Crack. Naruto once again placed his hand on the mask and abruptly crushed it.
The bone-white mask shattered like glass, dissolving from the air and dissipating back into specks of white smoke, vanishing from sight. The negative emotions generated by Hollowfication were difficult for even him to control. In his current physical state, Naruto could maintain it for less than ten seconds at most. Once those ten seconds passed, his sanity would be devoured by the negative emotions of Hollowfication, reducing him to a monster that knew only slaughter.
After shattering the mask, the violent aura around Naruto instantly vanished, returning him to his initial gentle and refined demeanor. This stark contrast left Shion somewhat unable to react. Her small mouth agape, she maintained a look of astonishment, blinking her eyes in a daze.
Seeing Shion remain silent for so long, Naruto couldn't help but mutter inwardly, Don't tell me I actually scared her?
After a long moment, Shion, having regained her composure, took a deep breath. She looked at Naruto with grave intensity and said, word by word, "That is indeed the aura of the Pure Land."
"In that case, might I trouble Priestess Shion to inform me of the method to enter the Pure Land?" Naruto asked politely.
"No." Shion refused decisively. "Moryo alone already possesses the power to destroy the continent. If you were to obtain the power of the Pure Land, you would undoubtedly be an even greater threat to the continent."
"I am different from that vile creature," Naruto shook his head dismissively. He quietly cupped Shion's face in his hands, leaned close to her ear, and whispered softly and gently, "Let me show you my purpose right now."
The extreme gentleness and the warm breath against her ear instantly made Shion blush. Her mind buzzed, like a steam train chugging away with rolling vapor. As a priestess, she clearly understood her destiny: to ultimately die sealing Moryo. Thus, she had never experienced the taste of love. But this time, Naruto's tenderness and handsome features had caused someone to suddenly barge into her otherwise calm heart, stirring waves, creating turmoil.
Shion's mind was a mess. From the corner of her eye, she could still see her subordinates standing like wooden figures in the room, their vacant eyes staring right in their direction. This gave Shion an illicit thrill, a sense of doing something clandestine. She couldn't help but press her thighs together.
How dare he be so bold?
How could he dare?
Naruto didn't notice that his small actions had plucked Shion's sensitive nerves. At that moment, he was using his Reiatsu and chakra to show Shion a vision.
Voom! Shion felt her vision blur, and then Naruto's entire mental journey unfolded before her: from the malice of Konoha and his own efforts, to his gradually solidifying resolve. His desire to overthrow the class rule of the major ninja villages and create a peaceful and fair world. A world with no so-called great clans, no monopoly on ninjutsu and forbidden jutsu. A world where all commoners had a chance to rise.
Seeing this, Shion was inwardly astounded. Naruto's ideas were too naive, almost impossible to implement. Because if he embarked on this path, all the clans, all the major nations, and all the ninja villages would do everything in their power to stop him. His enemies would be the entire ninja world!
The vision continued. Naruto began to master Reiatsu, creating Kido and a Zanpakuto. His talent was astonishing; unknowingly, his strength began to skyrocket. But even so, he still lacked the ability to control his own destiny. Konoha appeared prosperous, but its controllers were constantly trying to manage Naruto.
Through Naruto's perspective, Shion saw the ordinary ninja who were frustrated and unfulfilled, unable to even learn powerful ninjutsu. She also saw the ninja who, after joining Root, had discarded their true names. So much helplessness, so much bitterness.
And the Konoha elite, built upon all this suffering, enjoyed all the honor and applause. Their clans flourished. Even when wars began, the members of these great families could comfortably remain behind the vanguard, ensuring their family's losses in battle were minimized.
Gradually, Naruto encountered like-minded individuals: Rock Lee, born ordinary, without innate talent, yet relentlessly hardworking. Haku, who yearned for peace. Even Orochimaru, who was focused on scientific research and harbored dissatisfaction with the great clans.
"This path is not easy, but someone has to walk it."
"If becoming a feared demon is what it takes to overturn this sick world, then I will become a demon!"
At the end of the vision, a half-mask of ghastly white bone formed on Naruto's face. His aura became cold and domineering. The sleeves of his white robe billowed in a fierce wind, and a sharp, white light circulated in his eyes.
With that, Naruto released her and took a step back, looking at Shion gently.
Shion snapped back to reality, her face flushed as she touched her warm cheek. Naruto's warmth and scent still lingered there. Her gaze towards Naruto was extremely complex. "Is it really alright to show me all this directly? Aren't you afraid I'll expose you to the other ninja villages?"
"Since I've shown you, naturally, I'm not afraid of being exposed," Naruto smiled with utmost confidence, his azure eyes meeting Shion's purple ones. During his earlier close contact with Shion, he had sensed that she was different from ordinary humans. Her body also possessed an extremely scarce amount of Reiatsu. If he wasn't mistaken, Shion's abilities were similar to a form of Kido. It was just that because Shinigami hadn't emerged in the Naruto world, and the ninja world inherently suppressed Reiatsu, this power had been suppressed within her.
As long as Naruto infused his Reiatsu into Shion, he might be able to quickly awaken her Zanpakuto.
Naruto extended his hand, and the Reiatsu in his palm transformed into a thread of energy that he directed towards Shion's hand. The warm energy actually stirred a sensation called 'longing' within Shion's body. She looked at Naruto in surprise.
"Actually, we are kindred spirits."
Hearing Naruto's words, Shion tried to absorb this strand of Reiatsu. Soon, she closed her eyes, and her body began to be transformed by the Reiatsu. The sensation was like a gentle internal massage. It was so comfortable that she squinted her eyes and let out a soft moan. This feeling lasted for nearly five minutes before it stopped.
When Shion opened her eyes again, a faint silver light flickered within her purple irises.
Clatter. A pale purple sword suddenly appeared, falling to the ground with a crisp sound.
"This is…" Shion picked up the Asauchi. Her mind felt clearer than ever before, and she even had a sensation that she could prophesy without needing to enter a dream. She looked at Naruto, completely bewildered.
"Congratulations, you've successfully become a Shinigami!" Seeing Shion's transformation, a flash of understanding crossed Naruto's eyes, and he said with a smile. It was exactly as he had predicted. Shion's soul itself was vastly different from an ordinary person's. She wasn't just human; she could also be considered a wandering spirit. Thus, she was able to accept the transformation by Reiatsu.
"This is my power," Shion frowned, gently stroking the Zanpakuto. The feeling of connection with it was intoxicating. "But, the power doesn't feel complete," she said, looking at Naruto with puzzlement in her eyes.
Naruto roughly understood. "If I'm not mistaken, Moryo is a part of your power."
Generations of priestesses had existed to seal Moryo. The previous priestess, Miroku, Shion's mother, had once said that a powerful force lay dormant within Shion, but she was unable to use it at her current stage.
Shion held the Zanpakuto, feeling its abundant power, and a guess formed in her mind. Reiatsu might be the power her mother had spoken of. And her Zanpakuto… it seemed it could absorb Moryo.
Voom. As this thought arose, the pale purple Zanpakuto suddenly flashed with light. A deep-seated desire to devour Moryo welled up from the depths of Shion's heart. Her consciousness twisted and blurred.
A sentence echoed in her ears: "Remember me. My name is Hyakki."
She snapped awake, gasping for breath.
"To awaken your Shikai so quickly… it seems my choice was not wrong," Naruto's voice sounded beside her. "From today onwards, we are companions."
"What companions?! Hmph! I haven't agreed yet!" Shion's face flushed red, and she turned her head away with a pout.
…
After becoming a Shinigami, Shion had thoroughly sided with Naruto. No one could imagine the feeling of finding a kindred spirit after more than a decade of loneliness. This was how Shion felt now. Even though she was the revered priestess of the Land of Demons, admired and worshipped by thousands, her heart was lonely. She had never had friends since childhood. All that had been instilled in her were the responsibilities and duties of a priestess. In the long, lonely nights, her sorrow and solitude had no outlet, and every time she dreamed, she would see prophetic futures, most of which were painful and terrifying. Over time, she had become willful and cold.
'Companion' was such a distant, unattainable word for her. But now, she had found a companion who truly possessed the same power as her.
"The only way to enter the Pure Land is to open a gate to it. After awakening my Zanpakuto, I found that I seem to have this ability, but it's currently in a frozen state," Shion replied after familiarizing herself with her Zanpakuto.
"So, we need to absorb Moryo as soon as possible?" Naruto pondered. Moryo was set to attack in a few days, but Naruto was already growing impatient.
"The spectral legion is impervious to blades, and even ninjutsu has difficulty killing them," Shion frowned, voicing her concerns.
"If ninjutsu doesn't work, we'll use Kido," Naruto said, appearing exceptionally calm. No matter how troublesome Moryo was, could it be stronger than a Hollow?
After their discussion, the sky had grown dark, and Shion was also feeling tired. They bid each other farewell and returned to their respective rooms.
As soon as Naruto returned to his room, he was grabbed by an excited Rock Lee, who bombarded him with questions. Upon hearing that Shion had given Naruto a prophecy, Lee beat his chest and stomped his foot, his face full of regret. "Damn it, why didn't she give me a prophecy!"
Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, Aburame Neri was curled up in a ball under her blanket, eyes wide, eavesdropping on everything. Her eyes burned brightly as she muttered to herself.
"Late at night… 'man plows, woman weaves'… what 'prophecy' are they talking about~~ It seems the intelligence was wrong. Shinigami should be interested in women. In that case, my 'specimen collection' plan might actually be feasible!!!"
"Hiss… if I could cultivate offspring, perhaps it would produce the most powerful venomous insects."