From the memories Shigeo had extracted from the medical-nin's mind, he was sure—Lord Shichidō indeed had no chakra. His mastery over the Orchid Sect came not from strength, but from money and cunning intellect.
Shigeo flung the old man's wrist aside and rose swiftly into the air. In his hand appeared a small, black bell.
The moment the Inkonrei (Soul-Summoning Bell) materialized, the pretense vanished from Shichidō's face. Grinding his teeth, he quickly forced a pitiful expression and cried out to the crowd,
"Everyone, look! He's the real deceiver—the fraud who used the Sea God's name to fool you! Don't you remember? During the ceremony, the shrine maiden held this same bell! Now it's in his hand! That proves he was the one disguised as her! Don't be fooled!"
At those words, the rescued women erupted in protest.
"Don't talk nonsense! We were captured by the Orchid Sect for a month—do you think we don't know what happened? It was Shigeo-dono who killed that witch and saved us! You're shameless!"
"That's right! We know who saved us!" added several of the brides who couldn't even fight.
Hearing that, Shichidō's eyes flicked about nervously. Then he forced a laugh.
"Ah, I see now! So it was a misunderstanding! Young man, come down here and explain everything clearly. On behalf of the citizens of Moon City, I must thank you! For years, the Sea God's curse has taken so many lives. You solved the mystery for us! Come down—I'll even report you to the Daimyō of the Land of Water for an official commendation!"
He waved up at Shigeo, feigning sincerity. The shinobi at his sides, however, watched coldly, murderous intent flickering in their eyes. They were ready to strike at any moment.
High above, Shigeo began to laugh. His laughter grew louder, echoing across the courtyard.
"Old man, it seems the Shinobi World's 'Best Actor Award' should go to you. Your performance almost fooled even me!"
Then his tone hardened.
"But you can deceive the living—not the dead."
He shook the Inkonrei once. A sharp ling-ling rang out beneath the black clouds.
Cold wind swept through the yard, scattering fallen leaves that swirled like spirits rising from the earth. Then, a dark mist began to seep up from the ground—one wisp after another.
"What are you doing?!"
Moments ago, Shichidō had felt confident, believing there was no proof against him. Now terror crept across his face.
He knew what this was.
Black vapor surged forth, twisting into the forms of female spirits—pale and shrieking—as they lunged toward him.
Because Shigeo was in Sennin Mode (Sage Mode) when using the Inkonrei, the ghosts became visible to everyone.
Those who understood were stunned silent. Those who didn't began whispering—until they heard the voices of the dead and realized the horrible truth.
"Give us back our lives! It's you—you who took our blood every year to make your elixirs! You said drinking a maiden's blood would grant immortality! You lied about the Sea God, the rituals—all of it! You murdered us! Return our lives!"
The wailing intensified. Ghost after ghost hurled itself upon Shichidō, their cries echoing like knives through the crowd.
The shinobi around him tried to intervene, but their jutsu passed uselessly through the spectral forms. Fire, earth, and water had no effect.
The only being capable of suppressing these spirits—the experimental shrine maiden—had already been slain by Shigeo.
"Get the bell! Seize the Soul-Summoning Bell!" Shichidō screamed in panic.
His shinobi turned and rushed at Shigeo, unleashing a barrage of ninjutsu that thundered through the air.
A Katon (Fire Release) wall erupted between them, cutting off their charge.
Shigeo frowned. He hadn't expected this—Shichidō's murders weren't for attracting the celestial Ōtsutsuki, but for crafting elixirs. That truth had not appeared in the dead shrine maiden's memories.
So she had been deceived too. Perhaps Shichidō had two goals: one, to refine elixirs for longevity; the other, to reach the heavens for divine power.
More shinobi lunged forward, their target the Inkonrei. Shigeo didn't even move—his clones intercepted them instantly.
Meanwhile, Shichidō tried to slip away—but the ghosts surrounded him, their hands reaching, their faces twisted with rage.
Visions of the underworld flooded his mind—blood, flames, darkness.
He saw everything the women had suffered: their pain, their screams as their blood was drawn, their desperate pleas for mercy.
He relived it all. Their agony seared into his soul. He could not escape.
In his head, the scenes overlapped: the women's deaths, the experiments, and himself swallowing the red pills made from their blood.
Blood seeped from his mouth, dripping into the carved grooves of the ritual sigil on the ground—more and more, until it formed a river of crimson.
"Ahhhh!" he shrieked, eyes bulging.
He spun, stumbling toward the crowd, but Shigeo appeared before him in a flash of Raiton (Lightning Release), blocking his path.
Shichidō clutched his head, screaming,
"Leave me alone! You're dead—stay dead! What's wrong with what I did?! I only wanted to live forever! Is that a sin?! Guards! Get these ghosts away from me! Where's the shrine maiden?! I can't sleep—I can't sleep anymore! It's all because of—"
Suddenly, he tore a bundle of scroll rubbings from his robe and threw them onto the ground.
"It's all because of these! They said if I followed their instructions, I'd gain eternal life! But instead I grew ill—sicker every day! They lied to me! The Orchid Sect once healed the sick and upheld justice, but now… now it's ruined!"
He looked around. Hundreds of women stared at him, their spectral faces full of wrath. His soul felt as though it had fallen into hell itself—cut, drained, burned.
The scenes repeated endlessly. It wasn't illusion—it was retribution from the vengeful spirits.
Once, as the Orchid Sect's leader, Shichidō had been a jōnin-level shinobi. But with age and neglect, his chakra had faded away. And in his desperation to reclaim vitality, he had turned to darkness.
(End of Chapter)
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