The Orchid Sect was even stranger—and far more dangerous—than Shigeo had imagined.
"I'll go on ahead!" He couldn't hold back any longer. Though he still hadn't found the missing brides, nor the two lost members of the Hyūga clan, nor Feicui and Liuli, he couldn't allow the ritual to continue. If it did, everything would spiral into disaster.
With that thought, he summoned Bakuton (Explosion Release), and in a flash of Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique), he launched himself toward the cave entrance atop the other mountain.
Boom! The earth-shaking blast echoed as the massive cavern collapsed, rocks burying the crimson light beneath. Shigeo pressed his hands together—"Doton: Daiyogai no Jutsu!" (Earth Release: Great Burial Technique!)
The mountain rumbled violently. Waves of earth surged like a storming sea, sealing the ruins below beneath layers of rock until a new mountaintop formed.
The tremors and explosions sent surviving Orchid Sect members scrambling from hidden passages. Their initial plan had been to avoid direct confrontation, ensuring the ritual could proceed uninterrupted.
But after one of their key members was injured, Shigeo and Mei had escaped the temple to recover. During that time, the old shrine maiden forced herself to continue chanting, sustaining the ritual even as she bled.
As moonlight pierced the cavern's opening, the red glow intensified. A resonant hum followed—and then a great beam of blood-colored light reached the sky, linking with the moon itself.
But before ten seconds had passed, the man who had left earlier returned in a storm of destruction, collapsing the entire ritual chamber.
They had spent years preparing for this ceremony, only to see it destroyed by an outsider. The sect members erupted with fury.
"Kill him!" someone shouted.
They swarmed upward and downward, encircling Shigeo.
He saw Mei rushing in to assist. "Onee-san, I'll leave this to you. I've got other business. See you soon!"
Before she could respond, the young man who had caused the chaos vanished from sight.
"Brat! What are you doing?!" Mei shouted angrily, fending off the attackers on her own.
Shigeo had already assessed them—mere grunts, not a single high-level jōnin among them.
If you want to end the chaos, capture the leader first. He needed the Orchid Sect's head.
He descended into the mountain, unsure whether the sect leader was even here—or how many hidden bases the group truly had. But he knew one thing: he had to find the one in command.
That person was likely the old shrine maiden. From how many had protected her during the last battle, it was clear she held authority—she would know secrets the others did not.
And now, that eerie bell was ringing again. The ritual hadn't stopped.
Grabbing a nearby ninja, Shigeo used Rinnegan: Shinso Senchi no Jutsu (Rinnegan: Mind Layer Probing Technique), diving into the man's memories.
Only one base appeared in the man's mind—this one. Perhaps others didn't know of the rest, but for now, this was his only battlefield.
Expanding Kagami no Kanshi (Mirror Perception) to its maximum range, Shigeo closed his eyes, sensing everything. In a nearby chamber, several people were chanting feverishly. At the center stood the old shrine maiden, coughing blood as she shook her bell, her voice still murmuring incantations.
Using Doton: Iwayakure no Jutsu (Earth Concealment Technique), Shigeo reached the chamber silently.
His sudden appearance shocked everyone. Some tried to escort the old woman away, while others charged at him.
They never stood a chance. Before he even moved, countless Hyōton (Ice Release) spikes shot out from around him, filling the air like a storm of crystal needles.
In the narrow chamber, there was nowhere to hide. One man attempted Doton (Earth Release) to block, but Shigeo's Mokuton (Wood Release) branches burst forth, strangling him instantly.
"Go! Protect the matriarch!" someone yelled.
The surviving cultists lifted the old shrine maiden, retreating deeper into the tunnels. Even then, she didn't stop chanting—the bell in her hand continued its steady, maddening rhythm.
"None of you are leaving today…" Shigeo's voice was cold.
He needed answers. Why had the Orchid Sect sent a light to the moon? What were they trying to achieve? Why the killings? Why did they oppose the Blue Gate? Had they truly captured members of the Hyūga clan?
Too many questions.
"Jiton!" (Magnet Release!)
Darkness consumed the cavern. The cultists extinguished the torches, hoping to flee under cover of shadow.
They were the same red-robed ritualists who had drained their chakra earlier. Exhausted, they could barely stand.
They thought darkness would give them an advantage—that the shrine maiden's sensory power could guide them to safety.
But they were wrong.
Shigeo had once been blind. Darkness was his natural domain. His Mirror Perception mapped every movement directly into his mind—nothing escaped him.
Magnetic sand surged, sealing every exit. No one would leave this place alive.
"What's happening? The exit—where is it?!" one man cried in panic.
Shigeo's cold voice echoed through the dark:
"Don't waste your strength. None of you are leaving. Now talk—who are you really? Who leads the Orchid Sect? What is that old crone's true identity? Why perform these rituals? Speak!"
He moved like a shadow. Three quick strikes—three bodies fell, blood spraying into the dark.
Then came the frantic clatter of the bell—louder, faster.
A chill wind blew through the chamber. Countless black shadows materialized in the dark.
Shigeo couldn't see them, nor could Mirror Perception detect them. But he could feel them—cold, formless, alive.
When he entered, there had been thirteen people. One was the shrine maiden. Four had died to his ice spikes, three more by his kunai. That left five, all guarding her.
So where were the others coming from? What were these new presences creeping closer?
(End of Chapter)
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