Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

Chapter 250 Young Hidan

At the same time.

—The Land of Hot Water, a small port town in the south.

A cold wind blew in from the sea, carrying salt and dampness.

The town was far less festive than the Hidden Mist Village, and by midnight, most of the residents were already fast asleep in the cold!

On an abandoned watchtower in the port, Tianzang wrapped his coat tightly around himself, sat curled up on the cold steps, and stared blankly to the south.

That sea area shrouded in endless darkness and thick fog.

That's the direction of the Land of Water.

"Captain... have you forgotten me?" he murmured softly, his voice sounding particularly aggrieved and lonely in the cold wind.

It's been two months since I left the captain's side.

For the past two months, he has stayed in the Land of Hot Springs to provide support, as ordered by his captain.

Besides occasionally receiving messages from the team leader to let him know he was safe, he also took on some tasks at the gold exchange to hone his skills and accumulate funds.

He moved quickly, his combat experience grew richer, and he gained new insights into the application of Wood Release after being guided by Tashin-hime.

But when the night is deep and quiet, especially on a holiday night like now...

The loneliness of being separated from the captain and his fellow Shadow Guards would surge over him like a tidal wave, overwhelming him.

He missed the warm scent emanating from the ancient tree in the Forest of Death;

I miss Naruto's chattering voice;

I miss Hongdou's boisterous yet energetic self, and I miss Zhishui's calm and reliable figure.

What I miss even more is... the captain's always calm yet powerful figure, and that unspoken trust and protection.

"Tsk, it's the New Year, and someone's here with a long face, what bad luck!"

A boy's voice, tinged with obvious impatience and sarcasm, came from below the watchtower.

Tianzang frowned, composed himself, and looked down.

A thin boy with a silver-gray slicked-back hairstyle and purple eyes, who looked no more than eleven or twelve years old, was looking up at him with his hands in his pockets.

The boy was dressed in the ninja uniform of Yugakure, but his brows were filled with an eccentricity and ferocity that did not match his age.

"Hidan..."

Tianzang frowned slightly.

He encountered this Yugakure genin named Hidan during a gold exchange mission.

At that time, the two received the same mission target—a rogue Chunin from Yugakure!

The two were simply on different sides. Tenzo wanted to take the rogue ninja to the gold exchange to exchange for money, while Hidan wanted to bring the rogue ninja back to the village and hand him over to the higher-ups.

As a result, a conflict inevitably broke out between the two.

Tianzang was astonished by the boy's bizarre physical skills and fearless fighting style, who was even younger than himself.

Hidan, on the other hand, was disdainful of Tenzo's solid foundation in ninjutsu and his "outdated" fighting style.

In a brief encounter, neither side could gain the upper hand.

The final target was captured and bound by Tenzo's Wood Release technique, while Hidan cursed and swore behind him.

Since then, the two have encountered each other several more times in this area.

Hidan seems to have developed a twisted interest in Tenzo, this "outsider who is quite strong and somewhat interesting."

Or rather, he found a "debate subject" to test his extreme theories.

He would always appear near Tianzang, intentionally or unintentionally, to provoke Tianzang with his twisted and heretical theories about "pain," "killing," and "belief in evil gods."

Tianzang initially didn't want to pay attention to this crazy little devil.

However, Hidan was simply too persistent, and Tenzo himself was going through a lonely period where he needed to confide in others and reflect on his thoughts.

Over time, a strange, adversarial yet friendly "communication" relationship developed between the two.

"Hidan, what are you doing here so late at night instead of sleeping?"

Tianzang asked in an annoyed tone.

He was in a bad mood and didn't want to deal with this crazy kid's provocation.

"Hmph, I'm happy to!"

Hidan jumped up the watchtower in a few quick movements, sat down casually next to Tenzo, and also looked out at the dark sea.

"But you look like you've lost a loved one, it's infuriating to look at. What's wrong? Missing your damn captain?"

"Shut up! You're not allowed to insult the captain!" Tianzang suddenly turned his head, his eyes sharpening. The captain was his Achilles' heel!

"Oh, you're angry!?" Hidan, far from being afraid, revealed an excited smile, his purple pupils gleaming eerily in the night.

"That's right! You have to vent your emotions! Kill! Destroy! Make all those who annoy you feel pain! That's the true meaning of life!"

"What kind of ninja are you, keeping everything bottled up inside!"

"I'm sick and tired of your twisted logic!" Tianzang said coldly.

"Ninjas are for protection, not for meaningless killing. Your ideology will only bring chaos and destruction!"

"Protect? Hahaha!"

Hidan laughed exaggeratedly, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Protect what? Protect those cowardly and incompetent civilians who only passively beg for peace?"

"Or should we protect those so-called 'shadows' and powerful figures who set the rules and stand high above us?"

"Don't joke around. This world is a dog-eat-dog world, where pain and death are the eternal themes! Only by worshipping the evil god, offering sacrifices, and gaining power can one transcend this boring cycle of reincarnation!"

"Your Konoha's hypocritical 'Will of Fire' is nothing but a self-deceiving trick!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, gesturing wildly:

"Look at your Konoha, the so-called strongest ninja village, aren't you just fighting and killing each other too? Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure... aren't they all like that?"

"So-called peace is nothing more than a brief respite between two wars! Only killing and sacrifice lead to the true path!"

"Once I find the true ritual of the evil god and obtain immortality and that powerful curse, I will offer the grandest sacrifice of pain to this hypocritical world!"

"Let...everyone feel...the beauty of pain!"

Tianzang felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the fanatical, distorted-eyed boy before him.

But more than anything, it's a tragedy.

He could sense that Hidan wasn't entirely talking nonsense.

Deep down, this boy seems to have been corrupted by some extreme and dark "belief," forming a dangerous worldview.

This seems to have some similarity to what the captain once mentioned about certain ninjas who have an extreme pursuit of power.

"You're wrong, Hidan!"

Tianzang's voice lowered, carrying a composure beyond his years:

"Power can be used to protect or to destroy; the choice is yours."

"The captain once said that true strength is not about how much you can destroy, but how much you can protect. The so-called 'truth' and 'pain' you pursue will only drag you into deeper darkness."

"In the end, you will destroy yourself."

"Hmph, anyone can spout grand principles!" Hidan scoffed, but his eyes flickered slightly.

The unreserved trust and respect that Tianzang showed when mentioning "Captain" stirred a very faint, imperceptible feeling in a corner of his heart...

Or perhaps, jealousy?

He had longed for that kind of unreserved trust and guidance, but in the environment where he grew up, there was only indifference, exclusion, and the "faith" he found on his own.

"Alright, I'm too lazy to argue with you."

Having finished delivering his message for the day, Hidan waved his hand, seemingly also feeling that arguing about these things on this special day was pointless.

He rarely quieted down, and he also looked south, suddenly asking:

"Hey, Tenzo, is your captain... really that strong? Stronger than our Yugakure Jonin?"

"The captain..." A glint flashed in Tianzang's eyes, his tone filled with pride, "...is one of the strongest people I've ever met."

"The captain's strength lies not only in his ability, but also in... his ability to see paths that others cannot see and to do things that others cannot do."

"With him around, people feel that no matter what difficulties they face, there is hope."

"Tch, talking like you're some kind of immortal," Hidan scoffed, but didn't mock him any further.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly whispered:

“I’ve recently been researching a forbidden technique, which is said to have been passed down from ancient gods and requires… a living sacrifice.”

"If I succeed, I will gain true immortality and the power of the curse."

"Then... I'll see if your captain, who's been blown to the heavens, can withstand my curse."

Tenzo was startled and looked sharply at Hidan.

He saw in Hidan's eyes a mixture of fanaticism, cruelty, and a near-self-destructive excitement.

This madman... he's serious! He's really planning that evil forbidden technique!

The fact that an eleven or twelve-year-old boy could speak so casually about "living sacrifices" truly horrified Tianzang!

"Hidan, you..."

Tianzang wanted to stop him and offer advice, but he swallowed the words back down his throat.

He knew that in Hidan's current state, any advice would only provoke him to a stronger rebellious attitude.

"What? Are you scared? Or do you want to stop me?"

Hidan grinned, revealing a sinister smile: