Just as Fumori Masaki was rushing over, the battle on the other side was already nearing its end. Rewind to earlier, the two teams that had dealt with the perimeter personnel were closing in on the center. The cultists, having learned of their intrusion and witnessed their power, chose to defend their position rather than attack.
The Hyuga Kei team and the Inuzuka Shigeru team did not meet—they had entered through different paths—but thanks to Yamanaka Takuma's mental secret technique, both sides remained in contact, able to exchange information. They kept track of their own positions, as well as the enemy's positions and status, at all times.
Hyuga Kei observed the situation. The cultists were extremely cautious, and it was clear their main focus of protection was at the rear, where a strange pattern drawn in blood could be seen. The official's child was huddled there, trembling, with a cultist by his side, who appeared to be the enemy leader.
Based on Hyuga Kei's experience, the enemy's defensive formation wasn't particularly good. If they could be direct and aggressive, he could think of many ways to eliminate them. However, to protect the official's child, they had no choice but to abandon those straightforward plans.
—This child is truly in the way.
—What can we do? The client requested it, so we have to do it.
—Besides, aren't we partly responsible for the current situation, having accidentally allowed this child to be captured?
—Even so, we weren't originally tasked with protecting him, but now we're tied down.
—As I said, this is the client's request. Instead of complaining, let's quickly figure out a solution.
Excluding Tsunade, Hatake Sakumo, and Hattori Heizo, everyone else was complaining in the world of their mental link. Fortunately, the three of them were not connected mentally; if they knew these calm seniors were like this in private, they would probably be very surprised.
This was actually the current state of ninja. Even though they retained their ninja identity and skills, after moving away from a dark environment, they gradually began to act like normal people, no longer numb. Only ANBU ninja, striving to align with traditional ninja, would be more ruthless, while the Root in the original history were truly emotionless weapons.
Complaints aside, no matter how much Hyuga Kei and the others began to transform into normal people, the basic qualities of a ninja would not change: to fully fulfill the client's request. Therefore, they quickly discussed how to rescue the child, and the key person was Yamanaka Takuma.
The Yamanaka clan's mental secret techniques were impossible to guard against. Even an expert could accidentally fall victim—though they might suffer mental backlash—but if successful, it would be a great help. Yamanaka Takuma's mission was to control the cultists.
"Tsk, controlling two people is troublesome. Your demands are really difficult," Yamanaka Takuma grumbled under his breath, forming hand signs and secretly aiming at the cultists in the formation. He concentrated chakra within his body, and in the next instant, he whispered, "Mind... Body Disturbance Technique."
Immediately, an invisible spirit left Yamanaka Takuma's body, splitting into two and entering the bodies of two cultists. Their bodies trembled slightly, then returned to calm. The unusual movement was too subtle for even those nearby to notice.
One of the two cultists let out a slight breath, then a faint smile appeared on their lips. The person controlling this body was no longer a cultist, but Yamanaka Takuma. Fortunately, the cultists were indeed not that powerful; Yamanaka Takuma was able to infiltrate so easily even while splitting his spirit in two.
So, were these people truly mentally ill, or did they trust the power of that evil god too much, believing that as long as they obtained its power, even if the Five Great Ninja Villages sent out ANBU, they wouldn't be able to eliminate them?
Yamanaka Takuma didn't know, nor did he want to know. In any case, these people were all destined to die here; there was no way they would leave unharmed. This had been decided beforehand.
Yamanaka Takuma feigned observing vigilantly, but in reality, he gave a subtle glance to his hidden comrades. Then he silently counted down the time in his mind. When he reached the last number, he suddenly pulled a short stick from his clothes, swung it hard, and its front end extended, becoming extremely sharp at the tip. It was actually a spear-like weapon.
Yamanaka Takuma forcefully stabbed a person next to him in the chest. The other person he controlled acted simultaneously, also taking down someone, clearing a space around the official's child. The cultists were stunned by their comrades' actions. Before they could react, Sarutobi Konosuke struck, and Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld immediately formed, trapping the cultists in front. The cultists behind were quickly knocked to the ground one by one by the rapidly flashing Inuzuka Shigeru.
Taking advantage of this, Yamanaka Takuma grabbed the official's child and threw him outwards, completely disregarding being stabbed in the body by an enraged cultist—after all, it was someone else's body. As long as he transferred his spirit back to his own body before the host body died, he would be fine. Of course, there would still be some after-effects.
Yamanaka Takuma, upon regaining consciousness, immediately began to cough. The pain of being impaled seemed to linger in his body. Tsunade quickly used medical ninjutsu, but due to her inexperience, she seemed a bit flustered. If Senju Risa were here, she would surely eliminate the adverse effects on Yamanaka Takuma's body very quickly. Although Tsunade's speed wasn't as fast as Senju Risa's, her technique was very professional. However, Yamanaka Takuma didn't have time to wait. He smiled at Tsunade and then got up to form hand signs.
"Mind Disturbance!" With Yamanaka Takuma's shout, the cultists felt their bodies become heavy and their minds unable to concentrate. Their strength was already inferior to the Leaf ninja, and now they completely collapsed.
The thrown official's child was rescued by the lurking Hattori Heizo and then removed from the battlefield, now safe and sound. Hattori Heizo had no time to care for a frightened child, so he handed him over to Tsunade. As a medical ninja, Tsunade should have studied psychological treatment... so he entrusted the child to her.
However, Hattori Heizo had no time to care for the child, and Tsunade likewise had no such inclination. She was currently focused on the battle. But the child, realizing he had escaped from the jaws of death, became extremely agitated, which greatly annoyed Tsunade. Being completely unqualified in psychological treatment, she opted for the simplest method: knocking him unconscious with a single blow, so he wouldn't have to think about anything.
In that short time, when Tsunade looked back at the battlefield, the battle was already nearing its end. Only two or three cultists were still stubbornly resisting; defeat was only a matter of time.
"I wonder how things are going on Fumori Masaki's side?" Seeing their side's victory assured, Tsunade couldn't help but worry about Fumori Masaki on the other side, as she couldn't see his situation firsthand.
At this moment, everyone felt a faint tremor, as if some immense power had erupted. Tsunade looked to the other side, her intuition telling her it might have been caused by Fumori Masaki, or perhaps the person who assassinated her grandfather. Regardless of who it was, the ability to unleash such powerful force proved their strength.
By this point, the cultists had been driven to a dead end, with only their leader still stubbornly resisting. He barely managed to block the combined assault of Inuzuka Shigeru and his ninja dog, staggering back several steps, covered in blood. He finally managed to steady himself, breathing heavily, and looked at everyone.
"Heh heh, I didn't expect this outcome. It's truly a pity," the opponent sneered. But behind that desperate expression, a hint of madness subtly emerged, giving everyone an uneasy premonition.
"The sacrifice for the great Evil God is gone, and I can't obtain the great Evil God's power either." He looked up at the sky, as if gazing at the deity in his heart, then lowered his head, revealing a terrifying smile to everyone, "However, at the very least, I must let you all experience the great Evil God's wrath!"
Saying this, he began to form hand signs, then gripped the spear-like weapon and forcefully plunged it into his own chest. This action caught everyone by surprise. Hyuga Kei and the others stared blankly as the cult leader fell to the ground, wondering what on earth he was doing. He had promised to show them the Evil God's power, so why did he commit suicide?
"What is this guy doing?" Inuzuka Shigeru asked in confusion.
"I don't know." Sarutobi Konosuke shook his head.
"The power of the Evil God..." Yamanaka Takuma pondered, "If the Evil God grants power, it requires a sacrifice. So, if he sacrifices himself..."
As if a word had awakened them from a dream, everyone suddenly realized that where the cult leader's body had fallen was precisely on the blood-drawn pattern. At that moment, everyone felt a chill run up their spines. Although they saw nothing, they could sense something abnormal.
"No, what is that?" The others looked as if they saw nothing, but Hyuga Kei's face was filled with shock. His Byakugan saw a strange chakra condensing above the cult leader. That chakra... was completely beyond his imagination, unlike anything a human could possess.
"Could it be, could it be..." Hyuga Kei's throat moved slightly, and cold sweat streamed down his face, "Does the so-called Evil God truly exist?"
Using the lives of the cultists as a medium, it seemed to truly summon something. In a time before the Reaper Death Seal appeared, people couldn't comprehend secret techniques that summoned certain entities. And now, everyone seemed to be witnessing a secret technique that bore a striking resemblance to the Reaper Death Seal.
The summoned Evil God—let's call it that for now—seemed to be like the Shinigami, an entity that ordinary people couldn't perceive. Even Yamanaka Takuma's chakra sensing couldn't detect it, but Hyuga Kei, perhaps inheriting the Otsutsuki clan's bloodline, could see certain abnormalities with his Byakugan.
The blood on the ground seemed to be pulled by some force, slowly floating up, then drilling into the cult leader's corpse. His body began to swell like a balloon, looking as if it could explode at any moment, and it transformed into a grotesque, non-human shape, growing taller and taller.
"Whoa, whoa, what is that thing?" Everyone looked astonished. The mere fact of the Evil God's real existence had already shocked them, and now its transformation startled them even more.
However, they didn't need to be surprised for long. A cold light pierced through the darkness, cutting across the mutated creature. The cold light didn't stop, encircling it before coming to a halt on the ground. Simultaneously, blood mist erupted from the mutated creature's entire body, as if it were deflating, slowly disintegrating.
"What are you all staring at? Were you scared by its appearance?"Fumori Masaki, who had appeared before them, said, "This guy is nothing but bluster. It was easily dealt with, wasn't it?"