Land of Swamps, the Sealing Grounds of Moryo's body.
Unlike the sinister, terrifying scene in the movie, with ranks of terracotta soldiers and demonic energy surging into the sky, the cave before them was deep and damp, yet unusually "clean."
The air carried the stale scent of earth and a faint trace of moisture, but none of the unsettling fluctuations of dark chakra.
Without a soul to direct it, Moryo's enormous, twisted, pitch-black body, resembling a mass of countless tentacles and fleshy growths, simply lay motionless in the deepest part of the cave, firmly restrained by layers of ancient, powerful Sealing Formulas.
Those seals glowed pale violet, forming a complex barrier-the handiwork left behind by Miroku, the previous Miko.
The body itself resembled a sleeping giant beast, devoid of life, let alone any threat.
Naturally, there were none of the endless terracotta soldiers driven by Moryo's soul, either.
Only dripping water and the pair's soft footsteps echoed through the cave.
Naruto walked ahead, his Byakugan easily seeing through every chakra flow and sealing structure within the cave.
He had to admit, the Byakugan really was useful in certain situations.
Shion followed close behind him, her hands folded in front of her Miko robes. Her nervous expression held a hint of curiosity, but above all, relief.
She had never imagined that the true body of the monster said to be capable of destroying the world would look so... harmless after losing its soul.
"The seals are still holding strong."
Naruto stopped and surveyed the barrier Miroku had left behind, his tone matter-of-fact.
"Your mother's mastery of formulas was impressive. Even after all these years, they can still effectively suppress this shell's instinctive agitation."
He raised a hand, gathering golden chakra at his fingertips, and swiftly traced several simple yet exquisite Uzumaki