Chapter 49: Target: Kushina Uzumaki
The next day, in the shrine of the Land of Demons, Shishou visited Karin and Eri Uzumaki after they had spent time learning sealing techniques. He then sought out Miroku, the priestess, who was instructing her student, Shion. Shishou had an important question for her.
"Is there a way to keep the soul of a deceased person in the world for a long time and allow them to move freely?" Shishou asked.
He wanted to give Kushina Uzumaki enough time to teach Karin and Eri the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki Clan. To do that, he needed a method to maintain her soul in the physical world. Miroku, being an expert in sealing techniques and a priestess of the Land of Demons, was the best person to ask.
Miroku pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "There isn't a method that allows the soul to remain active and free," she replied. "However, if you're only looking to preserve the soul, sealing techniques can be used. But this would keep the soul in a state similar to sleep, unable to move freely."
Shishou nodded, thinking of Kushina's method of sealing her soul within Naruto, allowing her to appear in times of need. He motioned for Miroku to continue.
"To keep the soul of a deceased person in the world for a long time, you must isolate it from the Pure Land," Miroku explained. "There is a legend about a special type of stone that can temporarily house a soul. If you use this stone and apply a sealing technique to isolate the soul from the Pure Land, the soul might remain active without falling into a deep sleep."
Shishou was intrigued. He remembered how the Fourth Hokage had trained within the Death God's belly, indicating that his soul was neither sealed nor asleep but actively functioning. This was similar to what Miroku described.
"Do you know where I can find this stone?" Shishou asked, his eyes shining with anticipation.
Miroku blushed slightly under his intense gaze. "Please call me by my name, Miroku," she said softly. "This stone is very rare and can only be found in the Land of Swamps. I can ask my people to look for it, but it may take a long time, and there's no guarantee they'll find it."
Shishou smiled, taking her hand. "Thank you, Miroku. I appreciate it."
Miroku blushed even more and quickly pulled her hand away, fleeing from the room. "I need to go back to teaching Shion."
Shishou chuckled at her retreat.
July, Konoha's 59th Year.
In the underground fighting arena of Fire City, Shishou, wearing a mask, led the masked Mikoto, Pakura, Izumi, and Yugao into a packed arena. Their guide, Takeko, walked ahead respectfully.
Fire City's rich mineral resources had attracted many factions, leading to frequent conflicts. To manage these, the city held a triennial underground fighting tournament to allocate mining rights. The higher the ranking of your representative, the better your choice of mining areas.
Takeko led Shishou's group to a VIP room and asked, "How many participants will you be sending?"
Shishou activated his Sharingan and scanned the competition, noting that most participants were wandering ninja and samurai. Despite the presence of some strong contenders, none posed a significant threat.
"Five," Shishou replied. He planned to claim five of the ten mining rights available.
Takeko was surprised but nodded and left to pay the entry fee of 25 million ryo. Each participant required a 5 million ryo entry fee, a significant sum that limited the number of entries from each faction.
The tournament began with matches determined by drawing lots. Competitors faced off in pairs, with winners advancing until the top ten were decided. The organizers intentionally separated participants from the same faction to prevent internal conflicts.
Shishou himself was one of the five participants from his group. Yugao was the first to fight, her slender frame drawing lewd remarks from the crowd.
"Just a woman! Beat her up!" they shouted, their words filled with scorn.
Her opponent, a wandering samurai, smirked. "A woman should stay home and take care of children, not fight here."
"Begin!" the referee announced.
Yugao and the samurai clashed, their swords meeting in a flurry of sparks. Yugao's speed, honed from sparring with Izumi's Sharingan, overwhelmed the samurai. Within half a minute, she found an opening and kicked him out of the ring.
She sheathed her sword and left the arena before the referee could declare her victory. The crowd, initially stunned, erupted in cheers.
"That woman is incredible!"
"What a weakling that samurai was!"
Yugao's display set the tone for the rest of Shishou's team. Each member would prove their strength, ensuring Shishou's plan to secure the mining rights progressed smoothly.
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