Chapter 211: A Punch with Serious Intent

"Damn it!"

Samui twisted her body to dodge the falling debris while slashing with her short blade.

At that moment, a chilling aura rushed toward her.

it was one of Moryo's tentacles.

She rolled on the ground to evade, barely avoiding the tentacle, but a falling rock struck her back.

A fiery pain spread instantly.

Samui groaned, holding back the pain, and quickly turned around.

Lightning crackled along her blade as she swung it toward the tentacle.

The tentacle split in two but lashed at her from both sides like twin snakes.

Samui's pupils shrank. She instinctively crossed her arms over her chest to block.

Boom!

She was sent flying.

Samui hit the ground hard, her arms bleeding profusely.

But Moryo's relentless assault didn't stop. Two more tentacles loomed over her, ready to strike.

Despair filled Samui's face.

It wasn't just her; most of the nearby ninjas faced similar predicaments.

Moryo's rare psychic attacks had left them all at a severe disadvantage.

The next moment, Samui felt herself being lifted.

Looking up, she saw the ridiculously young Sixth Hokage, Shinho.

"You're too pretty to die here."

Shinho Aburame stepped back swiftly, avoiding the tentacle attack.

The movement caused Samui's body to sway, pressing against his chest.

"Thank you."

Samui steadied herself after being put down.

"It's nothing," Shinho replied casually, shaking his head.

He didn't mind having experienced a moment of close contact.

"The priority now is to have the priestess act," Samui said after taking a deep breath, regaining her usual calm demeanor.

Shinho took note of her composure.

Despite being on the brink of death moments ago, Samui quickly returned to her rational self, ot was a quality that surpassed most ninjas.

"No need," Shinho said, glancing at the rampaging Moryo.

The casualties of Iwagakure and Kumogakure didn't concern him in the slightest.

While he could have acted sooner, that wouldn't have achieved the optimal effect.

The longer Moryo's apparent invincibility persisted, the more impactful its eventual defeat would be, garnering maximum recognition and acclaim.

As for potential resentment from others for his delayed intervention—well, that didn't matter.

Grudges among the Great Nations ran deep, and this would be just another footnote in their histories.

"What... do you mean by that?"

Samui frowned, a trace of irritation in her voice.

While she was grateful that Shinho had saved her, this wasn't the time for games.

Having experienced Moryo's overwhelming strength firsthand, she doubted anyone could defeat it—not even the Hokage.

Despite his rank, Shinho's youth made her skeptical.

"Watch out!"

Samui raised her short blade instinctively as the air whistled.

A tentacle, massive like a spear, hurtled toward them.

"The wind rises," Shinho murmured, feeling a surge of power coursing through the air.

It was the Wind Overlord Gu.

Simultaneously, the Earth Overlord Gu channeled an invisible force from the ground beneath him.

"...?"

Samui blinked, baffled.

Was now really the time for cryptic musings?

Then Shinho threw a punch.

The impact was accompanied by an ethereal projection of Dragon-Elephant Strength Gu.

Samui froze in place, her eyes wide in disbelief.

The colossal tentacle exploded on contact with his fist, shattering into countless pieces like a firework.

A shockwave rippled outward from the punch, rolling through the battlefield like waves on a pond.

"ARGH!"

Moryo's agonized screams echoed as its enormous body staggered backward uncontrollably.

The once-chaotic battlefield fell silent.

"What... just happened?"

C rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he'd seen.

The seemingly unstoppable Moryo had been gravely injured.

"It was the Hokage," Kitsuchi said gravely.

He had seen it clearly—Shinho's casual punch had left Moryo reeling.

"Is he even human?"

Shion swallowed nervously.

She had witnessed Moryo's rampages before.

Ten years ago, even with Sunagakure and Iwagakure forces sacrificing heavily, all they could do was buy enough time for her mother, Miroku, to seal Moryo.

"Of course he is!"

Karin exclaimed proudly, her face glowing with admiration.

"Shinho is even more amazing than you think! Just watch!"

Shion couldn't help but feel shaken.

Her gaze lingered on Shinho's strikingly handsome face as she unconsciously bit her lip.

"You despicable human!"

Moryo roared, regenerating its tentacles.

"I'll kill you!"

"Unless you want to die, fall back," Shinho said, his tone calm but firm.

"Do as he says!"

Kitsuchi immediately ordered a retreat.

With someone capable of facing Moryo head-on, there was no reason for them to continue risking their lives.

As for why Shinho had waited until now to act?

That wasn't a question anyone dared to ask.

Any lingering resentment they had, had to be swallowed.

Kumogakure's ninjas followed suit, retreating without hesitation.

"Samui."

C approached her and placed his hands on her arms, using Mystical Palm Technique to treat her injuries.

"I'm fine," Samui said curtly, her eyes fixed on Shinho.

The battlefield darkened as Moryo's black chakra surged.

Furious and in pain, it unleashed all its power.

Every tentacle shot toward Shinho, blotting out the sky.

Samui subconsciously held her breath. Samui felt as though a mountain was bearing down on her.

Suddenly, a golden light pierced the darkness.

Golden Rainbow Strike!

Utilizing the Golden Silk Armor Gu, Swallow Wing Gu, and Rainbow Transformation Gu, Shinho executed a devastating move.

Golden wings sprouted from his back, doubling his speed.

Primavel essence energy converged, transforming him into a golden arrow.

Though the arrow was just over two meters long—tiny compared to Moryo's towering height of 30 or 40 meters—it proved more than enough.

The arrow pierced through Moryo's mountain of tentacles effortlessly.

Black blood gushed like a fountain, sizzling upon contact with the ground.

The golden arrow didn't stop until it tore through Moryo's massive body, leaving a gaping hole.

"ARGHHHH!"

Moryo's screams grew deafening as it writhed in agony.

Samui covered her ears instinctively, staring at Moryo's struggling form.

She realized how foolish her earlier conversation with C had been.

To think they had entertained the idea of eliminating such a powerful Hokage...

A cold sweat ran down her back.

Thankfully, she had opted for caution, stopping C from making any reckless moves.

"...This Hokage is far more terrifying than we imagined," Kitsuchi said, his voice filled with shock.

Earlier, he had dismissed Shinho as a young and inexperienced leader.

Reality had utterly shattered that assumption.

"So cool!"

Karin gushed, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Unbeknownst to her, Shion wore the same expression.

For the first time in her life, she felt what true safety meant—a stark contrast to the constant fear her lineage had endured.

"You wretched ant!"

Moryo roared, its anger boiling over.

"You've enraged me!"

Dark chakra surged outward like a storm, creating a wave of black mist saturated with potent Yin Release energy.

It erupted like fireworks, accompanied by a cacophony of ghostly wails.

Samui and the others collectively turned pale and coughed up blood.

They stared at Moryo in horror.

To think they were merely caught in the aftershock of its attack—how much worse must it be for Shinho at the center?

Djinn Transformation!

Shinho's body expanded proportionally in size.

His strength, mental fortitude, and willpower tripled.

Among these, his heightened willpower served as his strongest defense against psychic attacks.

"Impossible!"

Moryo growled, its voice laced with disbelief.

"How can a human withstand my psychic onslaught?!"

"He's huge!"

Samui exclaimed, stunned.

"Is that the Akimichi clan's Expansion Jutsu?"

"It could be," C replied uncertainly.

"No, it isn't," Kitsuchi interjected, shaking his head.

"The Expansion Jutsu enhances physical defense, but it doesn't shield against mental attacks."

"Now it's my turn, Moryo."

Shinho ignored Moryo's incredulous outburst and spoke calmly.

"Let's see how you handle my punch this time."

Dragon-Elephant Strength Gu!

A thunderous dragon's roar and an elephant's trumpeting echoed across the battlefield.

Golden light emanated from Shinho's body as the Golden Aroura Gu activated.

Despite his massive size, Shinho moved with incredible speed, appearing in front of Moryo in an instant.

His right fist clenched tightly.

A projection of Dragon-Elephant Force materialized around him, emanating pure power.

The wind howled in response, sending waves of energy pouring into Shinho's body.

"Damn it!"

Moryo instantly recognized the technique—it was the same attack that had destroyed its tentacles earlier.

"That won't work on me again!"

Moryo roared defiantly, black chakra surging over its tentacles.

The tentacles merged into a massive fleshy shield.

Shinho's expression remained impassive as he unleashed his punch.

Crack!

The air itself fractured under the sheer force of the blow.

Space distorted, and Moryo's body convulsed, its flesh shredded to pieces as it was slammed into the ground.

Black blood sprayed like a fountain, splattering in every direction.

The earth cracked apart, rocks flew, and the ground shook violently.

Before the stunned gazes of everyone present, an enormous crater appeared where Moryo once stood.

"Is... is it dead?"

C stammered, his voice trembling.

"I don't know," Kitsuchi replied hesitantly, still in disbelief.

"Is this level of power even humanly possible?"

Samui murmured, clutching her chest as she tried to calm her erratic breathing.

No one noticed the sight, as every pair of eyes was fixed on Shinho.

"Shinho-sama!"

Karin clasped her hands over her flushed face, breathing heavily as she watched.

She felt an irresistible urge to leap into his arms.

"Shinho Aburame..."

Shion clutched the bell at her chest, her eyes glistening.

This was real.

Her prophecy had come true.

She didn't need to sacrifice herself to defeat Moryo.

The cursed fate of the priestess lineage had finally ended.

"If only I'd met Shinho earlier," Shion thought wistfully.

Her mother, Miroku, might still be alive.

"I... I am immortal!"

Suddenly, Moryo's voice boomed again, brimming with rage and resentment.

Black chakra surged as its body began rapidly regenerating.

The damage was severe, though, so the process took time.

For now, all Moryo could do was spew threats.

"How is this possible?!"

Samui and the others looked on, horrified.

Shion was so frightened she collapsed to the ground.

Shinho, however, appeared completely unperturbed.

To truly destroy Moryo would likely require eliminating Shion as well, since their powers were intertwined.

But that wasn't necessary right now.

"Oh, really?"

Shinho leaped into the air, a white elephant's projection appearing behind him.

He stomped down hard on Moryo, driving it another dozen meters into the ground.

"Curse you!"

Moryo roared in fury, thrashing wildly.

"Karin."

Shinho's voice was calm as he raised his fist and delivered another punch to it's face..

"ARGHHHHH!"

Moryo's agonized screams reverberated across the battlefield.

"This looks like a genjutsu," C muttered bitterly as he watched Moryo being humiliated repeatedly.

The once-feared demon was now being beaten into submission.

"Mabui's judgment was spot-on," Samui remarked.

"If she were here, even she'd be rendered speechless."

"I thought Shinho became Hokage solely because of his teacher, Tsunade," Kitsuchi said gravely.

"Now it's clear that Iwagakure must take him very seriously."

Samui and C nodded in agreement.

A powerful Hokage could dramatically shift the balance of the ninja world.

"I'm here, Shinho-sama!"

Karin ran to his side, her hands forming seals.

Golden chains shot out, wrapping around Moryo tightly.

"No!"

Moryo realized what was happening.

This sealing technique was as strong as the one Miroku had used at the cost of her life.

A sense of doom washed over the demon.

Could it really be sealed again in the darkness of the temple?

Karin didn't stop after deploying Adamantine Sealing Chains.

She retrieved a scroll and began another set of hand seals.

Using the same technique that once sealed the Nine-Tails, she prepared to seal Moryo into the scroll.

"No! Stop!"

Moryo's massive body trembled violently as it felt a powerful force pulling it in.

It screamed in despair, like a condemned man facing execution.

But its resistance was futile.

"..."

Shion stared blankly.

Was this really the same Moryo they had feared for so long?

Under Shinho's command, the creature seemed as helpless as a mouse caught by a cat.

No amount of struggle could free it from his grasp.

A flicker of emotion stirred within Shion as she bit her lip.

Moryo had been sealed again, but not killed.

What if it broke free in the future?

Her only hope was Shinho.

She clenched her hands tightly, wondering how to make him stay—or perhaps forge a close relationship with him.

"All done, Shinho-sama!"

Karin closed the scroll and approached him with a bright smile.

Her face practically screamed for praise.

"Well done."

Shinho took the scroll, nodding.

"I'll reward you when we get back."

"Yes!"

Karin beamed with delight.

If not for the others' presence, she would have thrown herself into his arms right then and there.

"Was it really that easy?"

Samui and the others were in a daze.

Before coming here, they had extensively studied the mission.

They believed the only way to seal Moryo was through Shion's sacrificial ritual.

But Shinho had handled everything single-handedly.

"Hokage-sama!"

Shion ran up to him, her white eyes shining with admiration.

"Thank you for your help today!"

She bowed deeply.

As the most revered figure in the Land of Demons, this act was an extraordinary gesture.

Yet no one found it surprising.

Shinho had essentially saved her life.

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