjas, it was Yagyu, the most unique of them all, whom she had encountered.
Not only could she not foresee his future, but he was also the only one besides the priestesses who could harm, and even kill, Moryo.
And on top of that, he had given her such incredible power!
This was no mere coincidence—it was destiny itself that had arranged for her to meet this "divine" figure who would save and help her.
At that moment, Shion fully believed in Yagyu's philosophy of absolute strength.
Only overwhelming power could alter the fate of Moryo and the priestesses at will, ending their thousand-year-long cycle of conflict.
Just then, Yagyu spoke again, "Moryo and the Ghost Legion are completely wiped out, and the priestess's mission is finished. Do you plan to continue being a priestess?"
"Yes."
Shion nodded as she gazed at the lava flowing down the mountain, smiling. "Moryo was the embodiment of negative emotions and evil. I want to continue as a priestess, using the power you gave me to purify the evil in people's hearts."
"That's a grand goal. Good luck," Yagyu encouraged her instead of discouraging her.
"Mm!"
Shion nodded firmly, her gaze lingering on Yagyu's handsome face. The surge of emotion from earlier returned to her heart.
Her cheeks flushed, and her face reddened as she mustered the courage to look directly at Yagyu, extending her small hand toward him. In a trembling voice, she said, "Yagyu-kun, I want to pass on the priestess's power to the next generation. Could you... lend me your strength?"
Yagyu blinked in surprise, then carefully looked at Shion again.
Finally, he found something that set her apart from Hinata—her boldness!
After barely knowing him for two days, she already dared to confess to him.
Among all the girls Yagyu had met, Shion was by far the most daring, without a doubt.
Looking at Shion's flushed face, her eyes filled with anticipation, Yagyu's lips curled into a smile. He didn't say anything but instead reached out, grasped her small hand, and pulled the red-and-white-clad priestess into his embrace.
Then, he leaned down and kissed her, accepting her feelings.
A beautiful girl who resembled Hinata so closely—how could Yagyu, with his romantic tendencies, let her slip away?
Tsunade-neesan, your judgment is spot on!
---
Thanks to Yagyu's involvement, Moryo and the Ghost Legion did not cause the massive upheaval in the ninja world like in the movie version.
On the contrary, with Yagyu, who mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, stepping in, Moryo and the Ghost Army were completely eradicated just days after their revival.
The high-ranking officials, who knew nothing about the thousand-year-old fate between Moryo and the priestesses, barely gave it a second glance.
It was merely a small country's plea for help.
If it hadn't involved Konoha's Wood-Style ninja, it wouldn't have even garnered much attention.
Soon, the whole incident came to a close.
The elite Konoha forces, who had just arrived on the battlefield, barely did anything and were already heading back the way they came.
The Land of Demons, which had suffered significant damage, didn't even have anywhere to host them.
Yagyu, on the other hand, stayed at Shion's shrine for a few days, helping her check her chakra nature, teaching her how to use her priestess powers, and leaving her with some ninjutsu scrolls and a Flying Thunder God kunai before bidding a reluctant farewell to the priestess.
Yagyu didn't bring Shion back to Konoha; at this point, he couldn't.
After all, in the Land of Demons, which had no major ninja villages but only a few small clans, the priestess held a status equivalent to the leader of a major ninja village—highly esteemed.
During their time together, Shion learned that Yagyu had several childhood friends, so she didn't have any intention of following him to Konoha.
Like Hinata, Shion was gentle, understanding, and considerate. As long as Yagyu occasionally visited her in the Land of Demons, she would be content.
She wanted to stay in her homeland, work toward her goals, and strive to become a priestess worthy of standing by Yagyu's side.
---
"So, you finally decided to come back?"
Yagyu teleported back to the Hokage's office in Konoha.
Seeing Yagyu suddenly appear beside her, Tsunade put down the document she was reviewing, rested her chin on her hand, and teased, "Why are you back alone? Didn't you bring the priestess from the Land of Demons with you?"
Noticing that Karin and Shizune weren't around and that the office was empty except for Tsunade, Yagyu immediately put on a serious face and retorted, "Tsunade-neesan, your thoughts are far too impure. I was merely fulfilling my duties, helping the priestess of the Land of Demons rebuild the shrine and deal with some of Moryo's remnants."
"Swear on it."
Tsunade hit him with a straight shot, "Swear that you didn't get involved with the priestess from the Land of Demons. If you swear and last more than three seconds without vanishing, I'll believe you..."
Before she could even finish her sentence, Yagyu was already gone.
"Hmph, you're still far too young to challenge me."
Tsunade snorted triumphantly, lifting her head high like a victorious rooster.
"Old women are terrifying."
Yagyu, having teleported away, appeared at the Kurama clan's mansion, planning to visit the frail young lady, Yakumo, and offer her some comfort.
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