Starting from the roots of Konoha, they were the masterminds behind the scenes.

Chapter 152 A Battle of Wits! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

Having sealed away Zero Tail and dealt with Shennong, the aerial fortress was now buried underground.

With this core gone, and with the recent sweeping up of the Sky Ninja strongholds, the Sky Ninja remnants who wanted to cause trouble behind the Konoha army are no longer a threat.

However, adhering to the principle of eradicating evil completely, Hoshino Hide and Minato Namikaze stayed in the Land of the Moon for another three days to completely wipe out the remaining Sky Ninja before leading their team to the Land of Hot Springs.

Under the moonlight, a wooden house stands tall in the woods.

Hoshino Hide and Uchiha Fugaku lowered their eyes to rest, while Namikaze Minato and Hyuga Hizashi teamed up to investigate the nearby situation.

The Sky Ninja have many strongholds in the Moon Kingdom, but the Evil God Cult has no such strongholds.

They didn't get any more information about the evil god cult from Kongren.

This cult is keen on spreading its evil ideas far and wide, and has taken root among ordinary people, making it difficult to eradicate.

The Village of Hot Springs repeatedly annihilates the Evil God Cult, but the Evil God Cult revives time and time again.

This time, the Evil God Cult colluded with the Sky Ninja, and there were also faint traces of Cloud Ninja's involvement. In addition, Konoha was in a standoff with the Cloud Ninja, which threatened the rear. That's why Xingxia Xiu had this mission.

A faint sound rang out, and Hoshino Hideaki and Uchiha Fugaku simultaneously opened their eyes. Immediately afterward, Namikaze Minato appeared in the doorway: "Captain, there's a village nearby that's performing a ritual for an evil god!"

Xingxia Xiu stood up: "Let's go take a look!"

The three set off and met up with Hyuga Hizashi, who was keeping watch outside the village.

The open space in front of the village was bustling with activity. A large number of villagers, men, women, and children, had gathered under a wooden platform, surrounded by a roaring bonfire.

On the wooden platform, a middle-aged man was passionately preaching the doctrines of an evil cult.

What kind of sacrifice of life to an evil god can bring the evil god's favor?

Those who receive this blessing will gain immortality.

Then, under the watchful eyes of Xingxia Xiu and the other three, the middle-aged man displayed the immortality he had gained by sacrificing to an evil god.

He then took out a short knife and plunged it straight into his own chest.

In the firelight, blood spurted out as the middle-aged man drew his dagger, yet he continued to laugh loudly on the wooden platform: "This is the power bestowed upon me by the Evil God!"

"Come and convert to the evil god!"

"By converting to the evil god, you can gain immortality!"

The villagers were in an uproar, and some began to cheer wildly.

Minato and the other two were all shocked; they were indeed immortal.

Hoshino Hide narrowed his eyes and then laughed.

If someone were truly immortal, they wouldn't be here fooling a group of villagers to spread their evil cult.

"You stay!"

After saying that, Xingxia Xiu disappeared.

Below the wooden platform, just as some villagers, their eyes bloodshot, were about to commit a blood sacrifice, Xingxia Xiu suddenly appeared on the platform, shouting, "What is the Evil God Cult? The Wood God Cult is the strongest!"

In an instant, the previously frenzied villagers all stared blankly at Xingxiaxiu.

Minato Namikaze and the other two were also dumbfounded.

"You bastard, where did you come from?"

On the wooden platform, the middle-aged man was furious.

Xingxia smiled, and with a thought, tender shoots sprouted from the wooden platform. Amidst the exclamations of the villagers, they quickly grew into vines, entangling and binding the middle-aged man.

"What...what are you going to do?"

The middle-aged man panicked.

Because the person in front of you is a ninja.

Although he was a follower of the evil god cult, he was just an ordinary person.

As for the immortality he displayed earlier, it was nothing more than an illusion.

The knife is retractable, and the blood comes from pre-prepared blood packs.

"Of course, it's to test your immortality."

Xingxia Xiu chuckled, then drew his knife and stabbed a bloody hole in the middle-aged man's thigh.

The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then let out a pig-like scream, begging for mercy with tears and snot streaming down his face under the villagers' gaze.

That's it?

Xingxia Xiu shook his head in disappointment.

puff!

With a casual swing of the knife, the middle-aged man's body was decapitated.

"See that?"

"These so-called cults of evil gods are nothing but frauds!"

Xingxia Xiu shouted loudly.

The audience was silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers: "Wood God Cult! Wood God Cult!"

Xingxiaxiu was speechless.

He just casually mentioned the Wood God Sect because he thought it was funny, and then he actually took it seriously.

Too lazy to waste any more words, Xingxia Xiu directly formed hand seals and used the Heavenly Dream Walker technique to hypnotize and control all the villagers.

This scene caused Fugaku Uchiha's pupils to shrink sharply; even his Sharingan could not achieve such genjutsu abilities.

If it were just simple hypnosis, that would be one thing, but to also manipulate these people is completely impossible.

The villagers, as if in a daze, went home to sleep.

When they wake up, they'll just think it was a dream.

All those evil god cults and wood god cults are just fantasies.

After the villagers returned home, Hoshino Hide told Uchiha Fugaku to set a fire, burning the wooden platform and the middle-aged man's corpse together. He then used Water Release to wash away all traces.

Back at the cabin, Hoshino Hide sent a clone to keep watch, allowing Minato Namikaze and the others to rest.

Before I knew it, it was early morning.

The status bar refreshed on time, and the [Fire Release Expert] was obtained.

This is the seventh stage of Xingxiaxiu's solidification.

The feeling of being blessed with talent is completely different from the feeling of not having talent.

Although one can realize their talents during the state of mastery and become proficient in many B-rank fire techniques, even if the state of mastery ends, the proficient fire techniques will not degenerate.

However, if you want to learn other fire techniques, or even develop your own fire technique, you will return to the period when you have no talent, and your mind will become "dumber".

Hoshino Shu may not develop any stronger Fire Release ninjutsu, but his powerful Fire Release talent will be beneficial for developing his bloodline limit in the future.

Without talent, expert-level fire-style techniques alone are not enough.

Current status: [Verbal sparring]

Note: The tongue is like a sword, the lips like a gun. When it comes to eloquence, who can rival us!

Refresh countdown: 29 days 23:58:49

Xingxia Xiu was speechless. Was he trying to learn verbal skills on his own?

They're not chosen by fate.

Are words as effective as fists and swords?

He shook his head inwardly, but Xingxia Xiu still subconsciously thought about how to solidify it.

Talking can be quite effective sometimes.

After much thought, Xingxia Xiu felt he had to summarize his skills in arguing and debating, similar to the "Swordsmanship Expert" and "Fire Release Expert," to make the most of his talent for "verbal sparring."

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"However, let's just let things take their course..."

Xingxia Xiu thought for a moment, then lowered her eyes to rest.

The next morning, the four members of Hoshinoya continued their operation.

Although the evil god cult is a matter for the Hot Spring Village, because it is related to the Cloud Village, Hoshinobi Hide must investigate it thoroughly so that he can report back to the Third Hokage.

Taking down Zero-Tails and the Sky Ninja stronghold are the key tasks, while figuring out the relationship between the Evil God Cult and the Cloud Ninja is about taking initiative.

Without initiative, how can one stand on one's own?

……

"Captain, there's a battle going on at three o'clock, about 4 kilometers away."

Hyuga Hizashi, who was traveling ahead, suddenly reported this.

Xingxia Xiu immediately ordered, "Change direction, go and take a look."

The four immediately turned and headed straight for the three o'clock direction.

The distance of 4 kilometers is not far, and the four of them arrived quickly.

"It's Tang Ren. The other side has no markings. Could they be members of the Evil God Cult?"

I glanced at Minami Namikaze.

Xingxia Xiu said, "Whether it's the Evil God Cult or not, we'll know once we take them down."

"Help Tang Ren."

"Fugaku, Hizashi, go around to the back to prevent them from escaping."

Fugaku Uchiha and Hizashi Hyuga immediately nodded and left.

Hoshita Hide then said to Namikaze Minato, "Minato, go help Yu Shinobu. I'll cover you!"

"clear!"

Minato Namikaze pulled out his specially made kunai and disappeared from the spot.

Xingxia Xiu followed slowly behind, ready to make a move at any moment.

However, Minato Namikaze has already mastered the Flying Thunder God technique.

In a surprise attack, he defeated an enemy with a single Rasengan.

"I am a Konoha ninja!"

Minato Namikaze reveals his identity and lunges at another enemy.

The ninja, who had initially been at a disadvantage, was overjoyed: "They're lunatics from the evil god cult!"

Hidden in the shadows, Xingxia Xiu raised an eyebrow: "Are they really from the Evil God Cult?"

"When war breaks out, all sorts of monsters and demons come out."

The battle ended quickly.

As soon as Minato Namikaze appeared, the enemy began to retreat, but they were blocked by Fugaku Uchiha and Hizashi Hyuga.

Both of them are Jonin, especially Uchiha Fugaku who has activated the Three Tomoe skill.

After the battle, Fugaku Uchiha interrogated the remaining prisoners and solemnly reported to Hideaki Hoshishita, "Captain, these guys aren't from the Jashin Cult!"

The ninjas in the soup-making room paled upon hearing this: "What?"

"How is that possible? They themselves claim to be a cult of evil gods."

Fugaku Uchiha glanced at the few ninja from the hot springs and said calmly, "They are imposters from the Cloud Ninja."

Xingxia Xiu asked directly, "Purpose?"

Fugaku Uchiha said, "Let the Land of Hot Springs descend into chaos."

"They do have connections with the evil god cult, and their goal is to use the cult's power to drag the Hot Spring Ninja Village into war as well."

Hyuga Hizashi said, "This will affect our logistics."

Konoha's logistics were transported from the Land of Fire, but at the same time, it also procured supplies from nearby Yugakure.

However, once the evil god cult descends into chaos, and the Land of Hot Springs descends into chaos, the Hot Spring Ninja Village will have to take action, and naturally will not have the strength to provide logistical support to Konoha.

This would lengthen Konoha's logistics lines, giving the Cloud Ninja more opportunities to exploit.

Furthermore, the Land of Hot Springs can be considered the rear of the Konoha ninja army on the front lines. If the rear is in chaos, it will be difficult to truly stabilize the front.

Otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't have sent Hideaki Hoshino to lead the team.

The remnants of the Kongren sect and the evil god cult may seem like minor figures, but their influence is not insignificant.

Hoshinobi looked at the several ninjas in the soup: "I am Hoshinobi, a Jonin of Konoha, um... you can also call me the Wood Release Master."

"I want to see your leader!"

Several ninja with hot springs paled again, some even exclaiming, "The Wood Release user, the one who killed the demigod Hanzo!"

Faced with Xingxia Xiu's request, Tang Ren, the leader, neither refused nor dared to refuse: "Alright, I'll have someone report to the leader immediately!"

After saying that, he arranged for someone to report. Hoshino Hide had an idea and said, "Fugaku, Minato, escort them back to the village to prevent them from running into the Cloud Ninja."

"If possible, please apologize to the leader of the Hot Spring Village on my behalf. The situation is urgent, and I apologize for my intrusion."

Fugaku Uchiha immediately nodded: "Yes, Captain!"

(End of this chapter)