Kakuzu took a good while to accept the reality that the Akatsuki was supposed to capture the Nine Tails Jinchuriki, but he had now become the Nine Tails Jinchuriki's subordinate. Truly, the world was an unpredictable place.
The three of them walked into the nearby village together. The scene inside surprised Naruto somewhat. He had only sensed it roughly before and thought it was just a deserted village, but upon entering, he discovered that it was permeated with a disgusting stench.
Most of the buildings inside were thatched huts, but the walls were made of earth and stone, a very old-fashioned construction method.
In the middle of the village, however, there was a very conspicuous and incongruous object.
It was a huge, curled-up statue with a pair of equally contracted giant bat wings on its back. This statue was the source of the foul odor.
As the three approached, they realized that the statue had no facial features. The face where the features should have been carved was blank, and at the foot of the statue was the true source of the disgusting stench.
It was a pool of scarlet, viscous liquid, like mud, with faint glimpses of white bone fragments.
Orochimaru and Kakuzu were both old foxes who had survived countless battles, and they remained unfazed. Only Naruto couldn't help but frown slightly. The Evil God Sect really does a lot of harm.
"When I came, I checked around. The rooms in this village are covered in dust, so it's probably been abandoned for a long time."
Kakuzu noticed the change in Naruto's expression and explained it calmly to avoid being misunderstood.
"Heh heh heh, this may be the so-called Evil God experiment. If you want to gain the power of immortality, you have to use some unorthodox methods."
Orochimaru spoke, glancing at Kakuzu beside him. Whether it was Earth Grudge Fear or Impure World Reincarnation, they were all unorthodox methods.
They were becoming less and less like humans.
"Let's just go find Hidan."
Naruto directly lifted his leg and walked towards Yugakure. In this kind of environment, there was no way to rest.
...
Yugakure, known as the "Village That Forgot War," was devoted to peace. Since the Third Shinobi World War, it had believed that peace had arrived and began to use its rich natural resources to develop the village's economy, which led to a decline in its military strength.
Now, the entire Yugakure, including the surrounding area, was devoid of living people.
Underneath Yugakure, there was also a secret base.
Unlike Orochimaru's base, this place was mainly used for sacrifices.
At this moment, in this underground base, there was also a tall, faceless Evil God statue, but this statue was different from the ones outside.
It stood tall, unlike the curled-up forms outside, and the wings on its back were also spread out, as if about to take flight. If one didn't look at the pool of blood at the foot of the statue, it would be difficult to believe that it was an Evil God statue.
In the blood pool, there were many corpses soaked in it. They were all wearing black robes, and strings of silver necklaces with outer circles and inner triangles floated on top.
These were all believers of the Evil God Sect.
Da!
Da!
Da!
A series of footsteps sounded, and a man with a gray slicked-back hairstyle, light purple eyes, and a bare upper body walked in, knelt in front of the Evil God statue, and prayed with his hands holding the Evil God Sect's necklace, his eyes closed.
This person was Hidan.
Not long ago, the Evil God Sect sacrificed the entire Yugakure and the residents of the surrounding villages, allowing Hidan to gain the power of immortality.
He had only killed other members of the Evil God Sect after mastering the ability of immortality.
Because their eyes were filled with only greed, devoid of their former piety. Their faith in the Evil God had become impure, turning into something heretical, unworthy of receiving the Evil God's gospel. Therefore, Hidan sacrificed them to the Evil God as well.
Every day, he would come here to pray for a period of time, and after the prayer, he would pierce his own heart, offering his blood to the Evil God.
But at this moment, Hidan suddenly opened his eyes, a mischievous smile appearing on his devout face. A new sacrifice had arrived.
...
Outside the underground base, Naruto and his companions had already entered Yugakure. Along the way, the strange stone statues became more and more numerous, and the stench they emitted became even more unbearable. Fortunately, all three were top-notch experts with extraordinary control over Chakra, otherwise, they really wouldn't have been able to get close to this place.
However, the moment they stepped into the village, all three frowned simultaneously.
They all felt a sense of oppression, as if something was weighing on their hearts, making their breathing slightly rapid.
Naruto activated his Sharingan, observing the surrounding environment while also sensing for any nearby enemies. He could sense that the entire village was enveloped in a strange energy, somewhat familiar, but he wasn't sure what this energy was.
"Oh? Interesting."
Orochimaru, who was also observing the surroundings, exclaimed in surprise, his eyes becoming somewhat fiery. This was the expression he showed when he became extremely interested in something.
Naruto and Kakuzu both looked at Orochimaru with questioning gazes.
Orochimaru couldn't help but lick his lips again, saying, "This aura is very similar to a little lab rat I just acquired. It's not pure Chakra, but Sage Art Chakra, a mixture of Natural Energy and Chakra."
"Sage Art Chakra?" Kakuzu was somewhat surprised, having lived for nearly a hundred years without ever hearing of such a thing.
Naruto, on the other hand, understood. Besides Chakra, the only other type of energy in the shinobi world was Natural Energy. The reason he felt familiar with it was because he had just been in contact with Jugo, and the aura between them was very similar.
"Hidan, that guy, probably fused the Natural Energy here into his body during an Evil God experiment, which is why he was able to gain immortality. I'm very curious now, is he even human anymore?"
Orochimaru revealed a sinister smile on his face, his eyes filled with anticipation. He carefully sensed the surrounding Natural Energy again and continued,
"The Natural Energy here is so rich, that in time, it might even become a sacred ground, a sacred ground belonging to the Evil God."
"Haha, I like what you, you gloomy pervert, are saying. Do you want to join our Evil God Sect? I can make you the vice-leader."
Hidan had just come out of the underground base when he heard Orochimaru say that this place would become the Evil God's sacred ground in the future. He felt greatly satisfied and couldn't help but extend an invitation to Orochimaru.
In Hidan's view, the quality of this sacrifice was quite high, so losing one Orochimaru would still satisfy the Evil God. When the Evil God needed sacrifices next time, he could just sacrifice him then.
"Hehehe, believe in the Evil God? I'm quite interested in studying this Evil God you speak of."
The fanaticism in Orochimaru's eyes was undisguised, his gaze fixed on Hidan as if he were looking at a rare treasure. This was even more valuable for research than Jugo.
"What did you say, you bastard?" Hidan's expression immediately turned ferocious, and he swung his huge triple-bladed scythe towards the three of them.
"You blasphemer of the Evil God, I will put your head in the very center of the altar!"
"Oh, facing the three of us, instead of choosing to run, you're actually approaching us?"
"Wind Release: Finger Gun!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Secret Technique: Earth Grudge Fear!"
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