Chapter 29: The Coward's Resolve, The Survivor's Greed
At the same time—
In the Land of Hot Water, the capital city, Yuzen City.
The consecutive wars had shattered the people's idyllic dreams of peaceful hot springs.
Bathhouses that should've been bustling with guests now stood shuttered and silent.
In every sheltered corner of the streets, half-naked, trembling refugees huddled together for warmth.
The cold wind howled through the alleys, piercing to the bone.
In front of an unremarkable tavern—
A man stood rigidly, his expression frantic, face pale with fear. Dust clung to his clothes, and his bloodshot eyes were locked on the corner at the end of the street.
He didn't even dare blink, terrified that he might miss something.
Until—
A man with a stern, upright face appeared at that corner, stepping calmly forward on wooden clogs. He wore a dark-blue kimono, every step steady and composed.
Seeing him, Uchiha Seiichiro finally let out a long, weary sigh of relief. His voice trembled as he called out anxiously:
"Captain Fugaku!"
"Oh, Seiichiro."
Uchiha Fugaku's calm gaze met his, without a hint of surprise.
He had already investigated on his way here.
Thanks to the intelligence provided by the ninja cats, he had a general grasp of what had happened in the Land of Hot Water.
"Captain Fugaku, our squad was ambushed by Cloud shinobi at the border! The Great Elder—yes, the Great Elder—and Uchiha Ci, the two of them, they're in grave danger!"
Seiichiro's words tumbled out frantically, his heart burning as if a thousand ants were gnawing at it. His voice rose in desperation:
"Captain Fugaku, I beg you—please send reinforcements! I'm afraid if we wait any longer, they'll—they'll—!"
Fugaku nodded faintly, motioning with his hand.
"I understand."
"Go and rest first."
"What? How could I rest at a time like this?"
Seiichiro's eyes reddened instantly. Disregarding rank and decorum, he shouted in disbelief:
"Ci—Ci risked his life to save me! I—I can't just—!"
Fugaku frowned slightly as he observed him.
Seiichiro was clearly at his breaking point—his mind stretched taut, likely without sleep for a whole night. He must have pushed himself to the limit, sprinting through mountain paths like a charging bull, cutting a half-day's journey into mere hours.
His body was reaching its limit.
Fugaku sighed inwardly, shook his head, and waved his hand dismissively.
"Go."
Just then, a figure flickered into view before the door. Dropping to one knee, the Uchiha operative reported crisply:
"Captain, we've located Uchiha Ci's whereabouts."
However, the man's expression was uneasy, his tone hesitant.
"It's just… that area is currently under the control of the Cult of Jashin.
Detailed intelligence is classified—known only to Konoha's ANBU. I attempted to contact the ANBU stationed here in the Land of Hot Water, but they told me—"
"'No comment.'"
"What?!" Seiichiro gasped, his voice trembling.
"Ci—Ci's in the hands of the Cult of Jashin?!"
"That group—they're maniacs! They've been abducting shinobi and children everywhere!"
"How could this happen? How could this happen!"
His voice cracked with despair, nearly breaking into sobs.
In the chaos of the Land of Hot Water, there were certain groups one should never provoke.
Ranked first—were the Mist Village's hunter-nin.
Second—were the Uchiha garrison stationed at Hell Valley.
And third—was this new and fanatical Cult of Jashin.
This rising sect was shrouded in mystery. Its movements were erratic, its doctrine spread like wildfire, and its ideology—utterly extreme.
Their creed:
"One must kill all who exist nearby."
Their crimes and acts of cruelty were unspeakable— their atrocities, as the Book of the Ones Who Know records, could fill volumes.
Fugaku's eyes narrowed slightly, thoughts flickering behind that cold gaze. After a long pause, he gave a curt nod.
"I understand."
Then, without another word, he dismissed his subordinates to rest, lifted the noren curtain, and stepped quietly into the tavern.
Seiichiro stared at him, dumbfounded.
"Captain Fugaku… what did you just say?"
His face contorted as anger surged up inside him, trembling from head to toe.
"You just know?"
"You already have Ci's location, don't you?! And yet you're still so calm—what are you doing?!"
"With that unbothered look on your face—what's next, gonna ask for a drink?"
His voice rose with disbelief and fury.
"Why? Why aren't you taking action?! Are you going to wait until the blade falls, until our clansmen are slaughtered—before you feel even a shred of emotion?!"
Fugaku frowned, meeting his outburst with a cold, composed stare.
"You heard what was said. That area is under the control of the Jashin cult."
Seiichiro bit back his frustration.
"But—that's Ci we're talking about!"
"Uchiha Ci, hm?" Fugaku's eyes sharpened slightly. He studied Seiichiro's face carefully, then asked, almost dispassionately:
"Is he someone special? As far as I know, he's merely a genin, isn't he?"
"Besides, you understand the situation in the Land of Hot Water, don't you? Seiichiro—what's gotten into you?"
"The you I knew would never have spoken like this."
Seiichiro froze in place, his thoughts tangled into chaos.
"I… I…"
But then—he remembered.
That young man— The one who had shoved him out of the death trap, staying behind alone to face a Cloud Jōnin.
A flash of fierce resolve burned in Seiichiro's chest. He clenched his fists tight, gritted his teeth—
"Fine!"
"If none of you will save him—!"
"Then I—I'll go save him myself!"
"I'll save—Uchiha Ci!"
His words rang with desperate conviction. His thoughts spun wildly—images of that young man flashed in his mind.
That boy was now trapped in the Jashin cult's grasp…
Alone. Terrified. Helpless.
Maybe even now— he was being dragged toward an altar, offered as a living sacrifice.
I escaped once already, Seiichiro thought bitterly. I can't run again this time!
Fugaku watched silently as Seiichiro turned and dashed out of the tavern, his lone figure swallowed by the cold wind.
The clan head's brows lifted slightly—his eyes flickering with a trace of surprise.
After Uchiha Shisui and the Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna— now, yet another had chosen to risk his life…
For that mysterious boy.
Uchiha Ci.
What kind of power—or magnetism—did he possess, to make these people, once divided by pride and politics, all willingly risk death for him?
Fugaku couldn't understand.
But one thing was certain—he would see this child for himself.
Under the blazing sunlight, he stepped out of the tavern. His eyes turned toward the empty alley ahead, his voice low and commanding:
"Move out. Follow him."
In an instant, seven or eight pairs of scarlet Sharingan eyes flared to life— and then vanished soundlessly into the wind.
Meanwhile—
Outside Yuzen City.
A squad of Konoha's Root operatives knelt before a pale-skinned young man. One of them extended a scroll with both hands.
"Orochimaru-sama, this is the intelligence scroll we've gathered on the Cult of Jashin."
"The person you're looking for should currently be at this location."
Long black hair cascaded down his shoulders.
Golden, slit pupils glinted beneath violet eyeshadow that stretched to the bridge of his nose. His skin was ghostly white, adorned with blue-green magatama-shaped earrings.
This man—was none other than one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.
He flicked out his tongue, slowly licking the corner of his mouth. A trace of excitement glimmered within those serpent-like eyes.
"Not bad…" he murmured.
"Forbidden Jutsu—Flesh Regeneration, Immortality, and a Blood Dragon Eye capable of manipulating cellular metabolism to its peak…"
"The Land of Hot Water… truly is brimming with fascinating experiments lately."