Yugakure of the Land of Hot Water.
"Lord Mitsuki, I have already sent people to investigate the Evil God Cult's base. We have the best hot spring inns in the entire ninja world. Please wait patiently for a while," the Yugakure leader said.
Compared to a hidden village chief, he looked more like a businessman who valued harmony above all else. He did not care about the age difference between himself and Mitsuki at all, and his respectful tone flowed smoothly without any stiffness.
Hearing that the Yugakure leader still had not located the cult's nest, Obito could not help but think of the children whose fates were unknown. He pursed his lips, feeling unwilling to accept the delay. Mitsuki glanced at him, then raised a hand to stop the leader from arranging an escort to an inn.
"No need to be so polite. I have already found the Evil God Cult's base."
"What? You have already found it?" the Yugakure leader exclaimed in shock. Was that really possible?
In truth, there was nothing surprising about it. Mitsuki had simply sensed the Flying Thunder God mark he had left on the Yugakure ninja he met the evening before. According to the information provided by the leader, that person was one of the ninja absorbed by the cult. It had to be said, those Evil God Cult members were quite good at running. They had even set their base at the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost.
"Mitsuki, then let's hurry and set out. Maybe those children haven't been killed yet," Obito said anxiously. Mitsuki's words had greatly encouraged him.
"Calm down, idiot Obito. Don't bring personal emotions into the mission," Kakashi said calmly, cooling down Obito's overheated brain. Kakashi had done this many times on the battlefield. After all, Obito had always been this kind of hot-blooded idiot.
The Yugakure leader said expectantly, "Since Lord Mitsuki has already found the base, I will immediately gather the Yugakure ninja and prepare to depart."
"No need," Mitsuki waved his hand to refuse. "Since I have accepted your commission fee, you do not need to worry about the rest."
To be safe, Mitsuki formed seals and created a shadow clone. The clone nodded to the original body, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique and vanished from the spot in an instant.
At the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost, the Evil God Cult's base was established inside a hollowed-out mountain peak. In the Land of Hot Water, they still had many other bases, but compared to those small ones, this place contained the most important thing for the cult: the Evil God Altar. No one knew who had left this altar behind, but one thing was certain; its history was extremely ancient.
At this moment, the Yugakure ninja marked by Mitsuki was on guard outside the base together with three companions, taking turns on watch. A cold wind unique to the Land of Frost, mixed with snow, swept past.
Suddenly, Mitsuki's shadow clone flickered and appeared beside the Yugakure ninja. Without any unnecessary movement, he released a prepared Earth Flash. Blue-white electric currents spread across the ground like a net, paralyzing all four ninja in place. His hands then formed seals rapidly. As chakra flowed, large amounts of sand appeared in the air.
Wind Release: Sand Buckshot
The sound of bullets continuously piercing flesh rang out, swallowed by the wind and frost. The four ninja, whose strength was mediocre to begin with, were instantly killed by the clone in a single exchange. After observing the surroundings, the shadow clone formed a seal and dispelled itself.
The memories returned to the main body. Mitsuki frowned slightly and let out a soft sigh. He then placed both hands on Kakashi's and Obito's shoulders and directly activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Accompanied by a ripple of space-time, the three of them crossed more than half the Land of Hot Water and arrived at the border.
"Brr," Obito shivered violently. "It's so cold."
Kakashi looked around at the vast snowy plains. "This should be near the Land of Frost."
"That's right," Mitsuki confirmed. He pointed toward a snow-covered mountain surrounded by a coniferous forest. "The Evil God Cult's lair is underground in that mountain."
Under the powerful investigation of Mitsuki's Six Eyes, the internal structure of the base was completely laid bare. Leading Kakashi and Obito quickly to an entrance at the foot of the mountain, Mitsuki did not hesitate and walked straight inside. The sound of footsteps echoed clearly through the tunnel running through the mountain.
Looking at Mitsuki striding ahead without restraint, Kakashi felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Mitsuki, your footsteps are too loud. We're supposed to be infiltrating."
Even Obito was deliberately controlling the sound of his steps.
"It's fine," Mitsuki said without turning back, merely waving his hand. "This is true infiltration."
Within Mitsuki's map-wide vision, four cult members were walking toward them, likely coming to change shifts with the ninja outside. "Four enemies are coming," Mitsuki reminded them softly.
Obito and Kakashi immediately became alert. Just as the two sides were about to meet at a corner, Mitsuki gave the order. Kakashi rapidly formed seals and slammed one palm onto the ground.
"Swamp of the Underworld"
Under the influence of Kakashi's ninjutsu, the hard rock beneath the four cult members suddenly turned into a small swamp several meters wide. Obito formed seals with both hands, and a fully powered Great Fireball blasted from his mouth, filling the tunnel. A few seconds later, the flames dissipated, leaving only four charred corpses on the ground.
Sensory-type ninja were quite rare in the ninja world. Most with proper lineage were concentrated in the Five Great Villages. As a result, these cult members were caught completely off guard and were killed instantly by the combo.
They encountered no more enemies on the way forward. Within Mitsuki's vision, aside from the four who had just been killed, all members of the base were gathered in a huge underground cavity at the center.
The three accelerated forward. As they approached that massive underground space, Mitsuki felt it was necessary to give them a warning.
"Obito, Kakashi." Seeing their puzzled gazes, Mitsuki paused for a moment. "No matter what you see later, I hope that as ninja, you can at least maintain your calm during the mission."
Obito was not stupid. He immediately understood the meaning behind Mitsuki's words. His pupils shrank slightly, and he gave a low response, his voice filled with barely concealed dejection. Kakashi wanted to say something to comfort him, but his throat trembled and he ultimately chose silence.
The two followed Mitsuki deeper underground. Strange and eerie runes gradually appeared on the rock walls. Dim light flickered as if whispering ancient curses, and the air was filled with the stench of decay mixed with the unmistakable smell of blood.