On Naruto's side, he was carrying Shion on his back, darting between the trees. Two shadow clones ran with them to throw off pursuers, while Naruto focused on getting Shion to safety.
This was the plan made by that well-endowed blonde woman from Kumogakure. Risky, yes—but Naruto believed he could pull it off.
She had chosen him after weighing every factor. To say it was risky was an understatement—it was extremely risky. But in terms of chakra, stamina, and sheer ability, Naruto was the best option.
After all, he was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. If danger arose, tapping into the tailed beast's power might just work a miracle.
So far, the road had been free of enemies. But Shion herself had become quite the headache. The so-called princess argued with him over trivial matters, and the two even quarreled along the way. Still, Naruto carried her all the way to the underground palace in the Land of Swamps.
By the time they arrived, night had fallen.
"Alright, Shion-sama, we're here. Let's seal Mōryō as fast as possible." Naruto looked down at the cliffside entrance.
It was a stone cave, surrounded by straw ropes and white cloth, a warning for people to stay away. The ground before it was dotted with earthen mounds.
"You've never been here before," Shion asked curiously, "so how did you know?"
"Instinct, I guess. Feels like this is the place, don't you think?"
"Yes." Shion glanced at the bell her mother had left her, gently touching it.
"Good. Let's hurry up and seal Mōryō, cut off the destiny you spoke of!"
"Idiot. It's called destiny precisely because it can't be changed."
"Don't joke about that!" Naruto leapt down with her on his back.
"Kiyosuke-san once told me that destiny is crap—you can change it if you want. He said he'd overcome destiny himself. I don't really get what he meant, but I believe him. He'll do it. And so can we. Let's cut through fate!"
He landed on one of the mounds, then jumped again to the ground below.
Suddenly, a rumble sounded behind them. Naruto turned to see something like a terracotta warrior crawling out of the mound.
"What the—?"
"Mōryō's ghost soldiers!" Shion's face turned grim. "I didn't expect him to send them here already… which means…"
More and more ghost soldiers emerged. Each mound concealed one, and there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of them.
Naruto vaulted up to dodge an attack.
"So these are the monsters Kakashi-sensei and the others are up against? They're ugly as hell!"
"What should we do?"
"Charge straight through! Hold on tight!"
With Shion on his back, he bolted toward the cave.
He leapt onto one ghost soldier's head, only to be thrown off.
Shion, lacking strength, slipped from his back and went flying toward the river below the cliff.
"Shion!" Naruto lunged, catching her in midair. He twisted his body to shield her and they both plunged into the river.
Sploosh!
They surfaced moments later. Drenched, Naruto carried her ashore and set her under a tree.
Facing away from her, he pressed a hand against his aching back.
"Damn, that hurts. Pretty sure I smacked my back on something…"
"It would've been better if you hadn't saved me. If I died, you and everyone else in the village could've lived. At least you'd be safe until Mōryō destroyed the world."
Shion had always foreseen death—seeing those around her perish and being powerless to stop it. She had come to believe they died because of her, and it made her loathe herself.
Now with Mōryō's return, the pressure she felt was unbearable. To save the world… that was too heavy a burden. One wrong step, and she could be the reason the world was destroyed.
Along the way, ninjas had thrown down their lives for her. She had even seen Naruto's death in her visions. She didn't know what to do anymore. Part of her wanted to give up.
"Maybe so."
Naruto didn't shout. Instead, he untied his headband, adjusted his hair, and tilted his head with a small grin. For a moment, Shion was stunned.
Then he tied his forehead protector back on, eyes firm.
"But I'm not dying. No way. Absolutely not!"
"Impossible."
"Nothing's impossible! Kiyosuke-san told me that. There's always a way through, no matter how impossible it seems. Mōryō can be beaten—because you're here, Shion-sama!"
"One of us will die!"
"No! Neither of us will! I'll protect you!"
Naruto laughed and leaned close, making Shion flush and turn her face away.
"Trust me!"
She looked at his back, tall and unyielding.
When he crouched down and said, "Come on, let's go," Shion climbed onto his back once more.
As he carried her, she whispered by his ear, "Naruto… make a promise with me."
"Yeah. Betting on my ninja way, we'll both survive!"
Naruto let out a loud laugh, carrying her as he leapt up the cliff.
Outside the stone cave, hordes of ghost soldiers patrolled like guardians.
"Rasengan!"
His clones charged forward, smashing ghost soldiers apart with spiraling spheres.
"Another one!"
Boom!
The clones carved open a path, Naruto and Shion following close behind.
"Couldn't you just blow them all away with that?" Shion asked.
"Way too much chakra wasted!" Naruto said, freeing one hand to form another Rasengan. A clone grabbed Shion and jumped toward the cave entrance.
As the clone set her down, he said, "That should do it—"
Suddenly, a stone blade pierced through his chest. Shion's heart sank—was this the prophecy coming true? But in the next instant, the clone dispersed.
"Don't just stand there, idiot! Go reinforce the seal! I'm busy out here!" Naruto's real body shouted as he and the clones fought off the soldiers.
"Fine! Don't boss me around, and you be careful too, idiot!"
Shion dashed into the cave.
"Damn, why are these things so tough? Wait—why are the ones I already smashed back on their feet again?!" Naruto groaned.
No wonder they'd sent Kiyosuke-san to the front lines, only to recall him for this mission.
Just then, a streak of fire cut across the night sky.
BOOM!
An explosion lit the heavens, fire pillars roaring upward, illuminating half the sky.
Out of the blaze stepped Kiyosuke.
"Am I late, Naruto?"
"Perfect timing, Kiyosuke-san!"
Naruto's face lit up with relief. With Kiyosuke here, things finally felt under control.
"Yo! The great me has arrived in style!"
Killer Bee appeared right behind him, octopus tentacles whipping out and sweeping aside a wave of ghost soldiers.
"Bee-san!"
"And we're here too!"
Pakura and the others rushed in, eyes sharp as they glared at the ghostly army.