Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 347 Tea Party

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Land of Demons and Konoha are halfway across the globe, and even Naruto had no idea what they would encounter upon landing. To be on the safe side, they landed in the woods outside the Shrine Maiden Village, walking the last stretch of the way to avoid causing panic by landing directly in the village.

As luck would have it, the people on guard outside the village happened to be eyewitnesses to the incident involving the demons, who had personally witnessed Naruto's intervention. They were recognized immediately before they even had a chance to show their identification, and the busy Azusa was quickly notified. The group entered smoothly, but after only a few steps, they were drawn to the lively scene on the street. They looked left and right, barely managing to resist the urge to immediately explore.

They were guests who came for the Purple Garden, so they should at least greet the owner of this place.

"Does Shion still have precognitive dreams?" Naruto was still the main conversationalist with Ashiho, and after some pleasantries, he asked the question that concerned him most. His other self had said that killing Moryo would cause Shion to lose her special status, and that was absolutely true, because Shion's chakra levels had plummeted by 90% since that day. He didn't know if this festival required the priestess to contribute her power; if it did, things would probably be difficult.

Ashiho visibly brightened up a bit, and his smile became much more genuine. He said, "No, since then, Lady Shion has never encountered any more life-threatening dangers."

Oh, it seems he doesn't know about Shion's situation, otherwise he wouldn't be laughing.

"Shall we go see her now? Won't that bother her?"

"No, the preparations for the ceremony are complete, and it will officially begin tomorrow. The festival is something Miss is very familiar with; she's always bored in her room at this time of year." Six months ago, Azusa would never have said it so bluntly. Maintaining Miss's image and reassuring everyone would have been what she would have done.

They soon met the people who were supposedly bored out of their minds, not in the main hall, but in the VIP room where Ashiho later received them. Shion actually disliked the high altar; sitting on it, she not only had to concentrate and rack her brains to hear what was being said below, but also had to reply with a booming voice—it was just too exhausting. This distance, where they could be face-to-face, even touching hands, was perfect.

"Everyone, welcome to the Shrine Maiden Festival of the Land of Demons." Little Shion had grown a bit more. At first, she was able to maintain a proper posture, but after a while, she reverted to her original form and sat down with Sakura and the others.

Wow, you brought your friends along?

"Yes, didn't we agree to bring our friends to celebrate the holiday together?"

"Nice to meet you!"

The boys couldn't get a word in edgewise about the girls' whispers, so they ended up talking to Azusa, focusing more on the aftermath of the demon incident. Thankfully, Naruto had completely destroyed the demons; the ghost army vanished with the demons, leaving only a barren wasteland.

In the Land of Swamps, a volcanic eruption completely buried the land, and it will likely take many years to restore its use. The Land of Wind has been struggling with this for a long time; they even suggested inviting Shion to help mitigate the damage, but before the request could be delivered, the problem was solved by an agricultural scientist who appeared out of nowhere. Although the Land of Wind has vast territory, it doesn't have much arable land, and the fact that the demon perished precisely in a place suitable for farming is a major headache for the daimyo.

"I'm just a little worried about Lady Shion's future." As they chatted, Ashiho confided in them, "In the past, the threat of the demons was always there, so no matter how much trouble Lady Shion encountered, the lord would do everything he could to solve it. But in the last six months..."

"Zu Sui, the fruit plate is all empty, what are you doing?" Zi Yuan's voice suddenly interrupted him. The willful little girl from back then now finds reasons to cut off topics she doesn't want to discuss.

"Yes, Lady Shion." Ashiho replied and left with an apologetic look on her face.

The lively atmosphere was abruptly cut short. The shy girl couldn't think of a new topic for a long time, and her face was almost red. Finally, Naruto reluctantly chimed in, saying, "Ashiho is just worried about you."

Ziyuan looked up, her expression surprisingly aggrieved, and said, "It's all because you said I'm just an ordinary person, and now I don't know how to talk to him anymore..."

"Huh? When did this happen?!" Sakura was shocked. Those who had witnessed Shion using her power were also surprised. Only Ino and Hinata were not deeply affected and were somewhat puzzled.

"When we were fighting the demons," Shion asked疑惑地, "Didn't Naruto tell you?"

"Not at all." Tenten's eyes were filled with a faint reproach. Throwing a girl who had lost her power back to the place that worshipped the shrine maiden was indeed not a responsible act. What if someone suddenly had the urge to ask the shrine maiden to perform a miracle, and Shion failed to do so, thus exposing her?

"Could it be that he exhausted his strength while fighting the demons? He really went all out!" Xiao Li exclaimed.

"Haven't found out yet?" Neji's eyes were bulging with veins, but he suppressed his curiosity and respected Shion's privacy.

"Hmm, I think I understand. If we don't say things directly, there will be a lot of trouble." Ino roughly sorted out her thoughts from the few words she spoke.

Hinata was the only one who didn't speak. She seemed lost in thought, her eyes lowered, and she looked somewhat sad.

"I thought you would at least tell Azusa, and he would definitely try to help you find a solution..."

Naruto was strongly denied before he could finish speaking. Shion's tone was somewhat urgent, and she looked like an anxious little girl. "Ashiho always felt that he was born to protect the priestess. If he knew that I was no longer a priestess, would he..." leave?

She grew up with Azusa's companionship; they weathered the longest, darkest nights together, finally welcoming the dawn. If she were to truly lose him, perhaps her life would be filled with regret?

"Why would you think that? Ashiho rarely calls you a shrine maiden; in his eyes, you are Shion." As someone who can see into the future, Naruto is naturally certain of Ashiho's feelings. But this matter... can only be understood by the person involved herself.

His initial considerations were indeed flawed. Due to his health condition, he hadn't thought about how Shion, having lost her status as a priestess, would continue to live in the Land of Demons. Only half a year had passed, and the king's test had already arrived; he was probably already holding back his anger.

After exchanging only a few words, Zusui returned with a new fruit platter, and everyone immediately shut up and resumed their casual conversation as if nothing had happened.

But did Ashiho really not hear it?