Ci's sharp shout did not cause the leader of the Evil God Cult to hesitate in the slightest. He opened his indifferent eyes and spoke.
The spear in his hand stabbed straight towards Yuko.
Seeing this, Uchiha Ci no longer cared about hiding his ninja identity. He mobilized his chakra and swiftly stepped in front of the little girl.
In desperation, he had no choice but to stretch out a hand and firmly grasp the thrusting black spear.
The sharp spearhead sliced open his palm. Blood flowed from between Uchiha Ci's bandaged fingers and dripped onto the ground.
Uchiha Ci looked at his bleeding palm and frowned slightly.
It was not a good thing to have his blood taken by a member of the Evil God Cult.
"I said, stop!"
He raised his head slightly, a pair of Sharingan eyes coldly staring at the evil cult leader before him.
"Sharingan? Uchiha?" The evil cult leader narrowed his eyes, stopped his actions, and his gaze flickered slightly.
Why is an Uchiha, who should be in Hell Valley watching over those Blood Pond barbarians, running around in the territory of our Evil God Cult?
What does he want?
"Ci! What are you doing?"
Hidan, who saw this scene, immediately ran out and stood between Uchiha Ci and the Evil God Cult leader, explaining to the leader:
"Sir, this person is my friend, and he is also determined to join our cult."
The Evil God Cult leader looked at Uchiha Ci with cold eyes, as if waiting for his explanation.
Seeing the situation ease slightly, Uchiha Ci's eyes shifted, and he immediately said,
"Hidan is right. Let her go. Let me be the sacrifice!"
These words shocked everyone present, and they all looked at Uchiha Ci in surprise.
This kid actually wants to sacrifice himself? Just to save a little girl he doesn't even know?
Among the crowd at that moment,
A hooded girl calmly observed the situation on the field. Her entire body was wrapped in the shadow of her black hooded robe, with only a few strands of brown-red hair falling by her ears.
Just moments before, when the cult leader stabbed at the little girl,
She had already prepared to rescue her.
But after seeing Uchiha Ci step forward, she slowly retracted the hand seal she had formed.
Now, she looked at Uchiha Ci with a puzzled expression.
How can there be such a foolish person? Willing to sacrifice himself for others?
"Wait, Ci, what are you talking about?"
"Didn't we agree we would walk the path of the cross together? Why are you trying to take the first step?!"
Hearing Uchiha Ci's words, Hidan was the first to lose his composure. He looked at Uchiha Ci in shock.
With an expression that screamed, 'I knew it!',
At this moment, Hidan looked like an unemployed drifter lining up behind Uchiha Ci for a job interview, terrified the one in front would snatch the offer from the interviewer.
He was wailing deep inside.
This guy really wants to steal Lord Evil God's favor from me!
"You... you want to be a sacrifice?"
Hearing this, the Evil God Cult leader couldn't help but be stunned. He took three steps back, slowly pulled out his spear, and looked Uchiha Ci up and down, scrutinizing him.
His eyes repeatedly fell on Uchiha Ci's scarlet Sharingan, and he couldn't help but gasp.
An Uchiha comes to the Evil God Cult, clamoring to be a sacrifice?
The cult leader had the illusion he was dreaming.
"That's right." Uchiha Ci strode forward and declared confidently,
"I want to be the sacrifice!"
"Sir, please take me to the headquarters of the Evil God Cult!"
However,
Upon hearing this, the cult leader was not happy. After a moment of astonishment, his features immediately twisted into a complex, ugly knot.
He looked at the kid in front of him, his face twitching as if he'd ordered jackfruit online and received durian shells instead—disgusting and stinging!
If the Uchiha clan finds out our cult strung up an Uchiha child on the altar as a sacrifice...
We wouldn't have to wait until tomorrow.
That very night,
The Uchiha garrison from Hell Valley could cross half the Land of Hot Water and be upon us.
They'd skin me and use my hide as a scarecrow!
The cult leader thought for a long time, his face growing increasingly grim.
Finally, under the public gaze, and no matter how reluctant he felt inside,
Out of professionalism, he had no choice but to ask dryly:
"Are you a ninja?"
"Yes." Uchiha Ci nodded.
"Then it's settled; we don't accept ninjas." The Evil God Cult leader immediately seized the opportunity and said.
"What did you say?" Uchiha Ci's eyes widened, and he turned to look at Hidan.
His eyes seemed to ask, 'Little brother, what's going on?'
Why did you invite me to join the Evil God Cult for some fun, but now this guy says the party's full?
You looking down on me?
Hidan was also stunned. He couldn't help but stand beside the cult leader and remind him:
"Sir, I remember we are recruiting ninjas. Didn't you ask me to capture one last time?"
The cult leader looked at Hidan causing trouble, and the smile on his face froze solid.
I specifically told you to capture ninjas.
But did you have to bring back an Uchiha?!
Didn't you know that on the list of the top ten worst things to mess with in the Land of Hot Water, the Uchiha are number two?
"Oh, perhaps I remembered wrong, huh." The Evil God Cult leader suddenly started sweating profusely.
But if he really handed over this Uchiha kid as a sacrifice, he couldn't bear that responsibility.
His eyes suddenly turned cold, and he subtly winked at the two subordinates standing behind him.
Immediately, he looked at Uchiha Ci with a sullen face and asked coldly,
"Then, do you know what the purpose of our Evil God Cult is?"
Uchiha Ci was stunned for a moment, thinking, Has the job market gotten this tough?
I just want to be a silent sacrifice waiting to be stabbed.
Do I need to sign up for a class and study "Five Years of Scripture, Three Years of Faith"?
"Ah, wait, I have an impression." Uchiha Ci's face tightened. He secretly pulled out the booklet Hidan had given him and nervously flipped through a couple of pages.
Trying to turn the interview into an open-book exam.
However, at that very moment—
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two black spears suddenly shot towards Uchiha Ci from both sides.
The Evil God Cult leader gritted his teeth, decided to tear off the polite facade, released the black spear held by Uchiha Ci, waved his palms, and pulled out two more black spears from his robe.
He looked coldly at Uchiha Ci and shouted sharply:
"Hmph! You don't even understand the most basic purpose. Are you worthy of listening to the gospel of Lord Evil God?"
"My evil cult does not accept illiterates!"
The two black spears twisted through the wind. The sudden sneak attack instantly made the hair on Uchiha Ci's neck stand on end.
A huge sense of crisis instantly filled his heart.
Uchiha Ci immediately realized these three minions of the evil cult were actually masters!
The next moment,
Two lines of text immediately refreshed before his eyes:
[You were attacked by minions of the Evil God Cult (Chunin-level Missing-nin from the Village of Hot Water). The leader bluntly called you illiterate!]
[Talent: Combat Intuition (S-Rank) has been triggered.]
A stimulant-like electric shock ran from his head to his toes.
In the next instant, Uchiha Ci turned his head and jumped. His scarlet Sharingan swayed from side to side, drawing a trembling red line, instantly locking onto the trajectories of the two incoming black spears.
He twisted mid-air and threw the bloody black spear in his hand, smashing one of the incoming spears aside.
However, the other black spear shot straight towards his vitals!
Uchiha Ci recalled Future Hidan's moves, and his pupils constricted sharply.
But he was mid-air and could no longer twist his body to block. He could only try to avoid his vitals at the moment the powerfully thrown black spear struck.
Doing this would definitely mean getting injured!
And once injured, his blood would be taken...
Plus the cuts he got desperately blocking the cult leader's spear earlier.
If the cult members retrieved the black spear or scooped up his blood from the ground, they could potentially use it to activate the cursed technique, Death Mimicry!
Under that terrifying technique, he'd be nothing but a dish on the menu for anyone!
Uchiha Ci couldn't help but widen his eyes slightly, thinking the Land of Hot Water was truly dangerous.
A mere group of passing evil cult minions actually had such terrifying sneak attack capabilities!
However,
At that moment—
A hooded girl in the crowd frowned, slapped the bullpen (likely a mistranslation/idiom, meaning she decided to act), and jumped out.
The brown-red tassels at her ear tips swayed in the wind.
She drew a kunai from under her black robe and formed a hand seal.
Then, staring with a pair of clear, gem-like green eyes, she shouted loudly to Uchiha Ci:
"Fool, lower your head!"
"Water Release: Water Fang Blade!"