After defeating several waves of rogue ninjas, Shishou quickly brought Izumi to the Land of Demons.
However, as soon as they arrived, they encountered trouble.
At this moment, countless clay puppet soldiers were wreaking havoc throughout the Land of Demons.
These puppet soldiers quickly regenerated after their clay bodies were destroyed, making them impossible to kill or defeat permanently.
Under the destruction of these puppets, many villages in the Land of Demons were ruined, and countless civilians were killed or injured. The devastation shocked Shishou deeply.
Only some walled cities could barely resist the puppet soldiers, maintaining a basic line of defense.
This caused Shishou and Uchiha Izumi great distress.
For Shishou, the puppet soldiers themselves weren't the problem.
Even though they couldn't be killed, they posed no threat once he summoned his giant centipede.
Instead, it was the survivors he and Uchiha Izumi saved that made it difficult for him to move freely.
In just half a day, they had saved over a hundred people, filling his centipede to capacity.
"Phew~"
"Finally, a city."
Seeing the city walls in the distance, both Shishou and Izumi sighed in relief.
If this continued, the centipede wouldn't have enough space.
After dropping the people off in the city, Shishou and Izumi resumed their journey amid the grateful voices of the rescued.
After a day's trek, they finally reached the priestess's palace in the Land of Demons.
...
A few kilometers away from the palace, on a high ground.
Kakashi, Might Guy, and Anko Mitarashi were silently observing the palace, which was surrounded by puppet soldiers.
At this moment, the palace was protected by the priestess's barrier, preventing the puppet soldiers from entering, making it relatively safe for the time being.
However, entering the palace to see the priestess was still difficult.
While they were observing, they suddenly saw a few figures approaching them. Turning around, they saw ninjas from Sunagakure.
The leading ninja from Sunagakure was the famous scorch release user Pakura, known for her formidable strength.
She approached Kakashi and the others and tilted her head.
"Shall we cooperate?"
Kakashi looked at the two ninjas behind Pakura, recognized them as skilled Sunagakure ninjas, and nodded, accepting the cooperation.
"Count me in."
From the other side, Kitsuchi from Iwagakure arrived with two others, speaking in a low voice.
He was also accompanied by two Iwagakure ninjas.
"Kitsuchi!"
Seeing Kitsuchi, both Kakashi and Pakura were surprised.
They hadn't expected Iwagakure to send Kitsuchi. He was the son of the Third Tsuchikage and far stronger than Kakashi and Pakura.
Under his leadership, Iwagakure had surrounded and killed the immensely powerful Third Raikage during the Third Shinobi World War.
"Now is not the time for war."
"Our mission is to help the priestess re-seal Moryo."
"So, there's no need for hostility."
Kitsuchi approached Kakashi and Pakura and spoke.
After exchanging a few words, Kakashi, Kitsuchi, and Pakura quickly confirmed an assault plan.
Kitsuchi, being the strongest, would lead the charge with his clay golem. Kakashi would lead Guy and Anko in the middle, while Pakura would handle the rear.
With the plan set, they prepared to move.
"What's that?"
Suddenly, Anko pointed towards the puppet soldiers below.
The group looked up and saw a massive centipede advancing towards the priestess's palace, crushing all the puppet soldiers in its path.
On the centipede's head stood a man and a woman, the man with his arms crossed, looking at the distant palace.
The woman stood behind him, holding a banner that read "Mercenaries."
On the centipede's back were dozens of civilians, obviously rescued by the pair.
"Follow them!"
Though they didn't know who the pair were, seeing the rescued civilians made Kitsuchi decide to follow them into the palace.
Kakashi and Pakura nodded, agreeing with Kitsuchi's decision.
...
"Will this really work?"
Uchiha Izumi asked, holding up the banner that read "Mercenaries."
"Of course it will."
"We're not wearing any village symbols, so how could they let us in easily?"
"Only by showing the banner can we gain the priestess's trust and avoid misunderstandings with other villages."
Shishou stood on the centipede's head, feeling a unique satisfaction as he watched the puppet soldiers being crushed.
"Looks like you were right. Someone is following us."
Uchiha Izumi tugged on Shishou's sleeve, pointing behind them.
Shishou turned to see and his eyes lit up.
Oh, isn't that Pakura, the beautiful back? She really is stunning.
Oh, isn't that Kitsuchi, my future father-in-law?
Come on, get on board.
Shishou stomped his foot, signaling the centipede to stop, waiting for Pakura and Kitsuchi to catch up.
As for Kakashi, Guy, and Anko, he had known they would come, so he wasn't surprised.
"I'm going to tell Aunt Mikoto."
Seeing Shishou staring at Pakura, Uchiha Izumi bit her lip and thought to herself.
As for why she wanted to tell Mikoto, Uchiha Izumi herself wasn't sure.
"Kitsuchi... Mr. Kitsuchi, I've heard of your great reputation. It's an honor."
Once everyone was on board, Shishou restarted the centipede.
He then approached Kitsuchi, extending his right hand for a handshake.
Feeling a bit bewildered, Kitsuchi instinctively shook his hand, but before he could speak, Shishou moved on to Pakura, leaving Kitsuchi feeling like a mere tool.
"Miss Pakura, it's a pleasure to meet you. Your reputation precedes you."
Leaving the tool-like Kitsuchi, Shishou beamed at Pakura, extending his right hand.
Pakura frowned at Shishou's outstretched hand, wanting to refuse, but seeing that Kitsuchi had already shaken his hand, she reluctantly extended her hand.
Seeing Pakura's outstretched hand, Shishou eagerly grasped it with both hands.
"It's said that Miss Pakura is the most beautiful desert rose in Sunagakure. Today, I see it's true."
"Sunagakure must be a place of great talents to have someone as outstanding as Miss Pakura."
"I wonder, Miss Pakura..."
Pakura, caught off guard by Shishou's flattery, momentarily forgot to pull her hand away.
After holding her hand for a minute, she sensed something amiss, but before she could react, Shishou had already released her hand and moved on to Kakashi and the others.
"What was that?"
Pakura muttered, not understanding Shishou's intentions.