Half a month later, Hidan contacted Yōkō using the Phantom Blood Shadow Technique.
"Leader, spreading the faith of the Three Gods Religion is going too smoothly. It's so smooth it worries . I don't know if there are spies or traitors mixed into our ranks."
Yōkō asked, "Why is it so smooth?"
"Wherever there are Kiri-nin, I go there. Leader, you know Kirigakure is the most brutal among the shinobi villages. In their eyes, the people of the Land of Whirlpools are no different from stinky fish in the sea.
I can always find people in the slaughtered villages who et our requirents, people filled with hatred for this world.
As soon as I say that following the Three Gods Religion can change the world and help them get revenge, they believe with all their heart."
"I see," Yōkō said. "Spread the faith of the Three Gods boldly. Don't worry about spies.
They have all offered blood to the Three Gods. If anyone is a spy, the Three Gods will inform .
After establishing a temple in the capital of the Land of Whirlpools, I will end the war there."
Hidan lowered his hands, ending the 'prayer'.
Another half month passed, and Hidan entered the capital of the Land of Whirlpools.
He now had nearly a hundred followers behind him.
In small villages and towns, Hidan left altars.
In larger towns, Hidan planned to find tall buildings to serve as temples, just like in Sunagakure.
In front of a dilapidated house in the northern part of the capital, three bound nobles were thrown to the ground.
Hidan looked up at the Uzumaki clan crest on the building's wall. This used to be the Uzumaki clan's council hall in the capital. After the clan's destruction, it had fallen into ruin.
This tall building was perfect for a temple.
Inside the temple, followers carved statues with chisels.
When they had offered their souls, they had all seen the forms of the Three Gods. Now, they carved the statues with great care.
After the statues were ready, Hidan prepared to preside over the sacrifice.
Sacrificing the souls of three nobles would fix the soul energy within the altar.
The great Three Gods could use the soul energy sealed within the altars to perform various miraculous divine arts.
For example, around an altar, one could communicate with the Three Gods through the sealed soul energy, borrowing a power belonging only to the gods—the ability to instantly travel between different altars.
Three followers cut the nobles' foreheads, took the blood, licked it, and drew the Three Gods Emblem on the ground.
Hidan slowly turned his head, looking toward the entrance of the ruined courtyard.
A captain of samurai appeared at the gate, with neat squares of samurai behind him.
Seeing the kneeling nobles on the ground, the samurai captain was shocked. These noble lords were kneeling before three stone statues in such a humiliating manner.
"Who are you? By order of the Daimyō, I am to execute you for daring to harm nobles!"
Hidan looked at the samurai and said, "Foolish samurai, the tis have changed.
When ninja first appeared, you samurai should have been swept into the garbage heap of history.
Under the threat of assassination and war, most ninja retreated into their villages. No ninja is unafraid of assassination.
The vast lands between villages belonged to the nobles.
The nobles governed the nations and towns. The nobles hired samurai. All of this was because ninja dared not stay away from their villages for long.
But now the tis have changed. From now on, ninja will appear in every corner of the shinobi world.
Nobles and samurai, your living space has vanished. What awaits you is..."
"What the hell are you blathering about?"
Hidan was taken aback.
The people he interacted with were either important figures like the leader or very obedient followers. It had been a long ti since he encountered such a crude bastard.
"You! I'll sacrifice you personally tonight!"
Yokoshima and the others were followers Hidan had recruited gradually. They had just begun to learn chakra and had little combat strength.
Seeing hundreds of samurai surrounding them, Yokoshima and the others couldn't help but panic.
Hidan pulled on the chain, yanking his Triple-Bladed Scythe from his back. He pushed off powerfully with his legs, charging forward.
Opening the Second Gate of the Eight Gates, the Gate of Healing, Hidan could already crush these samurai.
The Triple-Bladed Scythe swung continuously. He didn't use the blades, but instead the thick back of the scythe, smashing the samurai inside their iron cans until they collapsed.
"What a waste to kill you! I'll sacrifice all you noble thugs to the great Three Gods!"
Before long, over a hundred samurai lay scattered on the ground, so with broken spines, so with broken legs, in a pitiful state.
Yokoshima thought to himself, why hadn't he t Lord Hidan earlier? Why hadn't he joined the Three Gods Religion sooner?
If he had such strength, would his family have still died at the hands of Kuriarare Kushimaru?
Hidan hooked the samurai captain with his Triple-Bladed Scythe, preparing to take him back into the courtyard for sacrifice.
"Halt!"
Hidan frowned and turned. The newcor was quite strong.
Six Konoha ninja appeared on the rooftops across the street.
Seeing the Daimyō of the Land of Whirlpools' family crest hanging from the waists of the six Konoha ninja, Hidan knew they were Guardian Ninja.
The Captain of the Daimyō's Guardian Ninja, Yamanaka Kari, glanced at the miserable state of the samurai on the street, his heart filled with anger.
Who were these people, daring to cause trouble in the capital while the Land of Whirlpools was at war, crippling so many samurai?
These samurai were the Daimyō's loyal subordinates, who had done much for him.
Yamanaka Kari drew a kunai from his pouch and said, "Kill these people! I will interrogate the corpses for information myself!"
The six Guardian Ninja vanished from the rooftop with Body Flickers, charging toward Hidan.
Hidan wasn't in a hurry. He first glanced back.
Inside the courtyard, the three followers had completed the sacrifice. The statues and altar here were now infused with soul energy, allowing them to borrow a portion of the Three Gods' power.
Which ant...
In the next instant, a Wood Dragon burst from the ground to Hidan's left, arcing gracefully to place itself between Hidan and Yamanaka Kari's six Guardian Ninja, blocking their path.
Seeing Wood Release, Yamanaka Kari was started.
It wasn't fear of the Wood Dragon's attack, but the appearance of the Wood Dragon represented Lord Fox!
Sure enough, Lord Fox instantly appeared before them.
"Jōnin Kari, don't be hasty."
Yamanaka Kari quickly retreated, landing on the other side of the desolate street. Everything before him felt unreal.
Over a hundred samurai lay groaning on the ground, yet opposite him was Konoha's Anbu Commander.
For so reason, Lord Fox, the Anbu Commander, seed to be mixed up with these strange individuals.
Yamanaka Kari said, "Lord Fox, I am the Captain of the Guardian Ninja for the Daimyō of the Land of Whirlpools. I am responsible for the Daimyō's safety.
Soone has crippled over a hundred of the Daimyō's samurai. Yet, you seem to be with these people..."
Yōkō offered no explanation. Instead, he threw a scroll to Yamanaka Kari.
Yamanaka Kari opened the scroll and glanced at it. It was... a Termination of Guardianship Scroll?
Konoha was terminating its guardian relationship with the Daimyō of the Land of Whirlpools?
"Lord Fox? What is this?"
Yōkō nodded and said, "Jōnin Kari, Konoha's thod of executing missions has changed. We no longer rely on noble commissions.
Starting today, Konoha ninja can instantly travel to any town with an altar.
In other words, Konoha ninja will deeply involve themselves in the defense and security affairs of all towns.
As long as the village wishes, it can deploy thousands of ninja to any town, and thus no longer needs to kowtow to the nobles."
Yamanaka Kari was half-convinced, unable to understand how things had co to this.
However, it was a village order, a mission scroll personally delivered by the Anbu Commander. Yamanaka Kari could not disobey.
(End of Chapter)
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