"Hahaha, I've done it! I've succeeded!"
Above a massive altar in Blood Boil Valley, crimson steam billowed. Below the altar, abandoned hot springs sizzled, emitting sulfurous gas. Mixed with the strong scent of blood, the surroundings resembled a demonic realm.
On the altar, a middle-aged man in a wide black robe laughed maniacally, a dagger stained with blood dripping continuously from his right hand.
Below the dagger lay a young man with gray hair, his eyes tightly shut. His clothes were open, revealing a gruesome wound sliced open by the dagger, which was rapidly healing.
Several high-ranking believers watched the young man on the ground with fervent expressions.
The middle-aged man was Takase, the one Haru had mentioned. After a bout of wild laughter, he stood up with a gloomy expression.
He stepped onto the young man, whose eyes were still closed, and said with a tone of jealousy, "You got off easy."
Takase had been experimenting for so long, and this was the first time he had achieved the so-called 'immortal body'. Yet, it wasn't for himself.
"However, you have your uses."
At this thought, a frenzied look appeared on Takase's face, and he spread his arms in an embracing gesture.
"You shall be the main sacrifice, helping me become the earthly agent of the Evil God."
"Pain is faith! Blood is eternity! Praise!"
As Takase's words fell, the surrounding high-ranking believers clasped their hands before their chests and chanted softly.
Boom!
A loud bang shattered the demonic atmosphere on the altar.
Interrupted, Takase's face darkened, and he spoke to the surrounding high-ranking believers with great displeasure.
"Go, see who it is. Capture them and bring them as sacrifices."
"Yes!"
Several high-ranking believers bowed slightly in response, then headed in the direction of the sound.
"Hmph, your name is Hidan, isn't it?" Takase turned to Hidan, who was lying on the ground, and said with disdain.
"Hurry up, or the troublemakers will arrive."
With that, Takase grabbed the bloody scythe standing nearby.
Splat—
The sound of the scythe piercing flesh came. Hidan's entire body was hooked by Takase with the bloody scythe, and he slowly walked towards the altar behind him.
—
"It seems Muta and the others succeeded."
Inside Blood Boil Valley, Shinji, who was stealthily moving, looked up in the direction of the loud bang and murmured.
Haru, beside him, looked around nervously, fearing that blood beasts would suddenly rush out.
"Don't worry, there aren't any of those things in this valley." Shinji said, glancing at her.
Haru took a deep breath and nodded. Then, a bit confused, she asked, "Mm, but what can just the two of us do alone?"
She had initially thought this Konoha Jonin would wait for reinforcements before acting.
Shinji hid behind a large rock, looked around, and said in a low voice, "Destroy the altar. According to you, the Hot Spring Festival will begin tomorrow."
Haru exclaimed in disbelief, "Just the two of us?!"
Leaving the team to distract and draw away the believers inside the valley, and then bringing her, someone without combat ability, to destroy the altar?
Shinji said without looking back, "No, as for you, I just don't want you to burden Muta and the others. The task of destroying the altar will be completed by Mimi and me."
Honestly, if this woman behind him didn't still have some use as a guide, he would have just told her to leave to avoid being a drag.
Hearing this, Haru looked at Mimi, the cat on Shinji's shoulder, with a skeptical expression. She didn't think this fat cat, who looked like a daifuku, could do anything.
"Hey, woman, are you thinking something rude?!" Mimi's ears twitched, and he bared his teeth at Haru.
"Quiet." Shinji seemed to have discovered something and immediately spoke to stop them.
Then he stepped forward, and after turning past the large rock, he stopped.
"Here…"
Haru was wondering why this Konoha Jonin had suddenly stopped. She looked in Shinji's direction. Her eyes involuntarily widened, and her pupils contracted sharply.
Slap—
Mimi raised his tail and swept it across, stopping Haru, who was about to open her mouth. Then, with a four-legged leap, he slowly walked forward.
Mimi walked around in a circle and spoke to Shinji, "Shinji, that disgusting aura is even stronger here."
"Mm." Shinji frowned.
What appeared before him were piles of remains like small mountains.
Haru, whose right cheek was flushed, stepped forward and said, nodding in thanks to Mimi, "These are people who couldn't be transformed into blood beasts and were sacrificed."
If Mimi hadn't acted just now, she might have disturbed Takase in this valley. Or perhaps, she would have been dealt with by this Konoha Jonin in front of her.
Shinji looked at the mummy-like remains, ignoring them, and turned to head in one direction.
"Let's go. Such people must be completely eliminated on a physical level."
—
"Hmm?"
Takase, who had just placed Hidan into the blood pool in the center of the altar, turned his head as if sensing something.
"There are even rats mixed in."
Bang!
Inserting the march scythe into the concave hole beside the blood pool, Takase closed his eyes and raised his hands to form a hand seal.
On the outskirts of Blood Boil Valley, Muta, who was attracting high-ranking believers and dozens of blood beasts away, suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong, Muta?!" Koto, who was rushing at high speed, stopped at the sight and asked Muta.
"They are retreating." Muta turned to look behind him.
The high-ranking believers and blood beasts, who were almost catching up to them, suddenly paused. Then they began to retreat frantically.
"Stop them!" Yushu didn't hesitate and unrolled a huge scroll behind her.
Bang!
As the smoke cleared, several giant shuriken were thrown, deeply embedding themselves in the ground in front of the retreating high-ranking believers.
Parasitic Destruction Insect Technique!
Muta raised his hands high and swung them down fiercely.
Countless black insects instantly gushed from his sleeves and the large jar behind him, heading towards the high-ranking believers and blood beasts.
Koto, meanwhile, raised his hands and formed a hand sign before his chest.
Mind Body Disturbance Jutsu!
One high-ranking believer, already struggling to cope with the insects, suddenly seemed to have his mind taken over.
First, he froze, then launched a frantic attack on the blood beasts and high-ranking believers in front of him.
"What's going on?!"
"Stop it!"
The high-ranking believers, suddenly backstabbed by their own comrade, shouted at the person controlled by Koto.
The next moment, they were dealt with by Muta, who seized the opportunity.
"Although a medical ninja should never be on the front lines of combat, I only became a medical ninja after becoming a Special Jonin."
Swish—
Yushu, wielding a long blade, charged into the crowd, rapidly slashing her long blade at every target within her attacking range.