Another week passed, and Kisame and Deidara returned to the Northern Lands.
They also brought back two new faces, or rather, a mother and daughter, who are none other than Miroku, the current Miko of the Land of Demons.
The little girl was about five or six years old, with striking white hair, and she looked very cute.
The two sat on Deidara's giant bird, looking down at the scenery below. The landscape was mostly forests with occasional small villages.
However, the environment gradually changed after entering the Land of Land of Gold.
More and more highways are spreading out, along with railway tracks under construction, village stations, and so on.
The closer to the Northern Lands region, the more obvious the signs of human activity become.
Especially Shion, who timidly hid in her mother's arms while still curiously peeking down with her little head.
Rows of neatly planned houses, various architectural styles, and the towering Northern Land Tower, etc.
If it were just these things, they wouldn't find it surprising, but seeing them up close made them even more astonished.
It was morning, and the airships that transported the Daimyo and some wealthy merchants and dignitaries from the Northern Lands slowly rose from above the Northern Land Tower.
The streets below are bustling with traffic, with all kinds of cars, trams, buses and so on moving like ants through the city.
"Mom! What are those?"
Shion was extremely curious about things she had never seen before. Not only her, but even the legendary Miko Miroku was terrified.
"How was it? I was a little surprised when I first came here, but after a while, I didn't find it anything special!"
Deidara casually said, his hands behind his head as he half-reclined on the giant bird.
But no sooner had he finished speaking than Kisame, standing to the side, spoke up with a sarcastic remark that was completely out of place.
"I heard Zabuza say that..."
Before Kisame could finish his first sentence, Deidara rushed over and covered his mouth tightly.
"Don't rub salt in the wound, senior! Everyone has a past! You wouldn't want your wife to know you took me there, would you?"
Deidara spoke with a mix of pleading and threats, as if he weren't the one who used to run around like a country bumpkin.
The first time he went to a casino, he almost lost everything, including his underwear, and Kakuzu had to bail him out.
And then there was the first time a hostess in a KTV touched my face, and it turned as red as a monkey's bottom.
Afterwards, he even wished Zabuza, who had seen his pathetic state...
He didn't want anyone to recall these painful memories for him, especially not in front of outsiders.
Miroku and Shion stared blankly at the two strangely behaving ninjas.
The mother and daughter were at home as usual, and Miroku was explaining the mission of their clan to her daughter.
But the arrival of Kisame and Deidara completely disrupted their lives.
Although the two burly men spoke respectfully, they lacked any sense of friendliness and acted as if they were doing business.
Without waiting for their permission, they took them away from their residence.
When they passed through the Land of Swamps, following Orochimaru's instructions, Kisame and his companion took the mother and daughter to see the ruined shrine.
As for their doubts, complexities, anxieties, and disbelief along the way, that's not something the two of them should worry about.
"Don't worry! Our Lord Gold Kage will answer your questions soon!"
As they approached Golden Shadow Office, the two regained their composure and said something to the somewhat uneasy mother and daughter.
The dragon boat streaked across the sky with unusual conspicuousness, heading straight down to the area beneath the office building.
"My lord! Mission accomplished!"
Kisame briefly reported the mission's progress to Orochimaru, with Deidara occasionally interjecting with additional comments.
Orochimaru quickly understood the gist of the matter and then waved for them to go and rest.
"Go back and write me a task report each!"
Upon hearing about this homework assignment, Kisame remained calm, but Deidara's expression instantly fell.
"Sir, is it alright if I don't have to write it?"
Although he was just a minor character, he got involved in far more things than Kisame along the way, and was even dragged into participating in explosions halfway through the journey.
If I were to write it, it would never end. It can't be contained in 500 words; it would take at least 1,000 words.
"This is related to your payment. If you write more words, you might be able to earn more!"
The only thing we can do to deal with Deidara, who has this special talent, is to offer encouragement. Of course, aside from this talent, his overall academic performance is that of a complete slacker.
The two left the office dejectedly. Anyway, there was no set time for the medical examination report; they could wait until they ran out of money.
Should I call you Miko or a sorceress?
As the mother and son walked nervously into the office, Orochimaru smiled gently.
However, this smile made Shion, who had been hiding behind Miroku, shrink even further behind her mother.
"Relax, I mean you no harm! On the contrary, I've helped you solve a big problem!"
Orochimaru gestured for the two to sit down and then carefully examined them.
Both mother and daughter have long, snow-white hair, which makes their skin appear even whiter and more delicate, and their slightly purplish eyes are incredibly attractive.
With her exquisite features, it has to be admitted that this generation of shrine maidens is very beautiful; if 100 points is a perfect score, she would score 90 points or higher.
Of course, even in a loose robe, Miroku's graceful figure is still evident, and she also has a great figure.
Plus, she's a young married woman... well, let's not dwell on that, since he, Snake, isn't actually surnamed Cao.
To Orochimaru, these were all just appearances; even the most beautiful face will eventually grow old.
He's not that flamboyant; what he should be doing is seeing through appearances to the essence of things.
"I sense a powerful and unique force within you! That must be the power that seals the Mōryō!"
The string of words did not relax Miroku; instead, it made her body tense up.
What exactly do you want to do?
Finally, Miroku uttered his first words upon entering. The mother and daughter didn't sit down; they just stared intently at Orochimaru.
"Then I'll be frank! I've completely sealed away the spirit of the Mōryō! I believe you already saw the temple ruins when you arrived!"
Orochimaru could understand their feelings; anyone would feel uneasy if they were inexplicably taken to an unfamiliar environment.
Moreover, she possesses a powerful force within her, and it's possible that someone with ulterior motives could coerce her into doing things she doesn't want to do, such as breaking the seal.
"Hehe... Only we can seal away the Mōryō. Although I don't know what method you used to make me unable to sense its existence;
But I know it's not something an ordinary person can seal away; even the powerful figures of the major nations can't do it!
Orochimaru's words had no effect; instead, they earned him a barrage of mockery from Miroku.
Orochimaru was also exasperated by this situation. Why didn't they believe him even after he was so honest? Did women just like sweet talk?
However, Orochimaru did not intend to make them believe him. He was just informing them that they would soon have to believe him whether they wanted to or not.
"Just because major film studios can't do something doesn't mean I can't!"