The sunset's lingering glow filtered through the temple's latticed windows, casting dappled light and shadow across Douyang's delicate profile.
Miroku stared into Douyang's deep eyes, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around the sleeves of her priestess robes. She really was afraid he would make some outrageous demand.
Douyang looked on with a faint, helpless smile, deliberately drawing out his words. "I want your..."
Miroku flushed, silently cursing Douyang for being lewd.
Then Uchiha Douyang continued, "Your priestess lineage's Sealing Jutsu. As long as Lady Miroku agrees, I guarantee your life will not be in danger."
Huh?
Miroku froze for a moment, her face turning so red it looked ready to bleed.
She had been overthinking it.
Miroku lowered her head, unable to see the tips of her toes, and asked timidly, "What do you want our lineage's Sealing Jutsu for?"
Sealing Jutsu was not particularly valuable.
The foundation of the priestess lineage lay in the priestess power flowing within their bodies.
Even if outsiders learned their Sealing Jutsu, they would merely gain a few more tricks.
"Nothing much. I just want to learn a little more."
Douyang's gaze swept over the darkening sky outside the hall, and a meaningful smile curled his lips.
In Douyang's eyes, the priestess was practically a treasure trove.
He intended to bring her into his service.
Single, with a child...
But what Douyang valued most was the Sealing Jutsu the priestess possessed.
In the Shinobi World, none surpassed the Uzumaki Clan in Sealing Jutsu.
The Eight Trigrams Seal, Four Symbols Seal, Reaper Death Seal, and many others had all come from the Uzumaki Clan.
Yet the priestess lineage's Sealing Jutsu formed a system of its own.
Priestesses were not ninja and had no chakra within their bodies, yet they could seal Moryo.
It could be said that in the current Shinobi World, there was probably no one who could surpass the priestess in Sealing Jutsu.
The Sealing Jutsu alone made it worth investing in her.
Moreover, the priestess's standing was no lower than a daimyo's.
That much was clear from how the Five Great Nations had immediately dispatched elite reinforcements to aid her free of charge after she requested their help.
In short, if he could bring her into his service, she would surely be a great asset in the future.
"All right. I agree."
Without giving it much thought, Miroku readily agreed.
Douyang nodded, then added, "Good. I will certainly ensure your safety, Lady Miroku, but I hope you can keep this matter secret."
The priestess smiled. "Rest assured. Heaven and earth know, and you and I know. No third person will hear of this."
At daybreak, a thin mist shrouded the temple. The distant mountains resembled crouching behemoths, looming in and out of sight in the morning light.
The teams were equipped and ready to depart, and Miroku settled her daughter in the secret chamber at the very heart of the temple.
The priestess's heart was heavy. Even with Douyang's guarantee, she was still prepared not to return and left instructions for after her death.
Once everything was ready, the three teams from Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Konoha escorted the priestess toward the Land of Swamps.
Toroi led the Kumogakure team in clearing the way, while the Konoha team protected the priestess in the center. Pakura, who wielded Scorch Release, brought up the rear.
The teams quickly tore through the Ghost Army's encirclement and raced toward the Land of Swamps.
When they reached the border of the Land of Demons, the priestess's expression suddenly changed.
"Moryo is coming after us."
Everyone frowned at her words.
A trace of worry showed on the priestess's face.
She had already cut off Moryo's perception.
The fact that Moryo was now racing toward them meant that the temple had already fallen.
Was her daughter all right?
Douyang spoke up then. "We need to move faster. We must reach Demon-Sealing Mountain before Moryo catches up."
With that said.
Douyang walked up to Miroku. "Forgive me, Lady Miroku."
The next instant, Douyang slipped one arm beneath Miroku's legs and the other around her shoulders, lifting her straight into his arms.
Miroku's priestess robes flapped in the wind, and the bells in her hair gave off a rapid, clear jingling.
Feeling Douyang's strong arms and the warmth coming from his chest, she could not help blushing.
Douyang glanced at Miroku's slightly flushed, lovely face and said solemnly, "Lady Miroku, we can move a little faster this way."
"Douyang, sorry for the trouble."
Miroku said nothing more, naturally wrapping her arms around Douyang's neck.
Along the way, Miroku constantly sensed Moryo's position and reported it to the teams.
Moryo moved extremely fast, even matching an ordinary Elite Jonin.
At this rate, Moryo would catch up before they reached Demon-Sealing Mountain.
Pakura grew anxious. "This won't do. We have to find a way to hold Moryo back."
Everyone was rushing desperately, consuming too much chakra.
Not only had they failed to shake Moryo off, but the distance between them was shrinking.
Even if they reached Demon-Sealing Mountain, they would be exhausted and unable to seal Moryo.
Then Miroku, held in Douyang's arms, spoke. "I can set up a sealing formation to hold Moryo back for a while."
Toroi nodded. "All right, then. Let's find somewhere to ambush Moryo."
Having decided, the teams urgently searched the surrounding area for a suitable ambush site and soon found a steep-sided canyon.
The priestess placed dozens of sealing formulas on the canyon walls.
Douyang stood to one side and watched silently. These sealing formulas formed a system of their own, unlike any Sealing Jutsu he had encountered.
Although he did not understand sealing formulas very well, even a cursory glance made his head spin, showing just how profound the priestess lineage's sealing formulas were.
Half an hour later, Moryo appeared, still pursuing them relentlessly.
Moryo was dark purple all over and looked like a monster with numerous dragon heads. Hazy mist wreathed its body, obscuring its full form.
But its body rivaled a hill in size, astonishingly huge.
"S-so big!"
At the sight of Moryo's enormous body, Pakura's cherry-red lips parted in a cry of surprise.
Her reaction was perfectly normal.
To ordinary ninja, a giant monster like this, resembling a tailed beast, was nothing short of a natural disaster.
Even ordinary Kage Level fighters would find it troublesome unless they knew specific ninjutsu.
Kakashi frowned slightly.
Moryo's size resembled that of a tailed beast, involuntarily reminding him of the Nine-Tails that had destroyed most of the village several years earlier.
No one noticed the barely perceptible flash of delighted surprise in Toroi's eyes.
Of everyone present, Uchiha Douyang was the calmest.
Although Moryo looked terrifying, the priestess lineage was its natural counter, and there was also some inexplicable relationship between the two.
Next was Shisui Uchiha, who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The Mangekyo naturally countered tailed beasts and could likewise suppress Moryo.
Seeing Moryo enter the canyon, Douyang immediately shouted, "Now!"
Everyone snapped back to their senses and immediately attacked according to their assigned roles.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
"Lightning Release: Earth Flow!"
Six ninja formed hand seals simultaneously, unleashing their signature techniques.
In an instant.
Gales, mud, sand, and lightning descended from above, bearing down on Moryo.
Roar!
Moryo let out one bestial roar after another, making their minds tremble.
Miroku shouted, "Be careful! Moryo's roars can affect your mind. Don't get too close, or it will control you and turn you into puppets!"
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