"Border closure?"
In the Daimyo Mansion in the Land of Wind, Suna's Fourth Kazekage Rasa, looked at the Wind Daimyo sitted on the main seat with puzzled eyes and asked about what it meant.
The Wind Daimyo appeared slightly bloated but responded calmly to Rasa: "The Ghost Army in the Land of Demons has revived. As the Kazekage, you should have heard about it."
"Yes."
The Ghost Army, also known as the Terracotta Army, consisted of special puppet soldiers made of solid rock. The abilities of these stone puppets even surpassed most puppet masters in Suna. Contrary to traditional puppets, these stone soldiers could be controlled remotely, and the maximum number under control was astonishing.
However, Rasa felt relieved knowing that these stone statue soldiers weren't controlled by humans but rather handed down from ancient times by something else. And thay something has existed since ancient times.
It was rumored that, during the era when the Sage of the Six Paths was active, monsters, not ninjas, dominated the world. The ninja world fell into chaos, with countless and different kinds of them born, feeding on humans..
Among them, there was one such powerful demon. A wandering woman called a Miko defeated the demon at that time. The demon's essence was separated.The soul was sealed in the main shrine of the Land of Demon, while the body was sealed in the ancestral temple of the neighboring Land of Swamp.
The countries surrounding the Land of Demons, like the Land of Swamp and the Land of Honey, were grateful for the Miko's' contributions, they held them in high regard.
Afterwards, the Land of Demons abolished the daimyo system, becoming the only country in the ninja world without a daimyo. The Miko prohibited the role of daimyo. However, these events were ancient, and Rasa could only glean information from ancient texts.
Whether the ancient demon or the Sage of the Six Paths, they remain existences of myth. No matter how powerful the demon is, it should be, at most on the level of a tailed beast.
Rasa who possessed the ability to seal a tailed beast, dismissed the demon in the Land of Demons. This brought into question the Daimyo's decision to block the country's border. In Rasa's perspective, it was an unnecessary fuss.
"The demon is different from tailed beasts, it is a somewhat special creature." The Wind Daimyo cast a penetrating gaze at Rasa.
"Special creature?"
"It is different from tailed beasts who are made up of pure chakra." The Daimyo slowly waved his fan as he explained. "It's a unique creature born from the amalgamation of various negative human emotions and chakra. In essence, it embodies the dark consciousness deep within the human heart. Humans are mortal, the demon is immortal."
"If it is indeed similar to a tailed beast...as long as sealing jutsu is used..."
Rasa was about to respond when he got interrupted. The Daimyo took a deep look at him, "You are human. As a human, you have evil thoughts, darkness, and all kind of desires. In such cases, you become nothing more than food for the demon. This shows you should understand the importance of the Miko. Their lineage is likely already inhuman."
Rasa fell into silence. It was indeed the first time he had encountered such information. Does sealing really require an existence without evil thoughts? The Daimyo, being in his position, wouldn't fabricate such matters.
If that was the case, the demon seems to be a natural disaster born to annihilate humanity. It was no wonder the Daimyo believed Suna would be powerless against the demon. It was an existence beyond human capacity to seal.
"Didn't Chiyo and Ebisu inform you about this as Kazekage?" The Daimyo asked strangely.
The true nature of the Mik wasn't a closely guarded secret for the high-ranking officials of the five major nations.
In Suna, the siblings, who had assisted the second and third Kazekage, couldn't be ignorant of the Land of Demon's secrets.
Hearing the question from the Daimyo, Rasa sighed and replied, "Actually, the two elders are already in semi-retirement due to their advanced age and the stable situation in Suna. They haven't inquired about the affairs of the village for about three or four years."
The two siblings were older than Konoha's Third Hokage. Additionally, during the third Ninja World War, Chiyo sustained injuries. Following the war, they had decided to go into retirement.
Their semi-retirement was to pave the way for Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, preventing Suna from descending into power struggles and conflicts. Now, with the situation in the village stabilized, the siblings naturally retreated into retirement.
The Daimyo nodded, and commented, "So that's the case; no wonder you're unaware. To handle the demon and it's army, only the Miko's power is reliable. Ninjas have no advantage against such an entity and it may only lead to unnecessary sacrifices."
In this context, Rasa's lack of awareness made sense. The Miko were indeed mysterious figures in the ninja world. Rasa who has been busy with Suna's construction and military strength restoration, naturally paid little attention to another country..
In fact, if the Ghost Army hadn't broken out recently, the other countries would likely have forgotten about the existence of the Miko.
"Given this situation, blocking the countries border isn't unnecessary. I'll quickly organize manpower to prevent those ghost army from encroaching upon the Land of Wind's border."
"Well, I'll be leaving it to you then."
The Wind Daimyo displayed no concern for such matters. While the ninjas might not be able to defeat the demon, stopping the army under the demon posed no significant challenge.
Sealing the demon remained the duty of the Miko, which is why the five major countries permitted the Land of Demons to exist as a neutral entity.
"Speaking of which, during the third ninja world war, we borrowed a large sum of loan from the Purple Rose Merchant Association in the Land of Demons, and now the repayment date will be due in a month or two. If the loan needs to be repaid... will daimyo-sama be able to help?"
Rasa looked at the Daimyo with some embarrassment.
Sunagakure's construction consumed a large amount of funds. To repay the loan from the Purple Rose Merchant Association, they couldn't manage it on their own. Hence, Rasa hoped the Daimyo would equally share the loan repayment.
Upon hearing this, the Daimyo paused briefly, abruptly opening his narrowed eyes as if waking from sleep "Kazekage, as you know, the Land of Wind is a poor country within this desert, we even lack enough water and food annually..."
Compared to the other four major countries, the Land of Wind indeed faced financial constraints. Yet, in comparison to smaller countries, the Land of Wind still possessed remarkable financial resources. However, Rasa wisely refrained from mentioning such facts at this moment, as it might bruise the pride of the illustrious Land of Wind.
"Take a few more years of leniency... after some years, we'll reconsider it."
The Daimyo neither refused nor committed to immediately repaying the loan for Suna. But Rasa understood the underlying meaning, the Land of Wind likely intended to indefinitely delay the repayment or no repayment at all.
"If that's the case, won't you be offending the Miko too much..."
"The Land of Demons is the Land of Demons, and the Miko is the Miko. The Miko doesn't interfere in human affairs. In the end, they were bound there by the powerless people of the Land of Demons in ancient times. It wasn't voluntary. Their unique ability to deal with the darkest evil spirits stems from their extraordinary nature. The reason why they've always lived away from the human world is because they can't look directly at the darkness in people's hearts."
The Wind Daimyo spoke slowly, showing no concern on how the Miko might react. For the Miko, humans in any country were indistinguishable, and they have no inclination to govern a country.
They resided in their shrine, ignoring the world, ensuring the sanctity of their soul. Venturing into the world would expose them to the world's darkness, thereby robbing them of the ability to confront monsters.
Rasa pondered this revelation, not expecting such a distinction between Miko and the Land of Demons. So, isn't the Land of Demons a country without a ruler?
....
When Suna in the Land of Wind closed their borders, the Land of Earth neighboring the Land of Demons, also enlisted the ninjas from Iwagakure to block the borders almost at the same time to prevent the invasion of the ghost army.
There was a report that an Iwa Jōnin squad had unfortunately died in the line of duty while battling the ghost army.
Swords, shurikens, kunai, and exploding tags were basically useless against the ghost army. They couldn only rely on earth release jutsu to alter the terrain and limit the marching speed of the ghost army, but the effect was minimal.
Moreover, the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire, relatively distant from the Land of Demons, remained unaffected.
The Land of Water, across the sea from the Land of Demons, were far from the disaster but symbolically dispatched ninja troops to coastal areas for defense.
As the main warring country, the Land of Demons had entered a state of war preparedness long before the major powers took action.
Various towns, under military control, implemented a comprehensive blockade policy.
The central mountains, southern forests, and western coastal areas became the primary battlefields for intense clashes against the ghost army. However, even as the main battlefield, it was dominated by diversionary warfare.
The stone statue soldiers were invulnerable to fire and water, even challenging to penetrate with swords and guns. Even engaging them with their human body alone unwise. Learning from the Iwa group, they used earth jutsu to alter the terrain, engaging in a tug-of-war.
While the Land of Demons's army was in action, Shiraishi, the military leader, had already left for the Land of Swamp, where Moryo's body was sealed.
Compared with the Land of Demons, the Land of Swamp suffered more severe consequences. Many villages and towns were destroyed by the ghost army due to insufficient time to build defensive measures and a lack of ninja power. Fortunately, the evacuation order was issued in time, no large number of casualties were caused.
Moreover, the Land of Swamp was originally a small country with a small land and few people, which greatly avoided all kinds incidents during refuge intake.
Smoky villages, fields, and roads were severely damaged.
A large number of stone soldiers passed through the deserted village, causing the earth to shake.
Standing on top a tree, watching these stone soldiers cross the border, Shiraishi pondered for a while.
His shadow suddenly extended, flowing down the trunk to the ground, transforming into a dark shadow blade sweeping towards the stone soldiers.
The Shadow Blade, like a sharp sword, cut through their' legs, leaving a smooth, mirror-like surface.
Hundreds of stone soldiers raised their heads simultaneously, their scarlet eyes fixed on Shiraishi. They raised their arms and made a throwing motion. The dense stone blades, like raindrops, attacked Shiraishi.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The thrown stone blades, with their terrifying weight, exploded with a great force, causing more destruction than exploding tags.
Trees fell one by one, creating a rumbling collapse.
Shiraishi swiftly maneuvered between the trees, dodging the stone blades launched into the forest. Although he wasn't accustomed to direct combat, he skillfully handled the projectile attacks with his physical abilities. And there was Shadow Dancer who blocked most of the onslaught making it easier.
"Have we been noticed?"
Shiraishi's eyes narrowed. Unlike the stone soldiers in the Land of Demons, those in the Land of Swamp could defend and counterattack, quickly identifying the enemy's position and launching fierce attacks.
Clearly, the demon's body was located in the Land of Swamp, making it more dangerous and concentrated, far surpassing the stone soldiers in the Land of Demons.
"But, information collection is almost complete now." Shiraishi murmured to himself. "Next, we only need to verify one last point. Then, it will be time to go to the volcano shrine to end this."
When facing supernatural creatures like monsters and demons, the conventional ninja fighting methods were futile. He had tried several times in the past, even the Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsu used in suppressing demons had no effect. Of course, the "demons" referred to by ninjas were tailed beast.
Chakra was merely the external manifestation. The essence of demons had always been the dark recesses of the heart. Only a special "inhuman" specie like that of the Miko could exert any suppressive effect. However, the Miko had their own ways, and Shiraishi had his own considerations.
In any case, he was Shion's godfather, and the Miko had helped him extensively over the years. Now was the natural time to contribute what he could instead of sitting idly by. It was truly pitiful for the Miko to bear the tragic fate of mankind for thousands of years alone.
"Welll... aren't you the ninja who often follows that damn Miko? I recognize your energy." An eerie voice suddenly rang in Shiraishi's ear.
Shiraishi dodged on instinct but was still a step too late. A cloud of purple-black fog emerged from the dark woods and enveloped his entire body in an instant.
"Hmm?"
A muffled voice of confusion came from within the mist. Then some strong force resisted, bouncing the purple-black fog off Shiraishi's body, lightening its color.
Shiraishi jumped back with a blank expression, eyeing the purple-black fog warily. He knew the Moryo's consciousness resided within.
"You avoided my sensory ninjutsu and sneak attacked me. Apart from negating it completely, I'm afraid sensory ninjutsu is probably useless against you."
"What a brilliant counterattack." The dark consciousness within the purple-black haze praised Shiraishi. "Human, you are far more interesting than I thought."
"You should know your darkness has no effect on me."
"... you who can skillfully use natural energy as an outer shield around your body can rightly claim that. What do you say, do you want to join forces with me? I can grant you more power. Natural energy is interesting but the dark power from the human heart is far more interesting." Moryo attempted to tempt Shiraishi.
"I don't wish to become your puppet. Besides, I've seen through your tricks." Shiraishi claimed confidently.
"Heh, such arrogance. Humans, always so arrogant and hypocritical, you're obviously terrified. However no matter how powerful a ninja is, they cannot defeat me. I will advise you not to come to the ancestral hall. The only one in this world who can oppose me is the Miko."
Toying with the darkness inside the human heart, Moryo didn't fear any so-called jutsu from ninjas. At best, Shiraishi with his natural energy could barely protect himself from him
Shiraishi didn't refute him. Indeed, even mastering natural energy, he couldn't seal the demon away. There were too many selfish desires within his heart, defects intrinsic to being human. As long as those defects existed, they would be exploited and swallowed whole by the demon.
"We will meet again. One day, I will make you submit. When that time comes, you will see my dark kingdom I will create, the original state of the world."
Moryo let out a weird laugh with hidden meaning. Under Shiraishi's gaze, the purple-black mist faded away until dissolving completely into the air and vanishing.
The stone soldiers that had attacked Shiraishi earlier now moved in a different direction, avoiding him, seemingly controlled by some consciousness.
Shiraishi didn't stop their march. Unless the demon was sealed, destroying more stone soldiers was meaningless.
....
Night.
The huge mountains, shrouded in mist, appeared gloomy and mysterious.
A red torii gate stood at the entrance of the cave, and the sultry air was constantly expelled from within.
When Shiraishi arrived, Ruri and Ayane had long been waiting at the entrance of the cave.
"You're too slow. You clearly arrived in the Land of Swamp before us, yet we're here before you." Ruri.complained
"I was gathering information on the way, so it took some of my time."
Ayane glanced at Shiraishi and inquired, "Is there anything that needs to be changed in the plan? If there's an issue, it could be troublesome."
Shiraishi shook his head, "No, we'll continue as originally planned. Based on the information I've gathered so far, there is no need for unnecessary changes. Even if something unexpected happens, I have solutions prepared."
Ruri and Ayane nodded. If Shiraishi said it was fine, he must be fully confident. The man never did anything he wasn't sure of. He wasn't born with an adventurous spirit.
"Anyway, there's one important thing to take care of before going in." Shiraishi looked at his own shadow. "Shadow Dancer, come out."
The dark shadows protruded from the ground, finally forming the shape of a female. Shadow Dancer's body.
"Father."
"Unfortunately, you won't be able to help in the upcoming battle. Wait here and don't let anyone in."
"Yes." Shadow Dancer nodded and her body disappeared, blending into the surrounding night.
"Are you sure this is okay? She's your important shield. When it comes time to fight, I probably won't be able to ensure your safety. Our opponent isn't Uchiha Madara this time." Ayane said.
"It's too risky during the use of that jutsu, She may accidentally get hurt by me. Besides, it's not like I'm not without combat power, at least my physical abilities haven't declined over the years..."
As Shiraishi spoke, he noticed the doubtful looks from Ruri and Ayane, then sighed. Compared to these two monsters, his abilities were admittedly a bit shabby. While good in absolute terms, he was no match for these two monsters.
"Unfortunately my Yang clone isn't ready for use yet. Otherwise, this plan would be foolproof." Shiraishi helplessly shook his head. It felt like time wouldn't wait.
The three stopped talking and entered the cave. The demons' body was sealed within this volcanic shrine.
The path inside had been artificially smoothed to be relatively flat. Candle holders were inset into grooves on the walls, though the flames didn't light the entire cave - some areas remained dim.
Abruptly, more footsteps sounded up ahead. Their eyes shone scarlet and their bodies exuded a gloomy aura. In appearance they were human rather than the stone soldiers rampaging outside, wearing the uniform of Suna, Kumo, and Iwa.
"I was wondering what happened to all the ninja spies from various villages sneaking around us. So this is what became of them." Shiraishi observed the ninja enslaved by the demon.
These ninjas' hearts were obviously corrupted by the darkness, becoming puppet soldiers like the stone statues outside. However, compared to those, these ninja puppets were more dangerous with their retained ninjutsu strengthened further by the demon.
Kaka!
The leading Kumo ninja twisted his neck unnaturally, the sound of breaking bones audible. He tilted his head and an evil grin split his face. Snake-like creatures writhed under his skin, making his visage even more horrifying.
Then, like some kind of strange creature, he dropped to all fours and roared beastially, a shockwave of purple-black chakra bursting from his maw and easily shredding the rock in a raging storm blowing towards Shiraishi's group.
------------
You can read 200+ advanced chapters on Patreon.
Patreon. com/chizihn