Meanwhile, on the other side...
In the capital of the Land of Hot Springs, Yuga-smoke City (Yugake City).
The continuous war had shattered the hot spring dreams of the local citizens. The bathhouses that should have been open were tightly shut, and the streets were filled with shivering refugees in rags. The wind felt like ice against the skin.
In front of an unremarkable izakaya, a frantic, dust-covered man with bloodshot eyes stared intensely at the corner of the street. Seiichiro Uchiha didn't dare to blink, fearing he might miss something.
Finally, a man in a deep blue kimono and wooden clogs appeared, walking with a calm, measured pace. Seiichiro let out a massive breath of relief and called out hoarsely:
"Captain Fugaku!"
"Oh, it's you, Seiichiro," Fugaku Uchiha said, his voice level and unsurprised. He had already gathered intel on the way through the Ninja Cats. He knew generally what was happening in the Land of Hot Springs.
"Captain! Our team was ambushed by the Cloud at the border. The Great Elder... and Ren Uchiha... they are in extreme danger!" Seiichiro spoke rapidly, his voice cracking with urgency. "Please, send reinforcements immediately! If we're too late, they might—"
Fugaku raised a hand, cutting him off. "I understand. Go and rest first."
"What?! Rest? At a time like this?!" Seiichiro's eyes turned red with disbelief. He forgot all about rank and hierarchy. "Ren risked his life to get me out! I can't just—"
Fugaku frowned. Seiichiro was clearly at his mental and physical limit. He had pushed himself like a runaway train to cover a half-day's journey in half the time. Fugaku didn't explain; he simply waved him away again. "Leave."
Just then, a shadow flickered. A clan member knelt before Fugaku. "Captain, we've located Ren Uchiha. However..." The ninja looked hesitant. "That area is currently controlled by the Jashin Cult. Detailed intel is only held by the Leaf's ANBU. I contacted them, but they said... 'No comment'."
"What?!" Seiichiro gasped. "Ren is with the Jashin Cult? Those people are lunatics! They're kidnapping ninjas and children everywhere!"
In the chaotic Land of Hot Springs, there were three groups you never wanted to cross:
1. The Mist's Hunter-nin.
2. The Uchiha garrison at the Valley of Hell.
3. The rising Jashin Cult.
The cult was mysterious, extreme, and their creed was simple: Kill everyone around you. (Ref: Book of Sha)
Fugaku narrowed his eyes, silent for a moment. "I see." He signaled his subordinate to rest, then pushed aside the curtain and walked into the izakaya.
Seiichiro stood frozen, watching Fugaku's indifferent back. Anger and frustration boiled over in his chest. "You just... 'see'? You have intel on Ren, and you're just going in for a drink?!" He shouted, trembling. "Why won't you act? Does the blade have to fall and our kin have to die before you feel anything?!"
Fugaku glanced back, his voice still cool. "You heard the report. That area is cult territory."
"But it's REN!" Seiichiro countered.
"Ren Uchiha?" Fugaku scrutinized Seiichiro's face. "Is he that special? As far as I know, he's just an ordinary Genin. Besides, Seiichiro... you never used to talk like this. What's happened to you?"
Seiichiro stood in a daze, his mind a mess. But then, he remembered the boy who pushed him out of the Deathmatch Barrier to face a Cloud Jōnin alone. He clenched his fists.
"Fine! If you won't save him... then I... I'll go myself! I'M going to save Ren Uchiha!"
He turned and bolted toward the exit. I ran away once. I won't run away again! he thought, imagining Ren being tied to a sacrificial altar, cold and helpless.
Fugaku watched him leave, a hint of surprise in his eyes. First Shisui, then Elder Setsuna... and now Seiichiro. All willing to die for this mysterious boy.
Ren Uchiha... what kind of magic do you have?
Fugaku decided he needed to see this child for himself. He stepped out of the izakaya into the sunlight and whispered to the shadows: "Move out. We're following him."
In an instant, seven or eight pairs of scarlet eyes flashed in the darkness and vanished.
Meanwhile, outside the city...
A group of Leaf "Root" ninjas flickered into existence before a pale young man. They knelt, offering a scroll.
"Lord Orochimaru. This is the gathered intel on the Jashin Cult. The person you are looking for should be at this location."
With long black hair, golden slit pupils, and purple eye markings, the man—Orochimaru—licked his lips. A look of pure excitement crossed his face.
"Excellent..."
"Forbidden jutsus: Body Revival, the Immortal Body... and the Ketsuryūgan that controls the ultimate metabolism of body tissues... The Land of Hot Springs is becoming quite interesting lately."