When leaving, Shinji did not return with the others; instead, he went somewhere alone.
It was none other than the lakeside they had just been at.
One of his Cursed Treasure Maps pointed directly to the center of this very lake.
He waited until Tsunade and Jiraiya had departed with Naruto, then walked back toward the water's edge.
Splash!
He dove straight into the lake.
Fortunately, it wasn't especially deep. Shinji reached the bottom easily and took out the Cursed Treasure Map.
The moment he arrived at the exact location, the map shattered into specks of light, which swirled together and solidified into a chest.
Shinji didn't open it immediately; he swam back to shore first.
"Didn't ask for much… just give me something good. At the very least, whatever's inside should be worth a decent amount of Cursed Spirit Points."
Muttering to himself, he opened the chest — and his face turned as black as soot.
> [ You have collapsed the lair of Level‑3 Cursed Spirits. A large number of Level‑3 Cursed Spirits have emerged. Current coordinates: this town. ]
Damn it!
Shinji cursed out loud on the spot, drew his Kubikiribōchō, and sliced a Cursed Spirit — which had just crawled up from the ground to "bask in the moonlight" — clean in half.
It turned out that this so‑called "lair" wasn't just the spot where he dug for treasure — it was the entire town he was standing in!
Completely ridiculous!
This meant that from now on, countless Level‑3 Cursed Spirits would appear randomly everywhere in the town.
If left unchecked, this would turn into a massive disaster.
Whether out of principle or simple self‑interest, Shinji could not let even one of them roam free.
Besides, every single one of these monsters meant Cursed Spirit Points for him.
"I have to wipe them all out as fast as possible. If anyone other than Hidan destroys them, it's just a waste of points."
He swung his massive blade and cut down the five or six spirits that had appeared near the lake. Then he quickly found a high vantage point and began planning his sweep route.
It was already dark, but still the tail‑end of dinner time — many people were still out walking the streets, and the taverns were bustling with activity.
But as one hideous‑looking spirit after another crawled up from underground, the crowds screamed in terror and scattered in panic.
"Monsters are attacking! Monsters are coming!"
"Someone help me! My legs gave out, I can't move…"
"Darling, don't leave me — take me with you!"
"Waaah… I want my mom…"
...
In truth, Level‑3 Cursed Spirits were only slightly stronger than cannon fodder. Even an ordinary Genin could defeat one.
But to normal people, these creatures were terrifying monsters. If you got caught, you would be eaten alive.
"Dammit! Where the hell are these things coming from?!"
Jiraiya was carrying the unconscious Naruto on his back, and had just been surrounded by a pack of them.
Hearing the screams and cries all around, his expression turned grim.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Wild Lion's Mane Technique!
He whipped his hair outward, wrapping around seven or eight spirits at once, and crushed them instantly.
Hidden in the shadows, Tobi withdrew his gaze from Naruto — but he didn't leave.
He had no idea where these Cursed Spirits had come from, but they had successfully thrown the whole situation into chaos.
If Jiraiya stayed right by the Jinchūriki's side the whole time, then fine — he'd act as if he was never here.
But if an opportunity opened up, he would try to capture the Nine‑Tails' vessel directly.
After all, news had already reached him that Nagato had moved their plans ahead of schedule.
It was a bit rushed, but all the necessary preparations were mostly complete anyway.
Elsewhere, Tsunade was staggering along, hiccuping from the drink, and smashing every ugly creature she saw with a single punch.
Not a single spirit could get close — they were all blown apart before they could even try.
She was in a hurry to get back and find Shizune…
Three streets ahead of her, Hidan stood with Sasuke and Tamamo Hotaru, looking thoroughly annoyed.
"Why does everyone keep vanishing just when things get interesting? Always letting me down at the worst possible moment… this is so damn irritating!"
Hidan hacked down two bat‑like spirits in quick succession, scowling furiously.
After all, killing Cursed Spirits wasn't his hobby. The only thing he truly enjoyed was killing people.
And to make matters worse, he was stuck babysitting two kids.
But Sasuke and Tamamo Hotaru didn't share his boredom at all.
Sasuke drew his Kusanagi sword and began cutting down everything in sight.
Tamamo Hotaru transformed into her white fox form and fought alongside her companion, Kōgetsu. Any spirit foolish enough to come near them was just asking to be destroyed.
Seeing them fight, Hidan's mood improved slightly — though he still clicked his tongue in disdain.
...
"Thirty‑one… thirty‑two… thirty‑three…"
Shinji dropped from above, spun in a wide arc, and sliced three spirits in two at the waist.
Glancing at a young couple huddled together, trembling in a corner, he thought to himself: If I'd seen you earlier, I'd have come out later.
Flaunt your love, meet your doom.
For some reason, the sight just made him feel bitter and annoyed.
"Tha— thank you…"
The girl tried to speak shakily, but when she looked up, the person who had saved them had already vanished.
Art of Red Blood Manipulation!
Shinji commanded a massive amount of blood to shape into sharp arrows, sniping every Cursed Spirit within his line of sight.
Once the area‑of‑effect attack finished, he clapped his hands together.
Snap!
Instantly, he swapped places with one of the blood‑crystal arrows that hadn't yet dissolved.
These arrows contained his own blood and cursed energy, so naturally he could exchange positions with them at will.
Ever since he acquired Unrighteous Game, his blood manipulation abilities had grown significantly stronger.
Ten‑Stroke Curse Method: Warau Warau!
With a slashing motion, he cut a spirit that looked like a thick wooden stake clean in half.
No matter how strong its defense was, the Ten‑Stroke technique would always find a weakness.
After clearing every visible spirit in the area, Shinji took out his Greed Eyeball and fed it fresh flesh and blood from the ground.
Once full, the Greed Eyeball went to work. It scanned and pinpointed every single spirit that had hidden itself or escaped his earlier sweep, and projected their locations directly onto Shinji's retina.
Black Flash!
Walking up to a solid wall, Shinji threw a punch straight through it — shattering not only the wall but also the kangaroo‑like Cursed Spirit hiding behind it.
He walked casually, then suddenly drove the Executioner's Blade deep into the ground.
Thwack!
A spirit hiding in the soil, waiting to ambush him, was skewered instantly.
No matter where they hid, Shinji hunted them down, dragged them out, and slaughtered them one by one.
Thanks to this ruthless efficiency, the collapse of the Cursed Spirit Lair was contained before it could cause too much damage.
And ever since he discovered he could use his own condensed blood crystals to trigger Unrighteous Game, his travel speed had increased dramatically.
With the Greed Eyeball helping him find every last straggler, he ended up killing more than half of all the spirits released.
By now, there couldn't be more than a handful left alive — hardly enough to count on two hands.
Searching further would only be a waste of time. Shinji finally stopped moving.
____________________
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