Naruto entry.

Chapter 122 The Last Straw Breaks the Shrine Maiden's Heart

Chapter 122 The Last Straw Breaks the Shrine Maiden's Heart

There are too many terracotta warriors on the field now, so "Rasengan" only deals single-target damage and is useless.

Only the "Sword Shadow Clone Technique" can be considered a large-scale technique that can restrain these terracotta warriors.

However, it also consumes a lot of chakra.

"Those volcanic entrances surrounded by shimenawa (sacred ropes) are the 'Shrines of Sealing.'"

This was also Maitreya's first time here.

I learned these things from my mother.

The so-called shimenawa is a straw rope with oranges inserted into it, and a series of white paper pendants hanging from it. Intricate sealing techniques are inscribed on the pendants to strengthen the seal on the demon's body and stabilize the volcanic magma here.

"You need to send me there."

The priestess spoke.

Minato Namikaze nodded. It was simple. He just needed to throw the specially made kunai there and then use the "Flying Thunder God Technique" to teleport the priestess there.

Boom!

The ninjas from the Land of Demons saw the arrival of the priestess and others.

Suddenly, a large dark cloud began to gather, with thunder roaring incessantly within, guarding the entrance. Anyone who went through would inevitably be struck by lightning.

"A combination ninjutsu of the ninjas from the Land of Demons?"

Kiyoshi secretly said.

These techniques also appeared in the movie. The final solution was for Neji, Sakura, and Lee to keep dodging, and then jump out to counterattack when they ran out of chakra and needed to consume the worms to restore their chakra.

"Lord Minato, let me do it."

Qing Si volunteered.

"The Flying Thunder God Technique shouldn't be usable in this situation."

"Kiyoshi, what are you planning to do?"

Minato Namikaze nodded.

The idea of ​​using a spell to teleport there was abandoned.

He could dodge the lightning with his reflexes, but he couldn't guarantee that the witch on his back wouldn't get hurt.

While the speed of space-time ninjutsu like the "Flying Thunder God Technique" is fast enough to be the fastest in the ninja world, its biggest drawback is that it requires marking.

Only marked places can be teleported.

This is why he made many specially made trident kunai, so that Flying Thunder God could mark other places more quickly.

However, this is limited by the speed of the kunai; he can only teleport to the location marked on the kunai based on its location.

These dense bolts of lightning would likely shatter the kunai immediately.

His suffering is nothing but a special chakra metal.

"My ninja sword can guide lightning, allowing me to rush into that lightning-filled area, but I need your support."

Qing Si said calmly.

His knife is very sturdy; you can try it.

Kiyoshi immediately summoned his ninja sword and tied the special rubber cord from his ninja tool pouch to the hilt.

These rubbers are not ordinary rubbers; they are a raw material used to make ninja tools. After processing, they have excellent heat and wear resistance, and are also good insulators.

He knows the Uchiha's "Shurikenjutsu," which allows him to remotely control his ninja sword to catch an electric current and then guide the current to insert it into the ground.

Minato Namikaze discerned Kiyoshi's intentions from his actions, and solemnly nodded, saying:

"I understand, Kiyoshi. We will help you create opportunities."

Minato Namikaze summoned Asuma Sarutobi, Kakashi, and a few others for a tactical discussion.

Sarutobi Asuma and Kakashi led the way, while Obito was responsible for guiding the terracotta warriors gathered together toward the cliff near the entrance.

Kurenai Yuhi used genjutsu to cut off the back row and disrupt the Land of Demons ninjas who were using combination ninjutsu.

Nohara Rin treated the wounded.

Other soldiers and guards from the Land of Swamp also joined Sarutobi Asuma and Kakashi in fighting against the massive, dark mass of terracotta warriors.

As for himself, he took charge of most of the ninjas in the Land of Demons.

Try to reduce the number of ninjas involved in combined ninjutsu.

"Then please come up, Your Highness the Shrine Maiden."

Kiyoshi crouched down slightly, gesturing for the shrine maiden to climb onto his back.

Maitreya nodded, hooked her arms around Kiyoshi's neck, and wrapped her round legs around Kiyoshi's waist.

Kiyoshi jumped twice to see if the priestess would fall.

"Your Highness, please be careful. I will do everything in my power to help you."

Zusi, the guard beside Maitreya, spoke up.

After traveling all this way, he came to a realization: no matter what the priestess was like, she was the most perfect being in his heart!

Thank you.

Maitreya nodded.

Even though he had done something wrong, these guards remained so loyal.

This made her feel increasingly ashamed of herself.

"Let's begin."

At Minato Namikaze's command, they took the lead in clearing the way for Kiyoshi.

He swung a huge shuriken.

The enormous shuriken flew rapidly toward the ninjas from the Land of Demons, transforming in mid-air into numerous tiny blue shuriken, like a dense barrage of needles.

Obito also unleashed a fireball, causing an explosion. The resulting gust of wind pushed the terracotta warriors behind him onto the cliff, where they fell into the river below.

The Sand Village was the most efficient; they overheard Minato Namikaze's arrangements from behind.

He used a Wind Release ninjutsu without affecting the Konoha ninjas.

The Wind Release ninjutsu blew the terracotta warriors together in clumps, and then hurled them off the cliff in clumps.

"Be careful, Kiyoshi."

Kurenai Yuhi said worriedly.

"I know."

Kiyoshi carried the shrine maiden and rushed over, using the terracotta warriors' heads for leverage as he jumped.

"Fasten it tighter yourself."

Kiyoshi drew one hand, holding a ninja sword, preparing to set off the lightning strike.

Upon hearing this, the shrine maiden immediately tightened her grip, hanging on Kiyoshi's back as if she were suspended in mid-air.

It's exactly the same as Naruto carrying Shion on his back.

"Stop them!"

Yomi was furious and urged the ninjas of the Land of Demons to stop Kiyoshi, who was constantly approaching.

Lord Wangliang is currently in the cave breaking the seal on his physical body, so we must buy some time.

"That Konoha ninja is too fast."

The Land of Demons' Ninja Way, which has mutated into having four arms.

Moreover, another blond-haired ninja was constantly reducing their numbers, leaving them with very little energy to stop him.

Seeing this, Huang Quan prepared to personally intervene.

Minato Namikaze teleported over and said, "Your opponent is me."

With the opportunities created by various parties, Qing Si quickly arrived at the entrance, which was shrouded in dark clouds and filled with thunder.

Whenever lightning strikes, Kiyoshi throws his ninja sword to catch the lightning and then guides it into the ground.

After guiding the lightning, it was quickly pulled out again to block the next lightning strike.

Each time, the ninja sword would be smashed deep into the ground, requiring great effort to pull it out quickly.

These lightning bolts were ultimately lightning-style ninjutsu, not natural lightning, so Kiyoshi was able to keep moving forward.

The ninjutsu tradition of the Land of Demons is nowhere near that of the Great Powers. The ninjutsu of these ninjas is not very good either; they have only increased their chakra after being influenced by the demons.

Before long, Kiyoshi finally arrived at the entrance.

The priestess hurriedly climbed down, leaning against the cold wall to catch her breath.

The series of actions that had just taken, many of which she found extremely dangerous.

Kiyoshi was able to detect the speed of the electric current, which was barely visible to the naked eye, and throw his lightning-avoiding ninja sword.

Kiyoshi wiped away the charred ash from the ninja sword. The sword was somewhat deformed and needed to be taken to the Ninja Cat Clan for maintenance.

This money, of course, should be paid by... the shrine maiden.

Kiyoshi looked at the shrine maiden.

The shrine maiden was at a loss for words under Kiyoshi's gaze.

He opened his mouth and said:

"Let's go in quickly."

After saying that, Miroku glanced at the guards who were constantly fighting against the ninjas and terracotta warriors of the Land of Demons outside the cave, and even some civilians of the Land of Demons ran over.

This scene left her with mixed feelings.

Ultimately, she also bears undeniable responsibility.

The only way to make amends now is to use one's own life to seal away the demon.

Maitreya looked back and walked a dozen steps into the dimly lit cave, only to find that it was still very deep and he would have to walk at least several dozen meters through winding paths to reach it.

Furthermore, the demon would definitely deploy a large number of terracotta warriors around it for protection.

Miroku discovered that Kiyoshi hadn't followed, because there was no sound of footsteps at all.

Just as he was about to turn around and ask, Kiyoshi spoke first.

"Your Highness, you will die after sealing away the demons, won't you?"

Kiyoshi looked outside and said.

Upon hearing Kiyoshi's voice, Miroku paused in his steps.

"This is the fate of us priestesses."

Her tone was dejected as she spoke.

Was the ancestral precept passed down from generation to generation meant to prevent the emergence of a second generation of evil spirits, or to maintain the shrine maiden's transcendent status?

Maitreya himself did not know.

After all, the breaking of the seal by the demons has not been frequent over the past thousand years.

In other words, most priestesses have a peaceful end.

However, once the demon breaks free of its seal, the current priestess will have to... die.

This is what all priestesses do; it's the only way to seal away evil spirits.

"Things have come to this point, and I must atone for my sins."

The priestess sighed deeply and took out a bell-shaped magical artifact.

This magical artifact can suppress the power of a priestess, and it can also store the priestess's chakra.

She will die after sealing away the demon today, so all that can be left is some of the priestess's chakra.

With the help of this chakra and the complete shrine maiden sealing technique passed down in the Land of Demons, all we can do is pray that future generations can cultivate new shrine maidens.

This time, she chooses to destroy the soul of the demon, which will likely give the Land of Demons hundreds of years to choose a new priestess.

She turned around, and her mature and voluptuous figure exuded an air of sophistication in the shadowy passageway.

Originally noble and sacred, she now possessed a touch of the compassion of a saint.

Miroku raised his eyelids, wanting Kiyoshi to take this bell-shaped magical artifact back to the Land of Demons.

"Please take this back for me, thank you, Uchiha... Kiyoshi."

In the main hall, Miroku learned of Kiyoshi's name through Minazuki Yuuki.

She had only heard it once, but it left a strange impression on her.

"Um?"

Maitreya extended his palm, which was as smooth and white as mutton fat, with a bell-shaped ritual implement in the middle.

She held it up for a while, but found that Kiyoshi didn't react at all.

"you……"

Miroku felt a surge of anger. He was distracted at such a crucial moment, while the people of the Land of Demons outside were still fighting a bloody battle!

Every extra minute of delay could result in more people getting injured.

She instinctively wanted to scold Kiyoshi.

The sound in his throat couldn't be uttered.

The cave was dimly lit, making it impossible for Miroku to see Kiyoshi's figure clearly.

Kiyoshi seemed to be checking if anyone was outside before slowly turning around.

A strange sense of familiarity stirred within Maitreya.

The family crest on the Flame Fan just now was... fiery red.

The small roller hanging from the waist swayed gently with the movement.

Maitreya instantly realized that this was the moment of "death according to prophecy".

But who was the one who died?

Is he a citizen of the Land of Demons outside, or is he Uchiha Kiyoshi standing before him?

Or perhaps it was herself?

"Your Highness, you wouldn't want the people of the Land of Demons to be destroyed, would you?"

The exact same question as in the dream appeared.

Those eerie, scarlet eyes.

And... ominous chakra.

A sense of unease suddenly arose in Maitreya's heart.

But she couldn't find the source.

The "Prophecy of Death" consists of only random fragments, which she, as a priestess, cannot control and can only passively accept.

"Of course I don't want to. I am the priestess of the Land of Demons, and I have a duty to protect it."

Maitreya's tone remained dignified and noble.

"I have a method to increase the success rate of sealing demons. I wonder if Your Highness, the Priestess, could lend me a hand?"

"Could it be that Konoha developed a sealing technique for this? No, could it be the Uchiha?"

Maitreya blurted it out.

The Land of Fire is a major power in the world, and the Uchiha clan is one of the most prominent clans within that country.

It's normal to have some coping methods.

After a priestess seals away a demon, she always pays the price with her life.

Therefore, the tradition and experience in this area are very scarce, and Miroku was not sure whether he could fulfill the mission of the priestess.

The better the chance of increasing the sealing probability.

"No, it's my personal method, um... you can think of it as a folk remedy."

Kiyoshi said this.

In the entire ninja world, only he could do this.

It is truly unique.

Isn't this what they call a folk remedy?

"What...method?"

Maitreya instinctively sensed that something was wrong.

She suppressed the feeling and asked Kiyoshi.

But Kiyoshi didn't say anything.

Maitreya raised his eyes and suddenly felt a burning gaze.

No... that can't be right.

An absurd guess surfaced in Maitreya's mind.

How could Kiyoshi possibly...

Then she saw Kiyoshi's smile.

His smile held an eerie quality, and an ominous aura seemed to be overflowing from him.

Miroku even had a misconception that the Konoha ninja standing here were more qualified to bear the name of the demon than the demon himself!

"I don't understand you."

Maitreya paused in his speech.

"I trusted Princess Shrine Maiden completely. Even if you were in danger, I would be the first to rush to your aid, wouldn't I?"

"Yes."

Miroku nodded. That was indeed the case. Kiyoshi's courage and his ninja way deserved praise.

"The priestess has suspicions about the daimyo, but she hasn't taken any action yet. Am I right about that?"

"Yes."

Maitreya nodded again.

"Then I want your self-proof, to prove you won't betray us. What if you still have feelings for Daimyo?"

"Impossible, I'm not the kind of person who would abandon the land of demons."

Maitreya quickly retorted.

But the man on the other end didn't seem to believe it at all.

Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't utter a word.

How should I put it?

She did exactly that.

They certainly have the right to have such doubts.

step... step... step...

At the end of the corridor, one can also hear the synchronized footsteps of the terracotta warriors.

Even the sound of magma flowing underground could be clearly heard.

But what's clearer is the sound of fighting, screams, and cries for help from the outside world.

And then there were the relentless explosions, thunder, and buzzing...

Maitreya could imagine the arduous battle that must be taking place outside.

Guilt, self-blame, and regret surged into her heart once again.

To put it bluntly, as soon as there's a hint of something, they immediately confirm it, then seal it away after leaving behind a legacy.

No tragedy will happen.

"The Priestess will save our Land of Demons; she is a goddess descended from heaven! Everyone, let's do our best!"

Ultimately, it was the sounds of fighting outside with the Terracotta Warriors and the whispers of the footsteps that broke the last straw in Maitreya's heart.

(End of this chapter)