Chapter 231

But this lifeform certainly won't be me anymore!!

【Fourth Raikage: Terrifying!! I never expected the First Hokage's fist could still harm the very source of the soul!! This is utterly terrifying!】

【Jiraiya: Natural energy is fundamentally the most primordial force in heaven and earth; that it can achieve this isn't surprising—but only someone like the First Hokage, who fully mastered natural energy, could possibly do it…】

【Orochimaru: I truly envy this kind of aberrant lifeform. Even after being crushed by the First Hokage, they still persist in this world, never dissipating forever!】

【Tsunade: I'd rather not have this kind of aberrant immortality! Its consciousness has been completely erased by Grandfather—no matter how it reappears, it won't be itself anymore!】

【Minato Namikaze: This is similar to whether two flowers that grow in the same place at different times are still the same flower, isn't it?】

【Naruto Uzumaki: What the heck… what are you all talking about? It's so mysterious I don't understand a word—but it looks like the crisis in the Land of Demons has been resolved, right?】

【Hashirama Senju: Hahaha! Fourth Hokage, your child is kind-hearted!! It seems Konoha raised him well!】

【Orochimaru: Raised? Eating expired food, targeted by the entire village of Konoha, growing up worse off than an orphanage child—is that what you call "raising" him, First Hokage?】

【Minato Namikaze: Hiruzen Sarutobi! I will kill you!】

【Ōnoki: Brilliant! The Fourth Hokage of Konoha and the Third Hokage have become mortal enemies—I look forward to this battle!】

……

"Lady Witch, although I erased the consciousness of Mōryō…"

"It was formed from human negative emotions…"

"I cannot completely destroy its body."

"How about this: I will take its body to the Land of Fire and guard it personally, to prevent it from causing havoc again."

Hashirama Senju's pupils shuddered,

Mōryō's enormous body twisted into a tiny clump,

and fell into his palm!!

Seeing that Hashirama Senju could shrink Mōryō's body to this size,

everyone couldn't help but stare at him in shock again!!

What technique is this?

They had never seen anything like it.

To freely enlarge or shrink a person's body?

Thinking they themselves might one day be shrunk by Hashirama Senju to the size of an ant,

they couldn't help trembling all over.

"Lord Hashirama, Mōryō was defeated by you…"

"We contributed nothing…"

"Do whatever you wish with Mōryō…"

"We have no objections."

The Witch's face still wore an expression of disbelief,

the problem that had plagued the Land of Demons for so many years,

had truly been resolved?!

Their mission wasn't just to seal Mōryō away,

they had completely eliminated the threat of Mōryō!!

According to the Witch's estimation,

even if Mōryō's body reawakened consciousness,

it would take many years.

Moreover,

now its body had been taken by Hashirama Senju!!

That time would be extended infinitely!!

"Thank you for your help… I thank you on behalf of Kagura and all the people of the Land of Demons…"

At that moment,

a hazy figure appeared before them.

This figure,

her face bore eight-tenths resemblance to the Witch before them,

but appeared more mature.

"Mother!! You!!"

"I've missed you so much!!"

Seeing this figure,

the Witch's eyes reddened, tears streaming uncontrollably from them!

"Kagura, you've grown up…"

"You've become even better than before—I can rest easy now."

Seeing her daughter,

the former Witch's face softened with a gentle smile!

"This… is this the former Witch of the Land of Demons? …"

Kojirō saw,

behind the former Witch,

there were over a dozen other figures,

all dressed identically!!

So it turned out,

all of these were the souls of the Land of Demons' shrine maidens!!

The price they paid for sealing the Monster,

was leaving their own souls behind in the sealing ground as well,

keeping the Monster company forever!

And now that Hashirama Senju had destroyed the sealing ground,

the souls of those successive shrine maidens were liberated along with it!

Every shrine maiden, upon seeing Hashirama Senju,

bowed to her to express their gratitude!!

Hashirama Senju's actions,

not only helped the Land of Demons solve the historical problem that had plagued them.

They also saved the souls of those shrine maidens!!

If Hashirama Senju had not appeared,

they would have been trapped with the Monster for all eternity,

confined to that sealing ground!

"Kagura, I should be going now…"

"The future of the Land of Demons rests on you."

"Believe in your own strength."

"What you've done is already more than enough — you've surpassed all of us…"

"From now on, live for yourself. You no longer need to bear the shrine maiden's mission…"

As she spoke,

the former shrine maiden's figure grew fainter and fainter,

until she vanished before their eyes!!

"Don't worry — their souls have returned to the Pure Land…"

"At last, they've been freed from this place."

Seeing this scene,

Hashirama Senju also hurried forward to comfort Kagura.

"I know… I just haven't figured out what I should do yet."

"Can I truly fulfill the role of shrine maiden?"