Returning to Oni City, Shiraishi immediately took action to surround the shrine where the Miko resided, officially prohibiting entry for anyone.
The aura of the so-called demon inside the shrine posed severe harm to ordinary people. Going close to the area without the appropriate insight meant there was practically no way out. Even if a ninja were to sneak in, it would probably be their own bad luck. Shiraishi viewed the consciousness of this demon as evil, it was saturated with wicked intentions, it was an existence beyond human nature.
To ensure the safety of the populace, it was imperative to seal off the shrine before the Priestess gave birth.
Though Shiraishi's order came suddenly, being the highest-ranking military order, the relevant troops were immediately deployed. They were divided into two groups and organized to take alternating shifts in guarding the area surrounding shrine, ensuring that all access points were sealed to prevent inadvertent intrusions.
"What's happening? Why the large-scale mobilization?"
With such an extensive operation, there was no hope of keeping it concealed from Ruri and Ayane. Shortly after Shiraishi issued the order, the two women arrived, inquiring about the situation.
"It's nothing serious.... The Mikl.. is expecting a child."
Shiraishi revealed the surprising news. Upon hearing the news, Ruri and Ayane glanced at Shiraishi with dangerous eyes at the same time, as if they were searching for an explanation.
Seeing their doubts and trepidation in the eyes of the two, Shiraishi realized they had misunderstood the situation. He then expressed helplessly.
"Please don't misunderstand. I have nothing to do with this."
"Then... how could the Mikl be pregnant? You're the one who interacts with her most frequently, Shiraishi-kun, right....?"
Behind Ayane, a sinister presence with fangs and claws lurked, glaring at Shiraishi with a faint hostility. Ruri, too, looked coldly at Shiraishi, as if she was looking at a dead person. Without a proper explanation, Shiraishi would likely spend the night with fire release as a consequence. He had to explain properly..
"I said... it wasn't me. The Miko is actually capable of reproducing asexually."
"Asexual? The Mikl isn't single-celled. So, where is asexual coming from? Shiraishi-kun, if you're going to lie, at least make a reliable excuse."
Ayane sighed, evidently seeing that Shiraishi just looking for an excuse to hide his involvement with the Priestess's pregnancy. While it was fine to present excuses, making explanations full of holes wouldn't pass.
"You seem unwilling to admit your responsibility for getting her pregnant. This goes beyond mere moral misconduct. I believe I've been too lenient with you over the years." Ruri also spoke coldly from the side.
"You can check yourself. The shrine may indeed be a bit dangerous for ordinary people right now, but you can use natural energy to sense it. If my guesses are correct, it's likely linked to the ancient demon that had been passed within the country. The demon has a longstanding connection with the Mikl." Shiraishi calmly responded, his demeanor unwavering, and he showed no signs of guilt or evasiveness. His posture appeared natural, and he maintained eye contact.
Now, it was Ruri and Ayane's turn to hesitate.
"Even so, what's the connection between the Miko's pregnancy and the demon?"
Ruri asked, having previously heard of the legend of the demons in the Land of Demons. She couldn't understand the connection between the demon and the pregnancy.
"Perhaps... it is possible all her energy is devoted to producing the next generation. During this period demons' suppression seal will be relaxed. She named the child Shion, and, according to her, she will be born in nineteen months."
"Nineteen months!?"
Both Ruri and Ayane were shocked by this revelation. As a mother herself, Ruri found it even more unbelievable. Was the Miko truly human? She had never heard of a human pregnancy lasting nineteen months.
"Yes, although it sounds unbelievable, that's what she told me."
As a non-human, the Miko shared similarities in appearance and habits with normal people, but her fundamental nature transcended human understanding.
"What should we do now?"
"There's no need for any action. She has explicitly requested that we not interfere in this matter."
"Is this demon so powerful?" Ruri's face brimmed with eagerness to try.
"In terms of sheer physical strength, it doesn't stand out as remarkable. However, the demon's strength cannot be solely evaluated in this aspect. For instance, it has immortality traits similar to those of a tailed beast, which coild only be contained through her abilities."
"If that's the case, then it ks indeed troublesome." Ruri concurred, nodding in agreement.
The immortality of tailed beasts was one thing, but if only the Miko's power could restrain it, the creature would indeed prove to be a difficult challenge for ninja.
"It doesn't matter what it is; sealing the demon is her responsibility. We need to focus on our own tasks. It just so happens that the two of you are here, I have a mission for the you."
Shiraishi retrieved a document filled with a large amount of information from a drawer and handed it to Ruri.
"What mission do you have in mind for us?" Ruri asked, while scanning the document's contents.
Ayane moved closer to Ruri and began reading the mission details as well. The mission was quite straightforward. After months of hard work, the Land of Demons' spies had discovered remnants of the once-destroyed Land Of Sky Fortress from the Second Ninja World War.
Shiraishi's sole objective was to secure the blueprints for this historical relic.
"The Land of Sky..."
Ruri and Ayane had expressions of nostalgia.
During the previous Ninja World War, the Land of Sky emerged as a rogue nation that wanted to challenge the Five Great Powers.
The ninjas in this country excelled in chakra manipulation and used flying ninja tools for aerial movement.
Though they caused some trouble for the Five Great Powers at the time, Konoha eventually dispatched forces to eliminate them before they could pose a huge threat.
"I remember fighting these people at the time. The Sora ninjas were average, but their flying tools they had was a bit of a challenge. But, If i recall.. they were wiped out by Konoha afterwards."
"The ninjas of the Land of Sky were not completely wiped out. A small number managed to escape, and from the intel, they're currently hiding in a forest within the Land of Forest. They've established a fortress equivalent to a Ninja Village and they're waiting for an opportunity to make a comeback." He explained
"I see. So, once we acquire the blueprints..."
"Just getting the blueprints is sufficient. The fortress will be difficult to move, given its size. And from the information sent back, the fortress seem to be in a semi-abandoned state and hasn't been repaired, still making it difficult to move. After securing the blueprints, you should destroy them to prevent others from getting hold of them."
Ruri and Ayane nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Wait for our good news."
Ruri and Ayane set out immediately, following the mission's instructions to the Land of Forest to capture the design blueprints from the fortress.
With Ruri and Ayane's departure, Shiraishi commenced recruiting priestesses, with the goal of recruiting 300 within three days.
Next, these 300 miko would undergo a three-month training period to equip them with the skills needed for conducting the propaganda in foreign countries.
Currently, the majority of the countries were grappling with the consequences of the Third Ninja World War. At the same time, it was also essential to lend loans to neighboring smaller nations.
As per Shiraishi's intelligence, the neighboring Land of Honey and Land of Bears were already in dire financial straits and urgently required financial assistance.
These small countries were unlikely to repay their debts on time, providing a suitable excuse for Shiraishi to launch an attack on them, further completing their goal.
Shiraishi had devised a comprehensive plan. However, this plan targeted only the Land of Honey and Land of Bears, as the Land of Snow in the north boasted a stable economy and political situation.
In addition Shiraishi had heard of the benevolent and kind reputation of the Land of Snow's daimyo, who governed diligently and cared for his people.
So for the time being, Shiraishi decided to observe the Land of Snow, evaluating whether it was necessary to make a move. Nonetheless, the control of Land of Honey and Land of Bears, serving as gateways to the Land of Wind, was vital for the Land of Demons' future grand strategy.
...
The training of the 300 miko officially began. Ruri and Ayane set off for the Land of Forest to locate the remnants of the Sky fortress.
While Shiraishi's responsibilities became more manageable. While at home, he would occasionally tease Asuka and Kazuhime. The two children were growing up healthily in peace.
Particularly Kazuhime, who was born with extraordinary talent, Shiraishi undoubtedly has high expectations for her. However, due to her age, He had sealed all of Kazuhime's abilities to prevent any unintended consequences.
After all Chakra almost on par with that of a tailed beast, which could render average ninjas incapable of approaching her with the aura alone, even if she didn't use it for jutsus. He planned to begin her education at the age of six. As for Asuka, his talent was relatively average compared to his younger sister, and he remained at the level of an ordinary person.
However, he didn't feel.anything bad about Asuka potentially leading an ordinary life. At least Asuka possessed the capability to protect his family. Even if he became an ordinary ninja in the future, he could enjoy a life of peace and happiness.
After ordering Ameyu to look after Asuka and Kazuhime, Shiraishi made plans to visit the Shikkotsu Forest. He hadn't forgotten that his two students, Obito and Rin, were still training with natural energy there.
After such a long time, Shiraishi believed that Obito and Rin's training with natural energy should have yielded some results. He informed Katsuyu to use reverse summoning jutsu.
"No matter how many times I see it, your size is beyond impressive."
Looking at the gigantic body in front of him, Shiraishi believed that "magnificent" didn't do justice to Katsuyu's massive body.
A single step could shake the earth.
So, Katsuyu's main body rarely engaged in activities. When needed, she merely detached a portion of her body.
"A massive body also comes with its inconveniences. I haven't moved my main body here for about three hundred years. Every time I do, I end up crushing parts of the forest."
Katsuyu's soft and waxy voice emanated from its massive mouthparts.
"Shiraishi-sama, why the silence?"
"Ah, I was just lost in thought for a moment, no worries. So, how are Obito and Rin doing?"
Shiraishi cleverly changed the topic. Discussing time with an almost immortal summoning beast was certainly not sensible.
"Rin's training with natural energy progressing well, and she's currently attempting to integrate Senjutsu chakra."
Shiraishi nodded in understanding.
Her pace wasn't fast, but neither was it slow. With Rin mastering the fusion of Senjutsu chakra, her medical ninjutsu's healing capability and speed would greatly improve. She was on her way to becoming a highly skilled medical ninja, a much-needed asset for the Land of Demons.
After all, the Land of Demons was still in need of capable medical ninja. One proficient medical ninja could often replace dozens or even hundreds of regular ones.
"Obito's struggle with integrating natural energy isn't going smoothly. There are too many distracting thoughts in his mind. While he can sense natural energy, his control and use is terrible."
"That kid... forget it, patience is key. At his age, impatience is a natural trait. I'll pay them a visit and talk to Obito slowly."
Shiraishi bade farewell to Katsuyu and headed towards the forest.
The vicinity was populated by ghostly white trees with upright root formations resembling needles. Small slugs the size of a palm clung to these trees, excreting mucus from their mouthparts.
In essence, this forest was brimming with Katsuyu's eyes and ears, hiding nothing from her observation. This was one of its means of protection.
While the Shikkotsu Forest was a hidden place in the world that ordinary people couldn't easily enter, some fortunate individuals occasionally stumbled upon this forest.
If they sought power, Katsuyu would engage them in a contract. But for those innocents who inadvertently wandered in, lacking knowledge and intent, Katsuyu would erase their memories of entering the forest and return them to the outside world, showing mercy to the lost souls who had unknowingly entered the Forest.
According to Katsuyu, the summoned beasts in the three sacred places possessed different attitudes.
If it had been the Ryuuchi Cave any lost wanderers would be lured straight into the cave and devoured as meal. Hence, the summoned beasts in the Ryuuchi Cave were ruthless, savage, and bloodthirsty snakes. They wouldn't easily enter into contracts with ninjas unless their strength was fuly recognized.
Walking through the forest, Shiraishi soon reached the area where Obito and Rin were training.
There was a clear stream nearby, teeming with plump fish, along with a small vegetable patch where green vegetables were grown.
Several wooden houses constructed from white wood stood in the vicinity, and a few slugs were leisurely moving along their surfaces, using mucus secreted from their mouts to deal with any potential bugs and stains on the wooden structures.
Occasionally, Shiraishi would bring Ruri and Ayane here for training, and for convenience, he had grown these vegetable patches and built the house to solve issues of food and shelter.
"Shiraishi-sensei, you're here."
Sensing Shiraishi's chakra, Rin halted her training immediately. Having the capability to use Senjutsu chakra, she possessed the ability to sense chakra.
"I've just dealt with the matters over there and thought I'd come and check on you. Rin, you're doing well. Now, you can move on to the next stage of training."
Shiraishi nodded in approval of Rin's training achievements shown so far.
"Shiraishi-sensei, what's the next stage of training?"
"It's quite simple. You'll need to successfully integrate Senjutsu chakra with your medical ninjutsu. Controlling Senjutsu chakra and using it for jutsu require different concepts. You can begin training, and I'll be guiding you through the process."
"I understand." Rin nodded firmly, determined not to disappoint Shiraishi.
Shiraishi undeniably appreciated Rin's earnest attitude and dedication to learning. The master-student relationship between him and Rin was vastly different from the relationship Minato had with her. In his case, it was a genuine master-student relationship, like passing on his legacy.
So, He intended to teach Rin everything he knew, including his medical ninjutsu and, when necessary, his core beliefs. However, how much Rin learned from him depended on her effort and comprehension. He couldn't predict the outcome for everything, but he was convinced that Rin possessed the raw talent for medical ninjutsu. He foresaw her achieving great success on her path as a medical ninja.
Just as Shiraishi was about to continue speaking, a piercing sound erupted from behind. The attacker was swift. Should he defend against the strike, he anticipated that the attacker would sustain injury. Having sensed it advance, he swiftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attacker's blow.
Seeing Shiraishi dodging, the attacker recognized that it was unlikely to succeed with the initial surprise attack. He stopped in time, turned his body, and launched a forceful kick with his right foot towards Shiraishi.
Shiraishi promptly raised his arm to block the incoming kick.
The attacker was a black-haired teem with one eye. He activated his Sharingan, attempting to trap Shiraishi with genjutsu once they made eye contact.
The speed, strength, and timing of his taijutsu moves, including the use of genjutsu, were quick and decisive.
Yet, all of these efforts proved futile against Shiraishi.
"No matter how sophisticated your genjutsu is, it won't work on me. I should have warned you about this long ago, Obito."
For Shiraishi, who had a second consciousness within him, the genjutsu lost its effect the instant Obito released it.
Obito knew the fruitlessness of his endeavor and intended to withdraw, putting distance between himself and Shiraishi. However, Shiraishi's outstretched arm darted with lightning speed and seized Obito's unretreating right leg, swinging it forcefully.
Obito's body was launched into the air. He adjusted his position mid-flight to avoid tumbling upon landing. Yet, regaining balance on the ground remained a challenging feat. His shoes scraped against the ground with a grinding sound, his shoulders shook up and down, with his breathing grew heavy.
"Too slow..."
Obito froze as Shiraishi's voice echoed from behind him. Shiraishi had vanished from his previous spot.
"Tch, you were only able to dispel my genjutsu with the help someone."
Obito seemed somewhat unconvinced of the situation.
In response to Obito's frustration, Shiraishi merely smiled and commented, "It is rather remarkable how an Uchiha genius can use such unreasonable excuses for his own failures. Can't a man just admit his failure?"
"Hmph, you Uchiha leech, you don't seem qualified to make such statements—ouch!"
Obito abruptly clutched his head in pain, upset that he'd struck his head again. Grumbling about Shiraishi inwardly, he turned around, aimed a kick again, but Shiraishi had already flickered a few meters away.
"Alright, Obito, don't be angry. Shiraishi-sensei is just teasing you."
Rin came over to comfort Obito who was about to rush forward to continue fighting Shiraishi, with a gentle smile on her face.
Obito just gave up. Although Rin had lost her past memories, she still remained as gentle as ever. Obito sighed happily in his heart.
"Rin, you spoil him far too much. It's been quite some time, and he's only started to get natural energy. It's taking too long for him to attempt Sage Mode."
"You can't blame me for this, I really want to master it as soon as possible."
Obito expressed his frustration. He wasn't lying. He really wanted to get stronger as soon as possible to protect Rin.
Observing Obito's posture, Shiraishi remained silent and then removed a glass vial from his pouch, tossing it to Obito.
Obito received the glass vial with a puzzled expression.
"This is..."
"A Sharingan. Place it in your left eye. Fighting with one eye will hinder your vision, which will affect your ability to fight."
Obito then realized that the glass vial held a fresh eyeball soaked in a solution, the eye had the shape of a three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Rin, please could you please assist Obito in installing this eye? Given your current ability, it should be an easy task."
[Yes!.. Install]
"I understand, Shiraishi-sensei."
Rin had no objections. She was aware that this was a test from Shiraishi, so she led Obito to a small room to perform the eye surgery.
Shiraishi looked at Obito's back, feeling somewhat regretful.
His initial intention was to have Obito master using natural energy as fast as he could, so the Mangekyou Sharingan could be ready for combat as soon as possible. But currently, achieving combat effectiveness with Obito's Mangekyou Sharingan would probably take a long time.
Evidently, the normal step by step method for normal Uchihas' wasn't suited to an Uchiha like Obito, who possessed an "extraordinary talent." Handling such an atypical "genius" left Shiraishi feeling rather difficult.
...
The Land of Forest.
The land stretched before them, with dense trees extending towards the sky. Ruri and Ayane had arrived. They looked at the human-shaped rock pedestal emerging from the ground ahead and quickly identified the vast underground structure as their destination.
"Is this the place?" Ruri asked, running her hand over the human-shaped pedestal, which resembled a damaged statue, riddled with gaps and signs of wear.
Ayane rolled her eyes, surveyed the ground, and confirmed, "Yes, it's right here, its hidden beneath our feet. It's quite massive."
Through Ayane's Byakugan, she observed the huge rock structure comparable in size to a small town beneath the ground at their feet. This structure housed tens of thousands of people.
In the building's center, Ayane noticed an unusual chakra signature using her Byakugan and frowned.
"What's the matter?" Ruri asked.
"I detected a strange chakra in the fortress, somewhat similar to that of a tailed beast." Ayane explained, turning her head to convey the information.
"Tailed beast? Has the Land of Sky been researching tailed beasts?" Ruri was also surprised.
The Land of Sky's ninja abilities shouldn't have the capacity to capture a tailed beast. Moreover, the tailed beasts from the five major nations were still preserved, and the tailed beast from Takigakure was sealed within Nohara Rin's body in the Land of Demons. How could a tailed beast be present in the Land of Sky?
"It's just a similarity, and I can't confirm if it's a tailed beast. But the chakra is indeed powerful. Unlike regular chakra, it powers this entire fortress."
"In that case, we should bring it back with us. Shiraishi is likely to be interested by this mysterious chakra." Ruri suggested, and Ayane concurred. Their intentions aligned.
Ruri jumped from the side, distancing herself from the human-shaped stone pedestal.
Ayane, wearing a white leather fingerless glove, balled her hand into a fist, and with a quick motion, she struck the ground.
A tremendous shockwave radiated outward from the point of impact. The dense forest trees creaked and were uprooted and blown away by the storm.
The ground beneath Ayane fractured and crumbled instantly, while the human-shaped stone pedestal disintegrated into fine grains, carried away by the wind.
The massive stone building, previously hidden by the earth, now exposed partly to the sunlight, displayed a conspicuous and exaggerated hole in its exposed section.
Ayane shook her numb arm, gazing at the entrance inside the structure with a wicked smile curling on her lips.
"Alright, we've successfully opened the entrance. It's hunting time next."
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