Leaving the sea breeze far behind them, Mei Terumi and Kakashi walked side-by-side out of the forest. In the distance, faint wisps of cooking smoke signaled they were approaching a populated area.
A wooden fence encircled the entire village, a typical settlement in the Land of Hot Water. Most houses were constructed from timber, and from a higher vantage point, the whole place could be taken in at a glance; the population wasn't very large.
The silver-haired boy took the lead, extending his senses. He detected fewer than ten individuals within the village exhibiting chakra signatures, confirming that neither Kumogakure nor Yugakure shinobi were stationed here.
"Do we have any money left?"
A rather serious problem confronted them. Without money, they'd face another night exposed to the elements, unless they were willing to swallow their pride and ask a local family for lodging.
Mei fished out a small amount from her pouch – remnants from her time in the Land of Water. Some coins were rusted from seawater immersion, but it didn't matter; thankfully, the currencies of the Five Great Shinobi Countries were interchangeable, avoiding the troublesome process of exchanging money.
Kakashi regretted not keeping at least one of the Seven Swordsmen's blades. If the Land of Water wanted the swords back, they could surely have demanded a considerable ransom. Alternatively, selling them on the black market would likely have yielded a handsome sum.
But there was no use crying over spilled milk. Then again, he mused, the bodies of the three deceased Swordsmen were valuable materials themselves, likely worth over twenty million ryo each. If he'd managed to bring the corpses to a bounty exchange station, money worries would have been a thing of the past. Unfortunately, he hadn't had any sealing scrolls available at the time.
"Hah..."
Missing the chance for overnight riches, the silver-haired boy suddenly understood Kakuzu's obsession with money. Even shinobi couldn't completely detach themselves from worldly needs.
"Looks like someone's giving a speech inside?" Mei observed.
"Let's go check it out."
Mei's sharp eyes spotted a man in a large black robe gesturing dramatically in the village center. Behind him, a bonfire crackled, emitting black smoke that mingled with his fervent tone. The crowd below occasionally shouted in agreement, though whispers and quiet murmurs of dissent could also be heard.
As Kakashi and Mei entered the village proper, the locals immediately turned to stare. Dressed differently from the villagers, the young boy and girl weren't deterred by the attention. In such a small community, residents likely knew each other; the arrival of outsiders naturally drew curiosity.
The orange-haired girl followed Kakashi as he blended into the crowd listening to the speech, maneuvering next to a villager who occasionally voiced disagreement.
"That man isn't from around here either, is he?" Kakashi initiated conversation with the villager, nodding towards the speaker, feigning ignorance.
"And you are?" the villager asked cautiously.
"We're just travelers passing through," Kakashi replied smoothly. "Planning to stay for a couple of days."
The young villager, plain-featured with a sun-darkened face and dressed in simple hemp clothes, glanced at Kakashi's and Mei's attire, noted the kunai pouches at their waists, and considered their age. Judging them to likely be shinobi from afar, a flicker of aversion crossed his face before being replaced by an obliging smile as he explained.
"No, he's not from here. But he's been staying for almost half a month now, preaching every day about the relationship between war and the people. We don't really understand it, but he says it doesn't matter, that if we just join his religion, we can escape the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death by believing in some 'Jashin'..."
"'Jashin'?" Kakashi echoed, his interest piqued.
"Yeah, an 'Evil God'," the villager confirmed. "He hasn't mentioned the specific deity's name, just swaggers around deceiving people all day. At first, we didn't know where he got his food and drink, but then some people actually started believing his nonsense, voluntarily offering him 'sacrifices'. Now, more and more villagers are being swayed by him."
"If you know it's some dubious evil god, why do people still believe?" Mei questioned.
Hearing this, the young villager's expression darkened, his tone growing heavier.
"A while back, some Yugakure ninja fought shinobi from some other nation right here in the village. Many ordinary people were taken hostage... none of them ever came back. They must have all died."
"Taking civilians hostage... some ninja really have no shame," Mei protested, her indignation making Kakashi inwardly chuckle slightly.
"You can't expect every shinobi to have scruples," Kakashi reminded her quietly.
"So, you two are ninja?" the villager asked, though he seemed to have suspected it already. Hearing them confirm it, however, introduced a note of distance into his demeanor.
"We're not like those ninja," Kakashi assured him. "We're just passing through. Maybe we can even help you with some of your troubles."
On the makeshift stage, the black-robed man, still rambling on, noticed the two new sets of eyes fixed on him. He turned his head and immediately spotted the conspicuous silver and orange hair in the crowd.
"Lord Jashin be praised! Such fine specimens! Look at that abundant life force!" He leered, running his tongue grotesquely over his lips. The villagers seemed accustomed to this gesture, but to Kakashi and Mei, it felt like a deliberate provocation.
"Maybe you two should leave," the young villager advised quietly, despite his reservations about ninja. He didn't want these two, who were still just kids, getting entangled in this Jashin business. "You'll be in trouble if this guy sets his sights on you."
"Why? Is he a shinobi too?" Kakashi asked.
Although the man's comment about "life force" had caught Kakashi's attention, his senses told him the preacher possessed chakra levels barely equivalent to a Genin. The silver-haired boy couldn't help but feel a degree of disdain.
Even if he has some unique ability, how much trouble could he possibly cause with so little chakra?
True, low chakra didn't always equate to low combat strength. However, based on Kakashi's assessment, this man's reserves were minimal. Even at full power, it was questionable whether he could even execute a single A-rank jutsu.
There really wasn't much to worry about. In other words, this Jashin follower was basically small fry.
"He's not a shinobi," the young villager confirmed, shaking his head. "But after that ninja attack, several more villagers disappeared. I suspect he's involved."
"Do you have any proof?" Kakashi inquired.
"He leaves the village every night... No one knows where he goes."
"Then it's highly likely he's connected," Kakashi concluded.
Taking Mei's arm, Kakashi pulled her away from the Jashin follower's line of sight, moving through the crowd towards the village's only tavern. They ordered some food.
"Do you really think the disappearance of those villagers is linked to that guy?" Mei asked once they were seated.
"Yes," Kakashi affirmed.
He couldn't be certain about the origins of this particular Jashin follower yet, but the connection to the future Akatsuki member, Hidan, seemed undeniable. Kakashi decided to use this opportunity to learn more about the cult and its structure. He hoped to analyze their killing methods and ritual practices, perhaps even uncovering clues about the true nature of "Lord Jashin" himself.
His curiosity thoroughly piqued, the young shinobi eagerly awaited the fall of night.
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