Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Farewell, Fourth Hokage
In the Shrine of the Priestess in the Land of Demons, Shishou appeared next to the Priestess Miroku in her study. She was deeply engrossed in studying sealing techniques when Shishou walked over and embraced her from behind.
Startled, Miroku's hands lit up with a faint glow containing powerful sealing energy. Recognizing Shishou, she canceled the sealing technique and shot him an annoyed glance.
"Can you stop sneaking up on me like that? You nearly scared me to death," Miroku scolded.
Due to Shishou's frequent visits, Miroku no longer kept attendants in her study or bedroom.
Resting his head on her shoulder, Shishou kissed her cheek and teased, "Would you prefer if I announced my arrival with fanfare?"
"Absolutely not!" Miroku retorted, glaring at him. As the revered priestess of the Land of Demons, her clandestine meetings with Shishou were not something she could openly broadcast.
"Alright," Shishou said, inhaling her scent before asking, "Is the sealing room ready?"
"Yes, it's ready," Miroku replied.
"Let's get started then," Shishou said, teleporting them from the study. Though he was tempted to linger, there was important business to attend to.
In a secluded, airtight room, Miroku swatted Shishou's playful hand away and said sternly, "I'm about to begin the sealing ritual. Don't disturb me."
Nodding, Shishou retreated to a corner. Miroku formed a series of complex hand signs, causing numerous black sealing patterns to emanate from her body and transfer onto the walls of the room. After half an hour of intense concentration, a visibly exhausted Miroku finally completed the sealing.
"Here's the key to activate and deactivate the seal," Miroku handed Shishou a charm. "It can only maintain the seal for half an hour."
With that, she collapsed into Shishou's arms, completely spent. Shishou carried her back to her room, kissed her forehead, and returned to the sealed room.
Taking a deep breath, Shishou pulled out the charm sealing the Fourth Hokage's soul. Activating the room's seal, he felt his connection to the Flying Thunder God marks severed.
"The priestess's sealing techniques are incredibly powerful. Good thing she's on my side," Shishou mused before releasing the seal on the charm.
The spirit of the Fourth Hokage, wearing his iconic ceremonial robes, appeared before him.
"Shishou, what's going on?" the Fourth Hokage asked, recognizing Shishou from their previous encounters.
"Fourth Hokage, this room is sealed with a special technique that isolates you from the Pure Land, allowing you to manifest here," Shishou explained earnestly.
"This is the priestess's sealing technique from the Land of Demons? Impressive!" The Fourth Hokage nodded, studying the seals on the walls. As an expert in sealing techniques himself, he could appreciate Miroku's superior skill.
"Now, tell me, why have you summoned me?" the Fourth Hokage asked after examining the seals.
"I need you to transfer the half of the Nine-Tails sealed within you into this vessel," Shishou said, presenting a white jade bottle. "The Akatsuki organization is targeting Konoha, and I need the Nine-Tails' power to protect it."
"Akatsuki?" the Fourth Hokage echoed, confused. "Is this a new organization?"
"It's the group led by the masked man who unleashed the Nine-Tails on Konoha the night your wife gave birth. Their leader is extremely powerful, and each core member is at least of elite ninja strength. Their target is the tailed beasts, including the one within Naruto," Shishou explained.
Hearing that Naruto was in danger, the Fourth Hokage frowned with concern.
"Can you handle the Nine-Tails? It's extremely dangerous," he cautioned.
Shishou smiled, confident in his abilities. He had subdued the rampaging Three-Tails and Two-Tails before.
"You've suppressed the Three-Tails and Two-Tails?" the Fourth Hokage repeated in shock. "You were in the same class as Naruto, yet you can already control tailed beasts?"
To dispel any doubts, Shishou revealed a vine sprouting from his hand.
"Wood Release!" the Fourth Hokage gasped, now convinced of Shishou's capabilities.
Nodding, Shishou added, "I'm also close with Lady Tsunade. She's currently in the village." He showed a photo of Tsunade in Konoha, reinforcing his credibility.
Satisfied, the Fourth Hokage agreed, "Alright, I'll transfer the Nine-Tails into your bottle. But is this bottle reliable?"
"It's an ancient artifact passed down through the priestess lineage, with a very strong sealing effect," Shishou assured, opening the bottle.
"You have quite a connection with the priestess lineage," the Fourth Hokage noted, impressed by Shishou's resources and alliances.
"If you had refused, I would have just taken a tailed beast from another village. Takigakure's Seven-Tails seemed like a good candidate," Shishou said nonchalantly.
Alarmed, the Fourth Hokage quickly intervened, "That would start a war. Don't do that."
With Shishou's assistance, the Fourth Hokage successfully transferred the Nine-Tails' yin half into the white jade bottle.
After the transfer, the Fourth Hokage asked, "By the way, you once said you had met me in person. What did you mean by that?"
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