Puff—
Just as his teeth were about to bite down, the figure in front of him suddenly burst apart into smoke!
"A Shadow Clone?!"
The red-robed cultist froze completely. A damn Shadow Clone—he didn't expect the guy would even use one to attack him!
"It's just a clone. Let's keep going!"
Another figure dashed toward the cultist, slashing down with a blade.
The short blade cut halfway through his arm, leaving it hanging by a thread of flesh!
At that very moment, his kunai pierced into Shisui's body—but again, Shisui turned into smoke and vanished.
"Still a Shadow Clone?"
A twisted grin spread across the cultist's face. "Heh... heh... I don't believe I can't get your real body!"
He was fighting recklessly now, trading wounds for wounds—completely throwing his life on the line.
The wound in his throat made his voice come out in harsh, raspy cackles.
But his injuries—visibly—were healing.
He was going all-out with Shisui in a fight to the death.
All he needed was a drop of blood from Phantom Tiger, and this battle would be over!
"No pain… even lethal wounds healing… the cuts closing up?"
Shisui looked at the cultist's strange body, surprise flashing in his eyes.
With a body like that… no wonder Genya was after the Jashin Cult.
The cult must've done some kind of twisted research—giving someone such a monstrous physique.
An immortal body like this… it was definitely something worth looking into.
"Phantom Tiger, stop wasting time with him. Clean up the extras first."
Genya saw Shisui getting interested in the red-robed cultist and gave him a reminder.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Genya moved.
He charged into the crowd and started slaughtering.
With the strength of Genya and Shisui, entering the fray was like wolves among sheep.
Every time a jutsu landed, another cultist was either wounded—or killed.
Tea time!
The battlefield had been thoroughly cleaned by the two of them. Aside from a few people lying on the ground, crying out in pain, everyone else had lost their lives.
The only ones left standing from the Jashin Cult were the red-clad followers!
On the outskirts, Jiraiya...
"They're all so strong, and there's even an organization behind them with special abilities like the 'Atsukara'?" Jiraiya's eyes were filled with shock. If they appeared in the ninja world, things might really change.
At the same time, he was now certain that the Phantom Tiger had used space-time ninjutsu!
Paired with his unique genjutsu, it was strong enough to rival Quasi Kage-level existence. And with that one who only acted when necessary, the impact was astounding!
The ninja world could really tip because of this force!
The only thing that somewhat comforted Jiraiya now was that this 'Atsukara' organization seemed to be a group that sought peace, and they had some ties with the Uchiha clan.
It seemed that after this, he'd have to have a talk with these two!
Lost in thought, his gaze turned to the brutal battlefield.
"I heard you're immortal?" Genya calmly walked toward the dazed red-clad follower, his tone surprisingly calm!
He was now also curious to experience this strange body himself.
"Don't come any closer!" The red-clad follower finally felt fear. With his semi-immortal body, he might have been unafraid of facing Shisui, but in front of Genya, he felt terror!
Because Genya could make him disappear in an instant!
"Don't~~ Didn't you want my blood? It's right here!" Genya continued to move forward, but the red-clad follower kept retreating.
In the end, Genya grew impatient and called out to Shisui behind him, "Phantom Tiger!"
Shisui understood and disappeared in a flash!
In the blink of an eye, they were less than a meter apart, standing face to face.
The red-clad cultist instinctively reached for his kunai to block Shisui's short blade, but his eyes were locked on Shisui's. That's when he saw Shisui's eyes—eyes that could move!
His mental strength began to falter.
His expression became dazed. He realized he had fallen into a genjutsu, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't break free from its grip!
Then, he heard Shisui's cold, emotionless voice: "You said your body doesn't feel pain, right? Let me show you what it feels like to experience the pain of the soul!"
As Shisui's words fell, the red-clad cultist was fully immersed in the genjutsu.
Shisui's illusion targeted his very soul.
Ah~~~
A pained groan followed, sweat beads appeared on the cultist's forehead, and his face twisted into a hideous expression.
Faintly, he could hear the cultist's voice, filled with disbelief: "Impossible, I lost the ability to feel pain long ago. Why am I feeling this... pain?"
"Ah~~~"
The screams continued.
Only a few minutes passed, but the cultist was completely drained.
After receiving Genya's signal, Shisui finally pulled the cultist out of the genjutsu.
"What are you people? I am from the Jashin Cult..." The red-clad cultist gasped for air, but his tone remained defiant.
"Continue!" Genya waved his hand.
Shisui then dragged him back into the genjutsu.
However, Shisui was careful, not using extreme methods, allowing the cultist to retain some of his sanity.
After a short while, the red-clad cultist was brought back to consciousness, but his voice was still defiant: "You will regret this... I..."
"Continue."
"Jashin-sama will not forgive you."
"Ah~~"
And so, it continued for three or four times.
The red-robed cultist was completely broken. He looked at Genya, panting heavily. "What do you want to do? If I can, I'll help you. Just spare me!"
His tone was full of pleading. Even his faith in Jashin wavered!
At this moment, even if Jashin appeared, he would beg for mercy!
The punishments in the illusion made his soul tremble.
"It should have been like this from the beginning. Maybe you would have suffered less," Genya said slowly, then continued to ask, "Now tell me about your Jashin Cult and this so-called immortality of yours!"
"Jashin cult!" The red-robed cultist had already expected Genya to ask about this. He took a deep breath before speaking, "Jashin cult was founded by someone who found a book of Jashin-sama scriptures. It contains a method that can make the body immortal. Well, not a method, more like a special kind of technology. It transformed the body!"
"They started conducting experiments based on Jashin-sama scriptures."
"So... you're one of the beneficiaries of immortality?" Genya asked curiously.
"Yes, and no. I don't even know who the leader of the Jashin cult is anymore. I was just a loyal follower, chosen to undergo the divine gift... I mean, Jashin-sama baptism!" The red-robed cultist forced a bitter smile and continued, "But this is not complete immortality. Heh, I'm just a mindless, pain-free walking corpse!"
"If my heart is taken out, I will still die!"
By the end, there was a flicker of unwillingness in the cultist's eyes. It was the obsession and longing for a perfect immortal body!
Genya looked at the red-robed cultist and slowly asked, "Then who possesses the perfect immortal body? What exactly is the state of a perfect immortal body?"
****
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