Naruto: I'm Really Not an Evil Uchiha!

Shimizu's three-tomoe Sharingan spun slowly, radiating an alluring and almost hypnotic power that amplified Miroku's desires... intensifying them.

"You've never taken the Land of Demons seriously from the start. All you want is my body," Miroku said, turning her head away. She wasn't a fool—Shimizu's intentions were as plain as day.

"You're right," Shimizu nodded casually.

He did covet her body—there was no denying that.

But more importantly, he wanted to gauge Miroku's limits, to see how far she would go for the people of the Land of Demons. This would determine how Shimizu would manipulate her in the future to obtain the shrine maiden's chakra.

"Well then, this is the only way out. How will you choose?" Shimizu clapped his hands and pointed outside at the carnage.

Moryo had already clashed with the Mist shinobi, and various ninjutsu attacks flew chaotically through the air.

It was a battle of gods, and mortals bore the brunt of the destruction. Those who didn't fall to Moryo's rampage perished under the Mist ninjas' water-style techniques.

Miroku's expression shifted repeatedly. She was clearly torn, her mind a battlefield.

On one side was her purity; on the other, the lives of her people in the Land of Demons.

And then there was... her budding yet unclear affection for the daimyo of the Land of Demons.

The two had grown up as childhood friends. Both were noble by birth, and this had fostered a closeness between them.

Yet, the vast difference in their status made neither dare to confess their feelings.

Recalling her memories with the daimyo, Miroku's understanding of Shimizu became crystal clear.

She had never met anyone as ruthless as him.

Raising the stakes so high without regard for others' lives—this complete disregard for human life unsettled her to the core.

Boom!

A deafening explosion rang out from outside. Several water dragons collided with a black mist dragon, creating shockwaves that sent countless people flying.

Miroku glanced outside and saw flashes of golden light constantly darting beneath Moryo. A ninja appeared to be using the Body Flicker Technique repeatedly to attack the demon.

As seconds ticked by, Miroku noticed more and more people fleeing toward the shrine.

"Lady Shrine Maiden, please save us!"

"Help! My leg, my leg is broken!"

"Don't let me die! I'm still young—I don't want to die!"

A crowd of officials and civilians gathered below the shrine, trembling in fear.

The shrine maiden's guards stood their ground, keeping the desperate masses from setting foot inside.

In their eyes, the shrine maiden was preparing to seal Moryo, and ensuring she wasn't disturbed was their top priority.

"Will you abandon them?" Shimizu asked as he walked from behind Miroku to take a seat on a chair.

"Uchiha Shimizu, these people are innocent," Miroku pleaded, her tone heavy with sorrow.

"Innocent? If Moryo revives his phantom army and ignites a war across the Five Great Nations, how many more will die beyond these few?" Shimizu shook his head. His motives were selfish, but his logic reduced the overall losses.

The current casualties were mainly due to Moryo's sudden appearance, which left little time for evacuation.

With Mist shinobi, Minato Namikaze, and others holding Moryo back, most people would escape soon enough.

Considering the population density of this city, only a few dozen would die—it could have been much worse.

But if the phantom army emerged, tens of thousands of civilians could perish.

If only Miroku had acted sooner, could all of this have been avoided?

"Lady Shrine Maiden, are you ready?" a guard called from outside the doors.

The gathering crowd grew larger, intensifying the pressure on the guards.

Miroku cast one last glance outside before retracting her gaze.

"No one is to enter—not even you. I need time to prepare the sacred tools," she commanded.

"Understood, Lady Shrine Maiden."

The guards, dressed in Heian-era attire, wiped the sweat from their brows and relayed her orders. If the shrine maiden said so, they would hold the line no matter the cost.

Tap, tap, tap...

The sound of red silk shoes echoed through the shrine.

In the end, Miroku's internal scales tipped toward the Land of Demons.

"I'll head out later to fight Moryo myself. I already have a plan. These people will be saved. Consider this as atonement. After all, apart from sealing Moryo, what else can you offer but this lowly body?"

Shimizu's voice carried a magnetic quality, as though drawing people into the world he described.

He couldn't push Miroku too hard; she needed to see hope and believe her sacrifice would bring about a greater good.

He magnified her guilt, leading her thoughts toward his intended outcome.

"Yes... I do bear responsibility for this. Let this be my penance," Miroku murmured to herself.

The cries of the people outside struck her heart like hammer blows.

Even though she and the daimyo had never confessed their love, their bond was real.

A sense of forbidden guilt welled up in Miroku's heart.

To rid herself of this feeling, she began to deceive herself.

She convinced herself this was for atonement, for the greater good.

Humans are adept at self-deception, and Miroku was no exception.

The noble shrine maiden, naïve and sheltered, had yet to truly experience the world. She required patience and guidance.

"Mm~"

A sound of swallowing broke the silence.

At the same time, another roar erupted from Moryo outside.

"You accursed shinobi! How dare you ruin my plans!"

Moryo lashed out in rage, attacking anyone in his way.

A humanoid figure began to emerge on the black mist dragon's head, faintly resembling the daimyo of the Land of Demons.

Moryo's power transformed his host's body, unleashing its full potential.

The daimyo's body aged ten years in an instant, and a gaping hole in his chest emitted black mist that quickly filled with flesh and blood.

Sensing the body was no longer in critical condition, Moryo decided to stop wasting time. If he killed the shrine maiden, nothing could stop him.

"Roar!"

Eighteen dragon-like tendrils struck the ground, creating deep craters as Moryo accelerated toward the shrine.

Kiba Juzo, noticing the creature was no longer pursuing him, spat blood and retreated to a hidden spot to treat his wounds.

"What's with this monster? Why was it chasing me?" he muttered, confused.

He regrouped with Mei Terumi and the others.

All of them bore injuries, but thankfully, none were fatal.

"Juzo-sama, are we not going to fight Moryo?" Mei asked, turning to look.

She saw "Shimizu" still aiding Minato and Kakashi in stalling Moryo.

"No, this is a rare chance to weaken Konoha's forces," Juzo said, shaking his head.

If they killed Konoha shinobi themselves, it might spark a diplomatic incident and hasten the outbreak of war. But if they died at Moryo's hands, it had nothing to do with him.

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