The slug contracted with Tsunade replied softly, then immediately left.
...
By the afternoon of the next day, Shiki and the others had already arrived within the borders of the Land of Demons.
"So this is the Land of Demons?"
Casually tossing away the leaf in his hand, Shiki looked around at the surroundings.
Following behind him, Kushina Uzumaki, Kurenai Yuhi, Kakashi Hatake, and Rin Nohara also leaped down one after another.
Although Kurenai, Kakashi, and Rin all found the place a little unusual, none of them said anything. Only Kushina kept whistling as she looked around.
"What a strange place. It feels completely different from Konoha!"
"It doesn't seem that different, does it?"
Kurenai couldn't help but say that.
After all, while this place was indeed different from Konoha, there were still many places across the ninja world with a similar atmosphere.
Before Kushina could explain herself, Shiki had already waved a hand and answered for her.
"It is different. Your senpai Kushina has basically stayed in Konoha her whole life. She hasn't seen much of the outside world."
"Uh-huh!"
Kushina nodded immediately.
That was true. Since childhood, aside from Konoha and what remained of the Land of Whirlpools, she had hardly been anywhere else.
"So that's how it is."
Kurenai nodded in understanding.
If that was the case, then there was nothing strange about her reaction.
Then Shiki calmly added,
"To put it simply, your Kushina senpai is just ignorant. A country bumpkin with no culture."
Sure enough, the moment Shiki said that, Kushina exploded on the spot.
"Huh?! What do you mean, 'a country bumpkin with no culture'? I just haven't gone out much before!"
Even if that was true, Kushina still felt like she had to fight back.
"Isn't that exactly what it means?"
Shiki shrugged and replied casually.
"You—!!"
That really made her angry this time.
Of course, Kushina wasn't about to run off or anything, but she did want to argue with Shiki again. The problem was that she had no idea how to refute him, which only made it more frustrating.
"Are you the Konoha shinobi?"
Just as Shiki and Kushina were glaring at each other, a man dressed in the unique attire of the Land of Demons quickly jogged over to them.
"Hello, honored guests. I am Ashiho, servant of the current priestess of the Land of Demons."
"Mm."
Shiki gave a flat nod and said nothing more.
Kushina, on the other hand, looked delighted.
"Hello! I'm Kushina Uzumaki of Konoha! Don't worry, with me here, even Mōryō that monster or whatever it is won't be a problem!"
She waved her hand shamelessly, as if in her eyes, whatever trouble the Land of Demons was facing wasn't difficult at all.
"Uh..."
Ashiho froze for a moment.
To be honest, compared to Kushina, who sounded like she was bragging, he trusted the calm and silent Shiki a lot more. They didn't even feel like the same level.
Even though Ashiho didn't say it aloud, Shiki saw straight through his thoughts and casually waved a hand.
"Don't mind her. She just lacks experience. Her strength is still decent."
"Alright."
Ashiho nodded.
After all, these people had come to protect the priestess of the Land of Demons, so it wasn't his place to say much. Turning around, he began leading Shiki and the others deeper into the country.
"I...!"
Kushina was furious.
First Shiki called her ignorant right in front of everyone, and now he just casually dismissed her again.
How much was this bastard looking down on her?!
Still, since everyone else had already started moving, Kushina couldn't exactly remain standing there alone. She could only glare at Shiki, then at Ashiho, and finally huff as she followed after them.
"The scenery in the Land of Demons is actually pretty nice!"
Even if it wasn't as good as Konoha, the Land of Demons was still a beautiful place in its own way.
The architecture and decorations, so different from anything she had seen before, made Kushina feel especially curious. Shiki and the others all knew what kind of person Kushina was, so they didn't say anything.
Ashiho, who was leading the way in front, looked a little proud and said modestly,
"Although our Land of Demons can't compare to Konoha, it has its own unique charm."
"That's true. How could the Land of Demons compare to Konoha?"
Kushina nodded seriously.
But the words that came out of her mouth instantly froze the somewhat proud expression on Ashiho's face.
So you're here to insult the place?
Yet seeing that Kushina's face was completely natural, with no hint of mockery at all, Ashiho couldn't really say anything. He could only lower his head and continue leading the way.
This time, he wisely chose not to speak anymore.
"What's wrong?"
Kushina blinked in confusion, clearly not understanding anything.
In her mind, she hadn't said anything wrong at all.
"Alright, enough. Just shut up and keep walking."
Smiling, Shiki shook his head.
Kushina was exactly that kind of person. Not to mention Kurenai and the others—even Shiki had to hold back a laugh.
To put it nicely, she was straightforward.
To put it bluntly, she just had a talent for causing trouble without realizing it.
Under Ashiho's guidance, Shiki and the others soon arrived at a place that looked somewhat like a palace.
Calling it a palace was a bit generous, though. Compared to the surrounding buildings, it was only slightly more luxurious. After all, this was still the Land of Demons—there were limits to how extravagant a place like this could be.
Sitting at the highest seat was a small girl with silver-white hair, her delicate frame and youthful features making her seem quite young at first glance.
Between her timid expression and the way she carried herself, she gave off the impression of someone who was still far from the imposing image people would usually associate with the ruler of a country.
"..."
At this point in time, Shion was still very young.
Her ability to foresee the future had not fully developed yet, so she did not yet possess the cold arrogance and lofty air she would have later when she met Naruto.
At this stage, Shion was still just a little girl who had recently lost all of her family.
"A-Are you the shinobi from Konoha?"
Having not sat on the throne for very long, Shion lacked the presence one would expect from the ruler of the Land of Demons.
Even though she was clearly trying to put on a dignified expression, it only made her look a little awkward instead.
"So cute!"
At least, that was what Kushina thought.
"Eh?!"
The moment Kushina said that, Shion was startled.
Cute?
Was she talking about her?
"I..."
Seeing that Kushina even looked like she was about to walk over to her side, Shion became completely flustered.
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