Jashin Cult

The streets of Yunosato were not wide, and under the afternoon sun, only a sparse number of people were out and about.

Uchiha Shaoyu and Tiehuo carried the supplies they had bought. They walked at an ordinary pace, but quietly picked up speed as they headed toward the secluded area where Songfeng Pavilion stood.

They had not gone far when Shaoyu's Mangekyō Sharingan caught several unusual gazes behind them.

The gazes came from within the town, and carried a mixture of greed, scrutiny, and... a strange, fervent fixation. They had been targeted by a group.

"Lord Shaoyu." Uchiha Tiehuo had noticed them too. He turned his head slightly, keeping his voice low, and his hand had already drifted inconspicuously toward the Kunai pouch hidden at his waist.

Shaoyu nodded. "Someone's following us. They're not ninja. Their presence is all over the place, but there are quite a few of them—four or five, I'd guess. They've been tailing us since we left the general store."

Keeping his expression neutral, Shaoyu quickly glanced behind them from the corner of his eye.

Several men dressed like ordinary civilians of the Land of Hot Water, but noticeably burlier than typical farmers or merchants, were following at a distance.

Their eyes darted about as they exchanged subtle signals. Their steps seemed casual, but they maintained a consistent distance and angle as they tailed the pair.

"They're not from Konoha."

Shaoyu made a quick assessment. These men's presence was nothing like the disciplined concealment of ninja. They seemed more like local thugs, or...

Mihuo recalled that, while buying a map, he had heard the shopkeeper quietly complain that things had been unsettled around town lately. Some "Jashin followers" seemed to be active.

"Let's draw them away," Shaoyu said quietly. "Don't make a move where there are people around."

The two understood each other without another word. Instead of returning directly to the inn, they deliberately turned onto a secluded path leading to an abandoned mine in the hills behind the town.

Few people traveled this path. Dense shrubs and jagged rocks lined either side, making it the perfect place to settle the matter.

Sure enough, when the four or five pursuers saw their targets enter the secluded area, they didn't back down. They quickened their pace, swiftly surrounded Shaoyu and Tiehuo, and blocked their way.

Their leader was a bald, burly man with a scarred face and a fierce gaze. He sized up Shaoyu and Tiehuo, then grinned, revealing crooked yellow teeth.

"You two look unfamiliar. You're not locals, are you? Bought a lot of stuff, so you must be carrying plenty of cash."

His tone shifted, taking on a strange, almost chant-like lilt.

"But money is just a worldly possession. You both look like men of distinction, so surely you're not fools. Come with us and pay a visit to the great Lord Jashin! Lord Jashin will grant you eternal life and power!"

The others behind him chimed in, their eyes gleaming with a twisted mixture of menace and fervor.

Jashin? So it really was them.

Uchiha Shaoyu understood. It seemed this Jashin Cult in the Land of Hot Water had already emerged by this point, and they were acting rather brazenly, abducting "followers" in broad daylight.

"Jashin?"

Shaoyu spoke evenly, his tone giving nothing away.

"What if I'm not interested?"

"Not interested?"

The scar-faced man's expression darkened, and he sneered. "That's not up to you! Being chosen by Lord Jashin is an honor! Come quietly, and you'll suffer less!"

As he spoke, he signaled to his men. Two of them reached out to grab Shaoyu and Tiehuo, their movements rough, clearly not taking the two outsiders seriously.

Uchiha Shaoyu didn't even move. He merely raised his eyes slightly, and the Sharingan in his left eye activated at once! Strange bands of light swirled across its scarlet surface like a whirlpool in the abyss, meeting the gazes of the scar-faced man and the two reaching for him.

No hand seals, no violent surge of chakra. Just a glance.

The scar-faced man and his companions froze in place. The ferocity and fervor on their faces seemed frozen in a painting, while their eyes quickly turned vacant and dazed, as if they had lost their souls.

They remained fixed in their forward lunges and reaching postures, like a collection of clumsy statues.

"Take me to the so-called 'Jashin,' or to wherever you gather."

Completely controlled by the genjutsu, the scar-faced man stared blankly, nodded mechanically, and turned to walk deeper into the hills behind the town. The other two controlled followers followed him woodenly.

"Mihuo," Shaoyu said to Uchiha Tiehuo beside him, "go back to the inn and tell Lianhuo and the others to pack up at once and be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

"We shouldn't stay here. The Jashin Cult's appearance, and my actions in a moment, might draw the attention of the local authorities. I'll take care of this little problem and then come back."

Mihuo glanced at the men shambling ahead like the living dead, controlled by genjutsu, and nodded without hesitation.

"Yes, Lord Shaoyu! Be careful!"

He knew the power of Shaoyu's Mangekyō Sharingan. A few thugs and so-called Jashin Cult followers were no match for him. The priority now was to ensure the group's safety and prepare to leave.

Mihuo didn't waste another moment. He picked up the supplies, leaped away, and disappeared at the end of the path, racing toward the inn.

Uchiha Shaoyu followed the controlled followers at a leisurely pace, the Tomoe in his eyes turning slightly as he watched everything around them.

He had sent Mihuo away and gone on alone not because he was overconfident. Beyond getting rid of these irritating flies, he was genuinely curious.

The Land of Hot Water. The Jashin Cult...

This was the place that, in the future of the original timeline, would give rise to Hidan and his immortal body.

Though, going by the timeline, even if Hidan had been born by now, he was probably only a toddler learning to walk—or perhaps hadn't been born yet.

But what exactly was this "Jashin" that could give ordinary people a bizarre form of immortality? An ancient summoning beast left out of the records? A mass of negative energy like Moryo? Or a scam cooked up by some ninja or cult skilled in forbidden jutsu or curses?

The Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan, especially the Mangekyō, had a unique resistance to and understanding of genjutsu, mental power, and even certain forbidden jutsu involving the soul.

Perhaps this was a chance to get a glimpse of what lay behind this Jashin.

If it was just a fraud, he could wipe it out while he was at it, lest it become a threat in the future.

If there was something to it... then learning more could only help. On the run from the village, any unconventional knowledge or power he could acquire might prove useful someday.

The followers, controlled by genjutsu and oblivious to everything, led Shaoyu along the increasingly rugged, desolate mountain trail toward a secluded hollow.

The faint scent of sulfur in the air seemed to be overtaken by another indescribable smell, carrying a hint of blood and decay.

In the depths of the hollow, Shaoyu could make out a few crude stone buildings and traces of bonfires. That seemed to be the Jashin followers' hideout.

Uchiha Shaoyu narrowed his eyes slightly. The bands of light in his Mangekyō Sharingan moved a little faster, like the components of a precision detector, as he began to sense the chakra and energy fluctuations throughout the area ahead.

"Jashin... Let's see what you really are."