Chapter 84: Madness on the Altar—A Battle of Extremes!
From the back of his neck to his spinal cord, a tingling sensation like an electric shock surged through him.
The Zero-Tails, following the bite wound, plunged into Uchiha Tsukasa's body, sliding rapidly down along his spine like a dragon descending.
In an instant, it reached his core, transforming into a pool of pure dark chakra that abruptly merged with his body!
Thump! Thump!
Thump! Thump!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded, and his blood boiled in an instant!
The small Zero-Tails' own chakra wasn't substantial—about the amount of an ordinary Genin—but it flowed throughout his body, re-invigorating his broken form like a dying flame suddenly fed oxygen.
With sudden clarity, Tsukasa gradually understood the Zero-Tails' purpose.
After becoming the Zero-Tails' Jinchūriki, he'd gained two abilities:
[Dark Chakra Extraction (A-rank)] and [Dark Awakening (A-rank)].
These two abilities were straightforward.
Dark Chakra Extraction gathered the darkness within those around him—including within himself—and condensed it into dark chakra.
The deeper the darkness within, the more dark chakra could be extracted.
Dark Awakening infused the extracted chakra into the body, achieving a state similar to a Jinchūriki using a Tailed Beast Cloak.
However, once this ability was activated, while gaining access to dark chakra, it also caused a loss of rationality, leading to arrogance and revealing the darkest aspects of one's heart!
In short, it was a weakened version of the Tailed Beast Cloak—without armor, without Tailed Beast Chakra transformations, without flashy abilities like the Tailed Beast Bomb.
It was a mortal's creation, born from admiration for the power of Tailed Beasts—a desperate exchange of reduced sanity for raw chakra.
Now, in the hall, before the cross—
Hidan raised his jet-black spear, aimed it at his own abdomen, and slowly pressed it downward.
The Jashin Cult leader Tōgō Hayato's eyes shone with madness, his mouth curled upward impossibly high.
He opened his arms as if embracing suffering itself, his eyes gleaming with morbid fanaticism!
Then, with extreme excitement and ecstasy, he sang loudly:
"That's right!"
"That's right!"
"God loves the world, and so He shares in its suffering!"
His eyes bulged, and the corners of his mouth stretched nearly to his ears:
"God declared:"
"The root of all people born into this world is foolishness, arrogance, and blindness!"
"From this moment on, the three of us will connect our souls and become one in body and mind!"
"Pierce, torture, and hate! Destroy others and destroy yourself!"
"Abandon worldly prejudices and arrogance!"
"Throw yourself into God's embrace!"
"Believe in Him! Love Him! Hate Him!"
"This twisted love—"
"Will be harder to shake than knowledge, harder to change than respect, and more enduring than disgust!"
Amidst the loud and fanatical chanting, Hidan's hands trembled, and the muscles at the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
He looked at Uchiha Tsukasa before him, his eyes filled with horror and fear.
He couldn't imagine—even if his brain burned to ashes—that Tōgō Hayato would actually force him to kill the very person he'd risked everything to protect!
"No, no!"
"Uchiha Tsukasa!!!"
Hidan's voice cracked with tears as he cried helplessly:
"Open your eyes! Please, open your eyes quickly! I—I'm going to kill you!"
As this mournful cry faded, Tōgō Hayato's laughter behind Hidan grew even more twisted.
Hidan's wail sounded like an angel's song to his ears, bringing waves of pleasure. His brain continuously secreted dopamine, masking the extreme pain beneath this morbid smile.
The spear slowly descended—slicing through clothes, piercing skin—and drops of blood suddenly appeared!
However, at this moment—
Uchiha Tsukasa, bound to the cross, suddenly erupted with an evil and cold aura!
He suddenly opened his crimson eyes, filled with madness!
Two pitch-black tomoe whirled, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a crazed arc.
Then—
Tsukasa suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly:
"HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"
The laughter was filled with mockery!
He suddenly narrowed his eyes and glared at the Jashin Cult leader behind Hidan, laughing wildly and sneering:
"You think you can kill me?!"
"You're garbage, trash, a pathetic worm crawling in darkness—and you think you're worthy of killing me?!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He was clearly tied to the altar, clearly a fish on the chopping block, clearly powerless!
Yet he was laughing wildly!
This scene immediately stunned both Tōgō Hayato and Hidan.
Tōgō Hayato's wild smile froze, his brow twitching.
He thought: What the hell?! I've never seen an Uchiha laughing maniacally while being sacrificed on an altar before!
However, as leader of the Jashin Cult, he had encountered desperate, hysterical individuals before.
Though this one did seem... particularly extreme.
Quickly, Tōgō Hayato collected himself, his eyes fierce, preparing to command Hidan to spear the brat immediately!
However—
Tsukasa, his face twisted with dark glee, was one step ahead. He immediately shouted at Hidan in a cold voice:
"Hidan, listen to me—stab!"
Hidan blinked, surprise on his face. Brother, what are you doing?!
When he stabbed with this spear, he would feel excruciating pain first, never mind whether it hurt Tsukasa or not!
However, based on his trust in Uchiha Tsukasa—
He gritted his teeth, gave up resisting Tōgō Hayato's control, raised his hand and stabbed immediately!
The spear pierced into his stomach!
The next moment, three blood holes suddenly appeared.
"Gah... hiss..."
Hidan gasped for breath, unable to help widening his eyes in pain.
Tsukasa didn't care about the blood hole that appeared in his abdomen at all. He immediately raised his cold scarlet eyes to look at Tōgō Hayato.
At this moment, a blood hole suddenly appeared on Tōgō Hayato's stomach!
Seeing this, Tsukasa's face showed a twisted sneer, and he suddenly coughed up blood:
"Cough! Ugh!"
Blood slid down the corners of his mouth and dripped into the blood pool.
The intense pain didn't even register on Tsukasa's face. He simply raised his head and roared with laughter once more:
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"So that's it! So that's it! So—"
"That's what you were planning!"
The laughter came in layers—starting with a mocking chuckle, then bursting into full laughter, finally nearly choking with mirth, tears threatening to spill.
The next moment, he raised his eyes, flashed a sinister grin at Tōgō Hayato, and sneered:
"Through these eyes—"
"I see right through you!"
"You trash!"
A rage born from within—a fury of despair at the absurdity of this utterly depraved world—suddenly surged from the depths of Tsukasa's heart.
It transformed into a raging inferno that consumed everything, into thick, inky black chakra!
It transformed into justice that would rewrite tragedy!
It transformed into power!
BOOM!
Dark chakra erupted, snapping ropes, sending nails flying, shattering chains!
Tōgō Hayato couldn't understand what had happened. Why had this brat, bound to the altar, suddenly exploded with power?
Where had he gotten this strength?
What had he seen through?
What was his plan?
He had no idea—absolutely no idea.
He felt only astonishment, the shock of having his carefully laid plans suddenly interrupted!
This was the kind of change he hated most—a sudden, shattering event that destroyed everything he'd built!
And it was this very uncertainty he wished to curse.
To bring the world to dead silence, to make it a world free of uncertainty!
This was the very thing that had driven him through countless sleepless nights, with bloodshot eyes, to delve into forbidden arts!
It was his long-cherished wish!
And so, Tōgō Hayato's eyes darkened, his chakra surged, and he raised his hand to continue controlling Hidan.
He wanted Hidan to pierce his heart immediately!
The pain offered to Jashin wasn't enough yet. Hidan might die, the ritual might fail—but it didn't matter.
He could find another sacrifice, repeat the ritual.
But this uncertainty—he was determined to kill it right here and now!
Using the Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood, he would pierce this brat's heart and kill Uchiha Tsukasa!
[The Jashin Cult leader, Tōgō Hayato, harbors extreme murderous intent toward you!]
However—
Tsukasa, who had been staring at him with blood-red pupils, also saw the killing intent in his eyes.
At this moment, he smirked and said mockingly:
"I told you—with these eyes, I see right through you!"
"You want to be more ruthless, huh?"
"Come on then!"
Tsukasa immediately spun around and shouted at Hidan:
"Hidan, kill me!"
"Stab me in the heart—kill me!"
"Now, immediately—"
"KILL ME!!!"
End of Chapter 84
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