Chapter 225

"Let Dad give you some advice—maybe I can even teach you a thing or two."

Hearing that Naruto had a girl he liked,

Minato Namikaze's eyes lit up,

and he immediately urged him to tell him.

He had never been by Naruto's side all these years,

so he wanted to know every single thing that happened to others,

down to the finest detail!!

"Uh… it's really not a big deal."

"Sakura… Sakura is kind of violent."

"Sometimes she hits me all the time, but she doesn't hit too hard…"

"I usually just lie in bed for two days and heal on my own."

"But last time she really went all out—she broke four of my ribs, and I had to stay in bed for a whole week before I fully recovered…"

After hearing Naruto recount his experiences,

Minato Namikaze couldn't help but twitch his eyelid!!

Good grief!!

His own son,

was clearly a love-struck fool!!

The girl he called Sakura clearly didn't like him!!

Minato Namikaze hadn't expected,

that his son Naruto Uzumaki's romantic experiences,

were exactly like those of his teacher Jiraiya!!

Although Jiraiya had never clearly expressed his feelings for Tsunade,

everyone around him could clearly see Jiraiya's affection for Tsunade,

simply because Jiraiya refused to admit it!!

…

"Your Majesty Hashirama! I'll rely on you shortly."

"Please help us protect the Shrine Maiden's safety…"

"The task of sealing Mokuryō is left to us."

On the way to the sealing site,

the Chief of Security turned to Hashirama Senju and said solemnly.

He stared at the Shrine Maiden's delicate, youthful face,

and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

After so many years of living together,

he had long regarded the Shrine Maiden as his own daughter!

And now, sending her to seal Mokuryō,

was like pushing his own daughter into a fire.

Because sealing Mokuryō required the Shrine Maiden's life as the price,

which was why the Shrine Maiden held such high status in the Land of Ghosts.

Because only the Shrine Maiden in the Land of Ghosts could do this!!

"Don't worry—I'll help you."

"Perhaps this time I can directly resolve this threat in the Land of Ghosts."

"If Mokuryō really escapes… it would cause us considerable trouble too."

The Land of Ghosts shares a border with the Land of Fire.

From Hashirama Senju's perspective,

the Land of Ghosts lacked the strength to resist Mokuryō,

and if Mokuryō truly escaped and overthrew the entire Land of Ghosts,

it might immediately invade the Land of Fire!!

That would indeed be a major problem for the Land of Fire.

"Then I thank you in advance, Your Majesty Hashirama."

Upon hearing this,

the Chief of Security smiled and said nothing more.

Simply succeeding in sealing Mokuryō was already a miracle,

he had never dared to dream of destroying Mokuryō.

This was something the Land of Ghosts had tried since its ancient founding,

but had never succeeded at,

and sealing the demon Mokuryō with minimal casualties

was already considered lucky for them.

Although he had immense faith in Hashirama Senju,

the idea of destroying Mokuryō

was still far too distant for the Chief of Security,

He took it as Hashirama Senju joking.

The words were meant to boost their morale.

But the shrine maiden stared at Hashirama Senju's back and fell into thought.

Hashirama Senju's words from yesterday still echoed in her ears.

Not just her,

not even her mother,

nor anyone in the Land of Ghosts,

had ever believed fate could be changed.

They believed fate was ordained by heaven,

unchangeable,

and the only thing they could do was accept it!

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And Hashirama Senju was the only one who told her fate could be changed.

The shrine maiden looked sorrowfully at the people escorting her,

in her foresight,

this sealing of Mōryō,

including herself,

would likely leave none alive to return,

the fate of these guards was sacrifice!!

When her gaze fell upon the chief guard,

she could not help but show deep anguish.

The chief guard had treated her as his own daughter for so many years,

and she had never failed to see the chief guard as her own father.

Her mother had already given her life to seal Mōryō,

and now she too would use her life to seal Mōryō,

and might even lose her father!!

Along the journey, silence reigned.

Everyone stared ahead with solemn, silent faces,

for they all knew this mission might cost them their lives,

and this was among the few remaining moments they would have in this world.