96-100

Chapter 96: Killing the Salamander

Under Nagato's will, the rapidly growing force of Akatsuki began to operate instantly from the shadows.

Two days later, Kaneki and Hidan, clad in the Akatsuki’s red cloud uniforms, appeared in the rain near an outpost on the outskirts of Amegakure.

Although their mission was to eliminate and drive out enemies from the Land of Wind, it wasn’t limited to just dealing with the ninja of the Land of Wind.

Due to the limited manpower, Kaneki and Hidan had to set off from an Akatsuki base and make their way toward the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind. Along the way, they were also tasked with taking out any hidden Amegakure outposts.

According to intelligence from White Zetsu, Kaneki’s target—the salamander Ibuse, Hanzo's summoning beast—was being kept in a swamp in this area.

As a massive summon beast, Ibuse couldn’t possibly reside within Amegakure itself. Hanzo only summoned it during battles. Normally, the salamander was left to roam freely in this poison-filled swamp.

The so-called outpost here was merely established to guard Ibuse and to provide it with regular feedings.

“The weather in the Land of Rain is seriously annoying,” Hidan grumbled.

Standing on higher ground, the rain beat down on his body, outlining his figure.

To be fair, the quality of Akatsuki’s uniforms was impressive. The rain couldn’t penetrate their cloaks to soak Hidan or Kaneki.

Kaneki adjusted his glasses under his hood as an insect landed on his hand, bringing him information about the outpost.

“Stop complaining. My body has fully adapted to the poisonous air of this swamp. We can start now.”

Indeed, Kaneki and Hidan had been lying in wait so Kaneki could analyze the poisonous gas and acclimate himself to it.

Of course, the gas from Ibuse’s breath was likely far more potent. To prepare, Kaneki had upgraded his body with a built-in oxygen sac, allowing him to fight for over 20 minutes without relying on external air.

As for Hidan?

This guy had an immortal body. Poison gas didn’t faze him at all. Even if something did happen, the great Lord Jashin wouldn’t abandon his most devoted follower.

Hearing Kaneki’s words, Hidan perked up instantly. He slicked back his wet silver hair with both hands and licked his lips in excitement.

“This time, can I kill them all?”

Kaneki nodded. “Leave the outside to you. I’ll handle the big guy.”

“Perfect!”

Without bothering to stay hidden, Hidan charged straight toward the outpost.

For Hidan, every time Kaneki advanced in his research, it was like a personal upgrade for him.

Hidan had definitely benefited the most from Kaneki’s experiments. Nearly every new invention Kaneki developed was tested on Hidan first.

After all, this immortal didn’t need to worry about dying, so why not?

When Kaneki reached Level 4, he gave Hidan a new upgrade: two crimson flames appeared on Hidan’s back, a set of custom-developed Ukaku wings specifically for him.

Since Hidan had no desire to fly on his own, it would’ve been nearly impossible for him to form wings naturally through RC cell manipulation. Kaneki had to put in extra effort to create them for him.

These Ukaku wings greatly enhanced speed and granted short bursts of flight capability.

Just like now.

With his wings deployed, Hidan’s body became much lighter. He leaped forcefully and soared into the sky like a bird.

As he descended, the armor on his shoulders shifted, forming a sharp scythe known as the "Triple-Bladed Blood Scythe" in his hands.

“Enemy attack!”

The Amegakure outpost, equipped with sensory ninja, immediately detected Hidan’s approach and raised the alarm.

A kunai was launched at the rapidly falling Hidan.

Hidan continued his descent.

Hidan got hit by the kunai.

Hidan crashed heavily onto the ground.

The ninja who had shouted the alarm earlier saw the kunai embedded in Hidan’s forehead and hesitated, forming a question mark in his mind.

He had merely thrown the kunai as a reflex to disrupt the enemy's attack. Did he accidentally take out the intruder?

Could he secretly be a hidden sharpshooter? A prodigy ninja?

Lost in his thoughts, the ninja drew his blade and approached Hidan cautiously.

Suddenly, Hidan’s eyes flew open. He swung his scythe, catching the enemy by surprise.

Startled, the ninja instinctively thrust his sword, piercing Hidan’s heart.

Hidan coughed up blood and weakly muttered, “I’m dead.”

Then he smiled. “Just kidding.”

A crimson shadow slashed through the air, cutting the enemy cleanly in half.

When other ninja arrived, they saw a strange man with a sword through his chest standing over their bisected comrade.

Hidan, blood dripping from his hand, casually slicked back his hair. He drew an outer circle with an inner triangle on his chest—the symbol of Lord Jashin—and said calmly, “Praise be to Lord Jashin.”

The five Amegakure ninja froze upon hearing the name of Jashin, their faces growing tense.

Ignoring Hidan’s sadistic play with his enemies, Kaneki bypassed the outpost entirely, heading straight into the dense, poisonous swamp.

The swamp’s long-standing toxicity had left the trees dead, their rotting branches floating atop muddy pools.

Kaneki focused chakra into his feet, walking across the unstable terrain with ease.

Thanks to his adaptation to the poison and the oxygen stored in his sac, Kaneki saved his reserves for the upcoming battle with Ibuse.

The commotion outside had clearly disturbed the salamander.

Hanzo’s trusted summon emerged from the foul sludge, visibly agitated, and glanced toward the outpost, growling low in its throat.

Guided by his insects’ reports, Kaneki quickly located Ibuse’s hiding place.

“So this is Hanzo’s favorite summon?”

Emerging from the toxic gas, Kaneki studied the massive creature that resembled an oversized salamander.

Its head and back were brown, its belly white, and its skin dotted with warty protrusions like those of a toad.

Honestly, it looked kind of cute.

Ibuse eyed the black-cloaked figure and scowled. Annoyed, it slammed its massive paw into the swamp, sending waves of mud crashing toward Kaneki.

(To Be Continued)

*Chapter 97: Do Serious People Even Use Hand Seals?*

A surge of rotten sludge, accumulated over countless years, came crashing in like a roaring tide, sending an overwhelming stench straight to Kaneki's nose.

Though it couldn’t physically harm him, Kaneki instinctively wrinkled his brow.

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"

Clapping his hands together, Kaneki swiftly converted his chakra into a torrent of water, forming a water barrier that blocked the oncoming sludge.

The two substances collided and shattered apart.

Although Kaneki rarely used ninjutsu in his daily life, it didn’t mean he wasn’t proficient in it.

On the contrary, he had thoroughly studied the vast physiology of ninja bodies, conducted countless experiments, and developed a profound understanding of their mechanics.

From chakra extraction to how hand seals guide chakra flow, from the pathways through which chakra circulates in the body to the impact of ninjutsu on the physical world, and even the aftereffects of created ninjutsu constructs—he had a deep grasp of it all.

He could even probe the origins of chakra at the genetic level.

For example, which organs, cells, or parts of cells determine a ninja's chakra nature? What genetic fragment governs the expression of these traits? Such questions were ones ordinary ninjas wouldn’t even consider, let alone research.

If other ninjas studied ninjutsu to learn it, Kaneki was researching the entire chakra system—how it originated, how it evolved, and its fundamental principles.

With such accumulation, his mastery of ninjutsu could easily be considered among the best in the entire ninja world.

Not to mention, this body had been specifically crafted by Kaneki for the purpose of unleashing ninjutsu.

It boasted chakra of all five elemental natures—fire, lightning, water, earth, and wind—along with yin and yang attributes.

He also had considerable talent in sealing techniques and space-time ninjutsu. Calling him a "jack-of-all-trades" warrior was no exaggeration.

Because he knew the pathways of ninjutsu so well, Kaneki could perform ninjutsu effortlessly, even without hand seals.

Clapping his hands together and forming seals was more of a nod of respect to ninja tradition than a necessity.

Thus, the Water Dragon Jutsu—a technique that countless Water Style ninjas found painfully difficult to execute—was, for Kaneki, nothing more than an ordinary ninjutsu performed with a simple clap of his hands.

The salamander stared blankly at the menacing water dragon that appeared before it. Even its master, the so-called demigod Hanzo, required several seals to release such a jutsu!

And this guy pulled it off with just a clap?

Kaneki didn’t care about the existential crisis he was causing the salamander. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t have paid it any mind.

He directly controlled the water dragon to crash violently into the swamp.

Faced with the bubbling, foul-smelling swamp, Kaneki had no intention of engaging in close combat with the beast. Pressing his hands together, he summoned a Summoning Jutsu.

Two upgraded vicious demon snakes emerged from the smoke with ferocious hisses and lunged into the stinking swamp to wrestle with the massive salamander.

While the salamander was formidable in close combat, the two demon snakes were no slouches either. The battle was fierce, turning the entire swamp into chaos.

The salamander used its agility to land heavy blows on the demon snakes, but each time it attacked, the snakes countered with the razor-sharp scales on their bony masks.

After a few minutes, the salamander was covered in wounds.

Of course, the two demon snakes were also gravely injured.

At this point, Kaneki activated the swarm of blood spirit insects within them, infusing their bodies with yang-release chakra enriched with natural energy.

In just a few minutes, the snakes’ injuries were mostly healed.

Sensing the battle couldn’t go on like this, the salamander finally resorted to its trump card. It opened its massive mouth and unleashed a torrent of poisonous gas that had struck terror into countless ninjas across the ninja world.

The purple gas poured out from its venom sacs, blanketing the battlefield in an instant.

But Kaneki, already aware of the poison, had prepared in advance. Not only himself but even the two demon snakes had been implanted with large internal air sacs.

They didn’t need to breathe the outside air, and their skin was protected by countless scales, making it impossible for the gas to infiltrate through pores.

Thus, the salamander’s ultimate weapon was rendered completely useless.

Realizing the dire situation, the salamander quickly used its contract to send a distress signal to its summoner, Hanzo, in the Hidden Rain Village.

But Kaneki was faster. In a flash, he appeared above the salamander’s head, drove his blade into it, and channeled massive amounts of chakra into its body.

The chakra disruption immediately prevented the salamander from transmitting further messages to Hanzo.

Next, countless black armored insects swarmed from Kaneki’s body, crawling into the salamander and taking full control.

As the immobilized salamander lay helpless, Kaneki adjusted his glasses.

The battle was over.

The body test was complete.

That’s right—the true purpose of this fight was to test this body.

Kaneki currently had four types of clones:

1. The blood pool clone, which mimicked the original body.

2. The raven clone, which appeared as Mr. Crow.

3. The kagune-formed human clone.

4. The ninja clone, purely dedicated to ninjutsu, which he was currently using.

Aside from the blood pool clone, the other three could combine their functions freely.

For example, a raven clone that could use ninjutsu or a ninja clone utilizing kagune techniques—these were trivial challenges for Kaneki now.

Dragging the salamander out of the swamp, Kaneki glanced at Hidan, whose battle had just ended.

It was clear Hidan had thoroughly enjoyed himself.

The six Hidden Rain ninjas were all dead, their bodies desecrated on a massive Jashin ritual symbol beneath Hidan’s feet.

Seeing Kaneki approach, Hidan deactivated his curse technique, skipping over excitedly while staring at the colossal salamander behind Kaneki.

"Kaneki! I have a feeling if we offer this big guy to Lord Jashin, he’ll definitely bless us with rain!"

"This guy’s still useful to me," Kaneki replied, uninterested in Hidan’s enthusiasm. Summoning a flock of crows, he used them to lift the salamander’s body and flew toward the Akatsuki headquarters.

The salamander...

A faint smile flickered in Kaneki’s eyes. Poison gas seemed like a rather promising weapon for large-scale destruction.

(End of Chapter)  

*Chapter 98: The Spiderweb*

"Jie jie jie! Let me send you all to meet Lord Evil God together!"

Hidan roared as he manically stabbed his own body with his black spear. On the other side, the Sand Ninja died in excruciating pain, their faces frozen in terror.

After bringing Hanzo’s salamander back to the laboratory, Kaneki and Hidan began hunting Sand Ninjas within the borders of the Land of Rain.

Due to prolonged unrest and the Rain Village's reluctance to confront the major nations head-on, the Land of Rain's borders had been infiltrated to the point of resembling a sieve.

Ninjas from the Sand Village, the Leaf Village, and the Stone Village roamed freely within the Land of Rain. The man once hailed as a demigod, Hanzo, now hid silently in the Rain Village.

This absurd reality led Kaneki to sigh, "The human spirit is eventually corroded by the passage of time."

The once-dominant demigod had become nothing more than an old man, hiding in his village, eroded by time and reality.

Luckily, Kaneki was not human.

Feeling reassured, Kaneki let out a breath of relief. In his current form, even he wasn’t sure how long his lifespan might be.

Once Hidan finished venting his rage, the two left the scene, guided by the insects, and moved on to their next target.

"This is so boring, Kaneki. Can’t you find us some more interesting opponents?" Hidan grumbled with clear dissatisfaction after completing his ritual.

In recent days, they had primarily targeted Sand Village special Jonin squads stationed in the Land of Rain.

As for Chunin and Genin squads, Kaneki didn’t even need to act. They were dealt with by Jugo, Uzumaki Liyi, and the others.

Under consistent training, the trio's strength had grown rapidly, making them more than capable of handling Chunin squads.

During these missions, Kaneki also established a new base on the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind. He placed a blood pool clone there to produce the materials he needed at close range.

Additionally, he released a large number of creatures from the Akatsuki's headquarters, spreading them outward.

These creatures were mainly black beetles and ravens, though there were also other insects, birds, and reptiles.

For Kaneki, decoding the genes of natural organisms and creating new species infused with the essence of the Evil God was no longer a challenge.

At this moment, Kaneki resembled a spider perched on a massive web. The creatures he produced and released were his web's strands.

Once these new species multiplied enough to cover the entire Land of Rain, any disturbance within the territory would immediately reach him.

What surprised Kaneki was how well-suited the Land of Rain’s climate was for the survival and reproduction of black beetles, greatly facilitating his plans.

At this rate, Kaneki estimated it would take only six months for his insects to cover the entire Land of Rain.

However, expanding his network into the Land of Wind would require further modifications to his existing creatures.

Despite the neighboring locations, the ecological environments of the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind were drastically different.

For his creatures to serve as his eyes and ears for extended periods, they would need to adapt to the local environment, reproduce independently, and fully integrate into the ecosystem.

Otherwise, just feeding them would drain Kaneki’s resources dry.

Actually, the one being drained would be the Evil God.

While the Evil God was undoubtedly malevolent, Kaneki had no intention of dealing with him for now. After all, he needed someone to take the blame for his actions.

As Kaneki processed the information sent by his insects, his brow furrowed slightly.

According to the insects’ reports, the Sand Village was highly dissatisfied with their recent losses in the Land of Rain. They had dispatched a Jonin squad to seek retribution.

Such incidents weren’t unusual. Whenever a small country disrupted the international order, the surrounding major nations would send their Jonin to "punish" them.

This was one of the reasons the Land of Rain had fallen into its current state.

Adjusting his glasses, Kaneki's lips curled into a smile. "Hidan, something fun is coming our way."

"Hmm? What level? If it’s another weakling, let Jugo handle it. I don’t want to sully my devotion to Lord Evil God." Hidan tilted his head arrogantly.

"Two Jonin," Kaneki replied.

Hidan’s eyes lit up instantly.

Jonin!

Even among the Five Great Shinobi Nations, Jonin were a rare and valuable resource.

Every Jonin possessed exceptional all-around abilities, far surpassing special Jonin, who usually specialized in a single area.

For Kaneki, such individuals were equally precious research material. The few Jonin in the Hot Springs Village had already been used up.

It was understandable that the Sand Village wanted to make a statement. Deploying a few powerful Jonin was undoubtedly the most cost-effective choice.

What they didn’t realize was that the Land of Rain had undergone significant changes.

At the border between the Lands of Rain and Wind, where the yellow sands met the perpetual rain, stood a mountain range.

Moisture from the ocean was trapped here by the mountains, condensing into endless rain within the Land of Rain, while leaving vast deserts in the Land of Wind.

Three squads moved swiftly across the mountains, entering the Land of Rain.

To demonstrate their nation's might, the Sand Village sent a formidable team comprising two Jonin, one special Jonin, and six Chunin.

"This time, we’ll teach the Land of Rain a proper lesson. How dare they attack us? Do they think their leader is still that so-called demigod from back then?"

"Exactly! Seven of our squads have disappeared in the Land of Rain. At the very least, we should kill seventy of theirs to even the score!"

These ninjas, with forehead protectors bearing the "sand jar" symbol, spoke disdainfully about the Land of Rain.

The two Jonin leading the group did not reprimand them, as they shared the same sentiments.

It wasn’t entirely their fault. The Land of Rain’s long-standing weakness made it impossible for any major nation to take the Rain Village seriously.

In the midst of their conversation, a sensor ninja in the group suddenly tensed up.

"Alert! We have enemies!"

To their credit, the professionalism of these elite ninjas showed. The moment the warning was issued, they immediately assumed a defensive formation according to their prearranged plan.

The next moment, a dense white mist enveloped the forest around them.

(To be continued...)

*Chapter 99: Escape*

"It's the Hidden Mist Technique!"

All the Sand Shinobi immediately went on high alert.

Several of them quickly retrieved prepared scrolls, infused chakra, and summoned their puppets.

"As expected of Shinobi from a great village; you're truly experienced," came Kaneki's voice from the dense mist.

"Captain Toya, what do we do now?"

Facing an unknown enemy, the Sand Shinobi swiftly turned to Toya, the Jonin in charge of this mission.

"Kawanishi, can you sense the enemy's location?"

Kawanishi, the sensor ninja responsible for reconnaissance, was the first to detect the enemy's presence earlier.

Under the captain's expectant gaze, Kawanishi regretfully shook his head.

"This mist is all chakra-based. I can't pinpoint the enemy's position. Sorry."

Toya unsheathed his blade, his expression grave.

"It's fine. This might just be an intimidation tactic. If they were confident in defeating us head-on, they wouldn't resort to such tricks."

Toya's words immediately gained the approval of his team.

"Oh? Is that so?"

The next moment, Hidan's mocking voice rang out. A crimson scythe flew from the mist, precisely striking a Sand Shinobi on the outskirts.

The Sand Chunin reacted quickly, using a kunai to block the attack. However, the scythe's immense force sent him flying.

"Over there!"

Toya, with his rich battle experience, ignored the fallen comrade and immediately hurled a kunai in the direction the scythe had come from.

A muffled grunt sounded as chakra strings shot from another Sand Shinobi's fingers, controlling a puppet to charge toward Hidan's position.

Midway, a swarm of black beetles erupted from the nearby forest, instantly enveloping the puppet and devouring the chakra threads connecting it to its master.

"My puppet is out of control!"

Due to the dense mist, the puppeteer couldn't discern what had happened to his creation before losing all connection with it.

"We can't stay on the defensive like this."

Toya calmly analyzed the situation before making a decision. "Everyone, use Wind Release to disperse this mist!"

"Understood!"

Following Toya's orders, all the Wind Release users in the squad formed hand seals.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Powerful gusts of wind blew outward, instantly creating a mist-free vacuum zone.

For the first time in this battle, the Sand Shinobi regained their visibility.

With their view restored, they spotted the enemy.

Hidan was pulling a kunai from his chest, licking the blood off it with an expression of twisted pleasure. The scene was eerily unsettling.

Meanwhile, the Sand Shinobi who had been struck earlier was now encased in swarms of insects. Though his face contorted in pain, he couldn't utter a sound.

The team's medic ninja immediately rushed to help him.

"Wait!"

Toya tried to stop her, but it was too late. Just as the female medic reached her teammate, the insects covering him began to swell rapidly.

"Boom!"

A horrific explosion engulfed the area, and the resulting shockwave dispersed even more of the mist, revealing Kaneki's figure.

Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Kaneki remarked with a hint of annoyance, "To fall for such a simple trap… It seems the Sand Village's education system could use some improvement."

His nonchalant taunt ignited the anger of every Sand Shinobi present.

"You bastard, die!"

A ninja controlling a puppet charged recklessly at Kaneki.

Kaneki merely raised his hand, and a massive swarm of insects surged forth like a giant spear, piercing the puppet and scattering its pieces across the ground.

"Although I'm quite intrigued by the Sand Village's puppet techniques, if this is the extent of your skills, I'm bound to be disappointed."

The eerie sound of insects devouring puppet parts filled the air, and the two remaining puppeteers grimaced.

Toya, ever the composed leader, analyzed the situation. Noticing the identical uniforms on Kaneki and Hidan, he spoke coldly, "You're not from the Rain Village, are you? Why attack Sand Shinobi?"

After all, the Sand Village was one of the five great ninja villages in the world.

It was unlikely anyone would provoke them without reason.

Kaneki rubbed his nose and replied, "You're right. We're not from the Rain Village. But soon, it should belong to us."

"What?!"

The implications of this statement left Toya momentarily stunned.

But Kaneki had no intention of explaining further. After speaking, Hidan charged forward, swinging his blood-stained three-bladed scythe.

Despite having two Jonin on their side, the lack of intel rendered the Sand Shinobi helpless against Hidan's immortality.

And that wasn’t even accounting for the energy needed to monitor Kaneki.

"Don't worry. I won't interfere," Kaneki said reassuringly.

Despite his words, Toya kept a vigilant eye on Kaneki, not daring to relax for a moment.

Kaneki sighed and pointed at Hidan, who was slaughtering the squad. "Captain, if you don’t step in, your team will be wiped out."

Against such an opponent, Hidan didn’t even need to use his Jashin ritual.

His three-bladed scythe and immortality were more than enough.

Even the skilled Jonin struggled, as every strike against Hidan proved futile.

The relentless futility drove the seasoned Sand Shinobi into despair.

Finally, Toya abandoned his standoff with Kaneki and joined the fight.

"Wind Release: Blade of Wind!"

Toya unleashed an A-rank jutsu, compressing a mass of wind chakra into a razor-sharp projectile. The blade sliced through Hidan’s neck with ease.

Once again, Hidan was decapitated.

But this time, it wasn’t Kaneki who had done it.

"Well done, Captain Toya!"

"Surely he can’t recover from this, right?"

Every eye was on Hidan. They couldn’t believe even decapitation wouldn’t kill him.

As Hidan’s head hit the ground, Toya caught sight of Kaneki's faint smirk.

A chill ran down his spine.

"Everyone, retreat immediately!"

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 100: Becoming a Follower*

"Jahahahahaha!"

Amidst an eerie burst of laughter, Hidan's neck shot out countless fine threads, pulling his decapitated head back and stitching it onto his body.

The Sand Ninja froze in place, stunned by the scene.

They had never imagined that even decapitation wouldn’t be enough to kill this man!

Hidan adjusted his head with both hands, and within seconds, the severed wound healed completely. A cruel smile spread across his face.

"Are you ready to embrace the arms of Lord Jashin?"

With those words, Hidan swung his triple-bladed scythe and charged forward.

Moya quickly drew his blade to block Hidan, shouting decisively, "Everyone, retreat!"

The other Sand Ninjas exchanged uneasy glances before finally following the lead of another Jonin. Leaving behind the bodies of their comrades, they fled toward the mountains.

But how could Kaneki allow his test subjects to escape? His figure slowly vanished into thin air.

Seeing Kaneki disappear, Moya felt his heart sink.

Compared to the pressure of Hidan’s immortality, Moya found Kaneki—who hadn’t even made a move—to be the truly dangerous one.

"Fighting me and still daring to get distracted?"

Hidan growled in frustration. Suddenly, two crimson flames flared behind him, and with his sudden burst of speed, Moya was caught off guard. Hidan’s spear pierced him before he could react.

"The battle... is over," Hidan declared arrogantly.

Meanwhile, the Sand Ninja team had made their decision and was now running at full speed toward the border.

"Deputy Captain Yuri, are we really just going to leave Captain Moya like this?"

Kawanishi couldn’t help but voice his concern. By retreating, they had essentially condemned Moya to death.

Yuri shoved a ration pill into his mouth, a strange glint flashing in his eyes. "Don’t be ridiculous. Those two are far beyond anything we can handle."

"But even so, we shouldn’t just—"

"Shut up!"

Kawanishi’s protest was cut short by Yuri’s sharp command.

"Staying behind is a death sentence. If you want to go back and die, go ahead. Just don’t drag us down!"

Kawanishi glanced at Yuri, then at the other silent and hurried teammates around him. Lowering his head, he reluctantly fell silent.

When it came to life and death, a captain they’d only known for a few days didn’t seem to matter much.

"Abandoning your comrades and running away—don’t you think that’s a bit inappropriate?"

A voice suddenly cut through the tension. At some point, Kaneki had reappeared in front of them.

The Sand Ninjas immediately froze, their bodies tensing as if facing a deadly predator.

"Why must you chase us down?" Yuri asked, gripping his blade tightly. Though his expression was fierce, Kaneki could see the lack of resolve in his eyes.

Kaneki didn’t hesitate to explain his reasoning.

"Isn’t it obvious? I can’t risk you leaking information about our organization."

"If you go back to Sunagakure and bring the Kazekage to the Rain Village for revenge, what then?"

Kaneki tilted his head slightly, his expression utterly sincere.

But the more casual his demeanor, the more anxious Yuri became.

It meant Kaneki was confident he had the situation entirely under control.

Yuri steeled himself. "You have my word. We won’t reveal anything about your group when we return to Sunagakure."

The others remained silent, even Kawanishi, who had earlier wanted to save Moya.

Kaneki glanced around at the group, his tone turning curious. "Then how will you explain the disappearance of your captain and two teammates?"

Yuri broke into a cold sweat. He couldn’t think of a convincing explanation.

Even if they chose to stay silent, Sunagakure would surely investigate the loss of a Jonin.

"I’ve got it! It was Konoha’s shinobi!" Kawanishi suddenly blurted out.

"We fought against Konoha ninja in the Land of Rain! Based on our investigation, the previous squads that disappeared here were also Konoha’s doing!"

As Kawanishi continued, his eyes gleamed as though recounting a truth rather than fabricating a lie.

"Yes, it was Konoha! Konoha has taken control of the Rain Village and plans to use it to pressure the Lands of Wind and Earth!"

This explanation seemed to justify the recent changes in the Land of Rain.

After the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had developed ambiguous ties with the Rain Village. It wasn’t unreasonable to think they might be trying to expand their influence further.

Most importantly, this story shifted all blame away from Kaneki’s mysterious organization and onto Konoha.

Even Kaneki seemed intrigued by the young ninja’s resourcefulness, while the rest of the group was equally astonished.

The boy who had earlier wanted to save his captain had crafted an elaborate lie in mere moments.

Of course, the story still had its flaws, but with this framework, the details could be refined later.

For now, survival was all that mattered.

Kaneki’s gaze swept across the group. "Is this what you all believe as well?"

Under Kaneki’s scrutiny, everyone nodded fervently like chickens pecking at grain.

"In that case, I suppose it’s not impossible."

Relief washed over the group as Kaneki finally nodded.

"But," Kaneki continued, his tone darkening, "I still don’t trust your loyalty."

The group’s hope immediately plummeted.

It made sense. If Kaneki let them go so easily, what if they broke their promise upon returning to Sunagakure?

Even if Kaneki was strong, it wasn’t as though he could march into a village teeming with elite shinobi to take revenge—could he?

Surely not.

Seeing Kaneki’s hesitation, Yuri seized the moment to ask, "What must we do to earn your trust?"

Kaneki didn’t beat around the bush. "You must become one of us."

"One of you?"

Everyone’s hearts pounded with tension.

"Exactly."

With a gentle smile, Kaneki replied, "If you join the Jashin Cult and become followers of Lord Jashin, I’ll let you go."

"And what must we do to join the Jashin Cult?" Kawanishi asked cautiously.

"Simple."

Kaneki stepped forward, grabbing Kawanishi’s hand. Using his finger, he drew a triangular symbol enclosed in a circle with his blood on Kawanishi’s palm.

"That’s it."

(Chapter End)