Coward's Resolve, Survivor's Greed

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Yuren City, the capital of the Land of Hot Water.

The continuous wars had shattered the pleasant dreams of the citizens of the Land of Hot Water, who usually enjoyed their hot springs.

The hot spring bathhouses, which should have been open, were now shut tight, one after another. Refugees, clad in rags and shivering, lay huddled in the sheltered spots of the streets.

The cold wind brushed against their faces, biting to the bone.

Before the entrance of an unremarkable izakaya.

Uchiha Seiichiro, his face a mask of panic and cowardice, his body covered in dust, and his eyes bloodshot, stared intently at the corner at the end of the street.

He didn't dare to blink, for fear of missing anything.

Until, A man with a stern face, dressed in a deep blue robe and wearing geta, appeared in Seiichiro's vision, walking with a calm stride.

Seiichiro let out a sigh of relief, exhaling deeply. He called out, his voice weary and anxious, "Captain Fugaku!"

"Oh, it's Seiichiro." Uchiha Fugaku saw Seiichiro, his gaze calm, showing no surprise.

On his way here, he had already investigated, and furthermore, the Shinobi Cat Clan had relayed intelligence to him.

He had a general idea 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, and Uchiha Ci, the two of them, are in grave danger right now."

Seiichiro felt as if countless ants were gnawing at him, and he urgently shouted, "Captain Fugaku, I beg you, please send reinforcements quickly!"

"I'm afraid if we're any later, the two of them will, will..."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded calmly and waved his hand.

"I understand."

"You should go and rest first."

"What? At a time like this, how can I rest? Ci, Ci risked his life to save me, I, I can't..."

Hearing this, Uchiha Seiichiro's eyes immediately turned red. Disregarding the hierarchy, he spoke with a look of shocked anxiety.

Uchiha Fugaku looked at him, frowning slightly.

Seiichiro's current state clearly showed he was mentally strained, having not slept all night.

Coupled with his desperate rush, he had covered in half the time what would normally take half a day. He had pushed himself like a mud truck, crashing through, and arrived before nightfall.

His current physical condition had reached its limit.

Fugaku shook his head, not saying much more, just waving at Seiichiro and saying lightly, "Go down."

Just then, a figure suddenly flashed before the door and knelt on one knee before Uchiha Fugaku, reporting, "Captain, we've located Uchiha Ci."

However, the Uchiha Clan Member who reported had a troubled and embarrassed expression.

"It's just that, that place is currently controlled by the Evil God Cult. Detailed intelligence is only known by Konoha's Anbu. I contacted Konoha's Anbu here, but they told me..."

"'No comment.'"

"What?!" Uchiha Seiichiro couldn't help but exclaim.

"Ci, Ci is with the Evil God Cult now?"

"Those people, those people are all madmen, and they are currently arresting ninja and children on a large scale."

"How could this happen, how could this happen!"

As he spoke, Uchiha Seiichiro's voice even carried a hint of tears.

In the current chaotic situation of the Land of Hot Water, there were several types of people one should best not provoke.

Ranking first were Kirigakure's pursuing ninja.

Ranking second were Uchiha's stationed troops in the Valley of Hell.

Ranking third was this newly emerged Evil God Cult.

This new religion was quite mysterious, its movements difficult to track, and its doctrines spread with incredible speed. Moreover, its ideology was too extreme.

Its tenet was 'all surrounding people must be killed!', its crimes and methods of Khorne were simply too numerous to list! (See: Book of the Dead)

Uchiha Fugaku's eyes narrowed slightly, lost in thought. After a moment, he nodded and responded in a deep voice, "I understand."

Then, Fugaku waved his hand, dismissing his subordinate to rest. He alone lifted the curtain and entered the izakaya.

Uchiha Seiichiro, standing beside him, stared blankly at his unmoving demeanor.

"Captain Fugaku. What did you say?"

His complexion suddenly twisted, a surge of anger rising within him, his whole body trembling.

"You just know?"

"You already received Ci's intel, didn't you? And what are you doing now?"

"Are you so leisurely that you're looking for someone to pour you a drink?"

Uchiha Seiichiro widened his eyes, asking in disbelief:

"Why? Why aren't you acting yet? Do you need to wait until the butcher's knife falls and our clan members are brutally killed before you feel even a ripple of emotion?"

Uchiha Fugaku frowned, his gaze flicking over. He wasn't angry, merely stating calmly:

"You heard it too. That place is now under the control of the Evil God Cult."

Uchiha Seiichiro couldn't help but retort, "But, that's Ci!"

"Uchiha Ci?" Fugaku's gaze sharpened slightly as he carefully examined Seiichiro's expression, but he said calmly:

"Is he that special?"

"As far as I know, he should just be a regular genin."

"Besides, you should be aware of the current situation in the Land of Hot Water, Seiichiro. What's gotten into you?"

"The you of the past wouldn't say such things."

Uchiha Seiichiro's heart was a tangled mess, and he stood frozen in place:

"I... I..."

But the next moment, he recalled the youth who had pushed him out of the deathmatch barrier and faced a Kumogakure jonin alone. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists fiercely!

"Fine!"

"Since you won't go save him!"

"Then I... I... I'll go save him myself!"

"I'll go save Uchiha Ci!"

Uchiha Seiichiro gritted his teeth fiercely, his mind racing with chaotic thoughts, unable to stop himself from imagining the worst:

That youth, now alone, wandering amidst the Evil God Cult, Facing loneliness, fear, and helplessness.

Who knows if he's already being dragged onto an altar by the cultists for a cruel human sacrifice.

I've already run away once.

I can't run away again this time!

Uchiha Fugaku watched Seiichiro turn and rush out of the izakaya alone, his brow raising slightly in surprise.

Following Shisui Uchiha and Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna, Now, Another person was willing to risk death for this mysterious youth.

Uchiha Ci, What kind of charm did he possess? To make these people, who normally couldn't stand each other, go this far for him?

Uchiha Fugaku couldn't understand, but he decided to meet this child himself.

Facing the brilliant blazing sun, He walked out of the izakaya and coldly commanded a deserted corner nearby:

"Let's go. We'll follow him."

The next moment, seven or eight pairs of scarlet eyes lit up, then vanished from their spots with a swish.

#

Meanwhile, Outside Yuren City, a group of Konoha Root shinobi flew towards a youth with a ghastly white complexion.

Kneeling on one knee, they presented a scroll with both hands.

"Lord Orochimaru, this is the Evil God Cult intelligence scroll that has been gathered."

"The person you are looking for should be at this location."

Black long hair, golden vertical pupils, purple eyeliner extended to the nostrils, pale skin, and cyan blue comma-shaped earrings.

This person's identity was none other than Orochimaru, one of the Konoha Sannin.

Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, a hint of excitement appearing in his narrow, vertical pupils.

"Good."

"Forbidden Jutsu: Flesh Rebirth, Immortality, and the Ketsuryūgan that controls the ultimate metabolism of bodily tissues."

"The Land of Hot Water certainly has many interesting things these days."

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