As they passed by the large house they had seen earlier, Nao suddenly came to a halt.
Her small body stiffened.
Aoki Yoru followed her gaze—and saw it.
Several corpses lay scattered across the ground, their lifeless forms bathed in the dull light of the afternoon.
The air felt heavy.
Nao's eyes instantly reddened.
Her lips trembled as she stared at one of the bodies.
"That's… Grandpa Village Chief…"
Her voice was soft, fragile, as though even speaking might shatter her completely.
She clenched her fists tightly, her thin shoulders quivering.
"Brother Yoru…" she whispered, her voice breaking, "can I… bury them?"
Aoki Yoru remained silent for a moment.
Nao lowered her head, tears slipping quietly down her cheeks.
"After my mother died… Grandpa Village Chief and the others always took care of me…" she continued in a trembling voice. "They gave me food… helped me… I…"
Her words dissolved into quiet sobs.
Aoki Yoru looked at her for a long moment.
Then, with a faint sigh, he stepped forward and gently wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
"…Alright," he said softly. "We'll bury them first."
The process was quiet.
Aoki Yoru moved through the village, gathering the bodies one by one.
Men, women, the elderly…
Even children.
No one had been spared.
He carried them carefully, placing them in an open area outside the village.
Nearby, he collected dry wood and stones.
With a series of hand seals, he used Earth Release ninjutsu to dig a wide, shallow pit.
The soil shifted and parted under his control, forming a grave large enough to hold them all.
One by one, he laid the bodies inside.
There was no ceremony.
No priest.
Only silence.
Nao knelt beside the grave, her small figure looking even smaller against the vast emptiness surrounding them.
She pressed her forehead to the ground in a deep bow.
"Thank you…" she sobbed quietly. "Thank you for taking care of me all this time…"
Her voice trembled.
"I'll live well from now on… I promise…"
Aoki Yoru stood behind her, watching silently.
For once, he said nothing.
After the burial, the two of them resumed their journey.
Their destination: the Land of Moon.
The road stretched long and quiet ahead of them.
Yet something felt different now.
Nao occasionally glanced at Aoki Yoru, her lips parting as if she wanted to speak—but each time, she hesitated and looked away.
Aoki Yoru noticed.
But he didn't ask.
He already knew what she wanted to say.
She wanted him to save the captured villagers.
However…
This was no simple matter.
The Jashin Cult.
A group capable of creating a monster like Hidan.
Aoki Yoru's eyes darkened slightly.
Was their base a den of wolves… or something far worse?
Charging in blindly could very well cost him his life.
Suddenly—
Aoki Yoru stopped.
His body tensed instantly.
His gaze locked onto the depths of the forest ahead.
Nao froze.
Then she hurriedly grabbed the corner of his clothes, her small body pressing tightly against him.
"B-Brother Yoru…" she whispered, her voice trembling with fear. "It's them… I recognize their scent…"
Aoki Yoru's expression turned cold.
Moments later—
Figures emerged from the shadows.
Several individuals cloaked in black robes stepped out from the forest.
Their appearances were grotesque.
Strange, twisted curse markings were carved across their faces, giving them a sinister, almost inhuman look.
Each of them held a blade.
Fresh blood still dripped from the edges.
At the front stood a man with a scarred face.
He let out a low, eerie laugh.
"Oh? I didn't expect to find survivors out here," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Though our numbers are already sufficient… I'm sure the Priest wouldn't mind two more offerings."
Nao trembled violently.
Aoki Yoru gently placed a hand on her head, his voice soft and calm.
"Be good, Nao," he said quietly. "Hide behind that tree."
"…It will be over soon."
Reluctantly, Nao nodded and ran to hide.
The moment she disappeared from sight—
Aoki Yoru moved.
Swoosh!
His figure vanished instantly.
Before the cultists could react—
He had already appeared behind them.
A flash of steel.
A whisper of wind.
Then—
Silence.
The cultists froze.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then, one by one—
They collapsed.
Their hands clutched their throats as thin lines of blood appeared, bright and stark against their skin.
Only the scarred man remained standing.
His eyes widened in terror.
"L-Lord Ninja! Please—don't kill me!" he cried, immediately dropping to his knees. "I'll tell you anything! Anything!"
Aoki Yoru walked toward him slowly.
The blade in his hand rested lightly against the man's neck.
His voice was cold.
"The village in the northern Land of Hot Springs… was that your doing?"
"Yes! Yes, it was us!" the man replied frantically.
"And your purpose?"
"To… to offer them as sacrifices!" he stammered. "To summon the great Lord Jashin!"
Aoki Yoru's gaze sharpened.
"Jashin?" he repeated. "Have you seen him?"
The man shook his head rapidly.
"N-No! We're not worthy! But the Priest said… Lord Jashin appeared a few years ago… and granted immortality to one of our members!"
Aoki Yoru's thoughts stirred.
Immortality.
There was only one person that could be.
Hidan.
One of the future members of the Akatsuki.
The man's expression suddenly turned fervent, almost fanatical.
"Even the Daimyo himself sought the Priest, asking how to become immortal!" he said eagerly.
Aoki Yoru's eyes narrowed.
So that was it.
No wonder no one intervened.
The Daimyo himself was involved.
"Where is your base?" Aoki Yoru asked.
The man didn't hesitate.
"It's at Mount Liangjie, about ten kilometers east of here! There's a natural cave—it's been turned into our headquarters! Cultists and ninja sent by the Daimyo are guarding it!"
Aoki Yoru frowned slightly.
That answer was too simple.
He pressed the blade slightly deeper.
A thin line of blood appeared on the man's neck.
"Do you have any hidden defenses?" he asked coldly. "Any trump cards?"
The man nearly collapsed from fear.
"I'm not lying! We don't have any!" he cried. "The original base did—but after the immortal one went on a killing spree, everything was destroyed!"
"Only the Priest and a few others survived… This base was rebuilt just two years ago!"
Aoki Yoru studied him for a moment.
Then—
"What about the villagers you captured?"
"They're still alive!" the man said quickly. "The Priest is preparing a large-scale blood sacrifice to summon Lord Jashin!"
"How many?"
"…Ten thousand," the man whispered.
Aoki Yoru's pupils shrank slightly.
"We've tried four times this year," the man continued. "All failed… This time, we gathered enough people to succeed!"
Silence fell.
Then—
"I see," Aoki Yoru said softly.
"Th-thank you!" the man said, relief flooding his face. "You promised—"
A thin line appeared across his neck.
For a moment, he didn't understand.
Then—
Blood burst forth.
His expression froze.
"You… you didn't keep… your promise…"
Aoki Yoru flicked the blood from his blade.
His voice was indifferent.
"I never said I was someone who keeps promises."
The man collapsed.
Dead.
"Nao," Aoki Yoru called calmly. "Come out."
The girl stepped out from behind the tree.
Her expression was… surprisingly calm.
Her eyes, however, were filled with expectation.
Aoki Yoru wasn't surprised.
Nao possessed the Kagura Mind's Eye.
She had already sensed everything.
And now—
She was waiting.
Waiting for him to act.
Aoki Yoru said nothing.
Instead, he bit his thumb.
Blood welled up.
His hands formed seals rapidly.
"Summoning Technique!"
Boom!
A massive figure appeared in a cloud of smoke.
A giant black bird.
Its wings stretched wide, casting a shadow over the ground.
Nao staggered back in shock.
Her hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"W-What… what a huge bird…!" she gasped. "It's even bigger than Grandpa Village Chief's house!"
Aoki Yoru lifted her effortlessly and jumped onto the bird's back.
With a command, the creature took flight.
The ground fell away beneath them.
The wind rushed past.
Nao clung tightly at first—
Then slowly peeked down.
Her fear turned into wonder.
"Ah! It's flying!" she exclaimed. "This is amazing!"
For the first time—
She smiled.
Aoki Yoru watched her quietly.
Then—
He created a Shadow Clone.
The two exchanged a glance and nodded.
From his pouch, he took out a scroll and handed it to Nao.
"I'm going to investigate the Jashin Cult's base," he said calmly.
"If possible… I'll rescue the villagers."
Nao tightened her grip on the scroll.
"Brother Yoru…" she whispered.
Aoki Yoru turned his gaze toward the distant horizon.
His expression grew serious.
He knew the risk.
A cult tied to Jashin.
A place connected to immortality.
This was not something to take lightly.
But—
This opportunity…
Was too important to ignore.
"It concerns my future," he said quietly.
"And I won't let it slip away."
The giant bird soared through the sky.
And far ahead—
Awaiting them—
Was the dark, unknown domain of the Jashin Cult.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)