The terrifying battle ended just as abruptly as it had begun.
Neither Shion nor the others had anticipated such an outcome—every part of it had shattered their expectations.
By all logic, the Undead Army should have been barely held back while Shion sacrificed her life to seal Mōryō.
Instead, Kitazawa had released Mōryō's physical body—and then crushed it head-on with Wood Release.
The reversal left everyone stunned.
Ignoring the shocked gazes still fixed on the remnants of the battlefield, Kitazawa calmly opened his storage summoning scroll and withdrew his bow.
He lifted his eyes to the struggling Mōryō.
After a brief pause, he leapt upward—running along the coils of the Wood Dragon until he stood atop its massive head.
Up close, Mōryō was even more grotesque than imagined.
Fortunately, a spirit weapon didn't need to be beautiful.
Kitazawa set the bow against the Wood Dragon's head and began forming seals.
Four Symbols Seal!
Black seals surged forward with his chakra, racing over Mōryō's body.
Sensing danger, Mōryō shrieked and struggled even more violently, desperately trying to tear free from the Wood Dragon's grip.
But resistance was meaningless.
Even Kurama—vastly stronger than Mōryō—could only howl helplessly under a Wood Dragon's suppression.
Once the seals completely covered Mōryō's body, it shuddered violently—then was dragged into the bow like thick smoke pulled by a storm.
The once-dim bow flared with a strange purplish-black glow, instantly gaining an eerie, mystical presence.
Kitazawa did not stop.
He continued weaving seals.
Two Four Symbols Seals merged, forming the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style, sealing Mōryō completely within the bow.
He studied the weapon thoughtfully.
Naming had always been his weakness.
After a brief moment, he chose the simplest name possible—
Demon Slaying Bow.
Mōryō was a demon calamity.
A bow forged to imprison it deserved no lesser name.
With a flick of his wrist, Kitazawa stored the bow away.
This was not the place to test it. That could wait until he returned to Konoha.
[Current Mission: Stir up the Ninja World, successfully assist Yomi in releasing Mōryō.]
[Mission Reward: Wood Release—Violent Tree Spikes.]
[Mission Completed. Reward Issued.]
Kitazawa nodded faintly.
Though Violent Tree Spikes wasn't a top-tier Wood Release technique, it was versatile and practical.
At present, most of his time had been devoted to mastering Deep Forest Emergence and Wood Dragon Technique—both monstrously powerful, but terrifying in chakra consumption.
He couldn't afford to rely on them in every battle.
That would be reckless.
[Current Mission: Defeat Mōryō.]
[Mission Reward: Edo Tensei.]
[Mission Completed. Reward Issued.]
A flood of complex information surged into his mind.
Edo Tensei—an S-rank forbidden jutsu.
In the original timeline, Kabuto's modified version had resurrected countless legendary ninja during the Fourth Great Ninja War. The battlefield had become a reunion of the dead—friends, enemies, mentors, and monsters alike.
The version Kitazawa received, however, was the original Edo Tensei.
And frankly—it was mediocre.
The resurrected ninja could not even reach half of their former strength.
Tobirama himself had compensated for this flaw with another forbidden technique—
Multiplying Explosive Tags, turning the reanimated bodies into living bombs.
Only when White Zetsu vessels infused with Hashirama cells were used did the resurrected approach their former power.
Even then… only approach.
Kitazawa waited for the familiar third mission prompt.
It never came.
His final system objective was to make Wood Release shake the entire Ninja World.
For now, only Kitsuchi, Baki, and Ao had witnessed it firsthand.
True fame required time—to spread through nations, villages, and rumor.
It would come.
Kitazawa descended from the Wood Dragon's head.
Kitsuchi, Baki, and the others instinctively stepped back.
They couldn't help it.
The Wood Dragon's sheer presence was overwhelming—so massive it evoked the same pressure as a Tailed Beast.
In legends, Hashirama's Wood Dragon had once wrestled with the Nine-Tails itself.
And worse—their villages all bore grudges against Konoha.
If Kitazawa chose to slaughter them here… none could stop him.
"So cool!"
Naruto blurted out, eyes burning with excitement.
"This thing's way better than any summoned beast!"
Sasuke nodded faintly in agreement.
He cared little for summoning creatures—but a Wood Dragon was on an entirely different level.
Powerful. Majestic. Absolute.
"This is a true powerhouse…"
Neji clenched his Bow, his heart surging with new resolve.
If he could reach this level one day—Then even destiny itself could be rewritten.
Hinata said nothing.
In her heart, Kitazawa had always been omnipotent.
Today simply confirmed it once again.
Kitazawa landed lightly on the ground and dismissed both Deep Forest Emergence and Wood Dragon.
The primeval forest faded.
The Wood Dragon vanished.
The mountain returned to its former desolation.
Only—Thousands of motionless undead warriors remained.
With Mōryō sealed, they lost all power and became nothing more than inert clay.
And this time—Mōryō was sealed inside Kitazawa's bow.
In theory…It could never be freed again.
"Kitazawa-sama."
Kitsuchi was the first to recover. He stepped forward respectfully.
"The mission is complete. We will take our leave."
It was a polite lie.
What truly mattered was returning to Iwagakure as fast as possible—To inform Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki that Wood Release had reappeared in Konoha.
"Us as well."
Ao and Baki immediately followed suit.
They left without even sparing Shion a glance.
With the mission complete, she was no longer their employer.
And the Ninja World had just gained a new monster.
"Kitazawa-sama!"
Shion hurried to his side, her voice trembling with urgency.
"Where is Mōryō?"
"Mōryō has already been sealed by me," Kitazawa replied calmly. "I'll be taking it back to Konoha."
"R-Really?!"
Shion's eyes lit up instantly.
That single sentence meant everything—No sacrifice. No curse. No more endless cycles of fear for the Land of Demons.
The Mōryō Disturbance that had haunted generations… was finally over.
"Naturally." Kitazawa smiled faintly.
"Thank you!" Shion bowed deeply. "From this day forward, you will always be an honored guest of the Land of Demons! If you ever need anything, our country will spare nothing!"
"Priestess, you're far too generous."
Kitazawa shook his head. "I merely carried out my mission."
Truthfully, there was nothing the Land of Demons could offer him that he truly needed anymore.
If anything, Mōryō itself had been their greatest treasure.
After a moment's thought, he added,
"If you truly wish to repay Konoha—sign an alliance treaty with us."
The Land of Demons still generated a steady flow of missions every year. Until now, being neutral meant those missions were divided equally among the Great Villages.
With an alliance in place, Konoha would gain priority.
More importantly…To the east lay the Land of Earth. To the south lay the Land of Wind.
If another great war ever came, the Land of Demons would become a crucial strategic corridor.
"No problem at all!" Shion agreed immediately.
Suhō offered no objection either.
Though neutrality would be lost, it was a small price to pay for ending the Mōryō curse forever—so that no future priestess would ever need to sacrifice her life again.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto dashed over excitedly. "Can we learn Wood Release too?! Especially that dragon—it was insanely cool!"
Sasuke twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Idiot…
That was Wood Release, not Fire or Wind. Did he really think it was something anyone could just learn?
In over a century, only two people were known to wield it—
Senju Hashirama… and Kitazawa.
"You can't learn it now," Kitazawa said with a chuckle. "But maybe… someday."
Shion quickly spoke up again, enthusiasm returning to her face.
"Kitazawa-sama, everyone worked so hard—please return with me to the Land of Demons for a celebration!"
"What kind of celebration?" Naruto asked curiously.
"A festival in your honor," Shion said after a brief pause. "We'll call it the Kitazawa Festival!"
"As expected of Kitazawa-sensei—amazing!" Naruto beamed.
"Someday I'll have my own too—the Festival of Youth!"
Sasuke and Neji exchanged glances, both seeing the same helpless resignation in each other's eyes.
"A Kitazawa Festival sounds… a bit strange," Kitazawa said thoughtfully.
"How about we just call it the Summer Festival? It is July, after all."
"Alright!" Shion nodded happily.
"We'll return after joining the celebration," Kitazawa concluded.
He wasn't in a hurry—Wood Release needed time to truly shake the Ninja World.
Even if Kitsuchi and Baki rushed back immediately, it would still take at least a full day for the news to reach their villages.
"That's awesome!!" Naruto cheered.
A festival meant food. Games. Noise. Laughter.
And this one was being held just for them.
"You'll be able to eat and drink as much as you like—free of charge," Shion added brightly.
With the burden of the priestess's fatal duty gone, she had finally returned to being what she truly was—An eight- or nine-year-old girl.
Kitazawa watched her quietly and fell into thought.
Should I recruit her into the Genius Class…?
On the surface, Shion looked ordinary. But in truth, she possessed terrifying latent power—much like Yakumo.
In the original timeline, her mother had given her a bell specifically to suppress that power.
Her potential was monstrous.
Still… her identity complicated everything.
In the Land of Demons, the priestess was equivalent to a Daimyō.
I'll look for an opportunity later, he decided.
As news of Mōryō's defeat spread, the Land of Demons erupted in celebration.
At Shion's order, the entire country went into preparation mode.
Kitazawa and his team would only stay two days—the festival would begin at nine the morning after next.
With barely a day and a half to prepare, the atmosphere was frantic but joyful.
Meanwhile… Konoha Village–Hokage Building
The first person to receive the report was not Ōnoki…
Nor Rasa… But Tsunade.
After sealing Mōryō, Kitazawa had immediately dispatched Itachi back to the village.
"Hokage-sama."
Itachi placed a scroll on the desk.
"This is the mission report detailing how Kitazawa-sama led the operation and sealed Mōryō."
True to his nature, he followed protocol to the letter.
If it had been Kitazawa, he probably wouldn't have bothered writing anything at all—he would've just explained it verbally.
Tsunade unrolled the scroll and read carefully.
Every detail. Every clash. Every turning point.
Even without witnessing it herself, the battle between Kitazawa and Mōryō unfolded vividly in her mind.
After finishing, she smiled brightly.
"He did exceptionally well."
Itachi noted her calm reaction and realized—she must have known about Wood Release long ago.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be reacting so casually to something that should shake the entire Ninja World.
"When will he return?" Tsunade asked.
"He plans to return after attending the Land of Demons' celebration tomorrow."
"Mhm." She nodded.
"Have the Anbu inform the entire village."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Itachi's heart trembled slightly.
Once Konoha learned that Wood Release had returned… The impact would be immeasurable.
For civilians and ninja alike, morale would soar.
And for the Uchiha Clan—any hidden rebellious thoughts would be crushed instantly.
After all…Even Uchiha Madara, the greatest Uchiha in history, had lost to Hashirama's Wood Release.
No one would dare challenge that power.
Itachi bowed and left the Hokage's office.
Moments later, he arrived at the Anbu headquarters.
"Itachi?"
Asuma greeted him with a smile. "Long time no see."
Since Kitazawa was away, Asuma was temporarily overseeing Anbu affairs.
"Asuma-senpai."
"Did Hokage-sama send you?"
"She ordered this information to be announced throughout the village."
Itachi handed him the scroll.
Asuma opened it casually—then froze.
"…You've got to be kidding."
Kitazawa defeated Mōryō…with Wood Release?
Asuma stared at the words, then slowly looked up at Itachi.
"It's true," Itachi said calmly.
"…That monster really hid it well."
Asuma let out a helpless laugh. "Not a single person realized he had Wood Release."
"Perhaps there simply hadn't been an opponent worthy of it until now," Itachi replied.
Asuma sighed deeply.
"Comparing yourself to people like that really is bad for mental health."
Then he straightened. "I'll have Anbu spread the word immediately."
"Thank you, Asuma-senpai."
Itachi turned to leave.
Not only was he no longer part of Anbu—He also still had one more important matter to attend to.
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