After binding Ren Uchiha to the cross, the Jashin Bishop quickly turned away and walked to the edge of the blood pool, weaving hand signs.
"The Bleeding of a Deity... what the hell is that?" Ren muttered, confused.
Beside him, Hidan's face darkened. "I know. It's the highest-level ritual of the Jashin Cult. It requires the prolonged torture of 100 girls and 1,000 living souls. The agony they produce is offered to Jashin in exchange for power."
Ren frowned, looking at the surrounding crosses. The victims were gaunt, their eyes hollow—dead or alive, it was hard to tell. "That doesn't make sense. If you need to offer agony, these people look numb. Can you guys store pain like high-tech batteries?"
"Hey, enough! I'm not a member of this cult!" Hidan snapped. But looking at the hellish scene around them, he fell silent. If this was the price for peace in the Land of Hot Springs, how was it any different from the great nations' ninjas ravaging their lands?
"The ritual only works when the pain is fresh," Hidan explained, his voice low. "That's what earns Jashin's pleasure."
Ren looked at Hidan. And you said you didn't know? You seem like an expert.
"Stop looking at me like that! I read it in a book!" Hidan yelled.
"What kind of book? Jashin Cult: A Beginner's Manual?" Ren shook his head. "If you're right, then it means one thing... the first sacrifice is complete. Now, a second sacrifice is starting."
They both looked around. Aside from them and the giant Bishop, there were no other living sounds. Ren, struggling to extract even a drop of chakra from his empty body, turned to Hidan. "Hidan... do you scream loudly when you're in pain?"
"What kind of question is that?!" Hidan glared at him.
Ren let out a dry laugh. "The sacrifices are obviously us. But I'm a true ninja—a man who won't cry even with a sword in his gut. I can endure hell. So, the agony Jashin needs... will probably have to come from you."
Hidan froze, not fully grasping the horror. Ren didn't explain further. He knew that if the first sacrifice was a thousand people, the second would be exponentially more cruel. This was the ritual that would grant true immortality—and turn a normal kid into the fanatic Hidan of the future.
I have to end this tragedy, Ren thought. I have to rewrite the future!
In the ruins of the castle above...
An old man in a deep blue robe landed, leaning on his cane. Uchiha Madara sighed, disappointed. Beside him, White Zetsu split off a spore clone to scout the cavern.
"Lord Madara, the boy is still alive in the cavern. Shall we keep watching?"
"No need," Madara said indifferently. "I've confirmed it. That brat has a death wish. His fight was a gamble for pure oblivion. He has seen the truth of this world and the disparity of samsara."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Zetsu asked. "To have your mindset at such a young age?"
"On the contrary," Madara replied. "To see through the world before having the strength to break the chains of fate... his only path is escape. Until the day there is nowhere left to run."
Madara knew that such intense emotions were the key to awakening the 'Forbidden Eyes' (Mangekyō). But keeping a man alive who desperately wants to die was... troublesome.
"Sometimes, being too smart is a curse." Madara walked into the darkness. "Zetsu, plant a spore on him. Give him chakra if necessary."
At the entrance of the Jashin Headquarters...
Seiichiro stood before the ruins. Dozens of Jashin elites stood in his way. His teeth chattered, his body trembled, but his eyes were wide with fury.
"It's okay... I can do this," he hissed. "With these eyes, they are nothing!"
He took a step. Then another. Then he charged! His cowardice vanished, replaced by lethal intent. His Sharingan spun violently as his hands blurred through signs.
"Kill him! Blanket him with ninjutsu!" the elites roared.
Facing the onslaught, Seiichiro roared:
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"