Prayers Destined to Be Fulfilled and the Gentle Shrine Maiden

Beneath the ancient Sacred Tree.

Akishinomiya Yuri was surrounded by foxes of all sizes, their constant little yips ringing out as their orange-red fur gleamed brilliantly beneath the sunlight.

Grandma Shiori smiled at the sight before her and said,

"Little Yuri, it seems they're hungry."

"Back when worship at the Sacred Tree was flourishing, these little foxes would often come here to beg for food."

"Who would have thought so much time had passed..."

Akishinomiya Yuri looked flustered as she watched the little foxes gathered around her feet.

She had already eaten all of her tempura snacks, and she did not seem to have any other food on her.

Just then, as though remembering something, Akishinomiya Yuri hurriedly pulled out the rice balls she had stuffed into her shrine maiden robe pocket that morning.

"Mm, you're all hungry, aren't you?"

With a gentle smile, Akishinomiya Yuri crouched down and carefully broke apart the rice balls in her hands, crushing them into little pieces and scattering them across the ground.

Several of the larger foxes quickly stepped forward and lowered their heads to eat.

Hyuga Setsuna stood with his arms crossed, watching the little foxes surrounding Akishinomiya Yuri.

It looked like these foxes were wild animals from the mountains, and they did not seem particularly afraid of people. The commotion earlier had likely been because they wanted to come over and ask for food.

Akishinomiya Yuri lowered her head to watch the happily eating foxes and reached out a small hand to gently stroke one of them.

The little fox was only about the size of a palm and had probably been born just a few months ago. When Akishinomiya Yuri touched the loose skin at the back of its neck, its body trembled slightly.

Seeing the trembling little fox, Akishinomiya Yuri quickly withdrew her hand.

It immediately lowered its fluffy little head to eat the rice ball. Its tiny ears twitched now and then as weak little yips came from its mouth.

"Mm, so cute!"

With a delighted smile on her face, Akishinomiya Yuri secretly reached out and gave the little fox another stroke.

Beneath the Sacred Tree, Hyuga Setsuna sat on a branch and watched the foxes as he silently thought,

Should I find myself a summoning beast too?

But what kind of summoning beast should I get?

Toads? Slugs? Snakes?

No, that won't do. Although they belong to the Three Great Sacred Lands, meeting those sages would be dangerous.

After all, the Great Toad Sage of Toad Mountain once helped the Sage of Six Paths, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, seal Otsutsuki Kaguya.

Otsutsuki Kaguya is living inside me now. If I went to Mount Myoboku, that old toad might notice something.

As for Dragon Cave and Shikkotsu Forest, since they were known alongside Mount Myoboku as the Three Great Sacred Lands, there might be some arrangement between them.

Better not go there.

But aside from the Three Great Sacred Lands, what other powerful summoning beasts are there?

Dogs? Turtles? Sharks? Monkeys? Clams? Weasels? Spiders?

No, none of those summoning beasts will do. I'll just leave it to fate...

If all else fails, I can always learn from Uchiha Madara and use tailed beasts as summoning beasts in the future.

Hyuga Setsuna rose in a leap, dropping down from the tree branch. He came to Akishinomiya Yuri's side and said,

"Your Highness, aren't you going to make a wish beneath the Sacred Tree?"

As Hyuga Setsuna approached, the foxes eating the rice balls all shuddered in unison. Though they were frightened, they refused to abandon the delicious rice balls.

Akishinomiya Yuri, who had been absorbed in petting the little fox, stood up and said troubledly upon hearing him,

"But there are no wish plaques or pens here!"

She had only just realized that although they had come to make wishes, they had not brought wish plaques or pens to write with.

Hyuga Setsuna looked at the scatterbrained Akishinomiya Yuri and said helplessly,

"Your Highness, we're in luck. There's a pile of wish plaques stored not far from the Sacred Tree. They were probably left behind by people from the past."

As for writing implements, Hyuga Setsuna casually pulled out a Sealing Scroll and formed the Horse hand seal.

"Poof!"

As white smoke appeared, two pens suitable for writing appeared in Hyuga Setsuna's hand.

Akishinomiya Yuri's eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at the pens that had appeared from the Sealing Scroll.

"Yagokoro, is this a ninja's Sealing Scroll?"

"I heard that this kind of Sealing Scroll can seal all sorts of things!!"

"I wonder whether food can be sealed inside, then taken out and eaten later!"

A look of helplessness and exasperation flashed through Hyuga Setsuna's eyes, but he still patiently said,

"Your Highness, food cannot be placed inside a Sealing Scroll!"

After saying that, Hyuga Setsuna gave Akishinomiya Yuri no chance to ask more questions. His figure flickered, and he was already heading toward the place where the wish plaques were stored.

Before leaving, Hyuga Setsuna made a gesture to Kakashi, who was protecting them from the shadows.

He told Kakashi to stay behind and protect Akishinomiya Yuri.

Watching Hyuga Setsuna's figure vanish, Akishinomiya Yuri could only crouch down and resume petting the little fox eating the rice ball.

After seeing Hyuga Setsuna leave, the little foxes no longer resisted Akishinomiya Yuri's touch. Instead, they voluntarily rolled over to expose their bellies, yipping for her to pet them.

Before long, Hyuga Setsuna appeared again.

He held two wish plaques in his hands.

Coming to Akishinomiya Yuri's side, Hyuga Setsuna softly said,

"Your Highness, I've brought back the wish plaques!"

Seeing that Hyuga Setsuna had retrieved the wish plaques, Akishinomiya Yuri reluctantly placed the little fox in her arms back onto the ground.

She then stepped forward and took the wish plaque and pen.

Holding the wish plaque and pen, Akishinomiya Yuri walked beneath the Sacred Tree, turned around, and said to Hyuga Setsuna,

"You're not allowed to peek! If you see it, the wish plaque won't work anymore!!"

Hearing Akishinomiya Yuri's words, Hyuga Setsuna nodded with a bitter, helpless smile.

Who would be bored enough to look at someone else's wish plaque?

Grandma Shiori also floated onto a branch of the Sacred Tree. With an indulgent smile, she said to the wary Akishinomiya Yuri,

"All right, little Yuri. Grandma won't look either!"

Once she saw that no one was beside her anymore, Akishinomiya Yuri picked up the pen and began writing her wishes on the plaque!

[O Sacred Tree, Yuri hopes that the people of the Land of Fire can live happily and no longer suffer the pain of war!]

[O Sacred Tree, Yuri hopes that you will bless Father and Mother with lifelong health and peace!]

[O Sacred Tree, Yuri hopes you can let Grandma Shiori stay with me forever. It's selfish, but I truly don't want to be separated from Grandma!]

With a devout expression on her delicate face, Akishinomiya Yuri held the completed wish plaque in both hands, walked beneath the Sacred Tree, and carefully hung up her own plaque.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Setsuna also began writing his wish.

However, before writing it, he said to Otsutsuki Kaguya,

"Grandmother, you can't peek either, or the wish will stop working."

Within the Sealing Space, Otsutsuki Kaguya wore a proud and dissatisfied expression as she said,

"I would never peek!"

This bad child actually dared to doubt me.

Although if Hyuga Setsuna had not said anything, she had been planning to peek...

Hearing Otsutsuki Kaguya's proud and dissatisfied words, Hyuga Setsuna smiled gently and softly said,

"Then it's a promise, Grandmother~ You're not allowed to peek!"

Within the Sealing Space, Otsutsuki Kaguya gave a dissatisfied "hmph," and several palaces collapsed once more.

Then she directly severed the connection between them.

She was not curious about that bad child's wish at all!!

Hyuga Setsuna then began writing his own wish.

[O Sacred Tree, please bless me so that I may save Grandmother!]

A short sentence was written on the small wish plaque. It was a prayer he would definitely fulfill in this life! Definitely!

Hyuga Setsuna then held the wish plaque in both hands and carefully hung it up.

Beneath the Sacred Tree, the two silently clasped their hands and prayed for their wishes!

"..."

After praying, Hyuga Setsuna once again wore a warm smile as he said to Akishinomiya Yuri,

"Your Highness, it's time for us to return!"

Akishinomiya Yuri looked at her wish plaque on the Sacred Tree and nodded calmly.

Beneath the ancient Sacred Tree, the boy dressed in a black kimono and the girl dressed in a red-and-white shrine maiden robe began walking back along the path.

From a branch of the Sacred Tree, Grandma Shiori watched the departing boy and girl while humming a beautiful, solemn song.

It was a song composed by people of the old era to worship the Sacred Tree!

"The past of the old era shall be buried, the sorrow of the old era shall be covered, the prayers of the old era shall vanish, the fate of the old era shall sink, and the souls of the old era shall ascend!"

"The Sacred Tree will carry the children's wishes and thoughts far away, and they shall ultimately be fulfilled in another way!"

As the beautiful and solemn song rang out, the branches of the Sacred Tree and the wind chimes tied to them began to sway.

It was as though they were accompanying the beautiful and solemn song.

La la la, the first update is here... I originally wanted to write 3,000 words, hehe. Please send rewards and monthly tickets.

How should I put it? I personally felt this chapter flowed very smoothly, and I did not get stuck at all, but I still only wrote 2,700 words in the end. I did not reach 3,000 because I felt there was nowhere that needed changing. Personally, I'm very satisfied with it, extremely satisfied...

Also, if anyone has spare investment slots, could you invest in this story? ()

We're still 63 investments away from 100. I hope you wonderful readers can help out (ノへ￣,)

For the second update, I'll also try my best to write 3,000 words. Hehe, keep it up, keep it up