Chapter 38: The Deal

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: The Deal

As for Mōryō, the demon currently wreaking havoc throughout the Land of Demons, there was no denying that it was a threat that couldn’t be underestimated.

But that was all it was.

There were countless powerful individuals throughout the shinobi world. Without even mentioning anyone else, Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, was more than capable of dealing with Mōryō.

So even if the Priestess failed to successfully seal Mōryō away, there was no possibility of it truly ruling the shinobi world.

Moreover, in Hyuga Kagami’s vague memories, the seemingly frail Priestess of the Land of Demons standing before him actually possessed an extraordinarily powerful sealing technique.

If nothing had changed, it was precisely through her self-sacrifice that Mōryō would ultimately be successfully sealed away.

Pulling back his wandering thoughts, Hyuga Kagami began making his own calculations.

After a moment, he glanced at the adorable little girl beside the Priestess and asked, "She’s your daughter, isn’t she? What’s her name?"

Before the Priestess could answer, the little girl piped up in a childish voice, "My name is Shion!"

The Priestess smiled and gently stroked little Shion’s hair, her face filled with affection.

Hyuga Kagami crouched down and deliberately teased Shion. "Oh, so your name is Shion? That’s a really pretty name."

Little Shion stared intently at Hyuga Kagami before finally mustering up the courage to ask, "Ninja big brother, that mask of yours is really interesting. Can I try it on?"

Hyuga Kagami smiled, removed his eagle-faced mask, and handed it to little Shion.

Holding the mask in her hands, Shion giggled happily as she skipped and bounced around the great hall.

Watching the carefree Shion, a trace of sorrow flashed across the Priestess’s face.

From her expression alone, Hyuga Kagami could tell that she had already made up her mind. Even if it meant sacrificing herself, she would do everything in her power to completely seal away the demon Mōryō.

With that in mind, Hyuga Kagami asked, "Your Highness, are you truly confident that you can seal that demon?"

The Priestess lowered her head. "So that everyone can continue living happy lives, I will seal it away. I will!"

"Even if it costs you your life?"

The Priestess looked at Hyuga Kagami in confusion, not understanding why he would ask such a question. Even so, she nodded firmly. "Yes. Even if it costs me my life!"

Boom...

A violent explosion suddenly erupted outside the palace.

Without a doubt, the battle outside had already begun.

Hyuga Kagami called little Shion, who had been running all over the great hall, back to his side. He then retrieved his ANBU mask and took up a guarded position in front of the Priestess and her daughter.

Gradually, the explosions outside grew more and more frequent, and the entire palace began to faintly tremble. The enemy’s taunts, the guards’ shouts, and the anguished cries of the wounded all blended together into one chaotic din.

Hyuga Kagami’s eyes remained fixed on the temple doors, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

Whether this mission was truly a coincidence or some kind of test arranged by the Third Hokage, one thing was certain: now that he had come to the Land of Demons, he couldn’t afford to let this heaven-sent opportunity slip through his fingers.

Having made up his mind, Hyuga Kagami said softly, "Shion is still so young. I’m sure you don’t want her to spend the rest of her life all alone, do you?"

The Priestess grew even more puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

Hyuga Kagami replied frankly, "That demon isn’t as powerful as you imagine. At most, it’s only around the level of a Tailed Beast. There aren’t many methods in the shinobi world capable of suppressing a Tailed Beast, but they do exist."

Catching the implication behind his words, the Priestess fell into thought.

Before she could speak, Hyuga Kagami stated his terms directly. "I need some specialty materials from the Land of Swamps. If Your Highness is willing to help me gather them, I’ll do everything in my power to ensure your safety."

The Priestess didn’t mind paying some additional compensation. She simply found it difficult to believe that Hyuga Kagami, who was only fourteen or fifteen years old, truly possessed the ability to suppress Mōryō.

But with things having reached this point, she didn’t have many options left.

So she asked, "What exactly is it that you want?"

Hyuga Kagami finally revealed his objective.

"Purple Clay Gel!"

Purple Clay Gel was not only extremely expensive, but also exceedingly rare. If Hyuga Kagami tried to gather enough of it on his own, it would take him at least three to five years.

But if the Priestess of the Land of Demons, who also commanded considerable influence in the Land of Swamps, handled the matter personally, things would become much easier.

More importantly, it would provide Hyuga Kagami with better cover, preventing others from following the trail of the Purple Clay Gel and uncovering his plans to create an artificial Tailed Beast.

The Priestess’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. "As far as I know, Purple Clay Gel is a sealing material. What do you need it for?"

Hyuga Kagami didn’t answer her question. Instead, he repeated his promise. "As long as Your Highness is willing to help me gather the Purple Clay Gel, I guarantee your safety on this journey. I keep my word!"

This wasn’t an empty promise on Hyuga Kagami’s part.

Whether it was his Third Kazekage Human Puppet or Shisui’s Susanoo, both possessed the ability to suppress a Tailed Beast for a short period of time. Using either of them against Mōryō shouldn’t pose much of a problem.

When the time came, the Priestess would be able to calmly set up her sealing technique without having to perish together with Mōryō.

"All right. I agree!"

Although Purple Clay Gel was expensive, it was hardly some priceless treasure to the Priestess of the Land of Demons, so she agreed without much hesitation.

With their deal settled, the two tacitly fell silent.

Only the innocent little Shion scratched her head in confusion, looking back and forth between the Priestess and Hyuga Kagami, unable to understand why the two of them had suddenly stopped talking in the middle of their conversation.

Before long, several white-robed followers of the Yomi Cult burst into the temple.

Without the slightest hesitation, Hyuga Kagami used the Wheel of Will, pulling the Yomi Cult followers who had broken into the temple toward him. He then struck them down instantly with the Gentle Fist.

The entire exchange lasted only a few breaths.

The alarm had barely appeared on the Priestess’s face before the enemies were already dead.

Having failed to even get a clear look at the intruders, the Priestess stood there stunned for quite a while before finally praising him, "You truly are an exceptional ninja!"

"Since I’ve given you my word, I won’t allow anything to happen to Your Highness." After saying that, Hyuga Kagami added, "Also, I hope the agreement between us can remain confidential."

The Priestess nodded gently. "Rest assured. I won’t reveal it to anyone."

Some time later, the commotion outside the great hall finally subsided.

Before long, the ninja from Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure returned to the temple one after another.

At the head of the group, Pakura said, "We’ve already dealt with most of the Yomi Cult followers. The few who remain are nothing to worry about."

The captain of Iwagakure’s Beheading Unit said, "We’re ready to depart at any time."

Kakashi nodded without saying anything more.

Hyuga Kagami swept his gaze over the group that had entered the temple. Although each of them looked somewhat disheveled, none appeared to have suffered any serious injuries.

It was clear that while the battle outside had caused quite a commotion, the actual fighting hadn’t been particularly intense.

But that was only natural.

Whether it was Konoha, Sunagakure, or Iwagakure, nearly all the ninja they had dispatched to reinforce the Land of Demons were elites. Against the Yomi Cult followers, whose only outstanding trait was their large chakra reserves while every other aspect of their abilities was merely at the chunin level, victory had naturally come with ease.

As if suddenly remembering something, Hyuga Kagami asked, "What happened to the leader of the Yomi Cult?"

Guy burst into hearty laughter. "That guy took a Chidori head-on! He managed to escape, but I don’t think he’s going to survive."

Hyuga Kagami vaguely remembered that it was one of the surviving remnants of the Yomi Cult who would trigger the incident that led to Mōryō’s resurrection more than a decade later.

He simply wasn’t certain whether that remnant was the very same Yomi Cult leader who had escaped this time.

But none of that really mattered.

Who knew how things would turn out more than a decade from now anyway...