Miroku's Expectations

In a hurry, Yomi rushed out of the Underground Palace, fleeing as fast as he could without a moment to assess his surroundings.

Following Baiyu's orders, Uchiha Itachi had been keeping a close watch on the area from outside.

The moment Yomi appeared, Itachi spotted him.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Itachi formed Hand Seals and created a Shadow Clone where he stood, then quietly followed Yomi.

Yomi fled, following Moryo's instructions in his mind and making his way step by step toward the Ghost Army.

A vast canyon, with steep cliffs on three sides and only one opening, faced the Shrine of the Priestess in the Land of Demons.

Itachi followed behind, observing Yomi's every move.

Not long after Yomi left the Underground Palace, Baiyu appeared.

Seeing Itachi's Shadow Clone, he thought grimly, I miscalculated.

"Itachi, don't kill Yomi!"

Baiyu had deliberately let Yomi go because he wanted him to summon the Ghost Army as soon as possible, which would give Baiyu more chances to practice his Draw-Sword Technique.

Given Itachi's abilities, killing Yomi would take some effort, but winning shouldn't be a problem.

"Which way did the enemy go?"

Baiyu asked.

Itachi's Shadow Clone pointed in a direction and replied, "That way. My real body is following him."

Baiyu glanced at him and said, "I'm telling you, don't act recklessly! Keep your distance and gather all the information you can. Dealing with the Land of Demons' troubles isn't our mission. We're here to protect the Shrine Maiden and eliminate the rogue ninja."

As soon as he finished speaking, Baiyu drew his sword and slashed, sending the clone back into Itachi's mind.

Baiyu was about to pursue them when he suddenly saw a group of people approaching.

Shrine Maiden Miroku had come with a group of samurai guards, without the slightest concern for her own safety.

Baiyu's expression darkened as he walked up to her.

"What's going on? Why have you come here?"

"How are things now? Has the enemy been eliminated? I came to help. Moryo is a peculiar demon. Ordinary strength can't stop him."

Miroku replied, noticing Baiyu's displeasure.

"Don't wander around. As the client, you should trust our abilities. If you didn't, you shouldn't have hired us in the first place. Now that we've accepted the mission, leave everything to me."

Miroku had some strength of her own, but she was no match for a ninja.

"I understand. I'm sorry for the trouble. I sincerely apologize."

Shrine Maiden Miroku replied earnestly.

She realized she was in the wrong and offered a solemn apology.

Faced with someone who backed down so readily, Baiyu couldn't bring himself to say anything more.

"How are things now?"

Miroku asked again.

"So far, everything is under my control."

Baiyu replied. Miroku knew how to handle people and had put herself in the right position.

Talking to someone like her was like punching cotton; even getting angry was pointless.

"Has the demon broken free?"

Miroku asked. Baiyu's answer had told her nothing.

"No."

"That's good. It's not too serious, then."

Baiyu gave her an exasperated look. He couldn't understand why she would lose her life fighting Moryo.

Judging by what Moryo had shown so far, there was no way he could threaten Miroku's life.

Though Miroku was a woman, her true strength went far beyond that.

She wasn't Shion, whose power had always been sealed.

On the contrary, Miroku had trained constantly and was powerful.

She was skilled in Sealing Jutsu and could even foresee parts of the future. She was stronger than an ordinary Jonin.

"I'll go inside and take a look first. Baiyu, please wait a little."

Miroku then said, leading several guards into the Underground Palace.

Inside the palace, the first thing they saw was the bodies left behind by the rogue ninja's infighting. Farther in, they came upon the battlefield where Baiyu had fought.

Baiyu had cleaned things up enough that the details of the battle and the identities of those involved were unclear.

But the extent of the damage and the number of enemies could still be determined from the battlefield and the bodies.

The seventeen bodies on the ground had all been killed with a single blow.

The wounds were obvious, though some had also been struck again afterward.

Miroku carefully examined the bodies and murmured, "How is this possible? They clearly gained Moryo's power. Why are they all dead here?"

"Are Konoha's ninja really this strong? The power granted by the demon should only be beatable through sealing, yet they've all died here..."

"There's not even a single mention of anything this strange in the ancient texts."

"Does Konoha have the power to destroy Moryo?"

Several thoughts ran through Miroku's mind. She had come prepared to die, intending to give her life to seal Moryo once more.

The only power in the world capable of restraining Moryo belonged to the Shrine Maiden. Through merging and sealing, she could continually delay the negative effects and balance Moryo's power.

But this was no more than drinking poison to quench one's thirst. Once a Shrine Maiden's power weakened to the point that she could no longer suppress Moryo, the demon would inevitably break free.

By then, the demon nurtured by generations of Shrine Maidens would be even more terrifying than the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

"Miroku, where did you find that man? He even has the power to erase spirits. We have to get rid of him. Only then can we ensure the Shrine Maiden's line lives on forever!"

Moryo's voice came from deep within the palace, reaching Miroku's ears.

A look of shock appeared on Miroku's face.

Was Moryo actually begging her for help?

"It" was truly afraid. It had even abandoned the hatred it had held for countless years toward the Shrine Maiden's power.

Ever since the First Generation Shrine Maiden's power split in two, with the evil half becoming Moryo, it had remained sealed away.

The good half survived as the Shrine Maiden, passing from one generation to the next.

Each generation's Shrine Maiden would merge with Moryo again, suppress its growing evil emotions, and seal it once more.

That was why Moryo carried the thoughts and feelings of every Shrine Maiden.

The Shrine Maidens' souls merged with Moryo, trapped under the weight of its evil power and unable to escape.

Moryo had once believed it would never disappear and had never taken the Shrine Maidens seriously.

But now that it had finally met an opponent, it was afraid.

It began urging Miroku to use the Shrine Maiden's power to help "it" deal with Baiyu, this great threat.

"Heh. Is that so?"

Miroku's expression was now completely different from before.

The duty passed down through generations of Shrine Maidens had left her struggling to breathe.

Each Shrine Maiden who went to her death had placed all her hopes in the next generation.

Miroku was no different. The power had been passed down generation after generation, and by Shion's time, it would reach a terrifying level.

Miroku hoped that one day Shion would be able to control her power and use the strength handed down by her ancestors to destroy Moryo once and for all, freeing herself from the Shrine Maiden's fate.

If I can destroy Moryo, Shion won't have to keep living under the weight of this fate...

After learning this, an idea slowly took shape in Miroku's mind, until at last it filled her heart.

"Moryo, get ready for one last surge! Every time your negative emotions swell, a Shrine Maiden has to give her life to seal you. This time... heh!"

A cold smile appeared at the corner of Miroku's mouth. For her daughter, she was willing to do anything.

Even eat a little boy!