Jashin and Death

The followers of Jashin were kept in a separate, closely guarded room. To prevent any chance of suicide, his limbs were completely restrained, rendering him unable to move, and his mouth was stuffed with cloth. Even so, there were concerns about security, so he was administered a sedative that left him groggy.

As Fumori Masaki entered the room, he observed the bound Jashin believer. Although the man wasn't fully conscious, it didn't matter, as the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique didn't require the target to be alert. In fact, having his mind in a muddled state was beneficial, as it lowered resistance to spiritual invasion.

"Is this the Jashin follower from Takigakure? Looking at him, you'd never guess he's part of such an organization," remarked Yamanaka Takuma, the Yamanaka Clan member leading this operation.

"Appearances can be deceiving. As shinobi, we should never judge someone solely by their looks," Masakii replied, gesturing toward the restrained man. "All right, Takuma, go ahead and begin."

"Understood, Captain." Takuma stepped forward, kneeling to align with the captive's head, and reached out, placing his hand on the Jashin follower's forehead.

Using the clan's secret technique, Takuma focused his spirit, projecting it into the captive's mind to extract memories. Since chakra comprises both spiritual and physical energy, the Yamanaka Clan had developed a technique that utilized the spirit portion to invade and access memories. Even without this secret technique, some powerful shinobi could imprint part of their will on chakra to activate it independently. Examples include the chakra left in Uzumaki Naruto by Minato and Kushina, or the chakra of the Sage of Six Paths that persisted after sealing the Ten-Tails.

Mind-reading jutsu is potent but risky. In the mental realm, the spirit is vulnerable, so only highly trained Yamanaka Clan members are permitted to use this technique. Takuma was one such skilled practitioner, though not the clan's head. His expertise made him the go-to person for delicate memory extraction missions.

As Takuma placed his hand on the man's head, the captive's body tensed, his eyes widening in shock. He appeared alert, but his gaze was vacant, indicating that Takuma's chakra had penetrated his consciousness and was now reading his mind.

Watching this, Masaki's thoughts drifted to the Samsara of Life and Death — the mind-invading technique used by the Rinnegan. That technique could similarly infiltrate a person's mind with a simple touch to the forehead, reading memories and, if necessary, extracting the soul. Masaki found this ability unnervingly powerful.

The Yamanaka Clan's mind-reading jutsu seemed like a modest imitation of the Rinnegan's power. Masaki couldn't dismiss the possibility that such jutsu had roots in attempts to replicate the techniques of the Rinnegan. After all, every current shinobi clan descended from either the Sage of Six Paths or a prominent Ninshū follower. The Yamanaka Clan's ancestors might well have modeled their techniques after the Rinnegan's abilities.

As Masaki mused over these theories, Takuma progressed in his memory search. He skillfully extracted significant memories from the Jashin follower, though he encountered a restriction — a common obstacle in these kinds of interrogations. However, this barrier was surprisingly crude.

Perhaps the Jashin followers hadn't anticipated Konoha's involvement, or maybe they lacked the knowledge to set up a more complex mental block. Takuma welcomed the simplicity; dealing with more sophisticated restrictions often involved dodging harmful countermeasures aimed at harming the interrogator's spirit.

"Let's see what your intentions are," Takuma thought. Soon, a sequence of hazy images emerged in his mind, slowly sharpening into scenes. He saw the man's life in Takigakure, the hardships he endured during the war, and his eventual recruitment by the cult. The man's faith deepened until he became a devout follower, secretly spreading Jashin's teachings.

Suddenly, Takuma's eyes widened, and his face filled with shock. Seeing this, Senju Risa asked, "Takuma, what did you discover?"

"These people are truly mad," Takuma muttered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "They're planning something unfathomable."

"Can you elaborate?" Senju Risa pressed.

Takuma ran a hand through his hair, as if struggling to find words. "In short, they're trying to summon the god they worship, Jashin, hoping it will grant them power."

"Summon Jashin? How could they even attempt something so… absurd?" Risa looked baffled.

Takuma shrugged. "Apparently, they took inspiration from stories of the Reaper."

This mention of the Reaper caught Masaki's attention. The others also appeared thoughtful. Finally, Hyūga Kei spoke up, "Ah, the Reaper—the mythological guardian of the underworld. In some legends, it judges sinful souls, guiding them toward either reincarnation or purification."

Takuma nodded. "In some versions, it's said the Reaper can be summoned through sacrifices. The Jashinists seem to equate Jashin with the Reaper, believing that if the Reaper can be summoned, so can Jashin."

Masaki raised an eyebrow. "Their logic seems… unhinged."

"Indeed," Senju Risa agreed, shaking her head. "These Jashinists should probably undergo the psychotherapy the medical corps has been developing."

"I think they're beyond therapy," Masaki sighed, "but setting that aside, Takuma, how do they plan to summon Jashin?"

"They're planning a ritual sacrifice," Takuma explained. "It seems the ritual must occur at the gateway to the underworld and involves specific sacrifices. Because this is a mockery of sacred rites, they believe they must conduct it at an old Ninshū site. They're fanatical about following every rule to the letter. Both the location and timing have to be perfect."

"Is that why they've remained here? Sometimes, even twisted dedication works to our advantage," Masaki noted.

"Precisely," Takuma confirmed. "They're preparing for the ritual, but according to his memory, they haven't captured all the sacrifices yet. It's only a matter of time."

At this point, Senju Risa spoke up, "Did they target Kana as part of their ritual?"

"Yes, but they failed. Security has been increased around her, so she's safe," Masaki reassured.

Risa sighed in relief. "If anything had happened to her, Captain Masaki, you'd have a lot to explain to Nidaime and Mito-sama."

"Indeed." Masaki knew that her safety would weigh heavily on both Tobirama and Mito's minds. Unless Kana could learn to protect herself, she might face even stricter protection measures, confining her to safe areas within the Land of Fire.

However, right now, their priority was dealing with the Jashinists. Masaki asked Takuma, "When is this ritual supposed to take place?"

"In three days," Takuma replied.

"Time is tight," Masaki said. "We need to investigate their plans, determine their exact locations, and form a strategy. None of them can be allowed to escape."

"Yes, sir!" The others agreed.

At that moment, the Jashin follower began to regain consciousness, his medication having worn off from the mental strain. As he took in the Konoha shinobi surrounding him, his expression shifted to fear and anger.

"Don't think you can break me!" he shouted, unaware that his secrets were already exposed.

Masaki simply sighed. He had no interest in prolonging the suffering of fanatics who held no regard for life. Even on the battlefield, he preferred to end lives quickly and humanely, avoiding unnecessary suffering wherever possible.

Without a word, Masaki unsheathed his blade and swiftly drove it into the man's heart. The light drained from the follower's eyes, and Masaki retracted his blade. Turning to the others, he said, "Let's get started."