From what Hyuga Kagami could remember, the timeline of the demonic beasts wreaking havoc in the world lined up with the current events. But this kind of coincidence made the usually cautious Kagami feel a vague sense of unease.
Seeing Kagami still deep in thought, Shisui asked, "Senpai, what do you think about this mission?"
Distracted, Kagami replied casually, "The Land of Demons is sandwiched between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth. This situation involves foreign monsters, so the Priestess will definitely request aid from both the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone villages. This means the mission will involve multiple ninja villages. In short, it's going to be troublesome."
Shisui's curiosity was piqued. "I wonder what kind of monster it really is!"
Kagami thought for a moment and decided to share some of what he knew. "From my estimation, that creature is at least tailed-beast level. Otherwise, the Hokage wouldn't have classified the mission as S-rank."
"Tailed-beast level..." Shisui murmured, then suddenly lowered his voice. "Senpai, I have a technique that lets me temporarily fight against a tailed beast, but after using it, I'm practically useless in battle."
Kagami was surprised by Shisui's honesty. Then he said, "I sensed it during our sparring yesterday. Your Sharingan is different from the ordinary kind."
Shisui hesitated, as if wanting to say more but holding back.
Kagami smiled. "You don't need to explain. Everyone has secrets. As long as you don't endanger the village, I won't tell a soul."
Shisui let out a breath of relief. "Thank you!"
Waving it off casually, Kagami added, "Actually, I've got a secret too. I have a jutsu that can also temporarily counter a tailed beast."
He wasn't lying. The Third Kazekage, known as the strongest Kazekage, had the power to suppress Shukaku, the One-Tail. And now that Kagami possessed the puppet body of the Third Kazekage, he too had the capability to briefly stand against a tailed beast.
Shisui smiled. "I knew it! I could tell you weren't going all out yesterday."
Sharing secrets was undoubtedly one of the best ways to build trust. In just a few words, the bond between Kagami and Shisui had deepened noticeably.
Of course, it also helped that both of them came from prestigious clans and were bloodline limit users with ocular powers.
At the front of the group—
Kakashi glanced back, then turned to Guy beside him. "Kagami seems to have gotten a lot stronger lately."
Guy grinned. "You mean Kagami? Hehe, he's no less of a genius than you!"
"Sure, sure," Kakashi mumbled, dropping his head again and saying no more.
After suffering the loss of his father, close friend, and teacher in quick succession, Kakashi had grown withdrawn and cold. Only when he was with his peers did he speak a bit more.
The four members of Anbu Squad Eleven were some of the best of the new generation in Konoha, so their travel speed was naturally swift. Within a week, they had crossed the border and entered the rainy Land of Rain.
Inside a mountain cave—
The four gathered around a fire, going over the next leg of their journey.
Between the Land of Fire and the Land of Demons lay several smaller nations, including the Land of Rain, the Land of Birds, and the Land of Bears. These countries were currently overrun with rogue ninja. A single misstep could lead to a deadly battle, so route planning had to be done with utmost care.
After a lengthy discussion, Kakashi folded up the map.
Guy grumbled under his breath, "The weather in the Land of Rain really sucks. It's just rain, rain, and more rain. Everything gets all sticky and gross."
As team leader, Kakashi gave a reminder, "The Land of Rain may be small, but it has its own ninja village. The man known as the 'Demi-God' is the leader of Amegakure, so we need to be extra cautious here."
Both Guy and Shisui nodded.
Hanzō of the Salamander was a legendary figure in the ninja world. Even the title of the 'Legendary Sannin' had come from him.
Leaning against a dry wall of the cave, Kagami pondered, "By this time, Hanzō should have already been eliminated by Nagato, right?"
With Sasori and Orochimaru having joined Akatsuki, the organization had transitioned from Yahiko's leadership to Nagato's.
As far as Kagami remembered, the first thing Nagato did as leader was to avenge Yahiko by taking out Hanzō and seizing control of the entire Land of Rain from the shadows.
With Yahiko gone, Nagato no longer saw the world in terms of good and evil. Compared to the rampaging demonic spirits in the Land of Demons, it was now the Akatsuki that posed the true threat of annihilation to the ninja world.
Thinking again about the powerful ninja known as the 'Demi-God' being silently snuffed out, Kagami couldn't help but sigh. "The ninja world really is a dangerous place."
After safely making it through the Land of Rain, the team crossed into the Lands of Birds and Bears without incident.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly. They thought they'd meet the Priestess of the Land of Demons soon—but trouble struck as soon as they crossed its border.
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted, sending clouds of dust and debris into the air.
Guy came dashing back, panting as he yelled, "Damn it! These monsters just won't die!"
Before them stood a group of massive stone soldiers.
These statues, which should have been lifeless, moved like living creatures. They formed ranks and charged aggressively at the team as if driven by deep hatred.
Kakashi used Chidori to destroy a few. Guy shattered some with taijutsu. But moments later, the broken soldiers reassembled and stood again.
Seeing another shattered soldier regenerate completely, Kakashi frowned. "They really do seem immortal."
Kagami didn't know much about these constructs, but anyone could tell they were just soulless puppets. So he suggested, "There's no point wasting time fighting these things. Let's find the Priestess first."
The team knew nothing about the current state of the Land of Demons, so they all agreed with Kagami's suggestion. They bypassed the sluggish stone puppets and headed swiftly into the heart of the country.
Along the way, destruction was everywhere. The stone puppets were wreaking havoc without restraint.
Small villages were annihilated. Markets and towns lay in ruins. Civilian casualties were horrendous. Even the battle-hardened members of Squad Eleven were visibly shaken.
Though their hearts ached, they knew one thing clearly—
Wasting time fighting these puppets would only lead to more death. Their best bet was to rendezvous with the Priestess and defeat the monster behind it all.
Fortunately, the Land of Demons wasn't very large. After several days of trekking, Squad Eleven finally approached the Priestess's palace...
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