Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• An Anbu squad, led by Captain Guren, is on a mission, moving across Konoha's rooftops.
• Uchiha Kaoru, sitting on a rooftop, spots the squad and recognizes Sato Hideaka among them.
• She intercepts the squad to thank Hideaka for saving her life and to discuss a personal matter.
• Hideaka agrees to meet Kaoru for a meal upon his return as a token of gratitude.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Kaoru: Struggles with her clan's expectations and the responsibility to continue the family line, feeling trapped and unhappy. She seeks Hideaka's advice.
• Sato Hideaka: Shows understanding and empathy towards Kaoru's situation, offering advice based on his own experiences.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility vs. Personal Happiness: Kaoru feels burdened by her clan's expectations, which conflict with her personal desires.
• Strength and Agency: Hideaka suggests that gaining strength can change one's circumstances and allow for different ways to fulfill responsibilities.

Character Interactions

• Uchiha Kaoru and Sato Hideaka: Kaoru thanks Hideaka and seeks his advice, while Hideaka offers understanding and guidance.
• Uchiha Kaoru and Uchiha Clan: Kaoru feels pressured by her clan's expectations, particularly her father's and grandfather's, to maintain the purity of the Uchiha bloodline.

Additional Information

• Hatake Sakumo: Mentioned in a separate scene, he is suspected of stealing the Unsealing Scroll from 'Root' and is considered a traitor by Shimura Danzō.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uchiha Kaoru decides her path after talking with Sato Hideaka, aiming to gain the Mangekyo Sharingan's power.
• Anbu ninjas, including Sato Hideaka and Flying Eagle, travel to the Land of Hot Water, enduring grueling conditions.
• They reach Yugakure, causing panic among the villagers due to their intimidating appearance.
• Guren's group enters the Yukage's office building, where they are confronted by Yugakure ninjas.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Kaoru shows determination to pursue the Mangekyo Sharingan.
• Sato Hideaka struggles with the physical demands of the journey but maintains his resolve.
• Flying Eagle demonstrates initiative by volunteering for the mission to Yugakure.
• Guren exhibits leadership and strategic thinking in planning the mission and selecting team members.

Significant Themes

• The power and responsibility of the Anbu, as seen in their mission and the villagers' fear of them.
• The pursuit of power and its consequences, as shown by Uchiha Kaoru's determination to gain the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Character Interactions

• Uchiha Kaoru and Sato Hideaka discuss her path and the Mangekyo Sharingan.
• Guren selects team members for the mission to Yugakure, showing trust in Sato Hideaka's abilities.
• Guren and the Yugakure ninjas confront each other, with the Yugakure ninjas suspecting the Anbu of being cultists.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Konoha Anbu team is ambushed by the Undying Cult using weighted steel nets.
• Guren easily slices through the nets with her Wind Release-imbued sword.
• The Square-faced Ninja attempts to use ninjutsu but is swiftly disarmed and threatened by Sato Hideaka.
• Three Yugakure ninjas, led by a green-haired ninja, appear and offer to guide the Anbu to the Yukage.
• The Anbu team meets with the Yukage, who reveals the cult's immortality doctrine and rapid growth.

Character Developments

• Guren demonstrates her formidable strength and skill, cutting through steel nets with ease.
• Sato Hideaka showcases his speed and stealth, disappearing and reappearing to threaten the Square-faced Ninja.
• The Yukage is portrayed as wise and knowledgeable, providing valuable information about the cult.

Significant Themes

• Immortality: The cult's desire for immortality drives their actions and has led to their rapid growth.
• Power and Influence: The cult's influence extends to wealthy merchants and samurai, hindering Yugakure's efforts to combat them.
• Trust and Betrayal: The infiltration of Yugakure by enemy spies is hinted at, suggesting a complex web of deception.

Character Interactions

• Guren and the green-haired Yugakure ninja show mutual respect and cooperation.
• Sato Hideaka and the Square-faced Ninja have a tense standoff, highlighting the former's speed and stealth.
• The Yukage shares crucial information with Guren, demonstrating his willingness to collaborate with Konoha to combat the cult.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Guren and her team arrive in Yugakure to investigate the Jashin Cult and meet with the Yukage.
• Guren requests and is granted permission to examine the captured Jashin Cult members in the dungeon.
• The team is accommodated in the estate of Yamashita Nagasaki, a wealthy merchant.
• Sato Hideaka hears the name "Hidan" and suspects the baby he sees might be Hidan of the Akatsuki.

Character Developments

• Guren: She demonstrates strategic thinking and respect in her interactions with the Yukage.
• Sato Hideaka: He reveals his face to interact with the baby, showing a softer side and earning the trust of the woman caring for the child.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics: The Yukage's revelation about the wealthy merchants' collusion with the Jashin Cult highlights the political undercurrents and power struggles in the Land of Hot Water.
• Trust and deception: Sato Hideaka's unmasking allows him to gain the woman's trust, but his true intentions remain hidden.

Character Interactions

• Guren and the Yukage: They discuss the situation and cooperate to address the Jashin Cult threat.
• Sato Hideaka and the woman caring for Hidan: Sato Hideaka's unmasking and interaction with the baby leads to a potential breakthrough in their mission.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Anbu squad, led by Captain Guren, is sent to investigate Jashin Cult members in Yugakure Prison.
• The prison is reinforced due to concerns about jailbreaks, with harsh conditions and guards dying mysteriously.
• Inside the prison, they find inmates drawing blood patterns on the floor, suspected to be related to sacrifices and the guards' deaths.
• Guren orders Anbu members to capture an inmate with apparent fatal injuries but still alive for testing.

Character Developments

• Guren: Shows strategic thinking, analytical skills, and determination in investigating the prison's mysteries.
• Sato Hideaka: Reveals insightful observations about the blood patterns, suggesting a connection to sacrifices and secret techniques.
• Frog: Gets injured by an unknown cause while searching for a target inmate.

Significant Themes

• Investigation and Analysis: Guren and her team gather information, analyze patterns, and test theories to unravel the prison's secrets.
• Mystery and Suspense: The bizarre deaths of guards and the inmates' strange behavior create an atmosphere of uncertainty and danger.
• Sacrifice and Immortality: The blood patterns and the Jashin Cult's beliefs hint at a connection between sacrifice and immortality.

Character Interactions

• Guren and Sato Hideaka: They exchange insights and work together to piece together the puzzle.
• Guren and Suzuki Jiro: They collaborate, with Suzuki providing local intelligence and Guren leading the investigation.
• Anbu Squad: They work as a team, following Guren's orders and supporting each other during the mission.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Guren and her team discover an "immortal" Jashin Cultist among the prisoners, who bears fatal wounds but remains active.
• Guren experiments on the cultist, finding that brain damage is fatal, while other vital organ injuries only weaken them.
• Guren decides to infiltrate the cultists using the Transformation Technique to gather more intelligence.
• Frog, Akainu, and Yellow Monkey transform and are sent to the prison, with Frog returning to the cell where he was previously injured.

Character Developments

• Guren demonstrates her ruthlessness and determination in extracting information, even from dangerous experiments.
• Sato Hideaka shows analytical skills and strategic thinking, suggesting Frog's re-entry into the cell to gather more clues about the cultists' killing methods.
• Suzuki Jiro appears naive about ninja tactics, having lived in peace for a long time.

Significant Themes

• The theme of immortality and its limits is explored through the cultists' abilities.
• The necessity of gathering intelligence and understanding one's enemy is highlighted.
• The brutal methods used to extract information raise questions about the cost of victory.

Character Interactions

• Guren and Suzuki Jiro work together to arrange the infiltration, with Suzuki Jiro providing assistance and Guren leading the operation.
• Sato Hideaka interacts with Guren and Frog, offering strategic insights and expressing concern for his seniors' safety.
• Frog, Akainu, and Yellow Monkey show loyalty and willingness to carry out dangerous missions, transforming and infiltrating the prison without complaint.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Frog, a Konoha Anbu ninja in disguise, is imprisoned in Yugakure's jail along with other Jashin Cult members.
• The cult members test Frog's loyalty by ordering him to kill a thief in their cell. Frog complies, killing the thief.
• A burly cult member shows Frog a blood ritual, claiming it can kill someone from a distance.
• Meanwhile, in the Yamashita family courtyard, an Anbu ninja, Sato Hideaka, is pricked by a needle given to him by a maid. He receives an urgent Anbu code signal, indicating an Anbu member's death.

Character Developments

• Frog demonstrates his loyalty to the Jashin Cult by killing the thief, proving himself to the other cult members.
• Sato Hideaka shows restraint and self-control when he realizes the maid's intentions, suggesting he's aware of the potential danger.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and trust within the Jashin Cult are tested through Frog's actions.
• The theme of deception and hidden intentions is highlighted through the maid's actions towards Sato Hideaka.

Character Interactions

• Frog interacts with the Jashin Cult members, proving his loyalty and gaining their trust.
• Sato Hideaka interacts with the maid, initially showing kindness but later displaying caution and awareness of potential danger.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sato Hideaka sends a crystal clone to follow a maid who tried to draw his blood.
• An Anbu ninja, Ling Shi, is found dead in his room, with signs of struggle and two puncture wounds on his kidneys.
• Sato Hideaka deduces that the maid might be involved in the deaths, as she also visited Ling Shi's room.
• Flying Eagle reveals that the same maid drew blood from him.
• Sato Hideaka discovers the identity of the mastermind behind the Jashin Cult operation.

Character Developments

• Sato Hideaka demonstrates his strategic thinking and observational skills by deducing the maid's involvement and the mastermind's identity.
• Flying Eagle shows vulnerability and fear when he realizes he might be in danger.

Significant Themes

• Trust and Deception: The maid's seemingly innocent actions hide a sinister purpose, highlighting the theme of trust and deception.
• Vulnerability and Power: The Anbu ninjas, despite their power, are vulnerable to the unexpected and hidden threats.

Character Interactions

• Sato Hideaka and Guren: They work together to deduce the events and the mastermind's identity, showing a level of cooperation and understanding.
• Sato Hideaka and the Maid: Their interaction highlights the maid's deceptive nature, as she tries to draw Sato Hideaka's blood under the guise of helping him.
• Sato Hideaka and Flying Eagle: Flying Eagle's revelation about the maid drawing his blood shows his vulnerability and fear, contrasting with Sato Hideaka's calm and strategic demeanor.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Frog infiltrates the Jashin Sect's hideout to gather intelligence.
• The cultists use a ritual to link Frog's life with a cultist's, intending to kill him.
• Frog is overwhelmed and killed by the cultists.
• The Anbu ninjas in other cells are discovered and targeted by the cultists.

Character Developments

• Frog's infiltration mission fails, leading to his death.
• The Anbu ninjas in other cells are now in danger.
• The cultists' fanaticism and willingness to self-mutilate for their beliefs are highlighted.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of underestimating enemies.
• The fanaticism and desperation of the cultists.
• The importance of intelligence gathering and its risks.

Character Interactions

• Frog interacts with the cultists, trying to gather information before being overwhelmed.
• The cultists work together to overpower and kill Frog.
• The Anbu ninjas in other cells are targeted by the cultists due to their discovery.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yamashita Nagasaki and Yoshida, with the blood samples, lead Sato Hideaka (disguised) to a secret gathering of wealthy merchants colluding with the Jashin Cult.
• Frog, an Anbu member, is killed by the Jashin Cult's curse, leading to the discovery of their blood-based killing method.
• Guren learns about the wealthy merchants' involvement and decides to investigate further.

Character Developments

• Sato Hideaka demonstrates his keen observational skills and adaptability, following the targets and infiltrating their gathering.
• Guren shows strategic thinking, quickly assessing the situation and planning her next move.

Significant Themes

• The power struggle between different factions within the Land of Hot Water (Yugakure, wealthy merchants, and the Jashin Cult).
• The pursuit of wealth and immortality driving the wealthy merchants' actions.
• The Anbu's struggle to maintain control and gather intelligence in a complex political environment.

Character Interactions

• Sato Hideaka interacts with Guren, updating her on his findings and receiving her praise for his actions.
• Guren interacts with her team, discussing the situation and planning their next steps.
• Sato Hideaka comforts Flying Eagle, reassuring him about his safety.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sato Hideaka, using a Crystal Release clone, infiltrates the Yamashita family's gathering in Yugakure.
• A Jashin Cult member retrieves blood vials from the Yamashita family, causing tension between the wealthy merchants and the cultists.
• The Jashin Sect announces a grand sacrificial ceremony for ten thousand in two days, promising eternal life and immortality.

Character Developments

• Sato Hideaka maintains his merchant disguise, demonstrating adaptability and quick thinking.
• Yamashita Nagasaki shows fear and concern for his family's safety when confronted with the possibility of Konoha ninja discovering his involvement.
• The Jashin Cult members display fanatical devotion to their beliefs and the promise of immortality.

Significant Themes

• The conflict between wealth and power, with wealthy merchants and impoverished cultists at odds.
• The allure of immortality and eternal life, driving characters' actions and motivations.
• The dangers of religious extremism and the chaos it can cause within a society.

Character Interactions

• Sato Hideaka interacts with Yamashita Nagasaki, successfully gaining his trust and an invitation to join local merchants.
• Yamashita Nagasaki and the Jashin Cult member with the blood-red scythe clash, revealing the tension between the wealthy elite and the cultists.
• The Jashin Sect leader communicates with the Yugakure branch, announcing the grand sacrificial ceremony.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Jashin Sect leader plans a massive sacrificial ceremony in the mountains near Rose Street, summoning all Jashin Cult members from the Land of Hot Water.
• Konoha Anbu, ninjas of the Land of Hot Water, and the Feudal Lord's army plan to ambush and annihilate the Jashin Sect during the ceremony.
• Sato Hideaka, in disguise as Kamijou Touma, travels with wealthy merchants to monitor the Jashin Sect's movements.
• Rose Street is attacked by Jashin Cult members, who sacrifice its residents in preparation for the ceremony.
• The ceremony takes place in a valley surrounded by mountains, with over ten thousand Jashin Cult members present.

Character Developments

• Sato Hideaka (as Kamijou Touma) maintains his cover and gathers information, demonstrating adaptability and resilience.
• Yamashita Nagasaki, a wealthy merchant, expresses concern for Kamijou Touma's family and disdain for the Jashin Cult's violent methods.

Significant Themes

• The corrupting influence of power and wealth, as seen in the Jashin Cult's wealthy members and their disregard for human life.
• The consequences of fanaticism and unquestioning devotion, as demonstrated by the Jashin Cult members' willingness to sacrifice others and themselves.

Character Interactions

• Sato Hideaka interacts with Yamashita Nagasaki, subtly manipulating him to gain information and trust.
• The Jashin Sect leader addresses the gathered cult members, inciting their fervor and unity.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Jashin Sect leader uses the "Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission" technique to rally his followers, aiming to summon Lord Jashin by sacrificing 4,444 lives.
• The followers enthusiastically begin to cut their wrists, filling trenches with blood, while wealthy merchants, who had joined for immortality, hesitate.
• Spies among the followers incite the impoverished against the wealthy, causing chaos and disrupting the ritual.
• The Jashin Sect leader orders his guards to force the wealthy merchants to bleed, insisting on equality in sacrifice.

Character Developments

• The Jashin Sect leader shows fanaticism, willingness to sacrifice followers for his goals, and cunning in dealing with the wealthy merchants' rebellion.
• Sato Hideaka observes the events critically, noting the leader's actions and the spies' presence.
• The wealthy merchants display their greed and lack of faith, prioritizing their lives over the ritual's promises.

Significant Themes

• Fanaticism and its consequences, as followers willingly sacrifice themselves for their beliefs.
• Hypocrisy and inequality within the Jashin Sect, as the leader demands sacrifice from all but is willing to force it upon the wealthy.
• The manipulation of faith for personal gain, shown by the wealthy merchants' initial motivations and the spies' actions.

Character Interactions

• The Jashin Sect leader interacts with his followers, inciting them to sacrifice and ordering guards to force the wealthy.
• Sato Hideaka observes the events but does not intervene, noting the leader's actions and the spies' presence.
• The wealthy merchants interact with the leader, demanding special treatment and refusing to sacrifice themselves.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Jashin Cult guards, despite being mortally wounded, continue fighting due to their immortality, turning the battle against the samurai.
• The wealthy merchants' defensive line is broken, and they are slaughtered by the Jashin Cult followers.
• Konoha and Yugakure ninjas, along with the Land of Hot Water's army, arrive to suppress the Jashin Cult, offering safety to those who surrender.

Character Developments

• The wealthy merchants' desperation and fear are revealed as they face death.
• Yamashita Nagasaki's guilt and fear grow as he realizes Konoha and Yugakure are aware of his involvement with the Jashin Cult.

Significant Themes

• The disparity between the wealthy and the common people, fueling the Jashin Cult's rebellion.
• The consequences of underestimating one's enemies, as seen with the samurai's initial overconfidence.

Character Interactions

• The Jashin Cult guards and the wealthy merchants clash, with the guards targeting the merchants for their wealth and power.
• Sato Hideaka, representing Konoha and Yugakure, offers safety to those who surrender, attempting to de-escalate the situation.
• Yamashita Nagasaki's fear and guilt grow as he interacts with Sato Hideaka, realizing his involvement with the Jashin Cult has been exposed.

• The Jashin Cult Leader rallies his followers, ordering them to defend the ritual site and execute wealthy merchants who have betrayed them.
• Sato Hideaka, a Konoha ninja, uses Crystal Release ninjutsu to turn Jashin Guards into crystal statues, killing them. He also protects the wealthy merchants.
• The Jashin Cult Leader orders his guards to kill Sato Hideaka. Despite their immortality, they are vulnerable to his Crystal Release.
• Sato Hideaka's crystal clone is destroyed by a wandering samurai-turned-Jashin Guard, causing him to rush towards the ritual site to rescue the captured business tycoons.
• The Jashin Cult Leader expresses disdain for bloodline limits and mocks the power of bloodlines as he accelerates the summoning of Jashin.
• A massive blood-colored phantom appears in the sky as the summoning ritual reaches its peak.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A nine-zhang-tall humanoid phantom, the Jashin, appears in the sky, holding a massive Bloody Nine-Moon Scythe.
• The Jashin's presence instills fear in everyone, reminiscent of a predator's effect on prey.
• The Jashin's ritual is not yet complete, and its followers are still being drained of life force.
• A hundred ninjas, including Guren and Sato Hideaka, rush towards the Jashin Cult altar to interrupt the ritual.
• The ninjas face resistance from Jashin Cult followers and guards, leading to a stalemate.
• Guren orders a combined Water Release attack to clear the path, but the blood flowing in the trenches remains undiluted.
• The ninjas reach the altar, and a group of Jashin Cult members with chakra attack them on the water's surface.
• Sato Hideaka uses his Crystal Twin-Thorn Spears to freeze and sink two Jashin Cult guards.
• The Jashin descends with its Bloody Nine-Moon Scythe, targeting the ninjas near the altar.

Character Developments

• Guren: Shows leadership and strategic thinking, issuing commands to break the stalemate and reach the altar.
• Sato Hideaka: Demonstrates his Crystal Twin-Thorn Spears technique, freezing and sinking two Jashin Cult guards.
• Jashin Cult Leader: Shows fanaticism and rage when the ninjas approach the altar.

Significant Themes

• Fear and its effects on individuals and groups (as shown by the Jashin's presence).
• The power of unity and combined effort (seen in the Water Release attack and the ninjas' coordinated actions).
• The consequences of fanaticism (illustrated by the Jashin Cult followers' actions and the Jashin's descent).

Character Interactions

• Guren and the ninjas: They work together, following Guren's commands to reach the altar.
• Sato Hideaka and the Jashin Cult guards: Sato Hideaka uses his technique to freeze and sink two guards.
• The Jashin and the ninjas: The Jashin targets the ninjas near the altar with its Bloody Nine-Moon Scythe.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Nine-Zhang Jashin Phantom wields the Bloody Nine-Moon Scythe, killing fifteen Yugakure ninjas with a single strike.
• The Jashin Cult Leader controls the phantom, attempting to manifest Jashin using the cultists' blood.
• Yugakure ninjas repeatedly charge the altar but fail to breach the fifteen-meter radius due to the phantom's scythe attacks.
• Sato Hideaka suggests using Crystal Release to change the blood's molecular structure, disabling the Jashin Cult's secret arts.

Character Developments

• Sato Hideaka demonstrates strategic thinking and resourcefulness, proposing a solution to counter the Jashin Cult's power.
• Guren and Suzuki Jiro show concern for their comrades' safety and discuss strategies to combat the Jashin Cult.

Significant Themes

• The power of belief and faith, as seen in the Jashin Cult's willingness to sacrifice themselves for their god.
• The consequences of greed and desperation, exemplified by the wealthy merchants who seek immortality at any cost.

Character Interactions

• Sato Hideaka, Guren, and Suzuki Jiro discuss strategies and share their thoughts on the situation.
• The Jashin Cult Leader and the Nine-Zhang Jashin Phantom work in tandem to defend the altar and manifest Jashin.
• The wealthy merchants argue over whether to risk their lives for the promise of immortality.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sato Hideaka uses his Crystallization Technique to turn blood in the trenches into crystals, slowing the Nine-Zhang Jashin Phantom's manifestation.
• The Jashin Cult Leader orders his followers to stop Hideaka, but they're repelled by Yugakure ninja and Anbu.
• The Land of Hot Water's army arrives, clashing with the Jashin Cult followers, and their blood fuels the phantom's growth.
• The phantom begins to solidify and expand, despite Hideaka's efforts.

Character Developments

• Hideaka demonstrates his prowess in ninjutsu, strategic thinking, and mental fortitude.
• Guren admires Hideaka's abilities and compares him to the legendary Senju Hashirama.

Significant Themes

• The power of Jashin is fueled by blood and death rituals, making it an ominous force.
• Hideaka's ability to analyze situations and formulate solutions under pressure is highlighted.

Character Interactions

• Hideaka, Guren, and Suzuki Jiro work together to analyze and counter the Jashin Cult's ritual.
• The Land of Hot Water's army and the Jashin Cult followers engage in a bloody battle, unwittingly fueling the phantom's growth.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Land of Hot Water general, Akutagawa, retreats from the sacrificial valley, stopping the Jashin ritual temporarily.
• The Jashin Cult Leader performs a self-sacrifice, absorbing a portion of the Jashin's power and completing the ritual.
• Guren's team prepares to fight the empowered Jashin Cult Leader.

Character Developments

• Suzuki Jiro shows willingness to make tough decisions for the greater good.
• The Jashin Cult Leader demonstrates newfound power and confidence.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of fanaticism and desperation.
• The struggle between maintaining order and making tough decisions.

Character Interactions

• Guren and Sato Hideaka work together to strategize against the Jashin Cult Leader.
• Suzuki Jiro communicates with Akutagawa to withdraw his forces.
• The Jashin Cult Leader's interactions with his surroundings show his newfound power and aggression.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Guren and the Jashin Cult Leader engage in a fierce battle, with Guren at a disadvantage due to the cult leader's wide-reaching scythe and enhanced strength from the Jashin Cult.
• The Jashin Cult Leader's immortality-like healing ability is revealed as he shrugs off attacks from Guren's clones.
• Guren uses the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique to temporarily blind the cult leader, allowing her clones to strike him, but he heals rapidly.
• Sato Hideaka joins the battle, creating an opportunity to strike the cult leader while he's evading Guren's attack.

Character Developments

• Guren demonstrates her strategic thinking and adaptability in battle, using clones and ninjutsu to exploit her opponent's weaknesses.
• The Jashin Cult Leader shows overconfidence in his power, underestimating Guren's tactics and allowing Sato Hideaka an opening to attack.

Significant Themes

• The power of adaptability and strategy in combat, as shown by Guren's use of clones and ninjutsu to counter the cult leader's strength.
• Overconfidence and underestimation of opponents, demonstrated by the cult leader's dismissive attitude towards Guren's attacks.

Character Interactions

• Guren and the Jashin Cult Leader engage in a intense, high-stakes battle, with Guren trying to exploit her opponent's weaknesses and the cult leader relying on his overwhelming power and immortality-like healing.
• Sato Hideaka joins the battle, creating an opportunity to strike the cult leader while he's focused on evading Guren's attack.