81-85

Chapter 81: Advance, Advance Again!

"These two are both jonin from the Hidden Hot Springs Village," Mr. Crow landed on Mori's shoulder, offering a timely reminder.

"Additionally, two other jonin are at the front lines. The Hot Springs leader and another jonin are dealing with the Demon Serpent. That guy named Kamimoto seems pretty capable. The serpent might only hold out for ten more minutes or so."

Mori's expression remained calm as he silently analyzed the information brought by Mr. Crow.

"Ten minutes? That's enough."

This battle's key strategy was clear: he must avoid being surrounded at all costs.

Using the distraction created by the ghoul main force and the Demon Serpent to tie down the four jonin, his immediate priority was to eliminate the two jonin before him.

"Quite confident, aren't you? But as jonin, we're not like those weaklings," the stocky jonin sneered, brandishing a massive blade.

The tall and slender jonin beside him kept his gaze locked on Mori, speaking with grave seriousness. "Kamimura, be cautious. This guy hasn't shown all of his power yet."

The stocky jonin, Kamimura, nodded. "I know. Otherwise, these creatures wouldn’t be called monsters."

"Monsters, huh?"

Mori lifted his head, his scarlet eyes glowing menacingly. From his severed arm, a massive, armor-like appendage began to grow—a kagune resembling an arm but lacking a hand. From the elbow down, it transformed into a thick, sharp, drill-like structure.

"Let me show you what a real monster looks like."

As his words fell, the severed wings on Mori's back began to surge with energy, unleashing a terrifying aura.

The feathered kagune on his back underwent a rapid transformation, blossoming into a pair of fiery red wings. The sight caused the two jonin to tense up immediately.

The flaming wings on Mori's back aimed at the two jonin, unleashing a barrage of diamond-shaped RC crystal shards like a machine gun raining bullets on its targets.

"Watch out!"

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

A heavy earthen wall sprang up just in time, blocking the incoming storm of crystals.

But Mori's assault was far from over. In a flash, he appeared before the earthen wall. With a single strike from his massive drill-shaped kagune, the wall shattered into pieces.

"Retreat!"

The two jonin simultaneously used the Body Flicker Technique to pull back. However, they underestimated Mori's explosive speed.

Amid the flying debris, he balanced himself using his fiery wings, darting between the scattered stones like a butterfly, effortlessly closing the distance to the slender jonin.

But as a seasoned jonin, the slender ninja remained composed despite the dire situation. Calmly, he infused Lightning Release chakra into a cluster of senbon needles in his fingers.

"Lightning Release: Violent Lightning Needles!"

Blinding lightning pierced the night, hurtling toward Mori at incredible speed.

Anticipating this, Mori used a thick, centipede-like tail kagune to intercept the attack.

The lightning needles struck the tail, sending electric sparks cascading along its length.

"Sorry to tell you, even if I can’t hit your main body, the electric current in the senbon will paralyze your entire system," the slender jonin declared, already preparing his next move. Using Lightning Release to stimulate his leg muscles, he surged forward at maximum speed, his blade crackling with lightning.

"This is the end!"

His lightning-wreathed blade slashed through the darkness in a perfect arc, but just as it seemed to land, Mori’s supposedly paralyzed tail kagune abruptly unfurled.

To the jonin's shock, Mori burst out from the tail's coiled shell, his body fully armored in hardened kagune. He had severed the tail himself before the lightning could affect him.

Scarlet eyes cold and unyielding, Mori, now resembling a living tank clad in crimson armor, charged forward. His unstoppable momentum carried him and his enemy straight through a nearby building.

*Boom!*

The impact created a web of cracks that radiated outward, reducing the structure to rubble in seconds.

"One down. Time: one minute, fourteen seconds," cawed the crow perched on a nearby rooftop, sounding like a grim announcer.

"Damn it," growled Kamimura, the stocky jonin. His face darkened as he realized there was no time to worry about his comrade’s fate.

"Earth Style: Mountain Splitter Technique!"

Two massive rocks erupted from the rubble on either side of Mori, closing in like a giant pair of crushing hands.

*Boom!*

As the rocks collided, they obliterated the rubble between them. A thick cloud of dust billowed outward from the impact.

"Is it over?" Kamimura gripped his massive blade tightly, staring at the settling dust. His earlier confidence had completely vanished.

"Seven minutes and forty-five seconds remain," the crow squawked ominously, its voice grating on Kamimura’s nerves. He clenched his jaw, thinking grimly about roasting the bird once the fight was over.

Unfortunately, that moment would never come.

Amid the settling dust, countless cracks spread across the colliding rocks.

*Crash!*

With an earth-shattering roar, the rocks crumbled into countless fragments, revealing a towering figure emerging from the smoke.

It was Mori.

This time, his appearance had completely changed. His entire body was encased in dark crimson armor, and six snake-like kagune swayed menacingly behind him. His height had ballooned to nearly four meters.

“Haah…”

As Mori exhaled, blood dripped from his mouth, staining his lips crimson. The horrifying sight made Kamimura’s heart pound.

Fueled by his enemies, Mori had absorbed a massive amount of energy. The consumed human flesh and chakra rapidly nourished his RC cells, allowing them to split and form new kagune.

Naturally, this process placed enormous strain on his body. But Mori didn’t care.

Kamimura’s worst fear was realized. From Mori’s severed arm, a new kagune limb had regrown, even sturdier than before.

"A monster... truly a monster," Kamimura whispered, his hand trembling as he gripped his blade.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him shattered as Mori lunged like a feral beast.

Kamimura’s pupils shrank in terror. Abandoning all thoughts of resistance, he used *Earth Style: Underground Submersion Technique* to flee beneath the surface.

Before he could escape, Mori’s lightning-fast kagune speared through the earth, impaling him where he stood.

*(End of Chapter)*

Chapter 82: Just a Cycle, Praise the Evil God

"Oh ho, bad news has arrived, Mori-kun."

Mr. Crow began to caw again, his voice tinged with a mocking tone.

"It seems that Oyamoto, that old geezer, is even more capable than I anticipated. The Demon Serpent is almost at its limit."

As he spoke, the massive Demon Serpent collapsed under the relentless assault of numerous ninjas and summoned beasts.

Its enormous body caused unimaginable destruction to the village; the mere act of falling obliterated more than a dozen buildings.

Watching the smoke rise rapidly from the chaos, Mori’s gaze remained calm and icy. After devouring another jōnin to stimulate RC cell division and create new kagune, a pair of fleshy wings sprouted from his back, and he launched himself fiercely toward the heart of the battlefield.

"Rooooar!"

At that moment, Oyamoto stood atop a massive blue elephant—his summoning beast, known as the Water Elephant.

The Water Elephant had played a crucial role in defeating the Evil-Faced Serpent earlier. If it hadn’t held the Demon Serpent at bay from the front, the damage to the village might have been twice as severe.

Yet despite this apparent victory, the leader of the Hot Spring Ninja Village, Oyamoto, showed no trace of joy on his face.

Having diverted too many forces to subdue the Demon Serpent and with morale unstable on the front lines, the ghoul army had broken through the village defenses and was now wreaking havoc inside.

And worse—

"Oyakawa and the others couldn’t seem to take care of that guy."

The village leader looked up at the dark clouds overhead. Suddenly, scarlet crystals rained down like a violent storm.

"Watch out!"

The Water Elephant reacted instantly, swinging its long trunk to release a water barrier that intercepted the incoming shards.

Seeing this, Mori beat his wings with force, plunging down like a meteor. His kagune-armored foot aimed mercilessly at Oyamoto.

Sensing imminent danger, Oyamoto immediately concentrated chakra and moisture into his right hand.

"Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique!"

The two forces collided with a deafening crash, and the immense pressure caused the ground beneath the elephant’s feet to sink several meters, resembling the aftermath of a small earthquake.

Mori’s kagune armor shattered on impact, but the fiery wings on his back reignited. Gaining a burst of speed, he executed a quick backflip and lunged forward again, his kagune-arm now resembling a massive drill.

Not to be outdone, Oyamoto channeled chakra into his ninjato (short sword) and slashed, sending Mori hurtling backward.

Something’s wrong!

Feeling the unnaturally light resistance transmitted through his blade, Oyamoto immediately sensed danger.

But by then, Mori had already used the recoil from their clash to slide down one side of the elephant’s head.

The Water Elephant twisted its massive head, attempting to strike a fatal blow, but Mori’s speed was far superior. In an instant, he repositioned himself with his wing-like kagune, appearing directly in front of its eye.

"Die."

Mori’s scaled kagune extended in a flash, piercing straight through the elephant’s eye and into its brain. Blood and some unknown fluid burst forth in a grotesque display.

As the Water Elephant let out its final cry, Oyamoto’s face contorted with fury. Seizing the brief moment of instability after Mori’s powerful strike, Oyamoto unleashed a crushing punch onto his kagune.

"Boom!"

The force sent Mori flying like a cannonball, smashing through two houses before coming to a gradual halt.

As the massive Water Elephant collapsed to the ground, the murderous intent radiating from Oyamoto grew almost tangible.

"I had hoped to negotiate with monsters like you, to see if there was any chance for reconciliation. But now... I can’t resist the urge to kill you all!"

Gripping his ninjato tightly, Oyamoto stepped toward Mori with unrelenting resolve.

Amid the rubble, Mori’s figure slowly rose.

The kagune armor covering his body had been completely shattered by Oyamoto’s full-strength blow. Even his internal organs had suffered severe injuries.

Despite this, Mori curled his lips into a polite smile.

"Just what I wanted."

The fiery wings behind him blazed once more, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared before Oyamoto. His kagune-arm aimed directly at the man’s head.

However, the strike was deflected by Oyamoto’s ninjato. Stepping to the side, Oyamoto quickly formed a single-handed seal and slapped Mori’s kagune.

"Water Release: Water Prison Technique!"

A torrent of water erupted from Oyamoto’s palm, forming a sphere that trapped Mori inside.

At the same time, six scaled kagune pierced through the water prison, squeezing it tightly like a massive hand.

"Boom!"

The water prison exploded, and crimson kagune rained down on Oyamoto like a storm.

Oyamoto’s chakra-coated ninjato clashed fiercely with Mori’s kagune, sparks flying with each strike.

The intense battle drained both their chakra and stamina.

Meanwhile, outside the duel, the situation had spiraled out of control.

The ghoul army had finally breached the last line of defense.

The Hot Spring ninjas abandoned resistance, fleeing toward the village in a chaotic stampede.

The ghouls hunted them down mercilessly, just as these ninjas had once hunted ordinary people.

Seizing a momentary distraction, Mori sacrificed one of his scaled kagune to entangle Oyamoto’s ninjato. Then, in a brutal final move, he lunged forward and sank his teeth into Oyamoto’s neck, severing it completely.

Even in his final moments, Oyamoto couldn’t believe he would die in such a way.

Gasping for air, Mori clutched his own throat as thick blood spilled uncontrollably from his mouth.

When Mori appeared on the rooftop holding Oyamoto’s severed head, despair engulfed the entire Hot Spring Ninja Village.

Lifting the head high, Mori let it drop casually to the battlefield below, where it lay like discarded meat.

"Everyone, we will bring pain to this world," he declared coldly.

"And this—"

"Is only the first step."

His voice, calm and unwavering, reached every ear and pierced every heart.

What followed was the ghouls’ revelry.

Slaughter erupted in every corner of the village.

The darkness magnified fear and desire.

The ghouls destroyed everything in their path, their wrathful annihilation meant to transform this filthy world.

Countless humans were killed and devoured. Once victims themselves, these ghouls had become the fist of vengeance pounding against the world.

When roles reverse, how many can resist their inner desires?

Mr. Crow watched the burning world before him, raising his wings in intoxicated reverence.

"The release of desire, the birth of fear, the cycle of hatred—endless and eternal."

"What a magnificent symphony!"

He reveled in it. The wailing, the explosions, the infernos, the death—all changed under his conducting baton.

It was as if the faithful were singing praises to their god.

"Ah, praise be to the Evil God."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 83: Kakashi

After the complete defeat of the ninja from the Land of Hot Springs, the fortress of the nobles was easily breached by the ghouls. A young noble boy was pinned to the wall, a grim trophy of their conquest.

Of course, he wasn’t the only noble executed or pinned to the wall that day.

What made this particular boy stand out was something extraordinary—his courage.

Even as he watched his parents and loved ones slaughtered and devoured by the monsters before him, he refused to grovel or submit. Pinned to the wall, he used his last remaining weapon—spit—to defy his captors.

“Well, well,” sneered Aya, a personal guard to Mori and a ghoul of considerable rank, “I didn’t think I’d find a noble with a spine among you lot. I assumed you were all spineless worms begging for mercy.”

Aya extended a hand, grabbing the blond boy’s face with a cruel grip. In his other hand, he took a pair of pliers from one of his underlings. Grinning with sadistic glee, he clamped the pliers onto one of the boy’s fingernails.

“Sorry, little lord,” Aya said mockingly. “We’re just here to give you a taste of the pain we’ve endured.”

The boy forced his eyes open, refusing to scream or beg. He mustered the strength to spit at Aya, but before he could, Aya yanked his first fingernail free with a brutal tug.

“AAAAHHH!”

The boy’s scream tore through the air as the pliers moved to the next nail. Aya, in contrast, was enjoying every moment.

“Ah, such music to my ears,” Aya chuckled, almost purring. “Do keep it up, little lord—I’m loving the performance.”

Aya dipped a cloth in saltwater and dabbed it over the boy’s bleeding fingers, drawing another guttural cry of pain. The boy, pale and sweating, clenched his teeth with such force it seemed they might shatter.

Summoning the last remnants of his strength, the boy growled like a cornered beast:

“You monsters... if you have any courage, kill me now.”

“Because one day... mark my words...”

“I’ll kill every last one of you.”

Even in his weakened state, the murderous intensity in his gaze sent a chill down Aya’s spine.

“Hah!”

“HAHAHA! AHAHAHAHA!”

Aya laughed uproariously, his mocking voice echoing off the walls.

“Monsters, huh? If you hate us so much, why don’t I let you experience what it’s like to be one?”

The boy’s defiance finally cracked, his eyes flickering with panic as Aya produced a knife. He sliced into the boy’s arm with a single stroke and shoved a ghoul organ—a *kagune sac*—into the open wound.

“AAAAHHHH!”

The sac’s writhing tendrils burrowed into the boy’s flesh, sending waves of agony through his body. The boy bit down hard, but the pain forced guttural cries from his throat as sweat dripped like rain from his brow. Slowly, the whites of his eyes began to stain crimson.

“Damn,” said a voice, startling Aya and his companions.

“Who’s there?” Aya barked, his eyes darting around.

A figure in a green flak jacket suddenly appeared before him, as if stepping out of the shadows. Without hesitation, Aya extended his *kagune*, two sharp tendrils slamming down on the intruder.

But it was a trick—a mere clone. The tendrils passed through harmlessly, dispersing the illusion in a puff of smoke.

The real threat was already behind him.

With a burst of electricity, a kunai crackling with Lightning Release chakra pierced Aya’s throat in a swift and deadly strike.

“Leaf-Style Kenjutsu: Dance of the Crescent Moon.”

Three afterimages blurred across the battlefield, and in the next instant, every ghoul in the area fell, cleaved apart by a dazzling arc of light.

The battle was over in mere moments. The demons who had terrorized the fortress were dispatched as though they were nothing.

“Captain, what should we do with this kid?”

The speaker, Hayate Gekkō, wore a standard green flak jacket with a black headscarf tied under his Leaf forehead protector. He was part of the Leaf Village’s reinforcements sent to aid the Land of Hot Springs.

And the captain he referred to was none other than Kakashi Hatake.

With half his face covered by a mask and one eye obscured by his tilted forehead protector, Kakashi’s mysterious aura was unmistakable. The silver-haired ninja glanced at the blond boy with his one visible eye.

“Leave him,” Kakashi said coolly. “He’s a noble’s son, after all.”

He used his kunai to sever the nails pinning the boy to the wall and added, “Kid, stay here. Someone will come for you.”

With that, Kakashi disappeared in a blur, heading for the heart of the village.

The other Leaf ninjas followed his lead, moving swiftly toward their target. This mission involved three squads led by Kakashi and two other Jonin. Their objective: eliminate the ghouls and protect the daimyo of the Land of Rivers.

As long as the daimyo survived, the Fire Nation could use him to maintain political leverage over the region.

Kakashi didn’t concern himself with such politics, preferring to focus on completing the mission. For once, he was operating openly as a Leaf ninja rather than as a member of the ANBU Black Ops.

On the highest remaining building in the ruined village, Mori stood watching. Or rather, he was warned by his companion—*Crow-Sensei*.

“Caw, caw! Mori-kun, the Leaf reinforcements have arrived!”

“They picked an interesting time to show up,” Crow-Sensei sneered. “Looks like Leaf is using you as their scapegoat. Caw!”

Mori sighed lightly, his snow-white hair fluttering in the blood-scented breeze.

“Are you Mori?”

The Leaf ninjas wasted no time, crossing half the village in minutes to confront him.

Mori turned his gaze to the Leaf forehead protectors they wore.

“You must be Leaf ninjas.”

Kakashi nodded curtly. “We’ve been sent by the daimyo of the Land of Rivers to assist the Land of Hot Springs.”

Kakashi’s cold gaze swept over the flaming ruins of the village before fixing on Mori. “Given the circumstances, we’ll have to ask you to come with us.”

Mori stared at them silently, then burst into a manic laugh.

“Go with you?”

“Where were you when Sakamoto Trading Company slaughtered my parents?”

“Where were you when the ninja of Hot Springs burned our village to the ground?”

“Where were you when we were hunted like animals, our lives hanging by a thread?”

“And now you want me to go with you?”

“What a joke.”

Chapter 84: Utter Madness

"You have been sitting high above for too long, so long that you take it for granted that everyone must live according to your rules."

"Only to be harvested, enslaved, and turned into mere playthings within your system."

Through the gaps between his fingers, Shiraishi Mori's crimson eyes glowed with a terrifying intensity. His expression twisted, and he let out a hysterical roar:

"In that case, let me shatter the rules of this world completely!"

A terrifying aura of destruction erupted uncontrollably from Shiraishi Mori. Even Kakashi couldn't help but tremble, his face turning grave with tension.

Without hesitation, Kakashi raised his forehead protector, revealing an eye marked by a vertical scar. His red Sharingan snapped open, with three black tomoe spinning gently within it.

"The captain activated his Sharingan right away?"

Kakashi's action immediately sounded an alarm for the rest of his squad. As one of Konoha’s geniuses, his strength was undeniable, and the Sharingan—gifted to him by a dear friend—was one of his trump cards.

Kakashi would never activate it unless he faced an enemy powerful enough to warrant it.

Now, activating it immediately could only mean one thing—the enemy before them was incredibly strong.

Shiraishi Mori no longer restrained the violent and chaotic growth of the kagune within him. When the Konoha shinobi appeared and spoke with such cold arrogance, the fury he had suppressed for so long could no longer be contained.

For the first time in his life, he saw his future with absolute clarity.

Even if he died, even if he became a monster, even if he completely fell into the abyss as a disciple of the evil god—none of it mattered.

There was only one thing he needed to do:

By any means necessary, no matter how cruel—he would destroy this world.

More precisely, he would destroy its order.

The highest concentration RC cell host in all of Simu’s experiments had finally gone completely berserk.

All the kagune that had previously withered on his body now burst back to life, his entire surface boiling with violent energy.

In an instant, the kagune began greedily absorbing his vitality, rapidly growing out of control.

"Stop him!"

Kakashi reacted instantly, releasing a surge of crackling lightning from his hand.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Running Fang!"

A brilliant blue wolf of pure lightning took form in the air, snarling as it lunged toward its target.

But before it could reach him, a crimson flash tore through the air—an armored kagune lashed out and effortlessly shredded the lightning beast apart.

The other Konoha shinobi reacted swiftly, hurling ninja tools at Shiraishi Mori without hesitation.

But his transformation was accelerating far beyond their expectations.

Countless layers of armored kagune enveloped him, his body rapidly expanding. His lower half twisted and reshaped itself into a massive centipede-like form.

Before the stunned gazes of the shinobi, he shot into the sky.

"What the hell is that monster?"

The Konoha shinobi instinctively widened their distance, but their combat experience as warriors from a great ninja village allowed them to maintain formation without panicking.

Still, the sight before them was enough to shake even the most hardened fighters.

Because he was enormous.

"He was just a kid a moment ago, and now he’s grown to be over thirty meters tall? That’s insane!" Uzuki Yugao said, struggling to comprehend what she was witnessing.

Her boyfriend, Gekkou Hayate, wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.

"Stay sharp. No matter what, we have to take this thing down."

Even Kakashi, a prodigy, felt an unusual tension creeping in. He locked onto the enemy with his Sharingan, not daring to look away.

At this moment, Shiraishi Mori had completely plunged into darkness.

His entire body was covered in an exoskeletal carapace, his arms transformed into razor-sharp kagune blades. A dark red mask obscured his face, revealing only a single glowing, crimson eye.

Behind him, two enormous flesh wings unfurled, their centers lined with countless writhing, armored tentacles.

"Feel the pain."

A suffocating aura of murderous intent engulfed the entire village.

Through his Sharingan, Kakashi foresaw the attack before it happened.

"Scatter! He's attacking!"

The moment his warning rang out, a storm of razor-sharp kagune rained down from the sky like a violent tempest.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Thunderous explosions echoed one after another, as if the heavens themselves were roaring in fury.

Each strike of the monstrous appendages reduced entire buildings to rubble with terrifying ease.

"Destroy it all!"

"Destroy it all!"

"Why should we be the ones to die?"

"Sakamoto, Yuunin, Konoha—even the entire world—just perish!"

At that moment, Shiraishi Mori’s soul completely embraced the darkness in exchange for ultimate power.

With countless writhing tendrils and a colossal, centipede-like body that rivaled a dragon’s, he rampaged through the village without restraint.

Forget Konoha’s shinobi and its civilians—even other ghouls caught in his path were crushed without hesitation.

He had succumbed entirely to madness, surrendering himself to instinct—an instinct of slaughter.

In an underground shelter, a mother clutched her child tightly, praying desperately to the small statue in her hands.

Amid the ruins, a ghoul whose body had been shattered by debris let out a piercing scream.

Within a bloodstained castle, the last surviving nobles gazed upon the grotesque murals and began to chant in reverence.

*Death and fear spread wildly throughout the village.*

"Hold this guy off and create an opening for me!"  

While dodging flying debris and scales, Kakashi issued orders to his teammates.

"Understood!"  

"Earth Style: Seismic Core!"  

A Konoha Jonin quickly formed hand seals, channeling a massive amount of chakra into the ground.

The land beneath the rampaging Mori suddenly collapsed, forming a massive square pit that trapped its enormous body.

Immediately, another Konoha Jonin followed up with an attack.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"  

A torrential surge of water crashed down, generating immense pressure that submerged most of Mori’s body in a pool.

Kakashi instantly appeared beside the water.

"Lightning Style: Spider Web!"  

Countless currents of electricity surged from his palm, spreading across the water’s surface like a spiderweb and enveloping Mori.

The terrifying electric shock paralyzed Mori temporarily.

Hayate Gekkō swiftly appeared beside Kakashi, hurling a shuriken before immediately forming hand seals.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"  

The single shuriken multiplied midair into hundreds, raining down on Mori like a storm.

Unfortunately, ordinary shuriken were useless against the armored scales. Mori merely endured the paralysis, raising its arm to shield itself.

But this was exactly what Kakashi wanted.

His Sharingan locked onto the scene. The moment Mori raised its arm, the Kakashi who had been casting Lightning Style jutsu instantly vanished in a puff of smoke.

Another figure burst from beneath the water—Kakashi's real body!

This was his finishing move.

"Chidori!"  

An even more intense surge of lightning erupted from Kakashi’s hand. With the precise guidance of his Sharingan, Mori had no time to react before the searing lightning blade sliced through its neck in an instant!

---

Chapter 85: Blood Sacrifice to the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull Throne! 

Mori's head spun as it fell into the pool of water. 

Upon witnessing this scene, Uzuki Yugao couldn't help but pump her fist in admiration. "As expected of Captain Kakashi! He pinpointed the enemy's weakness with just one trial and delivered a lethal strike!" 

Indeed, both the combination of the Earth Core Tremor and Great Waterfall Technique, as well as Moonlight Hayate's use of Shadow Shuriken Jutsu, were merely designed to identify Mori's vulnerabilities. 

Once his weakness was exposed, Kakashi could seize the opportunity to execute his ultimate technique, Chidori, to end the fight in one decisive blow. 

This was Kakashi’s signature move. By channeling Lightning Style chakra to stimulate his body, he achieved an almost untraceable speed. At the peak of this momentum, he condensed high-penetration Lightning Style chakra in his palm, forming a blade-like force capable of piercing through the toughest defenses. 

His Sharingan's terrifying dynamic vision further amplified his abilities, allowing Kakashi to lock onto his target with precision and adapt his movements based on the opponent's reactions. 

It was through the synergy of these factors that Kakashi executed what appeared to be a light and effortless finishing move. 

Blood spread across the pool, coloring the water a deep red. 

Although the enemy was defeated, Kakashi’s unease did not subside. 

In fact, after delivering the killing blow, his anxiety only grew stronger, almost suffocating him. 

What went wrong? 

Kakashi's Sharingan spun rapidly, scanning the battlefield for any overlooked detail. 

Suddenly, a shadow coalesced from Mori’s corpse—a raven. 

The raven perched on Mori’s severed head and wore an eerie smile. 

“So, Mori-kun, it seems you've made your decision,” it spoke. 

The moment Kakashi saw the raven, his pupils shrank sharply. His instincts screamed that the source of his unease was this very bird. 

Without hesitation, Kakashi hurled his kunai, infused with Lightning Style chakra. A bright arc of electricity cut through the air and struck its target with pinpoint accuracy. 

The pitch-black raven shattered into countless black feathers, leaving only a crimson eye that fell straight down, landing on Mori’s lone eye socket. 

Ding. 

The sound was like a droplet falling from a stalactite into water, rippling outward in crimson waves. 

“Lord Evil God, please save us!”  

A voice echoed, followed by a series of visions flashing through Kakashi's mind. 

A middle-aged woman clutched her child, wailing in a sea of flames. The faceless idol in the crying child’s arms suddenly curved its mouth into a sinister smile. 

“Lord Evil God, I’ll offer you a hundred boys and girls—no, a thousand pairs! Just let me live!”  

The scene shifted. A portly noble waved his hand, and hundreds of children were slaughtered in a cellar, their blood flowing like rivers. 

“If I can kill all these damned nobles, I’d gladly give my soul to the Evil God!”  

The desperate wish of a condemned slave, moments before execution.  

“Damn Shangyuan! How dare they oppose Lord Evil God! I’ll give everything to Him!”  

These were the words of a ninja from Yugakure, uttered before a battle. Rather than fight monsters to the death, he had chosen to become a devout follower of the Evil God.  

“So annoying. I have to travel all the way to protect those stupid nobles for some small-time village?”  

This familiar voice... It sounded like Moonlight Hayate. 

Kakashi’s pupils dilated further. 

“Damn it! I’d rather be on a date with Hayate-kun than deal with these nobles!”  

This was Uzuki Yugao's voice. 

Other complaints from Konoha ninja echoed in Kakashi's mind as well. 

He couldn’t believe it. Turning around, he saw his comrades also trapped in this horrifying confusion. 

Then, Kakashi heard his own voice. 

“My father is not a traitor! He’s not—he’s NOT!”  

“I’ll kill them. I’ll kill everyone who slandered my father!”  

“I’ll personally bury those damned higher-ups!”  

The vision shifted. A younger version of Kakashi, gripping the White Fang’s short blade, stood before his father’s corpse, uttering these chilling words with icy determination. Kakashi turned pale, his entire body trembling. 

“This... isn’t right...”  

The scene changed again. Kakashi saw Obito crushed under the boulders, entrusting Rin to him.  

“Rin... I leave her to you.”  

Then, the image of Kakashi piercing Rin’s chest with Chidori flashed before him. The thumping of her heart, the warmth of her blood splattering on his face, and Rin’s smile in her final moments... 

“Kakashi... I never thought you’d do this.” 

Countless scenes and voices swirled in everyone's minds. 

Mori's massive corpse emitted a torrent of blood. As his eyes reopened, the blood formed into a circle, and soon a triangle emerged within it. 

The Evil God Cult. 

Mori’s severed head slowly ascended into the sky, encircled by countless ravens flapping their wings. 

At some point, the dark clouds in the sky had dispersed, revealing a crimson moon behind the raven swarm. 

The Raven Apostle spread his wings, standing before the blood moon like a devout believer. He cried out in a fervent voice: 

“Oh Great Lord, we follow Your guidance. We abandon our mortal flesh so that our souls may ascend to Your divine kingdom!”  

“Lord! Your divine light will cleanse our sinful blood, purify our grotesque souls, and dispel our fears and suffering.”  

“We offer You blood and skulls to forge Your throne.”  

A sacred hymn-like chant resonated in everyone’s minds. Those in despair stepped out of their shelters and onto the ruined streets. 

They looked up at the crimson moon, as if it were not a celestial body, but their Lord gazing upon them with tender eyes. 

They raised their hands together, praising the Lord's brilliance and pleading to be delivered from this cruel world into the peace of His divine kingdom. 

“Damn it, is this genjutsu?”  

Kakashi clutched his eye, blood streaming from his Sharingan. His head throbbed as if it would burst. 

But he couldn’t rest. Everyone, including Konoha’s ninja, had already picked up any weapons they could find and aimed them at their own necks. 

“Stop it! Stop this, all of you!”  

Kakashi punched Moonlight Hayate, breaking him free of the illusion. 

Fortunately, the others were not deeply ensnared in the genjutsu, and they were awakened quickly. 

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hayate joined Kakashi in rousing the remaining comrades. 

Suddenly, a voice boomed from the sky:  

“Blood sacrifice to the Blood God, skulls for the Skull Throne!”  

The chant was echoed by countless others. 

“Blood sacrifice to the Blood God, skulls for the Skull Throne!”  

“Blood sacrifice to the Blood God, skulls for the Skull Throne!”  

Children, women, merchants, commoners, beggars, nobles— 

In the presence of their Lord, all were equal. 

With dreams of a fearless, painless divine kingdom, they raised their weapons without hesitation, wearing serene smiles as they severed their own heads and offered them to their Lord’s embrace. 

“Praise be to my Lord!”  

(End of Chapter)