Team 7 left from the northern gate, beginning their journey to Miwamata in the Land of Hot Water. They moved at a brisk pace. The woods around Konoha were beautiful, they followed the paved path, periodically leaving the roads if a shortcut could be taken.

Sakura listened earnestly as Kakashi gave a rundown on the geographical nature of the Land of Fire. Shortcuts, and places to stop by to refill supplies. Areas with shinobi allied with Konoha and the location of Konoha's posts.

In Sakura's humble opinion, it was very educational. She memorized the details. Naruto over time learned how to act like he was listening. Sakura watched as he nodded every couple of seconds. She knew full well he would not remember most of what was said. He was the type to just wing it.

Sasuke had his Sharingan activated, so he could read Kakashi's lips and instantly retain the information. Sakura always thought it was an abuse of the Dojutsu, but if it works, it works.

After half a day of traveling, they stopped at a small stream for a break. Eating some of the instant ramen Naruto brought along. Naruto had brought a lot of instant ramen cups. Ever since Sakura had introduced him to storage seals, he always had a large amount of ramen, in case of emergency.

When they resumed their journey, Kakashi began recounting some missions he had undertaken as a jounin. Some meant to train their rational thinking, others simply for their humor.

Overall, it was a very entertaining trip, they didn't find themselves being attacked by rogue ninjas this time.

"This should be the place". They slowed to a walking pace, observing the town.

Once upon a time, nestled amidst rolling green hills and fertile lands, there lay a small village in the Land of Hot Springs named Miwamata. It was a place teeming with life, and its very essence revolved around the vibrant world of trade and commerce.

Miwamata, with its bustling marketplace, was the heart of this merchant village. As the sun rose, the streets came alive with the sounds of eager voices and the enticing aromas of various goods. Stalls lined the pathways, their owners skilfully arranging their wares to catch the eye of potential customers. Colorful fabrics, delicate ceramics, and intricately crafted wooden crafts adorned the stalls, creating a kaleidoscope of beauty.

The villagers of Miwamata were a close-knit community, bound together by their shared livelihoods as merchants. Families worked side by side, their shops passed down through generations, each one holding a story of hard work and success. Young apprentices diligently learned the trade secrets from their elders, hoping to continue the traditions that made Miwamata prosper.

The village itself was a sight to behold. Traditional wooden buildings, their steep thatched roofs reaching toward the sky, lined the streets. Paper lanterns swayed gently in the wind, casting a warm glow over the busy scene. The shops boasted open fronts, welcoming customers to explore their treasures.

Beyond the bustling marketplace, Miwamata was surrounded by fertile fields and lush orchards. A river flowed gently through. Farmers toiled under the sun, tending to their crops, and reaping the rewards of their labour. Their produce, fresh and vibrant, found its way to the village, filling stalls with an abundance of vegetables, fruits, and grains. It was a testament to the harmony between the industrious villagers and the bountiful land that sustained them.

Miwamata was a far cry away from the Land of Waves. The decrepit village that was plagued with poverty in Wave heavily contrasted with the bustling town of Miwamata.

Walking through the town team 7 was enthralled.

"The business is surprisingly booming". Sakura spoke.

"The bandit problem is recent; they don't seem to have suffered much from it". Kakashi replied.

The sun shone above; they had reached the town earlier than they predicted. It was evening time when they arrived.

Kakashi spoke up. "We'll meet up with our contractor, then tomorrow we will begin the mission". They nodded.

"Wow, this place looks great!". Naruto spoke with a great amount of enthusiasm. "I wonder how good their ramen is".

He received a scalding look from Sasuke and a tired sigh from Sakura, Kakashi acted as if he didn't even speak. Naruto lowered his head feeling not very wanted at that moment.

"Our client's name is Suguru, he will give us a roof for the night, before pointing us in the right direction to begin our investigation".

….

Suguru was a middle-aged man, in his mid-thirties. He had a rugged demeanour and weathered hands. Testament to his years of hard work before he became the owner of his father's company. He had deep-set eyes, a shade of hazel.

He was rather tall standing at six foot five inches, forcing the genin to look up. He looked tense, but Kakashi's friendly nature put him at ease. Suguru invited them to his home to discuss the issue in more detail.

The man's house was big, it was very clean and filled with some very aesthetic furniture. There was a variety of foods on the dining table. Beef stew, rice, goat meat, and vegetables. Suguru invited them to eat. They ate peacefully until Naruto loudly thanked the man. Suguru laughed taking a liking to the energetic boy.

After clearing away the dishes, he showed them the rooms they would be sleeping in. They set down futons on the ground. Dropping their packs, they made their way to the dining room to discuss the mission.

Kakashi conversed with Suguru.

"So, you're telling me that they just vanish?". Kakashi confirms.

Suguru nods. "Completely, the merchants, all the cargo gone, even the carriages used for transport! There are rarely any signs that the abductions had taken place".

"Hmm, may I ask what these signs were?". Kakashi began piecing together the story.

"Blood, sometimes a shoe, or another article of clothing". They all perked up at the mention of blood. They had already believed they were bandits. It was normal for blood to be found at the crime scene. No shinobi worth their salt would leave such an obvious clue behind. They now had concrete evidence that they were dealing with bandits.

"What areas have been affected?". Sakura wanted more details.

"It has only occurred along a single road on the border of Miwamata. This road goes through the Ōzu forest".

"We decided to call in ninjas after a group of 12 went missing. The crime scene was horrifying. So much blood, splattered everywhere. There was a single body, we couldn't even identify by her features. It's only because she had on her engagement ring which was recognized by her fiancé".

Sakura grimaced imagining the carnage, she looked at Sasuke seeing the frown on his face. 'That's awful'.

"I understand, have no worries Suguru-san we will most definitely deal with this problem". Kakashi eye-smiled trying to comfort the man.

"B-but their children right". He was referring to Kakashi's genin.

Normally Naruto would have erupted because of the clear underestimation of their prowess. But had matured, he could understand others in ways he couldn't before. He stood up flashing a thumbs up at the man.

"We are Ninja trained by the S-rank shinobi Kakashi of the Sharingan, don't worry old man, we'll definitely solve this. Believe it!". Naruto's sheer sincerity moved Suguru, he was helpless but to put his trust in them.

"Thank you. And I wish you luck, kid". Suguru spoke putting all his hope in team 7.

When they reached their room Sakura turned to Naruto. "You know Naruto, do you have some kind of ability to emotionally control people".

Naruto looked at her weirdly. "I don't think so?".

"First you convinced Haku to stop fighting us, you then convinced Zabuza a literal demon, to stop fighting us. And now this".

Sasuke had a look of realization.

Kakashi turned to Naruto eyebrows arched. "You know Naruto, she's making quite, the case".

"I don't have any ability like that!".

"Sure…". Sasuke spoke clearly not believing him.

"I DON'T!".

"It's time for bed we can continue this discussion in the morning". Kakashi said.

"But I really don't sensei!".

"Night Sasuke, night sensei". Sakura yawned.

"Come on guys!".

"Goodnight". Sasuke responded.

"Don't ignore me!".

"Night everyone". Kakashi responded.

"GGUUYYSS!".

They all ignored him till he was too tired and fell asleep.

….

The next day. Suguru was leading them he told them it was an hour away, but with Kakashi carrying him, they covered the distance in 5 minutes. When Kakashi lowered the man off his back, Suguru looked pale.

"Shinobi are … fast" he was out of breath, his hair messy from wind resistance. Taking a deep breath, he stood up straight. "Follow me, it's just over there". They followed him, alert for any potential dangers.

Suguru slowed down, looked around, and nodded. "This is it". There were patches of darker colours on the ground.

Kakashi unsealed his Sharingan. "Hm, bloody footprints I count seven".

Sasuke activated his Sharingan seeing the same things Kakashi mentioned.

"So, what should we do?". Suguru asks.

"We follow it". Sakura answered.

"Since Sasuke can see the trail, I'm going to take Suguru-san back. Don't do anything I wouldn't do". Kakashi left Suguru.

"Let's move in formation, I'll be point". Sasuke took up the leadership role. Naruto was to the right, and she at the left. They walked in silence stretching their senses, and listening to the forest, they moved silently and swiftly. The constant noise of wildlife was annoying.

"Guys stop". Naruto had a good instinct. He didn't rely on his intelligence like Sakura and Sasuke. He had a very good instinct possibly born from being the Kyubi's container. His guts were clueing him in on an unknown danger.

Sasuke and Sakura had learned to trust Naruto's instincts. They complied, slowly looking around. After a couple of seconds, they heard it. A rumbling sound, the heavy thumps of a four-legged animal.

Sakura looked to the west, watching as trees toppled over. The unknown enemy was closing in on them. 'What strength to easily topple trees'. Sakura was instantly on guard.

A huge shape barreling through the forest attempted to crush them. All three of them evaded.

"Is that a moose?!". Sakura cried out.

In the midst of a dense and towering forest, a colossal figure emerges, casting an intimidating shadow on the ground below. This magnificent creature is a moose, but there is something unnerving about its presence. Its massive form stands tall, reaching a towering height of over seven feet at the shoulder. Each sinewy muscle ripples beneath a sleek, coarse coat of dark brown fur, offering a glimpse of the raw power contained within.

As Sakura gazes at the moose, her eyes are drawn to its fierce countenance. Its head, crowned with a formidable rack of antlers, extends proudly, adorned with a tangled mass of sharp, jagged points that curve outward in an intimidating display. The antlers seem to echo the untamed chaos that stirs within this creature's being.

The moose's eyes capture her attention, shining an ominous crimson hue like smoldering embers amidst the twilight. The red orbs burn with an intense, almost otherworldly glow, reflecting the fiery fury that smolders within its soul. They seem to possess an unnerving depth, a glimpse into the untamed and primal rage that consumes the beast.

As the moose moves with purpose, the ground trembles beneath its hooves. Each step is powerful, leaving deep imprints in the soil, a testament to the sheer force it possesses. Its limbs, thick and muscular, propel it forward with an alarming grace, radiating an aura of controlled aggression.

Despite the inherent elegance in its movement, the air seems to ripple with tension as the moose's presence fills the surrounding space. The very atmosphere becomes charged with an unnerving energy, hinting at the violence that lingers within its mind.

"Um guys, that doesn't look like a normal moose". Naruto spoke in trepidation.

"It might be abnormal, but it is just moose we should quickly defeat it." Sasuke decided to end it quickly. Taking out a Fuma shuriken he charged it with lightning, the beast reared its head before charging at him. Before it could reach him, he threw the shuriken. Lodging it in the beast's head slicing into its brain. The beast plummeted to the ground before skidding to a stop behind Sasuke.

A moment passes.

He turned around, eyes widening as the moose stood tall on four legs. 'Didn't I pierce its brain; I know I didn't miss?!'. In his shock, he was forced to block a pointed hoove as he was kicked away by the giant beast.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.

"I blocked it! Don't worry I took no damage". Though his arms ached a bit he was used to Kakashi's kicks. He wasn't about to be taken out by an animal.

"Guys can we talk about how it just took a lightning shuriken to the brain and then stood up as if nothing happened". Sakura spoke in bafflement.

The behemoth roared in manic rage.

Monkey, Boar, Snake, Tiger "Wind style: Piercing strike". Naruto held the tips of his fingers pointing at the moose. Concentrating wind chakra, it converged into a tight ball building up air pressure.

It shot out, and with a flick of his hand, Naruto cut all four legs of the monster.

The beast groaned in pain as it lay on the ground. Before suddenly sinking into the earth halfway submerged. Thanks to Sakura.

The moose still struggled in the mud. Sasuke walked over before making a tiger seal, burning the moose to ash.

He turned around to look at his teammates.

"So wh-".

"I was gone for ten minutes, and you guys have already gotten in trouble". Kakashi deadpanned interrupting what Sasuke was going to say. 'They're trouble magnets I swear'.

"We were attacked by an immortal moose sensei! It's not our fault". Naruto defended them.

"Immortal, huh". Kakashi was clearly sceptical.

"Sasuke hit it with his lightning shuriken thing, right in the brain too. We had to burn it to ash to kill it". Naruto wasn't the type to lie about these things.

"You know I don't think immortal giant moose were in the mission description sensei". Sakura decided to voice her thoughts.

"Maybe you guys are cursed". Kakashi spoke thoughtfully, "Maybe Naruto's luck has cursed this team".

"Why is it always my fault!" the blonde cried in outrage.

"It's always your fault dobe". Sasuke sighed. "So much for a normal C-rank. Sensei you said things like this aren't common".

Kakashi shook his head "It's Naruto, I tell you". Ignoring the denial from the blonde he spoke again. "I've never heard about immortal animals. We should keep following the trail, my instincts tell me this moose might have something to do with the disappearances".

As they followed the trail, they soon realized it moved in the same direction the moose had come from, further validating Kakashi's claim. The destruction left by the behemoth led to a lake.

'This chakra it's like'. Kakashi looked over to Naruto who had a worried expression, the chakra flowing from the pool of water was ominous, it practically signalled trouble. The bijuu kind.

"Sasuke, Sakura can you see this". The pair activated eyes, shocked as the blue lake became a sinister dark purple, the malevolent chakra was intertwined with the water.

Sakura picked up a small pebble before dropping it in the lake. Immediately a reaction happened. The water bubbled upon contact; the rock was dissolved as if placed in a very strong acid. Steam escaped to the surface. The lake clearly had a deleterious effect.

"Here's my working theory, I'm sure you guys have heard of the nine bijuu". Kakashi dived into his hypothesis. "Bijuu's are sealed into people to create Jinchuriki, commonly they are sealed into children and babies. This is due to the corrupted nature of its chakra which would corrode any adult shinobi aside for a few exceptions. Children have let's say a more impressionable chakra system".

Naruto flinched at the mention of Jinchuriki.

"My guess is that that moose either has been drinking from this lake since its birth or one of its parents was, and it caused it to be transformed. Bijuu are immortal though not in the same way as the moose" Kakashi explained. "That's my best guess".

"The best course for us is to somehow get rid of the lake. It's possible there's a group of mutated animals that could be eating the merchants and cargo". Sakura spoke. "What if someone from the town drank from this, it's a clear hazard".

"There's a stream higher up on this mountain that connects with the lake". Sasuke brought out a map spreading it on the floor. "If we follow it to its origin, we might find something". He pointed at the stream. Sakura raised her head looking around till she saw it, at the opposite side of the lake.

"Time for some dangerous water walking, use an extra thick layer of chakra, I don't want you guys touching this stuff, we'll cross the lake and pick up pace who knows what could be around". Their sensei ordered.

They crossed the lake, before following the stream uphill, till they came across a cave.

"The stream continues through here". Kakashi glanced at them. "You guys ready?".

"Of course, sensei!". Naruto was pumped up. He promised Suguru they were going to complete the mission; he wasn't about to go back on his word. "Let's do this!".

Entering the cave, they became aware of an increase in the vitriolic energy. Activating the Sharingan, their vision was obscured by the chakra that appeared like mist.

The cave was damp, jagged rocks lined the edges. Naruto's eyes widened, observing the walls of the cave but more precisely, the blood that cascaded downwards from the ceiling forming two streams of blood on either side of the tunnel.

They proceeded deeper into the cave; spotting a light in the distance. Upon closer inspection, they recognized it as a torch, with a deep red flame lit. The jagged wall was less natural and more artificial. Like a building, cobblestone cut into bricks formed the walls and floor. There was a draining system that guided the streams of blood.

"Everyone be on guard, expect hostile people". Kakashi held a kunai in his palm walking forward. "This seems to be whoever is attacking the merchants, base. I don't believe we are dealing with bandits".

Kakashi was confident in both his and his genin skills, if they moved as a team, they should be able to deal with whatever problem may arise.

They moved through a doorway, and Sakura observed the sculptures ingrained into the walls. "Sensei I think we're dealing with some kind of cult". They depicted acts of sacrifice, offering up human organs to a deity.

"It would seem so Sakura".

Then they heard it.

The muffled sounds gradually grow louder and more distinct, echoing off the stone walls and mingling in the air. The atmosphere is thick with an eerie blend of anticipation and mystery. As they inch closer, the distinctive sounds of chanting and singing become clearer, enveloping the cave with an otherworldly aura.

The chanting emerges as a low, rhythmic hum, like a primal pulse resonating through the cavernous space. It ebbs and flows, rising and falling in intensity as if synchronized with the beating of a heart. The voices of the cult members blend together, their tones and pitches creating a harmonic tapestry that both entices and unnerves.

Within the chant, there are occasional bursts of melodic phrases, floating like ethereal whispers amidst the chorus. These fleeting melodies carry a haunting evil, hinting at ancient rituals and hidden knowledge. Each note seems to hang in the air, lingering before dissolving into the next, as if the very fabric of time itself were stretched and molded by their reverberations.

The singers' voices range from rich and resonant to piercing and ethereal, filled with raw emotion devotion, and a hint of madness. Their words are foreign, and ancient, invoking a sense of connection to something far beyond the realm of the ordinary.

It was coming from a singular set of double doors. It was engraved with symbols of the occult.

The chant condensed into a singular word.

Kakashi turned back to them, worry etched onto his face.

JASHIN!

"You guys ready?".

JASHIN!

They nodded; their hearts palpitating to the rhythm of the chant.

JASHIN!

"We're going to scout first, avoid fighting till I say so".

JASHIN!

"Well let's get going then".

JASHIN!

They slipped through the door quietly, bracing themselves for what was to come.

JASHIN!

But nothing they could have done would prepare them for what was to come.

JASHIN!