"You brat… do you really need to be this cocky? Wouldn't it be easier to just sneak in and kill them one by one?"
Jiraiya couldn't help but ask as he watched Genya's provocative move.
He had clearly heard Genya's conversation with that red-robed cultist earlier.
There were still seven or eight more like him inside—these red-robes weren't ordinary. They were strong… and had strange, special bodies.
Hard to kill.
If they were all attacked at once, the three of them might struggle to deal with it.
And it wasn't just red-robed cultists in there. Who knows how many regular followers were mixed in?
"Heh… of course I want them to gather in one place. It's easier to kill them all at once. I don't have time to hunt them down one by one," Genya replied casually.
As for being surrounded?
Heh. He was the one doing the surrounding. Why worry about getting surrounded?
"…" Jiraiya was stunned by Genya's confidence. He knew Genya and his partner were powerful… but were they really safe against that many enemies?
Besides…
Jiraiya had heard a rumor—this cult had a deadly forbidden spell: a life-for-life curse. If cast, any injury dealt to the caster would also be inflicted on the attacker.
If they got hit by that curse, things could get really dangerous.
"Don't worry… just stay back and watch. You won't need to lift a finger," Genya added, seeing the hesitation in Jiraiya's eyes. "If things look bad, just run."
Genya understood—Jiraiya traveled the ninja world alone, always cautious, always prepared. One careless mistake… and it could be the end.
But Genya had no such concerns. Even if he had to run, he could escape instantly with the Flying Thunder God Technique, teleporting hundreds of meters away in a flash.
As for that so-called curse technique, even if someone managed to get his blood by luck, the Black Flame would instantly refine and absorb it wherever it touched.
Even curse marks would be wiped away by the Black Flame.
You should know—
Even the Flying Thunder God marks, said to be impossible to erase, could be absorbed and erased by the Black Flame!
"Run away?" Jiraiya heard that and twitched the corner of his mouth before raising his head proudly.
"You think I'm the kind of person who runs at the first sign of danger? Don't look down on me. If you're in danger, I'll give it my all!"
As they chatted, a wave of footsteps echoed from deep inside the cave.
Genya narrowed his eyes. "They're here."
Through his Dual Pupil, he could see more than thirty elite jonin-level ninja, and eight others whose chakra levels rivaled the red-robed cultists.
It was clear—these were the foundation of the Jashin Cult's power.
A force like this was enough to dominate a region of the ninja world. No wonder the Jashin Cult ran wild in the Land of Rivers.
"You're the ones who dared to provoke our Jashin Cult?" The leader of the red-robed group stepped forward, frowning at Genya. He smelled blood in the air. "You killed No. 7?"
"No. 7?" Genya asked curiously.
"The red-robed cultist you killed just now," the frontmost cultist answered again.
When the injured, one-armed cultist came back to request reinforcements, he'd already guessed something had gone wrong. No. 7 had gone to deal with the intruder.
Now No. 7 hadn't returned—and someone had shown up to challenge them directly. It was obvious that something had happened to him.
"You mean him? I've already sent him down below!" Genya scratched his head and added helpfully, "Don't be in such a rush—you'll be joining him soon."
The man in front clenched his fists, trembling with rage. After a brief pause, he gritted his teeth and spat out a single word.
"What are we waiting for, boss? They're provoking us like this—let's just fight already!" said another red-robed figure beside him, unable to hold back his anger.
"Attack!"
"Attack!"
"Daring to provoke our Jashin Cult? You must be tired of living!"
"Boss, let's do it—he's insulting Jashin-sama!"
But the leader of the red-robed followers raised his hand to silence them. He looked directly at Genya and spoke again.
"Perhaps there's some misunderstanding between us. Why are you targeting our Jashin Cult?"
To be able to kill No. 7 and over a dozen elite jonin and come out unscathed—he knew the three people in front of him were powerful.
If it really came to a fight, even if they somehow won, the Jashin Cult would pay a terrible price. Rather than lose everything, he wanted to resolve things peacefully.
But—
Genya clearly didn't appreciate the olive branch. Instead, he sneered.
"Why target your cult? Heh. Your so-called Jashin Cult has brought chaos to the nation, kidnapped civilians, and used them for twisted experiments. Isn't that reason enough?"
"A cult like yours—every last one of you deserves death."
Genya's words were righteous and filled with conviction. But the red-robed cultists looked more and more grim.
"A cult? Hah! As far as I know, plenty of villages use living people for experiments too. Are you going to wipe out their leaders too?" The cultist laughed coldly. "We just don't bother hiding it."
"Don't worry," Genya said, his gaze turning dark. "Not a single one of those pulling the strings will escape."
He was thinking of Hiruzen Sarutobi... and Danzo Shimura.
Those two had also used orphans for human experiments.
And they, too, would not escape judgment.
One day, they would pay for everything they'd done.
"Boss, why are you still talking to him? Just kill him already!" The red-robed man beside him couldn't take it anymore and urged the leader to act.
"This person is provoking Jashin Cult. He must be killed!"
"Don't just capture him, cripple him, and experiment on him. I want to torture him in every way possible!"
"Let's all attack!"
"Crush him!"
The people behind them started to roar in anger again.
"Since you're so stubborn, you will have to face the wrath of Jashin Cult!" The leader in red slowly spoke, then waved his hand.
In an instant!
The people behind him, unable to hold themselves back, charged forward!
They were incredibly fast!
"Come at me! First, take my Dust Release!" Genya muttered softly, then casually threw out two Dust Releases… Yes, two Dust Releases—this was the recent improvement Genya had made to his technique!
In a flash,
The two red-clad figures and several Jonin were enveloped in light!
The few of them instantly vanished, and a vacuum zone was formed in the middle of them!
"How is this possible? Both red-clad figures are gone just like that?" Upon seeing this, everyone couldn't help but gulp, shocked. This was terrifying—these were the red-clad Jashin Cult!
To ordinary followers, the red-clad figures were immortal, invincible beings!
But now, they had completely vanished!
"Damn it… How could he be this strong!" The leading red-clad man was shaken. No wonder the Seventh died at his hands.
This unique ninjutsu was specifically designed to counter them!
In an instant, it wiped them all out!
"Boss, we need help!" One of the red-clad figures, seeing this, hurriedly said, "Hidan is nearby. We need to summon him back!"
****
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