Stars glittered like diamonds, adorning the night sky.
In an open area of Sound Village stood several wooden barrels covered in talismans, with a black barrier set up above them.
Gaara sat inside one of the empty barrels.
Tayuya, Sakon, Jirobo, and Kidomaru stood around the barrels, each forming different hand seals.
"Four Black Mist Formation!"
Black smoke spread through the air, then tightly covered the tops of the barrels, forming black protective shields.
Sakon bit his finger and wrote a talisman on a stack of paper before throwing it toward the barrel.
"Black-Sealing Method."
Smack—!
The entire barrel was tightly sealed. Sakon and the others let out long breaths, then turned to Feng Yao beside them.
"Lord Feng Yao, everyone has successfully entered Cursed Seal Level Two. We'll watch over them here, so please go rest first."
Feng Yao turned to look at the four barrels in the field and shook his head slightly. He found an open spot and sat down, refining chakra while quietly waiting.
As time passed, the night went by.
Boom—!
A barrier was suddenly shattered. It was Neji's barrel.
His body and skin had changed drastically. His hair had turned white, and the Caged Bird Curse Mark on his forehead had spread like a pattern to the corners of his eyes. A dark yellow ring had appeared around his white pupils, while openings like holes had formed in his palms, seemingly capable of increasing the power of the Gentle Fist.
Seeing the first person emerge, Feng Yao felt much more at ease.
"Neji, congratulations on succeeding. Rest for a while first."
Neji slowly withdrew the curse mark. The chakra and strength that had increased severalfold just now had shocked him, but just as Orochimaru had said, the curse mark would gradually erode a person's