The Land of Demons, a tiny, ancient village-nation, lay far to the northwest of Konoha.
Though small, it had persisted for a thousand years, its people living by customs passed down from antiquity. They believed in priestesses and spirits.
The Land of Demons was a mysterious country, blessed with a priestess in every generation, possessing the ability to seal demonic beasts and to prophesize the future.
Demonic beasts?
This was a new type of creature Naruto was learning about, following his understanding of summoning animals.
According to obscure historical records, anything that defied common sense, anything eerie and terrifying, could be classified as a demonic beast or a fiend. Humans loved to bestow dreadful names upon these unseen things that stirred fear in their hearts. It was just like how Konoha's higher-ups referred to Hollows as 'monsters.'
But in truth, with the advancements in Konoha's ninjutsu and technology, many so-called paranormal phenomena had found explanations.
For instance, the Yamanaka clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu could be considered a soul leaving its body to enter another's. And then there was Edo Tensei, which resurrected deceased souls, to varying degrees, using other flesh as vessels.
Once the nature of the soul began to be explored, all sorts of ghostly phenomena seemed to become more understandable.
If this were a decade or so ago, such a mission might have scared off a good number of ninja. But now, it was merely a straightforward escort mission.
Mission Details: Land of Demons.
There were signs of demonic beasts stirring in the Land of Demons. Protect the current priestess, Shion.
Below the main text was a dense block of intelligence regarding the priestess.
The previous priestess had sacrificed her life in the past to seal Moryo. Moryo was a demonic beast from another world, possessing immense power, and had once led an undead army that brought the continent to the brink of annihilation.
"Moryo? Could it be related to Reiatsu?" A faint smile touched Naruto's lips as he pondered this inwardly.
He continued reading the mission scroll.
Not long after the previous priestess, Miroku, had sealed Moryo with her life, the current priestess—Miroku's daughter, Shion—had taken up the mantle.
Now, Moryo was showing signs of activity.
This was the mission content on the surface.
Naruto took out a match and lit the mission scroll. As the paper heated, a new line of text materialized.
"While completing the mission, collect cellular or body tissue samples from the priestess, investigate the secrets hidden behind Moryo, ensure the priestess's survival, and, if necessary, bring any ninja from the Land of Demons back to Root—alive or dead."
Truly Root. Even a mission of seemingly little value could be twisted to yield something.
In the past, Danzo would never have bothered with a mission from such a minor country. There was little profit, and the research potential was low. The priestess's abilities were noteworthy, certainly, but it wasn't as if they could just abduct her and bring her to Konoha. Even with tissue samples from the priestess, it was highly unlikely Root would uncover anything significant. Their research capabilities were, after all, what they were.
Danzo didn't hold out much hope.
The sole reason Danzo had accepted this mission was because Naruto had expressed interest, and it also served as a convenient training exercise for him.
"Our objective this time is simply to protect Shion and ensure Moryo doesn't break the seal. So, we won't have to confront those demonic beasts directly," Naruto stated calmly, destroying the scroll.
"What a shame!" Rock Lee muttered to himself, his face a picture of disappointment. "I was rather hoping to clash with some demonic beasts, let them feel my Konoha Root Great Whirlwind!"
Hearing this, Aburame Neri recalled some rather unpleasant memories, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. One could easily imagine Root's reputation being utterly ruined by Rock Lee in short order.
"Based on the intel, Moryo seems incredibly powerful," Naruto continued. "Fortunately, we don't have to face a monster like that. Experts should handle expert matters; we'll leave the sealing to Shion. We just need to manage any unexpected situations."
"Any other questions?" Naruto's gaze swept over Aburame Neri and Rock Lee.
"Can I collect tissue samples?" Aburame Neri asked, her expression impassive. Ever since Naruto had stumbled upon her research, Neri had become more brazen. After all, she was technically Naruto's subordinate now, and they would have much to adjust to in the future. If he couldn't accept this side of her, this fascination with bodies, then it was better to part ways sooner rather than later. It would be better for both of them.
"As long as it doesn't interfere with the mission, research whatever you like," Naruto replied.
This left Rock Lee utterly shocked. "Huh?!! Collecting body tissue?! That's terrifying!! Insect Queen, so you're that kind of person!!!"
It was hard to believe he had worked alongside Aburame Neri for so long without discovering this peculiar little hobby of hers.
Why would Naruto know about it? Could it be that they… Rock Lee's expression suddenly turned horrified.
"A ninja needs sharp observational skills. Are you an idiot?" Aburame Neri retorted mercilessly.
"Alright, if there are no other issues, pack your things, and let's set off," Naruto said with a smile, seeing that the two still had the energy to bicker. He knew then that Rock Lee had, at least for the moment, stepped out from the shadow of his parents' loss.
The life of a ninja was a busy one.
Naruto didn't even have time to say goodbye to Sakura and Sasuke before leading his team out.
When Sakura arrived at Naruto's doorstep, eager to share the joyous news of becoming the Fifth Hokage's disciple, she was stunned to find that Naruto had already left on a mission.
A forlorn look settled in her eyes.
Whether in the past or now, she had always been chasing Naruto's footsteps, never giving up, yet the distance between them only grew wider. For some reason, a suffocating feeling tightened in Sakura's chest, as if she were on the verge of losing Naruto.
She stepped into Naruto's room, sensing the lingering traces of his presence, her mind in a daze. After sitting for a long while, she finally rose and began to tidy up the room.
....
In the forest bordering the Land of Demons and the Land of Fire, several figures flitted rapidly through the trees.
The wind whistled past their ears. With a tremor of the branch beneath his feet, one of the slender figures shot forward like a wild beast, covering more than ten meters in a single bound. He landed heavily on a tree trunk, then with a few more leaps, appeared atop a distant tree.
The other two figures moved with less ferocity. The taller one, Naruto, exuded an exceptional grace; each movement was a mere light tap of his toes, and in the next instant, his form would drift like an immortal's to a tree ten meters away.
Bringing up the rear, Aburame Neri maintained a standard ninja's traveling posture. Watching Naruto ahead, a hint of envy flickered in her eyes. In this squad full of monsters, she, the most senior Root ninja, was ironically the one holding them back.
How I'd love to thoroughly savor the mysteries of Naruto's body.
It was a pity, though. He was her leader now, and insubordination was not a quality a Root ninja should possess. Neri had even considered offering her own body, hoping to acquire his primordial essence during an intimate interaction with Naruto. But considering Naruto's apparent disinterest in women thus far, Neri had dismissed the thought.
As they traveled, the outline of the Land of Demons soon came into view.
Looking down from above, the forests of the Land of Fire were lush and dense. But this verdant green abruptly vanished at the border of the Land of Demons, replaced by ancient architecture that clashed starkly with the general aesthetic of the ninja world.
In this land of pale yellow sand and ochre rock, the wind whipped up grit, carrying a scorching heat as it swept into the forest and past these ancient, dun-colored structures. It created an ancient, mournful wail that sent shivers down one's spine. The ancient buildings themselves seemed to take on a more sinister, chilling air.
Naruto stood atop a tree, gazing at the ancient city in the distance, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. No wonder many ninja villages were reluctant to accept missions related to the Land of Demons. Its atmosphere was indeed rather grim and unsettling. It was hard to imagine that such an ancient city had survived to this day.
Within the ancient city, the tallest structure towered above the rest. From this distance, ant-sized human figures could be seen guarding its vicinity.
"Insect Queen, what's the situation?" Naruto asked, looking at Aburame Neri.
A dense swarm of insects crawled back from the distance, scurrying up the blades of grass onto Aburame Neri's legs before disappearing into her body. A slight ripple disturbed Neri's otherwise emotionless eyes.
She said softly, "No traps ahead."
The ninja world was inherently fraught with danger. Many ninja teams moved slowly during missions, not due to a lack of stamina, but because they had to be constantly vigilant of their surroundings to avoid ambushes. It was well known that some ninja could lie in wait in one spot, without food or drink, for more than three days.
Moreover, the Land of Demons had been in a state of closure since the death of the previous priestess. No one could guarantee what internal changes might have occurred, or what their attitude towards Konoha might be. It wasn't unheard of for false missions to be issued to lure and eliminate the responding ninja.
Even a team with Jonin-level strength like Naruto's had to be cautious.
"Let's go. We should meet the current priestess first," Naruto said, adjusting the fox mask on his face before heading down the path towards the Land of Demons. Aburame Neri and Rock Lee followed behind him.
At first glance, the three of them looked like unremarkable travelers.
As soon as they stepped into the town of the Land of Demons, they could hear faint, devotional chanting.
"To the supreme Priestess of the Land of Demons, who seals Moryo, we sing praises to our Priestess!"
"Praise the Priestess, praise the Land of Demons…"
The expressions of the passersby and residents were all devout as they looked towards the highest palace.
The wind howled, whipping up yellow sand that blew against the masks of Naruto's team, momentarily obscuring their vision.
"Who are you? Why have you come to the Land of Demons?" several guards asked in low voices, blocking their path.
"Konoha ninja," Naruto said, revealing the headband on his arm and presenting a token of identification to the guards.
"Please wait a moment, I will go and report," one of the guards said, turning hurriedly and rushing towards the palace.
A short while later, he returned, his face respectful. "Please, follow me."
As they followed the guard into the Land of Demons, they experienced the charm of the ancient city up close. The air was thick with the scent of antiquity. Many residents had set up stalls along the streets, selling small trinkets. The restless Lee bounded about, occasionally lingering at stalls displaying strange totems and carvings. In the end, he couldn't resist buying one as a souvenir of his visit to the Land of Demons.
Aburame Neri, inhaling the faint scent of incense that wafted past her nose, kept her eyes, hidden behind her mask, fixed on the passing residents. A greedy glint appeared in them. Would these people, who have followed thousand-year-old traditions, possess different body tissues?
Only when they reached the temple did the guard stop. After another confirmation, Naruto and his team were allowed to enter the shrine.