Chapter 133 (Patreon)

The terrifying pressure field erupted in an instant!

Only a few hundred meters away, Hidan and Kakuzu stopped dead in their tracks.

An oppressive presence swept over them from behind, carrying a terror so intense that it seemed to crush the air itself.

Both men immediately tensed.

Even Hidan, who was both insane and utterly unafraid of death, felt genuine fear rising from the depths of his heart.

His instincts were screaming at him.

If he took another step, he would truly die.

Yujiro soon caught up with them, walking calmly with his black blade in hand.

Meanwhile, Hidan and Kakuzu stood exactly where they were, as obedient as statues. Neither of them dared to move, much less utter a sound.

Only their thoughts continued to race.

Hidan wondered whether he would still be able to recover if Yujiro chopped him into pieces.

Kakuzu was calculating whether his remaining four hearts would be enough to survive being cut apart, now that one of his five hearts had already been destroyed.

“Wouldn’t this have been much easier if you had stopped earlier?” Yujiro asked with a smile.

He withdrew the terrifying pressure surrounding him.

Hidan and Kakuzu immediately felt as though an enormous weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

That pressure had been no weaker than their leader’s.

If anything, it had been even more overwhelming than Pain’s!

Yujiro studied the two Akatsuki members before him.

Kakuzu possessed Earth Grudge Fear, a forbidden secret technique of Takigakure. It was neither an elemental kekkei genkai nor a separate form of energy that Yujiro could absorb.

Therefore, he simply passed over Kakuzu and turned his attention toward Hidan.

Hidan possessed an immortal body, an ability he had obtained after undergoing the rituals of the Cult of Jashin.

Yujiro was quite interested in this so-called Lord Jashin.

At his current level, Yujiro still could not reconstruct his own genetic makeup. Naturally, that meant he could not directly acquire Hidan’s immortality.

However, that did not mean he could not obtain something useful from Jashin himself.

Of course, that depended on whether this so-called god truly existed.

“Hidan, I’m very interested in this religion of yours,” Yujiro said with a smile.

“Huh?”

Hidan swallowed before cautiously asking, “You’re interested in the Cult of Jashin too?”

“That’s right.” Yujiro nodded. “I want to meet your god.”

“Of course! That won’t be a problem!”

Hidan thought about it briefly before grinning.

“If Lord Jashin learns that someone as powerful as you wishes to join his faith, I’m sure he’ll be delighted!”

“Join his faith...”

Yujiro neither confirmed nor denied Hidan’s assumption.

Join the Cult of Jashin?

That was impossible.

As long as Jashin was truly some form of energy-based existence, Yujiro would have a way to deal with him.

“There’s no reason to waste time. We’ll leave now.”

Yujiro walked over to Kakuzu and casually patted him on the shoulder.

“But before that, Kakuzu, go retrieve Chiriku’s body and collect his bounty. We aren’t in any particular hurry.”

“Understood...”

Kakuzu shuddered before immediately nodding.

For now, he would obey whatever Yujiro told him to do.

Kakuzu silently swore that if he managed to leave Yujiro’s side alive today, he would never set foot in the Land of Fire again.

Even someone with five lives could not afford to take risks like this!

At that moment, Kakuzu was convinced that he and Hidan had been deceived by their leader, Pain.

The three of them returned to the Fire Temple.

Kakuzu quickly located Chiriku’s body, lifted it with one hand, and slung it over his shoulder.

Strangely, feeling the weight resting on his shoulder helped him relax.

After all, what he was carrying was no longer merely a corpse in his eyes.

It was thirty million ryō!

Thinking about that eased Kakuzu’s mood considerably. At the very least, Yujiro had not killed him on the spot.

Yujiro had even allowed him to take Chiriku’s body to collect the bounty.

Wait...

Would he actually be allowed to keep the money?

The question suddenly appeared in Kakuzu’s mind.

However, he did not have the courage to ask it.

Half a day later, the three of them reached the nearest bounty exchange station.

Kakuzu quickly entered the building.

Ten minutes later, he emerged carrying a case filled with money.

However, the expression on his face was anything but cheerful.

“Relax, Kakuzu. I have no intention of taking your money,” Yujiro said, having already seen through his concerns.

He grinned slightly.

“Besides, what does thirty million ryō amount to? If you ever want to earn real money, you can come and find me.”

With that, Yujiro and Hidan continued down the road.

Kakuzu remained where he was for a moment, staring after them as a faint gleam passed through his green eyes.

He understood the meaning behind Yujiro’s words.

If he wanted to earn real money, he could seek Yujiro out whenever he wished.

Did that mean Yujiro was attempting to recruit him?

No...

With Yujiro’s strength, forcing Kakuzu to serve him would require nothing more than a single command.

Yet Yujiro had not done that.

Instead, he had left the invitation open, giving Kakuzu the freedom to make his own decision.

Was he deliberately showing Kakuzu that much respect?

Kakuzu stood there in a daze.

“They say the Sword Shura is merciless—that he cuts down anyone in his path, whether they’re good or evil.”

He glanced at the case of money in his hand.

“It seems rumors really are nothing more than rumors.”

After murmuring those words, Kakuzu calmly began walking in the direction Yujiro and Hidan had taken.

Naturally, not a single one of Kakuzu’s reactions escaped Yujiro’s notice.

A faint smile appeared on Yujiro’s face.

With careful observation and a small psychological nudge, the possibility of following him had already taken root in Kakuzu’s mind.

Bringing all the talented members of the Akatsuki under his command might not be a bad idea.

“At this pace, we should reach the Land of Hot Water in another day,” Hidan said as they travelled.

“The Cult of Jashin is hidden inside a secluded valley there. Meeting Lord Jashin requires a special ritual, but you don’t have to worry. I hold a very high position within the cult!”

Hidan raised his head proudly as he spoke.

“How many members of the Cult of Jashin possess immortality?” Yujiro asked directly.

He was genuinely curious about that.

“Hehehe... To tell you the truth, I’m the only immortal in the entire cult!”

Hidan chuckled smugly.

“The other believers cling too desperately to their lives and are terrified of dying. How could cowards like that ever receive Lord Jashin’s favor?”

“I see.” Yujiro nodded.

The Land of Hot Water lay between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.

If they maintained their current speed, they would arrive by the following day.

It was known as a peaceful country that had forgotten the horrors of war, with its hot springs serving as its greatest attraction.

Yujiro had already begun making plans.

Once he had some free time, he could bring Kurenai and the others here to enjoy the hot springs together.

For now, however, he would take this opportunity to see the place for himself.

One day later, the entrance to the Land of Hot Water finally appeared before them.

“Let’s go,” Yujiro said, smiling at Hidan. “Take me to meet the god worshipped by the Cult of Jashin.”

“All right!”

Hidan rubbed his nose and immediately began leading Yujiro toward the cult’s hidden valley without giving the matter another thought.

At last, the legendary Cult of Jashin was right before them!