The Coward's Resolve, The Survivor's Greed

Meanwhile, on the other side.

The Land of Hot Water, its capital, Yugakure City.

The ravages of war had shattered the pleasant dreams of the Land of Hot Water's citizens in their hot springs.

Hot spring inns that should have been open had their doors shut tight, and refugees, scantily clad and shivering, lay huddled in sheltered spots along the streets.

The cold wind whipped against their faces, chilling them to the bone.

In front of an unremarkable izakaya.

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

He didn't dare to blink, afraid he might miss something.

Until, A man with a stern face, dressed in a dark blue robe and wooden clogs, appeared in Seiichiro's line of sight, walking calmly.

Seiichiro let out a sigh of relief, exhaling a long breath. He called out, his voice weary yet 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 additionally, the Ninja Cat Clan had relayed information 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, 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 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 reddened. Forgetting all about hierarchy, he said with a look of shocked anxiety.

Uchiha Fugaku looked at him, frowning slightly.

Seiichiro's current state clearly showed he was mentally strained and hadn't slept all night.

Coupled with his desperate journey, he had covered in half the time it normally took, rushing like a demolition vehicle, arriving before nightfall.

His current physical condition had reached its limit.

Fugaku shook his head, not saying much more. He simply waved Seiichiro away, saying faintly:

"Go on."

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared at the door with a swish, kneeling on one knee before Uchiha Fugaku and reporting:

"Captain, we've located Uchiha Ci."

However, the Uchiha clansman delivering the report looked troubled and embarrassed:

"It's just that the place is currently controlled by the Evil God Cult. Only the Konoha Anbu have detailed information. I contacted the Konoha Anbu stationed 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 lunatics, and they're currently rounding up ninjas 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 crying.

In the current chaotic situation of the Land of Hot Water, there were several types of people best not to 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 unpredictable, and its doctrine spread with incredible speed. Moreover, its ideology was too extreme.

Its tenet was 'all those around must be killed!', its crimes and brutal methods were simply too numerous to list! (See: Book of the Reader)

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

"I understand."

Fugaku then waved his subordinate away, telling him to go 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 expression suddenly contorted, a surge of anger rising within him, his whole body trembling.

"You just know?"

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

"You look so relaxed, are you waiting for someone to pour you a drink?"

Uchiha Seiichiro's eyes widened, and he asked incredulously, "Why? Why aren't you acting yet? Do you need to wait until the butcher's blade falls and our clan members are slaughtered before you feel even a flicker of emotion?"

Uchiha Fugaku frowned, his gaze flickered over, and he wasn't angry, just said indifferently, "You heard it too, that place is currently 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. He carefully examined Seiichiro's expression, but said indifferently, "Is he that special?"

"As far as I know, he should just be a regular Genin, right?"

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

"The you of the past wouldn't say something like this."

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

"I... I..."

But the next moment, he remembered the young man who had pushed him out of the Deathmatch Barrier and faced a Jonin from Kumogakure alone. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists fiercely!

"Fine!"

"Since you all aren't going to save him!"

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

"I'll save Uchiha Ci!"

Uchiha Seiichiro gritted his teeth fiercely, his mind in a jumble, and he couldn't help but let his thoughts run wild:

That young man, he's now wandering alone in the Evil God Cult's territory, Facing loneliness, fear, and helplessness, He might even be being carried to the altar by the Evil God Cult's followers for a cruel human sacrifice.

I've already run away once, I can't run away this time!

Uchiha Fugaku watched Seiichiro turn and rush out of the izakaya alone, his brow furrowed slightly, his gaze filled with surprise.

Following Uchiha Shisui and the Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna, Now, Another person was willing to risk their life for this mysterious young man.

Uchiha Ci, What kind of charm does he possess? To make these people, who normally wouldn't get along, go this far for him?

Uchiha Fugaku couldn't understand, but he decided to go and see this child himself.

Facing the brilliant, blazing sun, He walked out of the izakaya and coldly commanded a corner where no one was around, "Let's go, we'll follow him."

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

Meanwhile, Outside Yugakure City, a group of Konoha ANBU leaped towards a pale-faced youth.

They knelt on one knee, holding a scroll with both hands and presenting it.

"Lord Orochimaru, this is the scroll containing the intelligence on the Evil God Cult that we've gathered."

"The person you're looking for should be at this location right now."

Black long hair, golden vertical pupils, purple eyeshadow extending to the wings of his nose, pale skin, and earrings shaped like blue-green magatama.

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 Technique: Corporeal Rebirth, Immortality, and the Ketsuryūgan, which controls the ultimate metabolism of bodily tissues."

"The Land of Hot Water certainly has no shortage of interesting things these days."

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