[Using Earth Style, Ittai sealed the opening they'd made, then smirked. "This technique will leave nothing behind."]
[Just then, Lee dropped from the sky, forcing the three back, while Sakura smashed through the earth prison trapping Naruto. "What a joke!"]
["Leaf Hurricane!" Amidst the dust, Lee charged the three, while Sakura, having rescued Naruto, joined the fight.]
[Elsewhere, Neji successfully stopped the Four's leader from killing the priestess. The leader looked frustrated. "So you're that guy's teammate, huh."]
[At that moment, the enhancements on the Four wore off. Realizing the danger, they quickly disengaged.]
["Ittai, find Lord Kusu's position," Shina ordered. Using Ittai's keen sense of smell, the three headed toward another battle site.]
["So the chakra they got from their boss is already used up?"]
["Seems like it wasn't much. They only pulled off a few jutsu."]
["Probably most of it went to physical enhancements—look how their appearances changed."]
["Or maybe they got a small dose because they only planned to kill the priestess, not get stuck fighting ninja."]
["Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" Neji blasted the leader into the air, then leaped to regroup with his teammates.]
[The three reached Kusu and hurried him to recharge their chakra, but Sakura and Lee followed relentlessly.]
["These pests!"]
["We can't get a recharge like this!"]
["No chakra means we're finished!"]
["Fine, let's retreat for now."]
[They decided quickly, leaping over the cliff to escape.]
["Gotta hand it to them—they know their limits and won't risk overextending. Still, they're crazy enough to want to conquer the world!"]
["Honestly, they're weaker than a normal ninja team. It's all thanks to that dark medical jutsu."]
["Didn't Yomi say he was a war survivor? So it makes sense his subordinates are a bit weaker."]
["Yomi's plan is to use Mōryō's power, not these guys. Get that straight."]
Kakashi pointed at the sky screen and advised the young ninja. "Don't trust everything in those comments—think for yourselves about what's valuable."
Gai nodded. "These guys are pretty strong. Neji, Lee, and Sakura just performed even better."
"I'm so moved!" Lee cried, tears streaming.
Sakura was proud of her future self but knew she had a long way to go. 'It's okay, I'll work hard and be that strong someday!'
"What about me?!" Naruto demanded, pointing at himself.
"Uh, Naruto, you're very youthful! So full of energy!" Gai flashed a thumbs-up, his teeth sparkling.
"What kind of answer is that…"
[After the battle, Neji approached Ashihoko and the priestess, reassuring them. "Don't worry, I'm a Konoha ninja."]
["Konoha…" Ashihoko, aware of Konoha's reputation, relaxed a little.]
[At that moment, Shion's eyes took on the ethereal purple pattern again, and she saw a vision of her younger self.]
["Um…"]
["What is it, Lady Shion?" Ashihoko asked quickly, noticing her change.]
["It's…trying to awaken again." Though her meaning was unclear, everyone watching knew she was talking about Mōryō.]
["Her premonition is so vague, and it seems passive."]
["That limits its usefulness a lot!"]
["She's just a priestess from a small country—what did you expect? She's doing pretty well, all things considered."]
["Still, Mōryō seems powerful. He acts like the Five Great Nations are beneath him, so a priestess that can seal him should be pretty strong too."]
["Tch! Anyone can talk big. I could say I'm on par with the Hokage! If some little country's priestess sealed him, how strong could he be?"]
Shion glared at the screen, cheeks puffed in annoyance. "These people are so annoying…"
[Back at the shrine, Shion formally greeted the Konoha team, with Naruto safe and sound among them.]
["This is the priestess of the Land of Demons, Lady Shion," Ashihoko introduced.]
[The Konoha team introduced themselves in turn.]
["I'm Neji Hyuga, leader of Team 7."]
["I'm Rock Lee."]
["I'm Sakura Haruno."]
["I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Nice to meet you!" Naruto blurted out, earning an elbow in the gut from Sakura to shut him up.]
["Hahaha! These two are so funny together—so close!"]
Sakura glared at the screen, while Naruto didn't dare tease her at that moment.
[Ignoring Naruto and Sakura's bickering, Neji explained their mission to Shion. "We're here to escort you to the sealing shrine."]
[Ashihoko also reported on the casualties from the previous night's battle, highlighting Suzuki's sacrifice, which had been foreseen.]
[Shion's response was cold, even disdainful. "Hmph. I knew it. I'm fine now, so those people should be grateful."]
[Naruto's face turned red with anger. "Hey! Hold on!"]
[He jumped up, grabbed Shion's collar, and glared at her. "They all died for you! How can you be so heartless?!"]
["Damn! I get why she's cold, but grabbing her like that—"]
["Is that considered taking a princess hostage?"]
["Uh, the Land of Demons doesn't have a princess like other nations. Technically she's the Daimyo, so it's more like holding the Daimyo hostage."]
["That's even worse!"]
["Is this guy really a ninja? No emotional control at all!"]
(To be continued)