Inside the Shrine

Soon after the group entered the shrine, they encountered the Miko and guards who had rushed over. Upon seeing Kana covered in blood in Fumori Masaki's arms, the shrine Miko's heart trembled, assuming Kana was a victim. She felt sorrow, thinking once again that even with her abilities, she was powerless to change fate.

The foresight ability of the Miko family gave them an air of mystery and high status among the people, but few realized that this foresight was also a curse. They were often burdened with visions of unfortunate futures they had no power to alter.

The Miko family's prophetic abilities often involved visions of danger and death. In the past, a Miko with extremely powerful foresight could feel whenever someone close to her died. The current Miko did not possess such strong foresight, but her daughter, Maitreya, was even more gifted than she was.

Of course, the current  Miko could not know that her future granddaughter would one day possess foresight as strong as that of the ancient Mikos, casting an unavoidable shadow over her life.

"I'm sorry, Masaki-sama. If only we had been quicker..." the shrine Miko said apologetically. She knew such words could not ease the grief of Masaki and his team, but she was at a loss for how else to console them.

Contrary to the Miko's expectations, Masaki only looked briefly surprised before replying, "No, we arrived just in time. Please arrange for a healer to examine Kana's condition."

The shrine Miko was momentarily stunned. She looked closer at Kana, realizing she was still breathing. Although Kana was covered in blood, she seemed to be unharmed. Embarrassment flooded the Miko's heart, grateful she hadn't voiced her premature assumption.

It wasn't that the shrine Miko was too pessimistic, her visions had rarely brought good news, so she had instinctively assumed the worst at the sight of Kana. She quickly composed herself and instructed one of her attendants to summon the nearest healer, then led Masaki and the others to a room where Kana could rest. After removing Kana's blood-stained clothes, only Tsunade remained to help with her recovery, while Masaki, Hatake Sakumo , and Hattori Heizo waited outside.

Masaki already knew Kana's condition wasn't serious. He told Tsunade and the shrine's healer to look after her, then turned to the shrine maiden. "Though we couldn't capture all of the attackers, we did manage to take a prisoner who should be of use to us."

The shrine Miko had already seen the barely conscious cultist. While tending to Kana, she had instructed other guards to monitor him and keep him sedated. She nodded and replied, "His injuries are severe. He likely won't survive an interrogation, and these Jashinists are typically very resistant to questioning."

She had seen captured cultists in the past, but they were usually civilians, and the information extracted was often of little value. This one, however, was a true ninja, with a much higher tolerance for torture. But in his condition, she doubted he could withstand much.

"We won't need him to talk. One of our reinforcements has a technique to retrieve memories directly. The only thing we need is for him to stay alive until they arrive, so please ensure he's kept under control and doesn't get a chance to commit suicide," Masaki explained.

The shrine Miko turned to her attendants and gave them firm instructions to secure the prisoner and keep him under constant watch.

At that moment, a healer emerged from Kana's room, confirming she was only unconscious due to exhaustion. Relieved, Masaki thanked them and asked Tsunade to stay with Kana. He, along with Sakumo and Heizo, followed the shrine maiden to another room to discuss the recent attack.

"The enemy was formidable, wasn't he, Masaki-sama?" the shrine Miko noted, observing the injuries on Sakumo and Heizo.

"Yes, more formidable than I expected," Masaki replied, "but not invincible. The main threat was the ninja who escaped, and a few other...concerns."

"Masaki-sensei, what exactly was that...thing we fought?" Sakumo finally asked, unable to hide his confusion. "He didn't seem human. Is that the power of the cult?"

Sakumo and Heizo had witnessed the strange black threads in Kakuzu's body and had seen him survive being nearly bisected. The memory sent a chill through both young men, who, despite their experience, were still children.

"No, that wasn't from the cult's power. It was some type of secret technique. From what I observed, those black threads were actually modified blood vessels," Masaki explained calmly.

"Blood vessels?" Sakumo repeated, remembering the blood that had sprayed from Kakuzu's wounds. He now understood that those black threads were indeed blood vessels, altered by some secret technique, moving almost as if alive. Even if this didn't come from the cult, it was disturbing.

"From what I sensed, Kakuzu had five hearts and five chakra pathways in his body. My assumption is that, even if one heart fails, he'll survive as long as the other hearts remain. To defeat him completely, we would have to destroy all five hearts," Masaki said.

The shrine Miko was visibly shocked, and Sakumo and Heizo looked uneasy. Killing a ninja five times in a row seemed almost impossible.

Sakumo's voice shook slightly as he asked, "But, Sensei, if that's the case, how can you say he's not hard to deal with?"

Masaki smiled slightly. "The key difference is knowledge. He doesn't know that I understand his secret. Information can turn the tide in any battle, Sakumo, Heizo. Never forget that."

If Masaki and Kakuzu had fought to the death, Kakuzu would likely have relied on his assumed advantage, only to find himself unexpectedly outmatched. Masaki was confident he could exploit that gap in understanding to eliminate all five of Kakuzu's hearts in one swift strike.

"As long as I get close enough, I'm certain I can kill him," Masaki reassured them. "But it's crucial that he remains unaware of what we know."

The shrine Miko was relieved. "If we can prevent him from learning our plans, then we have a good chance," she said. "Although that ninja was formidable, I trust in Masaki-sama's skill."

Sakumo and Heizo exchanged glances, feeling reassured. Sakumo said, "I nearly believed the cult's powers might actually exist."

The shrine Miko chuckled. "In the legends, the highest being is the Sage of Six Paths, not some god. There's a difference between gods and sages, you know."

Masaki didn't believe in gods, either. To him, gods were all-knowing and all-powerful, beyond any mortal comprehension. Figures like the Ōtsutsuki clan might appear divine, but they were still fallible beings, nothing like the concept of a true god.

But Masaki was still puzzled by the Jashin cult's abilities. Their techniques, like Hidan's supposed immortality and his blood-based ritual, were unnervingly powerful. What unsettled him most was the cult's activity in the Land of Demons. It reminded him of the Ōtsutsuki cult, a group seeking to resurrect a dark entity to conquer the ninja world. Could the Jashin cult and Ōtsutsuki cult be connected?

Regardless, he knew one thing for certain, as long as the Jashinists lingered, their fight wasn't over. Turning to the shrine Miko, he said, "Until my comrades arrive, please ensure the Jashinists are under tight watch. I doubt they'll give up easily."

"Indeed," the shrine Miko agreed. "We'll first focus on finding any moles. While our army isn't powerful enough to fight the cultists directly, they can still defend our walls."

Masaki nodded in approval, recognizing that while the shrine's forces lacked attack strength, they were well-equipped for defense.

When Kana woke, it was late at night. Moonlight filtered through the paper doors, casting a soft glow in the room. She sat up, realizing her clothes had been changed, and recalled the events leading to her near-capture. Fear rose in her heart, but so did gratitude.

She remembered Masaki's calm strength as he rescued her and the warmth of his embrace. She felt her worries melt away and smiled gently as she noticed Tsunade, asleep by her bedside. Tsunade had been with her the entire time, her own wounds still untreated. Kana leaned closer, hearing her name murmured in Tsunade's sleep.

"Such a sweet child," Kana whispered, stroking Tsunade's hair. Although Tsunade could be headstrong, her love for her family made it hard to ever scold her.

"Are you awake, Kana?" a voice spoke softly from the doorway. Kana turned and saw a silhouette, recognizing it instantly.

"Yes, Masaki-Nii ," Kana replied gently.