Within the waters of the Water Country, a once peaceful and prosperous village had now fallen into complete silence.
Bodies piled high, each suffering from disease and covered in thick sores, filled with a foul stench that permeated every corner of the village.
Even more disturbing were the swarms of rats, their eyes glowing red, gnawing on these disgusting corpses.
"Just received news that that cowardly fool Mirage has been taken out by humans,"
On the pile of corpses, a strange creature with a rat's head and a human body, with a long, thin tail hanging from its backside, was gently petting a small rat in its palm while speaking to another.
"I saw from the start that he was useless. I thought that occupying the terrain and staying obediently in place would attract some human forces, covering our true actions. But I didn't expect it would be killed so soon. Truly useless, useless!"
"Tuberculosis ghost, why aren't you talking?"
A figure, gaunt and bony with a big belly, dressed in tattered black robes and wearing a bird-beak mask, slowly stepped out of the shadows.
His exposed skin was covered in sores, looking extremely frightening.
"I feel it's about to happen soon. My intuition tells me that I just need to spread the disease to a few hundred people, let them suffer endless pain and despair before dying, and I can successfully build my domain."
The tuberculosis ghost's voice was extremely unpleasant, like a poisoned, voiceless crow.
But after hearing this, the rat-headed creature immediately cast a jealous and hateful look.
"Damn! We've been working together for so long. Why can this tuberculosis ghost build his domain so much faster than me? If I eat him now, is there still time?"
This guy drooled, looking drooling and eager—completely not joking.
However, the tuberculosis ghost remained indifferent and even took two steps forward. "You said it yourself, we've been working together for so long. You should know I don't care about these things. If you think your appetite is big enough, just tell me anytime. Being eaten, not having to suffer disease anymore—that would be such happiness!"
The rat-headed creature's face instantly changed, as if thinking of some terrifying thing. Its eyes were full of dread and resentment, but it no longer mentioned what just happened.
This tuberculosis ghost was born from humans' fear of disease.
His entire body was covered in bacteria, with each sore representing a deadly illness—an organic biological weapon in humanoid form.
Even a cursed spirit with a naturally strong immunity to bacteria like the rat-headed creature found it hard to endure.
He remembered once biting the tuberculosis ghost fiercely, causing dozens of sores to explode in his mouth.
The result was that the tuberculosis ghost was fine, but the rat-headed creature's whole body was covered in abscesses, skin rotting, and one eye was blinded.
It took him a long time to recover with his powerful cursed energy.
If it had been anyone else (or another cursed spirit), they would have been dead long ago!
But although the tuberculosis ghost's ability was terrifying, it also had huge limitations.
First, his close-combat ability was almost zero, and his main body was very fragile.
If he truly decided to fight hard, the rat-headed creature might not be able to kill him, but he would pay a heavy price.
Second, all the diseases carried by the tuberculosis ghost could only be transmitted through blood or ingestion. His infectiousness wasn't strong, but his lethality was.
So in cooperation, the rat-headed creature's army of rats carried the deadly bacteria of the tuberculosis ghost to kill people.
Finally, once the bacteria within his sores are exposed to air, they rapidly lose activity.
But inside a living organism, they can remain active.
It was as if, at his birth, he was given the most terrifying self-preservation ability but also limited by it—restrictions that prevented him from using that power to destroy all life.
Without the rat-headed creature as a good partner, it would be almost impossible for the tuberculosis ghost to build his domain so quickly.
"Babies, speed up eating! We're going for the next meal!"
Crackling sounds echoed as the entire village was filled with a chilling, ravenous gnawing!
The fog was hazy, clouds drifting in the distance.
At this moment, inside Kirigakure, Terumī Mei was trying to persuade the elders' council with the intelligence she had just shared with Shinji.
"I believe we should act immediately."
"Water Shadow, excuse me, but could you please repeat the source of this intelligence?"
Terumī Mei frowned slightly but still answered truthfully: "It comes from Shinji Akagi."
"A wandering ninja, right?"
The bearded man who had spoken earlier interrupted her again, making his meaning even clearer.
"Yes, that's right. But what does this have to do with what we're discussing now?"
The old man, still somewhat angry, was repeatedly interrupted and questioned, making Terumī Mei's tone grow increasingly unfriendly.
"How can it have nothing to do with it? Are we supposed to believe whatever random chatter some stray cat or dog says? That's ridiculous."
"Exactly."
"I think so too."
Hearing others nod in agreement, the bearded elder felt proud and spoke again: "Since Water Shadow has obtained such important intelligence from that person, why not bring him back? What hidden issues are there? Is he feeling guilty? Or is this all a scam? If it gets out that our Water Shadow was tricked by a wandering ninja, it would be a huge blow to our reputation and to Water Shadow himself. What do you all think?"
A murmur of agreement spread, and more people nodded.
Terumī Mei's face darkened, gnashing her teeth in frustration.
At this moment, another elder was inspired and said, "Water Shadow, it's not that we don't trust what you just said. It's just that this intelligence is too absurd!"
"Exactly. The cursed spirits that only dare to attack villagers like rats—how could they possibly dare to attack Kirigakure? Are they tired of living?"
"If they dare to come, that would be perfect. We could take this opportunity to wipe them all out!"
"Exactly, exactly."
These elders, who hadn't seen battle in many years and hadn't even stepped outside the village for a long time, always believed that those cursed spirits relied on their numbers to exhaust Kirigakure's ninja, which was why they hadn't been eliminated immediately.
Maybe at first, Terumī Mei shared the same view.
But after witnessing how quickly these cursed spirits grew and evolved, she no longer thought that way.
The intense suffocating feeling atop the Kirigakure mountain still made her uncomfortable when she recalled it.
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