Chapter 29: The Coward's Awakening, the Survivor's Greed
Meanwhile
In the Land of Hot Water, at the capital city of Yugakure.
The ongoing war had shattered the peaceful dreams of the Hot Water citizens.
Hot spring resorts that should have been bustling with tourists now stood shuttered and empty. The streets were filled with half-clothed, shivering refugees huddled in whatever shelter they could find.
The cold wind cut through the air like a blade.
In front of an ordinary tavern,
Uchiha Seiichiro stood trembling—his face pale with panic, clothes covered in dust, eyes bloodshot from exhaustion. He stared intensely at the corner at the end of the street.
He didn't dare blink, afraid he might miss something crucial.
Until finally,
a stern-faced man in a dark blue Uchiha clan robe and traditional sandals calmly walked into view.
Relief flooded through Seiichiro as he exhaled shakily, calling out in a weary, anxious voice:
"Captain Fugaku!"
"Ah, Seiichiro." Uchiha Fugaku spotted him, his expression remaining calm and unsurprised.
He had already conducted his investigation on the way here. Combined with the intelligence reports from the Uchiha clan network, he had a clear picture of what was happening in the Land of Hot Water.
"Captain Fugaku, our team was attacked by Cloud Village shinobi at the border! Elder Setsuna and Tsukasa—they're both in terrible danger!"
Seiichiro's heart felt like it was being devoured by countless insects. He cried out desperately:
"Captain Fugaku, please! You have to send reinforcements!"
"If we wait any longer, they'll be dead..."
Uchiha Fugaku nodded calmly and waved his hand dismissively.
"I understand the situation."
"Go rest now."
"What?! How can I rest at a time like this? Tsukasa—he risked his life to save me! I can't just—"
Hearing this, Seiichiro's eyes instantly turned red with emotion as he spoke frantically, completely disregarding proper hierarchy.
Uchiha Fugaku looked at him with a slight frown.
Seiichiro's current state clearly showed he was at his breaking point—he hadn't slept all night and had pushed himself beyond his limits to cover what should have been a half-day journey in record time.
His physical condition had reached its absolute limit.
Fugaku shook his head without saying more. He simply waved at Seiichiro again and said calmly:
"Stand down."
At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared before the tavern entrance, dropped to one knee before Uchiha Fugaku, and reported:
"Captain, we've located Uchiha Tsukasa."
The reporting Uchiha looked somewhat troubled as he continued:
"The problem is that location is now under the control of the Jashin Cult. Only Konoha's ANBU have detailed intelligence about it. I contacted the local ANBU operatives, but they told me..."
"That information is classified."
"What?!" Seiichiro couldn't help but exclaim.
"Tsukasa is with the Jashin Cult now?!"
"Those people are completely insane! They hunt shinobi and sacrifice children!"
"This can't be happening! This can't be happening!"
Seiichiro's voice nearly broke with despair.
In the chaotic Land of Hot Water, there were several groups you absolutely had to avoid at all costs:
First, the Mist Village assassination squads.
Second, the rogue Uchiha garrison at Hell Valley.
Third, this emerging Jashin Cult.
This new religious sect was shrouded in mystery—their movements were nearly impossible to track, their doctrine spread like wildfire, and their ideology was utterly extremist.
Their motto was simple: "Kill everyone around you!" Their crimes and brutal methods were too numerous to count.
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes narrowed slightly, his thoughts unreadable. After a moment, he nodded and replied in a deep voice:
"Understood."
Fugaku waved his hand, dismissing his subordinate. He then lifted the tavern's entrance curtain and walked inside.
Seiichiro stood nearby, staring in disbelief at Fugaku's unchanged expression.
"Captain Fugaku, what did you just say?"
His face suddenly contorted with rage, anger surging through his entire body, making him tremble.
"'Understood'?"
"You clearly received information about Tsukasa's location, didn't you? And what are you doing now?"
"You look so relaxed—are you planning to order some sake while you're at it?"
Seiichiro's eyes went wide as he asked incredulously:
"Why? Why won't you take action? Do you have to wait until the executioner's blade falls and our clan members die horribly before you feel even the slightest emotion?"
Uchiha Fugaku frowned and glanced at him, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he said lightly:
"You heard the report yourself—that place is under Jashin Cult control."
Seiichiro couldn't help but retort: "But that's Tsukasa we're talking about!"
"Uchiha Tsukasa?" Fugaku's eyes sharpened slightly as he studied Seiichiro's expression carefully, but his voice remained casual:
"Is he somehow special?"
"As far as I know, he's just an ordinary genin, correct?"
"Besides, you should understand the current situation in the Land of Hot Water, Seiichiro. What's gotten into you?"
"You never would have said something like this before."
Seiichiro's mind was in complete turmoil as he stood there in a daze.
"I... I..."
But the next moment, he remembered the young man who had pushed him to safety outside that death battle, facing down that lone Cloud jonin. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists!
"Fine!"
"If you won't save him!"
"Then I... I... I'll save him myself!"
"I'll rescue Tsukasa!"
Seiichiro's teeth ground together as his mind raced. He couldn't help but imagine:
That young man, now alone within the evil cult's grasp,
facing loneliness, terror, and helplessness,
perhaps already being dragged to their altar by cult followers for some cruel ritual sacrifice.
I already ran away once.
I can't run away again this time!
Uchiha Fugaku watched as Seiichiro turned and ran out of the building alone, his eyebrows raising in surprise.
Following Uchiha Shisui and Elder Setsuna,
now here was another person willing to risk death for this mysterious young man.
What kind of power did Uchiha Tsukasa possess that could make these supposedly incompatible people go to such lengths for him?
Uchiha Fugaku couldn't figure it out, but he decided he needed to meet this kid in person.
Stepping out into the blazing sun,
he emerged from the tavern and, turning toward a deserted alley, coldly commanded:
"Follow him."
The next moment, seven or eight pairs of crimson Sharingan suddenly blazed to life in the shadows before vanishing with swift, silent movement.
Meanwhile
Outside Yugakure, a group of Root operatives appeared before a pale-faced young man.
Dropping to one knee, they held out a scroll with both hands.
"Lord Orochimaru, this contains all the intelligence we've gathered on the Jashin Cult."
"The person you're seeking should be located here."
The figure before them had long black hair, elongated golden pupils, purple markings extending from around his eyes, pale skin, and blue magatama earrings.
This was none other than Orochimaru, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin.
Orochimaru's serpentine tongue flicked across his lips, excitement flashing in his narrow, vertical pupils.
"Excellent."
"Forbidden techniques involving bodily resurrection, immortality research, and those unique Blood Dragon Eyes that can control cellular metabolism at the ultimate level."
"The Land of Hot Water has become quite the interesting playground lately."
End of Chapter 29