"This!?"
Staring at the small box that fell to the ground with a thud, Uchiha Shinji's eyes nearly popped out, his face unable to hide his shock.
Shion clapped her hands. "Done!"
Shinji hesitated for a moment before stepping forward.
The box on the ground wasn't large, barely big enough to hold a soccer ball. It was covered in obscure sealing formulas, some so rare that even Shinji had never seen them.
Shion followed, beaming with pride. "Well, how's that?"
Shinji asked, "That was…?"
"This?" Pointing at the box, Shion explained, "It's a sealing technique of the mikos of the Land of Demons, called 'Sealing Coffin'! Once cast, it can trap evil entities inside the coffin, temporarily binding them."
"What a powerful sealing technique!"
Shinji marveled.
Through his dojutsu, he had already assessed that Upper Moon Two's condition was far from poor.
Clearly, after a week or two of recovery, Upper Moon Two had fully recuperated from its previous battle with Sasuke.
Yet, it had been instantly subdued by Shion's sealing technique—a truly astonishing feat.
"Pretty impressive, right?" Shion grew even prouder, humming smugly. "This isn't even the strongest sealing technique of the Land of Demons' mikos! If I had the 'Miko's Crown,' I could perform an even more powerful one!"
Shinji smiled.
After the initial shock, he quickly pieced it together.
Just as many skilled shinobi, unfamiliar with demons' traits, had been caught off-guard and killed in their first encounters, Upper Moon Two clearly didn't know Shion. Relying on its formidable regeneration, it had boldly faced Shion, the ninja world's only miko, and was promptly sealed by the combat novice with a single move.
Regardless, this battle confirmed that Shion's sealing techniques were effective against demons.
Compared to the village's sealing team, Shion's techniques were noticeably swifter and stronger. If one were to compare, perhaps only the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki Clan, once renowned for their mastery in the art, could rival those of the Land of Demons' mikos.
Amid his delight, Shinji stared at the box on the ground, now troubled.
The Third-Generation Aging Agent in his ninja pouch hadn't even been used, and the fight was already over. How was he supposed to test the drug?
Shion evidently realized this too, scratching her head. "Should I… unseal him?"
Shinji nodded. For safety, he pulled Shion back a distance.
With chakra aiding it, Upper Moon Two's explosiveness was terrifying. At its peak, even Sasuke, with his Mangekyo Sharingan activated, couldn't fully track its movements. If they weren't cautious, even Shinji himself could be in danger.
After retreating a safe distance, Shinji signaled Shion to unseal.
Shion stepped forward, silently chanting a string of incantations, and pointed at the box from afar.
Whoosh.
Instantly, the box levitated, emitting a burst of radiant light before vanishing without a trace.
Undoubtedly, the box sealing Upper Moon Two was a manifestation of Shion's miko chakra.
Much like how shinobi conjure water from chakra for Water Release or create earth for Earth Release, once Shion performed the technique, the box sealing Upper Moon Two reverted to chakra and dissipated!
"Die!"
The moment Upper Moon Two broke free, it tapped the ground lightly with its toes, transforming into a blur and lunging at Shinji and Shion with unbelievable speed.
Shion, caught off-guard, instinctively prepared to leap backward to evade Upper Moon Two's swift and eerie slash.
At that moment, Shinji pressed a hand on Shion's shoulder while instantly activating Susanoo.
Boom!
Amid a resounding roar, a colossal, half-armored Susanoo materialized in the snowstorm-ravaged forest.
Clang!
Almost simultaneously with Shinji's activation of Susanoo, Upper Moon Two's slash reached them. Kokushibo's blade, Kyokokushinge, gleamed with chilling light as it struck Susanoo's armor, producing a piercing metallic screech.
Shion, held back by Shinji, shrank back, her face pale with lingering fear.
If Shinji hadn't restrained her, leaping out of Susanoo's protective range would have made her a target for Upper Moon Two's attack.
Though her training in Water Breathing had greatly enhanced her physical abilities, her speed, reactions, and experience were no match for Upper Moon Two, a veteran honed by four or five centuries of combat. The gap was immense.
Even Shinji was reluctant to engage Upper Moon Two in close-quarters combat. The disparity in skill and adaptability was too great—one misstep could lead to a repeat of Sasuke's near-fatal blunder. Activating the all-purpose, offense-and-defense-integrated Susanoo was the safest and most efficient approach!
Kokushibo seemed to notice that Shion's sealing technique required a preparatory chant and hand signs, so he maintained blinding speed, circling Shinji's Susanoo while occasionally delivering one or two slashes, keeping the pressure on.
Clang, clang, clang.
Despite the intermittent sounds of slashes ringing in his ears, Shinji remained unfazed.
Shion, lacking real combat experience, grew anxious as the enemy relentlessly attacked while Shinji's Susanoo could only passively defend. "Leader 'A,' what do we do now?!"
Shinji didn't respond, standing silently beneath Susanoo.
The opponent's speed was too great, and he wasn't confident in quickly subduing it. He needed a way to make it reveal a flaw.
The best way to create an opening was to make the opponent think it had an opportunity!
So, while gauging the force of Upper Moon Two's slashes, Shinji subtly adjusted Susanoo's strength, allowing the strikes to leave cracks on its armor.
As expected, through Shinji's covert manipulations, Upper Moon Two grew convinced its onslaught could breach Shinji's Susanoo.
After all, in its previous battle with Sasuke, its full-force slashes had indeed damaged Sasuke's Susanoo. Had Sasuke not used Izanami no Mikoto to twist fate at the critical moment, that Mangekyo Uchiha would have long perished under its blade!
Moreover, by now, the Upper Moons mistakenly believed Nagato was the leader of Akatsuki, the Lampbearer guarding the ninja world. While Upper Moon Two deeply feared Shinji, it wasn't entirely unwilling to fight him.