Hidan didn't want to be cult leader out of ambition—he was just looking for something new and entertaining.
If he actually became leader, he'd probably get bored within two days.
But his words happened to align perfectly with Shinji's wishes. That useless thing? He didn't even want it.
Even if Hidan became the leader of the new Jashin Cult, he was still Shinji's little dog, just a pet to entertain.
Most importantly, when Hidan said that, the system prompt rang again.
[Task: I'll Be the Cult Leader]
[Objective: Rebuild the Jashin Cult and help Hidan become the cult leader]
[Participants Responding: 0/10 (Minimum: 10 people)]
[Task Reward: Bond Points ×100] (Maximum reward depends on the lowest combat rating among participants)
[Free Distribution: 10 Organization Contract Scrolls, extra scrolls available for 100 Cursed Soul Points each]
[PS: Trust me, don't even think about recruiting a Chunin, or you'll regret it.]
...
Finally, a "farming" task had appeared again—and this time with a 100-point maximum bond bonus!
Shinji was thrilled. Good thing he hadn't discouraged Hidan earlier and had even helped come up with a plan.
Otherwise, this task wouldn't have been activated.
The difficulty now lay in finding "qualified" participants.
Of course, he could recruit a random bunch just to meet the quota, but that would likely only earn the base reward: 10 Bond Points and 1,000 Cursed Soul Points.
Honestly, he was already looking down on such small rewards.
This time, he intended to claim the full reward.
The task clearly said not to recruit a Chunin. That likely meant the minimum requirement for the maximum reward was Jonin-level.
Anything above Jonin? Unlikely. After all, the entire ninja world didn't have that many elite Jonin or Kage-level powers.
If it were that high, the reward should have doubled accordingly.
So most likely, he needed to recruit ten Jonin.
Wait—subtract him and Hidan, and he only needed eight more. After all, he and Hidan obviously counted toward the quota.
But even eight Jonin were not easy to find.
He might really have to start poaching members from other groups. Otherwise, where would he get eight qualified recruits?
"If only we could recruit everyone from the Akatsuki, the task would be completed instantly, and we'd definitely get the full reward."
Shinji daydreamed for a moment, then decisively tapped his cheek, dismissing such an impossible idea.
...
The next day.
A peaceful town within the Land of Fire.
When Shinji brought Hidan here, he half expected that the cursed spirit chaos had been nothing but a dream—it seemed like it had never even happened.
But overhearing the locals' chatter, he realized that the cursed spirit rampage hadn't failed to occur—it had already been completely eliminated.
After all, as the wealthiest and strongest of the Land of Fire, Konoha's response time and handling were undoubtedly the fastest and most efficient.
Though some remote areas hadn't received immediate aid for various reasons, most regions had instantly dispatched ninjas to exterminate the cursed spirits.
This had prevented any cursed spirit faction from ever gaining momentum in the Land of Fire.
The only encounter with a Special-Grade cursed spirit (without domain expansion) had been handled by Guy's team.
In the end, Guy, opening the Eight Gates, kicked it apart, leaving not a shred behind.
Of course, this news was unknown to outsiders—and to Shinji himself.
Not wanting to wander aimlessly, Shinji first brought Hidan to a hospital.
Ignoring the doctors' incredulous stares, he slapped down a thick wad of cash and told them: next time, if they couldn't heal him, they'd regret it—throat-sealing gesture.
He was just scaring them into taking it seriously. No matter what, Hidan couldn't die. They could treat him boldly and confidently.
The doctor, however, was less enthusiastic.
"His bones are shattered all over his body, and his organs are a mess… that he's alive at all is a miracle. H-how am I supposed to fix this?"
The doctor stared at the thick stack of cash, feeling like crying.
This money was way too hot to handle!
It could easily get someone killed!
But there was no chance to refuse. Shinji had already left the cash and walked off, clearly leaving no room for denial.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!"
"I have to beg the director to save me."
Soon, in the director's office, an extraordinary individual gripped the few remaining strands of hair on their head, deep in thought.
"Director, you have to save me!"
"Think about it—the patient was sent here in this condition. The person who did this must have been incredibly ruthless!"
"We can't mess with someone this cruel."
Snap!
One poor strand of hair lost its last shimmer and gave up its last breath.
If it could speak, it would have said: "It's~ so~ hard~."
"Can the hospital guards handle this?"
"If they could, I wouldn't be coming to you! Anyone who can casually throw this much money around—can they really be normal?"
The director stared at the stack of money, deep in thought.
The doctor, seeing this, assumed the director had an idea, and hurriedly said, "Maybe you should handle this yourself, Director. I won't take a single cent from this money."
"Ha, don't be ridiculous. It's a lot of money, but we're not that lowly."
"Then who?"
"I suddenly thought of someone… someone capable of resolving this completely."
"It's urgent! Stop beating around the bush! Who is this person?"
"I don't know her exact identity, and I'm not even sure she's still here. But you can check the casinos for a woman nicknamed The Legendary Big Fat Sheep. Just bring her here. As long as he still has breath, she can save him."
The doctor blinked in disbelief. "That sounds completely unreliable."
Saving someone with just a breath left? That's absurd. If it weren't the director speaking, he'd have spat in their face.
"Believe it or not. Now go, take the money, and don't get in the way."
"Okay, I believe you. But about this… 'Legendary Big Fat Sheep' healer—does she have any other distinguishing features? I can't just call out her nickname in every casino."
Big!
The director blurted a single word, then immediately fell silent, shooing him out.
"Big? Big what? Old? Big? Hands? Face?"
"Just find her and you'll know. Remember that—that's all that matters."
Bang!
The director slammed the office door, leaving the doctor dumbfounded outside.