My Brother's a Jinchūriki!

Chapter Eighty- Prince of the Leaf Part Two

Natsumi looked further down the page and began to read the partially faded text out loud.

The Children of the Divine Bite.

This group has many names, the most prevalent of which being— the Ryūchi Guardians, the Ryūchi Assassins, the Serpent's Chosen, Lamia, Daughters of Echidna, Children of the Serpents, and the Snake Priestesses. The true number of members at their peak is unknown, though it is estimated to be around three thousand. Varying descriptions of members and details of the cult's activities have been reported, though there are several consistencies amongst them.

Each pure-blooded member has unnaturally pale skin and yellow eyes with slitted pupils. Occasionally, children are born in the group possessing unusually high amounts of Chakra and the greatest natural affinity for the serpents. This is made clear at the child's birth, as each rarity is born with a thin, translucent layer of scales that shed over the next four weeks, as well as unusual colored markings around their eyes. Converts retain their natural eye color and skin tone, however, they lose their emotional capabilities and many of their memories during the Conversion process. Since it is seen as dishonorable to reproduce with a Convert, they were rarely used as mates with the exception that there were no suitable pure-blooded males available.

The caste system within the Snake Children is perilously strict, with males on the absolute lowest tier, while the Matrons are on the topmost tier, directly below the legendary Ryūchi Serpents. During their coming-of-age ceremony, male members are given powerful sedatives and psychedelics, before undergoing hypnosis that causes them to lose their individuality and take on a hive-like mindset. After their change, they are left totally obedient and devoted to serving the females and the Serpents they worship.

Every eight years, strong females chosen by the Matrons are granted permission to mate. The complex mating ritual lasts for eight days, and the female members choose their partners selectively. If a male fails to impregnate his partner, he is then deemed defective and is sacrificed to the Great Snakes.

At eight years of age, the Matrons gather the children before the Great Serpents for Judging. The strong males are granted the highest position attainable for their sex and are assigned to guarding the children of the next generation. The average males are assigned as caretakers for the females, while the weakest males of the generation are used in varying sacrificial rituals.

The strongest of the females are chosen to take the Beginners Trial; a mysterious rite of passage where each girl who succeeds is inducted as an Acolyte of the Hebihime— an elite group of assassins with powers of unknown limitations. Not much is known about this group, except that the most elite members have the ability to transform into serpents, develop the Sacred Markings around their eyes, and are rumored to be immortal. It is suspected that the Hebihime may also be able to change their appearance at will and are actively attempting to sneak into the courts of the Daimyō in order for the cult to manipulate entire countries.

Locating this group has proven impossible, as Ryūchi cave cannot be found intentionally, with the majority of people discovering it by accident after becoming lost. Once they leave, though, they are unable to locate it again. However, the Devotees of the Serpents have no such difficulties traveling to and from their reclusive home.

Natsumi stopped reading at the bottom of the page and looked at Hasu.

"These are definitely the right people."

"They sound as interesting as they do very disturbing."

"I'd rather just call it disturbing." Natsumi murmured and looked back at the page. "I wonder what else it says about them..."