Behind One General, Ten Thousand Heads Are Taken

Miroku remained unmoved by Moryo's words.

Ever since childhood, she had been burdened by the pressures of being the Priestess, and her heart was filled with resentment toward Moryo.

She wished for nothing more than for Moryo to die; how could she possibly be swayed by a few words to help him, citing the supposed unity between the Priestess and Moryo?

Moryo's attempt to win the Priestess over to fight against the Konoha ninjas was impossible.

Miroku did not reply, instead offering a cold sneer.

She flicked her sleeves and led a group of guards away.

Outside the palace, Shiraha was still waiting.

As Miroku emerged and caught sight of Shiraha, she cast a subtle glance at the three long swords at his waist.

Uchiha Itachi only carried one blade, a short sword strapped to his back.

In Miroku's mind, Uchiha Itachi was not particularly skilled in swordsmanship; the probability of him being able to slaughter Moryo's subordinates was only twenty percent.

Given Shiraha's attire, attitude, and temperament, the probability was eighty percent.

Uchiha Shiraha rested his left hand on the hilts of his swords, his gray kimono slightly open, revealing a sturdy chest.

The weather was a bit warm, so Shiraha had opened his collar a little.

Sensing Miroku's gaze, Shiraha adjusted his collar and asked, "Is everything settled?"

Miroku nodded with a smile and said, "No problems."

"Then let's go. You know where Moryo's Ghost Army is, right?"

Shiraha asked; with the Priestess's heritage spanning so many years and her long-standing administration of the Land of Demons, she surely knew the surrounding terrain well.

"I know. Is something happening?"

Miroku asked.

"The Ghost Army is about to be resurrected."

Shiraha uttered the words slowly, sending a shock through her heart.

The smile on Miroku's face vanished, and she asked in a panic, "Is that true?"

After asking, she followed up with, "When?"

The Ghost Army, Moryo's Undead Legion, was recorded in ancient texts as an invincible force.

They had fallen into a deep slumber following Moryo's death.

"I don't know."

Shiraha replied.

A refreshing leveling-up session was about to begin.

Uchiha Itachi followed behind Yomi, noticing his suspicious movements and intending to intervene, when he suddenly received a warning from his Shadow Clone.

He immediately halted his actions and quietly hid to the side.

What exactly is Shiraha planning? This guy's actions are extremely bizarre.

As Itachi pondered Shiraha's approach, he suddenly witnessed a terrifying scene.

Countless stone figures crawled out from beneath the earth. Each Stone Puppet was incredibly hulking; at Itachi's current height, he only reached slightly above the puppets' waists.

Hundreds upon hundreds of Stone Puppets began to move in unison. The earth trembled, and as if the world had been turned upside down, it emitted a massive, mournful wail.

Rumble—

Rumble—

The tremors grew increasingly violent. The surrounding cliffs began to collapse, and thunderous sounds erupted from the flat ground.

"I didn't expect a little mouse to follow me."

Yomi's figure appeared before Uchiha Itachi, looking at him with a mocking sneer.

Itachi's eyes turned red, three tomoe manifesting as he launched an illusion first.

"You're quite quick! Casting a genjutsu in an instant."

Yomi praised, acting as if a cat were playing with a mouse.

Itachi remained silent, his expression cold, as he ran various combat simulations in his mind, attempting to find a flaw in his opponent.

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Itachi's hands formed seals with lightning speed, already showing hints of one-handed seal proficiency.

After the ninjutsu was released, six shuriken flew out in succession, keeping the assault constant.

Yomi dodged them one by one, his face maintaining a playful expression throughout.

In his eyes, this little ninja brat was already a dead man.

However, Uchiha Itachi's three-tomoe Sharingan could perceive his attacks, allowing him to barely maintain an undefeated stance.

After persisting for a long time, his chakra was heavily depleted and his body grew increasingly weary as a group of Stone Puppets closed in.

Am I going to die here?

This thought flashed through the mind of Uchiha Itachi, and in an instant, a kaleidoscope of memories surfaced.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry. I wasn't able to teach you even once..."

In the end, the image of his younger brother's adorable smile crossed Itachi's mind, and he reached out slightly, attempting to flick his forehead one last time.

This...

This is truly the last time.

Closing his eyes, Itachi prepared for one final frenzy; maintaining his chakra expenditure, he drew the short blade from his back and began to hack and slash wildly.

One Stone Puppet after another was destroyed by him, only to restore itself to its original state moments later.

"Die!"

Yomi suddenly lunged, a massive tentacle extending from his body to crush Uchiha Itachi directly.

There was no chance left!

Itachi held his ninja blade against his chest; with his chakra nearly exhausted, he could only barely hold on using taijutsu.

Facing this lethal blow, he was completely powerless to resist.

Just at this critical juncture, a flying sword pierced through the air and hovered in the void.

The tentacle Yomi had extended was severed by this single strike.

"Kusanagi Sword: Sky Longsword!"

The longsword flew back into the newcomer's hand.

Seeing the face of the person who had arrived, Uchiha Itachi breathed a sigh of relief; he had finally made it.

"You really are in a miserable state! Itachi, if you can't win, run! If I hadn't arrived, you would likely have met your end here today. Why didn't you use the thing I gave you?"

"This is a mission. The mission I received was to monitor the surrounding situation, and the enemies emerging from the palace were an unforeseen variable. As for the item... I forgot..."

Itachi replied. With Baiyu there, his heart settled, and his tone became much more relaxed.

Only upon hearing Baiyu's reminder did he recall that before the combat mission began, Baiyu had handed him a vial of liquid, claiming it was a poison...

Faced with the immortal body of this ghastly creature, he hadn't thought of it at the time, subconsciously assuming the poison would be useless. After all, common sense dictated that poison was for the living; how could it possibly work on a puppet?

"Haha, you idiot, no wonder you suffered such a huge loss!"

Baiyu laughed and scolded; seeing a genius get humbled felt quite satisfying.

This rigid mind of his was clever yet stubborn; he possessed immense talent, yet his handling of emotions regarding the things around him was a complete mess.

And yet, it was this very mind that had effortlessly awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Go and protect Shrine Maiden Miroku; leave this to me!"

Baiyu spoke directly, waving his hand to signal Uchiha Itachi to leave.

Itachi departed without the slightest hesitation; his trust in Baiyu had been built since the battle with Orochimaru and had only deepened since.

Some of Baiyu's words had gradually begun to influence his own speech and conduct.

Watching Uchiha Itachi leave, Yomi, who had remained silent until now, did not pursue him, instead fixing a fierce gaze upon Baiyu.

This man had once posed a massive threat to him.

Had he really dealt with the dozen or so rogue ninjas left behind so quickly?

When those subordinates of his joined forces, their combined talents could rival those of a Kage.

Coupled with their self-healing, resurrection, and vast chakra, even a weaker Kage would be dragged to their death by them.

Yet, facing the man before him, they hadn't even lasted half an hour.

"Sweeping Blade!"

A loud shout interrupted Yomi's thoughts.

The voice was filled with cheer, a tone as if playing through the world, as Baiyu's figure transformed into a gust of wind, weaving through the ranks of the enemy.

A single general stands while ten thousand bones wither.

The Stone Puppets that had been invincible before Uchiha Itachi now seemed as fragile as straw, falling in droves beneath the flash of blades and shadows.

The wind was particularly boisterous today, and the atmosphere was exceptionally joyful.

Listening to the voice of the wind, trampling upon the face of Yomi.