Naruto: Escape From Konoha

Chapter 208: 204: Miko and Nine Tails Jinchuriki

Lost my phone...

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Returning to the shrine, the air was refreshingly clean, offering a sense of purification for the soul. However, within this clean atmosphere, a lingering chill prevailed. It wasn't merely from the seasonal weather changes but a more profound, penetrating cold.

The empty hall greeted Shiraishi as the first visitor of the day. The usual attendants and guards hadn't arrived yet. Beyond the curtain, the Miko sat, cradling a softly crying girl in her arms.

As Shiraishi approached, the Miko spoke, "Shiraishi-san arrived early."

"I sensed a change in the atmosphere over here and with the nineteen months you mentioned aligning with the recent birth, I came to see. All seems to be going well." Shiraishi looked at the child in the Miko's arms.

Shion.

"Shiraishi-san should be able to sense it with Sage Mode."

Shiraishi nodded in agreement, his expression serious. Despite feeling the Miko's current weakness, the crying baby had an aura similar to the Miko when they met for the first time. Not a human breath. Her power was evidently being transferred to the child.

"But is it really okay to transfer your power to her ?" Shiraishi asked, expressing his concern.

"It doesn't matter. As long as I'm alive, the demon's power won't touch the human world. And if I'm not around in the future, Shion will continue my work." The Miko said as if already accepting her fate.While sounding sad, there was no sorrow in her tone. She viewed it as her fate and responsibility, This intertwined fate with the demon had persisted since ancient times—a destiny the Miko bore.

After a brief exchange, Shiraishi followed her to the shrine's side hall. The side hall, not far from the main hall, took about a minute to reach. Its spacious interior featured a circular altar with mysterious seals. In the center, an ancient stone door remained tightly closed.

Purple-black mist seeped through the stone door's cracks like delicate silk strands. Even if the seal was flawless it couldn't stop the insidious intrusion from the demon on the other side.

As Shiraishi approached the stone gate, he felt an increasing mental pressure. The purple-black mist was like some kind of poison to humans. If it wasn't for his senjutsu chakra which protected him, ordinary ninjas would probably have been deprived of their sanity by this darkness if they came close to the door.

"This is..." Shiraishi began, even before the Miko could explain, he already had his suspicions.

"The altar where the demon is sealed. However, only the demon's soul is here..The body was sealed in a different ancestral hall of the Land Of Swamp."

The Land of Swamp, a neighboring country to the Land of Demons, wasn't part of Shiraishi's immediate plans due to its size and limited population. Once the Land of Honey and the Land of Bears situation were addressed, the Land of Swamp would be an easier target.

Placing the baby in the cradle, the Miko showed a rare smile.

Shiraishi observed Shion, Miroku, and then Shion again in the cradle, he narrowed his eyes. This wasn't his first encounter with the demon's power. Nineteen months ago, he sensed something was wrong. Now, using Sage Mode for a closer perception, he felt that matters were more complex than he had imagined.

The powers of the demon and the Miko were remarkably similar, with contrasting natures only in their manifestations.

The Miko's power exuded an inviolable and untouchable quality. The demon's power, however, seemed to gather all the dark and filthy aspects of human hearts, extending beyond ninjas to afflict humanity as a whole. Thinking deeply it hinted at the possibility that human sins birthed monsters like the demon.

"Miroku-sama, I want to confirm how long the seal here can continue to suppress the demon?"

Shiraishi looked at the stone gate in the altar, where the Miko's power lingered, albeit with a faint breath. If this persisted, it was only a matter of time before the seal weakened. So, he needed to make preparations for the demon's potential breach, preventing sudden chaos in the country.

According to his collected information, the last supernatural disaster not only disrupted the Land of Demons but also affected surrounding countries. He didn't want the country he had painstakingly built, to be ravaged by this demon.

Moreover, the location where the demons' soul was sealed lay deep within the Land Of Demons. The potential disaster upon the demons' escape would be immeasurable. After a brief hesitation, the Miko responded, "With my current power, I'm still suppress the demon for about five to ten years."

'Five to ten years??!' It sounded like an uncertain time. This wasn't favorable for Shiraishi.

"Then I'll have people from the Uzumaki Clan strengthen the seal and extend its release date."

The next five to ten years will be an important period for the Land Of Demons' development. Even if the demon wanted to break free, it must face a fully prepared defense.

"No, human sealing jutsus are useless ." The Miko shook her head and said calmly to Shiraishi.

Surprised, Shiraishi approached the ancient stone gate, pressing his palm against it while circulating Senjutsu Chakra in his body, covering the stone gate in the form of a seal. To his surprise, the gate was indeed covered by the Miko's sealing jutsu, with an additional layer, yet the double seal didn't reduce the purple-black mist. This implied that his sealing jutsu had no effect.

"It's truly strange that the four-element sealing is completely useless."

Obviously the sealing jutsu worked effectively against negative monsters like the Zero Tail, so why not the demon? Frowning, Shiraishi thought about the answer to this puzzling question.

"The demon isn't an ordinary creature. Its somehow a unique creatures naturally formed by combining all the darkness in the human heart with chakra. The only way to deal with them is to transform into the opposite 'substance' of the demon to restrain its actions."

"Can't we deal with the root cause?"

"Theoretically, we could eliminate the root cause by eradicating all human desires, and it would naturally disappear. Otherwise, killing once would only see human desiresre-intertwining again, creating a new one due to various karmas."

The darkness within human hearts sustained the demons' existence. Hearing the Miko's explanation, Shiraishi sighed, his suspicions confirmed.

"The reason we chose to seal rather than kill is, after death, it randomly resurrects somewhere around the world, making it challenging to find again. Additionally, the demon has wisdom surpassing that of ordinary people, making it troublesome to deal it when it goes dormant for a while."

Therefore, choosing to seal and suppress rather than kill the demon was the best strategy the Miko of the past could think of. Otherwise, if demon randomly resurrected somewhere in the world, lying dormant for centuries, the Miko's power might not pose a threat anymore.

"The Miko's fate is truly burdensome."

"It becomes bearable once you get used to it. In fact, Shiraishi-san also has the potential to become a 'Miko,'"

Shiraishi's mouth twitched, unsure how to respond.

"As long as you're is willing to shed your you, he can gain the power to restrain the demon. However, I understand this might not be something Shiraishi-san desires.Ater all, given the numerous desires in his heart compared to many other. people."

Shiraishi remained silent, acknowledging the Miko's perspective.

"Of course, having more desires doesn't necessarily mean evil. Distinguishing everything in the world as justice or evil is inherently narrow-minded. So, even if the demon was to wipe out humanity one day, the problem would still lie with humans. The root cause of this darkness is the countless wars waged by humans for thousands of years, making the demon strongest during times of war."

"Does Miroku-sama hate ninjas?"

"Indeed, including the Sage of the Six Paths, he's one of the Miko's least favorite person.. Blind trust in humans has spread Chakra, derived from the mutation of natural energy, among them, resulting in monsters capable of destroying humanity. This has burdened the Miko with unnecessary missions from the people of this country, imposing numerous responsibilities."

Walking towards the gate, the Miko seemed to addressing Shiraishi and at the same time conveying her thoughts to the demon on the other side.

"If it weren't for this mission, I could have led the life of an ordinary girl and enjoyed the happiness of 'freedom,'"

However, behind the gate, only chilling sneers and a mocking voice echoed.

"Sorry, Shiraishi-san, I seem to be talking too much." The Miko wore an apologetic smile..

"It's okay. You're right. Humans often force their will on others, including me. At least, you seem more like a human, aren't you?" She nodded.

Even the Miko had emotions and desires, but due to the necessity of training their special powers, she skillfully concealed them in normal times. Occasionally, she willingly vented about life, releasing the pressure and burden in her heart, accumulating negative emotions. Perhaps when it exploded, she might transform into another demon.

"Shiraishi-san, I think you're thinking about something impolite." The Miko appeared to have seen through Shiraishi's heart, looking straight at him.

"No, I just admire the Miko throughout the ages. They are loyal and responsible for guarding humanity."

"Guardian? It's not so much a guardian; it would better to perhaps say it is the obsession left by the First Miko."

"Obsession?"

"Hmm." The Miko looked lovingly at her daughter in the cradle, smiling at Shiraishi: "Perhaps one of the ancient Miko and the Dldemon are actually one and the same. After all, chakra is a wonderful power, it could probably give self-awareness."

....

After staying in the shrine for less than an hour, Shiraishi walked out. Between the mountainside, Shiraishi raised his head to look at the shrine far away from the earthly fireworks. Before leaving the shrine, he also received a positive answer from the Miko.

She would arrange for the Land Of Honey; there was no need to deliberately make other arrangements. When the time was right, the Land Of Honey would be annexed of the Land Of Demons. And the second thing...

Shiraishi looked at the purple scroll in his hand, sighing in his heart. He really didn't want to be a 'Miko'.

The scroll recorded the method necessary for the Miko. It was a system very different from the current chakra and Sage Mode systems. It could be used to seal all kinds of creatures, even tailed beasts, which could be easily sealed after mastering the seals recorded in the scroll. However, the cost of using the seals was also very heavy.

That is to break away from the system of being a "human" and turning into a special "being" to exist in the world. It appears to still be a human, but the essence had become a strange creature similar to the demon. Although it was tempting to easily suppress powers like the tailed beasts, the disadvantage was the reduced threat to humans.

It had special attack power against monsters, tailed beasts, and other creatures. At the same time, one had to ensure that the mind was clean, there shouldn't be too much filth otherwise, the strength would be weakened... When he thought of Ruri and Ayane, he felt that being a Miko would be too difficult for him.

He looked at the sky, with some time left before it got dark, and the research work on tailed beast and the Zero Tail would continue. So, he carefully put away the scroll given to him. Although he couldn't use it himself, there were some useful methods inside. He felt that he could find a different way, which could be used for reference in Sage Mode and enhance the effect of sealing and sensory ninjutsu.

On the way to the research institute, Ayane walked towards him.

"Shiraishi-kun, there's an important information from Konoha."

"Important information? Has Kumo made any new moves?" If there was any important information from Konoha, fromt the existing intelligence, Shiraishi could draw a conclusion that it was related to Kumo's movements.

"It has nothing to do with Kumo." Ayane shook her head. "They probably don't want to fight against Konoha for the time being. They just harass the Land Of Fire's border without any plan, with back and forth skirmishes with Konoha's border ninja troops. The important information I'm talking about is the Nine Tails Jinchuriki - Uzumaki Kushina is pregnant."

"The Nine Tails Jinchuriki is pregnant?"

Shiraishi eyes narrowed; as Ayane said, this was indeed an important piece of information.

.....

Konoha.

In a room in the Hokage Building, a total of five people participated in this important meeting.

The Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato.

The Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The former root leader Shimura Danzo, still suspended

And the two, Homura and Koharu.

Uzumaki Kushina's pregnancy wasn't a trivial matter, and it wasn't related to Konoha's survival, but it couldn't be taken lightly.

Uzumaki Kushina wasn't only the wife of the Fourth Hokage but also Konoha's extremely important Jinchuriki with the strongest tailed beast. The Nine Tails. This meant her pregnancy wasn't just a matter for her alone but a major event for the entire Konoha, which must be taken seriously.

Currently, whether it was the retired Third Hokage or the advisors, they had all let go of their prejudices. Their meeting this time only had one topic, and that was how to ensure Uzumaki Kushina's smooth delivery during childbirth, then protect her personal safety.

"Kushina has faced two major crises in the past. She was almost abducted by Kumo spies who sneaked into the village, but Minato stopped it. The second, the defection incident five years ago, she was controlled by Uchiha Ruri with her Sharingan, causing significant damage to the Northeast Konoha area and the Forest Of Death." Koharu spoke first, proving her concern about the pregnancy of Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

"At that time, the rebellion from ninjas inside wasn't expected, and the ninja war involved most of Konoha's energy, which gave them an opportunity. But it also means that even inside Konoha, it isn't absolutely safe. I think that Kushina's protection can be raised to another level." Homura nodded and expressed his concern as well.

"Regarding that, third-sama has already communicated with me in advance, and decided to send two additional Anbu squads. I also decided that Kakashi will lead a squad of Anbu to protect Kushina. In addition, Kushina originally had two other Anbu guards. There are a total of twenty Anbu to protect her. To be on the safe side, I also put a special Flying Thunder God Kunai beside her."

Minato gave a brief overview of Kushina's security situation at the moment. There were many Anbu, with more than half of them being Jonin. The abilities involved in these Anbu covered sensory, ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, secret jutsu, medical ninjutsu, sealing jutsu, barrier, and other fields. In addition to the Flying Thunder God Kunai he left behind, as long as Chakra is infused into the Kunai, he can sense it through ninjutsu, and he can go to support it anytime and anywhere.

Regarding Minato's arrangement, Hiruzen and the others nodded in agreement. Indeed, even the Hokage couldn't enjoy this level of protection, and no matter what enemy they encountered, it was impossible to break in the first place. Considering the importance of Kushina to Konoha, it was reasonable to have this level of protection.

Following the discussion of Minato and others, they gradually improved the protection system around Kushina to ensure that even if Kushina herself had any problems, they could support her until the arrival of reinforcements.

Whether it was Minato or Hiruzen, they all understood the importance of Kushina.

During the pregnancy, until the moment of childbirth, Anbu's concentrated power to protect Kushina would only become stronger and stronger. This also meant that the Anbu's power will be further shrunk in the village, and the Jonins will also minimize the time spent on missions to strengthen the village's defense capabilities.

"Not only that, but the Jinchuriki has to cut off contact with the Uchiha clan before giving birth." Danzo, who had been silent all the time, spoke suddenly. Seeing the four people looking over, he didn't hesitate at all and expressed his opinion: "Uzumaki Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto of the Uchiha clan have a close relationship, and you can't underestimate the Uchiha. If the Uchiha understand the delivery period of the Jinchuriki, there may be a catastrophe."

Danzo's remarks weren't groundless. The defection incident that night five years ago, the huge loss caused to Konoha, was still vividly remembered by everyone.

The Uchiha were capable of using the Sharingan to control tailed beasts. Such things must be prevented from happening and cut off from the root.

After all, when the defection happened that night, Kushina's identity as a Jinchuriki could no longer be concealed, she was exposed to the eyes of many people. Even if the gag order was issued, with the power of the Uchiha clan, it wouldn't be difficult to know.

"Danzo's words aren't unreasonable. Uchiha Madara back then, and Uchiha Ruri a few years ago, they could use Sharingan to control tailed beasts. For Kushina's safety, let her be patient for a while. When a female Jinchuriki gives birth, the seal is the weakest at that time, and all potential hidden dangers must be removed."

Koharu and Homura both agreed with Danzo's proposal..After thinking for a while, Minato and Hiruzen also nodded in agreement. #xtraordinary times needed to be treated with extreme means. The most important job at present was to ensure the safety of Kushina, not only the Uchiha clan, but also some unnecessary contacts. During this period, certain restrictions must be made.

In short, people who know that Kushina was pregnant and the approximate date of delivery, except for those in the high level, were only the Anbu who participated in the mission.

After the meeting, the five people left one after another.

Minato came to the roof of the building, looking at the street view of Konoha, as if he wanted to let out the boredom in his heart. Not long after, Kakashi appeared not far behind him.

"Hokage-sama."

"According to what I said before, Kushina's safety is in your hands, Kakashi." Minato turned around, with a serious face, and said seriously to Kakashi.

Kakashi is currently his most trusted subordinate, only letting the Anbu directly under Hiruzen, protect Kushina didn't make Minato particularly relieved.

This wasn't because he was afraid that Hiruzen would be detrimental to Kushina. On the matter of protecting Kushina, he and the Third Hokage stood on the same firm footing. Any dangerous elements who wanted to harm Kushina must be eliminated without mercy. He let Kakashi, his most trustworthy subordinate, be in charge of Kushina's safety, not only for Konoha's safety but also because he wanted to do his part for his wife.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Go."

Kakashi nodded, and his figure disappeared from the spot.

Although Minato trusted him a lot, Kakashi knew that he wasn't the kind of person Minato expected. Though Minato placed great trust in him, he knew he wasn't the man Minato believed him to be. He was grateful yet conflicted by Minato's unquestionable trust, torn between his duties as a spy and a Konoha ninja.

But.... whenever Kakashi thought of that man, who once served Konoha honorably but met a shameful end by his own sword... He knew the path he wanted to take and the path Konoha wanted to take were two parallel lines that would never meet.

Revenge!

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