Cos Wuzan, was stabbed ten times by Heize at the beginning

Amidst the rumbling of the ground, Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan spun wildly in his iris.

Green light surrounded him.

The air made a loud, explosive sound, as if it were being compressed.

A translucent green giant tore through the forest's canopy that blocked out the sun.

The bones formed from chakra were continuously covered by the armor.

Before giants, they are as insignificant as ants.

"what is that?"

Choji stared in awe at the giant in the distance, speechless.

"Asuma..."

Shikamaru looked ahead with concern.

He finally understood why Asma had made them hide.

"Stop, Kai!"

In the distance, Asuma, covered in wounds, grabbed Might Guy's arm to stop him from continuing his attack.

"what happened?"

Might Guy burst out with blue steam, his hair standing on end in a rage, truly resembling a blue beast.

"Didn't you notice that all the wounds we inflicted on him have healed?"

Asuma said with a serious expression.

His gaze swept over Zhishui's body, finding not a single red or swollen mark.

The wounds they had so desperately inflicted on Zhishui healed instantly.

The wounds that Zhishui inflicted on them were becoming increasingly severe.

Continuing to fight won't lead to anything good.

"We're too close to Iwatsuki Temple. With such a commotion, Ji Zhi must have noticed it. When Ji Zhi arrives, not only will we be trapped, but they will be too."

Asuma glanced at Shikamaru and the others, who were about ten meters behind him, looking worried.

He'd rather risk his life than let Shikamaru and the others get caught up in a deadly situation.

Might Guy glanced back at Neji and the other two behind him, exchanged a look with Asuma, and the two of them retreated at the same time.

Their figures quickly appeared in front of Shikamaru and the others: "Retreat!"

Shikamaru and the others immediately realized what was happening and caught up with them.

Behind him, Uchiha Shisui stood quietly in place, showing no intention of chasing after him.

Asumaban and Might Guyban raced through the forest, quickly leaving the area of ​​Lantern Town and heading towards the heart of the Land of Fire.

"Teacher Kai, what should we do about Muzan?"

Neji frowned slightly, his eyes filled with worry.

Might Guy looked ahead, quite helplessly: "Let's go back to Konoha and report this to the Hokage."

No one expected that Muzan would be forced to stay in the Eternal Paradise Cult.

Shikamaru looked at Neji, who was still worried, and explained, "Muzan won't be in any danger in the Eternal Paradise Cult, so there's no need to rush."

How could Neji not be anxious?

But there's nothing you can do if you're anxious.

Just as Teacher Kai said, they were not strong enough, so they had to report the matter to the teacher and wait for the teacher to make a decision.

Why did they force Muzan to join the Eternal Bliss Cult?

As Xiao Li hurried along, he asked in confusion.

He just couldn't understand why these people were forcing Muzan.

Even if Muzan joined the cult, it wasn't out of genuine sincerity, was it?

What is the use?

"The Eternal Bliss Cult spreads its doctrines throughout the ninja world in order to make everyone in the ninja world believe in the God of Bliss."

"It wasn't just Muzan. When Rinzo, the leader of the Eternal Bliss Cult, attacked Konoha, he also forced me and Kurenai to join the cult. Those who were unwilling to join the Eternal Bliss Cult, especially ninjas, were treated like heretics and killed without exception."

Asma said with disgust.

"But their attitude towards Muzan was clearly different."

Shikamaru couldn't help but add.

Asuma was taken aback and looked at Shikamaru.

"This mission seems to be a carefully orchestrated scheme by the Eternal Bliss Cult to take Muzan away."

Shikamaru's words sent a chill down Asuma's spine.

"Inside the stone tower, Azami asked us whether we wanted to join the Eternal Paradise Cult. Actually, whether we joined or not was not important. What mattered was Muzan's answer."

"So after Muzan agreed to join the Eternal Bliss Cult, he let us go without hesitation."

"This means we weren't even on his invitation list from the start."

Shikamaru kept saying:

"If Uchiha Shisui and Azaki had tried to stop us, we wouldn't have been able to escape from their combined attack. But Uchiha Shisui didn't pursue us, and Azaki didn't show up either..."

"This shows that Azaki was always by Muzan's side, worried that Muzan would escape after he left."

"Their ultimate target has always been Muzan."

Shikamaru was completely absorbed in his own world.

His body moved mechanically forward, weaving through one branch after another.

However, memories kept flashing through his mind, connecting one guess after another.

"Why do the Eternal Bliss Cult value Muzan so much?"

"Why do the statues worshipped by the Eternal Bliss Cult look so much like Muzan?"

Chapter 482 Abandoning the Rescue? ? ?

"It can't be just because of Muzan's bloodline limit. According to intelligence from the ninja world, Rinzo, the leader of the Eternal Bliss Cult, also possesses Wood Release, and there are quite a few apostles with Sharingan within the Eternal Bliss Cult."

Shikamaru's words make sense.

But if it's not for bloodline limits, then what is the purpose of the Eternal Bliss Cult?

Although Shikamaru was able to analyze these questions, he couldn't answer them.

There is still too little information about the Eternal Bliss Cult.

Their every move is labeled as religious behavior, making everything they do seem unsurprising.

This made it increasingly difficult for Shikamaru to guess their purpose.

After three days and nights of tireless work, the gates of Konoha finally came into Asuma's view.

"Shikamaru, you guys go back and rest."

Asuma stood at the door and spoke to Shikamaru and the other two.

Shikamaru and the other two exchanged a glance, then disappeared down the street.

Might Guy also let Neji and the others leave.

What happened next was no longer relevant to these genin.

Asuma and Might Guy head to the Hokage Building.

On the way, Asuma inadvertently saw the completed Rei Amamiya statue on the Hokage Rock.

Asuma couldn't help but recall the Hokage's words from the day he left.

The Hokage trusted him so much, yet he failed to bring Muzan back.

Muzan stayed in the Eternal Paradise Cult to save them.

Asuma wiped his face; he didn't know how to face the Hokage.

Standing at the entrance of the Hokage's office, waiting for the ANBU ninja to announce his arrival, Asuma felt as if he had been thrown into a vat of boiling oil, experiencing immense torment.

A hand rested on Asma's shoulder.

Asma turned to look at Might Guy beside him.

Might Guy smiled at him: "Don't worry, Asuma! The Hokage won't blame you!"

Asuma: "..."

He wasn't worried that the Hokage would blame him; he was worried that the Hokage wouldn't blame him.

The door to the Hokage's office opened.

The ANBU ninja silently returned to the doorway, inconspicuous as a shadow.

Asuma glanced at the Hokage sitting behind his desk and instinctively lowered his eyes.

I walked into the office with Matt Kay.

"Lord Hokage!"

Might Guy gave Rei Amamiya almost no time to react, explaining the ins and outs of the mission in great detail.

Rei Amamiya's brows furrowed slowly. His gaze fell on Asuma and Might Guy, and he asked with concern, "Are you both injured? You should go to the hospital to get checked out!"

Matt Kai scratched the back of his head, his face slightly flushed, and said nonchalantly, "It's just a minor injury! It's nothing!"

Asma felt increasingly guilty and nodded.

He finally looked up at Rei Amamiya, his eyes filled with bitterness: "Lord Hokage, I have failed your trust and failed to bring Muzan back."

Rei Amamiya smiled and shook his head: "It's already quite an achievement that you and Shikamaru were able to return safely. Fortunately, it was Muzan who stayed behind. Muzan is very smart, and I believe he will be alright."

Asuma felt as if his heart had been squeezed hard.

How could the Hokage not be worried about Muzan?

But because he was in the position of Hokage, he had to act as if nothing was wrong.

The more Asma thought about it, the more guilty he felt.

"You should go and treat your wounds first!"

After a moment of contemplation, Rei Amamiya spoke to Asuma and Might Guy.

"The mission to rescue Muzan is somewhat difficult and requires careful planning."

Rei Amamiya practically told them that there was no way to save them, and they shouldn't even think about saving them.

As the Hokage, Rei Amamiya couldn't easily leave Konoha, so there were very few ninjas who could take on the mission of rescuing Muzan.

Asuma and Might Guy leave the Hokage's office.

Rei Amamiya acted as if she hadn't received the message, continuing to lean back in her chair and let her clone handle official business.

However, it's still necessary to put on a show.

As the sun was setting, Rei Amamiya had an ANBU ninja summon Shikaku Nara.

Nara Shikaku, forced to work overtime: "..."

Rei Amamiya told Shikaku Nara about Asuma's mission and Muzan's situation.

Upon hearing this, Nara Shikaku's brows immediately furrowed into a caterpillar shape.

This is too tricky!

"The Eternal Bliss Cult has its altars spread throughout the ninja world. Asuma and the others' return to Konoha was enough time for Azami to relocate Muzan."

As he spoke, Nara Shikaku observed the Hokage's expression and was relieved to see that the Hokage did not show any obvious signs of anxiety. His biggest worry was that the Hokage would lose his composure due to being too anxious.

A look of worry flashed in Rei Amamiya's eyes as he stared intently at Shikaku Nara: "Muzan, is he beyond saving?"