Chapter 36: The Evil God Cult of the Land of Hot Springs
The man choked for a moment, but it was still within the scope of his practiced rhetoric, and he immediately continued smoothly:
"Current happiness is merely a facade. In this Ninja World plagued by endless war, pain is the only eternal truth. Only by understanding pain, embracing pain, and believing in the deity can one achieve true liberation..."
The corner of Haruko's mouth twitched.
'Good grief, with lines this heavily saturated with "rice" references, you and Brother Chao would certainly get along well."
The Evil God Cult, a crazed sect that enjoys conducting sacrifices and self-mutilation rituals.
However, this set of rhetoric was leagues behind the swindling skills of the pyramid scheme scammers from his past life.
It was too dry, lacking any incitement.
"Brother," Haruko interrupted his passionate speech, pointing to the oden in his hand, "My god tells me that if I don't finish this skewer of radish quickly, it won't taste good once it gets cold. This is a tremendous pain for my stomach; can your god cover my medical expenses?"
"Uh... the god is..."
"Can't cover it? Then no deal. By the way, I suggest you change your opening line; 'a bag of rice' is too heavy, and young people nowadays prefer to 'lie flat." See ya."
Haruko waved his hand, bypassed the cultist who hadn't yet reacted, and continued walking forward.
Reasoning with such brainwashed fanatics was a waste of breath; as long as they didn't hinder his vacation, they could believe whatever they wanted.
However, peace was not meant to be.
Having not walked far, while passing a slightly secluded alley entrance, a thin, small figure suddenly darted out from the shadows.
"Ouch!"
The child seemed unable to brake, crashing straight into Haruko's arms.
At the same time, a filthy little hand reached toward Haruko's waist with extreme speed.
The technique was average, but it was fast for an ordinary person.
Unfortunately, he had run into Haruko.
Haruko didn't even lift an eyelid, grabbing the other person's wrist in one motion.
"Ah!"
The child let out a cry of pain, and was pulled by Haruko's momentum, spinning away like a top.
It was a seven or eight-year-old boy, dressed in rags, but his eyes revealed a fierce, bandit-like air.
"Do it!"
The boy shouted.
Clatter.
From the surrounding alleys and behind piles of debris, seven or eight equally filthy street urchins instantly darted out.
They held sharpened pieces of metal or wooden sticks in their hands; although they were young, their stance clearly showed they were repeat offenders, and they surrounded Haruko with practiced coordination.
Haruko sighed and swallowed the last bite of oden.
"Just chased off one salesman, and now a group of scammers appears. Can the public security in the Land of Hot Springs get any worse?"
Brats of this level didn't even qualify to pique his interest.
Bullying them was like using a nuclear bomb to swat a mosquito; there was no sense of accomplishment, only a feeling of "I'm lowering myself."
Whoosh—!
A sharp whistle suddenly sounded from above.
"Get out of the way! This fat sheep is mine!"
A pink figure jumped down from a low wall nearby.
By the light of the roadside lantern, Haruko saw the newcomer clearly.
A little girl about nine years old. She had messy short pink hair and skin that was a bit rough from long-term vagrancy, but her facial features were surprisingly good.
Most striking were her eyes—fierce and sharp, like a wolf ready to tear out its prey's throat at any moment.
"Hey! You dressed-up bastard! You dare touch my people? If you don't want to die, hand over all your money..."
Haruko just watched her quietly, his initial nonchalance shifting to become just a tiny bit serious.
'Heh, a kid boss? Not bad eyes, she actually looks the part."
He merely revealed a smile, but in the perception of the pink-haired girl, the lazy big brother before her instantly transformed into a prehistoric beast draped in human skin.
The hairs all over her body stood on end instantly, and cold sweat soaked her tattered thin clothes in an instant.
Although she had a foul mouth and a violent temper, she had survived on the chaotic streets until now by relying on this instinct, which was keener than a dog's.
And her instinct told her: this person in front of her was not someone to be trifled with.
"..."
The rest of the girl's words were stuck firmly in her throat.
The air froze.
The surrounding minions hadn't realized the situation yet and were waving their wooden sticks, eager to try: "Big Sister! Take him down!"
"Screw your head!"
The girl suddenly turned around and kicked the minion who had just tried to steal the money in the butt, her voice even louder than before, yet it carried a noticeable tremor.
"All of you, kneel!"
The minions were bewildered: "Huh? Big Sister?"
She directly pressed that minion's head down, and with a thud, he kowtowed.
Then she herself knelt on the ground with a thud: "Uh... Young Master! I apologize to you. This kid has sticky fingers; I will definitely teach him a lesson when we get back."
This speed of changing faces was faster than turning a book page.
Haruko looked at the pink-haired girl kneeling on the ground, and she gradually overlapped with a figure in his memory.
The iconic pink hair, the sharp tongue, this ability to bend and stretch with a survival instinct...
"You... wouldn't happen to be named Tayuya, would you?"
The girl looked up in surprise: "Huh? Yes, I am Tayuya."
'It really is her... So this is what she was like before she started hanging out with Orochimaru?"
He didn't know what happened later that made her go and defect to Orochimaru, but that had nothing to do with Haruko.
"You should be glad you ran into me," Haruko said slowly, "If you had run into a real monster, death would be considered a good outcome."
Haruko tucked his hands into the sleeves of his yukata and, acting like nothing had happened, walked past them and continued forward.
"Also, your pocket-picking technique needs more practice; it's too amateur."
It wasn't until Haruko's back disappeared at the end of the street that Tayuya plopped down onto the ground, gasping for air.
"Big Sister... who was that? Why did he scare you like that?" The minion next to her rubbed his head and leaned in.
"Shut up! You trash!"
She looked in the direction where Haruko disappeared, her eyes complex.
He clearly looked harmless, but her instinct told her that he was someone who lived by the blade.
If they had dared to make a move, they would have been either dead or severely injured.
...
Half an hour later.
In the slums, inside a dilapidated abandoned warehouse.
Tayuya kicked open the broken door and tossed the cheap ointment she had bought to the injured minion.
"Listen to me, all of you! Don't go to that street for the next few days! If anyone provokes that kind of monster again, I'll cripple them myself!"
While cursing and swearing, she walked to a corner, wanting to get a drink of water.
But she discovered that a few of the usually smartest minions didn't come over to share the medicine, but instead were huddled in a dark corner, chanting something toward an object.
By the faint candlelight, Tayuya saw that object clearly.
It was an amulet with a strange inverted triangle pattern drawn on it.
Next to the amulet they were surrounding, there was also half a piece of moldy bread.
"Pain... is the god's gift..."
"As long as we sacrifice... we won't have to go hungry anymore..."
That ominous premonition in Tayuya's heart rose again, even more hair-raising than when she faced Haruko earlier.
"Hey! What are you doing!"
She rushed over, snatched the amulet, and slammed it hard onto the ground.
"How many times have I told you! Don't believe in those superstitious ghost things! Only fists and brains can keep us alive!"
However, the minions who usually obeyed her every word seemed like different people at this moment.
They slowly turned their heads, staring fixedly at Tayuya, their eyes hollow and resentful.
"Big Sister... why... did you break the god's token?"
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