With Pakkun's keen sense of smell leading the way, Minato and Kiyosuke quickly found Kakashi.
"Minato-sensei."
Kakashi nodded when he saw them. He crouched atop a tree, peering through the gaps in the leaves at the scene below.
Obito and the other three were tied to wooden stakes, all unconscious. And they weren't the only ones—there was a whole group of children trapped alongside them. Surrounding them stood several robed figures in black cloaks, chanting strange incantations under their breath.
At their feet was a massive circular pattern drawn in blood, with a triangle inscribed in the center of the formation.
Minato studied the scene below with a frown.
"Is this that so-called 'Cult of Jashin' that's been popping up around the Land of Hot Water lately?"
The Cult of Jashin—it was just that: a cult. No one knew exactly what they believed in, but everyone agreed it was no good. Lately, the cult had been spreading in pockets throughout the Land of Hot Water, and there were rumors that the recent child disappearances were tied to them.
"Cult of Jashin?" Kiyosuke recalled something. In the future, Asuma would be killed by a man named Hidan, a devout follower of this cult. That guy's powers were downright bizarre—he possessed immortality. If he got hold of his opponent's blood and stood inside a ritual circle, any injury he inflicted on himself would be mirrored on his enemy. Smash his own heart, and his enemy's heart would shatter too. The only difference was, thanks to his immortality, he wouldn't die.
This was the ultimate one-for-one trade.
"How did the four of them get captured?" Minato asked.
"I'm not sure. I saw Asuma being dragged into an alley when I was walking around town. Their leader is incredibly skilled at taijutsu—I couldn't land a hit, and I barely had a chance to use ninjutsu," Kakashi explained.
"I'll take care of their leader," Minato said, pulling out his custom kunai. "Kakashi, you and Kiyosuke focus on getting Obito and the others out."
Suddenly, they heard the cult leader shout from below, his face twisted in religious fervor.
"Brothers and sisters! Today, we are gathered here by the will of Lord Jashin! These fresh lives—these pure, innocent children—will be the perfect offerings to our divine master!"
He spread his arms wide.
"Let us begin! Let us bask in the glory of this sacred ritual. But first, we must uphold the teachings of our faith! Come! Let Lord Jashin witness our devotion!"
With that, he produced a black short spear from who-knows-where and drove it straight through the chest of the man beside him.
Shockingly, the victim didn't even flinch. Blood gushed from his shattered heart, yet he continued to smile maniacally, eyes gleaming with zeal.
"All for Lord Jashin!!!" he screamed.
That seemed to be the signal. All around, the cultists turned on one another—punching, biting, stabbing with blades—doing everything they could to end each other's lives.
Even the cult leader joined in, using his sharp taijutsu skills to take down one frenzied believer after another.
The three observing from above were stunned.
"Are they… killing each other?" Kiyosuke muttered.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Looks like they're trying to decide the 'winner' among themselves. Probably the last one standing will be the one to carry out the ritual on Asuma and the others. We should wait for now, Minato-sensei."
Minato nodded. This strange ritualistic suicide seemed to be tied to their doctrine—something like "kill your comrades" or "eliminate those closest to you." These zealots were so devoted that even killing their fellow cultists didn't shake their faith. If anything, it was probably meant to please their so-called god.
Whether or not this "Jashin" actually existed was unclear, but one thing was certain: this cult was utterly deranged.
Kiyosuke narrowed his eyes. As far as he knew, Hidan was the only member of the cult who truly possessed immortality. That meant these people were likely trying to gain such power through sacrifice—perhaps hoping to earn the favor of their god.
But whatever the case—this cult hurt people.
Cherish life. Stay away from cults.
The scene below turned increasingly gruesome. Even Kakashi and Kiyosuke, both seasoned shinobi, watched in silence beside Minato.
Still, the cult leader was no amateur. His taijutsu was clean and deadly. He had taken down many without a drop of blood on him. No wonder Kakashi couldn't beat him earlier.
"Looks like Lord Jashin has blessed me again! But if I want true immortality, I need more... more... MORE sacrifices!"
He stretched out his tongue and licked the blood off his spear tip, face twisting into a crazed grin.
"Lord Jashin will love this part the most!"
Minato had seen enough. He hurled his kunai down toward the leader.
The man deflected it with his spear. But as the kunai flew through the air, Minato's figure instantly appeared beside it, snatching it mid-flight and launching it again.
The cult leader tried to dodge—but too late. Minato appeared right next to him and slashed the kunai toward his throat.
The cultist reacted quickly, parrying the strike with his spear. Then, catching sight of the Konoha forehead protector on Minato's brow, he sneered.
"So that's it. A Konoha jonin come to save your little brats. A little late, don't you think?"
He showed no fear. Instead, he took a step back and lunged forward, spear aimed at Minato with rapid, precise thrusts. Their weapons clashed in a fast-paced, evenly matched taijutsu duel.
Meanwhile, Kakashi and Kiyosuke rushed forward and sliced the ropes binding the four captives. They quickly moved them to safety, then returned to extract the other children.
"You bastards! Those were Lord Jashin's sacrifices!" the cult leader roared.
Minato's hand began to glow with chakra, forming a swirling sphere.
"Rasengan!"
In the world of shinobi, there's nothing one Rasengan can't fix. If there is, use two. And if that still doesn't work—just make a bigger one.
As the jutsu's inventor, Minato wielded it effortlessly, driving it into the cult leader's gut.
The man was sent flying, crumpling to the ground with a groan.
"Your taijutsu was impressive," Minato said calmly. "On par with a Konoha jonin."
Kiyosuke walked over, a twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"So that's what this was—you just wanted to test his strength."
With Minato's speed, taking the guy down wasn't difficult. He just wanted to see what the cult leader was capable of.
"How are they?" Minato asked.
"No injuries. Looks like they were just knocked out while walking around town," Kiyosuke replied.
He raised his palm, and flames sprang to life. Under Minato's surprised gaze, he began burning the corpses to ash.
"That's…"
"A long-dormant kekkei genkai from my clan. It awakened in my generation by chance," Kiyosuke explained casually as he reduced the bodies to dust.
The air filled with the acrid stench of scorched flesh. Minato used an Earth Style jutsu to bury the remains on the spot, then created shadow clones to help escort the kidnapped children home.
As for Asuma, Obito, and the others, Kakashi and Kiyosuke hoisted two each and carried them back to the village.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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