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Chapter 365 - 365.The Great Yokai Awaken

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"The Infinite Tsukuyomi has been broken."

Kaito raised his head, watching as the blood-red hue slowly faded from the moon.

"Next step—Yūrei."

He extended his right hand.

A faint fluttering sound echoed as a colorful butterfly flapped its wings and alighted on his fingertip.

"Is it enough now?"

Kaito nodded, releasing the butterfly with a gentle flick of his fingers. Then, from his sleeve, he drew out a vibrant green branch and tossed it into the air.

The branch struck the ground, took root, and began to grow at an astonishing rate. Its trunk stretched endlessly upward, its branches unfurling like a colossal canopy that blotted out a vast expanse of the sky.

A face lined with deep grooves emerged from the bark.

"So, we've reached this point, Kaito."

A hunched figure, leaning on a wooden staff, stepped out from the tree.

"Elder Mo."

Kaito descended slowly to the base of the tree, where all the gathered yokai now stood in a circle.

Mo cast a distant glance at the subdued Kaguya, then turned his gaze to the countless human cocoons hanging from the Divine Tree.

"It seems Yūrei has endured for a long time. There's no time to waste—let us begin."

Kaito nodded. "Please."

Mo smiled warmly and struck the ground with his staff. A surge of verdant energy rippled outward from the point of impact.

"This is—"

"All my injuries are healed!"

"Even my fatigue is gone!"

Like a spring breeze, the green energy swept over the gathered shinobi and yokai, filling them with warmth and restoring them to peak condition in an instant.

"Amazing! Old man, your ability is incredible!" Naruto whooped excitedly.

"That's the current leader of the yokai in Ōeyama," Sasuke explained, shooting him a glance.

"So cool!"

Naruto continued to stare eagerly at the group of yokai gathered around the massive tree.

"Wait… does that old man have the same gimmick as me?"

Hashirama suddenly muttered something incomprehensible, his expression twisted in dismay.

"Tch." Madara shot him a disdainful look. "He predates you by several thousand years."

At that moment, the roots of the great tree twisted and coiled, rising from the earth as intricate arrays took shape. Blue spirit flames flickered to life within them.

"I have transferred all the resurrection arrays here."

Mo turned to Kaito.

"Yūrei."

Kaito pressed his palms together. Countless butterflies materialized before him, swirling in the air.

A cascade of purple hair and the fluttering sleeves of a brilliantly colored kimono descended as Yūrei landed gracefully, her cool expression softening into a faint, elegant smile.

"You've worked hard, Yūrei." Kaito's eyes warmed as he spoke softly. "Let's begin."

"Understood."

Yūrei spread her arms wide, and from her sleeves, a storm of butterflies surged forth, spiraling upward like a vibrant cyclone.

Ding… ling… ling…

She raised a bell-adorned drum and began to dance, her sleeves billowing, her hair flowing like silk.

Ding ling ling… ding ling ling…

The clear chime of bells resonated across the sky.

The sound of fluttering wings returned as shimmering butterflies emerged from the countless cocoons hanging from the Divine Tree, joining the cyclone above Yūrei, forming a vast, multicolored tapestry in the heavens.

"Phantom Dream."

Yūrei's kimono fluttered.

"Guiding Path."

Ding ling ling… ding ling ling…

The crystalline chime of the bells guided the semi-transparent butterflies downward, their swarms weaving into ribbons of color that flowed into the arrays beneath the tree.

The blue spirit flames roared to life, their flickering forms gradually solidifying into figures of varying heights and builds—some tall, some short, some slender, some broad.

"Brothers!"

Santaro rushed to the edge of one array, his voice trembling as he stared at two small, indistinct figures within.

"Caw! Caw!"

The cry of a crow pierced the air as a dark cloud descended from above.

"Caw! Lord Tengu!"

A crow, noticeably larger than the others, flew in circles around a figure with majestic wings, an old tattered fan clutched in its beak.

"Move aside!"

Fūta flapped his own wings, shoving the larger crow away. "I should be the first to welcome Lord Tengu!"

"Lord Shuten Dōji!"

"Lord Ibaraki Dōji!!"

The oni-born yokai crowded around two towering figures on the other side of the clearing.

Ding ling ling…

Ding ling ling…

As Yūrei spun faster, the endless stream of butterflies poured into the arrays, the figures within growing more distinct with each passing moment.

"Yūrei has accomplished something incredible," Kishi murmured, watching the dancing figure with admiration.

"Mmm."

Kachi's cold beauty softened as a rare smile touched her lips.

"Kaito-dono is equally remarkable," Yūta chuckled, patting his soft belly. "To have Yūrei infiltrate Kaguya's Infinite Tsukuyomi, allowing the yokai to manifest within the dream, using the collective consciousness of those trapped to fulfill the conditions for revival…"

"Hmph. Yūrei did most of the work," Kishi sniffed. "But fine, I'll grudgingly admit that man is a proper onmyōji."

Ding ling ling…

Pairs of eyes, glowing in myriad hues, snapped open.

Yūrei finally ceased her dance.

"Awake at last?"

Mo leaned on his staff, surveying the revived yokai beneath the tree.

"So it's you, Mo."

Shuten Dōji stretched out his hand, a crimson gourd materializing in his palm and expanding in an instant. He raised it to his lips and took a deep swig before bursting into laughter.

"Hahahahaha! Good wine! Never thought I'd wake to taste it again!"

"My friend, is drink all that occupies your mind?" Ibaraki Dōji's gaze burned toward the distant Pillar of Heaven. "Look who's there."

"Kaguya?"

Shuten Dōji laughed even harder.

"Hahahahahaha! So she's turned into a demon? Does she fancy joining our ranks?"

"Now that we are awake."

Tengu accepted the fan from the crow's beak. With a surge of yōki, the tattered relic restored itself to pristine condition.

"Shuten, Ibaraki—let us finish what we left undone a millennium ago."

Behind the three great yokai, the newly awakened beings sought out familiar faces.

The Kamaitachi brothers tumbled together in a furry heap.

"Elder Mo, I leave the explanations to you. Please ensure everyone is prepared."

Kaito gave the elder a firm nod before taking Yūrei's hand. Together, they ascended into the sky.

"Now, awaken those still trapped in the dream, Yūrei."

Kaito smiled gently at her.

"Thanks to this grand illusion, my yōki has grown significantly."

Yūrei spread her arms, and magnificent butterfly wings unfurled from her back.

"Congratulations," Kaito said warmly.

"Awaken!"

Ethereal butterflies filled the sky as Yūrei raised her bell drum once more.

Ding ling ling…

The pure, resonant chime carried far and wide.

The cocoons suspended from the Divine Tree began to tremble.

Ding ling ling… ding ling ling…

"Awaken!"

Crack.

A cocoon split open, and a hand emerged.

Crack. Crack.

The sound of breaking shells echoed endlessly.

"We're saved! Everyone's saved!"

Naruto sprinted across the wilderness, embracing every familiar face he found.

"Thank goodness, Sakura, you're okay!!"

"Shikamaru!"

"Hinata!!"

"Chōji!!!"

...

"Shinobi. Samurai."

Kaito's gaze swept over the reviving Allied Shinobi Forces before shifting to the towering tree.

"Yokai."

Then, beyond the battlefield, his eyes landed on a colossal crimson serpent that had just risen from the crushed forest.

"Summoned beasts."

"All who were meant to stand upon this stage have now arrived."

He gave Yūrei a final nod before turning and soaring back to Enma Daiō's side, looking down at Kaguya.

"Now, let it begin. The final act—the fall of the goddess."

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