Blazing flames surged through the canyon in an instant. The fire roared upward, and the temperature rose sharply, turning the entire gorge into a hellish inferno.
And yet, within this purgatory, the ghostly army moved unhindered, advancing steadily forward.
They raised their weapons—glowing red-hot from the searing heat—and charged toward Kiyosuke.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The ghost soldiers stamped against the ground, their heavy bodies leaving behind a series of clear, resounding footsteps.
"Damn it! Which one of these freaks is supposed to be the real immortal?!"
Kiyosuke cursed, throwing himself into the sea of fire. With a single punch, he shattered one of the ghost soldiers. Their bodies were incredibly tough—ordinary shinobi wouldn't even scratch them with physical attacks.
A cluster of ghostly spearmen thrust forward, their lances piercing through his body. He spun and shattered them with a powerful kick.
Gathering force into his fist, he compressed the flames, unleashing searing energy that erupted outward, blasting through another wave of ghost soldiers.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Behind him, the fragments of the very soldier he had first smashed apart began to stir. Some unknown power drew the pieces together, fusing them seamlessly back into a whole—as if nothing had ever happened. Not even the faintest scar remained.
"What the hell are we supposed to do with this?!"
Kiyosuke's composure cracked. There was no way to win like this. If they stayed destroyed after being broken, it wouldn't matter—he could team up with Gai, Kakashi, and the others, wear them down, and wipe them out with time. It would be the same across the Five Great Nations—just a matter of effort.
But like this? Impossible.
Leaping up onto the canyon wall, he shouted down to Kakashi:
"This isn't gonna work! If it keeps up like this, we'll get worn down and die!"
Kakashi nodded grimly.
"No wonder back then, our fathers only won when the Shrine Maiden of the Land of Demons sealed Mōryō. No wonder they were called the 'Immortal Army.'"
"How come I never heard about this before?" Kiyosuke asked.
By rights, something that happened ten, twenty years ago should've been in his memory. And yet he had no recollection at all.
"It was kept secret at the time. Not many knew. I only heard it mentioned by my old man once. We were still kids back then—being in the dark was normal."
Back then, the Second Great Ninja War was raging. Each village barely had troops to spare. They were forced to defend on two fronts—holding back enemies while also struggling against this so-called immortal legion. If the Shrine Maiden of the Land of Demons hadn't sealed Mōryō in time, the world might already be ruled by monsters.
And to keep the populace calm, the villages ordered their shinobi not to speak of it—especially to civilians. Kiyosuke hadn't even entered the Academy at that time. There was no way he could've known.
Kakashi himself had only overheard his father's casual mention of it during a meal. Back then, he'd thought it was just a story to liven the mood.
But now he knew better.
The Immortal Army was real.
Kakashi made a quick decision.
"Get the explosive tags ready. Blow the canyon walls and create a landslide—slow them down with rubble."
"Yes, sir!"
The squad moved immediately to set up traps.
Just then, a hawk swooped down from the sky, landing neatly on Kakashi's shoulder. A scroll was tied to its leg.
Unsealing it, Kakashi glanced at the message and handed it to Kiyosuke.
"Tsunade-sama's orders. You're to return to the village at once. A new mission. We'll hold the line for a few days."
"Got it."
Without hesitation, Kiyosuke activated Sage Mode, launched himself into the air, and soared back toward Konoha.
...
Arriving back in the village, he released Sage Mode and rushed straight into the Hokage's office.
"Tsunade-sama, I've returned."
He pushed open the doors and entered—Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were already there.
Tsunade nodded.
"Good work. How's the front line?"
Kiyosuke answered,
"Smash them, and they reform in seconds. It's like a degraded version of Edo Tensei. They're stronger than genin, and normal attacks don't work. Only heavy-hitting physical force has any effect."
"See? That's why you should send us to the front lines! We really want to go!"
Sasuke added,
"Tsunade-sama, I want to test my strength too."
Sakura also wanted to speak up, but held her tongue.
After all, most of their peers had already been dispatched to the front. By now, they were likely already there.
Tsunade shook her head.
"No. You three have another mission. One of utmost importance. Kiyosuke."
"Here."
"This time, you'll lead Kakashi's Team 7. Your mission is to protect the new Shrine Maiden of the Land of Demons—Shion."
"The Shrine Maiden, huh? That makes sense."
Kiyosuke nodded. No wonder he'd been recalled.
Tsunade continued,
"According to our latest intel, those ghost soldiers actually resurrected over ten days ago. Their real offensive against the Land of Fire and the other nations only began yesterday. They're ravaging the borders as they advance. Based on reports from the Land of Wind, they're controlled by a form of puppet technique—but they have no souls. The true controller is an otherworldly demon called Mōryō. Only the Shrine Maiden of the Land of Demons can seal it. That's why she needs protection."
"M–Monster?!"
Naruto's face paled, cold sweat breaking out.
"I–I don't know if I can handle that..."
Sasuke smirked.
"What's the matter? Already scared?"
"Hmph! I'm not scared! Just watch—I'll be the one to defeat it!"
"The one who defeats it will be me."
The two glared at each other, tension sparking—until Kiyosuke cracked them both on the head, leaving bumps.
"Enough. Neither of you are taking down Mōryō. Only the Shrine Maiden can seal it. Magic has to be fought with magic. The Shrine Maiden exists for that very purpose. Understand?"
Otherworldly monsters? He didn't care. His only job was to protect the Shrine Maiden so she could complete the seal. That was all that mattered.
"Got it..."
"Ow! Kiyosuke-san, did you have to hit so hard?"
"That's what you get for not listening."
Tsunade rose and unfurled a map, pointing at two nations.
"Once, a warlord harnessed Mōryō's power to create the ghost army. It was eventually sealed away by the Shrine Maiden Miroku. Its soul was sealed beneath the underground shrine of the Land of Demons, while its body was locked away in the Land of Swamps.
According to intel, the underground shrine was destroyed. Mōryō's soul is free again. Its goal now must be to reunite with its body in the Land of Swamps.
Your mission is to escort the Shrine Maiden there. If Mōryō's soul and body merge... disaster will follow."
"What kind of disaster?" Naruto swallowed nervously.
"The destruction of the world."
Tsunade's face hardened as she turned to Kiyosuke.
"I'm entrusting this to you. Not just Konoha—the other Four Great Shinobi Villages will be sending people to assist. Be on your guard."
So the Five Great Villages would all be involved.
This mission wasn't going to be easy.
"I understand. I'll protect them."