I, Uchiha Hikaru, have joined the chat group.

Chapter 203 Lady Tsunade, you don't want to lose that money, do you?

"Oh?"

Uchiha Hikaru's eyes flickered, and he turned to look at Tsunade: "Explain in detail."

"Forehead……"

Tsunade's knowledge was very limited, even less than that of the stall owner from a few days ago. She had only occasionally come across the name "Mouryou" in an ancient scroll in Konoha, and knew nothing about it.

The same goes for Sakumo Endo.

After all, the last time "demons" appeared in the world was hundreds of years ago. At that time, not only was Konoha Village not yet born, but even Uchiha Hikaru had not yet been born. After hundreds of years of war and change, the relevant records have become scattered and incomplete. The fact that this story can be remembered is the result of oral transmission from generation to generation.

"...However, Lady Miroku should know some inside information, because she is a descendant of the priestess who sealed away the demon back then."

"Yeah?"

Uchiha Hikaru pondered for a moment: "Then let's go see your lord."

"……good."

Endo Sakumo nodded subconsciously, then looked at Tsunade with slight hesitation: "Um, is this also your idea, Lady Tsunade?"

"Of course not."

Tsunade firmly denied it: "I only met her here by chance, and there's nothing more to it. But since she's willing to help you, it's probably a better outcome for you."

"what?"

"What do you mean, 'huh'?"

Tsunade snorted coldly: "You don't actually think she's my disciple, do you? This young lady is the head of the Uchiha clan in Konoha. Even the Third Hokage would show her respect, let alone me, one of the Legendary Sannin. If she were to make a move, both 'Mouryou' and 'Chimei' would be easily eliminated."

"...?"

This time, it was Uchiha Hikaru's turn to raise an eyebrow.

What do you mean? Suddenly you're praising yourself?

However, she quickly guessed what the woman was thinking from Tsunade's slightly evasive eyes—

Ok.

So Tsunade's effusive praise was actually an attempt to shift the blame for the "demonic spirit" onto her.

Although Tsunade's hemophobia was forcibly "cured" under Uchiha Hikaru's "Eight Thousand Spears," because there was no argument with Naruto about "Hokage" as in the original work, Tsunade still has the mentality of a lazy bum. She doesn't consider herself a member of the Legendary Sannin at all, and she doesn't want to get involved in things that sound like troublesome matters.

If it weren't for Uchiha Hikaru being here...

She'd already been trying to escape by now.

"Well, Lady Tsunade is joking. I'm just an ordinary Uchiha. In terms of reputation, how can I compare to the legendary Sannin?"

Uchiha Hikaru first said half-jokingly, then paused, and said meaningfully, "Besides, I purchased a month-long tutoring course plus medical services from Lady Tsunade, and there are still nearly 20 million yen left to pay. You don't want to lose that money, do you?"

Previously, Uchiha Hikaru and Tsunade had only verbally agreed to two deals and paid a small "deposit".

The vast majority of the remaining amount was still in Uchiha Hikaru's hands, with the intention of paying it off after the transaction was completed. Given her status as the "great-grandmother of the Uchiha clan," Tsunade never expected her to renege on the debt.

Can……

Tsunade's expression turned strange.

Uchiha Hikaru smiled slightly: "Don't worry, since I promised you, I won't go back on my word. But you also need to fulfill the conditions you promised, right?"

"..."

Tsunade remained silent for a while, then finally sighed helplessly.

the other side.

Endo Sakumo didn't quite understand the meaning of their conversation, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions and could only wait silently for the result.

"Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Of course, it's the capital."

Uchiha Hikaru glanced at Endo Sakumo: "Where is your capital located, and how far is it from here?"

"...due north, about seventy kilometers away."

Endo Sakumo thought for a moment and replied, "We have prepared fast horses, and you two can depart at any time if you wish... We were supposed to pick you up by carriage, but due to the urgency of the situation, we did not have time to prepare. Please forgive us."

"It's alright."

"Please wait a moment, though."

Uchiha Hikaru greeted Endo Sakumo and the others, then left the room and called Esdeath and Kikyo over from downstairs.

Then, she gestured for everyone to gather together before raising her watch and activating "Shangri-La".

With the infusion of spiritual power.

A cluster of light purple light burst forth, forming a massive teleportation array beneath their feet.

Then, a flash of light.

Before anyone, including Tsunade and Endo Sakumo, could even understand what was happening, their vision blurred. When their vision returned, the scenery around them had completely changed. From the inn room, they were in a spacious courtyard surrounded by high walls and a cluster of palace-like buildings.

The guards, armed with spears, stood watch throughout the palace, appearing heavily on guard. They noticed their arrival and, after a brief moment of surprise, strode over.

"?!"

Tsunade was stunned.

After a good two or three seconds, she suddenly turned around and looked at Uchiha Hikaru with an incredulous expression: "What kind of ninjutsu is that... Flying Thunder God Technique?!"

When Tsunade returned to the village last time, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya gave her a detailed account of information about Hikaru Uchiha. From his initial awakening to his slaying of Danzo, and then to being welcomed back to the Uchiha clan with a grand ceremony... they also mentioned that "Hikaru Uchiha knew Minato Namikaze".

Honestly...

Tsunade thought it was ridiculous.

Because of Kato Dan's influence, she had some knowledge of the concept of the soul and roughly knew what state a person was in after death. If Namikaze Minato died a natural death and his soul remained in the Pure Land, then it was somewhat believable that Uchiha Hikaru saw his spirit while she was half-dead during her imprisonment.

However, the "Dead Demon Seal" is a deal with the Grim Reaper, where the soul is swallowed into the Grim Reaper's belly. How could it possibly communicate with the outside world?

Can……

If you've never seen Minato, how could you use "Flying Thunder God"?

"wrong……"

Tsunade gradually realized what was going on: "When you released that magic circle just now, there was no sign of you mobilizing chakra, and the power source that constituted that magic circle was that thing you were wearing on your wrist... What is that, a ninja tool?"

In response to Tsunade's question.

Uchiha Hikaru smiled and said, "That's right, just as you thought. This is a ninja tool inscribed with the Flying Thunder God Technique formula."

"?"

Tsunade was skeptical.

Of course, Uchiha Hikaru would not easily tell others the origin and details of the Imperial Tools, so "ninja tools" was a good excuse.

Even if Tsunade had doubts, she couldn't press the matter further.

Esdeath, on the other hand, suddenly narrowed her eyes and glanced at Kikyo and Erii, as if she had vaguely thought of something, but she did not say anything.

"Who are you, daring to trespass into the royal palace... Lord Endo, is that you?"

"it's me."

The palace guards had already arrived.

Endo Sakumo exchanged a few words with them, then turned around and respectfully looked at Uchiha Hikaru and Tsunade: "My lords, this is the royal palace of the Land of Demons. Lord Miroku is waiting for you inside. Please follow me."

"Okay, lead the way."

Led by Endo Sakumo, the group walked through the courtyard and arrived at a residence in the center of the palace.

Speaking of which...

The architectural style of this palace has a bit of a Shinto influence, especially the residence of the shrine maiden Miroku.

At the entrance, there is a row of vermilion torii gates with white shimenawa (sacred ropes) hanging from them.

Further in, there is a simple and rustic bluestone path leading to the wooden houses at the very back. The stone slabs are covered with soft moss, clearly indicating that they have been there for many years. On both sides of the path are thick ancient trees, each of which is as wide as three or four people can encircle. Their lush canopies almost completely block out the sunlight from above, allowing only patches of strange and colorful light to filter through and fall around the path.

When Uchiha Hikaru and his group passed by.

Then I saw a small figure with light white hair holding a ball in his hands, standing in the yard, looking out with a bit of shyness, while several people who looked like guards stood next to him.

"That is Lord Miroku's daughter, Princess Shion."

"Oh……"

Uchiha Hikaru already knew the little girl's name, but he still took a few more glances at her.

(Hmm...she does look a bit like Hinata.)

(But they do look quite cute. If there's a chance, I can bring Naruto over to meet them...)

It only took a few moments.

The group had already entered the main hall and met the priestess Miroku, who was waiting in front of the throne.

The priestess wasn't very old, only in her early twenties—after all, her daughter Shion was only a few years old.

He wore a long white robe, his long white hair was casually tied up and hung down his back, and he wore a pure gold crown. He exuded the majesty of a superior, and looked even more imposing than Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage.

Hmm... it could also be due to my appearance.

After all, a young queen in her twenties is always more eye-catching than that old man in his sixties or seventies from the third generation.

"Lord Miroku, Lady Tsunade has arrived. And this is Lord Mitsuru, the head of the Uchiha clan..."

Sakumo Endo began by introducing the various parts of the story.

Miroku was visibly taken aback when he heard the name "Uchiha Hikaru".

—In Konoha Village, Uchiha Kou was a well-known figure.

Aside from ninjas like Might Guy who couldn't remember names and a few civilians who didn't care about current events, most of the Konoha villagers knew that the Uchiha clan had gained a "great-grandmother." They also learned about Uchiha Hikaru's actions through various rumors.

But once she left Konoha, her name faded into obscurity, far less renowned than titles like "Sannin" and "Princess of the Senju."

but.

Miroku gave a polite bow and spoke in a gentle tone: "I am Miroku, the priestess of the Land of Demons. I have long admired your reputations and never expected to meet you all today... Please make yourselves at home and take a seat. I will tell you everything about the 'Wraiths'."

present.

Uchiha Hikaru and his party sat down on the tatami mats on both sides of the main hall.

Soon, maids served fragrant tea and snacks.

Erii picked up one of the pastries and took a bite. Her fair face immediately lit up with surprise. Then she turned to look at Uchiha Hikaru, who was holding up a small notebook with "Delicious" written on it, and brought another pastry to her mouth.

"...Thank you, I can do it myself."

"It's okay."

Unable to resist, Uchiha Hikaru ate the pastries bite by bite under Erii's feeding, and then the girl wiped the crumbs from the corners of his mouth with the back of her hand.

These small actions did not attract much attention.

Esdeath glanced at it coldly, then looked away, picked up the pastry in front of her, put it in her mouth, chewed it slowly a few times, and swallowed it.

"...The taste is alright."

the other side.

Maitreya began to speak.

"I apologize for inviting you all here so abruptly. However, the situation in the Land of Demons is not optimistic. If the trouble caused by the 'Wraith' is not dealt with in time, the disaster it has caused may radiate out of the Land of Demons and gradually spread to the entire ninja world."

"...Is it really that exaggerated? That thing should just be a slightly more powerful monster, right?"

Tsunade raised a question.

"It's not just about monsters."

Miroku slowly began to speak: "The 'Mouryou' is a demon that cannot be killed, just like the Tailed Beasts. Even we priestesses, who possess the power to subdue it, can only temporarily seal it away. But as time goes by, the power of the seal will gradually weaken, and someone will seize the opportunity to release it..."

According to the records and murals of the priestess lineage, "Wangliang" can use the corpses of those they kill to mass-produce ghost-like monsters. They are fearless of death and will kill and destroy everything in their path, just like a virus.

If it cannot be sealed in time, the number of "Ghost Legions" will increase rapidly in a very short period of time, and at that time, the world will face an unimaginable catastrophe.

"..."

Uchiha Hikaru narrowed his eyes slightly.

In the animation, she saw "Wangliang" and also the so-called "Ghost Corps".

That thing is indeed very troublesome for ordinary people, and even for ninjas.

Even elite Jonin like Kakashi and Might Guy couldn't completely "kill" those mercenary-like things; they could only temporarily shatter them, and they would automatically regenerate after a while.

but……

This characteristic seems somewhat similar to Esdeath's Ice Knight?

Both are immortal, but if the Ice Knight were to face off against the "Ghost Legion"...

Thinking this, Uchiha Hikaru gently nudged Esdeath beside him with his elbow and whispered, "Esdeath, let me ask you a question... With your power, what's the maximum number of Ice Knights you can create at once?"

(End of this chapter)