The Land of Swamps lay to the left of the Land of Demons.
In less than half a day, Kitazawa and his group crossed the border and entered the murky territory. They didn't advance recklessly—instead, they halted at the outskirts.
Kitsuchi led his three teammates ahead to scout Mōryō's position.
Kitazawa and the others remained behind, waiting.
An hour later, the Iwagakure squad returned.
"Mōryō and its Undead Army are in the northern mountains," Kitsuchi reported gravely. "They're moving toward Mount Fūma."
Shion's expression tightened.
"Mount Fūma is where Mōryō's physical body is sealed."
"Should we intercept them now?" Kitsuchi asked.
Shion took a steady breath.
"Mōryō has two goals—recover its body… and kill me. Because only I can seal it."
"Then we stop the Undead Army while you go seal its soul?" Baki asked after a brief pause.
"I can only seal it at the Sealing Shrine or Mount Fūma," Shion explained.
"The Shrine is back in the Land of Demons. It just escaped from there—without its body, it won't return. Mount Fūma is our only chance."
Ao folded his arms thoughtfully.
"Then the best option is to end it at Mount Fūma."
Kitazawa recalled the future he knew.
Yes—this was the mountain where Naruto and Shion defeated Mōryō.
"Can the body and soul be sealed together?" Kitsuchi asked.
"Yes," Shion nodded resolutely.
"I will draw it to Mount Fūma. Until then, you must stop the Undead Army… and protect me."
Despite her altered premonition, she followed the same plan. With no better alternative, Ao, Kitsuchi, and Baki all agreed.
They all understood what this truly meant.
Sacrifice.
The fate of every priestess before her.
Yet as seasoned shinobi, they were already accustomed to death—and their bond with Shion was still too shallow to shake their resolve.
The group pressed forward.
Not long after, the earth began to tremble.
Heavy, chaotic footsteps thundered through the mountains.
Kitazawa lifted his gaze.
Dense ranks of warriors surged into view.
"This is Mōryō's Undead Army," Shion said softly. "As long as Mōryō exists, they will never truly fall."
"They're not strong," Kitsuchi said calmly, "but their numbers make them troublesome. Priestess—place your trust in us."
Shion nodded.
"Then… let us begin."
She stepped forward.
Suhō followed her without hesitation.
In the next instant, every undead warrior turned, their hollow faces locking onto Shion.
A distorted voice rumbled from the army's depths.
"Shion…"
Yomi stepped forward, his voice crawling from deep within his chest, drenched in malice.
"You finally came."
"Mōryō!"
Shion forced her fear down and stood tall.
"I will seal you—just as my mother once did!"
"Why seal me?" Mōryō hissed seductively.
"Join with me. With our power combined, no one in this world could oppose us. You could rule the entire Ninja World!"
"I will never ally with you!" Shion snapped.
Mōryō's rage erupted.
"Then I will devour you whole!"
At that command, the Undead Army surged forward in a crushing tide.
"Attack!" Kitsuchi roared.
Neji and Hinata drew their bows in perfect unison.
Two Yin Release arrows streaked through the air.
The front two warriors were pierced clean through—their bodies shuddered… then collapsed into shattered stone.
Kitsuchi and Baki instinctively glanced at the bows.
Just their presence radiated danger.
Now I understand why Kitazawa brought them, Kitsuchi thought.
Byakugan paired with those bows was more than enough to massacre Chunin-level undead at long range.
But then—what about the other two?
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto's excited shout echoed across the battlefield.
Smoke exploded.
Hundreds of Naruto clones burst forth.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
"Dynamic Entry!"
"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
Naruto and his army crashed into the Undead Army like a living hurricane.
For the first time, the undead army was forcibly halted.
"So… so amazing…"
Shion stared wide-eyed.
This was her first true glimpse of ninja power.
Baki was stunned speechless.
A kid… created hundreds of clones?
He had thought Kitazawa reckless for bringing students.
Now, he realized the truth.
It wasn't recklessness.
It was confidence.
"How can a child possess that much chakra…?" Kitsuchi muttered, disbelief finally breaking his composure.
Behind them, Ao sighed quietly.
He'd seen this madness before—during the Konoha–Mist exchange.
A flash of lightning erupted.
Sasuke's three-tomoe Sharingan spun to life as he charged into the enemy ranks.
The sword of the Thunder God howled.
Lightning exploded outward in all directions.
Every undead warrior near him disintegrated into flying debris.
"Three-Tomoe…?!"
Baki's eyes went wide.
"At this age?!" Kitsuchi finally noticed Sasuke's eyes.
Ao and Chōjūrō froze.
Last time they'd met—Sasuke only possessed the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
An eight-year-old with the Three-Tomoe…
Their minds refused to accept it.
Shion glanced between Naruto and Sasuke, utterly bewildered.
Even without understanding the technicalities—She could still tell one thing clearly.
These two were monsters.
"Everyone," Kitazawa said with a relaxed smile,
"Now's not the time to lose focus."
Judging by the stunned reactions of Kitsuchi and the others, Kitazawa knew he had made the right call in bringing Naruto and the rest.
This battle would become their stepping stone to fame.
Of course, fame was a double-edged sword—especially for children still this young.
Once their names spread, other villages might very well attempt to erase them before they could fully grow.
After we return… I'll need to speak with the Third and tighten security around the Genius Class, Kitazawa thought.
Earth Release: Fist Rock!
Kitsuchi flashed in front of Shion with a burst of speed. His right hand transformed into solid stone as he drove his punch forward—crack!
An undead warrior shattered into fragments.
Wind Release: Whirlwind Technique!
Baki swept his arms outward.
Razor-sharp currents of wind tore through the battlefield, slicing swaths of warriors into scattered pieces.
Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!
Ao clapped his hands.
Dozens of high-pressure water streams erupted outward in a violent wave, blasting every undead soldier in range off their feet.
The other Jonin joined in without hesitation.
In mere seconds, the area around Shion and Suhō was completely cleared.
Shion stared, stunned.
"With so many powerful ninja here… why did my mother have to sacrifice herself back then to seal Mōryō?"
Suhō stiffened—but he didn't answer directly.
"Your Highness, we should hurry to Mount Fūma."
He wasn't avoiding the truth out of ignorance—he simply didn't want her hope to die.
The real answer was cruelly simple:
Even all of this power once hadn't been enough.
During the previous Mōryō incident, the Five Great Nations had sent countless Jonin—yet none could stop it.
In the end, only Miroku's life had sealed the demon.
"…I understand."
Shion nodded and pressed forward toward Mount Fūma.
"Chase her."
Mōryō's voice roared across the battlefield.
It already knew her destination.
And it had no intention of stopping her yet.
Before that… I'll drain every last drop of chakra from these fools.
"They're reforming!"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes as shattered warriors reassembled before him.
"So what? Youth revives endlessly too!" Naruto shouted with reckless enthusiasm.
"Konoha Gale!"
His triple spinning kick demolished the warrior in front of him.
"You idiot," Sasuke muttered.
"Conserve your chakra," Neji warned calmly.
"The Undead Army's attack rate is slowing," Hinata added tensely.
Sasuke nodded. "The real battle is waiting for us at Mount Fūma."
Shion was luring Mōryō there.
And Mōryō intended to reclaim its body—and kill her.
This wasn't a skirmish.
It was the final battleground.
"So that's how it is…" Naruto scratched his head sheepishly.
"Man, you guys really figured it out fast."
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Kitazawa leaned back and exhaled.
A massive fireball arced through the air and detonated near Naruto's position—BOOM!
Dozens of undead warriors were incinerated instantly.
"All of you, regroup here," Kitazawa commanded.
"Don't spread out further."
"Understood, Sensei!"
Sasuke and the others disengaged instantly. The ninja from Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure followed suit.
The group tightened their formation around Shion, focusing solely on repelling the Undead Army.
Ten minutes later—
"That's Mount Fūma!"
Shion raised her hand, pointing at a distant peak.
From the outside, it looked unremarkable—just another jagged mountain among many.
Without her guidance, no one would ever find the seal hidden within it.
"I'll need ten minutes to set up the sealing platform," Shion said steadily.
"After that, you may allow Mōryō's soul to approach. Until then—hold the Undead Army back."
"Shion…"
Mōryō's voice echoed once more.
"This is your last chance. Will you join me?"
"…No."
Her voice didn't waver.
She turned and walked toward Mount Fūma without looking back.
At that moment—Yomi's body convulsed violently as dense, purplish-black chakra burst from within him.
"Everyone, stay sharp!" Kitsuchi barked.
"That's Mōryō's soul!"
Baki, Ao, and the others braced instantly.
The Undead Army might be annoying—but Mōryō itself was an entirely different threat.
The swirling mass of dark chakra materialized in the air.
Mist coiled around it.
Tentacles writhed beneath the haze.
Its presence alone crushed the air with dread.
"SHION!"
Mōryō roared.
The entire Undead Army surged forward.
Kitsuchi punched first—sending five warriors flying.
But more and more flooded in from behind.
Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique!
Kitsuchi slammed both hands to the ground.
The earth split apart violently.
Two colossal semicircular mountains surged upward from either side—then crashed together at his command.
Hundreds of warriors, along with Mōryō's advancing form, were crushed utterly into pulverized stone.
"That's insane!" Naruto shouted in awe.
"He really is stronger than Asuma-san," Neji admitted.
But in his heart, he added silently:
Still not stronger than Sensei.
He had witnessed Kitazawa's battle with Satori.
The might of Lightning Release: Kirin still eclipsed everything he had seen.
Kitazawa and Baki were far less surprised.
Kitsuchi's Earth Release had long been feared across the ninja world.
Kitazawa, in particular, knew his true ceiling.
In the original timeline, Kitsuchi had used this very technique twice:
Once against the Gedo Statue—where it failed.
And once again, empowered by Nine-Tails chakra—when he temporarily restrained the Ten-Tails itself.
Power came at a price.
And this level of devastation consumed chakra at a terrifying rate.
Mōryō burst through the mountain peaks Kitsuchi had just raised.
A thunderous boom echoed across the battlefield as shattered stone and earth cascaded downward. From the collapsing rubble, a massive surge of purplish-black chakra roared forward like a living tide.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Ao reacted instantly, spewing forth a roaring water dragon that slammed headlong into the advancing mass.
For a heartbeat, it held.
Then the purple-black chakra corroded it from within.
The water dragon dissolved mid-charge, collapsing into a lifeless puddle at Ao's feet.
Ao's brow furrowed hard.
"Wind Release: Wind Blade!"
Baki snapped his arm forward.
Razor-sharp wind spiraled around his palm and fired outward like a condensed executioner's blade. It tore through falling debris as if it were paper—then cleaved cleanly through the demon's chakra mass.
The split half of Mōryō's chakra shuddered—and fused back together instantly.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Kitsuchi and his three teammates stepped forward in perfect unison. Four towering earthen walls erupted from the ground, bracing themselves just as the purple-black tide slammed into them with a violent crash.
For a moment—it held.
Then the chakra mass exploded.
Invisible spiritual shockwaves detonated outward.
Kitsuchi and his three men froze instantly.
They clutched their heads as searing agony tore through their minds, collapsing to their knees with hoarse cries. Baki and Ao felt their vision blur as the same crushing pressure surged toward them.
"Shadow Wall!"
Kitazawa formed hand seals.
The shadows beneath their feet surged upright, interlocking into a dense, pitch-black barrier. The formless shockwave smashed into it, trembling violently—yet the wall held.
Ao exhaled sharply. "Thank you."
Kitazawa only shook his head.
He hadn't expected the defensive technique he created for Shikamaru to save elite Jonin in a battle like this.
He stepped forward immediately, placing his palms against Kitsuchi and the others.
Soft emerald chakra flowed over them.
Kitsuchi regained his senses with a strained breath.
"Whether it's easy or not… we have to hold it."
Baki ground his teeth.
"If this mission fails, the fallout will be catastrophic."
A ninja village lived on contracts and reputation. Failures meant lost trust. Lost trust meant lost funding.
Sunagakure knew that pain better than anyone.
After the Third Kazekage vanished during the Third Shinobi World War, the Wind Daimyō slashed their budget and diverted missions to other villages—especially Konoha.
That was how Rasa earned the name 'Gold Miner', forcing the Hidden Sand to survive through gold dust.
A temporary solution.
One that ultimately pushed him toward Orochimaru—and his own death.
"Ants."
Mōryō's voice thundered across the battlefield.
The crushed warriors trembled—and rose again.
Its soul rippled in the air as countless shadowy tentacles burst from the surrounding mist.
"Spiral Arrow!"
Hinata released her bowstring.
A Yin Release Arrow howled through the air, spinning violently. Neji fired a heartbeat later.
Mōryō's tentacles lunged to intercept—and were pierced straight through.
For the first time, the battlefield fell silent in stunned disbelief.
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