Shinichi's speed was not slow at all.
At the exact moment Maruboshi Kosuke finished his hand signs, Shinichi shot forward like a gust of black wind skimming the ground, following the surging torrent of water toward the enemies who had been scattered in front of them.
During their hurried journey earlier, the two had already briefly discussed several emergency tactics. The rapid hand gesture Shinichi made just now was the signal to clear the field.
Although Maruboshi Kosuke didn't understand why Shinichi made such a judgment the moment they met, his trust in this outstanding junior made him choose the widest-range water release ninjutsu he knew without hesitation—Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!
Puchi! Puchi!
The dull sounds of sharp blades piercing flesh rang out in succession. Shinichi was the first to catch up with two cultists who had been knocked down by the current and hadn't fully scrambled to their feet.
His movements were concise and ruthless even though it was his first time killing; the katana in his hand accurately pierced one person's heart. With a twist of his wrist, he pulled it out and stabbed into the other's heart at almost the same angle.
However, the bodies of the two cultists whose hearts were pierced only stiffened slightly, as if they couldn't feel the pain and weakness brought by a fatal wound.
With a loud roar, they lunged at Shinichi!
Shinichi frowned slightly, a flash of cold realization crossing his eyes.
He retreated half a step, and with a flick of his wrist, the katana in his palm turned into a cold arc of light.
Chila!
Two heads flew up in response. The headless bodies stumbled a few steps before finally thudding to the ground, completely motionless.
By this time, Maruboshi Kosuke had already glided to his side like a ghost. Shinichi spoke quickly: "Senpai, there's something strange about their bodies. Their vital points seem different from normal people. Try to decapitate them or completely destroy their body to make them lose their mobility."
When he saw that blood-colored pattern of a triangle inside a circle, alarm bells rang in Shinichi's heart. He associated it with the Jashin Cult that Hidan would belong to in the future; its cultists might possess some similar but weakened unconventional vitality.
He couldn't say it directly, so he used this tactic of striking first and engaging in close combat to verify and pass the key information to his experienced companion in the most direct way.
Looking at it now, these cultists did indeed possess an ability to evade some fatal wounds, but decapitation was still effective.
Thinking about it, the Hidan who would truly possess an 'immortal body' later must be the one-in-a-million exception. Hidan must be the so-called holy son they spoke of!
Maruboshi Kosuke's eyes sharpened, and he responded in a deep voice: "Good! I understand."
---
The battle ended very quickly, even somewhat abruptly.
This group of black-robed cultists completely miscalculated their opponents' strength. First, they were heavily hit head-on by Maruboshi Kosuke's surprisingly powerful Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique, throwing their formation into chaos.
Subsequently, the 'god-blessed physique' they relied on, which allowed them to ignore some fatal wounds, lost its miraculous effect before the two who were already prepared and focused on vital points.
Most of the cultists didn't even have time to reorganize before being harvested one by one under the rushing water and precise, lethal attacks.
Among them, the strongest, Elder Takahashi, was roughly at the level of a special Jonin. Unfortunately, he was up against the Eternal Genin, Maruboshi Kosuke.
A mere special Jonin was naturally far from being a match for the Eternal Genin.
Especially a Konoha Eternal Genin.
He noticed the opponent's water release was incredibly powerful and intended to use Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet for an elemental counter to regain the advantage.
However, the Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet that Maruboshi Kosuke performed—a technique passed down from the Second Hokage—instantly tore his earth dragon to shreds. The water dragon, its momentum undiminished, crushed him heavily.
This Water Dragon Bullet seemed to have a chakra-absorbing effect. After being hit, Elder Takahashi was not only instantly heavily injured, but his body also quickly went limp, completely losing the ability to resist.
---
"You... you guys...!" Kurokawa Yasumasa sat paralyzed in the mud, his finger trembling as he pointed at the two approaching men. There was no longer any hint of a city lord's majesty on his face, only boundless terror and disbelief.
He wanted to say something more, perhaps a threat, or perhaps a plea for mercy.
But Shinichi didn't give him the chance to continue. The boy's eyes were calm and emotionless. His figure flashed and he was behind him, a clean and sharp hand-chop accurately striking the side of his neck.
Kurokawa Yasumasa's eyes rolled back, his words stopped abruptly, and he slumped to the ground. Shinichi casually took out a rope and tied him up firmly.
---
"I have already sent the situation here via a messenger hawk to the nearest Konoha intelligence outpost. They will report the news to Lord Third Hokage of the village as soon as possible."
Maruboshi Kosuke said, his voice steady.
"We need to wait here for Lord Third Hokage's further instructions... The subsequent cleanup will probably be quite tedious. However, I didn't expect this city lord to come personally; it saves us a lot of follow-up work."
He glanced at the unconscious Kurokawa Yasumasa with a hint of a smile.
---
It's unknown what kind of communication and negotiation took place between the village and the Land of Fire officials, but in short, a day later, the messenger hawk returned, bringing clear instructions from the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The order was concise and clear: the two were to immediately head to Narumi Castle to hand over the captured former city lord Kurokawa Yasumasa to the city's police station for temporary detention pending further disposal; and to complete the necessary handover with the temporary new city lord arriving in three days.
Afterward, they were to escort the captured Elder Takahashi and immediately set off to return to Konoha Village.
---
Three days later, amid the formal and polite farewell from the new city lord and the heartfelt, continuous gratitude of the many citizens who had found their children, the two set out on the journey back to Konoha.
The road stretched out beneath their feet, gradually leaving that border town behind.
After walking a distance, Shinichi suddenly stopped, turned around, and silently looked at Narumi Castle, which had shrunk to a blurred outline in the distance.
The morning light outlined his calm profile. No ripples could be seen on it, only a pair of eyes reflecting the distant horizon, deep and difficult to read.
Seeing this, Maruboshi Kosuke sighed softly, walked to his side, and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder: "Shinichi, you've already done very well. Don't think too much."
Maruboshi Kosuke knew what the boy was thinking. After the separate interrogations of Elder Takahashi and Kurokawa Yasumasa, they found the secret location where the children were imprisoned and rescued some of them in time.
However, another group of children had already been secretly transferred before they arrived at Narumi Town and sent into the territory of the Land of Hot Springs—the headquarters of the so-called Holy Son Church.
This matter already involved foreign countries. Subsequent actions would surely involve complex diplomatic negotiations between Konoha and the Land of Fire officials with the Land of Hot Springs side.
"I understand, senpai. I'm fine." Shinichi shook his head, a calm smile appearing on his face.
He turned his gaze toward the distant sky in the direction of the Land of Hot Springs once more, took a deep look, and then retracted his gaze, saying no more.
But Maruboshi Kosuke knew that this seemingly calm boy beside him had already made some unknown resolution in his heart.
At this moment, Maruboshi Kosuke also increasingly understood why Lord Third Hokage would call this child a 'successor of the Will of Fire.'
Extraordinary talent, meticulous thinking, and decisive action were all secondary. What was important was what lay beneath the gentle exterior of the boy before him.
A sincere heart pulsing with a strong sense of responsibility and deep empathy!