That's a lot to take in!"
Tsunade remarks after listening to the story.
"Yeah! Perhaps it may sound like the plot of one of those fantasy novels in the Konoha library, but it's the reality."
Izuna chuckles dryly.
"Hmm… So, Izuna-kun, you suspect that the demons are behind this incident?" Minato asks him.
"I am hundred percent sure. It's them. Also, from my trip to Land of Sky; I discovered they had some involvement with the demons or they excavated some ruins of the demons in the past. Perhaps this can also explain their sudden rise in power during the Second Shinobi War."
Izuna speculates.
"But for now, let's focus on the enemies knocking on our doorsteps. Meanwhile, I will check the matter at HOLE. It might be another attempt of demons to make a comeback and spread their Thousand-year kingdom like in the past."
Izuna closes his eyes and senses the space near the HOLE.
'That barrier is quite powerful. I can't even sense anything in a radius of fifty kilometers around that place.'
"Alright, I am off!"
Shoom…
A portal opens in front of Izuna. He walks into the portal and disappears from the room.
After his departure, Minato and Tsunade stare at each other and sigh.
"Izuna-kun is so reliable. Just having him around eases half of our worries." Tsunade remarks with a smile.
"Yes, he has grown a lot during all these years. I clearly remember the day when I first met him." Minato reminisces the past memories.
--
Around seventy kilometers from the HOLE,
Swoosh…
A portal with a purple hue opens up. Izuna steps out of the portal and looks around.
"Hmm… I am slightly off from the coordinates I picked up."
Shiing…
His left eye changes into Rinne-Sharingan and he looks around.
"As I suspected, my earlier speculation was correct. This place isn't isolated by a space-time barrier. Rather, it has been transported to some unknown dimension."
Shiing…
He infuses some chakra in his eye as the surrounding scenery changes.
Multiple bolts of chaotic energy flow through the space. Numerous invisible small-scale explosions keep occurring in the surroundings.
'This is the dimensional gap that separates two different dimensions. The space-time momentum is so chaotic here that even a slight disturbance can alter the fragile equilibrium of space-time and lead to the collapse of the entire surrounding hundred kilometers. I have to be extra careful.'
"Susanoo"
Izuna shrouds himself with his Susanoo and carefully walks through the chaotic dimensional gap. Invisible bolts of energy keep hammering his Susanoo. Cracks start to appear on the armor of his Susanoo.
Tch…
"I am still too far away from the barrier. If I continue to move at this pace, then my Susanoo will disperse before I could even make it to the barrier."
He stretches his palm and creates ten purple orbs. The purple orbs cover his Susanoo and form another layer of protection.
"Full speed ahead!"
Swoosh… Boom…
With a sonic boom, Izuna speeds up through the dimensional gap. The chaotic energy particles continue to bombard his Susanoo.
"Almost there!"
A red barrier appears in front of Izuna's eyes.
Whoosh…
Izuna lands beside the barrier and extends his hand to touch the barrier.
Bzzt… Sizzle…
Red lightning streaks at the point of contact.
"Hot… hot…"
Izuna immediately removes his hand from the barrier. Smoke rises from his hand as his hands heal slowly.
Hmm…
"It's a very powerful barrier. I am afraid my understanding of Fuinjutsu isn't sufficient to decipher it."
Izuna stares at the various unknown runes and seals on the surface of the barrier.
"Perhaps I can try to brute force my way by striking at the seals I am familiar with."
Haah….
Izuna takes a deep breath and stretches his hand.
Swirl…
A large amount of dense fire, lightning, wind, and water chakra condenses in his hand.
"Oblivion Release: Arrow of Nothingness"
The dense chakra morphs into an arrow.
Fwoosh…
The Susanoo crosses its two upper arms and wings and creates a crossbow out of them.
Kaching…
Izuna notches the arrow on the crossbow and aims it for the weak spot of the barrier.
"This particular rune is vulnerable to high impact and heat. My jutsu condenses the power of a small scale nuke in a small arrow and thus can focus the destructive power at a single point. The pressure and temperature at the point of impact are almost at the level of a formation of a star."
Fwish…
The Susanoo releases the chakra string and launches the arrow towards the barrier.
Swoosh…
The Oblivion arrow tears through the fabric of the chaotic space and pierces into the barrier.
BOOM…
A deafening explosion occurs at the point of the impact as the entire compressed energy is released in the form of a cone.
Rumble… Rumble…
Ripples travel across the entire barrier from the point of impact. The entire barrier trembles violently.
"Will it succeed?"
Izuna stares at the arrow with an anxious expression.
Fwoosh… BOOM…
"Here comes the reaction force from the barrier."
Izuna crosses his arm and blocks the incoming assault of the reflected energy with his Susanoo.
BANG…
He is launched out of the chaotic space by the shock waves.
"Did I make it?"
Izuna narrows his eyes and stares at the point of impact. There is a basketball-sized hole in the barrier.
"All that effort and this is all I am capable of. Sigh…"
Izuna sighs helplessly as the hole slowly repairs itself.
Shiing…
One of the tomoes in his Rinnegan slowly fades away.
'It will take me two days to recover the chakra to use this jutsu again.'
He shakes his head and stares at a corner of the sky.
"I can see you, old man. There is no need to hide."
He speaks to no one in particular.
Tch…
An elderly man with pale skin and a face with deep wrinkles and a strong jawline appear in front of Izuna. The man has two small horn-like protrusions on his forehead. There is a red Rinnegan marking on the center of his forehead and he has two purple tomoe-less Rinnegan.
Sigh…
Hagoromo's spirit sighs and stares at the state of the surrounding space.
"This is too much to take in. I didn't expect my small homeworld to harbor such a big secret."
Hagoromo rubs his forehead.
'Even a spirit can get a headache?'
Izuna curiously stares at Hagoromo as this question pops into his mind.
Hagoromo turns towards Izuna, who has a tranquil expression on his face.
"The shinobi world is about to meet its end and yet you seem to have a calm expression."
Hagoromo's curiosity is piqued.
'Looks like this old man put some effort into learning the language of this era. I wonder which literature crash course he took.'
Umm…
"If the Sage of Six Paths himself is helpless in such a situation, then what can a powerless person like me can do in this situation?"
Izuna shakes his head.
"If the world is fated to end here, then so be it. I will happily accept my doom."
Izuna calmly responds to Hagoromo's question.
"Oh! So, have you accepted your fate?"
"No, of course not! Who would want to die in such a shitty way? But I am powerless in such a situation."
Izuna shakes his head.
"Hmm… that's true. But at least you should make some effort to change your fate." Hagoromo remarks.
"Old man, stop spouting riddles and get to the point. We have little time." Izuna cuts to the chase.
"Ah!"
Izuna's sudden rude remark surprises Hagoromo.
"Haha… you are quite impatient like my younger son, despite being the descendant of my elder son. Alright, I won't tease you anymore."
Hagoromo stretches his hand.
Swish… swish…
The truth-seeking orbs behind his back and flies in front of him and forms a staff.
Hmm…
Izuna scrutinizes the orbs with his Rinnegan to get a better understating of the jutsu.
Ting…
Hagoromo taps his staff in the air as their surrounding changes.
"This is a mindscape!"
Izuna curiously looks around as they appear in a completely dark space with multiple distant stars and nebulas.
"That's right! This place is my mindscape."
"Hmm… For an old man like you, this place is quite dull and…"
Izuna looks around a little more and remark.
"Umm… desolate! Don't you feel lonely in such a void?"
"Huh… it does look a little desolate, but I can only spare a certain amount of energy to sustain this place and prolong the lifespan of my spirit." Hagoromo shakes his head.
"After my death, my consciousness should have withered and returned to the nature. However, the half Otsutsuki bloodline granted longevity to my spirit. Thus, for years, my spirit preserved itself through slumber only to be awoken by the recent incidents."
Hagoromo explains the details to Izuna.
"This isn't the only reason for your awakening and seeking me, right?"
Advertisements
hind his back and flies in front of him and forms a staff.
Hmm…
Izuna scrutinizes the orbs with his Rinnegan to get a better understating of the jutsu.
Ting…
Hagoromo taps his staff in the air as their surrounding changes.
"This is a mindscape!"
Izuna curiously looks around as they appear in a completely dark space with multiple distant stars and nebulas.
"That's right! This place is my mindscape."
"Hmm… For an old man like you, this place is quite dull and…"
Izuna looks around a little more and remark.
"Umm… desolate! Don't you feel lonely in such a void?"
"Huh… it does look a little desolate, but I can only spare a certain amount of energy to sustain this place and prolong the lifespan of my spirit." Hagoromo shakes his head.
"After my death, my consciousness should have withered and returned to the nature. However, the half Otsutsuki bloodline granted longevity to my spirit. Thus, for years, my spirit preserved itself through slumber only to be awoken by the recent incidents."
Hagoromo explains the details to Izuna.
"This isn't the only reason for your awakening and seeking me, right?"
Youare right!"
Hagoromonods and taps his staff on the ground.
Whoosh…
The surroundings change and an image of the Kaguya, Urashiki, and IsshikiOtsutsukiappears in Izuna's vision. A plethora of emotions surge through Hagoromo's eyes as he sighs in reminiscence.
"Back then, mother was obsessed withthe arrival of Otsutsuki. Her dread for themclouded her sanity and as her son, I could only helplessly watch and seal for all eternity. However, itwas much later that I became aware of the truth."
Haah…
Hagoromo sighs and shakes his head.
"Alas! It was too late."
Swoosh…
The surroundings change to the aftermathof the battle between Ten-tails and the Otsutsuki brothers.
Izuna silently stares at the various flashing images as Hagoromo recounts his experience.
"… along my travels as I preached Ninshu to the shinobi world, I discovered traces of activities of other otherworldly beings in one of the Otsutsuki ruins. Out of curiosity or perhapswariness, I approached those creatures in an attempt to understand them."
"Demons?"
Izuna interrupts Hagoromo.
"Mm… you can put it that way. Thoughdemonis a broad term. These unfamiliar beings crawledout from the depths of the earth where they might have been lurking for who knew how long. Their foul chakra slowly corrupted the leylines; eroding the vitality of the entireplanet.
Hamura and I eliminated waves after wavesof them, but there were countless of them.Our battle with them lasted for a decade, during which I came to know their names. Thesecreatures were called Abyssal nightmares."
"Abyssal Nightmares?"
Izuna frowns.
'There is already no lack of enemies. Nowan entire faction of enemies joins the fray. First Otsutsuki, then that unknown guy from god knows which factions, demonic gods, andnow these abyssal creatures. Shinobi world is ina far bigger threat than I previously imagined.'
Oblivious to Izuna's worries, Hagoromo continues.
"These creatures are very tenacious andalmost impossible to kill. They don't have a physicalform and exist as spiritual bodies. They feed on negative emotions and use them as a conduit to influence living beings and possess their body.
Their corruption is like a plague, which slowlyspreads throughout the entire world. Thereis no definite way to get rid of them except for sealing them."
"Then how did you get rid of them?" Izunainterrupts him again.
"Quite impatient, aren't you?"
"Nah… I am just curious about these spiritlife forms." Izuna denies it with a straight face.
'These somehow remind me of youkai from the Japanese folklore. I wonder how many similarities they have?'
"Did you ever try to exorcize these nightmares?" Izuna asks another question.
"Unfortunately, all our efforts were in vain. In the end, a Miko from an ancient clan useda sacrificial ceremony and their heirloom weapon to seal all those nightmares in a separatedimension. Despite our best efforts, a few nightmares still escaped in the end."
Hagoromo grimaced in self-mockery.
"Then you mean…"
Izuna points towards the dense red barrieraround the hole.
"Ama-no-hoko or the spear of heaven tore through the fabric of reality and ripped aparta portion of this dimension to create an isolated space to act as a prison for one of threecommanders of the army of Abyssalnightmares.
That ancient weapon was so powerful that it created a permanent hole in the very fabricof space of this dimension."
"So powerful!"
Izuna sucks a breath of cold air. He clutches his fists and mutters to himself.
'Will I be able to reach such a level of power? If my enemies grow stronger in the future, thenI have to surpass my limits too.'
Shiing…
The tomoes in Izuna's Rinne-Sharingan rotate in a clockwise manner.
"For now, our chief concern is to fix the seal and prevent the release of abyssal nightmares." Hagoromo's words pull him out of his thoughts.
Sigh…
"That's a lot to take in old gramps!" Izuna takesa deep breath.
"This world is more f*cked up than I thought it is."
Huh…
Hagoromo tilts his head in confusion.
Ahem…
"Nothing… nothing! What I meant to ask is there a way to fix this seal? I mean… I can't evenenter this place in the first place. Also, all myfriendsand family are trapped there. I am worried about their safety."
"There is still some time before the seal isundone. To fix the seal, you need to find the control device Saezuri and tune the soundaccording to a certain pattern to activate the sealing mechanism.
As for the barrier, it is a defensive mechanism to contain the tide of nightmares in case of acontingency. You can get the entry talisman from the high priestess of the Land of Demons. The fate of the world rest upon your shoulders."
Hagoromo extends his hand and passes one of his truth-seeking orbs to Izuna.
"This is the most help I can provide you at the moment. The rest depends on you."
"Tch… stingy!" Izuna clicks his tongue andgrabs the truth-seeking orb as it slowly revolvesaround him.
Ah!
Hagoromo speechlessly stares at the fading remanent of Izuna.
"I have high hopes for you, boy. A big stormis approaching, ready to engulf the entire worldinto chaos and misery.
His gaze trails off in the vast, starry sky.
--
Swoosh…
Izuna reappears in front of the crimson energy barrier.
"The high priestess of Land of Demons should be that Miko Lady Miroku whom I met during the wedding ceremony. At that time, she said I will soon come looking for her. Did she prophesied the future?
Also, what's the connection between thedemon Moryo and this group of Abyssal nightmares? So many questions, but no answers…"
Izuna helplessly rubs his forehead.
"For now, I will head for the Land of Demons."
Whoosh…
With a burst of red and black lightning, Izuna disappears from the spot.
--
Land of Demons,
Outside the main shrine,
Boom… Boom…
The sound of explosions drowns the silence of the night.
Whoosh… whoosh…
A squad of shinobis garbed in black clotheswith a red kanji for 'demon' on the back appearsat the main tori gate of the shrine.
"Enemy Attack!"
The captain of the demon guard squad flickerson top of the Tori.
"Jin, Mori, Hanzo! Lead a team to protect and safely escort her highness, the high priestess, to the safe house. Kira, Akihito, Ami… follow me to intercept the enemy."
"Yes, captain!"
The shinobis guards bow and disperse in two squads.
The squad captain and his team quicklyapproach the direction of the explosion.
Screams and miserable cries echo in the village as a cloaked figure slowly walks towards theshrine.
Crack… crack…
The cloaked figure snaps his neck and fingers.
"I have yet to gain complete control over this temporary body."
A deep and eerie voice echoes under the hood.
"My lord, your true body is still buried in the Land of Swamp. This humble vassal will soonfulfill his mission." The lips of the figure move slightly as a subservient voice talks to itself.
"Mm… before that, we have to remove the only obstacle in our path. The only power which can oppose and reseal us. This time I must fulfill the order of his highness."
The figure slowly walks towards the temple as numerous thin larvae of dark purple chakrasquirm out of its body.
--
Mm…
"Who is releasing the fireworks so late at night?"
A little girl with pale lavender eyes and lightblonde hair that falls past her waist walks out of a room while yawning.
"So sleepy! I will go to mother's room to hear a story."
Creak…
One of the nearby doors opens and Miroku walks out of the room with a pale face.
"Guards! It's an emergency. Quickly evacuateprincess Shion to a safe place."
Whoosh…
Whoosh…
A batch of guards hurriedly arrives in the hall. Miroku turns around and faces them as her Reigan flickers with a kaleidoscopic pattern.
"Quick! Take princess Shion as far from here as possible."
Miroku takes out a bunch of paper talismansand seals and hurriedly packs them in a bag.
"If possible, go and seek shelter from Konoha. By now, they must be aware of the impendingcrisis."
"Mom! Don't… don't leave me. I… I don't wanna go anywhere. I want to stay with mom."
Shion grabs Miroku's leg and wraps aroundit.
"Mother won't go anywhere!"
Miroku bends down and hugs Shion.
"Promise!"
"Promise!"
Miroku's eyes flicker once and Shion fallsasleep in her embrace. She wraps the girl in a blanket and passes her to the guard captain.
"Quick, take her out of the Land of Demon."
"But… Lady…"
One of the guards tries to interrupt her.
"Don't worry about me. Captain Shinji hasalready dispatched a squad to escort me. Iwill be fine."
"Then please take care, your majesty!"
The guard captain bows and quickly leavesfrom the backdoor with his squad.
Sigh…
Miroku heaves a sigh of relief.
"At least Shion will be able to survive this calamity."
Bleurgh…
Miroku pukes out a mouthful of blood.
Bleurgh…
Miroku spats out another mouthful of blood.
Drip… drip…
Blood drips out from a corner of her eyes as the kaleidoscopic pattern in her eyes spins rapidly and the purple hue dims down.
"The aftereffects of spiritual reincarnation are still as severe. I won't be able to use it for another half a year."
Miroku's vision turns blurry as she falls to the ground.
Whoosh… whoosh…
The squad of temple guards arrives inside the residence.
"High Priestess-sama…"
Hanzo notices the puddle of blood on the floor. He quickly flickers beside Miroku to support her.
"Are you alright, Miko-sama?"
He asks with a voice full of concern.
"I am alright." Miroku wipes the blood from the corner of her eyes.
"Quick! Take me in the southeast direction near the location of the ancient temple. I have to reach there as soon as possible." Miroku issues a command.
"But… but Miko-sama… that is in the opposite direction of the safe house." Hanzo hesitates a bit.
"Do as I say… that's our only way of survival."
She reprimands Hanzo.
"The only way to save the world…"
Miroku mutters to herself as she recalls the events prior to her spiritual reincarnation.
Boom… boom…
Yomi makes a hand seal and releases a purple exploding chakra worm towards the houses of the village.
"Beware of the prowess of Miko's eyes. She might escape."
Mōryō's deep voice echoes in Yomi's ears.
"I won't give her a chance."
Yomi speeds up towards the shrine.
"Intruder!"
The shrine guards intercept him but are quickly dispatched by two exploding worms.
Whoosh… whoosh…
A squad of guards surrounds Yomi and bombards him with paper bombs, kunais, shurikens, long-range jutsus, and all sorts of weapons.
The impact of jutsus kicks up a cloud of dust and smoke, blinding everyone's vision.
Swish… swish…
A shrill sound pierces through the ears as the guards drop one by one.
Whoosh…
Yomi waves his hand and clears the dust cloud as the last guard falls to his death.
"What's going on?"
The commotion wakes up Miroku.
Ding…
The wall on the clock chimes to the witching hour. She rings a small bell to summon a guard.
"Reporting to my lady Miko-sama, an intruder has trespassed into our temple's territory."
"Intruder?"
The kaleidoscopic pattern in Miroku's eyes flashes as she is stuck with an awful premonition.
Whoosh…
She quickly dashes towards the shrine of the temple and searches around. After fumbling around for a minute, she fishes out a hexagonal sealing talisman.
"The seal is undone… the… the demon is out."
Helplessness appears in Miroku's eyes.
"That day has finally come!"
BOOM…
With an explosion, the roof and the wall of the shrine are blown away. Miroku is sent flying away by the explosion.
BAM…
She hits the opposite wall and bleeds from a concussion. Her consciousness blurs and drowsiness overwhelms her.
"FOUND YOU, MIKO!!!"
An eerie voice douses her wake.
"It's the intruder. Surround and subdue him."
The guards quickly rush towards Yomi.
"Pesky flies."
Yomi waves his hand and detonates a few explosive charka worms to wipe the guards. He clutches the forehead of a guard and squashes it like a watermelon. The blood and grey matter splashes on the floor. Under the influence of Mōryō, Yomi reveals a creepy smile as his neck makes a 180 turn like a mechanical doll.
Aaaah…
Miroku screams in fear. The pupil of her Reigan revolves anti-clockwise. The kanji on the hexagonal seal lights up with a purple hue.
"Those eyes… it's those damn eyes!"
Rage takes over Mōryō.
"I will rip them out."
He launches a barrage of purple chakra tentacles toward Miroku.
Ding…
The hexagonal seal floats in mid-air and creates a dark green barrier. The seal releases a bright flash of light and envelops Yomi in a containment barrier.
Violet lightning flickers through the barrier and evaporates the approaching tentacles.
Tch…
Yomi clicks his tongue.
"Annoying…"
He continues to attack the barrier in an attempt to destroy it.
Haah…
Miroku takes a deep breath and rushes into the hall.
"I have to take Shion and get as far from here as possible."
She quickly enters one of the rooms and searches around.
"Shion… Shion! SHION!!"
Sob… sob…
Feint noises of sobbing and breathing leak out from one of the keyboards.
Miroku hurriedly opens the cupboard.
"Ma… mama…"
Shion lunges into Miroku's embrace.
"I… I am scared, mama. Shion is scared!"
She tightly clutches Miroku's clothes to hide in her embrace.
"Everything will be alright! Mama is here."
Miroku gently pats Shion's head and rushes out of the backdoor.
'I have to seek help from Konoha.'
Izuna's figure appears in her mind.
'Only he can fight and seal this monster.'
Miroku runs downhill with Shion in her embrace.
BOOM…
A figure drops in front of her from the sky, destroying nearby trees and pavement.
"That barrier alone isn't enough to stop me. Now die!"
Whoosh…
The kaleidoscopic pattern in Miroku's eyes revolves rapidly as multiple chakra tentacles puncture through her and Shion's bodies. Miroku's consciousness slowly fades away.
"Miroku-san!"
An urgent cry rings in her ears as the blurry image of a young man appears in her dying vision. A faint ripple escapes from her body, crossing time and space.
--
Huff… Huff…
Miroku suddenly wakes up from her sleep and stares at the clock.
'He will be here in fifteen minutes. I have to hurry up.'
Fwoosh…
An invisible ripple spreads through the entire world.
"What was that?"
Izuna pauses in his tracks as he feels a slight disturbance in space-time.
"What… what just happened? Why do I feel like something is not right?"
He continues to fly toward the Land of Demons while recalling the previous feeling.
'I think I have already felt something like that before.'
Izuna filters through the recollection of his memories.
"Hah… got it! It's the same feeling I had when Boruto and future Sasuke arrived in my timeline. It is the divergence of the timeline."
Izuna's expression turns serious as he recalls Miroku's words from their last meeting.
'If I recall correctly, her eyes grant her an ability to reincarnate in past with her future memories. Looks like something did happen to her. I have to hurry up."
Izuna stretches his hand and molds the truth-seeking ball into a pair of aerodynamic wing gliders.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Demons,
Yomi who is steadily approaching the temple halts in his footsteps.
"This feeling!"
Mōryō also senses the sudden ripple in the timeline.
"It's her. It's the visual prowess of that Miko. Hurry up and stop her." Mōryō warns Yomi who makes quick work of the remaining guards.
Inside the temple,
Miroku tightly clutches the hexagonal sealing talisman as the guards escort her toward the ancient temple.
"There is a powerful sealing formation on top of Mōryō's body. It has a restricting effect on Mōryō and is the only way to get rid of him."
The group hastily approaches the ancient temple. Miroku places the hexagonal sealing talisman in a keyhole.
She makes a one-handed ram seal and points it in three different directions while chanting.
"Hatsu! Jin! Kai!"
The tightly shut door of the ancient temple opens and Miroku enters the temple.
"Jin, Mori, Hanzo… keep guard at the door. If the demon appears in front of you. Don't fight it, just escape and preserve your life."
"But… Miko-sama… that's our…" Hanzo refutes her words.
"It's fine. All of you did your duty well. Now it's my turn to fulfill my duty."
BANG…
The giant stone door slams shut locking her inside the temple.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Inside the temple, a wave of torches lights up with blue fire. Miroku picks up the hexagonal sealing talisman and continues to move deeper into the temple.
She descends into the heart of the sealing array and arrives in front of an enormous gate the size of a tailed beast.
"Beyond this gate lies the sealed body of Mōryō. Centuries ago, my predecessor sealed this demon in hopes of eradicating it in the future. This demon won't die unless its soul and body are reunited together. However, reuniting them will also recover its previous strength."
Miroku stares at the ominous violet chakra oozing out of the seal as it slowly seeps into the sealing formation.
"For centuries, this demon never paused in his attempt to break this seal. Today, I will grant it its wish."
Miroku recalls a certain prophecy passed down in her family.
"The day the sky is rend apart and the earth is split open, a man with divine eyes will appear and lay waste to the armies of the foul omen."
Miroku stretches out her hands in front of her chest and performs a ritual.
"Min, Shin, Gan, Reppyou, Shouzen, Mika, Dan, Raku, Shou!"
Rumble…
The gigantic door slides open revealing a worn-torn lava-filled ground.
Swoosh… swoosh…
Four purple orbs float out from the nearby walls and circle around Miroku. Miroku slowly levitates in the air and floats towards the center of the lava field.
"It's time to undo the seal."
Miroku floats towards the giant hexagonal platform located in the center of the sealing formation.
"A seemingly giant eye is carved in the center of the hexagonal platform."
Miroku levitates in mid-air and makes some hand signs while chanting.
"Fuu, Sai, Dan, Gika, Ragu, Bagi!"
She horizontally crisscrosses her arms.
Rumble… Rumble…
Four small platforms rise from the edges of the hexagonal platform. Miroku makes a hand seal and inserts the four floating orbs into their respective platforms.
"Release!"
She makes a Ram seal and the entire sealing formation light up.
Rumble… rumble…
The entire temple shook slightly and the lava inside the formation drains to reveal a giant carcass of a flood dragon with eight heads.
Ominous chakra, in the form of a purplish black cloud, rises from the body of the dragon. The chakra slowly gathers into a giant sinister apparition and lunges at Miroku in an attempt to swallow her.
Kuku… kuhaha…
Bzzt…
Lightning crackles from the token in Miroku's hand and creates a dark green barrier to protect her. The apparition rams into the barrier.
Aaah… Muah…
A portion of the ominous chakra evaporates upon the impact. Shrill screams fill the entire chamber as the apparition yelps in agony.
Miroku tightly clutches the token in her hand and hugs it to her chest.
"I hope you will make it on time."
ROAR…
The apparition releases an anguished roar and continues to tackle the barrier while inflicting self-harm.
Outside the temple…
Rumble… Rumble…
The ground shakes violently, resulting in a landslide from the nearby hill.
"What… what's going on?"
One of the guards stationed outside gulps his saliva.
"I hope Miko-sama is alright," Jin worriedly stares in the direction of the temple.
RUMBLE*
The ground in front of them split apart and an army of rock soldiers crawls out of it.
"The demon army!!"
The group's expression turns ugly. They brandish their weapon and charges at the incoming rock army.
"The demon execution army of the Land of Demons was formed for this day. Today we will fulfill our duty. Charge!"
The squad of fifteen people charges at an army of 100 rock soldiers.
Boom… Boom…
Sounds of explosions and collisions drown the silence of the night and light up the new moon night.
Hmm…
Yomi, who is slowly walking through the ruins of the shrine, raises his head and stares in the direction of the ancient temple.
"I can feel it! My body… it's sealed there."
Mōryō's hoarse voice echoes in Yomi's ears.
"The priestess is also there. She has removed the seal on my body and is currently engaged with the remnant consciousness within my body. Let's hurry up before she finds some other way to seal or destroy my body."
"Yes, my lord!" Yomi nods and dashes in the direction of the south-eastern valley.
Swoosh…
Soon, he arrives on the edge of the valley and notices a bunch of guards engaged with the demon army. Yomi raises his hand and gathers some chakra in his palm to send an attack at the guards.
"It's inside that temple… Quick!"
Mōryō urges Yomi. Yomi lowers his hand and stares at the massive gate of the temple.
Haah…
He makes some quick hand signs.
"Medial Ninjutsu: Dark Physique Enhancement"
The muscles in his arms swell out of proportion like a balloon. Yomi clutches his fist and punches at the stone gate.
"Dark propulsion fist"
BOOM…
Yomi's punch blast apart the stone gate into smithereens.
Swoosh…
His hands return to normal size, as Mōryō remarks.
"I still can't display my entire strength with this weak body." He shakes his head in disappointment and walks inside the temple in large strides.
Along the way, Yomi continues to blast apart one trap after another.
BOOM…
With another punch, he blasts apart the giant Torri gate protecting the last seal.
"Ah!"
Miroku's expression turns ugly as she slowly turns her head towards the exit.
Yomi walks towards her with steady footsteps.
"Imperial doctor Yomi! It's you… you are the one who released the demon from its prison"
Miroku exclaims in disbelief as she recognizes Yomi.
"Why? Why did you do this? Why would let this demon out of its prison?"
Haha…
Yomi releases a peal of creepy laughter as he confronts Miroku face-to-face.
"Why you ask?… Haha… because it was you who dismissed this kind of doctor Yomi seven years ago. I saved hundreds of lives and treated thousands of people of the Land of Demon."
"Kind?! You are a monster who sacrificed hundreds of children in the name of medical research. You even had designs on my daughter!" Miroku's expression turns ugly.
"A few sacrifices are necessary for the sake of the greater good. This world is rotten and I will do my part to make it a better place. But you refuse to cooperate with me to discover the mysteries of your Dojutsu." Yomi has a fanatic expression on his face.
"You relinquished your soul to the demons and now you preach about a better world! Back then, I should have asked Fudo-san to behead you." Miroku spats at Yomi in disgust.
"Haha… that fool died a horrific death. He discovered my secret; he discovered my lineage; so how I can let him scot-free." Yomi has a distorted expression on his face.
"You… you… you are a descendant of the Akuma clan! You are the one who murdered Fudo!" Miroku points at Yomi with trembling fingers.
"That's what he deserves for ruining my dream of a utopia. Now it's your turn for standing in my lord's way. Haah…"
"Cut the chit-chat and kill her!"
Mōryō roars at Yomi as an uneasy feeling overwhelms him.
"Yes, my lord!" Yomi answers like a fanatic and makes some hand signs.
"Dar Burst Nebula"
He releases a burst of dark violet energy at the barrier.
BANG…
The barrier shatters like glass and Miroku is sent flying. She slams into the walls of the cavern as blood trickles down from her head.
Argh…
Miroku clutches her forehead in pain and pulls out a handful of talismans from her belt.
She closes her eyes for a moment and chants.
'I hope it can buy me enough time.'
"Reunite my body! I have a bad premonition." Mōryō urges Yomi.
Swish…
Yomi removes his cloak and unzips his trench coat to veal his bare chest.
Swish… swoosh…
With a flick of his hands, he slits opens his chest with a scalpel. Yomi leans down and places his hand on top of the eye on the hexagonal platform.
"Jin, Saru, Dan, Ragi, Reppyou, Raku, Shou!"
He slams his palm on the eye to remove the final seal.
ROAR…
The flood dragon beneath the platform comes back to life. The chakra apparition swallows Yomi and gushes inside his chest.
Haha…
"This feeling… this feeling of reuniting with my body. What ecstasy!"
Mōryō laughs hysterically.
Rumble… rumble…
The giant flood dragon comes back to life. The central head opens its mouth and swallows Yomi.
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!... This is not what you promised me, my lord!"
Indignant roars of Yomi echo from Mōryō's mouth.
"Only a fool trusts the words of a demon. You were nothing but a disposable vessel for me on my journey to regain my body. Now you have fulfilled your purpose."
Shiing…
Dark violet chakra engulfs the entire body of the giant flood dragon.
"Now the world shall know despair! Haha…"
"Release!"
Amidst Mōryō's cackling Miroku's faint sound echoes in the sealing chamber.
Rumble… Rumble… Swish… swish…
Four huge purple chakra chains erupt from the floating orbs on the platform and wrap around Mōryō's body.
"Kenshiro Senju!"
Mōryō roars in anger at the backup plan of Kenshiro.
"You weren't able to kill me when you were alive. Do you think you can stop me now when you are dead?"
Bzzt…
Lightning flickers through the chains as Mōryō struggles to free himself.
"I won't let you!"
Miroku throws a handful of talismans at Mōryō. The talismans float in mid-air and bombard Mōryō's body with all sorts of jutsus.
"Futile efforts!"
Mōryō shields himself with one of his wings. He waves his other hand and hurls a flurry of wind blades at Miroku.
Swish… swish… clank…
Miroku gets blown away by the wind blades. Blood drips down her from her wounds.
Snap…
Snap…
One by one Mōryō snaps the chains binding him.
Swirl…
Dark chakra swirls around him as his body condenses rapidly. He gains a humanoid shape as two chains still bind his left hand and leg.
"This body ain't bad!"
Mōryō admires his new appearance. He retains the same look as Yomi except for violet hair and red eyes.
Snap… snap…
He snaps the remaining two chains with his right hand.
Crack… crack…
Mōryō cracks his tongue and turns towards Miroku who is barely holding her consciousness.
"An uneasy feeling has been bothering me since the moment I stepped into this temple. This must be your doing. I will eradicate you and your bloodline for once and all."
Shiing…
He condenses a long dark chakra blade and swings at Miroku.
"Now, DIE!!"
BOOM…
"I am not late am I?"
A few moments ago,
"I sense very dense negative emotions ahead?" Kurama's grumpy voicerings in Izuna's ears.
"Kurama! It's been a while since I last heard from you. Do you like your new roommate?" Izuna jokes slightly.
"Humph… that guy has been sleeping we you last saw him!" Kurama harrumphs at the sleeping figure of Genyrū.
"By the way, Izuna, why do I have a nagging feeling that I missed something important? My connection with the outside world was cut off for a while." Kurama rubs his chin with his giant claws.
"Did you capture some delicious prey again? I will forgive you this time, but next time I want a bigger share." Kurama glances at him and closes his eyes.
"…"
'Looks like Sin locked him out of my meeting with Sage of Six Paths. Well, it's still too early to meet Sage. For now, I will deal with the issue at the hand.'
"Ok, deal!" Izuna nods and continues to fly towards the Land of Demons.
At the border of the Land of Demons, he notices a group of beaten-up shinobis fighting against a rock demon army cavalry.
'I can sense the large conglomeration ofnegative chakra up ahead. This must be the place.'
Shiing…
Izuna draws his blade and slashes at the rock demon cavalry.
"Kenjutsu: Severing Slash,"
A giant sword light flashes through the demon army and beheads the remaining rockfigures.
"Where is Miko?" Izuna asks a worn-out guard.
"Thanks for your help, Izuna-sama. Miko-sama predicted your arrival. She is currently locked in a battle inside the temple." Hanzo grimaces in pain as he replies.
"Alright! You guys recover your injuries. I will handle the rest."
Whoosh…
Izuna flickers inside the temple.
Whoosh…
A wave of oppressive negative chakra oozes out of the temple.
"There is too much resentment and other negative emotions mixed up in this chakra. I can't allow it to seep out and corrupt another being. This mass of negative emotions would be a huge tonic for Roen. Too bad he is not here with me. I will try to seal as much as possible as a snack for him."
Izuna aims his only hand at the gate of the temple.
Fwish… Fwish…
Izuna shoots a couple of black receivers and makes a hand sign.
"Yin-Yang: Evil Containment Seal,"
A dark purple barrier envelops the entire temple. After completing the barrier, Izuna rushes deeper into the temple.
--
"Now, DIE!"
Mōryō slashes his dark chakra blade at Miroku.
'Looks like I still couldn't change my fate. Atleast my Shion is safe,' Miroku closes her in resignation.
BOOM…
A dark black spear shoots out of nowhere and attacks Mōryō.
"Nani?"
Mōryō blocks the spear with his chakra blade, but the impact of the spear sends him flying into a nearby cavern wall.
"I am not late, am I?"
Izuna hurriedly dashes towards Miroku and supports her. He uses the 'Mystic Palm Technique' to alleviate her injuries.
"No! you are right on time."
Miroku heaves a sigh of relief and nods at Izuna.
"I will handle the rest."
He places her down and turns towards Mōryō.
"Be careful of his chakra. It will slowly corrode your will." Miroku warns him.
"Ok!"
Izuna summons the Kusanagi blade and points it in Mōryō's direction. The truth-seeking orb returns to his side.
Crack… snap…
Mōryō twists his broken arms and legs andsnaps them back into place.
"I smell the foul stench of those parasites. You must be one of their descendants, just like the guy who sealed me a few centuries ago."
"Otsutsuki clan?!" Izuna frowns and stares atthe place he struck with the truth-seeking spear.
'No damage! Looks like this demon is immune to the certain kill effect of Six Paths.'
"Time and time again! Either it was those damn parasites or those Astral demons. This time, I won't allow anyone to ruin our plans. You will be my first prey." Mōryō swings his blades and slashes out a dark wave of chakra.
"Negative Release: Annihilation Slash,"
[A/N: - Negative release is just a jutsu of negative chakra. I used this term to separate Dark Release and Darkness Release from it. Another point to clarify is that dark release uses normal chakra. Darkness release is uniqueto the Sin book, Izuna, and other related beings. The negative release is unique to Roen, Zero-tails, Abyssal Nightmares, or other corrupted creatures. In the future, I will use it as such.]
Hmm…
Izuna feels a sense of threat from the incoming slash, which surprises him.
"This attack has some power of laws mixedwithin it. It is similar to that floating orb behind you. Don't get casually hit by it." Genryū's warning sounds in Izuna's ears.
Whoosh…
Izuna flickers away from the attack and avoidsthe attack.
Slash…
The sword swing chops out a portion of theroof and hits the barrier. The corrosive power of the slash sizzles the cavern and smoke rise from the barrier.
"You are awake?!" Izuna asks Genyrū.
"I was awoken by the early energy surge." Genyrū turns towards Mōryō and frowns.
"Abyssal Dread! This world has an Abyssal Dread!"
???
Question marks pop into Izuna's mind as he parry's another attack of Mōryō with the sword of the truth-seeking ball.
"Isn't it an Abyssal Nightmare?" He questions.
"Abyssal Dreads are evolved forms of Abyssal Nightmares. There are different types of Abyssal creatures, ranging from bottom barrel crawlers, and lurkers to mid-tier troops like nightmares, headhunters, and soul-eaters to high-tier troops like dread, devourers, and slayers. There is also a centurion above them, but I don't know much about them." Genyrū shakes his head.
"How do you know so much about them?" Izuna asks curiously.
"The resources of a middle-size world are even tempting to Abyss. Before the arrival of Otsutsuki, we were invaded by Abyss. Their army consisted of two centurions, 4 dreads, 7 devourers, and 3 slayers. However, they pulled back when they faced Otsutsuki. If Otsutsuki likes to parasitize and devour everything and spit out bones, then Abyss just swallows everything without waste." Genyrū calmly explains to Izuna.
"This flood dragon is a dread; you must be careful of his corrosive attacks. Light element is quite effective against it."
"Alright! After this battle, tell me more aboutthe Abyssal creatures and their weaknesses. For now, I have a battle to finish."
Izuna turns his attention to Mōryō who ispissed at Izuna for blocking and dodging his attack.
"Damn rat! Don't you dare dodge my attack," Mōryō spouts profanities to vent his hatredand relentlessly attack Izuna.
He raises his left hand and gathers a large amount of negative chakra in his arm.
"Negative Release: Dread Flames"
Dark violet flames with burning images ofskeletons light up in Mōryō's hand.
"Die!"
Mōryō waves his arm in a circle and launches a spiral of flames at Izuna.
Shiing…
Izuna's eyes change to Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Sin,"
He stretches his hand as the sin seal activates. Several totems crawl over his entire armand fuse in his right eye. A demonic black horn sprouts on the right side of his head. Izuna's voice turns bone-chilling as he spats.
"Darkness Style: Violent Hell Flame,"
Izuna infuses the sword with dark purple flames and swings at the incoming spiral of violet flames.
BOOM…
Both flames collide and extinguish eachother.
"That form…"
Mōryō's eyes constrict as he stares at Izuna'sdemonic form.
"How did you have this power? How did you possess the power of Astral demons?" Mōryō roars and attacks him again.
Clang…
Izuna blocks his swing with his sword and coats his leg with darkness chakra and kicks Mōryōin the gut, sending him flying.
Bleurgh…
Mōryō spats out violet blood and slams into another wall.
"You must die! No matter what." Mōryō issues a decree and launches himself at Izuna.
Izuna puts down the sword and converts it into a gauntlet. He channels light chakra through the gauntlet. He clenches his fist and blocks the incoming punch.
Sizzle… sizzle…
Smoke rises from Izuna's fist as the light chakra incinerates Mōryō's arm and the negative chakra corrodes the gauntlet.
Crunch…
Izuna clutches Mōryō's fist tightly and headbutts him, pounding him on the floor.
"Damn! What a thick skull."
Izuna rubs his sore head.
Roar…
Mōryō roars in anger and riles up his chakra.
Rumble… rumble…
Rubble falls from the roof as the chakra corrodes everything in its surrounding.
Whoosh…
Izuna arrives beside Miroku and shields her with his Susanoo. He stabs a black receiver on the ground to act as a medium for his Susanoo.
Fwoosh…
The chakra storm clears to reveal Mōryō's garbed in an armament. His entire body is covered with black armor made of scales. He holds a long spear in his right hand and a tower shield in his left hand.
"DIE!"
Mōryō charges at Izuna and hurls his spear.
Whoosh…
Time seems to slow down for Izuna as he leans down and avoids the spear.
Bang…
With a backflip, he kicks the spear and sends it back at its wielder.
Bang…
Mōryō parries the spear with his shield and rams into Izuna. Izuna clutches his fist as red lightning flickers through his eyes. A cyancloak envelops him as he punches the shield.
BOOM*
The explosion blows apart a giant chunk of the hill.
Swoosh… swoosh…
Two figures flash out of the smoke and dust.
Haah…
Izuna clenches his fist and hammers it on Mōryō's chest.
Bleurgh… Whoosh…
Mōryō pukes out a mouthful of blood and is sent flying.
BANG…
He collides with a nearby hill, collapsing it as a result.
Huff… Huff…
Izuna breathes heavily and wipes the sweat from his forehead. My chakra is rapidly draining because of the corrosive properties of negative chakra.
"Izuna-kun, are you ok?"
Miroku asks him in concern.
"I… I am… I am alright!"
Izuna waves his hand.
'Kurama, give me chakra, will you?'
'Ok!'
Kurama transfers a small part of his chakra to Izuna.
ROAR…
Mōryō roars in rage and blows apart the hill. A giant flood dragon with eight heads leaps out of the hill.
Each head charges an energy cannon and releases it at Izuna.
"Susanoo: Yata no Kagami,"
Izuna places a dark black chakra tower shield and blocks the beams of attack.
Roar… roar… roar…
The eight heads screech and surround Izuna.
Rip…
Izuna summons his full-body Susanoo and slashes apart all eight heads with a single slash.
Swirl…
All eight heads regenerate almost immediately and roar at Izuna. All of them open their mouth and charge another beam of negative chakra.
"As if I would let you do that!"
Swoosh…
The Susanoo flaps its wings and charges at Mōryō.
Slash…
Izuna makes a crisscross slash, destroying the eight heads again.
Swirl…
The negative chakra coalesces again and reforms Mōryō's body.
"So tenacious!" Izuna frown at the instantaneous regeneration of the giant flood dragon.
"Izuna, these abyssal creatures are spiritual life forms. They are almost immune to physical attacks. Attack them with powerful energy or a spiritual attack to kill them. Use the Dragon Blade to attack him. It should be able to get the job done." Genryū suggests him.
"Alright! It's worth a shot." Izuna summons the dragon blade from his storage.
Shiing…
He infuses light chakra into the dragon blade. The dragon blade quickly adjusts to the size of Susanoo and glows with a blue light.
Mōryō's giant dragon eye beads constrict as he feels trepidation from the blade.
"Human! I won't let you destroy our plan so easily. I will take you down with me."
Chomp… Chomp…
The central head rapidly chomps on other heads. After sacrificing seven other heads, the central head grows to an enormous size. A gigantic red crystal horn appears on the head.
Crack…
Mōryō snaps the giant crystal from its head and proceeds to stab it in his chest.
"Quick, stop him! He is about to perform a sacrificial move." Genryū's urgent voice echoes in Izuna's ears.
"Damnit! You are even more unreliable than Kurama." Izuna curses him and swings the giant blade towards the crystal core.
BOOM*
A gigantic explosion occurs at the point of impact. With the crystal and Izuna as an epicenter, a massive pillar of purple energy rises in the atmosphere. Multiple concentric rings of energy sweep through the air, clearing the clouds in the sky and illuminating the entire Land of Demons.
Rumble… Rumble…
Ground trembles incessantly as the shock waves travel through the entire continent.
Miroku closes her eyes as the remnant Susanoo blocks the shock wave.
After a few minutes, the dust and smoke slowly settle down to reveal a massive crater the size of an entire village. The black receiver turns into dust and the Susanoo evaporates into the air.
"Izuna-kun!"
Miroku hurriedly dashes towards the crater. From the top, she notices a gigantic humanoid gully. Silver and golden chakra flames flicker through the gully as nearly three-fourths of Izuna's Susanoo is blown to smithereens.
The remaining Susanoo dissipates as Izuna slowly rises from the gully.
Huff… huff…
He breathes heavily and stares at the aftermath of battle.
"I… I am fine. Just a little exhausted from the battle." Izuna waves his hand at Miroku.
"I… I didn't expect him to straight up blow himself once he started losing the battle. Unfortunately, I lost the truth-seeking orb given by the Sage of Six Paths. However, soon I will be able to make them on my own."
He dusts his clothes and slowly rises in the air.
"He isn't dead yet!" Genryū's words pour a bucket of cold water and drown his sense of victory.
"Damnit, Genyrū, if you don't speak; no one will consider you mute. Just speak everything in one go!" Izuna gets irritated at the bits and pieces of information given by the white dragon.
"Well… I…" Genryū hesitates for a bit before continuing.
"Every high-tier and above being of Abyss can self-destruct. Once they self-destruct, their spiritual body will dissipate and their soul will return to Abyss. You can't kill them unless you use the power of concept… the power of laws."
"You must have said that earlier. Still, I got a rough estimate of the strength of these Abyssal creatures from the previous fight. The low-tier soldiers should have the strength of chunnins and special jounins. Mid-tier soldiers should be around high-level Jounins to somewhere around the level of a Kage. As for high-tier soldiers like Mōryō can easily rival the likes of Hashirama Senju." Izuna speculates the threat level of Abyssal creatures.
"As for my current strength, I am stronger than Lord First by a huge margin; but I am still weaker than the Sage of Six Path. Then, I can assume the power of an Abyssal centurion to be around the level of an Otsutsuki member. Even if I am slightly weaker than them in terms of raw power; I can fully make up for it in terms of the arsenal of powerful jutsu and Rinne-Sharingan. I still have a chance against the possible centurion sealed in the HOLE," He tightly clutches his first.
"That old geezer is still as unreliable as ever. He didn't even tell me such important information." Izuna scolds the Sage of Six Paths in his mind.
"Are you alright?" Miroku hurriedly approaches him.
"Just some superficial wounds." Izuna shakes his head. He turns to Miroku as he recalls the purpose of his head.
"I have something important to ask of you."
"It's about the barrier in HOLE, right?" Miroku nods her head.
"Umm… yes… but how did you know?"
"I sensed it earlier. The Miko who sealed the demons in that place was from my clan, or to be exact, she is my predecessor. Our ancient clan existed long before the era of chakra. We once received help from a very powerful being as he taught us the various demon sealing rituals and granted us the power of spiritual reincarnation. Later, we awakened Reigan, and it became a part of Dojutsu's ability.
Land of Demons is our homeland. The people living in the HOLE are the members of the branch family responsible for maintaining the seal of Ama no Hoko." Miroku explains the origin of her clan.
"I… I see... that makes sense. So about the barrier…"
"Here!" Miroku passes the hexagonal sealing talisman to Izuna.
"This is the key to the barrier around the Ama no Hoko. It will allow you passage inside the barrier and will also help you search for Saezuri. Unfortunately, our branch doesn't have the sound pattern to activate it."
"It's okay! I have a way around it." Izuna grabs the seal and flies towards the HOLE.
"Itachi, Shisui, and the rest are still locked inside the barrier. I hope they are alright!" He increases his speed and disappears into the sky in the blink of an eye.
"The demon haunting the Land of Demons for centuries is finally dead. But somehow, I don't feel happy about it."
Sigh…
Miroku heaves a sigh of relief and stares at the ruins of the temple and shakes her head.
"Miko-sama! Miko-sama are you alright?"
Hanzo arrives near the crater with the remaining ten or so guards.
Hiss…
He gasps in horror at the sheer size of the crater.
"I am fine!"
Miroku stares at the beaten and battered expression of the Demon execution army guards.
"Let's return to the village and handle the situation there. This time, the village has suffered many casualties."
"Yes, Miko-sama!" Hanzo follows after Miroku as she returns to the village.
"Once we settle the situation at the village, I will make a trip to Konoha to fetch Shion."