The leader of Xuanyuan Group stared at the man and said, "This kind of weapon and ability… you are the leader of the Jashin Cult, Zhe Long?"
His expression turned ugly as he realized something. The lunatics of the Jashin Cult did not rely on Ninjutsu at all, which meant their greatest support, the Exploding Parasite, was useless here.
At this moment, Zhe Long was covered in strange black markings. A shocking hole gaped in his chest where he had dug it out himself, and pale ribs were clearly visible beneath torn flesh.
He did not yet possess the absolute immortality that Hidan would have later, where even losing his head meant nothing. Still, as the founder and leader of the Jashin Cult, he could use "Jujutsu Death Possession Blood" and had a certain level of self recovery.
"Oh? You know me?" Zhe Long grinned at the three of them.
His crimson tongue licked the corner of his mouth, and his eyes showed naked excitement and greed. "Do you want to worship Lord Jashin too?"
As he spoke, he lowered his head and looked at his mangled chest. He reached in with a hand smeared with his own blood and flesh and stirred it once.
Then he raised his head again. There was no pain on his face, only a more savage and fervent smile.
"Hahahaha! Lord Jashin has told me that you are only fit to be sacrifices!"
Laughing wildly, he stamped the ground and shot forward like a cannonball.
At the same time, the slaughter between Kumogakure Ninja and Bounty Ninja continued.
No, it was not just Kumogakure Ninja and Bounty Ninja anymore.
Even the Konoha Ninja who arrived later and hid along the rock walls were exposed. Bounty Ninja and Kumogakure Ninja stopped fighting each other and turned their attacks toward Konoha instead.
It was obvious that Root had no intention of letting Konoha reap benefits without paying a price.
"Bounty Ninja, Kumogakure Ninja, Jashin Cult, and others whose background we cannot see. This is far more chaotic than we expected," Kakashi Hatake said grimly.
"If you engage, and you do not have Sensory Ninjutsu, be careful not to hurt our own people," he reminded them.
As his words fell, his figure rushed forward again. Yunchuan Hyuga moved with him.
With Sharingan, Kakashi Hatake cut through the near total darkness like a reaper. With Byakugan, Yunchuan Hyuga did the same.
Bang! Bang bang!
With each shrill scream, one figure after another was sent flying at visible speed. Every body became nourishment for the giant gate.
Everyone present seemed to share an unspoken agreement. Each kill was fed to that endlessly hungry door.
What Xuanyuan Group said earlier was correct.
No matter what, only by opening the gate could they obtain what lay beyond it. Those without enough strength could only become food and be eliminated.
Splat!
In the darkness, the bare upper body of Kakuzu was also visible. A palm connected by black threads flew off his wrist, shot out, and plunged into someone's chest to rip out a heart.
"Hehehe, not a bad heart…"
His face was hidden by a mask, revealing only eyes glowing faintly in the dark. He looked at the fresh, still beating heart and let out a low, emotionless chuckle.
Soon, however, he sensed something and turned his green eyes to his side.
With soft footsteps, Nagato emerged from the shadows, wrapped in White Zetsu. His gaze swept over Kakuzu's appearance.
"So this is the Kakuzu you mentioned," Nagato said calmly, turning toward empty space at his side. "I did not expect an extra gain…"
Before he could finish, Kakuzu raised his hand sharply. Black threads of Earth Grudge Fear shot out like venomous snakes.
But the sound of flesh being pierced did not come.
Nagato did not even turn his head. He simply lifted a hand.
The tips of the black threads, which could pierce rock, stopped precisely half a foot from Nagato. It was as if an invisible barrier blocked them.
Then, a massive, unseen repulsive force erupted outward from him.
"Earth Release Earth Spear!"
Kakuzu's pupils shrank as he growled and held nothing back.
The heart representing Earth Release inside him pounded wildly. Dense Earth Release Chakra covered his entire body, his skin turning gray and hard like stone and even shining like metal.
Boom!
A heavy explosion echoed through the underground space. The tough black threads shattered and flew apart, fragile as rotten wood before that force.
His hardened body, reinforced by Earth Release, was struck head on like by an invisible siege hammer. He was blasted away without the slightest resistance.
His body flew backward like a kite with a cut string and slammed into the rock wall dozens of meters away with a thunderous crash.
The solid stone surface instantly filled with spiderweb cracks, and gravel fell in a steady stream.
"Cough, cough!"
Embedded deep in the rock wall, Kakuzu let out a painful grunt. His green eyes locked onto the distant figure, filled with shock and gravity he had never felt before.
What kind of power was that?
Others also noticed the disturbance, but the fight ended far too quickly. No one in Root saw exactly what happened, only that someone extremely dangerous had entered the field.
"Kakuzu," Nagato said.
He lowered his arm, his expression still indifferent, as if he had merely brushed away an annoying insect. His voice was calm to the point of coldness. "When this is over, do not leave."
"I will come find you."
With that, he raised his hand and activated Universal Pull. He pulled a distant person into his grasp and then hurled them toward the giant gate.
Splat!
The body struck the cold door solidly. Deep blue light flashed again, and like a beast opening its jaws, the gate instantly pinned the body to its surface.
The process of flesh melting and bone turning to ash played out once more. Only a dark red stain was left on the door.
The gate seemed to reach its limit. The blue light shattered and went out, replaced by a deeper, heavier rumble.
Rumble rumble rumble!
It sounded like the breath of a massive beast rising from deep in its throat. The entire Underground Palace shook violently, and rubble poured down like rain.
The door finally opened completely.
Beyond it was still bottomless darkness that made the heart tighten. It was like thick ink made solid, swallowing light and blocking any attempt to see through.
Yet this darkness and cold did not stop anyone. Instead, it drove everyone forward and pushed their nerves to the breaking point.
"Move!"
Yugito Nii, who had looked drained and hollow moments before, shouted loudly. Without hesitation, she pushed her speed to the limit and rushed through the darkness into the Underground Palace.
Kakashi Hatake and Yunchuan Hyuga followed close behind like arrows loosed from a bow. Their figures were instantly swallowed by the dense blackness.
"The gate is open!"
"Charge in!"
"Quick!"
The surviving Bounty Ninja members rushed forward like sharks drawn to blood. Greed was the only thing left in their eyes.
"Hahaha! The gift of Lord Jashin is right in front of us!"
Zhe Long charged in with a pilgrim's fervor. His thrown spike pierced the person ahead of him, sending up a spray of blood and screams.
Seeing this, the others quickly dodged away. They avoided the madman at all costs and watched as he plunged headfirst into the endless darkness.
Kakuzu took one last look at Nagato standing in place. Seeing no sign of obstruction, he also disappeared into the darkness.