Meanwhile, elsewhere.
In the Land of Hot Water, its capital, Yuren City.
The succession of wars had shattered the Land of Hot Water's people's dreams of soaking in hot springs.
The hot spring bathhouses that should have been open for business now had their doors tightly shut, while every sheltered corner of the streets was packed with ragged, shivering refugees.
The cold wind brushed against their faces, piercing to the bone.
Outside an unremarkable izakaya.
Uchiha Seiichiro, his face full of panic and fear, his body coated in dust and his eyes bloodshot, stared fixedly at the corner at the end of the street.
He did not even dare blink, afraid of missing something.
Until—
A stern-faced man in a dark blue robe stepped calmly into Seiichiro's view in wooden clogs.
Seiichiro finally relaxed and let out a long breath, calling out wearily yet anxiously,
"Captain Fugaku!"
"Oh, it's Kiyochiro." Uchiha Fugaku saw Seiichiro without the slightest surprise in his calm gaze.
He had already investigated matters on his way here, and the Shinobi Cat Clan had also passed intelligence to him.
He had a general understanding of what had happened in the Land of Hot Water.
"Captain Fugaku, our squad was attacked by Kumogakure at the border. The Great Elder, the Great Elder—right, and Uchiha Ci. The two of them are in great danger right now."
It felt as though countless ants were gnawing at Seiichiro's heart as he cried out urgently,
"Captain Fugaku, please, send people to support them immediately!"
"I'm afraid that if we're any later, the two of them will... will..."
Uchiha Fugaku nodded calmly and waved a hand.
"I understand."
"Go get some rest first."
"What? How can I rest at a time like this? Ci—Ci risked his life to save me. I... I can't..."
At those words, Uchiha Seiichiro's eyes immediately reddened. Forgetting all decorum, he spoke in shock and urgency.
Uchiha Fugaku looked at him and frowned slightly.
Seiichiro was clearly mentally strained and had not slept all night.
Combined with his desperate rush, he had barreled through the journey that normally took half a day like a Mud Truck, reaching the city before nightfall in only half the usual time.
His physical condition had already reached its limit.
Fugaku shook his head. He said nothing more, merely waved at Seiichiro and said flatly,
"Go."
At that moment, a figure flashed before the entrance and dropped to one knee before Uchiha Fugaku, reporting,
"Captain, we've located Uchiha Ci."
However, the Uchiha clansman making the report looked troubled and embarrassed.
"It's just that the place is currently controlled by the Evil God Cult. Only the Konoha Anbu know the detailed intelligence. I contacted Konoha's Anbu stationed here, but they told me..."
"No comment."
"What?!" Uchiha Seiichiro could not help crying out.
"Ci—Ci is with the Evil God Cult right now?"
"Those people, those people are all lunatics, and they're capturing shinobi and children on a massive scale."
"How could this happen? How could this happen?!"
As he spoke, Uchiha Seiichiro's voice even took on a sobbing tone.
In the current chaos of the Land of Hot Water, there were several kinds of people one should never provoke.
First were Kirigakure's Pursuing Ninja.
Second were the Uchiha garrison forces in the Valley of Hell.
Third was the newly risen Evil God Cult.
This new religion was extremely mysterious, difficult to track, and its doctrine spread at an astonishing pace. Its ideas were also far too extreme.
Its creed was, "All people around you must be killed!" Its crimes and Khorne-like methods were simply too numerous to record! (See: Book of the Dead)
Uchiha Fugaku narrowed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought. A moment later, he nodded, grunted, and replied solemnly,
"I understand."
Fugaku then waved his hand, telling his subordinate to leave and rest. He himself lifted the door curtain and walked into the izakaya.
Seeing his indifferent reaction, Uchiha Seiichiro stared blankly after him.
"Captain Fugaku... what did you say?"
His expression suddenly twisted as fury rose in his heart, and his whole body began to tremble.
"You only understand?"
"You've clearly received Ci's information already, haven't you? And what are you doing now?"
"Acting so leisurely—are you looking for someone to pour you a drink?"
Uchiha Seiichiro widened his eyes and asked in disbelief,
"Why? Why aren't you taking action? Do you have to wait until the butcher's blade falls and our clansmen die before you feel even the slightest stir in your heart?"
Uchiha Fugaku frowned and glanced at him. He did not get angry, merely saying flatly,
"You heard it too. That place is currently under the Evil God Cult's control."
But Uchiha Seiichiro could not help retorting, "But that's Ci!"
"Uchiha Ci?" Fugaku's gaze sharpened slightly as he carefully studied Seiichiro's expression, though his voice remained indifferent.
"Is he that special?"
"As far as I know, he's just an ordinary Genin, isn't he?"
"Besides, Kiyochiro, you should understand the current situation in the Land of Hot Water. What's gotten into you?"
"The Kiyochiro of the past would never have said such things."
Uchiha Seiichiro's heart was a tangled mess as he stood there dazedly.
"I... I..."
But in the next moment, he remembered the youth who had pushed him outside the Deathmatch Barrier and faced a Kumogakure Jonin alone. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists fiercely!
"Fine!"
"Since none of you are going to save him!"
"Then I... I... I'll save him myself!"
"I'll save Uchiha Ci!"
Uchiha Seiichiro gritted his teeth hard. His thoughts were in turmoil, and he could not help letting his imagination run wild.
That youth was wandering through the Evil God Cult alone right now,
facing loneliness, fear, and helplessness.
Perhaps the cultists were carrying him onto an altar at this very moment, preparing to use him in a cruel blood sacrifice.
I've already run away once.
I can't run away again this time!
Uchiha Fugaku watched Seiichiro turn and rush outside alone. He could not help raising a brow, surprise flickering in his eyes.
After Shisui Uchiha and Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna,
now,
there was another person willing to die for that mysterious youth.
Uchiha Ci.
What kind of magic did he possess, to make people who had originally been utterly incompatible go this far for him?
Uchiha Fugaku could not understand it, but he decided to meet this child himself.
Beneath the blazing sun,
he walked out of the izakaya and coldly ordered the empty corners around him,
"Move. We'll follow him."
In the next instant, seven or eight pairs of scarlet eyes abruptly lit up, then vanished from where they stood.
Meanwhile,
outside Yuren City, a group from Konoha Root leaped before a ghastly white young man.
They dropped to one knee and presented a scroll with both hands.
"Lord Orochimaru, this is the Evil God Cult Intelligence Scroll we have gathered."
"The person you are looking for should be at this location right now."
Long black hair, golden vertical pupils, purple eyeshadow extending to the sides of his nose, pale skin, and blue-green Comma-Shaped Earrings.
This man was none other than Orochimaru, one of Konoha's Sannin.
Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth, a glint of excitement appearing in his narrow vertical pupils.
"Not bad."
"Forbidden Jutsu: Body Rebirth, an immortal body, and the Ketsuryūgan capable of controlling the ultimate metabolism of bodily tissue..."
"There truly are quite a few interesting things in the Land of Hot Water right now."
Please keep reading, bookmark, and vote!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Thanks to Yuanqiu Tao, Free Wind-Bb, Gouka De Xing Baihuai, Nanguo Yutong, Book Friend 20220806025121467, Book Friend 20221004132011462, Tokineko, Book Friend 20211124201235229, and Book Friend 20210206184543293 for the monthly tickets.
Thanks to New Generation Light for the 600-point donation, and to Puppet Master and Too Long, Changed My Name for their donations.
And thanks to all the many readers for your recommendation votes.
I've received all your kindness, dear fathers. Thank you!
Before you continue