76-80

*Chapter 76: The Evil God's Smile*

Yunobu Village, Ninja Hospital.

“Lord Kamimoto, after the rescue operation, the patient is no longer in critical condition, but…”

The medical ninja in charge of the operation hesitated, speaking in a halting manner.

Kamimoto frowned. As the leader of Yunobu Village and the supreme commander of this campaign, appointed by the daimyo and nobles of the Land of Rivers, he didn’t have time for ambiguity.

“Speak plainly. My time is limited.”

Hearing this, the renowned medical ninja dared not delay further. He quickly replied, “Yes, sir. While the patient’s life is no longer at risk, there seems to be an issue with his mental state.”

“Mental state?”

Kamimoto’s frown deepened. He vaguely remembered this injured chunin. Given the relatively small number of ninjas in Yunobu Village, as the leader, he knew most of them to some extent.

Although this chunin wasn’t a battle-hardened veteran, he had substantial experience on the battlefield. By all accounts, he shouldn’t be suffering from something akin to post-traumatic stress.

“I’ll go take a look.”

Kamimoto gently pushed open the door and saw the patient sitting upright on the hospital bed.

Hearing the door creak, the patient slowly opened his eyes and asked, “Is it Lord Kamimoto?”

“It’s me,” Kamimoto replied, walking up to the bed. For once, he forced a rare smile.

“Are you feeling better?”

Just as he began to exchange pleasantries and show concern for his subordinate, the patient interrupted him.

Grabbing Kamimoto’s hand tightly, the injured chunin looked at him with intense eyes and exclaimed excitedly, “It really is you, Lord Kamimoto! I’m so relieved to see you!”

Kamimoto tried to pull his hand free but found he couldn’t break the chunin’s grip. Awkwardly smiling, he asked, “Um… Linmoto, do you have any intelligence to report?”

Hearing this, Linmoto smiled strangely. “Actually, I wanted to ask Lord Kamimoto—would you like to play hide-and-seek?”

“Hide-and-seek?”

Kamimoto’s face was a mask of confusion.

Behind him, the medical ninja gave a bitter smile. “Ever since Linmoto regained consciousness, he’s been asking everyone to play hide-and-seek.”

“Yes, hide-and-seek!”

Suddenly, Linmoto released Kamimoto’s hand, raised both arms, and shouted, “If we don’t hide, that eye will find us!”

“Eye?”

Kamimoto’s confusion only deepened. Hide-and-seek? An eye? Had Linmoto truly lost his sanity?

As Kamimoto pondered this, Linmoto suddenly pulled the blanket over his head, trembling as he muttered, “We’re all going to die…”

Unable to bear it any longer, Kamimoto yanked the blanket off.

“What on earth are you talking about? Speak clearly!”

“AHHHH!”

Linmoto screamed, snatching the blanket back from Kamimoto and clutching it tightly. His voice was shrill as he cried out, “We’re going to die! If Lord Evil God finds us, we’ll all die!”

“Hide! I have to hide!”

Kamimoto exchanged a glance with the doctor and, without further interrogation, quietly closed the door as he left.

“That’s the situation. We can’t extract any useful information,” the doctor said with a sigh.

Kamimoto felt a twinge of disappointment. He had hoped to glean some intelligence to aid in planning their next battle.

But with nothing to show for it, he ordered the doctor to take good care of the patient and left the hospital with his guards.

Linmoto, watching Kamimoto leave through the window, muttered to himself, “Hiding is pointless. The Great Lord knows all, sees all. Even if we hide, we’ll still be killed.”

Seeming to reach some kind of conclusion, Linmoto threw off the blanket, opened the window, and climbed onto the ledge.

“Only by offering everything to Lord Evil God can we escape a doomed fate in hell.”

He shouted his final words: “Offer everything to Lord Evil God!”

Then, he leapt.

As Kamimoto exited the hospital, an unexplainable sense of dread washed over him. He turned sharply, just in time to see a body plummet from above.

Thud!  

Under the force of gravity, Linmoto’s body exploded on impact, resembling a smashed tomato.

Even though the corpse was reduced to pulp, a faintly visible, eerie smile remained on the mangled face, sending shivers down everyone’s spine.

Kamimoto’s stomach churned violently. Covering his mouth, he suppressed the wave of nausea and barked coldly, “Dispose of him immediately. This matter is not to be leaked—by anyone.”

“Yes, sir!”

The four guards, also suppressing their nausea, used ninjutsu to swiftly clean up the mess.

Kamimoto wasted no time, using the Body Flicker Technique to leave the scene.

Though he ordered all information regarding the cult of the Evil God to be sealed, fear within Yunobu Village and the capital only grew. Rumors spread, thickening the air with dread.

---

In the meeting room, Kamimoto slammed a crude, unpainted clay doll onto the table, his face livid.

“What is this?!” he demanded.

The doll lacked facial features—just a crude torso and limbs. Yet it had become the most sought-after item in the village, with many villagers claiming that praying to this “Evil God Statue” would bring blessings. They believed it would protect them, even if the monsters invaded.

What enraged Kamimoto further was the fact that even some ninjas and nobles had begun to worship the Evil God.

Some even proposed that if the entire village converted to the cult, the monsters might spare them.

Kamimoto’s anger reached its peak, but he felt powerless. He couldn’t slaughter all the villagers, could he?

Even if he did, what about the foolish nobles in the capital?

Frustrated, Kamimoto hurled the statue to the ground, shattering it into pieces. “Find whoever is spreading this nonsense and banish them from the village!”

This wasn’t the first time he had given such an order. With a dismissive wave, he sent everyone away, slumping alone into his chair.

Hours passed before a cleaning worker entered to sweep up the shattered pieces.

After leaving the meeting room, the worker carefully retrieved the fragments and painstakingly glued them back together.

Holding the reconstructed statue, the woman clasped her hands together in prayer.

Upon closer inspection, a crack ran across the face of the doll, creating an unsettling illusion.

It looked as though the Evil God was smiling.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 77 nothing

Chapter 78: Yunobu's Plea for Help

Far away in the Hidden Leaf Village, inside the Hokage’s office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, slowly put down a letter requesting aid. His brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing his troubled expression, an elderly woman sitting nearby gave him a puzzled look.

“Hiruzen, has something serious happened?”

Anyone who could sit in the Hokage’s office and address the Hokage by name was clearly someone of high status.

Besides her, two other elderly men were also present.

One wore glasses and had a beard that resembled the Third Hokage’s. The other had a grim expression, his eyes and one arm wrapped in heavy bandages.

These individuals formed the leadership of the Hidden Leaf Village: the current Hokage and the advisory council of elders.

Hearing the question from his old friend, Hiruzen handed them the letter and casually picked up his pipe, taking a deep puff.

“It’s a letter from Yunobu Village requesting our help. They hope the Leaf will send ninjas to assist them in eliminating some monsters.”

Although his tone was calm, the matter he spoke of was anything but simple.

Yunobu Village, known for its abundant tourism resources, had become quite wealthy. However, their fixation on peace had led them to neglect their ninja infrastructure. Economically strong but militarily weak, they had become vulnerable.

Even so, dispatching ninjas to another nation for a mission—especially a nation with its own ninja village—was a matter of diplomacy and couldn’t be taken lightly.

After reading the letter, the bandaged man in the corner scoffed. “Chosen ones? How ridiculous!”

The other two elders expressed similar disdain.

“They’re just monsters pretending to be gods,” one sneered.

Hiruzen refrained from sharing his thoughts immediately, waiting until they were done before speaking.

“Yunobu stated that if we can’t assist them, they might seek help from other nations.”

At this, the elders’ expressions shifted slightly.

“It seems Yunobu Village is desperate,” said Koharu Utatane, the elderly woman.

Indeed, for a village like Yunobu to make such a declaration to the Leaf, they must have been pushed to their limit. The implicit message was clear: if the Leaf refused to help, Yunobu would turn to others—perhaps the Land of Wind or even the Land of Water.

Given the Land of Water’s current isolationist policy, the Land of Wind was the more likely candidate.

If that happened, the Land of Rivers could fall under the influence of the Land of Wind, or worse, become its vassal state.

While small and weak, the Land of Rivers held significant strategic value.

Looking at the map, if the Land of Wind infiltrated it, they could launch troops into the Leaf’s territory in no time.

This was something the Leaf could not allow.

In other words…

“We must assist Yunobu Village,” came a raspy, chilling voice. The speaker was Danzo Shimura, the former Hokage’s assistant.

“Since they’ve sought our help, we can resolve the issue and, at the same time, support certain individuals within Yunobu’s leadership. Incidentally, I have a relative there…”

“Also, isn’t there a silver mine in the Land of Rivers? The Leaf’s budget has been tight lately…”

Danzo’s suggestions reeked of opportunism. Within moments, Yunobu Village had been mapped out as a pawn in his plans.

The other two elders frowned, hesitating. “Wouldn’t that damage the Leaf’s reputation?”

Danzo shot them a glance, his tone indifferent. “Their tourism industry is quite prosperous. Many people spend a lot there every year, don’t they?”

The two elders exchanged looks and wisely held their tongues.

Watching the three, Hiruzen felt an inexplicable headache coming on.

Danzo, noticing Hiruzen’s expression, added, “If you think it’s inconvenient to handle this yourself, I could have Root take care of it.”

“No!”

Hiruzen instinctively slammed his hand on the desk, his rejection firm.

If Yunobu Village was to be infiltrated, it had to be firmly under his control—not Danzo’s.

Danzo showed no surprise at the reaction. He knew his old friend well; despite bearing the village’s darkness for him, Hiruzen still kept him at arm’s length.

“Ahem.”

Realizing his outburst, Hiruzen coughed to regain composure.

“The Land of Rivers serves as a crucial buffer between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. Such territories must not fall into the hands of the Land of Wind. Therefore, the Leaf must assist Yunobu Village. As for personnel, I’ve already made my decision.”

Danzo frowned. The preamble was irrelevant; of course, they’d send help. What mattered was who.

“Let Kakashi from the Anbu handle it,” Hiruzen declared, glancing at Danzo.

“Kakashi, huh…”

Danzo narrowed his eyes but said no more.

Kakashi had a special significance to both Hiruzen and Danzo.

Once a member of Root, Kakashi had been ordered by Danzo to assassinate Hiruzen during the aftermath of the Fourth Hokage’s death. However, Kakashi had refused to carry out the order.

Hiruzen’s choice of Kakashi now served as a subtle reminder to Danzo.

After the elders left, Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, muttering, “Chosen ones, huh?”

Unlike his colleagues’ scorn for the group, Hiruzen felt a trace of unease.

The unique power they reportedly wielded intrigued him.

Because of this, he chose Kakashi for the mission.

Soon, a silver-haired man wearing a mask appeared before him.

“Hokage-sama, is there a new mission?”

“Yes, Kakashi. I need you to visit Yunobu Village. Here’s the mission scroll.”

Hiruzen handed over the freshly prepared scroll.

Taking it, Kakashi’s visible eye skimmed the contents, quickly absorbing the details.

“The Chosen Ones…”

Kakashi frowned, equally curious and puzzled by the extraordinary abilities described.

Hiruzen folded his hands, speaking gravely. “Your mission isn’t just to eliminate the monsters. You must also uncover their origin and investigate this cult thoroughly.”

“Understood. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

After saluting, Kakashi vanished.

Hiruzen glanced out the window. The streets of the village bustled with life as residents shopped, chatted, and went about their day, full of vitality.

After a long moment, he turned his attention back to the stack of paperwork awaiting him.

*Chapter 79: Flames of Fury Ignited *

The bright moonlight was abruptly obscured by heavy clouds, plunging the village of Yunobu Shinobi into utter darkness. A chilling atmosphere spread rapidly through the village.

On a distant hill, a figure in black silently emerged. His snow-white hair stood out starkly against the night.

Standing atop the hill occupied by a ghoul army, Mori gazed at the heavily fortified and solemn village below.

Even from this distance, he could feel the suffocating tension that gripped Yunobu Shinobi Village.

The time was near. Very soon, he would unleash his long-awaited revenge.

Mori looked up at the sky, his thoughts swirling as he stared at the thick clouds.

The scene of his parents sacrificing their lives for him resurfaced vividly in his mind.

Then came the vision of his village engulfed in flames, the merciless slaughter of villagers by shinobi, and the countless desperate escapes within the borders of the River Country.

Everything—all of it—would reach its conclusion tonight.

It would be either him or them.

At this moment, Mori’s body relaxed completely, his resolve crystallized.

Suddenly, a shadow descended—it was a raven.

"Mr. Crow?"

Mori turned to the bird, which nodded in acknowledgment.

He harbored mixed feelings about Mr. Crow.

During Yunobu Shinobi’s repeated hunts, the raven had saved him from the brink of death many times. It had guided his combat techniques and mastery over his kagune. Yet, the bird's close ties to that man prevented Mori from fully trusting it.

That man.  

Mori’s gaze darkened. Even thinking of the man's name made him tremble.

“So, it’s Mori-kun, kaah. Feeling uneasy about the impending battle, kaah?”

Mr. Crow casually perched on Mori’s shoulder, speaking nonchalantly.

Mori nodded slightly. “After all, I’m about to fulfill my revenge. Feeling a bit unsettled seems natural, doesn’t it?”

“That’s true, kaah,” the crow replied, scratching its head with a wing. “But isn’t this the outcome you’ve always desired? Regardless of success or failure, this is something Mori-kun must do, kaah.”

“Rest assured, kaah. Even if things go wrong, this raven will help you out.”

Mori glanced at the raven perched on his shoulder, his tone complex. “There’s something I’ve always been curious about.”

“Hm?” Mr. Crow tilted its head inquisitively. “Ask away, Mori-kun. It’s not like you’re guaranteed to survive the night, anyway.”

The mood Mori had been building froze. “Didn’t you just say you’d help me?”

Mr. Crow flashed an almost human-like smile and shrugged. “I’ll help you, sure. But that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to make it out alive. I’m just a raven, not omnipotent, kaah.”

“That’s fair.”

“But my question is: why are you helping me?”

Mori turned, locking eyes with the raven as if trying to discern its true intentions.

Mr. Crow chuckled. “I’m simply curious to see what choices you’ll make, Mori-kun.”

“Choices?”

Now it was Mori’s turn to look puzzled.

The crow nodded. “Exactly. I want to see where your future leads. If your revenge fails, well, there’s only one outcome: death.”

“And if I succeed?”

“What kind of future will you choose, then?”

Mori fell silent, lost in thought.

The future…  

He suddenly raised his hand, pointing toward the distant village.

“I… want to change this world.”

The gruesome deaths of his parents before Sakamoto.

The inferno ignited by Yunobu Shinobi.

The countless citizens who perished from starvation.

The nobles and merchants hoarding food, letting it rot rather than sharing it.

The shinobi villages, perched high above, wielding ultimate power.

All of it—the anger, the pain—consumed Mori entirely.

“I want those at the top to feel the wrath of the oppressed. I want this world to understand what true suffering is!”

His raised hand clenched into a fist, as if he could crush the village beneath his grasp.

Mr. Crow adjusted its glasses with a wing. “What an intriguing future, kaah.”

“May the Evil God protect us, that we may survive this night.”

“We offer everything to the Evil God, hoping for their protection.”

That night, countless prayers rose in whispers from the village. People knelt before faceless statues, pleading for the Evil God’s mercy to spare them as fellow believers.

Suffocating fear spread like wildfire. Terror took root in every heart.

In the face of death, equality reigned for once.

Everyone feared dying. Everyone faced the same dread.

Ironically, the more powerful someone was, the greater their fear of death became. And that fear often multiplied, spilling over onto others through their authority.

Thus, countless slaves were herded into underground chambers.

Amidst agonized cries, under the gaze of the Evil God, slaves died in droves. Their blood filled trenches carved into the symbol of the Evil God, glowing like a crimson eye.

That night, many high-ranking nobles cast aside their pride, groveling before faceless statues, begging for salvation.

“With so many sacrifices, the Evil God is sure to notice us. Perhaps we might even be granted roles as priests or bishops in the cult!”

Such thoughts served as their meager solace.

Among prayers, wails, and sighs, amidst the suffocating terror, the flames of war ignited.

---

*Chapter 80: The Battle Begins*

"Boom!"

A violent tremor instantly ignited all the fear, like a match in a gas-filled room, exploding with a deafening roar.

The grotesque demon-faced serpent tore through the ground with devastating force, appearing at the very center of Yonobu Village in an instant.

Mori stood cloaked in black, his silver-white hair flowing gently in the turbulent air.

Standing atop the serpent’s head with arms crossed, he gazed down at the decaying, foul-smelling village below.

"Feel it."

"The wrath of our fury."

A searing fireball erupted from the serpent’s mouth, striking the central building in the village directly.

The brilliant flames pierced the darkness of the night, and the ensuing explosion filled the air with terror, leaving many trembling in fear.

"Enemy attack!"

"Enemy attack!"

At Mori’s command, the ghoul army, which had been lying in wait outside, surged forward and launched a frenzied assault on the village’s outposts.

Chaos engulfed the entire village in an instant.

No one could have anticipated that Mori would dare to launch such a bold attack at night, infiltrating directly into the heart of the village.

This audacious move shook the morale of the frontline ninja forces.

After all, they had been fighting fiercely at the frontlines to protect their families and homes in the village.

Now that their homes were being attacked, what point was there in continuing to fight?

Under this growing sense of despair, the Yonobu ninja, despite their home advantage, found themselves being driven back by the ghouls’ relentless onslaught!

A variety of Kagune wreaked havoc on the battlefield, mercilessly claiming lives.

Meanwhile, the ninjas guarding the village scrambled to organize a counterattack after recovering from their initial shock.

Kamimoto stood on a rooftop, commanding the ninja forces to resist.

Faced with the colossal serpent, towering dozens of meters high, the Yonobu ninja were visibly shaken.

"Use explosive tags to take down that monster snake!"

At Kamimoto’s command, dozens of kunai flew toward the serpent, their explosive tags detonating in a blinding display of fire and light, briefly illuminating the sky.

Through the smoke, a sinister crimson glow emerged.

At the center of its skeletal mask, the serpent’s scarlet pupils radiated a terrifying aura of menace.

"Impossible! So many explosive tags, and it didn’t even sustain critical damage?"

The Yonobu ninja looked on in disbelief at the unscathed serpent before them.

Kamimoto’s face darkened as he barked, "Attack it from different directions! Find its weakness immediately!"

Before he could finish his sentence, the serpent, evidently agitated by the explosions, began to writhe.

Its razor-sharp exoskeleton effortlessly tore through the lingering smoke, and its menacing tail swept across the ground, demolishing houses like toy blocks.

With one sweep, it flattened over a dozen buildings.

Two ninjas were killed instantly, several more injured, and countless civilians suffered casualties.

The destruction didn’t end there. Two massive dark shadows charged into the group of ninjas.

"What is this monster?"

As the ninjas tried to retreat, the serpent’s massive wings abruptly folded, its scarlet gaze sweeping over them.

"Feel the pain."

Mori’s pupils contracted to a minuscule red point, blood-red veins spreading from it to the surrounding whites of his eyes, giving him the appearance of a ghoul.

Faced with this terrifying foe, one Yonobu ninja finally mustered his courage, brandishing his blade at Mori.

"Don’t be afraid! Protect the village—attack together!"

Before he could finish speaking, Mori appeared atop his blade, standing on its back as if it were solid ground.

"Such admirable courage."

The ninja immediately flipped his blade in an attempt to shake Mori off.

But Mori followed the motion, spinning gracefully and supporting himself with one hand on the ground. His Rinkaku Kagune flashed, and in an instant, the brave ninja was decapitated.

The force of the blow sent the head spinning multiple times before it landed heavily on the ground.

Mori’s gaze swept over the remaining ninjas. He politely asked, "Anyone else?"

Unsurprisingly, the ninjas weren’t fond of his politeness. Furious, they formed hand seals.

"Monster, die!"

"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"

A compressed jet of water shot toward Mori, only to be deflected effortlessly by his emerging Koukaku Kagune.

In the darkness, Mori’s crimson eyes glowed ominously. His speed was far beyond what the low- and mid-ranking ninjas could track. In an instant, he was among them.

"So fast!"

Before they could react, six Kagune tentacles erupted from Mori, tearing through the ninjas like a storm.

Retracting his blood-soaked Kagune, Mori coldly turned his attention to reinforcements, his movements mechanical, like a killing machine.

The black night was stained red with blood. These ninjas were no match for Mori.

Their weapons couldn’t pierce his Koukaku, while his Kagune easily tore through them.

This was nothing but a one-sided massacre.

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"

A commanding voice echoed as a massive surge of chakra transformed the ground beneath Mori into a muddy swamp.

Raising an eyebrow, Mori’s silver hair swayed slightly.

"The real fight begins now."

A raven cawed ominously in the sky, like the whisper of death.

The swamp ensnared Mori’s legs, and from the mire, a massive blade emerged, slashing toward his neck.

At the last moment, a spear-like Koukaku Kagune sprouted from Mori’s shoulder, intercepting the attack.

Four Rinkaku Kagune stabbed into the swamp, and with a powerful flap of his massive wings, Mori soared into the sky.

As the swamp figure dissolved into mud, Mori frowned.

"A clone, huh..."

The Yonobu counterattack was clearly well-planned.

No sooner had he escaped the swamp than several senbon needles imbued with Lightning Style chakra struck his Koukaku, unleashing a devastating surge of electricity.

"Damn it, I can’t move!"

Paralyzed, Mori struggled to command his body.

"Now’s our chance!"

A stocky figure emerged from a nearby wall, wielding a massive blade that severed Mori’s wings.

"Now you can’t fly, can you?"

The figure stood triumphantly atop the wall, looking down at the fallen Mori.

A tall, thin figure appeared beside him, likely the ninja who had unleashed the lightning attack earlier.

In mere moments, Mori found himself in grave danger again.

This is the essence of ninja combat.

(End of Chapter)